Huai'an Mansion, Qincha Xingyuan.

Gan San bowed and stood, Yu Guang could catch a glimpse of the prince of Yu with a python robe and jade belt hesitated to look through the letter, Gan San was Gan's own brother, Gan is the nurse of Prince Yu, their family is a distant relative of the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, that year the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi entered Beijing to meet, Prince Yu was just born, handed over to the queen to raise, the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi contacted the eunuchs in the palace to get through the relationship, Gan happened to give birth to a son who died young, can breastfeed, appearance, etiquette is impeccable. Later, their sister and brother became Prince Yu's most trusted people, the queen issued a decree, the emperor agreed, Gan San made up the third class guard of the prince's mansion, and the prince was in charge of the safety and security of the guards.

"Jia Cong sent a letter, advising this king to pay close attention to the salt tax of Lianghuai, saying that when the salt tax comes up, my father will be impressed by me, and it seems that he is also a person who knows how to repay his kindness......" Ling Jieyuan finished browsing ten lines at a glance, and suddenly slapped the rosewood table with trembling all over: "These Yangzhou salt merchants and salt officials are really bastards!" The treasury of my Ling Shun world has been filled with their own pockets! Gan San, has the deputy commander-in-chief of Zhenjiang arrived? ”

"Vice President Liu is waiting in Yangzhou, and the letter has arrived." Gan San knew his temperament very well, and said tactfully: "Before Lin Yushi was alive, he didn't dare to touch the officialdom of Yangzhou, and his brother patrolled on behalf of the Son of Heaven, and he knew the suffering of the people, but he also had to think twice before acting, so as not to provoke His Majesty's anger, according to his humble position, it is better to compromise." If you move the Yangzhou salt merchants, you will move the Jiangsu Third Division, which will inevitably involve the above......"

"Your insight is the same as Jia Cong's, he also said that he can only temporarily abolish the salt and the salt, and this king will play like this......" Ling Jieyuan soothed: "A thousand gold is easy to get, it will be difficult to find, if Jia Cong can really vote under the command of the lonely king, it will be a big help in the future......"

……

The boat traveled for several days, and almost arrived at the separate place of Wu County and Wu River, although Wu County and Wu River are two counties, they both belong to Suzhou Prefecture, Mudu is in Wu County, Shengze is in Wujiang, and it is adjacent to Taihu Lake.

Jia Cong wrote a travelogue according to the key points of what he saw and heard in the past few months, from Zhangjiawan and Linqing to Yangzhou and Gusu, even if he had studied history, he had to personally investigate the real situation, and many unspoken rules of Yangzhou salt affairs were also in the focus of his record.

"Sister Lin is sick and weak, and she can't keep her filial piety for twenty-seven months, and when I go back to Mudu to bury my aunt, I will send you a letter when I enter Beijing, I'm afraid you won't be able to return to Beijing this year?" In the cabin, Jia Lian pondered.

"Jiaxu, Yihai, Bingzi, this year's spring test has already passed, go back next year, and still participate in the township test the year after tomorrow, don't worry, go to Shengze to see Xing's family, and I will go to Suzhou Mansion to visit Shenfutai...... At home, you can help me talk about it. Jia Cong nodded, Jia Lian asked if the gift luggage was appropriate, and taught Sun Fu and Long Aotian a few words, he just got out of the cabin, Lin Daiyu took Zijuan in to say goodbye.

"Wu Yue is prosperous, but Qingxing thugs and tooth fraud, I have also seen it, you be careful." Lin Daiyu advised.

Jia Cong saw that there was still some time left in the boat line, and there was a girl there, so he didn't mind sitting down again, "Have you forgotten that I have a reputation for showing talent?" If you bully me, you have to look at the square scarf on my head, is Sister Lin getting better? ”

"Well, three nights without candles, thoughts are separated, three days without joy, and thoughts of relatives." Lin Daiyu has a strong sense of self-esteem, self-esteem is a double-edged sword, she always doesn't want others to look down on her, so she put down a few paper tubes and sat down, "This is my thank you." ”

In Jia Cong's view, Lin Daiyu is a helpless, honest and simple boudoir daughter, even if he calls his sister, his psychological age is much older than Sister Lin, naturally he can see Sister Lin's mind clearly, his heart is funny, and he chats again, Lin Daiyu is such a talented girl, and he has a common language, Jia Cong is also tired of reading history books, so he said something that Daiyu didn't know, the olive and hegemony of the Mediterranean, the rise and fall of Roman Persia, the gold of South America, and the rainforest of East Africa, and the vigorous love story of the Titanic, which is at your fingertips and immersive.

Sister Lin was shocked when she heard this: "You really know how to make up stories." ”

"Sister Lin, this is all true, the Western missionary told me." Jia Cong defended.

"Giggle......" Lin Daiyu didn't believe it, she pursed her mouth, she is now very reluctant to show the pity of her parents in front of others, that kind of pity hurts her self-esteem very much, she wants others to respect her in their hearts.

Jia Cong wants to cry without tears, unsatisfactory things are often eight or nine, there are no two or three who can speak, in this closed feudal society, this aspect is really lonely and ignorant, he said helplessly: "If you don't believe it, forget it, Sister Bao's family still has a room, they are doing business at home and abroad, I heard that the girl in that room has also traveled overseas, I don't believe that she came back to Beijing, you ask her." ”

The southern terminus of the Grand Canal is Hangzhou, coming down from Yangzhou, passing through Zhenjiang Danyang, Changzhou Wuxi, and arriving at Wu County first, the ship anchored at the port of Wu County, Lin Daiyu got up and said: "I'm leaving, you went to Wujiang, write to me." It's almost winter, if you don't take the water and soil and have sores, remember to ask You Fang Langzhong for plaster, I pasted it when I was a child, and it worked quickly. ”

Jia Cong said: "What if I get smallpox and the epidemic? Hey, I heard that you Suzhou people can only believe half of what they say, is it true? ”

"What do you want to do with those bad guys? You said that Suzhou people love to deceive people, okay, Chongyang September 9, you go to the roadside to buy chrysanthemum wine, five-color cake, pay half of the money to try? Lin Daiyu leaned on the door with a bright and moving smile, and then walked out of the boat with a little reluctance.

Bid farewell to Jia Lian and Daiyu, and had dinner at the port of Wu County, Jia Cong hired another canopy boat to go down to Wujiang and operate across the county, the boatman asked for one or two or six dollars of silver, and the taxes of the banknote had to be paid in advance, Sun Fu bargained and dropped it to eight dollars of silver, Long Aotian stared wide-eyed and calculated: "Master Cong, isn't it!" Suzhou people can only believe half of their words! ”

"Poof!" Jia Cong and Sun Fu were all amused by these two goods.

When I got off the boat in Wujiang, I met the post man of Shanhai Book Society in Jiangnan, and personally sent Jia Cong to Shengze Town, which is ninety miles away from Wujiang County, where there is an inspection department. Along the way, cotton and mulberry trees can be seen almost everywhere, and there are few idlers in the fields.

Jiangnan is the best place for the ancient privileged class to be drunk and dreaming of death, and you can travel under the forest, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, internal and external troubles, this place is still a song and dance, prosperous scenery, Jia Cong dismounted and walked into Shengze path, rolling, wind and dust, he didn't have time to miss visiting Liu Ru's former residence in Shengze, he saw the road side back from the market in front, several Qingxing thugs lifted hardwood sticks, wore cloth towels, people and horses and the earth into a semi-encircled shape, blocked the road to collect tolls, quite a bit of Xiangjiang Gu Confused Boy taste.

"Lord Duke, you see that this girl is good, there is no shortage of beauties in our Gusu......"

"Yes, yes, just go back to be a duchess...... "A few thug brothers touched their chins and laughed evilly.

The eyes of the leading Duke Zu lit up, although the people who came back from selling raw silk in the back market complained, but they didn't dare to say anything, Qingxing was the same as Yaxing, they had a relationship with the Ya in Wujiang County, they couldn't afford to provoke it, the cost was lower, and they would pay it a few times a year, and they would buy peace.

Jia Cong stood in the middle with cold eyes, Duke Nazu nodded, they took a fancy to a girl in cloth clothes, who looked fifteen or sixteen years old, a typical Jiangnan small family jasper, but dressed shabby, this girl was quite calm, staying at home was limited to middle- and upper-class women, and folk women were showing up, she didn't speak, and pinched the corners of her clothes tightly. Her mother paid the money, and Duke Zu weighed it in his hand, but he was not satisfied: "I said Aunt Xing, what about feeding the dogs with these two coins of silver?" If it weren't for the fact that your man wouldn't be able to make a living, according to your family's few acres of land, mulberry trees and cotton, there would be seven or eight taels a year, right? ”

"Lord Duke, it's good, our family really can't get by, it's still our mother and daughter shaking their waists every day, boiling out ......" Xing's mother pleaded.

Surname Xing? It can't be such a coincidence, Jia Cong came out sideways, looked at the girl a few times, and it just so happened that this Xing girl also came over, Xianyun Yehe's temperament is better than his appearance.