Before Zhong Likuang agreed, the emperor's eldest son, Zheng Xin, also stepped forward quickly and said, "Brother Xian is right, hurry up and get ready." The foolish brother first discussed with the gentleman and the third brother about the attendants, and then they came and did not miss the hour. ”

Qiu Yizhi saw that Zhong Likuang nodded and agreed, so he walked out of the account quickly, chased after Emperor Zheng Rong and said a few words, then picked up the two hundred and eighteen elite soldiers around him, including Zhao Chengxiao, and invited Wei Chi's father and daughter, escorted the emperor and walked outside the gate of the Xingyuan camp.

Zhong Likuang, Zheng Xin and others also acted very quickly, and before the emperor had taken a few steps to the palace, they led a dozen or so people to follow. Zheng Rong was on the imperial chariot, and when he saw that there were not many people who came, and they were all trusted close ministers, he stopped talking.

Zhang Long was the military commander here, and the camp sentries were all deployed by him, so he was ordered by Zhong Likuang to deliberately take the lead and lead the way.

After walking south for quite a while, everyone finally came to the edge of the Yangtze River.

Qiu Yizhi looked up and saw that more than a dozen large and small ships were still moored by the river, and on one of the largest ships, several beluga flags were waving in the wind, and he knew that it was the flagship of Li Shengjie's fleet. So he turned over and dismounted, ran quickly to the side of the emperor's palace, and said, "Your Majesty, the one with the white whale flag in front of you is Li Shengjie's ship." He doesn't seem to have gotten the news yet, it's too disrespectful to hang the flag high, so how about the minister go first and inform him to take over? ”

Zheng Rong thought that Qiu Yizhi's words made some sense, so he agreed.

Seeing this, Qiu Yi made another gesture, specially called the loud "black-necked toad" again, and quickly went to the river.

When he arrived at Li Shengjie's ship, Qiu Yizhi called the "black-necked toad" and shouted: "Young ship owner, come out quickly, my Qiu Yizhi is here!" ”

shouted three times in a row, and sure enough, Li Shengjie poked his head out of the side of the ship, and said with a smile: "It turns out that my brother is here!" You have been hanging me on the edge of the Yangtze River for more than ten days, and I don't know how to send a message to tell my little brother to wait! ”

Now is not the time to make pleasantries, Qiu Yizhi hurriedly said: "Another day, the foolish brother should make amends." But now that the emperor is rushing here, the virtuous brother hurriedly lowered the flag, disembarked and lined up, ready to meet him! ”

Li Shengjie was stunned for a moment, and asked in a loud voice, "What did my brother say?" ”

Qiu Yizhi repeated the original words again, and added: "The Holy Lord is coming, without further ado, the virtuous brother hurry up and get off the boat to take over!" ”

Li Shengjie finally reacted, hurriedly followed Qiu Yizhi's instructions, ordered someone to lower the flag on the mast, and ordered thirty or forty capable sailors, and they themselves were all dressed neatly, all of them disembarked, lined up by the river, and waited for the emperor to arrive while listening to Qiu Yizhi's teaching etiquette.

However, the vanguard of the guard guarding the emperor had already arrived under the ship.

These people were all elite soldiers under Qiu Yizhi, and Li Shengjie knew many of them, although they couldn't speak, they all signaled with their eyes that they had said hello, which made his nervous mood relax a lot.

After passing by, the imperial chariot finally arrived, and Emperor Zheng Rong stepped down from the car and walked unhurriedly towards Li Shengjie.

Li Shengjie saw the emperor for the first time, and his heart was mixed with excitement, joy, curiosity, and fear, and he stood there for a while and didn't know how to respond.

Qiu Yizhi, who was standing beside him, saw it, and was busy whispering in Li Shengjie's ear: "The emperor is here, the virtuous brother must not lose his manners, and he must follow me to perform three bows and nine bows." As he spoke, he bowed down and took Li Shengjie to kowtow to the emperor a few times.

After the salute was over, Zheng Rong had also walked to Qiu Yizhi and Li Shengjie, he looked down and saw that the person next to Yizhi was young but also a talent, and he was happy, so he asked, "Are you Li Shengjie?" ”

Qiu Yizhi took the lead and whispered, "Brother Xian, the emperor asked you." Today's saint is kind and kind, you can answer well, if there is a slight loss of etiquette, the emperor can also tolerate it. ”

Li Shengjie listened, and finally plucked up his courage and said, "Yes, I...... Oh, the minister is Li Shengjie. ”

Zheng Rong listened to Li Shengjie's loud voice, and there was no trace of the caution in his words when ordinary people first met the saint

, immediately had a good impression of him, and said: "Good Li Shengjie, although your family has been a bandit for two generations, but you are hanging overseas, you still don't forget that you are a big Han citizen, which is very rare." ”

When Li Shengjie heard the word "bandit" in the emperor's mouth, the boss was not happy, and immediately retorted: "The emperor is wrong in what he said. My Li family used to be in the smuggling business, and I wouldn't go and didn't bother to be some pirates. When encountering those pirates who are too evil, my Li family often has to come forward to teach a lesson. The emperor said that we should be 'bandits', which is wrong. ”

Everyone quietly listened to Li Shengjie's words, and they were all frightened and silent-you must know that although the emperor is extremely powerful now, after all, he is the supreme in the world, and in addition to Zhong Likuang, who is respected as "Mr.", who else dares to criticize the emperor's mistakes in person?

When the atmosphere was embarrassing, he saw a young official flash behind the emperor, and said sharply: "Li Shengjie, are you dizzy?" The emperor said that you are a 'bandit', you are a 'bandit', how dare you mess around? Aren't you afraid of the shaking of the heavens? ”

Qiu Yizhi heard this saying harshly and harshly, and hurriedly peeked at it, and saw that the person who spoke was Shi Liangzhi, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and felt disgusted for a while, so he knelt down and climbed half a step, and said: "Your Majesty, Li Shengjie has been overseas for a long time, and he doesn't understand etiquette, so he asks the emperor to forgive him." However, his Li family's smuggling at sea was also forced to make a living, and he had never endangered the interests of the Han Dynasty for decades, and he was more able to suppress the Japanese pirates. Li Zhi, the old owner of the Li family, was injured by the Japanese and has not recovered from his serious injuries so far, and the Qin prisoners Yin Chengliang and Yin Tai's father and son entangled with the Haikou and rebelled against the Lingnan Palace, which was also defeated by Li Shengjie's troops...... The emperor knows all this, and the Li family has made great contributions, so please pay attention to the saint. ”

Zheng Rong heard Qiu Yizhi's words, nodded incessantly, and reprimanded Shi Liangzhi again: "It's good for you to take care of your etiquette affairs, such military affairs, it's not your turn to intervene and make noise." ”

When Shi Liangzhi heard this, he shrank all over, lest the emperor would bring down some new sin, so he didn't explain anymore and hurriedly retreated.

Zheng Rong said to Li Shengjie again: "Your Li family's loyalty is clear, didn't it also seal your fame?" Since your family has my fame, that is, my ministers, the purpose of etiquette is to restrain the subjects of the world, and teach them to know the majesty of the monarch at all times, how can you relax for a moment? But I don't want to pursue your guilt for misconduct, do you know what it's for? ”

With the strength of the Li family at sea, it seems to be a prince, and the young ship owner Li Shengjie has always been unsightly, straightforward, and can say whatever he wants, but he didn't expect that as soon as he opened his mouth today, he attracted so many people's lessons, and his heart was doubtful and resentful, but because of the emperor's prestige and Qiu Yizhi's face, he didn't have a seizure.

"It's not surprising that you haven't read the sages, so you don't understand that. How many of the two Jinshi who have read the Four Books and the Five Classics here may not understand the truth of this! As he spoke, Zheng Rong raised his voice suddenly, "I won't punish you, that's because although what you said just now was rude, what you said was your own true words." I am not afraid of my servants saying bad things, nor are I afraid of saying good things, but I am afraid that someone will deliberately tell lies to deceive me. As long as your heart is pure, what words cannot be tolerated by me? ”

Although these words were said to all the civil and military officials present, they were directly addressed to Li Shengjie.

But the rest of the civil and military ministers were sweating when they heard it, but this Li Shengjie was in a fog and ignorant.

But I heard Zheng Rong say again: "I remember that I sealed your father's position as the general of Jinghai Zhonglang, and allowed it to be able to shadow the next generation, and there is no need to demote." But I see that you are a talent that can be created, and you have made meritorious deeds, and you will be higher than your father. In this way, I will promote you to the title of General Jinghai, and you will be able to eat two products. ”

According to the official system of the Han Dynasty, in the military ranks, the second-rank general is already a rare and superb official position, except for the four "marshals" of the forbidden army, there is no one who is the right.

Li Shengjie, a young man, was given such a big official position after only seeing the emperor once, and at the same time, he was so envious that many officials secretly admired him, but he felt that his promotion seemed to be too fast, and it was a bit unusual.

But he listened to Zhong Li Kuang and said coldly: "Your Majesty, Li Shengjie is still young, and he will have the opportunity to make meritorious contributions in the future. Please also ask the emperor to think twice. ”

Shi Liangzhi, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, has just been reprimanded by the emperor, and now he can come forward to say a word, and this is the prime minister of Zhongli.

Emperor Zhongli Kuang still wanted to give some face, and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhongli is too worried, I know this in my heart. Li Shengjie deserves to be meritorious and deserved, and after making new contributions in the future, he will be even more promoted to the rank of knight, and it doesn't matter if he cuts off the road to advancement. ”

Qiu Yizhi heard that as soon as the emperor Chrysostom opened, he blocked the mouths of the hundred officials of the court, and was happy for his righteous brother in his heart, and said in his ear: "Brother Xian, this is the emperor's Longen, why don't you hurry up and thank you." ”

Although Li Shengjie knew that this "grace" had to be "thanks", he didn't know what the rules were, so he only kowtowed three times on the ground, which was considered to be thankful.

Emperor Zheng Rong saw that although Li Shengjie did not understand the rules, he was also sincere, and he was quite pleased, so he said: "Okay, 'the man has gold under his knees', you should get up first." ”

Li Shengjie was already kneeling with a sore back and numb legs, and after hearing this command, he hurriedly stood up, patted the dust on his knees, and stood straight in front of the emperor, but he didn't know how to answer.

Qiu Yizhi saw that the atmosphere was slightly embarrassed, and he got up and said, "Your Majesty, this is Li Shengjie's flagship." He stretched out his hand and pointed to the giant ship behind him, and introduced to the emperor's father-in-law, "Li Shengjie relied on this warship to defeat the fleet of Japanese robbers who rebelled against the king of Lingnan, and even Yin Chengliang and Yin Tai's father and son were also buried in the belly of the fish, isn't it happy?" ”

Zheng Rong nodded while listening, and waited for Li Shengjie to finish speaking, then he said: "The Han ancestral system implements a sea ban, and subjects are not allowed to go to the sea to make a living without the permission of the imperial court. Although the dynasty opened up its net and set up three ports for trade, the sea power still did not attach much importance to it. You see, a giant naval ship like the Li family, which sailor in this dynasty can have it? In my opinion, I don't need to call any dragon boats anymore, so how about using this ship as a royal ship to cross the river and go south? ”

When the civil and military heard Zheng Rong's words, they were all stunned: the emperor's requisition of Li Shengjie's ship as a dragon boat was like borrowing a minister's private residence as a palace, which was an unprecedented thing - not to mention that Li Shengjie was not from a serious background or a long-standing minister, but an upstart who was suddenly promoted from a smuggler.

The emperor's will, even Qiu Yizhi, who has always done things unexpectedly, felt that something was inappropriate, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this seems to be a bit out of order, right?" ”