On the way to the city, Zhao Mingfeng told Fang Guolian about some of the situation. It turns out that Suzhou is rich in silk, especially the brocade of Suzhou is one of the four famous brocades in the world, there are many "machine households" in Suzhou city to weave silk as the industry, each has a dozen looms and dozens of units, open a manual workshop, hire mechanics, and become a scale. With the largest number of looms owned by Zhao, there are more than 100 units in the two workshops, which is the first in Suzhou City and is quite profitable. The imperial court then took a fancy to the fat of Suzhou, and directly sent eunuchs to levy heavy taxes, resulting in the small scale of the machine owners often closing their doors, and after a long time, some large households could not afford it, and incidents occurred from time to time. Fang Guohuan shook his head when he heard this. Later, that is, in 1601, the tax supervisor Sun Long arrived in Suzhou, this person was more ruthless than the previous tax supervisor, he not only set up checkpoints to extort the property of merchants, but also killed and robbed those who could not pay the tax. In the end, it aroused the anger of the people, annoyed a man named Ge Xian, led the mechanics to surround the tax office, and killed the tax collector. Seeing that the matter was big, the imperial court had no choice but to withdraw all the tax supervisors in order to prevent the regeneration of the people.

When he arrived in Suzhou City, Song Shiyang said goodbye to Zhao Mingfeng and Fang Guolian, and went to the weaving field, and Zhao Mingfeng then led Fang Guolian all the way. When he arrived at a stone bridge, he suddenly heard someone under the bridge calling: "Is it Zhao Mingfeng and Brother Zhao above?" ”

When Zhao Mingfeng heard the sound, he couldn't help but be overjoyed, and saw a boat in the river, and there were three sons on the boat, so he said happily: "It turned out to be three eldest sons, come up quickly, there is a good thing to find you." The first person on the boat shook his fan and smiled: "The three of us were looking for Brother Zhao to play, and by coincidence, they ran into each other." After saying that, he ordered the boatmen to drive the boat to the shore.

Fang Guohuan saw that these three people were dressed with extraordinary temperament, and they were obviously the children of everyone, especially the person who thought he was the leader, handsome and free, and his expression was super vulgar, so he asked: "Brother Zhao, who are these sons?" ”

Zhao Mingfeng said with a smile: "In Xia Bucai, he and these three benevolent brothers are called 'the four sons of Gusu'. "The fourth son of Gusu?" Fang Guojian was stunned.

Zhao Mingfeng said with a smile: "This is just a nickname for the four of us in the world, and the three of them are the sons of the rich and noble families in Suzhou. The person who spoke at the right time was the head of our four sons, known as Han Wenyu, known as the first genius in Jiangnan, and his poems and articles were wonderful, and he had the spirit of the ancients. The one next to him is called Song Qixiu, who is a very dashing person, and the other is Tian Xinguang, the son of Suzhou Taishou Tian Wang, but a cynical Yanei. On weekdays, the four of us often travel together. ”

At this time, Han Wenyu and the three of them had already left the boat and went ashore. Han Wenyu bowed and said, "Brother Zhao, where are you going?" Zhao Mingfeng returned the salute and said with a smile: "Last time I guessed the fans in the Lingering Garden, I couldn't play with you in words, and I lost a few hundred taels of silver, and today Zhao is here to find a way to get it back." Tian Xinguang said happily: "What is the new and fun way for Zhao Gongzi?" also add me and Song Gongzi to make a difference. Zhao Mingfeng smiled: "That's natural, how can this kind of thing be done without the two of you." ”

Han Wenyu saw that there was a stranger beside Zhao Mingfeng, so he said, "Brother Zhao, who is this friend?" Zhao Mingfeng hurriedly introduced: "This is my best friend, Fang Guolian's son." Fang Guochuan stepped forward to see the three of them, and Han Wenyu and the three of them also reported their names, which can be regarded as acquaintances.

Han Wenyu then said: "Brother Zhao, what is the best place to go?" Zhao Mingfeng said: "In the name of Mu Jiangnan Chess King, Fang Gongzi wants to go to Mr. Tian Yangwu's house to meet and learn chess skills. The four of us, why don't we take some good opportunity to catch a big head to pay for today's wine, if you are interested, you can also win it, what do you think? As soon as these words came out, Han Wenyu, Song Qixiu, and Tian Xinguang couldn't help but be stunned, and looked at Fang Guolian in surprise, all of them looked confused.

That Han Wenyu and Song Qixiu were able to hold down, but Tian Xinguang was more straightforward, and couldn't help laughing at this time: "Zhao Gongzi, who do you think the Jiangnan chess king is?" Anyone can play chess with him, could it be that he has too much silver, and he wants this Fang Gongzi to share some with us? As soon as these words came out, Han Wenyu and Song Qixiu each made their own mouths, but they were speechless, Zhao Mingfeng saw that Tian Xinguang was disrespectful, and immediately said with a stunned face: "Tian Gongzi, why do you say this?" Insult my friend! ”

Tian Xinguang also found that he had gone too far, and said curtly: "Zhao Gongzi, your Zhao family and Tian Yangwu have a relationship in the world, so it is not difficult to introduce this Fang Gongzi to a game with him." However, the Jiangnan chess king Tian Yangwu has almost no opponent to find in his life, and he is a well-known figure today, in case the prince of Fang Fang accidentally loses, then it will ......" Zhao Mingfeng sneered and said: "At that time, I, Zhao Mingfeng, can naturally afford to lose the silver, if Tian Gongzi has no guts, just quit." ”

Han Wenyu saw that Zhao Mingfeng was displeased, and was afraid that he would be vindictive for a while, so he played a huge lottery and was bargained for by Tian Xinguang, so he said: "Brother Zhao, don't worry, Tian Gongzi is not unreasonable, Tian Yang's noon chess pressure Jiangnan, no one can beat him." I think that there was a chess master in Guangdong back then, named Liu Mengqi, who thought that he had become a national player, so he entrusted Guan Liang's second housekeeper to Tianyang Wudou chess. That Liu Mengqi was not angry, he was given the position of the first nine stars by Tian Yangwu, and he couldn't occupy the land of a hundred sons in the end, so he was not ashamed. Thinking of me in the south of the Yangtze River, no one has yet been able to pass Tian Yangwu's first two chess. After speaking, he glanced at Fang Guolian with his eyes, thinking that Fang Guolian was just a good chess player, and came to Zhao Mingfeng to introduce him to the Jiangnan chess king, just to raise his chess name. Suddenly, seeing Fang Guolian calmly on the side, unmoved by his words, Han Wenyu couldn't help but be slightly surprised in his heart.

Zhao Mingfeng said at this time: "That is Guan Liang's housekeeper privately received, after his father found out, he reprimanded him, and strictly ordered Zhuang Zhong to go up and down, and he must not introduce vulgar players to see the Jiangnan chess king in the future." And Zhao's friend Fang Gongzi is a national player who has just appeared in the world, and he is also a person who knows how to do it, and now he just wants to take the opportunity to have a gamble with you. ”

Tian Xinguang said on the side: "This is the best, I am willing to pay ten with Zhao Gongzi." Zhao Mingfeng sneered: "Great! Zhao was accompanied. Fang Guolian saw these sons, the chess game was undecided, before the gambling game, he sighed secretly and shook his head, he only wanted to see Tian Yangwu, and he didn't know anything about them.