Wujiang County is dotted with lakes of all sizes, and small rivers thread these lakes like ropes, and towns and villages are distributed between the lakes and rivers.

Due to the abundant water and heat, fertile land, and the development of agricultural technology, since the Song Dynasty, the grain output in the south of the Yangtze River has continued to increase, and one acre of Shangtian has been able to produce as much as four or five stones of grain.

With convenient transportation and developed economy, the Wujiang area has been a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers since ancient times, and countless invisible giants are hidden in the small towns between the lakes.

The Zhu family, the richest man in Pingjiang Prefecture, lives in Shengze Town, the southernmost town in Wujiang County.

Shengze Town is about the same size as Mudu Town, but the handicraft industry here is more developed, and there are more than 300 handicraft workshops for weaving brocade and cloth in the town, with tens of thousands of looms.

Zhu Mansion is in the northeast corner of Shengze Town, is a huge mansion covering an area of more than 400 acres, where the three Zhu brothers and their descendants live more than 100 people, plus servant women and maids, at least 4500 people live in the whole mansion.

Of course, the Zhu Mansion also has its own special wharf, and there are more than a dozen exquisite and luxurious painting boats docked on the wharf all the year round, which is the special ship of the Zhu family's owner, just like a car, which can be boarded at any time and go to all parts of the world through the water system extending in all directions.

In the afternoon of the next day, Fanning's boat arrived in Shengze Town and slowly sailed towards the Zhu family's special wharf.

"Little official, are you sure you have a good relationship with the Zhu family?"

The boatman was a little worried, and everyone knew that the wharf of the wealthy and wealthy was managed by a special person, and people were generally not allowed to dock easily, and the wharf of the Zhu family was even stricter.

"No problem, you just have to stop."

Suspiciously, the boatman steered the boat into the special waterway of the pier and slowly approached the pier.

At this moment, a small boat came from the opposite side, as if it wanted to get ahead of Fanning's boat and get to the dock, but it was still a step too slow, and Fanning's bow was already on the dock.

The ships behind had to slow down urgently, but the strong inertia still caused the two ships to collide together, and the ships shook violently, and Fanning hurriedly squatted down to barely stabilize his body.

"Petty officials beware!" Someone shouted from behind.

Fanning looked back and saw a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy on a boat behind him, falling on his back with his back facing the sky, as if his arm had been wiped off a piece of oily skin by the side of the ship.

He scrambled to his feet, and as soon as he looked up, his eyes glaring at Fanning in annoyance.

At this time, several people on the shore hurried over, and in front of him was the dock steward, and behind him was a young man in a brocade robe, almost sixteen or seventeen years old.

The dock steward was angry and anxious, and when he opened his mouth, he angrily rebuked Fanning's boatman: "Where are you the ship, how can you stop at will!" ”

The boatman bowed down again and again to apologize, Fan Ning saw that there was no special sign at the place where they parked the boat, and he suddenly felt a little unhappy in his heart, the Zhu family has always been humble and polite in Mudu Town, how can it become a little rude and rude in Wujiang.

However, thinking that the other party is just a dock manager, although his attitude is not good, it does not represent the Zhu family.

In fact, Fanning could also guess why the steward was in a hurry, his master was probably waiting for the ship behind, but he didn't expect his ship to dock first, he felt that he couldn't explain to his master, so he acted a little angry.

Fan Ning's eyes cast on the young man on the shore, only to see that he was of medium stature, wearing a yellow and black brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a small golden crown on his head, he looked very handsome, and it seemed that he should be a child of the Zhu family.

Fan Ning heard Zhu Pei say that she has many uncles and brothers, forty or fifty people, and more than twenty sisters, which is a very large family, but not every child of the Zhu family has a good upbringing, and she does not like some of the children of the Zhu family.

Fan Ning stepped forward and arched his hand to the brocade-clothed young man on the shore and said, "I am from Wu County, and I am here to visit Zhu Daguan!" ”

The brocade-robed young man ignored Fan Ning, and he said to the boat behind: "You guys get on this painting boat, Brother Liu Xian, you go ashore from the painting boat!" ”

The boat approached the boat, and the boy on the boat took the boatman's hand and got on the boat, and went directly to the shore from the boat, and as he walked past the boat, he glared at Fanning fiercely.

Fanning suddenly felt that this young man was a little familiar, it seemed that he had seen it somewhere? I looked down and thought about it, but I couldn't remember it all at once.

"Brother Liu Xian, congratulations on the high school boys' exam." The shore boy welcomed the guests warmly.

Fan Ning suddenly knew who this young man was, Liu Ran, the second place in the boy's exam, when he was queuing up for the exam, he saw him, he was being identified at the time, no wonder he was a little familiar.

This is how to get admitted to the children's exam, everyone has heard of the name for a long time, but they have never seen me.

"Oops! Your arm is broken. ”

The brocade-clothed young man on the shore found that Liu Ran's arm had rubbed a large piece of skin, and blood beads were coming out, and he immediately said urgently: "Hurry up and go into the house to bandage it." ”

"I'm fine!"

Liu Ran turned his head and glared at Fan Ning again, and snorted very dissatisfied, "Desperately rushing to the road, for fear that I will suffer a little loss, who are they!" ”

Fan Ning was stunned, this is Liu Ran, who ranked second on the boy list?

Fan Ning wanted to apologize to him and get to know each other again, but he didn't expect this Liu Ran to speak so ugly, who is stealing the way?

Fan Ning bowed lightly and said, "Brother Liu is too humble!" ”

"You-" Liu Ran was scolded back by Fan Ning's words, and he was so angry that he couldn't speak for a while.

"This young man is a guest of my Zhu family?"

The brocade-clothed young man looked Fan Ning up and down, although he didn't speak ill of each other, the tone in his words was no longer very polite.

Fan Ning nodded slightly, "In Xiawu County, Fan Ning, I came to visit Zhu Daguan!" ”

"You're Fanning!"

Liu Ran's eyes suddenly became stunned, his face slowly swelled into the color of pig liver, and after a while, he was very unwilling to salute and said: "Under Liu Ran, you should know!" ”

Fan Ning smiled slightly, "I've heard of the name for a long time, but today is the first time I've seen Brother Liu, Brother Liu's arm doesn't matter!" ”

Although Liu Ran was dissatisfied with Fan Ning, in this situation, he couldn't get out, especially when the other party was still the first place in the boy's test, he had to swallow his dissatisfaction and smile reluctantly.

"I don't care, boat collisions in the river are common, I'm sorry just now."

Fan Ning smiled, and his gaze turned to the brocade-clothed boy again, "You are also Jupei's brother!" ”

Fan Ning suddenly mentioned Zhu Pei, the faces of the other two were not very good, and a trace of imperceptible jealousy flashed in Liu Ran's eyes.

The brocade-clothed young man smiled and said, "In Xia Zhu'an, it's Jupei's fifth brother, you should have come to find my eldest grandfather!" I guess you're here for the first time, but in fact, it's closer to the north courtyard gate from the front pier, or I'll take you there! ”

"Then thank you, Brother Zhu."

"You're welcome, please come with me."

Zhu An led Fan Ning up the steps and walked around to the east, while Liu Ran followed unhurriedly, he secretly glanced at Fan Ning from time to time, and the look in his eyes was very complicated.

"How is Brother Liu going to review next?" Fanning found a common topic and asked Liu Ran with a smile.

"I haven't thought about it yet, I may have to enter Beijing in advance, what about Brother Fan Xian?"

"I may enter Beijing tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."

"You entered Beijing so early?" Liu Ran's gaze suddenly became a little vigilant.

"Go to Beijing and see the world!"

Fanning smiled: "It is always good for you to get in touch with more people with high knowledge." ”

"That's too—" Liu Ran chuckled dryly.

"Fanning, where are you going to live when you go to the capital?" Zhu An asked with a smile in front of him.

"I haven't thought about it yet, it should be a guest house!"

"Otherwise, you will live in our Zhu family's house in the capital, how about it?" Juan continued to ask tentatively.

Fan Ning shook his head, "Thank you Brother Zhu for your kindness, but no need, I am not the only one who enters Beijing, there are two friends together, and the guest house is more convenient." ”

"That's right, the inn is a little freer."

Zhu An smiled, but quietly exchanged glances with Liu Ran.

After a while, they came to a gate, Zhu An said to the gatekeeper, and then turned back to Fan Ning and smiled: "This is the north courtyard gate, the eldest grandfather lives here, you can just go in with the gatehouse." ”

"Brother Zhu won't go in?" Fanning asked, puzzled.

Zhu An smiled and shook his head, "I want to go through the east courtyard gate, the third grandfather enters through the west courtyard gate, although the three mansions are connected by doors, but they are generally locked, which is not very convenient." ”

Only then did Fan Ning understand that the three brothers of the Zhu family were in the same house and different courtyards, and this Zhu An should be the grandson of Zhu Pei's second grandfather, Zhu Yuanjun.

"Thank you, Brother Zhu! Brother Liu, we'll see you later! Fanning smiled and arched his hand, and followed the porter into the house.

Seeing Fan Ning's figure disappear, Zhu An said lightly to Liu Ran: "You don't have to be too nervous, Xiao Qi Niang won't take a fancy to him." ”

Liu Ran was silent for a moment and said, "I still want to enter Beijing early!" ”

"Whatever you want!"

Zhu An glanced at him, and said seriously: "When you enter Beijing, you still have to put your mind on preparing for the imperial examination, I want to remind you that only by being admitted to the Jinshi will you have the opportunity to marry Xiao Qiniang in the future, everything else is fake, and it is useless for my grandfather to like you no matter how much he likes you." ”

Liu Ran nodded, "I understand!" ”