In order to prevent its people from communicating with foreign countries, the Han Dynasty implemented a maritime ban since the reign of Emperor Taizu, and only opened three southern ports, namely Guangzhou, Quanzhou and Mingzhou, for trade. Mingzhou is located in the northernmost part of the country and is under the jurisdiction of the richest region in Jiangnan. Therefore, although the scale of Mingzhou Port is not as large as that of Guangzhou and Quanzhou, it is no less prosperous and magnificent.
In addition, Mingzhou was originally a small fishing village, which was gradually built up due to the port trade. There was no wall around the prefecture, but a cofferdam was built outside the port to separate the sea from the inland. Visitors from the sea had to pass through the checkpoints built on the cofferdam to enter Mingzhou, and they were not allowed to enter the Han territory without permission. At the same time, the Han people were not allowed to go out to sea to make a living at will.
However, the silk, tea, porcelain and other products produced in the Han Dynasty were treasures coveted by wealthy nobles overseas. After overseas merchants purchased goods from the Han Dynasty, as long as they went through numerous hardships and dangers, crossed the five oceans and seven seas, and arrived safely at the motherland, they could make ten or twenty times the profit with just one resale.
Therefore, despite numerous restrictions and the extremely high Han tariffs, overseas merchants still flocked to Mingzhou. Not only did Mingzhou city receive a constant stream of merchants from Japan, Korea, Siam, and even Persia, Arabia, and Europe, but merchant ships from various countries outside the port were also congested, like sardines just caught by fishermen from the sea, blocking the entire Mingzhou port completely.
It was mid-September, and the long-lasting hot summer was about to end. Although the climate was still a little hot, it was also cool and refreshing, which made people feel very comfortable.
But outside the city, a group of people came from the west. The first person was about 23 or 24 years old. Although he was not tall, he had a handsome face. His clothes were not very gorgeous, but they were very clean and tidy. In particular, the blue horse under his crotch was vigorous and vigorous, obviously a precious horse breed. Anyone who knew it at a glance knew that the owner of this horse was either rich or noble.
Behind this man followed two fine horses, with two women riding on them. One of the two women was about the same age as this man, with a beautiful face, as if she was a fairy from heaven; the other was not very old, only about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a tight suit, and also looked heroic. Behind these two women followed a girl riding a donkey, dressed like a maid. There was also a scholar who looked like a legal advisor, also riding a strong donkey, and accompanying him on both sides.
Behind them came eight strong servants, some riding horses and some driving carts, following their master closely along the wide official road towards Mingzhou City.
This group of people was so huge that if it were anywhere else, it would certainly attract a lot of attention; however, Mingzhou was a very prosperous place, and there were countless groups of people like this every day. Therefore, when the pedestrians on both sides of the official road saw them, they just took a few more glances and then lowered their heads to do their own work.
After walking for a while, the young man in the lead saw a rainbow bridge in the distance, with people passing by on the bridge. He slowed down his horse a little, waited for the woman behind him to approach, raised his whip and pointed forward, saying, "I think the high bridge ahead is the 'Yongfeng Bridge'. After crossing this bridge and Yongjiang River, we will reach Mingzhou."
The woman nodded, without showing any weakness on her face: "Okay. I see this place is very prosperous, and there must be many hotels and inns. Let's choose a quiet inn to stay in first, and then go to do business."
The person who was speaking was no ordinary woman. Her surname was Wen and her nickname was Lingjiao. She was the saint of the Tianzun Sect, which was well-known in the martial arts world. Her brother was the leader of the Tianzun Church, and she could stir up chaos in the world with just a few words.
The young man who was talking to her was named Qiu Yizi, and his identity was also extraordinary. He was the son of the current emperor who had been adopted since childhood. He had made great contributions in the campaign against the rebellion, but was willing to come to Jiangnan to be a minor official in order to avoid disaster. However, he was like a stone thrown into stagnant water. As soon as he took office, he stirred up the officialdom in Jiangnan, so that the officialdom in Jiangnan was in a state of panic, and half of the officials were dismissed at once.
Qiu Yizi made this trip on his own initiative, under the pretext of sightseeing, but in reality he had secretly come to Mingzhou to investigate the case of the fake Tianzun sect.
Therefore, he pretended to be a wealthy merchant, and handed over his Shanyin County affairs to his servants. He took Wen Lingjiao and several other entourage members, crossed the Yongfeng Bridge over the Yongjiang River, and actually came to the jurisdiction of Mingzhou Prefecture.
Mingzhou was indeed very prosperous, but this prosperous scene was different from the capital city of Luoyang, the capital of Jiangnan, Jinling, and the capital of Youyan, Guangyang.
The capital city of Luoyang was at the foot of the emperor, and the business district was separated from other areas, appearing to be well organized;
Jinling is the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. Its structure is similar to Luoyang. Although it is not as strict and rigid as the capital, the shops and wine shops are also spread out around the Qinhuai River.
Only Guangyang is similar to Mingzhou in that both prospered due to the trade of goods between the north and the south. However, during the construction of Guangyang, the current prime minister Zhongli Kuang, who was an aide to King Youyan at the time, planned it carefully and although it seemed disorganized on the surface, it contained secrets.
—However, Mingzhou did not have a talented person like Zhongli Kuang to manage it. All the officials in office were mediocre and allowed the merchants to build houses at will. As a result, except for a slightly straight and wide official road running east-west in Mingzhou Prefecture, the rest of the city was full of alleys and the houses were in a mess.
Qiu Yi and his companions walked in the maze-like streets for a long time before they found a secluded corner. They saw a slightly desolate house with a plaque in front of the door with three large official script characters "Yongxing Inn" written on it - it was an inn.
So Qiu Yi discussed with Wen Lingjiao and the aide Lin Shuhan who was sitting in the carriage, then got off the horse, pushed the door and walked into this "Yongxing Store".
However, the store was very deserted, in stark contrast to the bustling scene in Mingzhou City. It was clean, but there was no waiter to greet guests.
Seeing this, Qiu Yizi shouted at the top of her voice, "Is anyone here? The guest staying at the hotel is here."
After a while, a man in his thirties or forties ran out from the back of the store, with a flattering smile on his face, and greeted: "It turns out that you are a distinguished guest. I am sorry for being late. Please apologize for your delay."
Qiu Yizi smiled and said, "Look at you. Every inn out there is packed with guests, but yours is so quiet. People who don't know would think you're a shady shop!"
He was halfway through his words when he was suddenly shocked by the word "black shop" he had said. He quickly ran to Lin Shuhan and asked softly, "Mr. Lin, do you think this shop is okay?"
Lin Shuhan unfolded his folding fan, shook it, and said, "I have just asked Jiming to look around. Although he didn't see anything unusual, he still feels uneasy. Sir, the most important thing for our trip is confidentiality. We must guard against both the white and black forces, and we must not be careless."
Although Lin Shuhan did not say it explicitly, his meaning was very clear. Qiu Yizi nodded quickly: "I understand what you said, sir. Let's find a busy old store to stay in."
After saying this, he waved his hand and told his servants, "This store is too shabby and too small. It can't accommodate so many of us. Let's find another place." With that, he left the "Yongxing Store."
This made the shop owner very anxious. He tried to explain and flatter Qiu Yizi, but he couldn't move her. So he just started to curse: "Bah! You think you are so great just because you have a few stinky money? And you think my shop is too small! Huamao Building is big and nice, and it's also owned by Mr. Zhou Cijing. You want to stay here, but can you afford it? Can you live there?"
These words reminded Qiu Yizi. He mounted his horse, turned around and smiled at the furious shop owner, "I dare not say anything about other restaurants, but since it's Mr. Zhou's restaurant, then I may have some way." After that, he loosened the reins and went to look for the "Huamaolou".
This restaurant called "Huamaolou" was indeed a very famous restaurant in Mingzhou City. Qiu Yizi asked around and searched for it, and arrived at the door of the restaurant in no time.
Looking up, I saw that this restaurant had six or seven floors, standing out from the crowd of other large buildings. The red paint, lanterns, and window paper on the outside of the building were all brand new, not only looking grand but also very neat, making people feel good at first sight.
So Qiu Yizhi dismounted again and was about to enter the door when a waiter came forward and asked with a bow, "Dear guest, are you here to eat or stay overnight?"
Qiu Yizi replied: "Eat first, then stay."
The waiter asked, "Excuse me, distinguished guest, have you made a reservation?"
Qiu Yizi shook her head and asked, "How can your business be so good? Can't I stay here without making an appointment in advance?"
The waiter said, "Sir, you have misunderstood. What I said was that you need to make an appointment to eat. As for accommodation, you look a little unfamiliar, so you must not be a regular customer. You don't know the rules of our Huamao Building. The guests who stay in our building are all long-term guests. There is no temporary stay." Although his words were a bit arrogant, he was very polite.
Qiu Yizi was a little surprised when he heard this: "I think your words are a bit too exaggerated. I see that your house is still new, where do so many regular customers come from?"
The waiter said with full of pride: "You don't know this. Our store is a business under the name of Mr. Zhou Cijing. Who is Mr. Zhou Cijing? He is the vice president of the Guangyang Chamber of Commerce. Don't underestimate the word 'vice'. The president is the third prince in front of the current emperor!"
Qiu Yizi listened to the waiter's excited words, but his heart was filled with emotion: Zhou Cijing was originally an ordinary wealthy businessman in Guangyang City. Because he bet on the right horse, he accidentally contributed to the emperor's enthronement. Now he has been promoted from a sixth-rank junior doctor in the Ministry of Works to a fifth-rank minister in the Ministry of Revenue - although it is still an honorary title, this kind of influence is unique in the business world of the Han Dynasty.
So Qiu Yizhi followed the waiter's words and said, "I met Mr. Zhou once before. I thought his business was mostly in the north, but I didn't expect that in just one year, he has already come to Mingzhou."
The waiter was startled when he heard this, and looked Qiu Yizhi up and down several times. However, his vulgar eyes only saw that Qiu Yizhi's clothes were not gorgeous, and he thought he was just bragging, so he sneered and said, "Many people know Mr. Zhou, and Mr. Zhou knows many people, but I'm afraid he doesn't know you!"
Qiu Yizi was used to these snobs, so she didn't get angry. She searched the carriage behind her for a long time before walking back to the waiter and handing him a black wooden sign.
The waiter didn't know the origin of this item, so when he took it and looked at it, he saw only three words written neatly in white paint. However, he was illiterate, so he looked at it over and over again countless times, but still couldn't understand what the three words meant.
At this moment, a loud voice came from the store: "Xiao Duozi, why are you making noise here instead of entertaining the guests? Am I paying you to play around? If you keep being lazy like this, I'll fire you. No hotel will hire a lazy guy like you!" (To be continued)