The middle-aged man was startled when he heard this, and after a while he replied: "The commoner's surname is Xu, and his nickname is Xiake. May I ask how you know your nickname?"
When Zhong Jinwei heard that this person was indeed Xu Xiake, he immediately ordered his leader Yu Changjian: "Settle the account for him."
Before Chang Jian agreed, the shopkeeper on the other side had already seen the situation clearly, and he dared to believe that this senior official of the imperial court knew this guest official.
So, he still dared to ask for it, but he didn't care about letting the waiter come forward, and quickly lowered his head and said: "The common people don't know that you know this guest official, and even if you are brave, you will not dare to accept the guest's money."
The Dongchang fanmen are all followers of this high-ranking imperial official, and now they dare to collect money in front of him. Isn't this the old man who has eaten arsenic and is impatient with his life?
Zhong Jinwei was a little unhappy, feeling that he had suddenly become the kind of corrupt official who bullies others.
With a slightly unswerving expression on his face, he said: "It is a matter of course to pay for accommodation in a hotel. If anyone dares to rely on his official status to do evil, you can go to the reporting office of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to report it."
Having said this, he stopped caring about the shopkeeper, and said to Xu Xiake with a gentle expression: "Take your luggage and follow me."
After Zhong Jinwei finished speaking, he turned to Ai Nengqi and said, "You and Dingguo will ride on the same horse."
Zhong Jinwei's series of instructions were all given with a trace of unquestionable momentum, and no one dared to disobey them.
Xu Xiake looked at the situation and knew that Zhong Jinwei had no ill intentions towards him. So he picked up a basket on his back, bowed to Zhong Jinwei and said, "Thank you for the advance, you can just walk."
Yu Changjian had already walked to the front, asked about Xu Xiake's arrears, counted a few Ming Jiusi Bao notes and gave them to the shopkeeper. Then he happened to hear Xu Xiake's words, and said to the side: "You can ride as long as the Marquis lets you."
, don’t be wordy.”
When Xu Xiake heard this, he had no choice but to bow and thank him again, and then easily got on his horse.
Seeing this, Zhong Jinwei took the reins and continued towards the Forbidden City, but he was not as hasty as before.
As soon as Zhong Jinwei's guards withdrew, those idlers who had been hiding aside suddenly surrounded the shopkeeper, speculating all over again.
The shopkeeper looked at the backs of Zhong Jinwei and his party, suddenly slapped his own head, and then said loudly: "I remembered, there is only one Marquis of the Imperial Court who is guarded by Dongchang Fanyu, and has this honor."
He was in the middle of the game just now, so he was so nervous that he forgot about it. Otherwise, as the innkeeper, he had heard a lot of news, how could he not know the general situation of Marquis Zhongxing.
Someone in the crowd also guessed it and shouted: "Hou Zhongxing?"
"Yes, yes, that's Marquis Zhongxing. Do you know what the old man said to me just now?" the shopkeeper said with excitement.
"What did you say?" The onlookers immediately fell silent, waiting for the shopkeeper's answer.
"The old man said that if anyone dares to rely on his official status to do evil, he should go to the reporting office of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to report the official." The shopkeeper said loudly.
He was really surprised that Marquis Zhongxing would say this.
"Ah, Marquis Zhongxing is indeed a good man!" Many people in the crowd praised loudly.
A sister-in-law woman with a loud voice immediately expressed her opinion: "Nonsense, how else could it be a god from the sky who came down to save the people from the fire and water."
As soon as she finished speaking, an older man disagreed. He shook his head and said, "Don't be naive. In what age did people sue officials and have good consequences?"
"Hey, don't tell me, why didn't the person who suffered the ticket number last time go to the reporting office of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to file a complaint?" A young man next to the old man immediately retorted with an example.
"..."
A group of people probably had nothing to do, so they started arguing at the door of Yuelai Inn.
Most of the things they argued about were caused by Zhong Jinwei. But at this time, the "chief culprit" had no idea about the things he had done, and was being discussed by a group of idle people in the capital.
His attention was focused on Xu Xiake, and he only heard him ask Xu Xiake, who was half a horse's head behind him: "Are you still traveling around?"
"Common people like to read. After reading too many books, they want to go out for a walk and see if the world is as it says in the book." Xu Xiake did not have the mentality of ordinary people who get weak when they see high officials, and kept answering calmly.
Enter Wei Road.
Zhong Jinwei praised in his heart that he was indeed a traveler. He continued chatting with Xu Xiake: "How is it? It's very hard?"
Xu Xiake didn't know why Zhong Jinwei asked him this, but he still answered truthfully: "To be honest, sir, if you don't have perseverance, you really can't do it."
"Have you written your travelogue?" Zhong Jinwei was thinking about the works that made Xu Xiake famous.
When Xu Xiake heard this, he took out a volume from his arms and said, "The grassroots just happened to write a volume."
After Zhong Jinwei heard this, he stretched out his hand to get it, and looked through it casually on horseback.
Needless to say, this handwriting is more than a hundred times better than that of Zhong Jinwei. Moreover, his literary attainments can be seen from just a casual glance, which is quite impressive.
Zhong Jinwei looked at it, and suddenly his heart moved. Regarding his entry into the palace today, Xu Xiake could not be said to be a suitable candidate.
Therefore, he selectively asked Xu Xiake some questions and received satisfactory answers, all of which were in line with his requirements for Ming envoys to the West.
Zhong Jinwei deliberately turned his head and looked up and down Xu Xiake's physical and mental appearance, and then asked: "If there is a place that is different from the places you have seen, but the road is not only difficult and dangerous, but also very far, will you go?"
A mission to the West is a place thousands of miles away. Without a proactive attitude, the mission cannot be completed well. Therefore, Zhong Jinwei asked this question.
Xu Xiake's answer is in line with Zhong Jinwei's impression: "The common people have traveled through the southeast, northwest and northwest of the Ming Dynasty in recent years, and they have long regarded thorns as smooth roads."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Jinwei reined in his horse, turned to face Xu Xiake, and asked solemnly: "If the imperial court gives you an errand, asking you to go to the West to collect some books and craftsmen for the imperial court, would you be willing to go?"
"
"Ah, what, your lord, are you saying to let the common people go to the West? The common people want it." Xu Xiake finally lost his composure at this time and asked Zhong Jinwei with a look of surprise on his face.
He had always wanted to go overseas, but because his family was not rich, he couldn't do it. Unexpectedly, Zhong Jinwei proposed it at this time, but it happened to satisfy his wish. How could he not like it!
Zhong Jinwei nodded, and then told Xu Xiake one by one what Ming Sanzang wanted to do, and asked him to first consider whether he could complete the task.
Hearing Zhong Jinwei's solemn words, Xu Xiake's face also became serious. After Zhong Jinwei finished speaking, he thought seriously for a while before replying: "Please rest assured, sir, the common people will definitely be able to complete the errands of the imperial court."
At this time, they had almost reached the Meridian Gate, and Zhong Jinwei said to Xu Xiake: "Okay, you wait here, maybe the emperor will summon you to see you."
After finishing speaking, Zhong Jinwei was about to cross the Meridian Gate. But at this time, he heard Xu Xiake calling him: "Master Hou!"
Zhong Jinwei turned to look at Xu Xiake and asked a little confused: "What's the matter?"