Zhao Hao's group is large.

In addition to him and his son, Qiaoqiao, Ma Xianglan and Fan Datong were also in the same group.

There were also Li Zhi's family; two nephews, Zhao Shizhen and Zhao Shixi; four disciples, Hua Shuyang, Jin Xueceng, Zhang Jian, and Bei Peijia; three generals, Wang Rulong, and several of their entourage.

As well as the twenty stewards led by the brothers Yu Ben and Yu Men; thirty-six newly recruited students; and fifty guards led by Gao Wu and Cai Ming...

About two hundred people were divided into five boats, connected end to end to form a team, and sailed south along the canal.

It was not until he arrived in Tongzhou that he realized he was traveling the same way as Lord Xu.

Standing on the deck, Zhao Hao could not help but frown as he watched the officials of Tongzhou, led by the Minister of Warehouse, kneeling respectfully to welcome Lord Xu ashore. What happened to their promise that the guests would be forgotten after they left?

Only a few dozen miles outside Beijing, the civil officials welcomed Xu Ge Lao without any scruples. If he had arrived in Nanjing or Suzhou, wouldn't the streets be deserted, the roads paved with yellow earth, and they would worship him as an ancestor?

The civil servants were clearly using this method to demonstrate to Emperor Longqing!

The more you snub our Prime Minister, the more we will respect him. Let the people everywhere know that they have another tyrant.

Zhao Hao was not worried about Emperor Longqing, he was worried about his father's future.

Not only is Suzhou adjacent to Songjiang, it is said that the Xu family also has great influence in Suzhou city, so we must be fully prepared mentally.

Hearing the thunder-like snoring coming from the cabin behind him, Zhao Hao shook his head and thought, forget it, let Dad grow up in the storm.

Just as he was about to turn around and go back into the cabin, he suddenly felt a cold gaze piercing him.

Zhao Hao looked over and saw the former Junior Minister Xu Fan, standing on the dock surrounded by officials. He was looking at him intently, not hiding the pride and hatred in his eyes.

As if to say, kid, you see. Even if I am not the young cabinet minister, it would be effortless for me to crush you to death.

Zhao Hao stopped, picked his ear with his little finger, and then blew on his finger lightly.

"Xu Fan, when will you kowtow to me?"

"You..." Xu Fan was immediately furious, but speechless.

He really hasn't kowtowed to Zhao Hao to apologize yet. No wonder this guy was deliberately making excuses outside the Meridian Gate last time. It turns out he was trying to control me!

A group of Tongzhou officials then realized that the young man whom the young minister was glaring at was none other than Zhao Hao, who was spreading evil words to confuse the people.

I guess Zhao Shouzheng, who dared to beat the young minister, was also on the boat?

They could not help but yell in anger. Zhao Hao's side also had a large number of people, so how could they be willing to see the young master suffer? They also started yelling at the shore.

For a moment, at the Tongzhou wharf, two gangs of well-dressed people were all shouting and cursing like the common people, with foul language flying everywhere, which was shocking.

Until Lord Xu couldn't listen any longer, he coughed in the eight-man sedan chair and said in a deep voice: "Shut up!"

The officials on the shore immediately fell silent, and the people on the boat naturally stopped cursing as they had no opponents left.

The curtain of the sedan chair slowly opened, and Lord Xu looked towards the boat with a gloomy gaze, and his eyes were fixed on Zhao Hao, who was dressed in a white robe.

"Xu Fan, since His Majesty has ordered this, you should do as he orders."

"Father..." Xu Fan couldn't help but turn pale, but seeing his father's gloomy face, he didn't dare to say a word.

"Yes, sir!"

Xu Fan lifted his robe and knelt upright in front of Zhao Hao in full view of everyone. He kowtowed to him meticulously and said in a muffled voice:

"Dr. Zhao, Xu Fan kowtows to you to apologize!"

However, Zhao Hao didn't even look at him, but just stared at Xu Jie without blinking.

But Lord Xu only glanced at him, then slowly lowered the curtain of the sedan chair and told the bearer, "Let's go."

In such a stagnant atmosphere, the officials did not dare to waste words and hurriedly got into the sedan chair, following Lord Xu's sedan chair and heading towards the garden where the banquet was held.

Xu Fan stood up from the ground, the anger on his face had disappeared, and he said to Zhao Hao expressionlessly: "I lost this round, I admit the penalty. Let's play again in the next round!"

"You'll still lose if you try again." Zhao Hao curled his lips in disdain and turned to go into the cabin.

~~

Although he talked tough, Zhao Hao was such a coward that he didn't dare to get off the boat in Tongzhou.

He had such a large group of people in his group and had offended all the officials in Tongzhou. It would be asking for trouble if he got off the ship at this time.

"Hey, why do you become so timid after leaving the capital?" Zhao Hao missed his godmother less than half a day after leaving Beijing.

Fortunately, officials along the way welcomed and escorted Lord Xu all the way, and the distance between the two ships was getting farther and farther, so there was no chance of conflict again.

Otherwise, he would have to offend all the officials along the Grand Canal.

By the time Zhao Hao and his companions arrived in Yangzhou, the Xu family's ship had just arrived in Jining.

The officials from Jining were naturally very respectful and waited for Lord Xu to return home at the Chengnan Post Station Wharf.

Nancheng Post Station, which has a history of more than 500 years, is one of the largest post stations along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Outside the post station, hundreds of sailboats were scattered on the vast lake.

There was no one else on the dock except the officers and soldiers who were maintaining order and the sedan chair bearers who came to greet the officials.

Those dirty boatmen, water workers, green workers and white workers were all driven out of the dock to avoid polluting the sight of Lord Xu.

When Lord Xu came out of the cabin with the help of Xu Fan, more than a dozen officials from the Jining prefect down to the lower level all knelt down respectfully to greet him.

"Please stand up, everyone. I am just a commoner and I am not worthy of this position." Xu Jie asked all the officials to stand up in a friendly manner. The flattery of the local officials along the way had basically soothed the old prime minister's injured heart.

"Thank you, Your Excellency." The officials then stood up and stepped forward.

Xu Jie actually saw a familiar face among these people, and couldn't help but smile in surprise: "Fengzhou, why are you here?"

The middle-aged man named Fengzhou was not tall and thin, with an elegant appearance and extraordinary bearing. He was Wang Wuyang's uncle, Hua Shuyang's father-in-law, and the leader of the literary world, Wang Shizhen.

Although Wang Shizhen was still dressed like a scholar at this time, the plain gold belt around his waist clearly indicated his identity as a fourth-rank official.

Wang Shizhen smiled and stepped forward, holding Xu Jie for Xu Fan, saying, "My nephew was about to go to Henan to take up his post, and heard that Yuan Fu was retiring and returning home, and would be passing through Shandong. So I stayed in Jining and waited to see you off."

Taicang and Huating are only a few dozen miles apart. The Wang family and the Xu family are both old friends and relatives. Back then, Wang Shizhen's father, Wang Rong, was a close friend of Xu Jie. Later, Wang Rong was killed for disobeying Yan Song. Thanks to Xu Jie's protection, the Wang family did not suffer from the disaster.

Last year, Wang Rong was able to be rehabilitated, thanks to the efforts of Lord Xu. Even Wang Shizhen's promotion to the post of Deputy Censor of Henan Province was secretly arranged by Xu Jie. Therefore, Wang Shizhen regarded himself as Xu Jie's nephew and waited in Jining to see him off.

"Fengzhou is thoughtful." Xu Jie patted his hands with satisfaction and exchanged a few polite words with the Jining prefect.

Then, surrounded by officials, he went into the post station and stayed there.

The prefect first led Lord Xu into the courtyard prepared for him, and asked the old man to wash his face and change his clothes, and then the banquet would start after he had rested.

After the Jining prefect left, only the Xu father and son and Wang Shizhen were left in the yard to talk.

ps. Chapter 2, please give me monthly tickets and recommendation tickets~~~