In the thirteenth year of Yongle, because of the blockage of the Grand Canal, Pingjiang Bo Chen Xuan visited the local people and learned that the northwest of Guanjia Lake in the west of the city, 20 miles away from the mouth of Yachenkou of the Huai River, is the old canal of the Shahe River opened by Qiao Weiyue in the Song Dynasty, which should be dug into a river and can lead the lake water to pass through. So Chen Xuan repaired the Shusha River, which was named the Qing River and the Pu River. Chen Xuan set up five control gates on the river, such as the wind shifting, the plate gate, the Qinghe, the Fuxing and the Xinzhuang, so that "the river water is always flat, and the boat is easy". Since then, the canal ships have sailed south to the Huai River to Hangzhou, south of the Yangtze River, and the Linqing Jinwei Canal to Beijing in the north, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal has been unblocked. New towns arose on both sides of the Cheonghapu River, and they were named after the river name "Cheonghapu". After the whole flow of the Yellow River seized the Huai, because the sluice seat could not be opened and closed, the Yellow River water invaded the Qinghepu River channel, so that "the water slips in the autumn, the boat goes to the sluice, it is difficult to climb to the sky, each boat uses a slender man to three or four hundred people, it is still impossible to cross, and the cable is broken and the boat sinks in a hurry", and the danger is very great. The Beijing-Hangzhou Canal to the north of the Qinghe River (Huai'an) is gentle and difficult to navigate, and the south is smooth and smooth. With the Qinghe River as the boundary, the Grand Canal's north-south transportation capacity is very different.

It is precisely because of this that a large number of people and goods have to pass through here "one stop" and "one meal". Therefore, Qinghe City is rich in goods, well-developed warehousing, people of all colors gather, and the market is particularly prosperous. In the early morning, a fleet of more than a dozen salt boats arrived at the Qinghepu wharf with a swagger.

On the wharf of Naqinghepu, there were already more than 100 ships of different sizes, and all of them were at anchor, waiting to be searched and exploited by the government, which they had long been accustomed to. Only after being searched by the government officials here, and then paying a high tax, can they be transferred to the canal and waterway in the north of the city, which is full of risks and needs to be pulled by slender men.

After going ashore, Zheng Xiaru did not go to the city, but went directly to an incense hall near the wharf, which said that it was a place where the boatmen prayed for God's blessing, but in fact it was also the headquarters of the Cao Gang. That piece of Zheng Xia had just handed over the sticker, and after a little sip of tea, a middle-aged man in a silk dress greeted him with a smile on his face.

"Yo, I don't know if Master Zheng is coming, I miss the distance, stay slow, pray Haihan!"

When Pan Ziqin hugged his fists and greeted him, he could see the thick calluses on his fists, as the leader of the Cao Gang, he couldn't be in the air, and he didn't know how much blood he had seen on his hands.

"I've seen Gang Master Pan!"

When Zheng Xia was saluting, Pan Ziqin had already politely held his arm and said.

"Master Zheng is my brother and my brother's food and clothing, but if you have any instructions, just send someone to send a letter, why do you need to come here in person?"

Although it seems to be rude and unscheming, Zheng Xiaru knows how this Pan Ziqin won the position of the leader of the Cao Gang ten years ago, and that scheming is far more than ordinary people can compare. It is precisely because of this that he is full of confidence in this trip, because he knows this Cao gang leader, who claims to have tens of thousands of gangs.

Although the various docks of the Cao Gang are actually not closely connected, and there is no direct subordinate relationship between the various docks and the Cao Gang, this does not prevent Pan Ziqin from being a symbol of the Cao Gang.

Along the Grand Canal, all the land and water docks will more or less buy the face of him, the leader of the Cao Gang.

And it is indeed not easy for Pan Ziqin, who was born in Caowei back then, to be able to make the owners of the various wharves along the Grand Canal admit that he is the gang leader. How could you do all this without a lot of ingenuity?

After many years in business, Zheng Xia has seen all kinds of people, and the way of nature should be more cautious when dealing with such people. So it's very polite.

He was immediately polite to him, but after the initial politeness, he said directly to the point.

"Actually, the little brother came here this time, and he was also entrusted by someone to bring a message from the south......"

Zheng Xiaru's words seemed very vague, but he just mentioned "bring a message from the south", and Pan Ziqin, who vaguely guessed the other party's intentions, suddenly changed his face and asked in a deep voice.

"Master Zheng, what do you mean by that?"

Pan Ziqin's expression changed so that Zheng Xiaru immediately realized the problem, so he chuckled.

"Gang Master Pan, look at ......"

glanced left and right, although there were no outsiders, but talking here, it was always not very reassuring, Yu Zheng Xiaru said again.

"Shall we talk somewhere else?"

After a while, after the two entered the floor, after the door was closed, looking at the expressionless Pan Ziqin, Zheng Xiaru said bluntly.

"To tell the truth, don't hide it from Pan Qianhu, the reason why Zheng came to Qinghe this time is to ask for the order of Zhu Junmen for the north of the Ming River, and ask Pan Qianhu to return to the Ming Dynasty!"

As soon as he opened his mouth, Zheng Xiaru revealed Pan Ziqin's identity - he was the hereditary thousand households of the Ming Dynasty, and even his father and brother died under the Qing saber, and it was precisely because of this that Zheng Xiaru believed that he could convince this person.

Of course, the more important point is that he has a certain understanding of Pan Ziqin and even the Cao Gang, although after the defeat of the army, he seems to have abandoned his official position and engaged in business, but it does not mean that Zheng Xiaru will really ignore the affairs of the world from now on.

Even because of business, he is more concerned about the Cao Gang than in the past. He knew that Pan Ziqin was different from others, and he also knew the difference between the Cao Gang now.

It is precisely because of this that Zheng Xiaru came here to see Pan Ziqin.

"Now the situation in the world, I want to come to Pan Qianhu should have heard of it, now the recovery of Jiangnan is just around the corner, the people of the world are clear, the general trend is like this, Pan Qianhu ......"

"Qianhu, hum ......"

Sneering, interrupting Zheng Xiaru's words, Pan Ziqin said unceremoniously.

"Although Pan's father is a thousand households in the former dynasty, what did he end up with? Although the Pan family has received the grace of the previous dynasty, but the father and brother have been loyal to the country, it can be said that they have repaid the grace of the previous dynasty, what does this matter of the previous dynasty have to do with Pan? Furthermore, although Pan has never been out of the Qing Dynasty, my Cao Gang brothers are also favored by the Qing Dynasty, if there is no Qing Dynasty, what will my Cao Gang brothers eat and drink? In this regard, Pan Mou could not be grateful! ”

glanced at Zheng Xiaru contemptuously, Pan Ziqin seemed polite, but said unceremoniously.

"Master Zheng, although you are an official of the previous dynasty, you can use your Zheng family's family business, which can be described as a big business, so why do you need to wade into this pool of troubled waters? In this time when the world is in turmoil, isn't it better to be honest as your Ashiya Weng than anything else? Do you think that's the truth? ”

Pan Ziqin's answer made Zheng Xiaru blurt out,

"But, but Zheng, Zheng is a Han ......"

A simple answer, although there was a bit of stuttering, but after saying this, Zheng Xiaru only felt a long sigh of relief, as if it would take a lot of effort to say this.

But after saying this, his whole body calmed down. No more panic than before.

Yes, Zheng is Han!

Since he is a Han person, it is natural to run for the future of the Han people in the world!

Not for money, not for glory.

Just because ...... Zheng is Han!

Yes, exactly!

Zheng is Han!

The simple five words fell into Pan Ziqin's ears, and he glanced at him in surprise, and only after making sure that he was not acting, did he speak.

"Han people, Han people......"

Pondering these two words, Pan Ziqin's expression seemed to be a little complicated, and he just sighed slightly in his heart, and then looked at Zheng Xiaru and said.

"Although Pan is a Han Chinese, he is responsible for the work of tens of thousands of brothers in the Cao Gang, and Master Zheng doesn't need to say anything!"

When he said this, Pan Ziqin's face was full of involuntary expression. It seems that he did not make this decision because of himself. It's because he has to take into account the interests of the entire Cao Gang.

"Yes, yes, ......"

Just when Zheng Xiaru was about to open his mouth to lobby, Pan Ziqin's eyes suddenly opened, interrupted him, stared at him and said.

"Master Zheng, Pan is still the same sentence, this troubled water, Pan can't go, if it weren't for me being Han, I'm afraid I would have sent you to the official a long time ago! Please don't force me again, I have never heard of this matter! ”

After saying this, his face suddenly turned pale, Pan Ziqin looked at Zheng Xiaru and snorted coldly.

"Sending off!"

What the?

How so?

Zheng Xiaru looked at Pan Ziqin in surprise, this is completely different from the news he got! If it weren't for knowing that secret, how could he have ventured to Qinghe?

Isn't the reason why he dared to come to Qinghe precisely because he knew about that incident? It is precisely because of this that he wants to make great contributions, so as to be appreciated by the military. And then gain the trust of the military.

Now, how...... But this will, when Pan Ziqin said this, Zheng Xiaru dared to stay here again.

In the sound of the send-off, Zheng Xiaru left here in a bit of a dejected spirit. Just as he walked out, someone walked in and said to Pan Ziqin.

"Helper, I think the news brought by this surnamed Zheng may be true, so let's ......"

Without waiting for the visitor to finish speaking, Pan Ziqin's eyebrows raised, and he looked at the visitor and snorted coldly.

"Second brother, I see that you didn't wake up from yesterday's wine, how can our brothers bear this rebellious work? You go, call the third brother and them over, these years, what the hell, it really doesn't stop! ”

When the second child went out to shout. Pan Ziqin's brows were tightly locked, the expression on his face changed from time to time, and there was a faint hint of worry between his eyebrows.

"Is this ...... Now, is it really going to change again? ”

In his own words, Pan Zixin's fingers tapped lightly on the table from time to time, his brows were sometimes furrowed, sometimes loosened, and occasionally he would let out a sigh, in that sigh, his gaze was constantly changing, it seemed that for him, all this came now seemed a little too sudden.

"Maybe ......"