Zhu Cihong was already near Qingjiangpu near Huai'an at this time, and he was disguised and sneaked, and he had already touched the situation of Liu Zeqing's garrison.

Qingjiangpu is the key pass of Caoyun here, and there are rivers such as the Barrage River, the Liutang River, and the Yi River to the north, and it is an important ferry port connecting the canal to the north. In the Qing Dynasty, this is the residence of the governor of Caoyun, in the Ming Dynasty, there are also royal warehouses and thousands of guards here to protect the security, because the canal water is insufficient, the travelers and merchants in the north are not allowed to take boats, they can only continue to go north by the boats, and ordinary people can only change to take a car or ride a mule and horse to the north in Qingjiangpu, so this is a very important transshipment ferry, the market alone is more than 20 miles long, at that time, the whole China is afraid that there are few places more prosperous than here.

When Zhu Cihong arrived, it was evening, the twilight was low, and the slowly sinking sun was like a huge red ball, reflecting the remnant clouds around him very beautifully, he was wearing a robe made of Songjiang cloth, a scarf folded on the top of his head, a folding fan with an ivory handle in his hand, and several guards such as Wang Yuan were beside him, walking on the long bustling street of twenty miles, like a rich boy who was busy and idle.

"Master, look here?" Wang Yuan shook his huge head and said with bared teeth: "Let's get off the boat in Shandong, sneak all the way, there are hungry people everywhere, thieves and officers and soldiers are taking turns to scourge everywhere, and it is not surprising that the whole village was slaughtered...... Look here, where does it look like a troubled world, a time of complete peace and prosperity? ”

This time, Ren Shang, who has always been taciturn, also nodded, and answered: "It's not!" Jin, Shaanxi, Henan, Lu, and other related countries, what has become of the fight, I really don't know how many people are killed and starved to death, why is this south so peaceful? I heard that there are also bandits and outcasts in Xuzhou, who are so rich every three or four hundred miles! ”

It is no wonder that they were surprised, Qingjiangpu is not only the north-south transportation center, but also the distribution center of north-south goods and the supermarket of wholesale transshipment, many northern goods are on the ship here, straight down to Nanjing, or by the waterway all the way to the south, until Quanzhou. For military attachés and politicians who were born in the north, or raised in Yanjing, if they did not go out of the capital, or had never set foot in the south, it is difficult to make them believe how developed China's trade is now, and how prosperous and rich the people's income is!

During the Chongzhen period, the price of silver rose and the price of copper fell, the people said that the son was not too good, when the Longwan Kaihai just rose, a large number of Chinese goods went out, and then exchanged for a large amount of silver, the price of the whole folk is very low, a few cents of silver can buy a chicken to beat the tooth sacrifice, until a hundred years later, the people of the people are still nostalgic for the Wanli years of the son and prices...... It's funny to say, in the serious history books, the Wanli period was a harsh government that couldn't be blacker, and it was the beginning of the troubled times at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

"You don't understand that." Zhu Cihong shook the folding fan and said with a smile: "Qingjiang is a transfer point for inland goods, and when it comes to Nanjing, Suzhou, and Changzhou, that is the rich territory, the little people don't farm, spin half a day's cloth every day, or plant a dozen mulberry trees, raise some silkworms, and earn enough silver." ”

Wang Yuan was speechless: "Why are they so rich? ”

"There is not only one country in the world, they have no silk, no tea, and no porcelain," Zhu Cihong smiled and groaned, and his eyes also looked south, "Just these three things, our Ming Dynasty will make enough money." During the time of Emperor Shenzong, a governor of a country called Spain sent in Nanyang said this: If the emperor is willing, he can line up the Ming sea ships all the way to Manila! ”

Wang Yuan asked, "Where is Manila?" ”

Someone interjected: "You don't even understand this? It's on the Luzon side, I heard that there was a silver mountain there during the Wanli period, and Emperor Shenzong still made up his mind. Later, I learned that it was the Taixi people who saved the silver in the world there first, and then used the silver to buy our Ming goods. ”

"No wonder! People in the south sell raw silk tea and have such a big hair growth! ”

"Their land is also fertile, and one acre of land can produce up to six or seven stone of grain, while in northern Shaanxi, sometimes half a stone of land cannot be harvested. Alas, the life of the northerners is miserable. ”

"It's cold and evil, and it doesn't rain, and there are nine droughts in ten years, this is really fucking evil!"

A group of guards are all northerners, although this son has just escaped from a great disaster, and when he comes to this rich territory in the south, although he opens his eyes, his heart is full of bad taste.

Zhu Cihong also smiled, this north is a problem of the general climate, of course, the factor that people can't govern is also very strong, and now the northern territory is also lost, and it is useless to say anything, it is better not to talk about it for the time being, and when I return to the north in the future, I will slowly solve this big problem.

Now, he smiled secretly, this big burden will be carried by Li Zicheng first, and the next is Daqing, this pair of brothers and sons can also taste Chongzhen's headache!

Speaking of business, everyone also looked solemn, Zhu Cihong insisted on getting off the boat first in Shandong, all the way to inspect the people's livelihood and the situation of bandits, of course, there are mountains and rivers and geographical advantages, all the way is on horseback, ten days of hard work, together with Zhu Cihong, are all undressed, horses do not unsaddle, of course there are a lot of virtual and real things in various places, but every day is so full of wind and frost, of course people have suffered a lot.

According to Chongzhen's meaning, after the crown prince went to Nanjing with him, he sued the temple to worship filial piety, and then preached the prince's military talent, obtained the recognition and understanding of the southern courtiers, and then chose the place to establish a pro-army six rates by the prince.

This way, of course, is very stable, but Zhu Cihong insisted that it could not be, the father and son talked for several nights on the boat, and then Zhu Cihong hurriedly disembarked and landed in Shandong, in addition to himself, the prince's Donggong cavalry also all disembarked, divided into more than ten people, disguised as a fleeing caravan from the north to the south, so along the canal road from Shandong, all the way south, to the beginning of April has arrived in Huai'an.

At this moment, Zhu Cihong put away the folding fan in his hand and said coldly: "Don't say it again, look at the time, it's important to get down to business!" ”

"Yes, we can save it."

Everyone was silent for a while, and they didn't look for a place to eat, but when they arrived at a secluded place, everyone brought dry food, ate some cakes, and water in the water bladder, and drank a few bites of dry cakes, even if it was a dinner.

Zhu Cihong was naturally the same, just leaning on the horse and eating, and after a while, in the twilight, Ren Shang, who had been standing guard, suddenly shouted: "It seems that Wei Da is here." ”

"It's me." It was indeed Wei Yue, his voice was still as calm and powerful as ever, and from afar, Wei Yue said, "Master, the person has already brought it over." ”

"Okay, call him over!"

Zhu Cihong's expression perked up, although he was stuffed with dry food in his mouth, he was already standing straight, and his eyes were also clear, and he only looked at the path outside the woods.

Sure enough, it was two people, one in front of the other, Wei Yue strode forward, and another medium-sized man followed sideways, and when he arrived at the place where Zhu Cihong was standing, Wei Yue said first: "Liu Konghe, the crown prince is in front of him, don't hurry up and kneel down and salute." ”

"Yes, yes!" The man's voice was very frightened, but he still raised his eyes to look at it first, and it happened to collide with Zhu Cihong's eyes, Zhu Cihong smiled slightly, the man only felt that this crown prince was a little different from the memory, but Yuan Yu Yuezhi, the style was very extraordinary, so he subconsciously knelt on the ground, kowtowed and said: "Minister Liu Konghe, knock to see His Royal Highness the crown prince Chitose!" ”

"Excuse me, get up!"

"Yes, thank Your Highness for your grace."

Liu Konghe is not very old, with thick eyebrows and small eyes, the beard on his chin is very thick, and his appearance is very rough, but his face has an obvious bookish atmosphere, and he also shows a very generous attitude.

His father is the late scholar of the university, the Ministry of Rites Shangshu Liu Hongxun, the north was shocked, Liu Zeqing fled south, Liu Konghe scattered all his family wealth in Zibo to raise troops, Li Zicheng sent the county orders in various places have been beheaded, and later the towns retreated south, Liu Konghe also led the headquarters more than 3,000 steps to ride south, to Huai'an was left by his nephew Liu Zeqing to be restrained, as a result of the discord between his uncle and nephew, he was ordered to take the headquarters of the troops and horses to guard the canal, in fact, it was scattered and idle, not to let him participate in the maintenance.

At this time, after seeing the prince get up, the breath on Liu Konghe's face was pale and uncertain, and there was a lot of panic in his eyes.

"Liu Konghe, I heard that you are bold and upright, why are you so scared when you see me?" Zhu Cihong looked very frightened when he saw him, and smiled unconsciously: "Could it be that I am three heads and six arms?" ”

Saying this, it diluted the fear in Liu Konghe's heart, and he smiled immediately and said, "Tianwei is in front, and the minister has to be afraid." ”

"When you were in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, you once went to the pilgrimage with your father, and your father rewarded your father and son for fishing in Xiyuan, and gave a banquet, I was in Ziguang Pavilion at that time, and you had seen me with your father, do you remember? Take a closer look at me, is it the same as it was at the beginning? ”

"Remember, remember!"

Liu Konghe's most apprehensive thing is that the prince in front of him is not a real prince, now Liu Zeqing has a big plan, of course he has heard some news, at this time, if there is a pseudo-prince here, then the sin will be great. He recently offended Liu Zeqing because of an incident, and he is afraid that his surname will not be able to protect his life, and if there is another big leak, he will have to die.

Because it is really difficult to recognize, and although Wei Yue and the others are indeed military attaches in Beijing, they have the survey and official seal of the military department, but based on these alone, he cannot be sure.

At this time, Zhu Cihong said a word, and the doubts in his heart disappeared, since Zhu Cihong had an order, then the surname Suo really had the courage to take a closer look.

Looking at it this way, although I feel that the prince's temperament has changed a lot, and of course his skeleton has grown a lot taller, but there is nothing wrong with his appearance.

At the moment, he kowtowed again, his tone was already very excited, and there was a choked voice: "The minister didn't expect to be able to see the face of heaven again, the northern capital was shocked, and the minister thought that there would be no day when he saw the emperor and the prince, and the guilty minister thought about it, he really deserved to die, no, it was a crime that deserved to die!" ”

When he was excited, Liu Konghe told all the hard thoughts in his heart, and in the end, he not only met on the ground again and again, but also cried loudly.

"Well, you don't have to!" Zhu Cihong was also very moved in his heart, and personally helped Liu Konghe up, and said warmly: "There is still something to be done in state affairs, you are a loyal minister, and you are also your father's filial son, you must serve the country well, understand?" ”

"Yes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is driven, and the minister is the liver and brain, and he will not give up!"

When he answered, Liu Konghe was sincerely afraid, he knew in his heart that the prince had sneaked here, and he was afraid that Qingjiang, and even the entire southern capital and Nanzhili, would be in a big storm!

(To be continued)