Mr. Xie continued: "There are forty-eight boatmen alone. When we docked earlier, I saw musicians on the boat. Some had rocks hanging on their waists, some had small drums hanging on their chests, and they were holding bamboo baskets, shengs, yus, and musical instruments.
Different.”
Hu Diquan knew nothing about musical instruments, "I don't even know what you are talking about."
Xie Fu explained: "These instruments are generally not played alone. From the instruments held by these people, it can be judged that there is a complete palace orchestra on the ship, with gold, stone, earth, leather, silk, bamboo, and wood."
Hu Diquan asked in confusion: "What does this have to do with us?"
Xie Fu said angrily: "You, this means that the people on the ship are mixed. Once people are mixed, we can hide easily."
Hu Diquan chuckled: "I don't care as much as you think. No matter what they do, we will hide in the ice cellar."
Xie Fu said with a smile: "Why did we get on the boat? To hide in the ice cellar. If you don't come out and walk around, how can you know where Zhang Lingluo's room is and how can you take away the hosta she is wearing on her head."
Hu Diquan said thoughtfully: "It makes sense." As he said something, he suddenly thought of something, "If she keeps wearing the hosta on her head, wouldn't we have no chance to take action?"
Xie Fu smiled and said: "You should always take it off when sleeping. Have you ever seen anyone wearing a hosta while sleeping?"
Hu Diquan chuckled, "I understand, let's start at midnight."
Xie Fu said: "That's not necessarily the case. Most ladies have the habit of taking a lunch break. If you find an opportunity, you can take advantage of it."
Hu Diquan's eyes were fascinated and he didn't know what he was thinking, but Xie Fu suddenly hit him and said, "Don't get lustful and miss the business."
Hu Diquan chuckled, "I have never in my life been so close to a lady like you, I couldn't help but..." Seeing Xie Fu's unhappy expression, he quickly changed his words: "Okay, don't say I don't want to."
Xie Fu said seriously: "If you can't help it, think about Aunt Wu." They are both men, so it is understandable.
When Hu Diquan thought of Aunt Wu's waist, he immediately sighed, "Don't talk about Aunt Wu, just keep talking."
"When I come out of the ice cellar, I will mingle with the musicians."
"Thank you, Fu, you don't know how to play an instrument."
Xie Fu said with a smile: "Have you never heard of Baiyu?" He didn't know how to play an instrument. He also studied court music deeply, but he was afraid of shocking Hu Diquan if he said it.
Hu Diquan shook his head and said, "I don't understand. It's really troublesome to talk to you scholars." Then he asked, "What about me?"
Xie Fu was silent, Hu Diquan was a bit more troublesome. Hu Diquan was too unconventional in length and very eye-catching, but he needed to find a corner where it was not easy for people to notice him. Look at him, he was tall and thick, his arms were strong, and he was able to paddle.
The job of boatman is quite suitable for him, but I don't know if he can fake his name.
Hu Diquan saw Fu Xie's expression of embarrassment and asked directly: "What's the problem? Just tell me."
Xie Fu smiled and said: "I asked you to pretend to be the boatman, can you do it?"
"Why are you pretending?"
Xie Fu said: "There are forty-eight boatmen, no more than one, no more than one."
Hu Diquan immediately showed a cruel look on his face, "I understand."
In order to be cautious, Xie Fu still warned: "When the time comes, you can find a way to knock one out and hide it in the ice cellar, but don't kill him."
Hu Diquan responded: "I understand."
Xie Fu continued: "Also, generally the more wealthy and famous people are, the more rules they have. As long as you temporarily curb your habit of talking and don't talk to others, even if you see your face next to you, it won't be too much."
Ask, I'll paddle you honestly, I'm sure you'll be fine."
Fu Xie was talking to Hu Diquan, but his eyes were always fixed on the giant ship wandering on the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal. Sure enough, it seemed that the lanterns were extinguished, and then turned on again after a while.
Hu Diquan asked: "Thank you, Fu, you haven't told me how to sneak onto the boat."
Xie Fu's mind was not here and he responded calmly: "This is simple."
Hu Diquan said in surprise: "Simple! Is it simple? I can't even think of it today."
Xie Fu came to his senses and smiled and said: "I'll just help you carry the vegetables onto the boat early tomorrow morning. Find a place to hide after we get on board."
After Hu Diquan heard this, he slapped his thigh hard, "Why didn't I think of such a simple question?" He looked at Fu Xie and said, "Fu Xie, if you do bad things, you are probably ten times more powerful than me.
Times."
Xie Fu said calmly: "Diquan, how much grease and white wax do you need to light these hundred basket lanterns and gauze lanterns for one night?"
Black pepper and white wax are as expensive as gold, but they are so squandered. These rich and famous people are really extravagant.
Take this white wax as an example. There are hundreds of white wax bugs. These larvae are as thin as ants, and their white feces are white wax. You can imagine how difficult it is to collect enough for one candle.
Hu Diquan responded: "I don't know, I only know that a lot of money will be burned in one night." Then he suddenly looked at Xie Fu, "Do you have any other ideas?"
Xie Fu smiled lightly and said: "Do you think that if this candle burns out, under this dark night, will this ship be completely black without the moon setting?"
Hu Diquan looked at Xie Fu in surprise and said quickly: "How can it be possible to burn it all? There must be enough grease and white wax on the ship."
Xie Fu said with a smile: "You don't like to do bad things, why are you so clumsy?"
Hu Diquan quickly smiled and said that everything was clear. It was not easy to get the hosta, and it was not easy to get rid of the fat and white wax on the boat.
"Go back and rest, we will do bad things tomorrow."
When he returned to the house, Xie Fu was not sleepy at all, sitting cross-legged and practicing.
…
The next morning, the two of them arrived at Panmen Pier early, but someone was earlier than them. The farmer butcher had already prepared baskets of fresh meat, fruits and vegetables on the river bank, waiting for the giant ship to dock when the moon was not setting.
Hu Diquan looked at the river. The river was covered with mist in the early morning, making it impossible to see far away.
Xie Fu naturally walked up to a dark-faced middle-aged peasant woman and chatted: "Auntie, who are you preparing these dishes for?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The middle-aged peasant woman glanced sideways at Xie Fu and said with a smile: "Of course it is for Miss Zhang's building boat."
Xie Fu asked again: "Are they the same for everyone else?"
"yes?"
"There is so much meat and vegetables, have you finished eating?"
"Why can't I finish it? All these things were eaten in one day. There are almost two hundred people on the boat."
Serving so many people, but only seeking pleasure for one or two nobles, this Zhang Lingluo, if she were his daughter, would definitely be spanked several times.
While chatting, in the dusk mist, a huge sail was first revealed, and a huge ship gradually became clear in the white mist, breaking through the water.
Hu Diquan was excited and lowered his voice: "It's coming, it's coming."
Compared to Hu Diquan's excitement, these farmers and butchers were not surprised. They began to prepare, picked up the poles, and tied the ropes.
The moon is slowly approaching the pier. Even though Xie Fu had already seen it from a distance yesterday, at this moment, his short-sightedness and the size of the moon still make him speechless. People are like ants in front of this big ship.
It is surrounded by brocade curtains, handrails on both sides, forty-eight orchids and osmanthus oars, a three-story pavilion with flying eaves, and wooden window lattice carved in the style of autumn leaves.
According to different lighting functions, there are green gauze lanterns, flower basket lanterns, and large lanterns as tall as a person hung around the pavilion. A rough estimate is that there may be more than a hundred lanterns.
If the hull structure is hidden, it is simply a huge building in the water, gorgeous and majestic.
Naturally, the size of this ship cannot be compared with that of a large ship carrying troops for combat, but in terms of the scale of a floating ship, it is indeed exaggerated.
When the moon didn't set and we docked, someone on the boat shouted, "Bring everything in."
Xie Fu and Hu Diquan immediately understood and approached the middle-aged peasant woman, "Auntie, come here, I will help you move up."
"No need, I..."
Before the middle-aged peasant woman finished speaking, Xie Fu and Hu Diquan were already carrying a basket of vegetables and following the others onto the boat.
The middle-aged peasant woman looked at the poles and ropes she had prepared and couldn't react for a moment, "This is too enthusiastic."
The two of them followed the others and were led by a middle-aged man into the cabin on the first floor.
When the two entered the cabin, they felt as if they were entering a mansion.
In addition to twenty or thirty rooms on the first floor of the cabin, there is also a pavilion corridor.
Xie Fu was more knowledgeable and thought to himself: "It seems that this moon never sets is modeled after Emperor Yang's dragon boat."
The dragon boat built by Emperor Yang at that time was forty feet high. The uppermost floor was equipped with the main hall, the inner hall, and the east and west chapels. There were 160 rooms on the second floor, all of which were decorated with splendor and splendor.
The moon never sets like a small dragon boat.
Xie Fu observed as he walked, and saw that the decoration of the room was ordinary. The first floor should be occupied by boatmen and people on the ship. So did Ling Luo live on the second or third floor.
Walking to the middle of the cabin, the space suddenly became brighter and wider. Two huge glazed windows on the left and right were pieced together for lighting. Although the space was large, the light was bright and sufficient. Although Fu Xie was not good at ship design, he secretly praised it.
A good design.
This place is probably similar to a courtyard atrium. A foot-wide staircase comes into view. The staircase is paved with red brocade. Two young maidservants are squatting, wiping away the dust and dirt on the steps step by step.
After passing the atrium and walking a few more steps, we arrived at the kitchen warehouse. This warehouse was connected to the kitchen without any partitions. Earlier, the two of them were thinking about hiding in the warehouse, but now it seems that this warehouse cannot be used at all.
Tibetan.
Under the command of the middle-aged man, everyone put down the vegetables and meat one after another. Hu Diquan had a look of urgency on his face and left after putting down the vegetables and meat.
But he hasn't found the ice cellar yet. He could just find a room and hide in it. If there's someone in the room, he might be trapped.
At this moment, Xie Fu secretly winked at Hu Diquan and pointed towards a closed room diagonally opposite the kitchen.
Hu Diquan immediately understood. What Xie Fu pointed out should be the vacant ice cellar on the ship.
The butcher and vegetable farmer put down the vegetables and meat and left one after another. At this time, Xie Fu deliberately stepped forward to chat with the middle-aged man. The purpose was to attract the middle-aged man's attention and give Hu Diquan time to hide.
"Uncle, are you in charge of this kitchen?"
The middle-aged man asked warily: "You don't know me?"