After the Lantern Festival, the whole world is still immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the festival, but officials at all levels in Jiangnan Province are in full swing to prepare for the drive.

On the twenty-fourth day of February, just after the rain, some areas in the north were still covered with snow, and the silver snake wax elephant, but the weather in the south of the Yangtze River had warmed up, and everything recovered. On the same day, the governor of Jiangsu, Sazai, sent people everywhere to put up official billboards, announcing that the people in the jurisdiction were closed for seven days, and the soldiers and horses used the soldiers and horses to enclose the road from the Suzhou entrance of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to the South Patrol Palace with a layer of banners.

After two days, he finally waited for Emperor Qianlong to send someone to issue his will. Jiangsu Governor Sa Zai was afraid that he would miss the time to greet him, so he immediately made a decision and called on officials at all levels of Suzhou Prefecture to block the coast and greet each other before the imperial ship landed.

Shen Fu has no officials, no power, no power, and is a civilian, so he should not be qualified to appear in the welcoming queue, but Shen Jiafu leaned against the big tree to enjoy the shade, and he relied on the means of reaching heaven to disguise Shen Fu as a person who unveiled the list and arranged it into the welcoming team.

Standing honestly at the end of the line, Shen Fu slowly discovered a rule: the color of the official uniforms of the court officials was the same, and only the crown and the pattern of the supplementary clothes were distinguished.

Shen Jiafu saw that he was waiting impatiently, and looked around, lest he break the rules, so he poked him with his elbow and reminded him a little.

Shen Fu has always been afraid of his father, so he didn't dare to say much at the moment, so he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

Two more hours passed in this way, and the hour was approaching, and the imperial boat had not yet shown its head and tail on the lake, and the officials of the various provinces could not help but be a little flustered.

Chen Huizu, the governor of Liangjiang, made a special trip from Anhui to meet him, and after waiting for a long time, he couldn't help but get tired of seeing that the imperial ship still didn't move. Jiangsu Governor Sazai and Suzhou Weaving Shu Wen stood behind him, although the surface was quite calm, but their hearts were all in a mess, and they could only look at the calm lake, hoping that the imperial ship would appear as soon as possible, so as not to let a group of people pounce.

Xu Maocai, the chief of staff of Jiangsu Governor Sazai, saw it in his eyes, was anxious in his heart, and became even more restless, so he had to look around with his eyes open.

Wei Yihu, the political envoy of the political envoy, Feng Yaoling, and Zhao Qianyi, the envoy of the salt transport envoy, stood back, and saw that the bosses were about to sweat, so they looked at each other in shock, and had to lower their eyebrows. Further back, those sesame petty officials also waited to wipe their foreheads and sweat.

Compared with the delicate-minded civil officials, the generals who came to Hou can really be called simple-minded and bold-minded.

Deng Zizhong, the deputy governor of Suzhou Prefecture, was five big and three thick, and when he heard the constant commotion in the crowd, he couldn't help but muttered to the attaché next to him: "Although it's not hot this day, it's quite uncomfortable to stand all the time, I don't know when this imperial ship will be revealed?" ”

General Wu Liangfu wiped his sweat and accosted: "The saint has been driving since the sixth day of the first month, and has gone south along the capital, Tianjin, Jining, and Yangzhou. ”

"Speaking of which, I heard an interesting anecdote lately!" Deng Zizhong smiled sneakily, and when he saw that he didn't quite understand, he whispered: "I heard that our saint also summoned prostitutes to sleep in the Yangzhou Palace. ”

Wu Liangfu listened with fear

Frightened, he hurriedly said: "My lord, you must be cautious in your words and deeds, so that you don't dare to talk nonsense if you have a day, if you listen to it, it is not something that can be solved with a head!" ”

"Be careful!" Deng Zizhong was slightly displeased, "This is not a private matter, who is present today who doesn't know?" But they all pretend to be confused! ”

"As the adults said, everyone knows it, but they all keep their mouths shut, it's not for the sake of the head and net worth of the family!" Wu Liangfu said, seeing that Deng Zizhong had woken up, he said earnestly: "My lord, the shoes are rotten from the tip, and the disaster comes from the mouth!" ”

Deng Zizhong was talking casually, seeing him so careful and admonishing, he was certainly unhappy in his heart, but he was kind and could not be shirked, so he had to glare at the deputy generals, capital divisions, garrisons, and generals behind him, and spread the anger in his heart.

The lieutenant generals, the commanders, the garrisons, and the generals were all uneasy and couldn't help but look at each other.

Although Shen Fu kept looking down at the ground, the stinging voices in the crowd still couldn't escape his keen ears, so he rubbed his hands and mustered up the courage to ask Shen Jiafu: "Father, the imperial boat is not coming, is it ......?"

Shen Jiafu's face was serious, and a cold gaze swept across Shen Fu's face, "Do you think this is a playhouse?" Remember what I told you, today, you are just here for a long insight, don't show your edge, don't make mistakes, otherwise, if you offend Long Yan, not only you will lose your head, but dozens of people in our family will be buried for you! ”

Shen Fu saw that he spoke coldly, and he couldn't say a word for a long time, so he could only lower his eyebrows to show his obedience, and continued to be absent-minded.

About another hour passed, everyone stood with a sore back, hot and sweaty, and was about to scold their ancestors in their hearts, when they suddenly saw a royal boat on the golden lake showing its head, and there were more than a dozen windows behind it.

"It's coming!"

"It's coming!"

One word, two words, one ten, ten hundred, finally exploded in the crowd.

It was too late, it was too fast, and I saw the royal ship slowly approaching the shore. Then, the third-class shrimp scrambled to jump off the side of the boat and paved the pedals, and then, dozens of second-class shrimp stepped on the road paved by their predecessors and walked off the boat, surrounding the coast.

Everyone watched the movement, looked at their noses and noses, and did not dare to come out, just waited silently.

Suddenly, a first-class guard wearing a unicorn patch suit and a sapphire top appeared at the bow of the ship. This person was Fu Heng's son Fu Kang'an, and his aunt was not an outsider, but the late Empress Xiaoxianchun. I saw that he was in a steep posture, looking at the four roads, and got off the boat with vigorous steps, and then walked to the Hou driving team without showing joy to convey the will of Emperor Qianlong.

"Where is the Governor of Liangjiang?" Fukangan called out loudly, and saw Chen Huizu, the governor of Liangjiang, come forward, so he said with a pleasant face: "Lord Chen, the emperor is changing into court clothes on the imperial ship, and please maintain order and wait patiently for a while!" ”

Chen Huizu, the governor of Liangjiang, wiped the sweat on his forehead and said, "The saint is so tired this way, he should rest in the Suzhou Palace for two more days!" ”

Fortcan

Ann bowed her head and said nothing.

Chen Huizu saw that he didn't eat water, so he was so bored that he had to look behind him to hide his embarrassment.

The prefects of Jiangning, Suzhou, Xuzhou, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Songjiang, Yangzhou, and Huai'an, who were standing behind, saw Chen Huizu touch his nose, and there were joys and worries, but more emotions were impatient.

After about a moment, I heard the clanging of bells in the imperial boat, and then I saw three eunuchs serving in a line, one disembarking every fifty meters in order, panting and running, and at the same time shouting an announcement.

"The Holy One has arrived!"

"The Holy One has arrived!"

"The Holy One has arrived!"

And the people knew that the holy car was coming, and they stood in their own directions, ready to meet them.

Suddenly, the drum music started, the Fanghua palace maid carried the gold incense burner, held the pheasant feather palace fan, a pair of orderly walked off the boat, and a crank nine dragon yellow umbrella appeared behind, the deacons and eunuchs held incense towels, embroidered handkerchiefs, gargles, dust and other things, and finally a bright yellow inlaid treasure shoulder.

"Chen Huizu, the governor of Liangjiang, led his troops to greet the holy driver, long live the saint, long live, long live!"

Chen Huizu hit his right arm with his left hand and his left arm with his right hand, and respectfully hit a thousand children.

One person calls, and a hundred people follow.

"Hooray, hooray, hooray!"

"Hooray, hooray, hooray!"

The sound of bowing was interspersed with the sound of neat footsteps. As the chaotic footsteps stopped, everyone held their breath and stared, only to hear a man bow to the ground in response, and asked: "The Minister of the Guard, Fukangan, knocks in front of the Emperor, and invites the Holy Noble to come to the ground!" ”

"Fukangan, you step aside!" Emperor Qianlong's voice was thick and powerful, as if it had been soaked in sourness over the years, "Heshen, you are coming close!" ”

When the chief scholar of the cabinet and the head of the military aircraft minister, Niu Hulu Heshen, heard the summons, his face did not change, and he hurriedly walked to the left side of the dragon chariot, and after bowing as usual, he opened his mouth and asked: "Your Majesty, Chen Huizu, the governor of Liangjiang, has been waiting for a long time with people!" ”

Emperor Qianlong snorted coldly in his shoulder, lifted the silk yarn curtain with anger, and then walked down with his shoulders and back. I saw that he was wearing a crown, a circle full of Zhu Wei, a golden Buddha embedded in front of the crown, and fifteen Dongzhu were saved on the top of the crown. Wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, the front placket and back are embroidered with twelve chapter patterns, and the bottom is embroidered with eight treasures of flat water. The soles of his feet were covered with official yarn mille-feuille boots, and his feet were wrapped in brocade socks, and the snow-white material spread out of the black upper, which was covered by the lower panel.

At that time, Emperor Qianlong was already over the age of old, and his old face and snow-white beard revealed his old age, but his sharp eyes and vigorous steps revealed his vitality.

He snorted and slowly stood on his heels, looking down at the No. 100 minister whose forehead touched the ground, and his heart was suddenly full of thoughts and emotions.

In the end, he was a natural king, and at the moment when anger was about to burst out of the corner of his eye, Emperor Qianlong restrained his expression very well, and said with a smile: "There is heaven above, and there is Suzhou and Hangzhou below." Heshen, I have toured the south five times, do you remember, how many times have I been to the Humble Administrator's Garden? ”

He Shen bowed his head and said with a smile: "Back to the emperor, you have toured the south five times, and every time."

After passing through Suzhou, during this period, I went to the Humble Administrator's Garden three times. For the first time, Empress Hyo-hyun Chun was still there; In the middle, it was Fu Heng, a first-class loyal and brave duke, who went out on patrol with Hu. It's a pity, God is jealous of talent, the following year, he conquered Burma and won, and the class teacher unfortunately died of illness on the way back to the court, so the next two times, they were all accompanied by Weichen! ”

Emperor Qianlong listened silently, thinking of those people and things in the past, and the corners of his eyes moistened somehow.

Staggered his gaze, he looked at the warm spring light in the south of the Yangtze River, and felt the breeze blowing from the lake, as if at such an instant, time went back, and those people and things reappeared in front of him, but a spring breeze blew, and those past events were sealed in the dust.

After a hundred turns and thousands of turns, Emperor Qianlong suddenly said with a sad face: "I'm old, I don't know if I can come again in the future?" ”

He Shen's smile faded, and he suddenly became extremely serious, and said: "Now that Heqing Haiyan is peaceful, the world is peaceful, and the Qing Dynasty has neither border troubles nor corruption and internal worries, why does the emperor bother to say such frustrating words?" Besides, the emperor is now in good health and prosperous in the Spring and Autumn Period, but if he wants to tour the south again in more than ten years, isn't that something you can do with a word? ”

Emperor Qianlong suddenly smiled, smiling amiably, not at all the angry ruler in the court, "I am telling you the truth, you have the ability, and you have bypassed the words!" Heshen, next time I ask you again, you are not allowed to talk to me, let alone welcome me, I especially want to see what it is like for you to talk to people sincerely! ”

He Shen bowed his head slightly and reminded: "Your Majesty, the Governor of Liangjiang is still kneeling, waiting for you to let them get up!" ”

(End of chapter)