In the afternoon of the next day, Xu Zizhen and Hao Donglai had returned to Yangzhou. Hao Donglai couldn't help but be stunned when he looked at the messy river beach in front of him. He looked around and saw no villages or fields. There were two hills to the northwest, blocking the way to the west.
The setting sun and the occasional unknown bird call broke the silence, adding a bit of eerieness to the desolation.
Hao Donglai was stunned for a long time before he said: "What the hell is this place?"
Xu Zizhen smiled and said nothing, just looking around as if waiting for someone.
After a while, a carriage came speeding up and stopped in front of it. As soon as the curtain of the carriage was lifted, a dashing young man appeared.
"Brother Xu, I've been waiting for you to come." The young man came over excitedly and took Xu Zizhen's hand as soon as he got off the car.
Xu Zizhen straightened his clothes and bowed his head to the ground: "Xu Zizhen, a humble minister, pays homage to King Xin, who is a thousand years old."
Hao Donglai was looking at the wild scenery, and Leng Buding was shocked. He didn't expect that Xu Zizhen would make an appointment to meet someone here, and the person he met was actually a prince.
It was Zhao Zhen who was transferred to Yangzhou by Xu Zizhen. He was currently the magistrate of Yangzhou. From an idle prince to managing the land and water, Zhao Zhen was naturally very grateful to Xu Zizhen.
"Brother Xu, please get up quickly. You can't do it." Zhao Zhen was not willing to let Xu Zizhen salute, so she hurriedly supported him and said with a smile, "You and I are still so close to each other. Could it be that Brother Xu wants to make my younger brother return to Bianjing in shame?
Can’t do it?”
Xu Zizhen was originally just a formality because of Hao Donglai's presence. Zhao Zhen helped him stand up straight and said with a smile: "Okay, then it won't be a waste of time."
Just as Zhao Zhen was about to say a few more words to him, he glanced at Hao Donglai next to him and asked: "Brother Xu, who is this...?"
Xu Zizhen coughed: "Let me introduce, this is the in-laws of the old man Wang Yong of Kaiping, the father-in-law who dotes on the little tiger head, Brother Hao Donglai Hao."
Zhao Zhen was immediately in awe and came over to greet Hao Donglai. Hao Donglai felt uncomfortable. He was originally a water bandit and an enemy of the official family, but now a serious prince was saluting him. He was at a loss for a while.
, quickly returned the gift, but didn’t know what to say.
Xu Zizhen solved the problem with a smile, pulled Zhao Zhen over and asked, "Brother, have you read the letter I gave you?"
When Zhao Zhen was preparing to take office, Xu Zizhen sent a secret letter to Zhao Zhen. The content was very simple, asking Zhao Zhen to find a secluded place to build a shipyard after coming to Yangzhou.
These days, shipping is basically limited to rivers, so it is not surprising to build a shipyard on this riverbank. However, Xu Zizhen said in the letter that as long as the place is circled first, what kind of ship to build and how to build it will be decided after he comes.
Zhao Zhen laughed when she heard this: "That's natural. Brother Xu, look, this is the place I found for you. Are you satisfied?"
Xu Zizhen looked around, nodded and said: "Satisfied, so satisfied, by the way, what is this place called?"
Zhao Zhen said: "This place is in Gaoyou under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou. It is called Qinjiadun. The river is called Chaihe. Not far to the east is the canal." As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper from his arms. This is
A very detailed map of Yangzhou.
Xu Zizhen went over and took a closer look, and was immediately overjoyed. This was a perfect place tailor-made for his shipyard. Not only the shipyard, but also the navy he expected could be located here. Look, there are mountains next to it.
There is water, but the key is that it is still so desolate. Sentries were placed at strategic locations around the place, turning this place into a highly secretive military base.
"Thank you!" Xu Zizhen made the decision on the spot and said to Zhao Zhen, "That's it. I have to trouble my brother to handle the specific matters. As a parent, come and make an appointment with Meng Du later to discuss it together. Oh, by the way, Brother Hao.
We also have to come up with ideas together.”
Zhao Zhen had no objection, and Hao Donglai had no choice but to agree. He always thought that the place where Xu Zizhen invited him to go was a navy that had already formed. Unexpectedly, when he came here, he found that there was nothing, not to mention a navy, not even a military camp.
The stakes haven't been driven yet, but by now it's too late to get off the pirate ship.
Xu Zizhen and others returned to Yangzhou City together. It was already completely dark when they entered the city. Zhao Zhen drove the carriage directly into his mansion in Yangzhou. The curtains were lowered along the way, and no one knew that Xu Zizhen was coming.
Zhao Zhen was worthy of being the most talented person in the Yingtian Academy in the past, and he was extremely neat in doing things. Xu Zizhen had just washed his face when he heard from his subordinates that Yangzhou garrison Meng Du had arrived.
"Brother Xu, I've been waiting for you!" As soon as Meng Du entered the door, he didn't even have time to greet Zhao Zhen and rushed towards Xu Zizhen.
Xu Zizhen was not as polite to him as he was to Zhao Zhen. He smiled and gave him a hug: "Mr. Meng, you and Xin Wang Qiansui have rehearsed, right? Why do we even have the same lines for our meeting?"
Meng Du was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. Zhao Zhen also smiled and came over to join in the fun. The three of them were chatting animatedly. Hao Donglai didn't interrupt, but just listened quietly, with a calm expression on his face.
But his heart felt like a storm, because he heard from the conversations between the three of them that Meng Du and Zhao Zhen's coming to Yangzhou was actually the result of Xu Zizhen's behind-the-scenes planning.
A prince, guarding one side, could have his future influenced by a commoner. Hao Dong knew Xu Zizhen very well, but he was still quite shocked.
After some pleasantries, Xu Zizhen pulled Zhao Zhen and Meng Du to the table. Gao Chong and Hao Yatou temporarily stayed in Taihu Water Village and did not come over, so now there are only four of them in the room.
"Let's divide the work now." Xu Zizhen took out a piece of paper from his arms and spread it on the table, and said, "Brother Zhenxian, the shipyard has invited you to build it. The ship to be built is roughly like this, with a pointed bottom.
Don’t have a flat bottom, because flat bottoms can’t travel by sea, the bow and sides of the ship..."
He was gesticulating while talking, while Zhao Zhen and the other three were dumbfounded.
That piece of paper drew a large ship that they had never seen before. The hull was long and narrow, completely different from the shape of today's fashionable ships. The bow was sharp, and it even had a cannon. However, the shape and size of the cannon were something they had never seen before.
Passed.
Xu Zizhen knew what they were surprised about, and said: "I will find another expert to help build this ship and artillery. Brother Zhen Xian just needs to surround this place more tightly and don't let any wind escape."
Zhao Zhen came back to her senses and said seriously: "I saved you, Brother Xu, please don't worry."
Xu Zizhen smiled and said: "Don't be so serious. Even if you sneak in, you won't learn anything. Mr. Meng, what you have to do is to build a navy organization for me." At this point, he pointed at Hao Donglai and said, "This is what I invited.
The naval instructor will also be the first general of the navy in the future. You two should get closer and closer first."
Meng Du hurriedly met Hao Donglai formally again, but neither he nor Zhao Zhen knew that Hao Donglai, who looked like a master, was actually a long-time water bandit.
The four of them were chatting in detail in the room. Xu Zizhen was explaining one thing, while Zhao Zhen, Mengdu and Hao Donglai were listening carefully. They even forgot to eat dinner. After Xu Zizhen finished saying everything, they realized that they had already eaten.
It's late at night.
Zhao Zhen hurriedly called her servants to prepare wine and food, and then asked Xu Zizhen: "Brother Xu is about to respond to Tianfu?"
Xu Zizhen shook his head and smiled a little enigmatically: "Don't worry, there is someone waiting for me to go and have fun."