The night breeze is kind, the willows are still around, the wide Peacock Lake is like a shuttle, the willow treetops around the lake are decorated with all kinds of lanterns, the stars hold the moon like the moon, countless lanterns shine on the wide Peacock Lake for a week, and the Peacock Lake surrounds it. Bubble *book* bar ()

Even though it's night, it's as bright as day, and you can clearly see the boats floating on the lake.

Around the lake, the vendors are like clouds, all of them are stalls selling goods, calligraphy and paintings, antiques, porcelain, jewelry, snacks can be bought, and there is no provision here that only the rich and noble people can come, people such as 369 and so on, travel around the lake, and look at a few painting boats wandering on the Peacock Lake.

There are a number of painting boats on Peacock Lake, and those who are familiar with it know very well that there are actually only eight painting boats on the wide Peacock Lake, just like eight shops, which belong to eight businesses.

Each painting boat will pay a lot of taxes to the government every year, but it is undeniable that the silver they earn every day can definitely be described as a daily income.

Not everyone can board the eight painting boats, and those who know know that there may only be two types of people who can board the painting boats.

One type is naturally a wealthy person who spends a lot of money, whether it is an official or a rich man, and he can go up at the price of the painting boat, but he does not have this honor every day.

Generally speaking, there is a limit to the number of guests who can board the boat from the beginning of the lantern to the lake, except for some places reserved for the reserved dignitaries and nobles, and the rest of the seats are reserved for famous literati.

Literati are the second type of people who can board the painting boat.

Unlike the dignitaries and nobles who took the initiative to spend money on the painting boat for fun, the literati did not need to spend a penny of silver to board the boat, and they did not need to spend a penny after boarding, and the painting boat would send out invitations in advance to arrange for the famous scholars and literati who came on the same day.

The literati brought fame to the painting boat, while the dignitaries brought wealth to the painting boat.

The third reason, although the literati will not say it explicitly, it is undeniable that there is a group of people who want to get acquainted with some high-ranking officials and nobles through these opportunities and find some officialdom connections for themselves.

Needless to say, the other reason is that I naturally feel that I am mixed with these celebrities, and it seems that I have become brilliant and have connotation, and if I can meet a very famous literati, such as Tang Shuhu, a top-level person, and say a few words, it will be a shameful thing, which is enough for these dignitaries to preach for a while.

The so-called scarcity is precious, the number of guests on the painting boat is limited, and this kind of business method is not blindly seeking wealth on the surface, but it makes countless dignitaries and even literati and students flock to it, and they are proud to be able to board the painting boat of Peacock Lake, so that Peacock Lake has become the most brilliant pearl in the capital. Whenever the lanterns are on, the painting boat begins to swim on the surface of the lake, the breeze and the moon are bright, the lake water is clear, and the light song and swallow language that comes out from the painting boat, the graceful dancing posture that faintly flashes, that is to make the visitors around the Peacock Lake envious.

Everyone knows that there are the most beautiful singers and dancers in the painting boat, the most beautiful wine, and the most intimate and enthusiastic service.

The painting boat on the Peacock Lake, are decorated with luxury, the ancient wood is ancient, it is actually the mode of building the attic, just like the elegant pavilion built on the lake, and even a few small pavilions are repaired on the painting boat, it can be said that it is ingenious, the painting boat is very skillful to light all kinds of lanterns everywhere, not cluttered and cumbersome, but the painting boat is embellished more gorgeously, the lantern is mostly from the hands of the famous lady's picture, landscape map, countless lanterns shine out of the light, the Peacock Lake is illuminated pink, I want to put on a layer of pink light veil, and as soon as the wind passes, the waves are sparkling, and the pink waves that make people intoxicated by it.

Of the eight painting boats in Peacock Lake, seven of them were built into three-story pavilions, and the styles are not the same, each with its own characteristics.

In addition to the enviable boats on Peacock Lake, there are also some small boats, all of which are boat girls in short green skirts, whose task is to pick up and drop off the guests of the boats and get some money from them, which is also the man they rely on for survival.

The boat ladies are assigned in different directions, several boat ladies are responsible for a certain side, taking turns to greet the guests, they are also selected fair women, wearing hats, covered with white veil, it is also a scene on the lake.

……

Han Mo sat in the carriage, walking on the shore of Peacock Lake, looking at the vendors and tourists along the way from the gap in the curtains, lively and prosperous, compared to the Yanguo Liujing River, it was even more lively, and most of the tourists on the road were dressed up as literati, compared to the Liujing River, there were officials and eunuchs everywhere, but it was a scenery.

Approaching a willow tree, the carriage finally stopped, and the guy who was driving the car jumped off the wheel, came over to lift the curtain for Han Mo, and said respectfully: "General Han, it's here!" ”

Han Mo got out of the car, straightened his clothes, and then looked at the brightly lit lake, looking at the several painting boats swimming in Peacock Lake, just like bright stars dotted in the sky.

It's summer, there are lotus leaves on this peacock lake dotted on the lake, the lights and moonlight converge together, the picture on the peacock lake is intoxicating, the breeze from the lake, the fragrance of this lotus leaf and flowers, refreshing people's hearts.

Han Mo called a plainclothes Imperial Forest Army behind him and commanded in a low voice, "You guys go around here, be careful!" He took out two ingots of silver from his bosom and put them in the hands of the Imperial Guards, and said, "Divide one with the other brothers, play around, and don't scatter!" ”

The Imperial Forest Army was stunned for a moment, these two ingots of silver are forty taels at least, and the general is really generous, put away the silver, and said gratefully: "I'll wait around here!" ”

Han Mo nodded, waved his hand, and the Imperial Forest Army led the others to disperse.

The driver skillfully plucked a lantern from the willow tree, then stood on the edge of the lake, held it high, and shook it left and right at the lake a few times, before explaining to Han Mo with a smile: "Take the lantern from the tree, and then swing it three times against the lake, and those boat girls will row over to greet them!" ”

Han Mo nodded and smiled: "This is interesting, aren't you afraid that someone will deliberately play a prank?" ”

"There were a few of them." The man said with a smile: "It's just that the government is strict later, if you catch someone who picks up the lantern without an invitation, once you find it, you will be arrested and sent to the prison, many people have been arrested before, and now almost no one dares to play pranks!" ”

As he spoke, Han Mo saw that there were two saber messengers not far away, looking over here, and they didn't come for a while, just stood there and watched from afar.

Only a moment later, I saw a light boat approaching the shore, the boat girl rowing, the posture is unusually beautiful, obviously also specially trained, so it seems that the service industry in the capital is also very developed.

The light boat was still some distance from the shore, but at this moment, he saw a carriage coming on, and there were several strong guards around the carriage, and it actually stopped next to Han Mo.

Immediately someone stepped forward to lift the curtain of the car, and out of the carriage came an old man in gray, with a white beard and white hair.

The old man glanced at Han Mo and walked straight to the lake, where someone beside him had already stepped forward to summon the light boat and shouted, "Ming Gong is here, come and greet him!" ”

The boat girl had already docked at this time, wearing a hat, covering her face with a white veil, but her voice was very crisp: "I'm sorry, it's this guest who picks up the lantern first, you wait for a while!" He beckoned to Han Mo and said crisply: "Childe, please take out your invitation!" ”

Han Mo was standing next to the coachman at this time, dressed in white brocade, the boat girl was on this Peacock Lake, she saw so many people as a cow, and her eyesight was naturally there, and she knew that it was not the coachman who boarded the boat, but the white-clothed boy beside the coachman.

The coachman was about to take out the invitation, when someone next to him shouted, "Is your little woman blind?" This is Mr. Mingru, how dare you be rude? ”

The girl was also stubborn, and said coquettishly: "It was this son who arrived first, and I can't despise him." If the old gentleman has a boat to go over, he must discuss with this son, and if the son allows it, you can go in the same boat! ”

This is also the rule on this side of Peacock Lake, the boat girl greets and sends off guests, and they are the first to arrive, and only one person is carried at a time.

After all, the literati are light, and some literati can't look at each other, let alone crossing in the same boat, they are not even willing to walk together, in order to prevent such an embarrassing situation, the light boats sent by the painting boat are all lonely boats carrying lone passengers.

It's just that if there are guests with a very good relationship who want to go to the same boat, the boat girls will naturally not be able to ask for it, so there will be one less round trip, and it will be much easier.

Han Mo had already nodded with a smile and said, "Girl, this old gentleman seems to be in a hurry, I am willing to go on a boat with this old gentleman." You can send him first, and then you can send me! ”

There were eight painting boats on the lake, and Han Mo was only afraid that this Ming Rushui would not be suitable for his own painting boat, so he was polite.

The subordinate who was familiar with Ming Rushui rolled his eyes strangely, and sneered: "What is your identity, and you are also worthy of being in the same boat with my husband?" He said to the woman: "You don't know what to do, but if you know a word from Ming Gong, you can go home!" ”

The boat girl also earned a lot of money, and this person was obviously intimidating the boat girl.

He also saw that although Han Mo was brightly dressed, he was too young, and he didn't have any rich ornaments on his body, so he just thought he was an ordinary literati.

Han Mo frowned.

Since he was a child, although Han Mo seemed polite most of the time, he had never been polite if others were disrespectful to him.

The boat girl didn't speak for a while, holding the oars in her hands, but just standing in the light boat.

At this moment, a sound of horses' hooves and the wheels of the carriage sounded, and another carriage came from the side, which also stopped beside it, and a person walked out of the carriage, who was forty-five or sixteen years old, with a Chinese face, very thick eyebrows, dressed in a brown brocade robe, and a lock of black beard under his chin, looking dignified, and very tall, seeing that it was as bright as water at a glance, he smiled and said: "Isn't this Ming Gong?" ”

Ming Rushui glanced at the visitor, but he didn't pay attention to it, his face showed contempt, and he turned his head.

The brown-clothed man just smiled faintly, then turned his gaze to Han Mo, and said with a smile: "Little brother, can you board the boat together?" It's hard for these girls to go back and forth, and it's good to take a trip less. ”

When this person speaks, he is quite magnanimous, and gentle and elegant, compared to the one next to him, which is as bright as water, but it makes people feel more close.

"I'm about to board the boat, I can share the boat with Mr., I can't ask for it!" Han Mo returned the salute and said with a smile, if others respect him, he will naturally respect the other party.

At this time, the coachman had already taken out the invitation, stepped forward and handed it to the boat girl, the boat girl took it, and handed it back very respectfully, and the brown man also took out the invitation and handed it over, the boat girl took it, and said with a smile: "The two of them turned out to be on the same boat, what a coincidence, come up quickly!" He handed the invitation back to the man in brown.

The brown-clothed man turned to Han Mo and smiled, "Little brother, please first!" ”

Han Mo hurriedly said, "Sir, please!" ”

When the two of them were humble, Ming Rushui's subordinates had already shouted: "It's really turned the sky upside down, Lao Tzu, who of you dares to board the boat?" With a wave of his hand, three or four strong men came up from behind, rolled up their sleeves, and actually threatened.

That Ming Rushui turned his head, and turned out to be a laissez-faire.