Fang Yizhi heard that Shen Shuren also planned to go to the meeting to try his luck, which was quite surprising at first.
But after thinking about it, he understood and quite supported this maverick good friend. He said that he could help him sharpen his skills in battle and make up for his eight-part essay.
In Fang Yizhi's opinion, the Ming Dynasty has reached the point where it is today, and it is absolutely impossible to save the Ming Dynasty by looking for corrupt scholars to serve as officials.
The imperial examination should recruit people with practical skills in an eclectic way! Shen Shuren and Gu Yanwu are among the representatives.
After the matter was settled, Fang Yizhi did not go back to Nanjing to celebrate the New Year. He asked his personal attendant to send a letter back, explaining the situation, and planned to spend the Lantern Festival in Suzhou and then take a sea ship to go north to take the exam.
His family members in Nanjing were a little worried and questioned his itinerary. They said that the Bohai Sea would also freeze in winter, and if he went north during the Lantern Festival, the sea would not thaw before reaching Tianjin.
Fang Yizhi didn't think about this problem at first. After reading the reply from his family, he went to ask Shen Shuren.
Chen Shuren also smiled: "Brother Fang, your family is also very cautious. I didn't want to say more about this matter because of official confidentiality, but now that we are about to leave, Brother Fang is one of our own."
When Fang Yizhi heard this, he quickly humbly said: "Since it is a matter of confidentiality, it doesn't matter if you don't tell me. Brother Yu, I believe you. I am ashamed to say that it is my second aunt who is overly concerned. My grandfather was a Beijing official, and my aunt also lived in the north for many years, and she is quite popular. She understands geography, but she returned to the south and became a widow soon after her marriage, and she always talks and lectures us."
Fang Yizhi's three aunts, including his cousin, all married young and then died and their husbands were widowed. They were quite famous at the time and were regarded as "cannibals and benchmarks of feudal ethics."
The second aunt, Fang Weiyi, was also a famous female poet who was well-informed. Fang Yizhi often relied on her for education when he was a child.
Chen Shuren understood the concern of the elders of the Fang family, so he explained: "My aunt is not aware of this matter. The Bohai Sea is indeed frozen for more than two months in winter, but it is mainly in Tianjin and the shallow water along the Shandong coast. The area from western Liaoning to Shanhaiguan will not be frozen.
My father sent another secret message to His Majesty last month, imploring him to further adjust the way of transporting grain to the north - instead of transporting all the grain to Tongzhou and then to the capital for storage as usual, separate a part and transport it directly. Arrive in front of Shanhaiguan Army."
As Chen Shuren explained, he was afraid that Fang Yizhi would not understand, so he took out a sea chart and pointed:
"Brother Fang, please look at the map. In addition to self-sufficiency from local farms, a considerable part of the military rations for Shanhaiguan and the garrisons in various places in western Liaoning are distributed from the grain transported to the capital from the north.
When the canal was first used for water transportation, the canal only went as far as Tongzhou, so there was no choice but to unload the goods in Tongzhou and then transport them along the Bohai Sea or even overland to Shanhaiguan, which was extremely costly.
After my father raised funds for sea transportation, he checked the archives over the years and discovered that one of the biggest advantages of sea transportation is that the cost of transporting grain to places further north at the northernmost point of the Grand Canal is greatly reduced. The saving effect of this area is far greater than that of transportation. The part to the capital is several times more significant!
His Majesty read the memorial and thought it was reasonable. It was already secret. So this time we went north with the grain ship. In fact, we did not go straight to Tianjin, but we had to go to Shanhaiguan first to transport military grain to Wu Sangui. Then we turned back to the capital from western Liaoning.
If the weather is cold this year and the sea near Tianjin continues to thaw, it will only take a few days to return to the capital by land from Shanhaiguan to take the exam."
Fang Yizhi looked up along the map, and was impressed by the Shen family's father and son's plan.
The biggest disadvantage of canal shipping is that it ends when it reaches Beijing. For those border crossings further north than Beijing, the cost of food supply is very huge.
Although sea transportation cannot solve the transportation costs of inland border customs, it is very easy to go directly to Shanhaiguan.
Fang Yizhi thought about it and couldn't help but sigh: "What a pity! If Director Shen had taken charge of the water transportation ten or even twenty years earlier, the places outside the Western Liaoning Pass would not have given up because of the difficulties in transshipment! In the land of Liaodong, it is difficult to travel by land. The sea route is unimpeded. If the towns behind enemy lines in Liaodong had been able to maintain containment, how could slaves have been so rampant in recent years?"
This is one of the consequences of the Ming Dynasty that only paid attention to land and not to sea!
…
After arranging to go north to take the exam after the Lantern Festival and transport food, the 12th year of Chongzhen's reign was basically completed.
Shen Shuren went to Cao Zhende, followed the formal procedure and asked for leave, saying that he had to rush for the exam, and Cao Zhende did not make things difficult for him.
The day I asked for leave was already the 24th of the twelfth lunar month.
When he came out of the Hedao Yamen in Wuxian County, Shen Shuren felt a little empty in his heart. All he had to do was go home and spend the Spring Festival. There was nothing else to do.
It is already the coldest time of the year. The winter of the last year of Chongzhen was especially cold, and it snowed heavily in Suzhou.
The roads were covered with snow and it was difficult to travel, and no one was riding horses or traveling by car.
The Shen family is a family that transports water, so Shenshu people naturally took a boat down the Liuhe River and returned to Taicang via Kunshan. There was a charcoal stove in the cabin, boiling hot water to warm wine, and stews and barbecues for heating. It was so comfortable. , in sharp contrast to the bleak scene outside the ship.
The boat sailed for a long time, passing by Kunshan in the afternoon, and stopped for a while to rest.
Chen Shuren always felt that something was unsolved in his heart. When the boat stopped, he remembered that he had made a promise to Chen Yuanyuan, asking her to wait for him for half a year before the money for the reservation expired, and he would redeem her life.
A true man must not break his trust. If he doesn't redeem himself this time, he goes to the capital to take the exam after the New Year, and he has to be promoted. He doesn't know when he will be able to return to Suzhou.
Chen Shuren immediately ordered his follower Shen Fu to prepare some silver and some jewelry that he originally planned to give to his stepmother and aunts during the New Year, and asked a few capable servants with martial arts skills to follow them and go ashore to Lixiangyuan.
"Master Shen is here! Sister Yuanyuan is Master Shen here!"
He didn't show up for nearly half a year, and when he showed up he immediately attracted shouts from the girls in the courtyard.
Chen Shuren always gave a few taels of silver to any girl who was smiling and flattering. When he reached the door of Chen Yuanyuan's boudoir, he had already given away dozens of taels.
Anyway, I don’t come here very often, so I’ll try to make a good connection if I’m lucky enough once.
This also prevents anyone from standing in the way when he redeems Chen Yuanyuan's body. It is better to offend a gentleman than a villain.
Chen Shuren’s money was really not in vain. After he scattered dozens of taels, a girl soon informed him: “Mr. Shen, sister Yuanyuan was imprisoned by her mother for a while last month, and she was not given good food. To eat, there are leftovers from the night before.
At that time, you went to Luzhou to transport grain, and several powerful guests came to listen to music at night. Mom saw that you hadn't come to compliment Yuanyuan for a long time, and she was not popular anymore, so she wanted to force her to show her face more.
Sister Yuanyuan refused, and made it clear to the guests that her place has been reserved by you, Master. If she offended the guests, mother would punish her."
When Chen Shuren heard this, he immediately became angry. Although he had wrapped Chen Yuanyuan and left it hanging, he did have a mentality of not wanting to be blackmailed. He just hoped that Chen Yuanyuan would not become popular and his net worth would fall, but this did not mean that he wanted to Seeing Chen Yuanyuan suffer.
Since ancient times, in the opera house, a man wants to redeem a woman and escape. The more infatuated he is, the more likely he will be manipulated by the madam. If the woman is more infatuated, she can find a way to cooperate so that she does not become popular. The situation It will be much better.
Chen Shuren didn't have time to think too much and rushed into Chen Yuanyuan's room immediately. When Chen Yuanyuan saw him, her reaction was still a little sluggish, as if she couldn't believe it. It took a long time before she rushed over and hugged him for a long time, tears streaming down her face.
"Mr. Shen, you are here. The slave family has been listening to you these days, but if you don't come again, the slave family is afraid that you will forget about me." Chen Yuanyuan cried for a while and vented her emotions. Then she felt that her legs were a little weak and her legs were weak. Sit down slowly and fall to the ground.
Chen Shuren stopped her waist and prevented her from landing on the ground. He carried her to the bed domineeringly and snuggled her up. Then he rolled up her skirt and rubbed her calves.
"You have been sitting for too long without getting up, so your legs are numb. You are much thinner than six months ago. I haven't found a new woman in the past six months, but I do have a lawsuit, studies, and official duties, so there is nothing I can do. But today I will redeem your life later."
Chen Yuanyuan's face is still slightly rounded, more like Xue Baochai's style. History books say that she has a "beautiful and plump forehead", which means her face has full lines. However, she has lost a lot of weight after being alone for half a year, and she has a different charm than when we first met.
Chen Yuanyuan looked at him with a look that was a bit bewildered and she couldn't help but touch Shen Shuren's face, chest and broad shoulders repeatedly.
Chen Shuren's physical body was originally a playboy. After working hard for more than half a year, he lost at least thirty kilograms than before, and his muscle content also increased a lot.
Chen Yuanyuan fell in love with him. She originally thought that it was very rare for a woman from the Liyuan Garden to find a lover who was so obsessed with her that he would not hesitate to suffer from heatstroke. Now she found that the lover was much more handsome than before, so she was unexpectedly ecstatic.
After lingering for a long time, Chen Yuanyuan said quietly:
"The slave family is fine. The slave family knows that Mr. Shen is busy with business. I heard from the sisters that many of the guests who came recently are talking about the good deeds of Shen Dianli in preparing military supplies. Even Su's parents praised you for your ability. Officer. After hearing this, the slave family is also very happy."
While the two were talking, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open, and a beautiful middle-aged woman in her thirties entered the room with a flattering smile on her face, holding a fan and silk handkerchief:
"Hey, isn't this Mr. Shen? You haven't been here for almost half a year. You are really a rare visitor. Although Yuanyuan has not been groomed yet and cannot allow guests to stay overnight, Mr. Shen, you are finally destined to be with Yuanyuan and you are still so infatuated with me. I can’t bear to break you up..."
When Yuanyuan's adoptive mother Chen saw Shen Shuren, she had already lowered her head and showed weakness, trying to fool Shen Shuren.
But how could Shen Shuren let her have her wish? His face turned cold immediately, he placed Chen Yuanyuan firmly on the bed, got up and forced him over:
"We have signed a contract, and we have agreed that within half a year, as long as I don't come, Yuanyuan will not be allowed to sing on stage. But I have made it clear. You can wait to go to Kunshan County for trial tomorrow."
Ms. Chen was also frightened and felt quite embarrassed. Even though she was well-informed in this regard, she finally managed to explain with a smile: "Mr. Shen, I didn't intentionally violate the contract. Didn't I agree that you would keep her for half a year and let her stay here?" She showed up a lot at literati gatherings, but you spent two thousand taels of silver and walked away. I thought you didn't want her anymore..."
Chen Shuren interrupted directly: "Whether I want it or not is my business. Anyone who dares to provoke me into a lawsuit will never end well - you should have heard that my servant beat to death a man who was trying to buy a maid. I will go He made a trip to Nanjing without any injuries, went to the Imperial Academy, and donated his official position. If he fights with our Shen family, think clearly about the consequences."
When it comes to this matter, Mrs. Chen is fully aware that the Shen family is powerful. If she takes charge, she might be able to find other patrons to support her. However, in this case, Shen Shuren will not even take charge. There may be a chance of winning.
Her expression immediately dropped, and she wanted to return to her original point, so she quickly said:
"Mr. Shen, make atonement! I know I was wrong, and we don't dare to ask for ten thousand taels. Just give us five thousand taels, and we can take Yuanyuan away tonight, and we'll pay for it! Anyway, Yuanyuan didn't really give anything. Even if she refuses to sing a song, you have no loss."
Chen Shuren continued to sneer, and Mrs. Chen felt a hair in her heart. She gritted her teeth and explained: "You gave Yuanyuan Baochang half a year's worth of money before. Anyway, you didn't let her sing for a few times. At worst, it's not included in the five thousand taels. You Can you take her away if you give her another three thousand taels?"
After a run, Shen Shuren also realized that it was better to pay some money and go through the formal procedures to avoid trouble in the future. After pulling the strings, he paid two thousand taels of silver, burned the deed of sale, wrote another document, and took Chen Yuanyuan away. Already.
…
After all the formalities, it was already evening, the snow was getting heavier, and it was not suitable to take a night boat back to Taicang.
Chen Yuanyuan held Shen Shuren with her cold little hands and walked along the Liuhe River against the snow, which still felt a bit unreal.
She was sold to Lixiangyuan at a very young age and was trained by her adoptive mother, Mrs. Chen. Now that she is free, she is a little overwhelmed.
Although the weather was cold, she gasped greedily. It seemed that the cold wind mixed with white snow smelled better than the soft, sweet and fragrant fragrance in Lixiangyuan.
"Mr. Shen, shall we rest on the boat at the pier tonight?" she asked cautiously.
Chen Shuren tightened the girl's waist domineeringly: "You sleep on the boat, aren't you afraid of the cold?"
Chen Yuanyuan smiled coquettishly: "How could the Shen family's boat be cold? For a rich family like yours, there must be a stove burning in the car, let alone a boat. As long as Mr. Shen is willing to wrap himself up in the slave family, he won't even stay in a ruined temple with you. cold."
Chen Shuren smiled. He didn't want to be poisoned by carbon monoxide while sleeping in a cabin with a charcoal pot burning at night. Of course, he had to stay in a well-ventilated place.
"Let's go to the Shen Family Embroidery Village. How could I bear to keep you cold?" Shen Shuren said in a tone that left no room for doubt, and ordered the servants to get the carriages and horses and go to the Dong Family Embroidery Village to spend the night.
Who told the Shen family to have manors and villas in every county in Suzhou?
Chen Yuanyuan's eyes flashed, and she felt a little uneasy. After getting in the car, she dared to ask: "The Shen Family Embroidery Village...is it the original Dong Family Embroidery Village? Sister Xiaobai should have been ransomed by her husband a long time ago, right? She can now Well, you must be very favored by your husband."
Chen Shuren smiled openly:
"She works hard and is very honest. A few months ago, she was tinkering every day, and under my guidance, she invented the flying shuttle, which made a lot of money. I have rewarded her with her freedom, but she We no longer have any family members at home, so she voluntarily continued to follow me as a guest.
She has always been obsessed with your kindness, knowing that it was you who directed me to redeem her life, and she insists on not having an affair with me until you are out of the sea of misery. What’s more, she carried her mother’s filial piety before it expired, how could I force her? Doing such dirty and dirty things."