"What do you say? Xiancai only accepted five iron pots and two pieces of soft armor, and also gave back a lone jar of tiger bone wine. ”

"And then you bought a tiger skin from the rest of that village?" Zhu Yang said to the two young guards.

At this time, it was the 21st day of the lunar month of the third year of the establishment of the industry, and this place was no longer Yunnan but in the Yangtze River, very close to the Longwandu Port outside the capital.

Zhu Ying's family boarded a boat from Guangxi Mansion in Yunnan, followed the river all the way to Guangzhou, where they changed to a sea boat and went north along the coastline.

The winter currents on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean flow from north to south, and the wind mostly blows from north to south. However, it is still faster than taking the inland river, and Zhu Yang successfully took a large family to Longwandu today. If you take the Xiangjiang River-Yangtze River, it is likely that it will take a few more days to reach the capital.

As for the guards who sent things to Zhu Xiancai, Zhu Yang's original order was to let them return to the palace in Yongchang after sending the things to her, and when he returned to Yongchang, he would take the entire palace to Ava City. But because they got a complete tiger skin, they went to the capital day and night with the wine jar and tiger skin in order to show their merit, and caught up with Zhu Yang in Longwandu.

At this time, the Xiao Cui guard, who was the leader, said, "Your Highness, yes." As he spoke, he took out the tiger skin from the package behind him and handed it to Zhu Yang; Another guard cautiously approached with a jar of wine.

Zhu Yang shook twice, spread the tiger skin on the table, looked at it carefully and said, "It's really good, it's a complete tiger skin." ”

Zhu Yang was in a very happy mood. He had hunted tigers in Yongchang and other places before, but he had never obtained a complete tiger skin; And Yun Xi already has three tiger skins, he shouldn't be able to look at the tiger skin in his hand, he can keep it for himself.

So he didn't blame these guards for failing to complete the orders he gave them, but said, "Xiancai is really not the county lord, and he wants to mix in the barbarian land for the rest of his life?" Forget it, I can't control her, if Yun Xi asks and tells him the truth. ”

At this time, the boat was already close to the shore, and Zhu Yang called his wife Mu Qingshuang out, and the husband and wife wanted to get off the boat together.

As soon as she got out of the cabin, Mu Qingshuang wrapped her collar tightly with a scarf, for fear that a trace of cold wind would blow into her clothes. The wide scarf even covered half of her face, which, combined with the hat on top of her head, showed her only a large pair of eyes. Zhu Yang felt that if she could not show her eyes, she would definitely cover her eyes as well.

Contrary to Mu Qingshuang, Zhu Yang enjoys the current temperature very much. He always felt that Yunnan was too hot, even in winter, it felt slightly cool. Of course, there is a big difference between morning and noon, and you may need to wear a leather coat in the morning and a single coat at noon. But it made him feel even more uncomfortable.

Then Zhu Yang stepped off the boat surrounded by the guards, and Mu Qingshuang also walked down after him surrounded by the maids.

In the port, there was already a carriage prepared by the officials of the Zongren Mansion waiting. All vassal kings entering the capital, except for funerals, must report to His Majesty the Emperor in advance, and if the emperor does not agree, they cannot go to the capital.

Therefore, of course, the Zongren Mansion in the capital has long known that there will be those vassal kings entering Beijing, so since they entered Layue, they have sent people to wait at the port every day to receive the vassal kings who have entered Beijing.

Zhu Yang and the officials of the Zongren Mansion who received him were about to get into the car after answering the salute, when they suddenly saw many carriages with royal insignia parked on the side, far exceeding the number of carriages needed to pick up his family, so he asked: "Who else is the vassal king who is coming to Beijing today?" ”

"Your Royal Highness, there are many vassal kings who have entered Beijing to pay tribute this year, and in addition to His Royal Highness, there are also His Royal Highness King Ning who have not yet entered Beijing." The official in charge of the 'pick-up station' of the Zongren Mansion said.

"Is Brother Seventeen coming to the capital today?" Zhu Yang asked.

"Your Highness, the news from the day before yesterday is that you have arrived in Huai'an, and it is estimated that even if you don't get to the capital today, you should arrive tomorrow." The official said.

Zhu Yang thought for a while and said to Mu Qingshuang: "You take someone to the palace first." ”

"What about you?" Mu Qingshuang asked.

"I'll wait here for Brother Seventeen, he is almost in Beijing today." Zhu Yang said.

"Alright, I'll go into the city first. However, the greeting sheet handed to His Majesty and the Empress was sent in the name of the two of us. Mu Qingshuang said.

"This is natural, if you deliver the meeting table alone, it is estimated that Your Majesty will think that the two of us have a big conflict!" Zhu Yang made a joke and said a few more words to her, and the coachman drove the carriage towards the city.

Zhu Yang looked at Dao Mudan, Dao Baifeng and others who went to the Siyi Pavilion with the officials of the Ministry of Rites, and while standing and waiting for Zhu Quan, he thought that he would take Dao Baifeng into the Minwang Mansion tomorrow.

After waiting for a while, Zhu Quan didn't arrive, and the official of the Zongren Mansion said to Zhu Xuan: "His Royal Highness King Min, you should enter the city first, the weather is so cold now, don't be frozen outside." ”

Zhu Yang was about to speak, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a ship heading towards the port, and at a glance saw the big flag with the word 'Ning' hanging high on the ship, and said, "The lonely seventeenth brother has arrived." ”

The officials of the Zongren Mansion looked sideways at the port, and also saw the banner of the word 'Ning', and hurriedly asked the clerks to prepare to welcome Zhu Quan, the king of Ning.

After a while, Zhu Quan's boat docked, the big flag with the word 'Ning' was lowered, and Zhu Quan walked down from the boat with many people who didn't look like guards or military generals.

Zhu Yang greeted him and said, "Brother Seventeen, I haven't seen you for a long time." ”

Zhu Quan looked sideways at Zhu Yang and said with a smile: "It turned out to be the eighteenth brother, I haven't seen you for a long time, the last time we met was Hongwu thirty-one years, and more than three years have passed in a flash." Then he said to the left and right: "Don't meet His Royal Highness King Min yet." ”

These people bowed and saluted in a chaotic manner and said, "I have seen His Royal Highness King Min." ”

"Eighteen brothers, these people are all military generals at the border gates, this time they have made meritorious contributions to bring them to Beijing to be rewarded, don't be surprised if you don't understand etiquette." Zhu Quan said.

"Since he is the seventeenth brother's person, the younger brother is naturally not strange." Zhu Yang paused and said, "Is it just that there has been another war against the Mongols recently?" ”

"What? Didn't the news spread in the capital? Zhu Quan asked suspiciously.

"I don't know this, I also just arrived in the capital, only a quarter of an hour earlier than Brother Seventeen." Zhu Yang said.

"I see. Brother Wei still won't talk to you more, I'll know when you enter Beijing. Zhu Quan said.

Zhu Yang looked at Zhu Quan with a smug look on his face, and thought: "When you enter Beijing, you will also know what credit I have made." ’

Then the two brothers mounted their hands on the tall horses and headed out into the city.