The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua

Chapter 111

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Zeng Pei Yinyin: "Then Master Tang, think about it, don't regret it before it's too late!"

Tang Fan asked indifferently, "Are you threatening me?"

Qian San'er stood beside him, staring at the two of them like an enemy.

Zeng Pei stared at him for a while, then sneered, turned around and left with Wu Zong.

Qian San'er said angrily, "They are too presumptuous!"

Tang Fan's tone was indifferent: "When have the people of Dongchang not been presumptuous? No matter which emperor is in power, they cannot be separated from them, and they do have the capital to be presumptuous."

It's just that the previous few people at least maintained the peace on the surface, but now they have completely torn their faces.

Qian San'er: "Sir, what should we do?"

Tang Fan didn't care very much: "Sooner or later, there will be such an event. Without Butcher Zhang, we have to eat pigs with hair on them, right? It's a great deal of face for them to endure it until now."

The people in Dongchang are used to being arrogant, which is why Zeng Pei and Wu Zong dare to point fingers at Tang Fan.

But Tang Fan was already mentally prepared, so he couldn't speak of anger.

Between the two of them talking, the sky was completely dark.

A lot of people got off the boat and walked to Yangzhou city with a smile, ready to experience the famous Yangzhou city, even Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty couldn't help making a special trip to build a canal going south.

If that person who has been to Yangzhou, would be proud to tell the Yangzhou allusion at this time, how the skin is wrapped in water in the morning, the skin is wrapped in water in the afternoon, and the skin is pressed at night. The city is full of longing.

Qian San'er heard it on the shore, walked back with envy on her face, and asked Tang Fan, "Sir, what is water in a leather bag, and what is a water foreskin, why does it make people feel ecstasy?"

Tang Fan said with a smile, "The general idea of this sentence is that Yangzhou people get up in the morning, drink morning tea and eat snacks, and spend the afternoon in the bathroom. Yangzhou has this kind of livelihood, but this kind of life is usually only for rich people to have leisure time. It's too late for ordinary people to run around for three meals a day, so where do they have the heart to play with these things?"

Qian San'er blinked: "Sir, I heard that your hometown is from Jiangnan. Could it be from Yangzhou?"

Tang Fan shook his head: "My hometown is not in Yangzhou, but it's close, so I'm fairly familiar with the folk customs in Jiangnan."

Qian San'er rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Then what about nighttime skin pressing?"

Tang Fan glanced at him, this guy knew and asked, and had bad intentions.

"Do you also want to get off the boat and go for a walk around the city?"

Qian San'er crawled along the pole: "That has to be approved by the adults. The two grandchildren in the East Factory are unreliable. I can't leave the adults alone..."

After he finished speaking, he salivated: "Sir, are you not going?"

Tang Fan shook his head. In fact, not to mention Qian San'er, he also wanted to go into Yangzhou City, but in order to avoid being overwhelmed, it's best not to go anywhere before arriving in Suzhou.

"Zeng Pei and Wu Zong are here to spy on me, don't look at them doing nothing, if I step into Yangzhou City now, when I go back, the charge of 'disregarding the court's errands and seeking pleasure in private' will be You can put it on my head."

Qian San'er was filled with righteous indignation, but she didn't dare to say anything to bring harm to Tang Fan, so she had to show an indignant expression.

Tang Fan said: "Okay, I can't go into the city, so it's fine for you. Although it's getting late, those inns and restaurants are still open, and they won't close until the end of Hai Shi. Unlike the north, you can go for a walk. , by the way, pack a few meals for me."

Qian San'er's eyes lit up: "What do you want to eat, sir?"

As soon as this was mentioned, Tang Fan resisted his drooling desire and tried his best to look serious: "I want a three-pack, boiled shredded chicken in juice, pipa prawns, jadeite siomai, and you can buy the rest."

"Okay!" Qian San'er got the approval, and could not wait to grow wings and fly into the city immediately.

Tang Fan did not forget to explain: "Now that the day of Guanyin's enlightenment is approaching, there are all-night lantern festivals in the city, which are quite lively, but you must remember not to linger in those Qinlou and Chu Pavilions, or you won't have to come back."

Seeing his serious face, Qian San'er immediately calmed down, and she agreed one by one, and then left the boat.

After Qian San'er left, Tang Fan felt a little bored, so he put down his books, walked out of the cabin, and went to the deck to breathe.

Under the influence of the night, the smoke and willows on both sides of the strait have lost their color, and they are no longer the emerald green in the daytime, but what ignites after that is the sparkle of a candle, gently swaying, and reflected on the water, as if there is an extra glazed world. It's unbelievable what this evening is.

This is the charm of the Jiangnan water town. There is no wind and sand from the north. Day after day, all seasons are beautiful. It is no wonder that many northerners are reluctant to leave when they come here. Yangzhou city is one of the best. Tang Fan Standing on the boat and looking into the distance, he could already see that the whole city was brightly lit up like daylight, which reminded him of the experience when his father brought him and his sister to play in Yangzhou City when he was a child. No, if it weren't for the fact that there were two Dongchang fans staring at him during this trip, he must have revisited the old place and went into the city to have a look.

"Help!! Come on someone!! Someone fell into the water!!!"

A scream cut through the silence and interrupted Tang Fan's slightly sad memories.

He looked up and saw several boats gathered on the river at some point, two of which were painting boats, and there was a faint movement on the water, as if someone had indeed fallen into the water.

However, what is strange is that someone here is calling for help, but there is a sound of laughter from the painting boat over there, and there are a few figures beside the boat. Tang Fan looked closely, as if it was a playboy who was joking and making fun, and some rolled up their sleeves to prepare Into the water, but still dawdling, very strange.

"My lord, several lords, someone fell into the water there, do we want to help?" It was one of the boatmen who spoke. Seeing that Tang Fan, Zeng Pei and others had come out to watch the fun, he hurriedly asked for directions.

Tang Fan said, "What's going on?"

The boatman said: "The little ones don't know too well. It seems that the person who fell into the water was a woman. The two playboys who were painting the boat just now made a rude remark and were already on the boat. As a result, they pushed him and the woman fell into the water. "

Zeng Pei was displeased and said, "What to save! There are so many people there, it's enough to have them to save them! We are ordered to run errands, not the river cruisers, so don't mind your own business!"

Tang Fan said, "It's better to save a life than to build a seven-level pagoda. It's fine if you haven't seen it. Since you've seen it, go down and save it!"

However, while they were talking, someone on the first boat jumped into the water vigorously and swam towards the drowning man.

The other party's water ability is excellent, and they will catch the person in a short while, and drag them to the official ship. The boatmen see this and quickly help them to get them up.

At this time, the boats nearby were not far from the people who fell into the water, and the distances were comparable. However, there were still two playboys standing on the woman's boat. Rescue people back was like sheep into the tiger's mouth, and the boats next to them were not big enough. , in comparison, it is undoubtedly Tang Fan's official ship that is more stylish and reliable.

However, when the person was dragged onto the deck, Tang Fan and the others discovered that the person who was rescued was actually a beautiful woman.

By the light of the bright lights, the girl was lying on the deck, her eyes closed and unconscious, the thin spring shirt could not cover her exquisite figure, the tied braids were also scattered in the water, and her long head was wet. With the hair sticking to his cheeks, his complexion became more and more like snow.

Her brows are as green as the distant mountains, and her lips are as red as cherries.

At that moment, Tang Fan's mind came up with such a sentence.

Even him, a look of astonishment flashed across his face, not to mention other people.

The group was staring at this woman at a loss, and the men and women were not in touch. If the other party was a woman from a good family, it would be the limit to save people. .

Especially judging from the previous movements, if she was molested by the scumbags, she would jump into the river to prove her innocence. This woman is probably a strong one.

Zeng Pei and President Wu were eager to try, but Tang Fan was on the side, and they didn't dare to make trouble, otherwise they would easily fall into Tang Fan's hands.

Tang Fan's attention only stayed on the girl for a moment, and then it fell on the rescuer.

The other party looked to be in his early twenties, with handsome eyebrows in the lights, and his white clothes were soaking wet at this time, and they were clinging tightly to his body, but he did not look embarrassed, but showed a dashing and heroic appearance.

Tang Fan was about to speak when he saw the boy turn around and jump into the water again, swimming towards the boat where the woman was previously.

Everyone was confused by his abrupt move, but they saw that the young man quickly swam to the side of the boat, put his arms on the side of the boat, and then jumped up and landed steadily on the deck, extremely beautiful and neat.

Next, the boy threw the two playboys on the boat into the water, and then asked the boatman on the boat to drive the boat closer to Tang Fan's official boat, and brought the two maids of the drowning woman over and asked them to press the boat hard. The woman's belly was used to suffocate the woman, and it took a lot of tossing to bring the person back to life.

The two playboys who were pushed into the water by the boy were yelling and calling for help, and the boat they were in rushed over to save them. The scene was extremely chaotic for a while.

Wu Zong had no objection to the existence of the beautiful girl, but he had a very serious opinion about the young man taking someone on board without their consent, and he reprimanded: "Who are you, you dare to trespass on the official ship, you know that Who is this ship on?"

The young man said lazily, "No matter who is sitting, you will never be the master. Since you are not the master here, then just stay and cool off. The master has not spoken. What are you doing?"

Wu Zong said angrily: "What a big bastard, you know who we are!"

Tang Fan suddenly said, "Wu Zong, if I remember correctly, it seems that I am still in charge of this ship?"

Zeng Pei and Wu Zong went back and forth. In fact, they didn't dare to take Tang Fan seriously. At best, they could only intimidate him with false words, and then make some stumbling blocks behind their back. Besides, their duty is to Protecting Tang Fan's personal safety will not change.

If something happens to Tang Fan, they will be the first to be unlucky.

So hearing Tang Fan's words, Wu Zong's face changed, and in the end he didn't dare to say anything, so he could only keep his mouth shut.

Because of the other party's actions to save people, Tang Fan smiled kindly towards the boy.

The other party was stunned for a moment. In contrast to his arrogance, there was a trace of embarrassment on his face, and two tiger teeth were also exposed, and he returned with a pure smile.

But Tang Fan didn't care about him, his eyes turned to the girl who woke up faintly: "Since the girl is awake, go back to your own boat."

The girl's face was pale, and her expression was still a little confused. She stood up with the help of her maid. She was surrounded by men, but her clothes were all soaked. Come over, showing an embarrassed and embarrassed expression.

Fortunately, the maid who helped her carried a cloak, which was already tightly wrapped around the girl.

"Thank you Master Guan for your rescue, and let the little girl go to wash and change clothes, and then come over to thank you."

Tang Fan said, "No need, you just go back."

The situation was too embarrassing at the moment, the girl bit her lower lip, bowed Ying Ying, and then returned to her own boat with the help of the maid.

After the playboy on the boat was rescued, he felt resentful and wanted to come around to ask for trouble. Tang Fan raised his chin and said to the boatman, "Go and tell them that Dongchang is here to do business, if you are not afraid of trouble, just come up. "

The boatman went to spread the word according to the word, and as expected, when he heard the name of Dongchang, those people seemed to have seen a ghost. How dare they come to ask for justice, they immediately turned the bow of the boat and ran away quickly. If Tang Fan just sacrificed It's funny and irritating that I'm afraid that it's not so effective to show my identity as a censor.

After solving the gang of rude children, Tang Fancai turned to the young man who went into the water to save people: "Your Excellency sees injustice on the road and saves you with justice. This trip is very chivalrous, and you haven't asked Gao's name yet?"

The young man cupped his hands and said with a smile, "I'm in Xia Lu Lingxi, the name is Yiqing, I'm a native of Pinghu, Jiaxing, and I happened to pass by and help me. I can't be a chivalrous person. Your Excellency is sitting on an official ship. It must be an official of the imperial court. It's polite to be here."

He didn't call himself a Caomin, and he should be famous, so Tang Fan nodded lightly: "You're soaking wet, go and change your clothes first and then talk."

The young man is strong and strong, and he didn't feel it after standing on the boat for so long. He was reminded by Tang Fan and said with a smile: "Unfortunately, I rented a small boat for a boat trip on the lake tonight, and I didn't prepare to change clothes. If so, can you borrow a set first, and Yiqing will definitely give it back in the future.”

This Lu Lingxi is not thick-skinned and courageous. Knowing that Tang Fan is an official of the imperial court, he dares to speak to him in the same tone of friends as his peers.

Tang Fan has an easy-going personality, and didn't mean to show off his prestige and care about him, so he personally found clean clothes for him to put on, and asked him to go to the teahouse to find him.

This Lu Lingxi is tall and slender, and Tang Fan's clothes are not too spacious, but look a little cramped.

However, he is fair-skinned and graceful, and even if there is a slight inappropriateness, people can ignore the past.

"You were born in Pinghu, so you must know Lu Ding Lu Shilang?" Tang Fan asked.

"The adults said it was the uncle of the clan," the young man blinked, showing a little joy. "You know uncle?"

Tang Fan shook his head: "We have been friends for a long time, but we don't have many contacts. The Lu family in Pinghu is a big family. If you think about it, you should all know each other."

The boy's eyebrows and eyes curved: "But I still don't know the name of the lord?"

Tang Fan said, "Tang Fan, the imperial censor of Zuoqiu."

The young man was startled, and looked at Tang Fan with wide eyes, until Tang Fan raised his eyebrows slightly, and then smiled embarrassedly: "I have heard for a long time that Master Tang's reputation for judging cases is like a god, it is hard to forget the love when I see it today. , Yiqing is rude!"

Tang Fan said, "Do you have a reputation?"

The young man said: "Yes, I was lucky enough to be a scholar the year before, and then I told my parents, said goodbye to my family, and went abroad for more than two years."

Tang Fan asked, "I see that your movements are not as agile as those of an ordinary literati. Did you learn martial arts?"

The young man smiled and said, "Your Excellency is really discerning, and I did worship under Master Mulian of Shaolin Temple to study art for several years, and I am considered a lay disciple of Shaolin."

Tang Fan: "Oh? So you have both civil and military skills. Are you planning to go home to visit your parents?"

Teenager: "Yes, but now I have changed my mind and will go home later."

Tang Fan was surprised: "Why is this?"

The boy bowed his hands to the end: "Because I met the adults. Yiqing has admired the adults for a long time, and hopes to get along with the adults for a long time, so that I can listen to the instructions of the adults. I wonder if the adults can fulfill this little wish?"

Tang Fan's popularity is not bad, but he has never seen such an admirer whose face is full of admiration when he first met. It would not be unusual if he changed to an academician like his teacher, although Tang Fan was due to the decision of the case. There is a little more reputation, but he never thought that his reputation has reached this level.

The person in front of him had a sincere face and a good face. Even if he was Master Tang, it was inevitable that he had made the mistake of judging people by their appearance and cherishing their talents.

Naturally, there is a more important reason, that is, Lu Lingxi is from the Lu family in Pinghu. This family has been an official for generations, and almost every generation will be a scholar. It will also be a rising star.

Tang Fan smiled and pointed to the chair next to him: "Sit down, you have a reputation as a scholar, why don't you go to test people, but instead travel around, do you want to give up literature and join martial arts, and follow Ban Chao's pen and join the army?"

Lu Lingxi sat down generously: "I want to write and join the army, but it is not as good as the Han Dynasty. If a military general has no fame, he can only be inferior to others, and he even looks at the faces of civil servants."

He glanced at Tang Fan and saw that the other party was not displeased, so he continued: "I'm not complaining, let alone that the civil servants are not good, it's just that the status of the generals is always low. After all, there are very few civil servants who are abbreviated. I think that reading ten thousand volumes of books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. It is precisely because of this that they need to have more knowledge, so that even if they gain fame in the future, they can only be reduced to mediocre people who talk about military affairs on paper. "

Tang Fan nodded and said with a smile: "Da Shan, being able to have such an ambition and put it into practice is extraordinary. I believe you will definitely achieve something in the future!"

Lu Lingxi immediately raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Thank you for your admiration, sir, I..."

Just as he was about to continue, he saw a boatman coming outside and reported to Tang Fanhui: "Sir, the woman who fell into the water just now wants to come over to thank the lord and this son."

It stands to reason that with such a stunning woman, no man will try to see each other again, not to mention that the other party is here to thank him, no matter how serious, there is no reason to refuse, and no one wants to refuse.

Tang Fan said, "I won't see her anymore, if you want to see her..."

Lu Lingxi immediately said: "Sir, it's an effort to save people. I don't mean to thank others, and I don't want to see her at all!"

Seeing that he responded too quickly, Tang Fan couldn't help but tease: "Even if you think about it, it's human nature, you just go and see it, and I won't blame it."

Lu Lingxi became anxious: "Sir, I really don't want to see her. It's a blessing for Sansheng to meet you, to ask you for advice in person, and to chat with you. How can I still have time to deal with irrelevant people?"

Tang Fan immediately became anxious when he saw his handsome appearance. He was no longer calm before, and felt a little funny in his heart, thinking that Lu Lingxi probably hadn't learned to appreciate the opposite sex.

He actually quite liked and admired this generous and upright boy from the Lu family.

Tang Fan said to the boatman, "I don't need her to come here. An Sheng is just recuperating. No one wants her to repay, and she doesn't need to be too polite."

The boatman responded, backed out, and returned shortly after.

Tang Fan and Lu Lingxi were a little unhappy when Tan Xing was disturbed.

Seeing this, the boatman was also apprehensive: "Sir, the woman said, she has lost both parents and went to Suzhou to marry, because only the maids are with her, and she is worried that the situation will happen again, so I hope to ask the adults for permission and follow the adults all the way. The official ship, other than that, I will not disturb you much.”

This requirement is not too much. It is not a big deal for a woman to walk in the world alone and to resort to small tricks for self-protection.

Since Tang Fan had no interest in her, he didn't bother to investigate the other's life experience, so he agreed.

The woman really never came to disturb him again.

Lu Lingxi is a wonderful person. Tang Fan originally saw that he was helpful and did not take credit, and he had a few more conversations with him for the sake of being a child of the Lu family. He didn't expect that the other party was a talkative person, and his witty words were like pearls. It's hilarious, and because of the two years of travel and knowledge, I happened to have a conversation with Tang Fan, and the two hit it off. After saying goodbye and leaving, the address has changed from "Adult" to "Big Brother Tang".

After dawn, Tang Fan's official ship didn't stay any longer, but continued to set off.

After passing through Changzhou, Wuxi and other places, the official ship finally arrived in Suzhou.

After getting off the boat, Tang Fan and others took a carriage from Changshu to Wu County.

Suzhou Prefecture has Changshu, Wuxian, Wujiang and other counties under its jurisdiction. Among them, Wuxian is the seat of Suzhou Prefecture and is adjacent to Wujiang County. Both are on the edge of Taihu Lake. There is only one word difference, but they are two places.

When Tang Fan left Beijing and headed south, the imperial court would naturally issue an official document to notify the local officials. When the group arrived in Wu County, the Suzhou prefect, Hu Wenzao, had already brought his officials to greet them outside the city under the scorching sun.

In terms of grade, both Hu Wenzao and Tang Fan are of the fourth grade, but Tang Fan is an imperial envoy after all. Although Hu Wenzao doesn't have to call himself a subordinate, he personally went out to meet him and showed his attitude. When he saw Tang Fan, he was even more enthusiastic and polite.

Suzhou is a place of wealth, and the prefect of Suzhou is even worse. Unlike officials in poor counties and poor counties, as parents and officials in Suzhou and Hangzhou, they are born with sufficient confidence and capital. For Hu Wenzao to be so knowledgeable, Tang Fan is also of course. Don't take Joe too much. Not long after the two met for the first time, they had already called each other brothers and sisters.

Hu Wenzao introduced Tang Fan to the officials who came with him. In the end, everyone thought that Tang Fan would also introduce Zeng Pei and Wu Zong who were with him, but who knew Tang Fan said: "All the way here, we also have some Tired, I wonder if there is a place to rest in the city?"

Zeng Pei and Wu Zong did not expect that they would be skipped directly, and their faces suddenly turned blue and white.

With such a signboard as Dongchang, they are majestic wherever they go, and even the local officials dare not offend easily.

But they didn't think about it themselves, if they didn't rely on their identity to teach Tang Fan a lesson, how could the two sides tear their faces

Face is earned by oneself, not given by others.

Zeng Pei and President Wu were mistaken in equating Tang Fan with other officials who were afraid of offending Dongchang, but they didn't know that even Wan Dang had already offended them, so what was another Dongchang

Seeing this, Hu Wenzao couldn't help but hesitate: "Dare to ask my virtuous brother, who are these two...?"

Tang Fan was stunned and laughed, "Look at me, I forgot to introduce them. These two are from the East Factory, who came to help protect me."

After not even mentioning their names, Zeng Pei's faces turned even darker, thinking that who the fuck is just to protect you, we are also responsible for monitoring you!

But Tang Fan didn't give Hu Wenzao a chance to speak again, and asked with confusion: "Why haven't you entered the city yet, what's the inconvenience for Brother Hu?"

Hu Wenzao hurriedly said: "Of course not, Brother Tang Xian, please come into the city, the official post room is ready."

Tang Fan and Hu Wenzao walked in front, chatting and laughing and entering the city. Tang Fan dared to ignore the people in the East Factory, but the officials in Suzhou Prefecture did not dare. Seeing that the prefect was busy talking to the imperial envoy, he helped to greet Zeng Pei and Wu Zonger People, don't slack off just because they're just nobody in the East Factory.

Sure enough, the official post had already been prepared, with hot water and meals readily available. Suzhou is a fertile land. Even the quilts in the room are made of satin silk quilts, which are as soft as clouds, showing luxury.

Hu Wenzao personally sent Tang Fan to the upper room. He thought he had finished his errand and could retire, but Tang Fan stopped him: "If brother Hu is okay, why don't you sit for a while?"

Hu Wenzao was stunned for a moment, and his smile suddenly became unreal: "I can't stop it... I have some official business to do for my brother, why don't we talk about it another day?"

Tang Fan looked at the sky outside and said, "It's already evening, so the yamen should be gone. Brother Hu really loves the public and loves the people, and he still works all night?"

Hu Wenzao snorted: "This is something that can't be helped. I've been busy with things recently, so I'll accompany you less. Brother Tang Xian rests early, and I'll come and visit tomorrow!"

After speaking, he seemed to be afraid that Tang Fan would keep someone, and left the room without waiting for him to answer.

Looking at the back of the other party who was almost fleeing, Qian San'er closed the door and turned around and said, "If you don't know, you think there are ghosts chasing him, my lord, it seems that this is really strange!"

Tang Fan smiled, turned the upside-down tea cup over, poured tea for himself and Qian San'er, and deliberately asked him, "Tell me, what's the weird way?"

Qian San'er said: "Didn't you say before that both Yang Ji and Chen Luan impeached this Hu Wenzao, and Hu Wenzao still defended himself? According to this, he is more anxious than anyone else. Talking about business, but backing away?"

Tang Fan nodded: "His attitude is very strange, but we are new here, and we don't know what the situation is. Don't worry, let's take a look."

Qian San'er smiled: "That's good, as soon as I entered the city, I immediately felt that this Suzhou mansion was different from the north, and even the tea tasted like rouge, no wonder people say that there is heaven above and there is below. Suhang, do you want to taste the style of this southern rouge?"

Tang Fan was annoyed: "What kind of rouge smell, it's because you are a prostitute, so I didn't drink it!"

Qian San'er sighed: "Hey, I knew you wouldn't go, but then again, this place is so far away from the capital, even if you go, the envoy of Sui Zhen will not know, and the little one will not go to inform !"

Tang Fan spit out a sip of water immediately: "What's the secret! What's up with him!"

Qian San'er winked at him, and Tang Fan's answer was to drive the person out.