"Japanese pirates?!"
Hearing the reply from the bow of the boat, everyone looked at each other in shock.
Where is Yangzhou?
The center of the Jianghuai water network, with Grand Canal as its bloodline, has the advantage of being "the throat of water transportation and the hub of salt merchants". Grand Canal passes through the city, and there are twenty-four docks on both sides of the river. Day and night, it nourishes the prosperity and elegance of the city.
It can be said that it has a great reputation and is very well guarded.
Although they had heard that Japanese pirates were rampant along the coast before coming here, the fact that they could go deep into the blessed land and make such a big noise was beyond their expectations.
"Don't be in a hurry, speak slowly."
Li Yan stopped everyone and asked in a deep voice.
The bow of the boat took the water bowl and took a sip before taking a breath, "Those Japanese pirates came from the mouth of the Yangtze River. After landing at Nantong Langshan, they quickly plundered Rugao, Jingjiang and other places, and divided into three groups to approach Yangzhou."
"They were very familiar with the terrain and the imperial army's defense lines. They easily bypassed the encirclement and suppression, and set up a trap in the mountains. I heard that they used very terrible magic."
"Yangzhou Garrison Qianhu Hong Dai The reinforcements were ambushed and the entire army was wiped out. Emergency support was provided from other places. In order to prevent Japanese pirates from sneaking into the city, they set up checkpoints on both the water and land lines."
After hearing this, Lin Yu's face turned red, and he suddenly turned around and returned to the cabin, took off the linen cloth from Lin Yaozu's mouth, slapped him twice, and roared, "Does this matter have anything to do with you?!"
Lin Yaozu betrayed Lineage, resulting in the tragic death of countless Lin Family's children. Fatty Lin has long since lost any affection for this person, and only has hatred left.
If this was his fault, Lin Family is in for a disaster.
Poof!
Lin Yaozu spat out a mouth full of blood, looked at Lin Yu's fat face, and recalled how close the family was during the Chinese New Year when he was a child. He couldn't help but feel sad, and said in a trembling voice, "I don't know, I have already lost control over that person since I placed him in Jinling."
"They won't tell me what they did."
"You!"
Lin Yu was so angry that he was shaking all over, "Did you know that this is a serious crime of confiscating a family and exterminating a clan!"
Lin Yaozu's face was pale and he lowered his head and said nothing.
"Brother Lin, don't worry." Sha LiFei pressed his shoulders and said seriously, "No matter what happens, brothers will help you. Besides, Lin Family is also a victim. Let's solve this matter as soon as possible."
"You're right."
Wang Dao Xuan stroked his beard and said thoughtfully, "Jianmu Demon Man It is no small matter to engage in such a big battle. Pindao feels that it is better to report the matter immediately, which can not only attract the attention of the court, but also eliminate Lin Family's suspicion."
"It's just that Lin Family will suffer a lot after this incident."
Their original plan was to rush to Jinling immediately to uproot the demon before the situation escalated, so that Lin Family could avoid this disaster.
But now, in this situation, there must be a choice.
Lin Yu hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "The Daoist Master is right. If you report this matter, Lin Family may still have a chance to breathe."
"It's just that I need to find someone I can trust and act in secret. I'm afraid those monsters will jump over the wall and harm everyone in the Lin Family."
"That's natural."
Li Yan pondered for a moment and looked towards Yangzhou City in the distance, "The situation here is worse than imagined. We are new here and don't distinguish between friends and foes. It's better to be safe."
"Go to the city first and inquire about the news before we talk."
The plan was made and the ship moved on.
But at this time, the channel was congested, with ships almost sitting next to each other.
The most domineering canoes were the more than ten-foot-tall canoes, with their hulls painted vermilion and red paper saying "Smooth sailing" on their hatches. They were one after another, occupying nearly half of the waterway. During this period, there were also short and wide salt boats, their canvases dyed brittle by salt and frost, following the canoes.
Looking at the two groups talking slanderous words to each other, they are obviously from Jianghuai Road.
There are also many merchant ships passing by, with the words "Suzhou Prefecture", "Hangzhou Prefecture", "Huizhou Prefecture" written on the flags, even in the northern state capital.
But what is even more mind-numbing are those exquisite little awning boats. The boat ladies wear bamboo hats on their heads and shake oars with their hands. They make "yah, ah, ah, ah" sounds as they move between the big boats, like small fish swimming around.
They actually started a business on the river!
There are boatmen transporting supplies, and even boatmen selling breakfast. Yangzhou steamed buns are placed on wooden trays, and there are small stoves. When the steamer is opened, the steam is wrapped in the meat and the aroma is overflowing.
After much effort, the big ship docked at Dongguan Pier.
The springboard was set up on the bluestone revetment. Before everyone stepped on it, they heard the sound of water, voices, and chants mixed together.
The stone steps of the pier are layered one after another, from the riverside to the street. Each stone step has shallow marks worn by the boat ropes, glowing with a warm light.
The porters were bare-chested, carrying grain sacks on their shoulders, shouting "Hey yo", and moved to the shore step by step. The red seal of "Water Transport General Warehouse" on the sacks was slightly blurred by sweat and mist.
Next to the pier, there is a bluestone monument with the four characters "Dongguan Water Gate" engraved on it. The corner of the monument is covered with moss. I don't know how many years it has passed.
Of course, no one was in a hurry to get off the boat.
After all, Twelve Yuan Chen is not an ordinary person. Not to mention the terrifying Wu Ba and the extraordinary-looking Long Yan'er, the others also have a good temperament and are very eye-catching in the crowd.
Therefore, everyone unanimously agreed to stay on the ship instead of going to the inn in the city. Lin Family is a large ship with complete facilities and everything, including cooking.
Only Li Yan and Sha LiFei dressed up in disguise and followed Fatty Lin to the dock.
The pier was already bustling with activity.
But after turning into a street, the noise was even louder.
The street is about ten feet wide and can only accommodate two horse-drawn carriages running side by side. It is crowded with people and the bluestone road is shiny with treads. There are rows of rows on both sides of the street, banners are fluttering, and plaques are hung on the door faces. The words on the wooden plaques are either powerful or graceful, each with its own style.
Li Yan has extraordinary hearing, and the sounds from the street cannot help but penetrate into his ears.
On the left is a silk and satin shop with a signboard that reads "Wu Ji Brocade". The shopkeeper is from Suzhou and softly introduces to the guests. "This 'Xia Zi Yue Yun' is newly woven in Jiangnan. It shines with golden threads at night. It is loved by the wives of Yangzhou salt merchants..."
On the right is a tea shop, with dozens of tin cans placed behind the counter. The cans have red paper stickers with handwritten tea names such as "West Lake Longjing", "Wuyi Rock Tea" and "Liu'an Guapian".
Seemingly seeing Li Yan's gaze, the waiter setting up the tea stall at the door quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, come in and try my tea? We Yangzhou people drink tea and pay attention to 'tea in the morning and wine in the evening.' A pot of tea in the morning, accompanied by sesame cakes and steamed buns, can last half an hour..."
Li Yan waved his hand quickly, and the waiter immediately greeted other customers without forcing him.
Not only are there shops, there are also many small stalls on both sides of the street.
There is one selling "Linqing Kerchief". The handkerchief in the bamboo basket is embroidered with orchids and the stitches are fine...
There is a pedicure master carrying a load. One end of the load is a small stool and the other is a copper basin. The stool has a red paper with the words "Yangzhou Pedicure"...
There was also a storyteller who set up a small stage in front of the teahouse. When he woke up, he told the story about "Wu Song fights the tiger" in <Water Margin>. The audience was surrounded by children, including children standing on tiptoes and old men shaking cattail fans. There was endless laughter and cheers.
It is so prosperous that it is rare for Li Yan to travel all over the country.
Sha LiFei couldn't take his eyes off it and was amazed.
"This is Dongguan Street."
Fatty Lin introduced in a low voice, "Yangzhou is located on the water. The canal passes through the city. There are two water gates, 'Dongguan' and 'Nanguan'. They open at every hour and close at Shen Hour every day. All ships, salt ships, and merchant ships entering the city need to pass through the water gate day and night."
While they were talking, the three of them had already crossed the street and walked up the stone steps on the bank of the canal.
But on the canal, there were so many grain transport ships that it was impossible to see the end of the canal. Every once in a while, officers and soldiers holding bamboo poles would jump on board for inspection.
"Good guy, how much food does this cost..."
Sha LiFei was immediately dumbfounded.
Fatty Lin shook his head and said, "Yangzhou is the water transportation node of the imperial court, shouldering the important task of transporting water grains from the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers to supply the capital. This is still rare. Every year at the turn of spring and summer, water ships set off from the capitals of Jiangnan states, carrying rice, wheat, millet and other water grains through the canal to Yangzhou. The scene is really lively."
"Also, there are more than 60 warehouses in the city, such as 'Changping Granary' and 'Guangchu Granary', which can store millions of grains of grain. Therefore, people at that time said, 'If Yangzhou is safe, the water transportation will be connected, and if the water transportation is connected, the capital will be sufficient'."
Fatty Lin said this, naturally it is not without purpose.
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and immediately guessed the meaning. He whispered, "Brother Lin means that the target of those Japanese pirates is the granary in the city?"
"I just thought of it too."
Fatty Lin said with an ugly face, "I, Lin Family, started out as a grain merchant, and I am very familiar with these things. The celestial phenomena have changed this year, and famine is bound to occur in many places. If Yangzhou falls, and victims flood everywhere, and someone secretly instigates it, it will be a shocking disaster!"
Hearing this, Li Yan and Sha LiFei frowned at the same time.
Fatty Lin's guess is very possible, otherwise it would be difficult to explain why those Japanese pirates traveled thousands of miles and risked being surrounded to go to Yangzhou to cause trouble.
Looking at the guardsmen standing guard on the street, Li Yan said thoughtfully, "There are many smart people in the court. They must have thought of this, so they mobilized heavy troops to help."
"It doesn't matter, let's find someone to contact us first."
Fatty Lin nodded, led the two of them to continue moving forward, and pointed to several rivers connected to the canal. "The water network in Yangzhou City is dense, with tributaries crisscrossing it, such as the 'Little Qinhuai River' and 'Wen River', all connected with the Guanhe River. The Golden Swallow Gate branch mentioned by Yan XiaoGe should be on the Little Qinhuai River. It only opens in the evening. It's too eye-catching during the day, so let's go there later."
"Let's go, find a place to eat first."
With that said, the two modern people turned into an alley and came to a "Zhang's Ten-Fragrance Noodles" shop.
The shop is not big, with four square tables set up, all of which are full of people.
The shopkeeper is an old man from Yangzhou, with a loud voice. "Guests, would you like two bowls of mixed noodles? Do you want to add shredded bamboo shoots or shredded pork?"
"Full set, then make a pot of tea."
Fatty Lin is very familiar with this place. After saying hello, he took the two of them to the private room facing the window on the second floor. Looking at the lively scene outside the window, he sighed, "I was naughty when I was young. I often followed the shopkeepers everywhere secretly. Every time I went to Yangzhou, I would come to this small shop. The old shopkeeper probably passed away and the new guy didn't recognize me."
While he was talking, the waiter had already served three bowls of steaming noodles. They were covered with Sichuan Peppercorn, fennel, egg skin, and shredded bamboo shoots, and a ladle of hot soup was poured over them. The aroma was fragrant.
In addition, there are also some cold dishes such as crystal Crystal Meat.
Needless to say, Huaiyang Cuisine tastes good, and the craftsmanship of this small shop is also very good. In addition, the three of them were tired from the journey, and they were all gone in the blink of an eye.
As soon as I took a sip of tea, I heard the noise outside the window.
The three of them looked up and saw two salt boats colliding on the canal. The men on board all drew their swords and glared angrily, yelling and cursing, and soon took action.
Their body movements were very flexible, they were galloping and leaping on the boat as if they were walking on flat ground, and their sword skills were ruthless and deadly. In the blink of an eye, several people fell into the water dead, and the river surface was dyed red with blood.
Li Yan frowned, "This is...'Boat Boxing'?"
"Yan XiaoGe has good eyesight." Fatty Lin nodded in agreement.
Li Yan nodded and said, "I've heard of his name for a long time, but this is the first time I've seen him. It's really impressive."
Nanhu Boat Boxing, popular in the Nanhu Basin of Jiaxing, can be traced back to the Wuyue period of struggle for hegemony.
<JX City Chronicle> records. "The Yue people used oars as soldiers on the boats to practice stabbing skills." With the prosperity of water transport, Boat Boxing became a unique skill for bodyguards, emphasizing "the stakes are firm and the body is stable, and the hands are quick and agile".
Used on the bow of a square-inch ship, it seems to open and close, and it can rotate in place on its own axis. The weapons are mostly modified from water tools such as oars and harpoons, making it extremely suitable for water battles.
Of course, the three of them were just watching the excitement and were too lazy to get involved in these political affairs.
"Tsk tsk..."
Seeing the arriving officers and soldiers driving away the crowd, Sha LiFei shook his head slightly, "Fat man, are you familiar with the rivers and lakes here?"
"Know something."
Fatty Lin replied truthfully, "Apart from Cao Gang, Raft Sect, and Taihu Green Forest, there are also many Martial Arts Aristocratic Clan inheritances. For example, in Yangzhou City, the most famous one is Zhang's 'Martial Graduate Fist'."
"It is rumored that the Zhang family is the descendant of Tang Prime Minister Zhang Jiuling. Over the years, seven of the Three Dynasties have become martial arts scholars, creating the 'Zhang family Martial Graduate Fist', and their unique technique 'Seven Star Step' is famous in the world..."
"The people in Guangling are good at Wuqin Opera, and it is also very popular in Yangzhou. Many martial artists practice in the city in the morning and perform in the suburbs in the evening, just in this Dongguan Street area..."
"In addition, Yangzhou is the residence of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Department, and 'seven to eight out of ten salt merchants from all over the world gather in Yangzhou.' These salt merchants are the most wealthy in the world. They built many gardens of their own and paid a lot of money to hire various Martial Arts and Xuanmen masters to guard them."
"To be honest, with this power alone, it's a bit strange for Japanese pirates to dare to come."
Li Yan felt something in his heart and whispered, "I'm afraid it's not just Japanese pirates who are coming..."
After drinking a pot of tea, the sun finally sets in the west.
The setting sun shines through the bridge hole on the river, casting a golden scale.
The three of them immediately got up, hired a awning boat in the water alley next to Dongguan Street, and sailed into the Little Qinhuai River.
This place is naturally not as good as the real Qinhuai River, but it is a typical Jiangnan waterscape.
The river can only accommodate two boats running side by side. On both sides are residential houses with white walls and black tiles. There are stone revetments under the walls. Willows are planted on the banks. The willow branches hang down to the water. The night wind blows and makes the boat awnings rustle.
The boat moved slowly, and lanterns were lit one after another on both sides of the bank, making it seem like it was floating in a painting.
On the shore, there are women squatting on the bow of the boat, washing clothes, and the sound of wooden mallets beating the clothes is "bang bang". In the distance, there are also boat ladies singing a cappella Yangzhou tunes, which is intoxicating.
Sha LiFei said happily, "It doesn't look like there is a Japanese pirate attack..."
Fatty Lin shook his head and said solemnly, "Yangzhou has been at peace for a long time, and the people may not take it seriously."
While talking, the ship has arrived at the middle section of the Little Qinhuai River.
But I saw a three-story white building built near the river. Not only were there hung colorful silk lanterns, there was even a stage built near the water, and many awning boats were listening and watching below.
The plaque above the ebony door of the white building clearly reads "Qionghua Tower".
"We're here, right here." Fatty Lin quickly asked the boatman to stop.
"No rush."
However, Li Yan suddenly stopped the two people who wanted to go ashore, and thoughtfully asked the boatman in a low voice, "Old man, do the people in Yangzhou City like to keep cats?"
As soon as these words came out, Fatty Lin and Sha LiFei discovered that at some point, many cats had appeared densely on the street corners, willow trees, and even rooftops along the coast.
These cats have a lazy posture, but their large number makes people's hair stand on end...