At the end of May of the 20th year of Chenghua, due to state affairs, Fang Yingwu said goodbye to his family, postponed his marriage again, and had to leave for the south. If it were placed in the 21st century, Fang Qinchen could have given a touching report on his advanced deeds.
The ones I brought with me were still Wang Ying and Fang Yingshi, one Wen and one Wu. They didn't feel it was hard to send them this time, and they were very eager to try.
First, they can go back to their hometown in Chun'an County, and they can go back as imperial envoys. The two of them have been following Fang Yingwu for many years, and they can be considered successful people in the mountain village. If they have the opportunity to return home in rich clothes, they can't help but show off.
In my mood, I just wish I could fly back and show off.
The second is that the imperial envoy is majestic, and being an imperial envoy's entourage is naturally better. It is much more refreshing than being in the capital where there are high-ranking officials and dignitaries everywhere. The things that should be a headache can be solved by a smart man like Brother Qiu. Zidu once said, those who work hard will be treated.
people.
In addition, according to the rules, imperial envoys were not allowed to bring women from their families with them when traveling, so Fang Yingwu had no choice but to give up his thoughts of secretly poaching Miss Sun from Wang Zhi.
According to the specific circumstances of this dispatch, the Pingren Department sent six subordinates. After agreeing on a time and gathering the subordinates, Fang Qin sent his delegation out of the city from Chongwen Gate and headed towards Tongzhou Zhangjiawan Pier. There is naturally a post station there.
Get the boat ready.
Since crossing, Fang Yingwu has walked back and forth twice between the north and the south, but this trip to the south is the most comfortable one. As an imperial envoy, he enjoys the treatment of Chiyi. There are stations along the way to take care of travel, accommodation, catering, and various stations.
Of course, I did not dare to neglect the imperial envoy, and the arrangements were made properly.
Some local officials who liked to socialize or were related to the Fang family also came forward to entertain them. Fang Yingying was able to socialize a few times, and both the host and the guest were very happy.
A month later we arrived at the Yangtze River. After crossing the river from Guazhou, we entered the boundary of Jiangnan. This is the boundary that Fang Yingwu was responsible for this time.
Then the enthusiasm of local officials suddenly increased tenfold and hundreds of times, and every county along the way was extremely hospitable. However, Imperial Envoy Fang changed his behavior when he was in Jiangbei. He only lived in inns in Jiangnan and refused to accept any invitations. Local officials
Not a single one was seen.
After a few days of this, I arrived in Suzhou and stayed at Xushuguan outside the city at night. This place is located at the heart of the canal and is one of the eight major customs in the world. There is a post station inside the pass. But after Fang Yingwu arrived, Xushuguan
When the meal was served, Ambassador Huang asked Fang Yingwu: "I dare to ask, is Fang Shiyi going to Suzhou City tomorrow?"
Fang Yingwu replied without hesitation: "If you don't want to enter the city, I will continue to take the boat south and go straight to Chun'an County without wasting time along the way."
Ambassador Huang hesitated for a moment and said hesitantly: "That's right. When Fang Shiyi passes by Fengqiao tomorrow, it's best not to show off or stop. Just pass quickly."
Fang Yingwu frowned and asked: "I don't quite understand what Guan Yin said. Is there something wrong here?" Ambassador Huang replied: "I learned that a group of scholars wanted to gather at Fengqiao by boat.
.To stop the imperial envoy from making noise."
Fang Yingwu was furious and slapped the table: "How dare this person do this!"
Ambassador Huang sighed, "I have been in Xushuguan for many years. I know that Suzhou scholars have always been famous for their arrogance, and there is strength in numbers. It is common for people to gather to make trouble. What is there to be afraid of? The local officials have to be kind to comfort them."
It’s better to be careful when picking up lost items.”
Fang Yingwu knew very well that what Huang Guanyin said was true. It was fine in the founding of the People's Republic of China, but in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the scholarly conduct of Jiangnan scholars was indeed such that there was no one in heaven or on earth who did not dare to criticize. Sometimes officials were besieged and became disgraced and had no choice but to
Consider yourself unlucky.
He glanced at Ambassador Huang a few times and said, "Thank you Huang Guanyin for reminding me. I have written this down. But why does this scholar want to surround me and make a noise?"
Ambassador Huang replied truthfully: "Your Majesty is responsible for supervising the food supply, so in their eyes, it is natural for them to loot and exploit the place. Suzhou has heavy taxes, and scholars have always complained a lot about the court. Your being ordered to supervise the food supply will naturally add fuel to the fire."
Fang Yingwu snorted coldly and said: "You have no regard for the king's laws and ignore the overall situation. How can you govern the country and bring peace to the world by studying like this!"
Such a high-level truth has nothing to do with Huang Anguo, a small ninth-level customs ambassador. He has fulfilled his duty of reminder and has received the gratitude of the imperial envoy, so he has completed his task.
Watching Ambassador Huang leave, Fang Yingwu was thoughtful. The behavior of this group of scholars reflected from a deep level that the "people" of Suzhou clearly did not welcome him.
First, as Huang Guanyin said, no one likes people who come to collect their own money; second, when my grandfather was engaged in tax reform in Suzhou, he was a dog-headed military advisor and trumpeter, and the big families in Suzhou had a bad impression;
Third, he is somewhat famous as Qingtian, and his grandfather is Wang Shu. Of course, such an "upright" official will be selfless in his work, which will make the big families in Jiangnan very "worried".
The fourth is that he has a bad relationship with Suzhou scholars. Not to mention Wang Hao, an old man like him, he just said that he was young and frivolous, and humiliated and suppressed outstanding representatives of the younger generation of Suzhou scholars...Wang Quan, Zhu Yunming
, Yang Xunji, and Du Mu were all trampled by him until they could no longer take care of themselves.
Of course, if this were not the case, I would not have been sent to Jiangnan as an imperial envoy... I knew that dispatching would be difficult, but I didn't expect that I had not officially entered Suzhou City and encountered difficulties after just passing by once.
After thinking about it, Fang Yingwu sighed. It was extremely unwise to argue with a group of people alone and in an away game. Therefore, if there is a traffic jam tomorrow, he would have to act according to the situation.
There was nothing to say all night, and the next day, Xushuguan arranged a boat for Envoy Fang Qin, and he arrived at the famous Fengqiao in less than half a day.
This is a transportation hub. From here, turn west to the direction of Suzhou City, and continue south along the canal. However, you can see that there are densely packed boats on the water here, and the goods are loaded with traffic. It is indeed the most prosperous place in the world.
!
As the imperial envoy's ship moved forward slowly, six or seven ships of various sizes suddenly left the shore and gradually surrounded the front and left of the imperial envoy's ship.
Wang Ying came out of the cabin and shouted: "Who among you dare to block the imperial envoy's vehicle!"
There was a scholar in a wide robe and long sleeves standing on the bow of the opposite boat, clasping his fists in salute, but his words were not very polite: "We are all Suzhou scholars, and I dare to ask a few words to the Imperial Envoy!"
Wang Ying had an angry look on his face and reprimanded him: "Where do you come from as a scholar who doesn't know the rules? How dare you ask questions to the imperial envoy? Why don't you get out of the way!"
There were two or three people on each of the six or seven ships. After hearing this, they all shouted together: "The hearts of Jiangnan scholars are here. The imperial envoy is hiding in the cabin. Don't you dare to come forward to see me!"
Wang Ying said sternly: "Say it again! Imperial envoys are different from ordinary officials. They patrol local areas on behalf of the emperor and the court. Their postures are noble and their etiquette is noble! You are just a scholar living in the city, so what qualifications do you have to make a noise here?"
It was okay if Wang Ying didn't say this, but when he said this, it obviously made these angry scholars blush even more.
Although what he said was not wrong, it seemed arrogant to say it at this time, and he did not take the scholars in front of him at all. What's more, those who dare to stop the officials here are mostly arrogant people. (
To be continued...)
ps: I encountered a ridiculous power outage, and I haven’t received a call yet, so I had to go out with my laptop and find a place to upload it. From today on, I will put aside all the chores and concentrate on typing!
