Amidst the rhythmic sound of the paddle wheel plowing water, the people on the boat were sleeping soundly. Unknowingly, several hours passed and at dawn, the boat was blocked at the exit to the canal from the north of Hongze Lake.
The noise coming from outside woke Liu Ziguang up from his dream. He looked out the porthole and saw a lot of water transport ships outside, with densely packed masts like a forest. He immediately put on his clothes and went to the top of the ship to watch. The captain was already standing on top holding a thousand-mile ship.
Jing Zai was watching, and when he saw Liu Ziguang coming up, he hurriedly saluted and said: "General, the two ships in front are fighting for the passage, and they just blocked the entrance of the canal. They refused to give way in both attempts. It seems that it will be delayed for some time."
Such a wide water surface can actually block a ship. Liu Ziguang picked up his telescope and looked at it. Not far ahead was a huge official ship with many colorful flags on it. It looked like it was the vehicle of Mr. Cui from the Ministry of War.
I was about to enter the canal from Hongze Lake; the ship opposite was even more incredible. Although it was not an official ship, it was twice as big as the official ship. There were five floors of pavilions on the ship, all of which were carved and painted, with exquisite workmanship, a tall hull, and portholes.
It is inlaid with printed Western glass, and the two huge paddle wheels are even more majestic. The iron impellers glow a little under the light of the morning sun. A large golden flag on the bow of the ship is faintly visible, blown by the river wind.
There is a big word "Hu" on it. This ship is about to enter Hongze Lake from the canal. The waterway is quite spacious, but the two ships are high-standard ultra-wide ships, so they are blocked head-on, causing other ships to also
Can't pass.
The two sailors refused to give in, stabbing each other with long bamboo stalks, and kept yelling and cursing. The Hu family's ship was five or six feet taller than the official ship, and the sailors were more sturdy, so they had the upper hand.
, stabbed the sailors and officers and soldiers on the official ship and turned them upside down.
"Who is that person named Hu? He dares to challenge the official ship." Liu Ziguang asked as he put away his telescope.
"General, look carefully at that flag." The captain replied, pointing to the golden flag that was blown out by the wind.
Liu Ziguang looked again, and it turned out that there were three silver words "Rishengchang" next to the character "Hu". He suddenly realized that it was the bank's banknote transport ship. No, the banknote transport ship couldn't be that big, no matter how rich the banknotes were.
After all, they are businessmen and ordinary people, so they cannot fight with the government.
"This ship is not an ordinary ship. It is also called the Iron Giant Salamander. It is the ship of the great shopkeeper Rishengchang. The whole ship has eight floors from top to bottom. It can carry 500 people. It is all made of the best quality materials.
It is made of nanmu material and covered with a layer of iron; there is a watertight cabin on the bottom of the ship, which has good waterproof performance; the steam engine is also specially made by Wuchang Shipyard, with a power of 10,000 horsepower; it is also equipped with a naval steam repeating crossbow customized by our Liguo Iron Works.
That's so sharp, an ordinary tanker can shoot right through it in one go..." The captain was dancing and talking, with a look of excitement on his face, and the spittle almost splashed onto General Liu's face.
Liu Ziguang hurriedly took a step back, wondering why this usually steady captain became so crazy when he talked about the Iron Giant Salamander. He quickly stopped the somewhat crazy captain and continued to ask: "Is it true that the captain of the ship is the master? Then
I will also find someone to build a big ship tomorrow, and I will try to block the way of official ships everywhere."
Before the captain could answer, Peng Jingrong's voice came from behind: "No matter how big an ordinary civilian ship is, it would not dare to compete with an official ship. Even the ship from our Liguo Iron Works is no exception. But the Iron Giant Salamander is different. It dares to compete with the official ship."
The reason for the dispute over the official ship is not because it is big, but because its owner is Rishengchang, and even more because it is the car of Miss Hu, Rishengchang’s chief shopkeeper.”
Seeing Peng Jingrong walking up to the roof of the ship, the captain hurriedly greeted him. The eldest lady laughed and said: "Old Wang, I heard you said so enthusiastically just now, are you interested in the Iron Giant Salamander? Our iron factory is also going to change the ship.
, although it is not as good as the Iron Giant Salamander, it is still a rare large ship on the canal." After that, he walked up to Liu Ziguang and put a black-faced and red-bottomed cloak on Liu Ziguang's shoulders, "It's windy on the lake, so be careful of catching a cold."
The eldest lady was becoming more and more like a little woman. The captain smiled, bowed and walked away so as not to disturb the young couple's conversation, and went back to his cabin to think about the new ship of his dreams.
, the eldest lady helped me put on the cloak, but I put the gown on Zeng Cheng. I was really a heartless man who was crawling inside and outside. Liu Ziguang's face was a little feverish, and he let Peng Jinrong's delicate hands help him tie the ribbon on the collar of the cloak.
.
"You just said that Miss Hu, what kind of big shopkeeper is she? How can she be more arrogant than the Ministry of War?" Liu Ziguang was still puzzled, holding on to the railing and looking at the fighting scene in front of him. No senior figures from both sides came forward and let it go.
The servants cursed and fought to see who was stronger.
"So what if he is the Minister of the Ministry of War? What is the rank? It's just the second rank. But the chief shopkeeper of Rishengchang is the hereditary first rank, ranking among the three nobles. The Ming Dynasty has a system whereby industrial and commercial households can be awarded grades according to their contributions to the court.
, this is still a rule set by the late emperor. At the beginning, it was only by relying on the money donated by these large iron smelting, salt drying, and textile merchants in the south of the Yangtze River as military pay that half of the country was saved, and so many black gauze merchants in the Ming Dynasty were created.
Although merchants do not sit in the yamen and have real power, they can still wear black gauze round-neck patchwork clothes. Their wives are also imperial edicts, and they do not need to bow to officials of the same rank. Speaking of which, my father also has a third-rank official uniform. All these black gauze merchants
Among them, the one who donated the most and had the highest rank was Hu Xueyan, the former shopkeeper of Rishengchang. He was a top-notch one, not to mention the official ship of the Ministry of War, even if the Minister came in person." Peng Jingrong explained these reasons.
"Oh, I see, then why didn't the official ship give in?" Liu Ziguang was even more surprised.
"The rules of the previous dynasty were changed. My father didn't even wear the official uniform at the bottom of the suitcase. He was in power for nine thousand years and sold more officials. No one took it seriously." Peng Jingrong said. "But this
The official ship is still a little rough. The Hu family is not an ordinary Wusha merchant. They are as rich as the country. The money circulating in the Ming Dynasty is all Rishengchang's banknotes. Where is the reputation of others? They can print out a random number.
A piece of paper is silver, which is more convenient and safer than cash. His family's silver guard team, whether it is a car or a ship, paints three numbers "101" on the front to represent two knives and a shield. Cars and ships with such signs go to
No bandits will come to rob you anywhere. If you mess with the Hu family, you will mess with a hornet's nest. Half of the world's masters are in the palace, and the other half are in the Hu family's mansion in Hefei. Just wait and see the excitement.
Well, Miss Hu got impatient after a while, and this official ship is so beautiful." Peng Jingrong explained.
"I really understand this time." Liu Ziguang finally understood that the Hu family was equivalent to the central bank of the Ming Dynasty. If the Secretary of the Ministry of Accounts was the Minister of Finance, then Miss Hu was equivalent to the People's Bank of China and the Central Bank of China.
As the president of a bank, the economic lifeline of the country is in his own hands, so of course he has this qualification."
As if to verify the authenticity of Peng Jingrong's words, the sailors on the two ships used weapons. They were bamboo grass just now, and now they are long knives and big guns. There were many officers and soldiers in soft armor on the official ships, carrying waist knives.
On the Iron Giant Salamander, he used the back of his sword to chop down the sailors who were holding bamboo shoots, beating them until they screamed in agony. The situation was reversed for a while. However, he was beaten to pieces by several big men who came out of the cabin and fell into the ship.
into the water or thrown back into the official ship.
There were cries of crying for fathers and mothers, and the sailors of the surrounding canal boats also dropped anchor, watching the officers and soldiers with great interest. The big shots on the official ships could no longer sit still, and a group of entourages were on board with signs of silence and avoidance.
Then they set up their formation and waited for the adults to appear.
The excitement was quite interesting. When Liu Ziguang saw how happy he was being a bully, he couldn't help but want to bully the boat in front of him, "Old Wang, ask someone to drive the boat in front away. Let's move closer. I look good."
Gotta be clearer.”
The captain agreed and started the ship slowly. A few sailors carrying bamboo shoots coaxed the fishing boats and passenger ships in front of them to move away so that General Liu could enjoy the fun more.
Fortunately, they were in a lake with a relatively large space for maneuver. After several boats were driven away, the ironworks' paddle steamer was already close to the center of the excitement. You could see the majesty of your Majesty without a telescope.
In the 18th year of the Ming Dynasty Wanli, he was a Jinshi. He was the Minister of the Military Department of Wuyingdian University, the fifth army deputy governor, Cui Cui, the governor of Shandong! The big banner with the name was taken out from the cabin, unfolded in the wind, and fluttered in the fresh lake breeze in the morning.
"It turns out it's him. Cui Chengxiu, the Minister of the Ministry of War, is the leader of the Ten Tigers at the age of nine thousand. No wonder he has to say goodbye to the Hu family. Cui Shangshu is a direct descendant of Jiu Qian, and Miss Hu is the most beloved person of the Queen Mother.
People in the capital call her the princess. When representatives of the two parties meet, they will definitely compete." Peng Jinrong said after seeing the big banner.
As soon as he finished speaking, a man dressed as a general stood on the bow of the official ship and shouted loudly: "You civilian ships have heard this, Cui Shangshu of the Ministry of War has urgent military affairs, why don't you retreat quickly and get out of the waterway to let us pass!"
"The powerful voice echoed on the lake, and people from far away could hear it. Cui Shangshu was wearing a bright red official uniform, standing on the deck stroking his beard, looking very well-groomed.
A man in the uniform of a low-level civil servant also stood up from the Iron Giant Salamander and replied in a loud voice: "Customer Hu Da of Anhui Rishengchang, who has been given the first rank by the Royal Emperor, has urgent official business and has come to Beijing to meet the Queen Mother. Regardless of officials or civilians, all should stay away!"
This man's voice was louder, and it was the lion's roar that was a secret skill in martial arts. The people next to him were so shocked that they covered their ears and looked in agony. I'm afraid even people in Hongze County, dozens of miles away, could hear it.
.
After the man finished yelling, he added another sentence: "May I ask what rank the lord on the opposite ship is? If you have to compete with the first rank of the current dynasty, do you still have etiquette and ethics?" The general was speechless when asked, and turned around.
Looking at his own minister.
Cui Shangshu is worthy of being the leader of the Ten Tigers. He waved his hand decisively: "The military affairs ahead are urgent. Now we don't care about the rank. Light a fire and sail the ship for me to ram! Whoever dares to stop will be shot to death."
"Yes!" After receiving the order, the officers and soldiers drew out their crossbows like wolves and tigers, aiming at the sailors on the Iron Giant Salamander. Several officers and soldiers also launched a crossbow, placed triangular steel arrows on the crossbow, and stretched the string.
He must aim tightly and murderously at the deck of the Iron Giant Salamander, ready to turn his opponent into a hedgehog at any time.
I parked here for a long time, but the steam engine of the Iron Giant Salamander never stopped working. I saw that the official ship was about to use force. With a sharp whistle, a row of windows suddenly appeared on the bow of the ship, and the giant spearheads with cold light were carrying the sign of death.
The threat is displayed in front of everyone. This is the famous steam repeating crossbow. When it is launched, it can fire thousands of arrows. Wherever it goes, not even a fly can survive. Not only is the threat of the steam repeating crossbow, but also the huge iron boat of the Iron Giant Salamander.
At this moment, the impeller began to start slowly. If it really collided with it, the small official ship would definitely turn into a piece of wood fragments.
The faces of the officers and soldiers turned pale, and they were stunned when they met. They insisted on not giving face to Lord Shangshu. How could this end?
Cui Chengxiu's expression remained unchanged as he walked a few steps and stood on the bow of the ship, like a stone statue. The lake breeze blew up the hem of his red official uniform, revealing his black official boots. The officers and soldiers around him saw that the adult was calm and composed, and they also plucked up the courage to stand up straight.
Stay with the adults physically and mentally.
Of course, Cui Shangshu was not prepared to play the trick of being so stunned that he was afraid of losing his life. He was a member of the imperial court, not a green-skinned gangster. He stretched out his right hand and shouted, "Here comes the sword!"
A small official who had been prepared for a long time in the cabin rushed out like flying and put a long sword on Cui Shangshu's right hand. The latter held the sword in both hands and raised it high, "Shang Fang's sword is here, who dares to hit it!"
Liu Ziguang was shocked. What a turn of events. A legendary thing like Shang Fang's sword was actually used to fight for the way. Look carefully at the sword: it was much longer than the average sword. It was blocked by a cloud head. The sword's head resembled a petal-shaped cirrus cloud and was wrapped in a scabbard.
The white dragon skin has no handles, and the overall feeling is simple but not simple. Shang Fang's sword cannot be fake, and Cui Shangshu does not have the courage to pretend to be royal authority like this.
Shang Fang's sword, if I come in person, can be chopped first and then played. This is a fact that every ordinary person knows. You can not take the second-rank minister seriously, but you can't take the emperor himself seriously.
However, a cold and arrogant female voice still came from the Iron Giant Salamander: "Bump me."