Yanqiao River is connected to the canal in the north and Qiantang River in the south, which is located in the middle section of Hangzhou, runs through the center of Hangzhou from north to south, and is the main vein of water transportation in Hangzhou.

Yanqiao River has its name in Wu Yue, when Wu King Qian Miao built Luo City to set up ten city gates, one of them is called Yanqiao Gate, the site is now Yanqiao West, because many salt ships gather here, then take the salt famous gate, the famous river, the famous bridge.

Both sides of the Yanqiao River are lined with wharves, warehouses, and couch shops. Merchants gather, the river boats come and go frequently, the transportation is very busy, it is the most prosperous area in the city.

The government also set up a ship port and a wharf to gather bulk goods here, and a market was formed near the Yanqiao Gate to trade the Yanqiao River.

The Yanqiao River in this dynasty was not only used by salt boats, but also by ships transporting different goods from south to north. For example, the silk, tea, calligraphy and painting of Hangzhou were transported out of Hangzhou, and the goods from all over the country were transported such as rice from Suzhou, Huzhou and Changzhou, aquatic products and fruits from the south, porcelain from the five famous kilns, medicinal materials, wood and cotton from the north were transported in.

The day after the winter solstice, at the time of the fourth watch of the heavens, all over the temples in the alleys and alleys of the city, the monks rang the morning bell, and the shops on both sides of the Yanqiao River opened in the morning bell for the first time, selling breakfast.

The wharves around Yanqiao began to get busy, the early risers shouted slogans to carry heavy goods, the boatmen were busy loading and stacking goods, everyone opened their eyes and cheered up, thinking that they would be loaded as soon as possible, so they went to the shop on the shore to sit down, eat a piece of ring cake, drink a bowl of hot salt soy soup or green onion tea, and warm up their bodies in this winter.

Several cargo ships transporting silk on the shore are printed with a few flowing clouds, and people who have been running boats for a long time know that this is the largest silk village in the city - Yin Ji Silk Satin's unique mark, seeing Yin Ji running boat steward standing on the boat and checking the goods, the steward of the ship is busy squeezing out a smile from afar, and there is also a straightforward steward with a big voice and greeting directly.

"Steward Wang, where is your ship going to transport silk today?"

"Steward Wang, have you eaten? Let's have a bite to eat? Let's do the East! ”

"Yo, why are there a few more ladies on your boat? Is there a housekeeper in your house? ”

Steward Wang still had a kind and polite smile on his face, and arched his hand, "The New Year is coming, isn't this batch of silk from the owner to be transported to Beijing?" Hurry up! ”

"Eat it, it's still hot, thank you, thank you, next time we meet, let's get together again, I'll be the east."

"Yo, you're joking, our housekeeper doesn't like to go out of this far. These ladies, that is the embroidery girl sent by the owner to Kyoto Yin Ji Silk Village, because she was in a hurry, she didn't have time to hire another boat, so she followed our boat. ”

"Little Liuzi, right? No problem? Okay, it's time to anchor. ”

Steward Wang smiled and looked around, "A few stewards, our ship will set off first, go early and return early, so that we can go home for the New Year."

After the fifth watch, the Yuhang Water Gate in the north began to be busy, and the boats coming from the city lined up one after another to wait for the past. The "Remembering Jiangnan" painting boat is impressively in the forefront, and it is very eye-catching in the fleet of ships.

I don't know which ship's steward muttered strangely, "Why are there some new faces among the military masters who checked the ship today, aren't they new?" This filial piety money is not enough! The other nearby stewards looked at it carefully and nodded in agreement.

5. 6 officers and soldiers jumped onto the deck of "Yijiangnan" with the help of a springboard, and a middle-aged man on the boat hurriedly greeted him and handed over a thin piece of paper on his hand, "Several military masters, this is a river guide personally signed by Lord Li of Zhizhou, please make it convenient."

"I won't look at the river lead, but lately the salt dealers have been trafficking in illicit salt, and the government has a big ship on us, so we have to carefully check it, so as not to carry the illicit salt, and let go of the salt dealers who disturb the law, and your boat will have to check it," an officer and soldier who looked like the leader replied politely and coldly.

"Look, Master Jun, there are more than a dozen girls up and down our painting boat, I'm afraid it's inconvenient if you check it out on a large scale, right? Besides, where do we dare to hide private salt, this is a big crime to kill the head! "The middle-aged man was very embarrassed.

"We don't dare to say whether we can hide it or not, but we can't be called to violate the government's instructions, right?" "If you can't be the master, just call your master out, hurry up, don't delay the advance of the ships behind," said another officer and soldier deliberately raised his voice, and the ships that approached heard it.

The people on the other boats nodded in response, "What the military master said is that you should hurry up and let you check it, and if you check it well, you should leave early, and let us go over early." ”

Before the words fell, a woman's voice came from the cabin, slightly hoarse, and unspeakable, "Steward Zhao, let them come in, check carefully, we have neither stolen illegal salt, nor harbored salt dealers, if we stop more, I am afraid that the military masters will think that we are weak-hearted."

After hearing this, the middle-aged man Steward Zhao didn't say much, waved his hand and beckoned a small guy, asking him to take these officers and soldiers in, but he didn't follow up, he just stood at the door and hugged his fists at the surrounding ships, and then lowered his head and was silent.

Zhao Qiong, the hostess, stood in the hall of the "Yijiangnan" ship, with an indifferent smile on her face, and after seeing these officers and soldiers coming in, she said unhurriedly, "Several military masters, you ignore the river guide signed by Lord Li himself, and insist on checking our painting boat, which is okay." However, please be merciful, and don't destroy anything on our boat. ”

The little leader just now waved his hand, "Chief Zhao, the orders from above, but dare not obey?" We are also doing things for the government, and we will ask Lord Li for the guilt afterwards, this sabotage will never be done, please rest assured."

Zhao Qiong nodded, and still led the way just now with the little guy who led the way to take the officers and soldiers to the goods warehouse on the lower floor of the painting boat for inspection. The rest of the officers and soldiers and the person who deliberately spoke loudly on the deck just now looked at Zhao Qiong, who was silent, and the two exchanged glances, and one of them said, "Master Zhao, please ask all the girls on the ship to come down, we have to take a look according to the usual rules." ”

Zhao Qiong stared at the person who spoke, looked at it for a while, nodded, and said, "Come with me, the girls are all in the room in the hall", and then took the lead and walked to the door of a rather large looking room on the edge of the hall.

Gently pushed the door open, a leisurely fragrant breeze came to the face, but I saw more than a dozen girls sitting or standing in the room, some playing chess at two or two tables, and some standing and watching chess on the side; There are those who lie in chairs and read books, there are those who sit and gossip, and there are even those who play the piano in the pair of windows. Seeing two strange men coming in, they only looked up idly, and continued what they were doing just now, without any panicked expression.

These two so-called officers and soldiers who were not surprised by the magnificence of the hall from the first time they entered the hall, at this moment they couldn't help but show a trace of surprise in their eyes, after glancing around, the two arched their hands towards Zhao Qiong, and still retreated to the hall, one of them stood silently in the center of the hall, his eyes looked upstairs, his ears seemed to move a few times, and he shook his head lightly at the other.

A quarter of an hour later, several of the lower echelons also returned, and when they arrived in the hall, they bowed to the little leader and shook their heads. The little leader smiled to himself and said to Zhao Qiong, "I'm offended, I still want Haihan." Without waiting for Zhao Qiong to speak, he waved his hand at several subordinates, and was sent out of the house by the little servant.

After a delay of two quarters of an hour, "Yijiangnan" slowly left Hangzhou and headed for the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal.

The extra officers and soldiers just now retreated to the gate of Shuicheng and watched lightly the rest of the officers and soldiers checking the ships according to their routine.

Because when the "Yijiangnan" was just checked, the rest of the officers and soldiers had already checked some of the ships and were released together, and the cargo ships of Yin Ji Silk were among them, and at this moment they had left the city gate with that part of the ships and headed for the canal.