On the bank of the Wangchao River, Imjin Ferry.

Imjindu is located in the southeast of the capital city, with an open river and a gentle water surface. It has opened business travel between the north and the south, and has always been the busiest place in Yunqiguo.

At noon, the sun is scorching. A thick iron cable blocking the river is still dangling in the water. The river pounded on the iron cables again and again, and the Karakala sounded, and also knocked on the ships docked by the river.

On the second floor of a tea shop not far away, there were two women wearing hats and two maids beside them. Outsiders can't see their faces clearly, but just looking at the figures, they feel that they are graceful and extraordinary.

By the window, Zhaoyun was holding his hands, looking through the hollow carved window at the scorching summer not far away, coming and going, and the porter carrying a heavy burden gradually became distracted.

"You're not sitting in my house, it's so hot that you have to come here to bask in the sun. Hey, what's so nice about this, it's just a normal caravan transporting goods. Pranya on the side fanned the wind with one hand, glanced at the busy scene a few times, and muttered.

"This is no ordinary caravan, these porters are recruited by the government to help transport goods." Zhaoyun glanced at Praruo helplessly, slowly took out a folding fan from his sleeve, and handed it to her.

Zhaoyun stretched out his slender hand and pointed to the ship docked at the Imjin ferry not far away, and said, "That kind of boat is called a sand boat. It has a square head and a square tail, commonly known as 'square boat', this kind of boat is not afraid of the beach at the bottom, and the carrying capacity is also large. The deck is spacious and has large girder arches, which can quickly dispel waves, so it can sail in rivers, lakes and seas. ”

"So, I decided that the ship was going to sea." After speaking, lifting the curtain, Zhaoyun picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.

"What these porters send to the ship is to be shipped to another country to sell? Could it be the Western Vuls? Prajna fanned the wind with a fan and said casually.

"Probably yes."

Hearing this, Prajna stopped what he was doing and looked out the window again in disbelief. Then he turned his head and instructed Tsing Yi, who was sitting behind him: "You go down there and find an informed porter, and ask them what they are carrying in their burdens, and where they are transported from and where they are going." ”

"By the way, I would like to inquire about which adult is in charge of this ocean shipment." Zhaoyun added on the side.

Tsing Yi answered, and then went downstairs. Pranya moved to the bench where Zhaoyun was sitting. Holding Zhaoyun's shoulders, he was about to look down through the window when he heard a flirtatious male voice.

"A few little ladies, they came here to drink tea when it was so hot, didn't they come here to see the man."

The people around him were laughing playfully, and a small attendant next to him whistled.

"You and I keep our mouths clean." Praruo turned around, looked at the provocative man in front of him, and said angrily.

Zhaoyun glanced around, and his gaze stopped on the man who spoke defiantly. The man was dressed as a scholar, but he was not very old. The robe and horse coat he wore looked like a fat head and big ears, which was quite rich. A pair of dead fish eyes on his round face, his eyes flickered when he stared at people, which made people dislike it at first glance.

"And you people, what are you laughing at?" Prajna pointed to the group of people who were following Ying He next to the man. The group also dressed up as scholars, but at first glance they knew that the family was not wealthy.

"Oh, this little girl is quite temperamental, I like it." The man rubbed his *** and laughed.

"If you don't obey me, I'll keep it from now on, how about you follow your master to eat and drink spicy food?"

When she heard this, she became even more angry and spat at him, forgetting that she was still wearing a hat.

Seeing this, Mingcui behind him couldn't sit still, and sneered: "You guy, a guy with long thief eyebrows, don't look in a mirror to see what you look like, and you dare to learn from a toad and want to eat swan meat?" Do your spring and autumn daydreams. ”

Zhaoyun had a headache, pulled out the bench where he was sitting, and stood up with him.

"There's another fierce girl, but you don't like to hear it." When the man dressed as a scholar heard this, his eyes widened and he looked Ming Cui up and down.

He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Mingcui's hand, ready to pull her into his arms. Mingcui struggled hard.

"Let go of your groping." Seeing this, Praruo grabbed Ming Cui's other hand and dragged her over. At the same time, an arrow stepped forward and kicked the man in the stomach. The man took a few steps back sharply, and then fell heavily on a bench. In an instant, everyone heard only a click, and the bench under him was shattered.

"Even if you use foul language, you dare to do it in front of this girl, it's really impatient." Pranya looked at the man in front of him who had fallen without an image, clapped his hands and laughed.

The man who was lying on the ground holding his stomach and moaning, heard that he was annoyed and angry, and yelled at the attendant who was about to help him: "You are eating dry rice, you only care about watching the play, you didn't watch your father being beaten, why don't you help your father take revenge!" ”

The little servant's attendant looked at Prajna timidly. Prajna pulled away, and then made a starting move, and the little guy trembled like chaff.

Seeing this, the man lying on the ground scolded: "Useless things." He turned his head to look at the people around him and shouted.

"Do you still want answers, if you want, follow me."

"I heard all of your conversations just now."

As soon as the words fell, the scholars who were about to start were stunned. They all looked at the woman in white who was wearing a hat and had not yet spoken.

"It's really bold enough to want to enter the imperial examination and think about favoritism and fraud by relying on relationships. Want to know what it's like to be caught in jail? That's enough for you to drink a pot. Oh, I remember, it seems that I will be disqualified from the scientific examination. Zhaoyun played with the teacup and said nonchalantly.

When the students dressed as scholars heard this, their hearts chuckled, and most of the timid ones suddenly trembled their legs, arched their hands to the man on the ground, and then turned to leave.

A small number of people were unwilling and stayed. One of the tiger-headed scholars asked: "You just have no evidence, who believes what you say?" What's more, you're a weak woman, which adult can you call. It's just saying this to scare us. ”

There was a burst of harmony around.

At this moment, Tsing Yi, who went down to ask questions, came back. Zhaoyun beckoned, and Tsing Yi came over and told her the story of the question.

Zhaoyun nodded, and then called Ming Cui, who was staring at the man. After whispering a little, he handed her the token in his arms.

"Got it, miss." Ming Cui answered, turned around and wanted to go downstairs.

Unexpectedly, he was blocked by the tiger-headed scholar who went downstairs.

"Hmph, let her go. I'm going to see what kind of adults I can invite from a young lady who is just a merchant. The embarrassed man lying on the ground sat up and sneered.

When the scholar who was blocking the road heard this, he struggled for a while, then glanced at the man sitting on the ground, and gave way without petitioning.

Mingcui hurriedly went downstairs. Several other men who had stayed behind to dress up as poor scholars were clinging to the window, watching Mingcui, who had come out of the tea shop, until their backs disappeared from their field of vision.

Look at me, men, I'll look at you. Timid, after saying goodbye to the gold lords on the earth one by one, he turned around and left.

"It's such a bunch of unsuccessful things, don't think about begging me in the future. Hiss ~ Slow down. ”

The man sitting on the ground was slowly helped to the chair by the servant. Just as he was about to sit down, he saw that the people who were still slapping the horse in front of him just now had all gone, and he wanted to scold, but he didn't think that it would involve the wounds on his body.

Zhaoyun glanced at him sarcastically, he really deserved it. Retracted his gaze and swept to the window, only to find that the tiger-headed scholar was still lying on the window and looking out.

"What's your name?" Zhaoyun was quite interested at this time.

"My name is Wang Shengcai."

"I didn't ask you."

Zhaoyun glanced at him under the curtain, and Wang Dacai, who was rushing to talk, and sat down in the chair suddenly made a gesture of Xi Shi.

The tiger-headed scholar turned his head and replied with a look of surprise.

"My name is Qiusheng."

He bowed his head shyly and curled the corners of his clothes crampedly. On closer inspection, the corners of his roof were not quite the same as the color elsewhere on his short brown coat. Obviously, the cloth was cut from another garment.

"Why are those people gone, but you not? Aren't you afraid of being caught? Zhaoyun raised his eyebrows, full of curiosity.

"I'm scared. But I didn't stay for the answer. The scholar looked up, his eyes full of determination.

"At that time, my mother was very ill, and I carried her around to the doctor. But all the doctors knew we couldn't afford the expensive medicine when they saw the tattered clothes we were wearing. We were driven away like beggars. ”

"However, when I was looking for no way out and almost collapsed, I met Wang Shengcai, who happened to be passing by. Not only did he lend me money for the treatment, but he also allowed me to postpone the repayment. My mother taught me from a young age that you can't be ungrateful, so I deserve it. ”

After listening to his story, the crowd fell silent.

"I can't see it, you're quite caring. It's just that it's borrowed money, and I'm afraid it will have to be doubled several times when it is repaid. Praruo clasped his hands around his chest and looked at Wang Shengcai playfully.

Wang Shengcai's face was full of meat, and a pair of fish bubble eyes blinked. There was a look of embarrassment on his face.

After some words, Zhaoyun had a trace of appreciation for the tiger-headed scholar in front of him.

Although he can be regarded as aiding and abusing, but when those people were coaxing just now, Zhaoyun noticed that he did not follow him, which shows that he has a sense of right and wrong. Although he was coarse and short-clothed, his demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant. After a conversation, the regulations were clear, concise and clear. also understands the truth that the grace of a drop of water is reciprocated, this person is not bad.

"But it's useless for you to stay. It's just that one more person has been arrested. ”

As soon as Zhaoyun's words fell, Mingcui took the three of them to the teahouse.

As soon as he went upstairs, a middle-aged man wearing a stone blue robe and a small beard in front of him wanted to bow to the ground.

Ming Cui hurriedly grabbed his arm, and his knee didn't touch the ground. If you want to kneel or not, the trembling appearance is quite funny.

Prajna laughed out loud. After feeling inappropriate, he explained: "You knelt to the wrong person, I'm just a maid." Standing beside me is my master, the one you will kneel. ”

Zhaoyun glanced at Prajna helplessly, and raised his hand to signal that there was no need to salute.

"What is the porter at the bottom? Where is it going to go? ”

The official wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with his cuffs, hunched his waist and replied, "The big load is full of tea leaves, and the small load is full of fine silk." These teas were collected by the imperial court from various peasant families and transported to the Western Wu Kingdom to exchange horses. ”

"Then who are you, do you know the scholar who is sitting in a chair next to you?" Zhaoyun asked again.

"Xia Guan is in charge of the merchant ships in the city, and he is also Wang Shoudao, who supervised the transportation of tea and silk this time." He bowed, then glared at the scholar who was sitting next to him.

"That's my nephew."