"Those guys are going to break the bank." It's humane.

Chao Gai and the other five people were not familiar with the Daimyo's Mansion, Chao Gai said: "We are not familiar with this Daimyo's Mansion, and this brother Lao will help choose a restaurant." ”

This man said: "Well, I think a few of them are also tight, like officers from other places. ”

This is also humane, and he did not take Chao Gai and others to the high-end restaurant on the street, but found a mid-range restaurant, but it was clean and crisp, and the price of the food was cheap.

Chao Gai asked for a private room upstairs and ordered food.

Chao Gai hugged his fists and said: "In Chao Gai in Xia Yuncheng, these are all my brothers, Wu Yong, Li Kui, Jiao Ting, and Pang Wanchun. ”

This man said: "In Xia Xu Guanzhong, he is in the business of caravan guides. ”

Chao Gai was secretly surprised, this person turned out to be the famous Xu Guanzhong, this Xu Guanzhong is quite remarkable, he is skilled in martial arts, and he is proficient in the art of war, and he knows many foreign languages and dialects of Khitan, Mongolia, Jurchen, Tibet, and Persia, and is a very rare talent.

"Brother Xu's name is often heard in Xiayun City, Brother Xu is proficient in various Chinese and dialects, and has traveled to famous mountains and rivers, but I didn't expect to see it here, it's really a blessing for three lives." Chao Gai said.

Xu Guanzhong was not yet famous at this time, and Chao Gai's words surprised him, and said with a smile: "Where did Brother Chao come from, what reputation can I have as a translator and a guide." ”

Wu Yong waved his hand and said, "Haven't you heard of Brother Xu walking thousands of miles and reading thousands of books?" You have read thousands of books, and you have traveled thousands of miles, and there are a few people who are proficient in several national languages throughout the Great Song Dynasty. If this is not a talent, what can be considered a talent, is it only those rotten Confucians who only know how to read dead books are talents? ”

Wu's words made Xu Guanzhong think that he had not been taken seriously for so many years, and he was also a little aggrieved when he was in the market.

Chao Gai said: "Brother Xu is very talented, and his language talent alone is beyond the reach of ordinary people. ”

Xu Guanzhong said: "Could it be that Chao Tuanlian is also doing the business of sea trade and has contact with the people of Fanbang?" ”

"To tell you the truth, I held a position in Yuncheng as a regimental training, and I also had a thousand people under my command, and I just formed a fleet some time ago to trade with Liao across the sea, mainly selling tea, silk, porcelain and spices, and trafficking back horses, cowhides and sheepskins, etc." Chao Gai said.

Xu Guanzhong said: "The sea surface from Shandong to Liao is at most an inland sea, and the water is generally very shallow, because it is surrounded by the mainland, the wind and waves are small, and the climate is stable, so it is relatively easy to go to sea, and the requirements for ships are not strict." However, the profits of going to the South and Western Seas will be higher, but the risks are higher, the wind and waves are large, and the climate is fickle, and it is impossible to do it without a large fleet. ”

"Brother Xu has seen a lot, have you ever seen a snow-white bear? A big bird that stands up to two meters tall and weighs more than a hundred pounds? And the horses covered in markings? Chao Gai said.

Xu Guanzhong was very interested in hearing Chao Gai say this, and said: "There is a white bear in the far north, without miscellaneous hair, and the books handed down in the Han Dynasty have introduced it, but I have not seen the real one. As for the big bird and the spotted horse, I really haven't seen it. ”

"This big bird is called an ostrich, and it goes south from Ryukyu Island, and there is a continent that has this kind of bird on the land of about a thousand miles, and there is not only this kind of bird, but also a big mouse that loves to jump, called a kangaroo, and there is a pocket on its chest, which can carry a wallaby, and it is very interesting."

"There is such a place, I have never heard of it in my life, how did Chao Tuanlian know." Xu Guanzhong asked.

Chao Gai took out a hand-drawn map of the world and said: "This is our Great Song Dynasty, all the way south, through a large island, to this big road, I call him Australia." From the Ryukyus along the coast to the west, through Temasek to Tianzhu, then to Persia, and then to the south, there is a huge and vast continent, which I call Africa, where the people are swarthy, and the grasslands are rich in lions, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, and other strange animals. Chao Gai introduced the affairs of Australia and Africa to Xu Guanzhong in detail, and Xu Guanzhong forgot to drink.

Li Kui ate Zhengxiang and said, "There are still people who are dark, blacker than me?" You're not afraid that my brother will lie to you. ”

Xu Guanzhong said with a smile: "Merchants from Persia once brought swarthy slaves to Tokyo, and blacks can occasionally be seen in Quanzhou Port in Fujian. ”

"Yes, only in Africa the sun is too strong, so their skin is darkened." Chao Gai said.

Xu Guanzhong looked at the map, was in a daze for a long time, got up and said to Chao Gai: "Guan Zhong used to think he was erudite, and he thought he had been to many places, but now it seems that he is all wrong, Chao Tuanlian's knowledge is much higher than that of Guan Zhong, Guan Zhong doesn't ask for anything else, he just wants Chao Tuanlian's fleet to take me to the two continents that my brother said." ”

"Chao Gaidao, the Yuncheng regiment has a naval army, it is in order to explore and discover unknown places, the shipyard has been established, and it only takes March next year to build a large sea ship to go to sea, and Brother Xu will definitely be allowed to go to sea at that time. You have high skills, why don't you arrange a military position? ”

Xu Guanzhong said: "What position can you arrange for me?" ”

"How about the head of the ship, or the captain, in charge of a sailing ship and about fifty sailors?" Chao Gai asked.

Next to Wu Yong secretly rejoiced, Xu Guanzhong was a character he thought of before entering the Daimyo's Mansion, if he could recruit it, it would naturally be the best, and he originally planned to visit the thatched house three times, but he didn't expect it to be done like this.

"None of this is important, the important thing is to let me go to sea, but I heard that the Fanbang sailors from the sea said that there are devils on the sea and can make people bleed, how can this be good." Xu Guanzhong asked.

Chao Gai said: "My fleet has solved this problem, and there is an exclusive dispensing of medicine from the medical center, and this disease will definitely not occur." ”

Xu Guanzhong was very happy to eat this meal, and he kept asking Chao Gai this and that like a student with a strong desire for knowledge, Chao Gai said a lot of things on the sea to Xu Guanzhong, and he was fascinated by it.

Xu Guanzhong quickly put forward his opinion, believing that if he went to sea to Persia, in order to ensure profits and safety along the way, at least 20 sea vessels were needed, each carrying no less than 300,000 catties of cargo. Ten ships were escorted, and a naval army of no less than 500 men was equipped with strong bows and crossbows.

Chao Gai agreed, after all, the risk on the ocean is indeed very large, some pirates are still very powerful, and there is even more risk of natural conditions such as typhoons.

After the meal, Jiao Ting took out fifty taels of silver and handed it to Xu Guanzhong, saying, "This is the settling-in allowance given by our group training recruiters, and yours is just fifty taels." The monthly salary is five yuan, and the military salary is double when going to sea or fighting, and the bonus is calculated separately. ”

Xu Guanzhong was a little hesitant, he didn't know whether to take it, you must know that fifty taels is not a small amount.

Pang Wanchun said: "You just take it, the army is so stipulated, not for you alone, we will accept it." ”

"Then I'll take it." Xu Guanzhong accepted the money.

Xu Guanzhong asked, "Brother Chao Gai, I don't know what you are doing in this trip to the Daimyo's Mansion?" ”

Chao Gai said: "It's not a secret, we wanted to come to the Daimyo Mansion to find the Jade Qilin Lu Junyi to ask about martial arts, and by the way, I would like to visit you, Brother Xu, but I didn't expect to meet it on the street, but I didn't expect the capture of this Daimyo's Mansion to be so unbearable." ”

Xu Guanzhong shook his head and sighed: "They just don't dare to offend foreigners, and they only concentrate on bullying local businessmen." The businessmen all said that they still knew how to shake their heads and tails when they had a dog, but who knew that these people who took the people's taxes did not do anything for the people at all. A few days ago, the daughter of a large family was kidnapped by bandits, and reported the case to the Yamen, guess what? ”

Li Kui said: "Do you still need to ask, naturally you sent troops to save people." ”

"The yamen said, you go back and prepare the money, we can only teach you to give money." Xu Guanzhong said, "Don't mention these unhappy things." I am very familiar with Yan Qingyan in the Lu Mansion, and I know that they have indeed been out for more than a month. It would be nice to be able to come back when it's cold. Xu Guanzhong said.

Chao Gai and the others had Xu Guanzhong's living map to play in the Daimyo's Mansion very handy, and it was not until the evening that Xu Guanzhong went away in a huff, and agreed to go to the inn to find Chao Gai on the second day.

On the second day, Xu Guanzhong came, carrying a small burden and a short sword hidden in his waist, which was very much like Xu Xiake who went out to explore.

Chao Gai said: "Are you going to go with us?" ”

Xu Guanzhong said: "Yu Lu has taken my brother's, so I naturally have to do things for my brother, and I can just give full play to my expertise when my brother goes far away, at least I won't take the wrong road on the path." ”

"Have you arranged things at home?" Chao Gai asked.

Xu Guanzhong: "It doesn't matter if you have a wife at home to take care of your mother. Besides, I've always been a guide for caravans, and I often go out for half a year. ”

Chao Gai sighed: "It's not easy, the traffic speed is too slow, if only I built a car that could travel thousands of miles a day." ”

No one took it seriously, they just thought that Chao Gai was emotional.

Chao Gai asked: "We plan to go to Yan'an Mansion and meet Lu Dalu Tishi, but we are not in a hurry, where are there strong men along the way?" ”

Xu Guanzhong thought for a moment and said: "There is a calf village in Zhending Mansion, there is a Luquan Village at the foot of the mountain, and there are a pair of good brothers in the village who burn charcoal, one is called Cui Ye and the other is Wen Zhongrong. ”

Pang Wanchun said: "I also heard about these two brothers, anyway, the road is not far, just go over and visit it." ”

Chao Gai nodded yes, and the group of six people said goodbye to the Daimyo Mansion and went straight to the truth. This is really the hometown of Zhao Yun, a famous general of the Three Kingdoms, originally the southern part of Hebei, but I didn't expect that by the Great Song Dynasty, the entire Hebei lost more than half, and Zhending Mansion has also become a border pass.