It was Zhou Lin who told Deng Hong that Huang Zu was greedy for money.
Zhou Lin was doing business on both sides of the Yangtze River, and the prefects of various counties and officials along the way had to take care of him.
He knows all the people's preferences, interests, and personalities, so that he can cater to his liking and pave the way for merchant ships.
Strictly speaking, Huang Zu cannot be regarded as greedy for money, because most of the time he still upholds justice, otherwise he would not treat Ni Heng well at first.
It's just that he is stationed in Jiangxia and has huge military expenditures, so he needs money very much.
Later Gan Ning said: "My ancestors are old and comatose. We have no money and cereals. They cheat on the left and right, work for profit, invade the officials, and the officials are resentful. The boats, ships, and war equipment are useless and not repaired.
, lazy in farming, and unable to form an army."
It was because he had been at war with Sun Quan all year round that he could not afford military expenditures. So he began to indulge in business and imposed large taxes on merchant ships plying the Yangtze River, which led to widespread complaints.
In addition, his relationship with Liu Biao cannot be generally referred to as superior and subordinate, but should be regarded as a semi-separated state, so Liu Biao no longer supports him.
Until Huang Zu's death, he was in a state of lack of money and food, which finally allowed Sun Quan to successfully seize Jiangxia.
But that was all later.
Now that Liu Biao has completely pacified Jingzhou, his prestige is very high, and he and Huang Zu are also in the honeymoon period. There is no conflict between the two parties, so it is naturally not difficult to write a letter of recommendation for Deng Hong.
What's more, it won't do any harm to Huang Zu.
First, after collecting money and being given so much, why not do something convenient?
The second is to form a good relationship.
If Deng Hong was really talented and was appreciated by Liu Biao, it would mean that Huang Zu had a good understanding of people, and Deng Hong could still owe him a favor.
If Deng Hong had no talent and was not summoned to serve as an official by Liu Shi, it would not matter, since he would have the money anyway.
Huang Zu didn't suffer any loss inside or outside. It was a very cost-effective deal because it was easy to do.
For Deng Hong, it was also a good thing to get a stepping stone from Huang Zu to meet Liu Biao.
Both sides get what they need, hello to me and hello to everyone.
But after coming out of Huang Zu's house, Deng Hong said to Shen Chen with some worry: "Ah Chen, although I have received letters from Huang Zu, my Deng family does not have many books. Can I pass Liu Biao's test?"
Shen Chen said in a deep voice: "Uncle, just go and I will follow you. If our clan wants to gain a foothold in Jingzhou, we must rely on Liu Biao. He must also pass this test."
"Well, I understand."
Deng Hong took a deep breath and understood what Shen Chen meant. If he wanted his people to settle down in Jingzhou smoothly, it would not be possible without Liu Biao's support, so he had to break through this level even if it was a dragon's pool or a tiger's den.
Seeing his solemn expression, Shen Chen said with a smile: "Actually, there is no need to worry, uncle. Liu Biao has just settled in Jingzhou and is in need of talented people to help him. Moreover, he has always been very famous. Even the Deng family of Xinye came to rely on him. He
Is there any reason to refuse?"
"I'm afraid that I don't have talent and won't be valued by Liu Biao, thus wasting money."
Deng Hong smiled bitterly and shook his head.
After giving Huang Zu a large sum of money, the clan's property was much reduced.
When nearly 20,000 acres of land in Huangmenting were sold, plus the original clan property, the entire relocation team had a total value of over 100 million.
But most of them are daily necessities, and I don’t have much money.
This time, I only gave Huang Zu a gift. It was all money collected by several elders of the Deng clan. They originally planned to go back to Xinye to buy land, but Shen Chen persuaded them to take a gamble.
If we lose the bet, life will be difficult for the clan.
Shen Chen smiled and said: "Don't worry, uncle, there is still me, right? Even if I fail the test of knowledge, I think I can still guess some of Liu Biao's thoughts. Let's see the specific situation when we meet. Anyway, no matter what, the matter has been decided. Now, it’s too late to regret it, so I can only give it a try.”
"Then let's go and fight."
In his early years, Deng Hong also studied in Henan and other places. Although he did not have much knowledge because he did not have many books at home, he still had some courage, so he was inspired by Shen Chen and was willing to fight hard.
In fact, he is just trying to catch a duck.
In this era, it is difficult to get ahead but easy to do.
As long as a big shot appreciates you, it's easy to fly up a branch and become a phoenix overnight.
For example, Deng Zhi and Deng Ai were both from the Deng family in Xinye. They were originally unknown, but because of their meetings with Liu Bei and Sima Yi, they skyrocketed.
When Huangmenting village elders returned to their ancestral homeland in Jingzhou, Liu Biao was an unavoidable obstacle, so they had to be appreciated by Liu Biao, and it was best to be given an official position in order to gain a foothold in Jingzhou.
Among the brothers, Deng Hong's knowledge is considered the best, so even if there is a fight, it can only be done by Deng Hong.
However, he has become much more courageous with the evil grandson Shen Chen.
Now the letter obtained from Huang Zu is the stepping stone to meet Liu Biao. As for whether they can get Liu Biao's attention, it depends on their own ability.
As they spoke, the grandfather and grandson returned to Shaxian Wharf. They looked for Huang Zu's space. Deng Mao and others hired another ship, unloaded the goods from Zhou Lin, reloaded them, and prepared to go north from Han River. Xiangyang.
At this time, Zhou Lin and the others had not yet left. After the elders from Huangmenting Township disembarked, more than a dozen merchant ships were vacated. Shaxian was originally the commercial transit point between Jingzhou, Jiangdong and Yizhou, connecting Xiangyang to the north and Changsha to the Nantong. There are so many, I plan to replenish the goods.
Seeing them at the pier about to go to the shore to buy items from a local merchant they met, Shen Chen walked over, cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Zhou."
"oh?"
Zhou Lin turned his head, saw Shen Chen, and said with a smile, "Youngster, haven't you left yet?"
Shen Chen said: "I would like to ask, sir, when does your merchant ship come to Jingzhou every year and how long is the trip?"
Zhou Lin thought for a while and said: "There is no definite answer to this. It depends on the purchase and sale of goods in Shu. If you are lucky, it will be twice a year. If you are not lucky, it may be once every two years."
When merchants buy and sell goods, they also depend on the prices in different places and whether they are necessary for daily life. For example, if you buy coal from Pingdingshan in Henan and transport it to Datong in Shanxi, you will definitely lose money.
Therefore, regular investigations are required. For example, if the weather in Sichuan is good this year and the output of Shu Brocade has increased significantly, it can be purchased and sold to Jingzhou, and then to the Central Plains through Jingzhou. The most favorite thing for wealthy families to wear is Shu Brocade silk clothes.
And if there is a disaster in Sichuan this year and there is a grain shortage, they can go to Jingzhou or Jiangdong to buy grain rice and sell it back to Sichuan.
The same is true for Jingzhou and Jiangdong.
For example, Jiangdong is rich in porcelain, pearls, corals, tortoise shells, rhinoceros horns, sea salt, etc., while Jingzhou is rich in wood, medicinal materials, grains, spices, etc.
At that time, Guangzhou had already established trade relations with Southeast Asia, as evidenced by the Western Han Dynasty ceramic five-baht coin unearthed in the Philippines, so the spices sold in Jiaozhou to Jingzhou were very famous.
"Does sir need anything to increase the speed of the ship?"
Shen Chen was a little disappointed, but still asked.
Zhou Lin gave him a slightly surprised look and replied: "How can a businessman not want to go home as soon as possible when he is away from home? If so, of course he needs to."
Shen Chen felt relieved and said: "When sir comes to Jingzhou for business again next year, you can send someone to look for me in Xinye. I want to sell something to you at that time, which can speed up the ship. It originally took ten days to travel, but it can be done in five." arrive."
Zhou Lin said with a smile: "You are such a child, you don't plan to use the oar to deceive me."
"Faster than an oar!"
Shen Chen said seriously: "When the time comes, sir, you can verify it yourself."
"That's okay."
Zhou Lin agreed wholeheartedly: "I want to see if there is really anything in this world that can increase the speed of a ship that much."
Shen Chen smiled and said goodbye to Zhou Lin.
We are so short of money now that the right way to make some extra money is to make some inventions and creations.
Returning to the clan, the clan members also began to board the ship one after another. In the afternoon, they set off again, heading north to Xiangyang.
Two days later, Shen Chen saw the Xiangyang City, which was said to be impregnable.
But unlike what was imagined, the city was not big. It was probably similar to an ordinary county town in later generations. It covered an area of at most two or three kilometers and was surrounded by water on three sides. The city was covered with greenery and surrounded by mountains.
The urban area of Xiangyang in later generations was very large, but at this time, Xiangyang was actually just a small city. There were large areas of fertile farmland and villages outside the city, and they were basically concentrated to the east of Xiangyang City, which is the northeast corner of Xiangcheng District, Xiangyang City in later generations. , across the river from Yuliangzhou.
It is said that the Xiangyang Pang family lived in that area.
The ship went around Yuliangzhou and the northeast corner of Xiangyang, and finally stopped at the river dock in the north of Xiangyang. The broad Han River was rolling in waves. On the other side of the river, there was a city looming, which was where Cao Ren was later stationed. Fancheng.
Thinking of Cao Ren, Shen Chen was filled with anger again. Although his immediate family members luckily escaped death, a large number of close relatives of the Shen family gathered in Zhenyang died tragically at the hands of Cao Ren. He would always remember this grudge.
Soon after disembarking at Xiangyang Pier, the migration of thousands of people naturally attracted the soldiers at the city gate to come and ask questions.
Deng Hong used Huang Zu's letter to ask for an audience with Liu Biao.
The soldiers went to report.
After a while, they were allowed into the city.
Deng Hong took Shen Chen in as usual.
Looking closely at the famous Xiangyang City of the Han Dynasty will be disappointing.
Because the city looks just like that. Except for being surrounded by water on three sides, the city is about six or seven meters high. It is mostly a rammed earth structure and covered with lime mortar. It does not seem to be very strong.
However, the weapon technology of the Han Dynasty was not strong, so such a city wall was still very defensive against a strong attack, so it was normal.
Walking into the city, there are quite a lot of people coming and going. The ground paved with bluestones is shining brightly. People come in and out of the city from time to time. There are many shops and people walking around. This is in stark contrast to the dilapidated and desolate scene of the county in the Central Plains area where ten rooms are empty and the county is empty. Compared.
Compared with today's Henan area, Jingzhou is indeed a paradise. Many people have moved here in recent years, creating Xiangyang's short-lived prosperity.
Under the leadership of the soldiers, they arrived at the governor's mansion in the south of the city.
The mansion is majestic and tall, with Xian Mountain in the distance. The mountains are steep and continuous, and the dense forests extend to the bottom of Xiangyang City, seeming to wrap up the entire city.
There were many lush trees around Liu Biao's mansion, far from the world surrounded by high-rise buildings and reinforced concrete in later generations.
The ecological environment in the Han Dynasty was indeed good.
Thanks to Huang Zu's letter of introduction, they entered the mansion smoothly and came to the middle hall.
Sitting cross-legged on the main seat was a Confucian scholar in his fifties with a clean face.