Han Xiufeng stayed in Dagukou for eighteen days, and watched the scribes and young men gathered by the Changlu Salt Transport Envoy Chonghou, and separately searched for nearby fishermen and villagers to understand the climate of Dagukou throughout the year and the time of high and low tides, and put the boat into the sea to measure the water depth in the area of the fort, and then rushed to Beitang when everything was carried out in an orderly manner.

The things to be done here in Beitang are similar, the only difference is that Yongxiang presides.

There was not enough manpower to transfer from Han Chen, and the money and food needed were all from Han Chen, and everything was arranged to go north along the coastline until Shanhaiguan!

Everywhere you go, you not only understand the terrain of the mountains and rivers, but also visit the customs and customs, such as how the people live, and such as the local culture and education.

The Eight Banners stationed along the way and the green battalions stationed in Fenxun were not the focus of the inspection, because they relied on reinforcements to deal with the foreigners, and they couldn't count on it in the first place. So this Qincha behaved like "Mr. Yes", and he never dismissed anyone along the way. Because of this, the silver was not lost along the way, and by the time he arrived in Tianjin, he had collected more than 16,000 taels.

When you arrive in Tianjin, you don't have to sleep in the open.

He stayed in the house of a salt merchant arranged by the county governor of Tianjin, and after eating the wine of Tianjin Daoyingyu and Changlu Yanzheng Wulehong, he inspected the city defense accompanied by Shi Zanqing, the prefect of Tianjin.

When Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang committed the crime in the north, the Tianjin gentry funded the repair of the city wall, and it was only a few years later, and there was no need to raise money to repair it. There are dozens of cannons, but all of them are small iron cannons that can't hit far. The total number of officials, Qingzhuang, and green battalion soldiers guarding the city was less than five hundred, but Shi Zanqing was not worried at all that Han Xiufeng would blame him for this.

Walking down the city wall, Shi Zanqing suddenly stopped and said: "Zhixing, it's rare for you to come to Tianjin once, or I'll accompany you around." ”

"Uncle Shi, do you mean the Eight Views of Jinmen?"

"You've been to Mingbo Bathing Day (Dagu Haikou), you don't have to go again; You have also seen the seven rings (forts around the city), so you don't need to look at them again; You have been a fellow governor of Songjiang Prefecture's coastal defense, and you are also the supervisor of the customs across the river, and the foreign ships of Lujin (Caoyun sea vessels) must be unsightly, but you can still go around several other places. ”

Tianjin has "Eight Views of Tianjin", Yangzhou has "Eight Views of Yangzhou", and even the remote town of Hai'an has "Three Ponds and Ten Scenes", as if there are a few scenes in the places where literati and artists have been, Han Xiufeng is really not interested in these, and said with a wry smile: "Uncle Shi, do you think I have the heart to play in the mountains and rivers?" ”

Shi Zanqing asked rhetorically, "Are you going to go back to Beijing?" ”

"I haven't finished my errand, how can I go back." Han Xiufeng looked back at Enjun and the others, and said in a low voice: "The maps of various places have not been drawn, and the topography and water conditions of many river sections and places have not been surveyed and understood. ”

Speaking of this, Shi Zanqing couldn't help asking: "The emperor ordered Tan Tingxiang, the governor of Shaanxi, to act as the governor of Zhili, who arrived more than 20 days ago. Have you dealt with him before, and are you familiar with him? ”

Han Xiufeng has walked a lot in the past two months, but he is still turning around on the boundary of Zhili, and he has long heard that the governor of Zhili has been replaced, and he said as he walked: "When we were in Gu'an, he was the prefect in Baoding, and when he was transferred back to Beijing, I happened to be in the township Ding, I have never seen him, and I have never dealt with him." ”

"I've met him a few times! In the first month of last year, he, like you, came to Tianjin with Ayanda, the waiter of the warehouse, to accept the grain. I arrived at the end of May, and they did not return to Beijing until the end of July on an errand here, and they did a good job of dealing with each other for two whole months. ”

Shi Zanqing smiled, and then said: "I didn't expect his official fortune to be so prosperous, as soon as he returned to Beijing, he made efforts to accept the grain and release the governor of Shaanxi. It is said that Hubei made trouble with Changmao, and Shaanxi was also harassed, so he asked the imperial court to send Shaanxi officials and troops into Hubei to assist in suppression, and as soon as he took office, he made some military achievements, and served as the governor of Shaanxi for a few months before acting as the governor of Shangzhili. ”

How could Han Xiufeng not hear the meaning of his words, and couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Shi, are you saying that I can also be promoted after returning to Beijing?" ”

"As long as those who have come to inspect the grain, almost all of them have been promoted. Besides, you are now a member of the Celestial Authority, and no one can talk about your origins as before. ”

"Uncle Shi, you look down on me too much. The one who came to accept the grain before was all promoted, but not only is his background better than my Han Xiufeng, but his qualifications are also more beautiful than my Han Xiufeng. Don't say anything else, let's just say Tan Tingxiang, he is not only a jinshi, but also a member of the Hanlin Academy, a director in the Criminal Department, Langzhong, and a local prefect of Yongping and Baoding, and I, I haven't even done it in the county! ”

"If you say so, he hasn't been a small military plane, let alone a second officer."

"It's different, it's not as simple as you think, and I'm thinking about it now." Han Xiufeng didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, and suddenly the conversation changed: "Uncle Shi, are you busy today?" ”

"Look at what you asked, let's put it this way, accompanying you is a big deal!"

"Stop, stop, don't make fun of me again."

"Okay, okay, no kidding, what's the matter with you?"

"I want to go to the Shuangzhong Shrine to worship the loyal prince."

Shi Zan was stunned, and immediately reacted: "Okay, I'll accompany you." ”

……

Enjun didn't expect Han Xiufeng to suddenly go to the "Shuangzhong Temple" to worship, so Yin Peixuan, the magistrate of Tianjin County, who accompanied him, was busy asking his family to hurry up to prepare the sacrifices, and asked curiously: "Brother Yin, which two loyal ministers are enshrined in the Shuangzhong Temple?" ”

Yin Peixuan hurriedly said: "Lord Yu, the Shuangzhong Temple enshrines Tong Jian, the former deputy capital commander who was martyred when Duliu attacked and suppressed Changmao, and Xie Zicheng, the magistrate of Tianjin. However, the people of Tianjin are grateful for Xie Zhong's meritorious work in protecting the city, and they only know Xie Zhong's father, but they don't know Tong Jian, so they call Shuangzhong Temple Xie Gong Ancestral Hall. ”

Seeing that Enjun was thoughtful, Yin Peixuan added: "Xie Zhongshu Gong is a native of Xindu, Sichuan, and he is a fellow villager with Lord Han. ”

"I see." Eunjun nodded slightly and didn't say anything more.

A group of people or sedan chair, or horseback, rushed to the Shuangzhong Temple at the entrance of the donkey market outside the West Gate, and found that although the shrine was a wooden statue, the incense was endless.

Looking at the backs of the people who were so frightened that they hurriedly left, Shi Zanqing sighed: "For the official for one term, for the benefit of one party, although the loyal prince is buried in a foreign land, but he died well, at least my Tianjin people will not forget his great kindness." ”

Han Xiufeng and other accompanying officers placed the sacrifices, dressed up the official uniforms, took Yin Peixuan to help light the incense, walked to the incense case and asked while worshipping: "How did the loyal prince martyr?" ”

"Lord Han, in the third year of Xianfeng, the long hair came straight to my Tianjin, and the forwards have already killed Xiaoxiaokou in the western suburbs. The officials and gentry in the city were panicked, and the loyal prince stepped forward, personally led more than 3,000 regiments out of the city to intercept them, fought for a day and a night, and repelled the long hair. More than a month later, Zhong Chu Gong led the regiment to go to Duliu ......"

Listening to Yin Peixuan's introduction, Han Xiufeng didn't say anything, but he was thinking in his heart that Xie Zicheng, a fellow villager, died unjustly. As a magistrate, he has the responsibility to defend the territory, and he has made a great contribution to defending Tianjin City, but after repelling the long-haired striker by luck, he had to follow the army to encircle and suppress, and as a result, his ambition died before he was rewarded.

Shi Zanqing didn't know what Han Xiufeng was thinking, so he followed a stick of incense, and was about to speak, when Han Xiufeng suddenly turned around and said, "Xincheng, you go out first." ”

"Huh!" Eun Jun realized that Han Xiufeng had something to say to Shi Zanqing, so he hurriedly led everyone to bow down and retreat.

Shi Zanqing also realized that Han Xiufeng had something to say, and then thought of the errand that Han Xiufeng did in Tianjin this time, and couldn't help asking: "Zhixing, is it possible that Xiyi really wants to fight with us, and will he really commit Zhili in the north?" ”

"If the imperial court doesn't agree to their conditions, if it is delayed in every way like before, they will definitely fight with us, and they will definitely commit Zhili in the north."

"Do you know when you're coming?"

"Soon," Han Xiufeng briefly said about Guangdong, then looked back at Xie Zicheng and said: "It is the responsibility of the loyal prince to guard the land, Uncle Shi, why not now." And Yingfo Eryi is not long-haired, not as easy to deal with as long-haired, you have to plan early. ”

Shi Zanqing suddenly realized Han Xiufeng's good intentions of coming here to worship, and he was silent for a while before asking in a low voice: "This time is different from the twenty years of Daoguang, the imperial court is not unprepared at all, otherwise the emperor would not have ordered you to inspect the coastal defense." If you have been prepared, don't you have any chance of winning? ”

"If it were the same as three years ago, four or five gunboats and four or five hundred soldiers, it would not be easy to repel them, but there would be no hope at all. But this time they will either not come, or they will not only have four or five gunboats and four or five hundred soldiers. Although you have never seen Xiyi's gunboats, you have seen Xiyi's foreign guns when you were in Gu'an, so you should know what the outcome of this battle will be if it really starts. ”

"Defeat or win?"

"Anyway, I, Han Xiufeng, don't have the ability to win this battle."

"Can you not fight?"

"It's not difficult not to fight, but whoever dares to open this mouth, even if he risks death to enter the emperor, he will not listen."

"What then?" Shi Zanqing asked worriedly.

Han Xiufeng let out a long sigh and said meaningfully, "Is the Governor of Zhili so good at doing?" In terms of qualifications, talents, and military merits, this governor of Zhili can't take his turn to act Tan Tingxiang. ”

Shi Zanqing was taken aback: "Zhixing, you mean ......"

"Uncle Shi, you just have a good idea in your heart, how many days can he, Tan Tingxiang, the governor, act, and what will happen to him is his business, you have to think about yourself quickly."

"Zhixing, I know that you are worried about me, but you can eat the king's lu, share the king's worries, I Shi Zanqing is deeply favored by the emperor, I can't be sorry for the emperor, and I am sorry for the people under my rule!"

"What about the wife and children, have you ever thought about them?" Han Xiufeng took a deep breath, stared at him and said, "I can't hide it, I came to Tianjin to inspect Haiphong this time at the invitation of the emperor, the emperor didn't plan to send me here, it can be said that I came to you this time!" ”

"Zhixing, don't say it, don't persuade it. As the prefect of Tianjin, I have the responsibility to defend the land, even if the foreigner puts the knife on my neck, I will not survive! I will not do such a thing as sending my wife and children away and shaking the hearts of the army and the people! ”

"But ......"

"Zhixing, I understand your kindness."

Looking at Shi Zanqing's resolute appearance, Han Xiufeng realized that there was no persuasion, so he could only whisper: "Since you have made up your mind, then quickly gather the salt merchant gentry to solicit donations." Fighting with foreigners is different from fighting with long hair, there are not many soldiers, it is enough to recruit and train one or two thousand regiments, save the silver and hurry up to buy foreign guns and cannons. ”

"Can I buy it?" Shi Zanqing asked eagerly.

"I can still buy it now, but it will be difficult to say after a while, and even if I can buy it then, I won't be able to ship it." Thinking of the urgent report sent back by Fugui from Fujian, Han Xiufeng muttered: "A Fujian businessman named Huang Delu, who is dedicated to serving the imperial court, is raising money in Fujian and plans to go to Nanyang to buy cannons. If he can buy it, I'll let it be shipped to Tianjin as soon as possible. If you can raise money, I'll send someone to buy it for you. ”

"Great, I knew you wouldn't die without help!"

"I'm not saving you, I'm ...... I don't want to watch my sister-in-law and a few babies being affected by you! But even if you can buy a sharp foreign cannon, whether this city can hold the same two words, you should plan for the worst. ”

(End of chapter)