Deng Zixuan took a small passenger ferry from the Yangtze River waterway to enter the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, which was Deng Zixuan's scheduled northbound route. Later, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal only led to Shandong, and the river channel from Shandong to Beijing basically disappeared. Deng Zixuan has a soft spot for this ancient man-made canal, and he wants to experience the spectacular scene of this canal. July is the rainy season, and due to the abundant rain, the canal is at full capacity.

Most of the cargo ships traveling in the canal are tugboats, and there are boatmen pulling fiber on the shore. The melodious horns of the boatmen resounded on both sides of the canal and formed a very spectacular scene. Deng Zixuan and Wan Chuan stood on the deck, looking at the busy canal and exploring the ancient charm, Deng Zixuan's gloomy mood suddenly brightened. "Sir, since entering the canal, you have been in a good mood, and it seems that you are very interested in the canal." "It's not just interest, it's obsession. I've wanted to visit the Grand Canal for a long time. Did you know that this canal is the crystallization of the industrious wisdom of the ancient working people? ”

Deng Zixuan continued: "This ancient canal began in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the current length of this canal is more than 1,700 kilometers, and its huge engineering volume can be compared with the Great Wall. The original purpose of the canal was to form a network of water transportation in all directions. Originally, the Grand Canal could reach Luoyang, but now the historical relics are no longer visible. The scale of the formation of the Grand Canal was in the Sui Dynasty, although Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was the king of the dead country, but his historical achievements in digging the Grand Canal cannot be erased. ”

Deng Zixuan seemed to be silent in ancient memories and continued: "At that time, Emperor Yang of Sui used 2 million people to dig the Grand Canal, which shows the vastness of the project. During the Yuan Dynasty, the canal was straightened. And form a canal route from Yuhang to the capital. After the continuous development of the Ming and Qing dynasties, today's Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is like a dazzling silver belt running through the north and south. ”

Zuihou Deng Zixuan said: "This canal is very important for the transportation of the north-south passage, for the great development of logistics. This ancient canal must be put to work. The canal is currently controlled by the Cao Gang. "Sir wants to take back control of the Cao Gang, and according to what we know, the Cao Gang has a very long history of controlling the canal. Many people rely on this canal for food, and if it is taken back, it may cause riots. It is said that the people of the Cao Gang are very united. ”

Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "I don't have the intention of taking back the right to manage the canal, but the management of the canal by the Cao Gang is an exclusive monopoly. Frankly, the Cao Gang has been very effective in managing the canal for hundreds of years, but they have to be given rules and taxes must be slowed down. And to ask them to reduce the toll of the ships that come and go, in order to promote the prosperity of the canal, and my aim must be to rejuvenate this ancient canal. ”

There was a noise ahead. Ships docked on both sides. There are docks on both sides, where boats have to pay a fee. Wan Chuan said: "Sir, the front is Wujiang, and the chief helmsman of the Cao Gang is located in Wujiang. The pier in front is the toll booth of the trough gang. This kung fu gang man stood on the dock and shouted: "Get out of the way, get out of the way." There was no charge for the ships of the Northern Expeditionary Army. Please ask the ships of the Northern Expeditionary Army to pass. ”

"It seems that the helmsman of the Cao Gang knows each other very well," Wan Chuan couldn't help but laugh. "Inform the gunboats in front to dock at the dock, there are no rules, there is no circle, and the ships of the Northern Expeditionary Army Weishenme do not pay? There should be no discrimination, and in the future, the ships of the Wehrmacht and the government should pay for the passage of the canal. You tell the captain of the guard to go ashore and pay the fees. Wan Chuan waved his hand, and the captain of the guard ran forward and asked, "My lord, what do you command?" "You go ashore and pay the bill!"

The captain of the guard turned around and was about to leave, when Deng Zixuan shouted, "Slow! "Commander-in-Chief! Please command? The captain of the guard immediately stopped his feet and straightened his chest. After you pay the fee. Let them bring the helmsman, and I will see him!" "Yes! Subordinate Order! "The gunboat at the head was the first to come to shore. Then the small passenger ship docked, and the guards took the lead in going ashore to stand on guard, which frightened the man who was shouting loudly on the shore into silence.

The captain of the guard went ashore and walked straight up to the man and said, "Our lord said that the ships of the Northern Expeditionary Army should not be special, and they must pay the same fees as the ships passing by. The man snorted: "The expenses of not collecting the official government and the Northern Expeditionary Army are ordered by our chief helmsman, and the small ones dare not call the shots." "What are you rambling about, and where do you charge for it?" The captain of the guard widened his eyes. "Yes, yes, please take care of it." There is such a thing in the world, there is no charge to pay, it is simply evil, this Cao gang man is a little confused.

The captain of the guard paid the toll according to the rules and said, "Excuse me, do you have a steward here?" "Master Jun, you took the initiative to pay, it's none of my business, please let me go!" The big man turned pale with fright and knelt on the ground. The captain of the guard smiled: "Look at you bear-like, it has nothing to do with you looking for your manager." The man was skeptical, and after a while a man in a silk coat came out of a house on the dock.

The guy had a banana fan in his back, was about 40 years old, and trotted all the way over. "May I ask the military master, what are your orders? What does the Northern Expeditionary Army need to do, as long as it can do it. "We want to see the helmsman, please come to the docks to meet your lord." "May I ask the military master, what is the official rank of the lord, can you have an honorific title." "Bastard, this isn't what you should ask!" This guy glanced at the captain of the guard, then at the gunboat and the small passenger liner, and felt that the person who came was extraordinary, and immediately went to report.

In the luxurious helmsman mansion of the Cao Gang in Wujiang City, Pan Ge, the chief helmsman of the Cao Gang, sat on the Taishi chair, this guy had a bright brain, and he was about 60 years old. It has been 5 generations since the position of the helmsman of the Cao Gang was passed down to him. Now the Northern Expeditionary Army overthrew the Manchu Dynasty and defeated the foreigners. After the Northern Expeditionary Army came, they did not harass him, nor did they take it by force, and the Northern Expeditionary Army was credible, so he ordered that as long as the fleet of the Northern Expeditionary Army passed through the canal, there would be no charge.

At this time, Pan Ge, the chief helmsman, was surprised after hearing the report of his subordinates: "You mean that this passing master is on a foreign fire, protected by two gunboats, and he took the initiative to pay the fee and named me to see me, you say it is a blessing or a curse." The master analyzed: "Take a luxurious foreign steamer, escorted by warships. I analyzed that the person who came was not good, and it may be a feudal official. And taking the initiative to pay is to show us goodwill, and there is a letter of invitation in the military master's order, indicating that the other party wants to discuss with you? "Don't say that this master is very level.

Pan Ge didn't dare to slack off and said: "Immediately prepare a sedan car and go to the dock quickly." "Gather now, brethren!" One of his subordinates shouted loudly. "Bastard, what are you doing here?" "Helmsman, protect you?" "Pig brain, are we going to demonstrate with the Northern Expeditionary Army, you have a few heads! No one is allowed to go except for the brothers and masters who carry the sedan chair. After a few bags of cigarettes, the helmsman Pan Ge arrived at the docks. As soon as he got out of the sedan chair, the captain of the guard shouted, "Whoever came to report the name?" ”

The helmsman Pan Ge was startled, and said tremblingly: "Master Jun, I am Pan Ge, the helmsman of the trough gang. "The others stay, please come aboard the helmsman!" The captain of the guard was polite. The helmsman, Pan Ge, apprehensively boarded the deck and was ushered into the cabin by the captain of the guard. "Report, guest bring!" Due to the light outside and the darkness inside the cabin, Pan Gelao's eyes were dizzy and he only saw two people standing in the cabin and said ignorantly: "The grass people meet your lord!" Deng Zixuan said: "It's Mr. Pan, the chief helmsman of the Cao Gang, who was supposed to visit the old man in person, but because it was inconvenient for me to go ashore, I invited the old man to come, which is disrespectful!" Disrespectful! Our man is Deng Zixuan, commander-in-chief of the Northern Expeditionary Army of the Guangzhou Military Government. ”

Hearing Deng Zixuan's three words, Pan Ge thundered, raised his head to investigate, and a white-faced scholar in his thirties looked at him with a smile before the meeting, and a gloomy man next to him looked at him with a very unfriendly haode. Pan Ge trembled all over, and as soon as his legs were weak, he was about to kneel on the ground. Deng Zixuan hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Mr. Pan, you have to kneel, the Guangzhou military government is not happy." Men have gold under their knees, and they kneel to heaven and earth, and to their parents. ”

Pan Ge didn't listen to a word of this effort, and his body was almost piled up. Pan Ge himself is fat, this kung fu is like a pair of rotten meat, Deng Zixuan is a little unable to control it. Wan Chuan came up and put Pan Ge on the chair. What kind of person is Deng Zixuan, Pan Ge couldn't believe his ears. Deng Zixuan knew that the other party was frightened and said: "Mr. Pan, Mr. Deng is passing by here, and on a whim, I want to negotiate with Mr. Pan, please don't be afraid." ”

It took a long time for Pan Ge to recover, and he said weakly: "Commander-in-Chief Deng, the grass people don't know that the adults have arrived, please forgive the grass people for the crime of not knowing!" Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "Mr. Pan, now the Guangzhou military government is not the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the new government has new rules and regulations, so why are you guilty." Serve tea to Mr. Pan! One of the guards brought a cup of tea and placed it in front of Pan Ge. Deng Zixuan glanced at Wan Chuan, and Wan Chuan turned around and walked out.

With a cup of tea in his stomach and Deng Zixuan's kind attitude, Pan Ge recovered and asked, "Commander-in-Chief Deng, our Cao Gang has been behaving in a good way for hundreds of years, and has never been against the government. Now that the Northern Expeditionary Army is in the world, I have ordered that the Northern Expeditionary Army and the military government will not collect tolls, could it be that the military government wants to take back the management of the canal? Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "You Cao Gang has managed the canal for hundreds of years, and it has been fully proved that the management is very good. In the name of the junta, I assure you that not only will you not take back the management of the canal, but you will also encourage the Cao Gang to continue to manage the canal, and the future government will vigorously support it. ”

Pan Ge's eyes widened, thinking that he had misheard. (To be continued......)

PS: It mainly describes the protagonist's encounter on the canal journey, inadvertently exercising the rights of the superior, and receiving the effect.