"Shangshu Yugong" said: Minshan guides the river.

The Min River, one of the eight major tributaries of the Yangtze River, is the largest tributary in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In the long river of Chinese history, she has always been regarded as the source of the Yangtze River. It wasn't until a few years ago that a little-known crazy traveler named Xu Xiake in Jiangsu and Zhejiang made an on-the-spot investigation and put forward a hypothesis, saying that the Jinsha River is the source of the Yangtze River.

However, this hypothesis is neither provable nor necessary. Because who is the of the Yangtze River, it's about those ordinary people who can't eat enough. So the matter dragged on and no one paid attention to it. It wasn't until Zhu Pingjin's previous life that Jinshajiang, a low-born palace maid, relied on hydrologists to cheat and count the length of the underground current of Jinshajiang's mother's Tuotuo River, so she took away the child of Yangtze River from Minjiang's arms.

Of course, what Jinshajiang did also cast a shadow on her own life experience. Soon, other experts with various ulterior motives made high-profile claims that Tuotuohe is not Jinshajiang's mother. Her real mother is a Tibetan girl named Dangqu. Therefore, the story about Changjiang's mother and his grandmother is a standard palace fighting drama.

In the first month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, Minjiang had not yet felt the threat from the Jinsha River. She still has the demeanor of a king, with a luxurious and graceful attitude, and takes the thousands of hectares of fertile land on the Chengdu Plain into her arms.

After the Minjiang River came out of Minshan, it was divided into two by the famous Dujiangyan in Guan County (now Dujiangyan City): the outer river in the west and the inner river in the east. The Waijiang River flows to Jiading Prefecture through Xinjin County, Pengshan County, Meizhou and other places, and merges with the Tsing Yi River and the Dadu River in Jiading Prefecture to form the Min River. After the Neijiang River was poured into the mouth of the treasure bottle, it was diverted by several stone weirs not far away, so that it was divided into four:

Jiang'an River, Zouma River, Baitiao River, Puyang River.

These four inland rivers fanned out like four fingers, and branched out into more and thinner rivers like branches.

The main stream of Jiang'an River and Zouma River flows through the north and south of Chengdu Mansion respectively, and converges at the famous Hejiang Pavilion in the southeast of Chengdu Prefecture, forming a moat on the north, south and east sides of Chengdu Prefecture. After the confluence, the Neijiang River of the Minjiang River goes all the way to the south, passes through Shuangliu and Xinjin counties, and finally rejoins the main stream of the Minjiang River in Jiangkou Town in Xinjin County.

However, the Baitiao River and the Puyang River eventually broke away from the Min River basin and joined the Tuojiang River, another tributary of the Yangtze River, and finally joined the main stream of the Yangtze River in Luzhou (Note 1).

Chengdu was born because of the Minjiang River, but it was prosperous because of Dujiangyan. A dense irrigation network covered the fertile Chengdu Plain, turning it into a land of abundance where water and drought did not invade hunger.

There are eleven counties in Dujiangyan Irrigation District, which are: Chengdu County, Huayang County, Shuangliu County, Guan County (now Dujiangyan City), Pi County, Wenjiang County, Xinfan County (merged with Xindu County in 65 years, and the county governs Xinfan Town, Xindu District), Xindu County, Peng County, Chongning County (abolished in 58 years, and the county governs Tangchang Town, Pi County) and Jintang County.

These areas have a history of more than 2,000 years of irrigation, depositing fertile purple soil that is unique in the world. Mineral-rich mountain sediment is washed down by torrents and deposited on the plains as fertile soil. When they are turned over by a sharp coulter, the smooth cross-section is illuminated by the sun, reflecting the slightest bit of metallic light. There is no doubt that these areas are the essence of Sichuan's agriculture, and the Shu clan occupies seventy or eighty percent of the land. The 11 counties in the Dujiangyan Irrigation District are distributed with more than 300 Wangzhuang. Each village takes turns to pay tribute once, and it can be arranged from the beginning of the year to the end of the year!

The Minjiang River is not only an important irrigation water source in the Chengdu Plain, but also the main waterway transportation artery of Chengdu Prefecture. When the water is abundant, large river boats can not only reach the south, north and east three gates of Chengdu Province directly from the Yangtze River into the Min River in Xuzhou Prefecture, but also reach dozens of prefectures and counties in the southwest of Chengdu such as Ya, Mei and Jiading through various tributaries of the Min River.

The great poet Du Fu wrote the eternal quatrain in Chengdu Mansion: "The window contains a thousand autumn snow in Xiling, and the door is berthed in the ship of Dongwu Wanli", which is a true portrayal of this victory. It's just that due to the corruption of officials in recent years, Dujiangyan can't be repaired. The Neijiang River is seriously silted up, so that the original water distribution ratio of "four outer and six inside" has been reversed into "six outer and four inside", and in the dry season, there has been a situation where the Neijiang River has bottomed out, which has brought serious damage to agriculture and water transportation in the irrigation area.

Fortunately, this spring did not continue last year's drought.

The first month of the year is the dry season of the year, and the Neijiang River can still maintain a water surface more than ten zhang wide, which means that the small boat carrying 100 stones can easily sail. The draft of the flat-bottomed wooden boats carrying 100 stones is less than three feet, and most of the rivers come and go freely as long as they are not dangerous shoals and rapids.

This time, the Shu Wangfu sent grain to Renshou County, which was personally organized and arranged by Cao Yicheng, the great eunuch beside the princess, and the main ship type was the Baishi grain ship.

Most of the grain is stored in various wangzhuang, but the vast majority of these wangzhuang are distributed in 11 counties in the irrigation area. In order to transport the grain from Wangzhuang, which was scattered all over the country, to Renshou County, where there was no grain, Cao Yicheng chose to transport the grain by water.

The specific plan is roughly as follows: first, use the river irrigation canals crisscrossing Wangzhuang, transport the grain stored in the warehouses of each Wangzhuang to the wharves of the inner and outer rivers by ships of different sizes, and then transfer the small boats of grain to the grain ships of Baishi or even larger as needed.

Large grain ships go down the inner and outer rivers of the Min River, which is fast and stable. After docking at Meizhou Wharf, it will be transshipped by land. By shortening the distance of land transportation at both ends of the transportation line, the total transportation cost and time can be greatly saved.

Due to the lack of peace in various places this year, Cao Yicheng also stipulated that at least 100 boats must be gathered before they can set off together. Every time grain is transported, it must be escorted by officers and soldiers. For this reason, the princess even specially informed the prince that a team of more than 200 people was transferred from the left guard of the king of Shu, led by a hundred households surnamed Liu, to escort the fleet along the way.

The fleet was the first to transport grain by water, so it was on a large scale. In addition to ships carrying grain, there are also ships carrying people. The fleet set off early in the morning and went down the river, the water was wide and the tide was flat. The two sides of the strait are thousands of acres, and the trees are full of forests. A big ship leading the way is holding down the waves and moving forward steadily.

An elderly man wrapped in a thick cotton robe and wearing a cotton hat lifted the cotton curtain of the hatch, and shouted to the little eunuch standing at the bow of the boat: "Little father-in-law Ding, don't stand on the bow of the boat to blow the wind. This winter wind carries a knife, and it is the best at scraping bones and cutting meat! You are young now, you can't feel it, and when you come to the age of Xiaguan, you will suffer from rheumatism, and the pain will be unbearable every day, so life is better than death! ”

This elderly man is the commander-in-chief of the escort officers and soldiers, Liu Lianzheng, the left guard of 100 households in Chengdu. The little father-in-law in Liu Lian's mouth is Ding Yuan, a small eunuch of the Shizi Mansion, who was sent to Renshou County to manage Wangzhuang this time.

"Okay, Lord Liu." Ding Yuan ran back obediently and bent down into the cabin.

"No fire is allowed in this boat, only quilts." Liu Lianzheng was poured by the cold wind, and his whole body shivered. He limped to the edge of the bed and sat down slowly. The little eunuch was quick, and he had already put the quilt on his lap and helped him tidy it up.

The quilt was placed on his lap, and the warm feeling made Liu Lianzheng obviously feel much more comfortable.

"Thank you, Father-in-law Ding."

"Lord Liu, when did you say this ship arrived in Meizhou?"

"It's the first time I've gone out, can't I sit still, right? Look at the little father-in-law Luo in the back cabin, he slept when he drove the boat, and he never woke up! ”

"Luo Yin, that's seasickness!" The little eunuch was not convinced, and corrected it.

"Good, good! Seasickness, seasickness! Liu Lian smiled and fooled Ding Yuan, "Little father-in-law Ding, this boat ride looks slow, but it is actually fast." As long as the water is flowing, it will keep going. It's not like walking in a car, walking for a moment and stopping for a moment. Now it is going down the river, very fast, and it will be in Meizhou in two hours at most. ”

"Lord Liu, do you say that Mr. Li is easy to get along with?" The little eunuch Ding Yuan asked with some concern.

After all, he is a young man, and he can't hold back his thoughts!

Liu Lianzheng laughed in his heart, but said with relief in his mouth: "I heard that Mr. Li is very easy to get along with." I have a distant nephew who is a classmate of Mr. Li, surnamed Guo, and both of them used to be under Master Shu. I heard him say that Mr. Li's family was so poor that he couldn't open the pot, so he voted for the son. This person doesn't have much to say in the academy on weekdays, and he doesn't have any passing scenes...... Anyway, my uncle advises you, as long as you are willing to work and always have the master in your heart, then you can't be wrong! You are a person from the prince's mansion, and the top is Gonggong Cao. If Mr. Li really deliberately embarrassed you, you can shout injustice to Gonggong Cao! ”

"Thank you, Lord Liu!" The little eunuch happily thumped Liu Lian's legs, "When Gonggong Cao gave us a lecture, he said that the prince wanted us to remember the word 'loyalty'. The little one thought about it, loyalty is loyalty to the master! Well, it means talking less and doing more! You're right? ”

"Yes!" Liu Lianzheng affirmed: "Don't learn from your uncle, you will be bad for the rest of your life because you can't control your mouth, and you will talk nonsense when you drink!" If no one in the clan is the head of this royal army, your uncle may still guard the imperial city dam with a bad gun! ”

"I heard that the princess Niangniang takes our grain transport very seriously, and it is rumored that people have starved to death in Renshou County! If you deliver the grain safely this time, won't the princess reward you heavily? ”

Liu Lian smiled: "If the journey is really safe, the princess can reward a few taels of silver, but she can't reward this guard officer." Don't look at the prince and ignore everything, but he never let go of this royal soldier. Without the nod of the prince, the officials at all levels in the left guard don't even want to move their positions! ”

"Oh, I see." The little eunuch nodded thoughtfully.

"However, it's better for you to follow the prince! Sooner or later, this palace belongs to the prince, you are young, it is better to follow early, and there will be more opportunities to get ahead in the future. Look at that Wang Sizhong, it turns out that he is as cold as a little flower. Later, he recognized Gonggong Cao as his father-in-law, and waited for his son for a year or two, but he ignored everyone outside. ”

"Well, Lord Liu, the little one understands! I don't do that kind of thing that dogs look down on! ”

"That's right! Children from poor families have no other skills, but they are sensible early and can endure hardships. We don't forget our roots at any time, we can't be dizzy when we take care of something, like an uncle who drinks and is numb. Don't look down on the head of the village in Wangzhuang, it's very fat! The fat man Tang in Shuangliu County, he used to be thin, nicknamed a green onion, and he was a splash in the countryside! He blackmailed other people's things, and his uncle even kicked him in the ass! Later, Tang Fatzi surrendered to the palace, climbed to Gonggong Chen, and became a villager. Look at how fat he is now! ”

"His money is not greedy from the palace, we minions know it!" The little eunuch was indignant, "One day he will be unlucky!" ”

"That's right! As the old saying goes, it's not that you don't report it, but the time has not come; When the time comes, all will be reported ......"

Time passed quickly in the small talk of the old and the young, and the grain ship was slowly approaching Meizhou in the flowing water. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the fleet finally arrived at the Meizhou wharf.

Meizhou Wharf is divided into east and west shores. The wharf on the west bank is much more prosperous than the wharf on the east bank because it connects to the east gate of Meizhou City. The palace had already rented a warehouse at the east coast wharf in advance, and when the grain ship docked, the shopkeepers of the warehouse immediately shouted to the coolies to get on the gangplank and unload the goods. For a while, the head of the people was sensational, and the river was endless.

Liu Lian lifted Ding Yuan's shoulders and got off the boat. Everything was in order, which made him very satisfied.

A man in a long shirt and a melon skin hat saw Liu Lian get off the boat, and hurriedly stepped forward to report: "My lord, the owner knows that your old legs and feet are inconvenient, so he has specially prepared a sliding rod for you." Tonight, the owner first picked up the wind for the adults and expressed a little affection. Tomorrow morning, we will load the grain into the truck and ship, okay? ”

This person's surname is Tu, and he is a shopkeeper in this store.

"Shopkeeper Tu has a heart!" Liu Lian smiled politely.

Just as he was about to nod, a man came from behind him: "No! The grain had to be transported overnight! ”

The man stepped forward, hugged his fist at Liu Lian and said, "My lord, this place is located outside Meizhou City, separated from the state city by a big river, and the warehouse has no high walls. If a robber comes tonight and makes a mistake, we will die without redemption! ”

Liu Lianzheng saw the face of the person who came, and hurriedly said politely: "Oops! Brother He, didn't I say it, don't call me my lord! Speaking of which, we all eat the food of the army, my brother has been in the battle formation, and he has killed thieves, but it is much stronger than my Lao Liu's fake style of taking care of the home and nursing home! If my brother hadn't thought of his old master and abandoned his military position, maybe I would have called you an adult! Brother He said to go now, then we will go now. I'm all up to you! Anyway, you have to go early and late! ”

When the man saw that Liu Lian was full of promises, and did not care about the ugly face of the shopkeeper of the warehouse, he immediately turned around and left, and loudly ordered the coolies, boatmen, and soldiers to work together, pack the grain onto the cart, and set off immediately. The orderliness of the dock warehouse was instantly disrupted and became full of people.

This person's name is He Zengshan, and he was originally the head of He Youyi's father's family. This time, he went to Renshou County to assist Li Chongwen at the order of the young master, and walked for a few days, just in time for the grain convoy last night.

There were five of them on this trip, three old brothers, two sons and nephews, and one old brother took Hejia Zhuang Ding to take care of the family in Baoning Mansion. These four old brothers are all members of He Youyi's father's family, sworn brothers with the main surname, and escaped from Baiqingba together.

The eldest He Zengshan, the second He Qiu Kou, the third He Tingda, and the fourth He Yongnian. The two sons and nephews are He Gui, the son of He Zengshan, and He Huan, the son of He Qiukou. He Yongnian, known as the fourth master, stayed in Baoning Mansion this time.

"Second brother, you and your nephew go first, find Mr. Li, and ask him to send more people out to answer! There are more than 6,000 stone of grain here, hundreds of carts, and something is wrong! He Zengshan shouted to a middle-aged man: "Look at the wind direction on the way!" ”

Look at the direction of the wind is a black word, which means to probe the safety along the road. He Qiu Kou gave the order, grabbed the guide and asked for the road, then got on the horse with his son He Huan, and then headed west.

Liu Lianzhuo, the little eunuch Ding Yuan, and all the people involved in transporting grain did not know at this time that it was precisely because of He Zengshan's persistence at the East Gate Wharf in Meizhou that they avoided an unwarranted disaster.

Note 1: Whether the Baitiao River and Puyang River flowed into the Tuojiang River in the Ming Dynasty, Xiangmu was too lazy to verify. Interested book lovers can do it themselves.