Chapter 325 【324】Purchase the incense and fulfill the wish?!
early morning.
Quanzhou Port.
The salty smell of the sea mixed with the smell of the catch in the port, and the hustle and bustle of fishermen and traders could be heard everywhere in the port.
Everything looks the same as before.
Only Zhou Li'an in the crowd knew that hundreds of mighty fleets were approaching the shore in the distant sea.
He grasped the trend last night and traveled through time and space early this morning.
The great elder and Ku Mo, who had already been destined to be "Quanzhou Tong", went to invite Dong Chengfeng to "watch the ceremony".
The excuse used certainly has nothing to do with the triumphant return of Zheng He's fleet, but...
"Brother Zhou, what's so interesting about this fishing port? Haven't you been here many times before?"
Zhou Li'an smiled and said: "Old Dong, I want to eat fish."
Dong Chengfeng was confused: "If you want to eat fish, you can ask the boy to buy it. And I also know several fish shop owners. You have to tell me in advance that the freshest catch of the day will be delivered to your house."
"Yeah." Zhou Li'an said, "My choice feels different, and I have a feeling that something big happened on the dock today."
"A big thing? What a big thing." Dong Chengfeng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He always felt that Mr. Zhou was a bit nagging.
Where exactly "God" is, I can't say.
Probably because sometimes the aura he exudes makes people feel inexplicably heartbroken, and sometimes it makes people feel like a spring breeze...
When the two get along, he always controls the rhythm.
Dong Chengfeng thought, maybe this is the unique aura of overseas Chinese.
After all, living overseas in a foreign country requires you to be ruthless and ruthless, but also to have both sides.
Despite his youth, Dong Chengfeng knew in his heart that he was far inferior to Mr. Zhou.
"I always feel that the Western Imperial Envoy will arrive in Hong Kong today."
As soon as these words came out, Dong Chengfeng was stunned. Even the government officials were not sure about the return time of the Western fleet. How could there be any accuracy in maritime affairs?
Every now and then, eminent monks and Taoist priests would be invited to perform rituals to ensure the safe return of the ship.
Why do you feel that?
But seeing his determined look again made Dong Chengfeng's heart skip a beat...
If this guess is correct, wouldn't the two of them be able to grab a perfect spot to watch the ceremony at the fishing port pier?
Over the years, when the ship returns, there will be rewards for welcoming the villagers, and they will even send invitations to the reception banquet. If you can go to the main banquet and toast all the gentlemen with a glass of wine, your future will be bright.
If we had waited for the government office to notify the city, the pier would have been overcrowded.
But the next moment, he shook his fat head and big ears: "Don't be kidding me. If Brother Zhou can even guess this kind of thing, why not visit a temple, give lectures, and become a land god."
Phew.
After he finished speaking, the snow girl behind him couldn't help laughing.
Dong Chengfeng glanced sideways, his heart jumped again, and he silently said, "Don't look at anything inappropriate."
After getting along with each other for more than a month, he still couldn't get used to the beauty of this girl Si Nuo. How could such beauty be reduced to the mortal world?
Even though she was deliberately dressing up like a woman in the city, when she got closer, she couldn't hide her thrilling look.
"What are you laughing at, Miss Si Nuo?"
The snow girl said: "Maybe my young master is more powerful than the land gods."
"Go." Zhou Li'an chuckled and glanced at her.
Just when a few people were quarreling, exclamations suddenly came from the pier.
"Sail Shadow is the connection between Sail Shadow!"
"Oh my God, isn't it the imperial envoy returning?"
"Yes, yes, it must be!"
"Quickly, go upstairs and ring the bell and notify the government office!"
The unexpected situation occurred suddenly, and there was a sudden chaos on the pier, with figures running around everywhere.
At this moment, Dong Chengfeng was dumbfounded, with his chin hanging wide and five layers of flesh piled up.
Then I heard Miss Si Nuo chuckle: "How is it? Is my young master more powerful than the land gods?!"
It’s not up to Dong Chengfeng to say more.
When he came to his senses, he quickly sent the boy back and went to inform his friends from the Chamber of Commerce that he wanted to occupy a perfect viewing seat for all his friends.
Not long after, cars and horses were noisy at the pier, and people were buzzing.
The people in the city were the first to gather, followed by the officers and soldiers.
A site and access road were cleared, tables and chairs were moved in, and a high platform was built.
There are also fine wines, and the chickens and fish are arranged and put in place, waiting for the imperial envoy to land as soon as possible. They will be served with the wine to catch the wind and wash away the dust.
…
on board.
More than 20,000 officials and civilians in each boat formation were equally excited, and the bustling scene was even more lively than the people on the shore.
Today there is no ocean trade.
Not to mention the big food merchants who came from afar and the smugglers who had small fights with the people.
The Ming Dynasty's Western Fleet was the pioneer of the first ocean voyage in the true sense.
Therefore, no one can sympathize with their homesickness.
After wandering on the sea for dozens of months, I saw the customs and customs of various countries and the rare treasures, but they were not as intoxicating as the fragrance of a handful of soil in my hometown.
"Hahaha, I'm back, I'm finally back!"
"I miss my wife. I wonder if my baby still recognizes me as his father."
"When I come back this time, I won't leave. When my term of service is over, I will be rewarded with fertile land. I will build a big house, have a bunch of children, serve my parents, and live a good life."
On each ship, soldiers and civilians expressed their good thoughts, but even if they talked freely with the people on the left and right, their movements were not slow at all.
I just want to get to the shore as soon as possible and take a breath of the essence of the earth to replenish the soul floating on the sea.
Benedict——
The main ship's horn sounds.
Wang Jinghong hurriedly urged: "My dear little envoy, go change your clothes quickly and then go to the main ship to assemble and disembark."
"There is a reception ceremony on the shore. When you arrive in Quanzhou, you can taste the real delicacies of the Ming Dynasty, which are much more delicious than the pickled meat and dried vegetables on the ship."
Zhou Ruonan and Zhou Ruoyu didn't say much more, they only had full expectations and wanted to see the true appearance of Ming Dynasty.
They each went back to their rooms, changed out of the clothes sewn for them by the old woman in charge of housekeeping on the ship, and put on the "balanced suit" given by our Lord again.
When they came out, Wang Jinghong and other eunuchs also changed their official uniforms, and together they passed the second-class treasure ship as the bridge and headed for Zheng He's main ship.
At this moment, not only officials from the Ming Dynasty at all levels were in place, but also envoys from various Western countries had gathered. Like Zhou Ruonan and others, they were looking forward to seeing the grand scene of the most powerful country in the world.
Of course, Quanzhou Port is far inferior to the cities in the south of the Yangtze River;
But looking at the world today, it is also a giant city that can be ranked high.
Zheng He was in the first place and said to everyone: "This trip has gone through a lot of hardships. Zheng thanked the distinguished envoys from various countries for their trust in the Ming Dynasty, Zheng, and the more than 20,000 officials and people of the Western Fleet."
"After landing, Zheng decided to hold a grand banquet and drink with everyone to celebrate the success of the trip and to express his respect for the envoys from various countries."
"..."
He expresses his heart a lot and is very excited.
At this time, there was no need for Tongshi to translate anything. Everyone was in a state of agitation and could feel the same as Zheng He.
Then, he turned his attention to jumping fish.
Envoys from various countries knew the identities of those divine envoys, and they did not dare to neglect them even after several months of sailing.
However, Tiaoyu laughed it off and did not intend to make any limelight at this time.
A few days ago, he had a discussion with Zheng He...
In fact, Zheng He hinted many times that he hoped that the divine envoy could temporarily conceal his identity after landing to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After this voyage, Tiaoyu and others also knew what the so-called "trouble" was.
Envoys from various countries are often flattering, and they do not hesitate to treat them with heavy gifts and make friends with them.
At first they thought this was a manifestation of balanced glory.
But as time goes by, I feel more and more annoyed, and those who flatter me are mostly hypocritical and have no piety.
Only Malindi in East Africa, where all the people are bound by wooden bones, is truly balanced and devout in faith.
In addition, Tiaoyu also learned about the general situation of the Ming Dynasty court and system.
How to deal with the balance between the Qing Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty still needs to be discussed in the long term.
After several people discussed it, we came to the conclusion that this trip was just to comply with the divine will of our Lord and grant the secrets of gunpowder creation and other mysteries.
Whether Ming is willing to surrender to the balance is not the important point, and he feels relieved.
These few people, like Zhou Ruoyu and Zhou Ruonan, have the mentality of traveling to various countries and increasing their knowledge.
The people of Ming Dynasty were relieved when they saw the attitude of the divine envoy.
They are just afraid of overshadowing the guest and making it impossible for them to get off the stage. And who dares to offend the envoy of God?
Everything is ready.
Looking at the harbor, there were warships stationed in Quanzhou approaching to greet them. Zheng He immediately issued orders and passed the order flag...
Three first-class treasure ships entered the harbor, and the remaining ships were arranged in formation and stationed outside the harbor.
Ordinary officers and civilians on the fleet are not allowed to disembark.
On the one hand, it is to prevent the "special experience" of this trip to the West from being leaked;
For example, at Srivijaya Palembang Xuanwei Division, only supply ships delivered supplies, and they rested in the still waters near the harbor for a few days without unnecessary contact with them.
On the other hand, Quanzhou is only for transit.
The fleet will continue to go north by sea, with part of it docking at Liujiagang in Taicang, and the other part taking the Yangtze River to Nanjing, and delivering a host of Western goods and treasures from various countries to the capital.
Finally, the treasure ship went to Longjiang Bao Shipyard for repair and maintenance.
Every time the treasure ship traveled to the west, the treasure ship needed to undergo a tedious overhaul. This was the disadvantage of wooden ships, which was very costly.
As three treasure ships approach.
Cheers have begun on the shore, and firecrackers have been lit, making the smoke and dust billowing on the harbor pier, just like New Year's Eve.
Amidst the sound of firecrackers, the main treasure ship finally docked.
When the sampan was put down, a group of sergeants went ahead to maintain the imperial guard of honor. On both sides of the pier, there were loud gongs and drums, and lion dances were performed.
Immediately, several commanders and the general disembarked.
Tang Jing was about to take steps when he saw a short figure "swipe" out from beside him.
Not only Tang Jing was shocked.
Zheng He and others who were waiting to disembark from the boat were shocked. Wang Jinghong even slapped his thigh fiercely and shouted——
"not good!"
"Oh, my little lord, why can't he just wait a moment?"
"Tang Jing, what are you waiting for?"
"Quickly, get off the boat and protect the young man, lest the hozen rushes into him without opening his eyes!"
When everyone heard the shouting, their mouths twitched.
Now the little god makes you a master, and sometimes you are a little master...
In times of emergency, even "old people" came out, and only our Lord Wang Jinghong could shamelessly call them that.
Isn't it enough to call him "God's Envoy"?
Now that you are destroying the "title market", what should we call it?
Tang Jing also felt his head was heavy.
No one in this fleet can control Zhou Ruoyu;
Is Wang Jinghong still afraid that the hozen will collide with him?
Let’s make it clear, isn’t the so-called hozen Zhou Ruoyu himself?
Tang Jing did not dare to delay, so he rushed down quickly, shuttled through the honor guard several times, grabbed a collar with a "swish", and lifted the man up——
"Didn't you agree that you shouldn't mess around after landing?"
"God's envoys have a noble status. If something happens, how can we afford it?"
Zhou Ruoyu was too lazy to struggle, he just looked at the noisy wharf in front of him, completely infatuated...
"It's lively, it's so lively!"
"It's the same as Recovery Day and New Year..."
"Tang Jing, you said before that your Ming capital city is many times more prosperous than this place?"
"..."
Tang Jing didn't answer at all, and just stood aside with this guy in mind.
Later, Zheng He and others disembarked.
Behind them is a team of envoys from various countries, headed by Tiaoyu, Zhou Ruonan and others.
A disciple of Wang Jinghong also followed and introduced: "The person at the head is the Chief Secretary of Fujian, and next to him is the prefect of Quanzhou, and..."
Quanzhou is affiliated to the Chief Secretary of Fujian, and its headquarters is Fuzhou Prefecture.
Because of Zheng He's trip to the West, the imperial court ordered the Chief Secretary to participate in the political affairs and stay in Quanzhou in order to obtain news of the fleet's return as soon as possible.
When the two sides met, the sound of gongs and drums finally subsided, and when the last firecracker was extinguished, the pier suddenly became silent.
Only the faint hum of the crowd shook the air.
The greeting party, headed by the Chief Secretary of Fujian Province, bowed to Zheng He and others and saluted: "Xiaguan, together with the Chief Secretary of Fujian Province, the Quanzhou government office, Mancheng village gentry, fellow villagers and elders, congratulate the Imperial Envoy of the Ming Dynasty's Western Fleet on his triumphant return.
!!”
Following his lead, officials and crowds gathered at the harbor pier, all sending congratulatory messages——
"He Qin's envoy is making a triumphant return!!"
The crowd was loud and deafening.
Zheng He and others were blushing and felt that they were so honored that they couldn't help themselves.
Only at the next moment, a ceremonial official sang loudly——
"Put incense and offer sacrifices!!"
“I wish the Heavenly Concubine Mazu!!”
There was crackling, and the firecrackers were blasting again.
Just at this moment.
The crowd at the rear gave way and saw a dozen strong men walking slowly carrying a "Statue of Our Lady of the Concubine of Heaven" on a crossbar.
Finally, it landed on a high platform, where incense burners were placed and pig and sheep sacrifices were displayed.
Up to this moment.
Zheng He and others were stunned...
Everyone was happy and excited to finally return today, but amidst the ecstasy, there was obviously an oversight.
Anyone who does anything on the sea must believe in Mazu, the concubine of heaven, and pray for smooth wind and rain and a safe return.
Every time the teacher returns to the dynasty, it is normal to go to the pier to pay incense and pay his vows.
But the problem is...
They used to be able to do this, but not anymore!
When everyone was dumbfounded, the welcoming officials felt strange and sent incense as a reminder, and sang again: "Invite the imperial envoy, all the envoys, please offer incense to fulfill your vows..."
However, at this moment.
A roar came from behind——
"Let's see who dares!!!"
It wasn't anyone else, it was Zhou Ruoyu who took a few steps forward and shouted threats!
For a moment, everyone's eyes gathered.
Even Zheng He and others couldn't help but look askance.
And when they glanced at the faces of several divine envoys, they found that all of them were livid and angry.
Wang Jinghong responded the fastest.
He was shocked and said quickly: "Send this god... statue away, send it away quickly!"
Turning around again, he yelled and comforted: "What are you still doing here? Why don't you get on the boat immediately to ask for the statue?"
"Oh, my little ancestor, please be patient and don't be impatient, please be patient and don't be impatient..."
"It's not that they are ignorant and don't know the truth."
Wang Jinghong comforted him for a while, then came to the crowd again, pulling Zhou Ruonan to Zhou Ruoyu's side. He gritted his teeth and simply led the two of them to the officials.
Then he whispered: "Master Zheng, what do you think?"
Zheng He took a deep breath and knew that if he didn't express his position at this time, it would be a taboo.
Our Lord, the True God, has insight into all things in the world, how can he not know what is going on here?
I originally wanted to hide it, but now I can't hide it anymore.
If you offend the true God and cause divine punishment to come, there is no need to report the matter to the court gods. The Ming Dynasty is in danger!!
Zheng He bowed and said: "I respectfully invite the divine envoy to preside over the worship ceremony!"
As soon as the eunuch responded, the young eunuch also said the same thing.
"I sincerely invite the divine envoy to preside over the worship ceremony!"
Zhou Ruoyu was still holding his arms and feeling unhappy, and refused to look at them: "Humph!"
Zhou Ruonan took a deep breath and shook his head: "Forget it about hosting, but you have witnessed everything with me, so you should know the punishment for disobedience..."
"Let's go, Ruoyu, don't mess around!"
Zhou Ruoyu was still about to have an attack, but at this moment, he suddenly heard an angry scolding——
“…%￥#…”
At this moment, his whole body stiffened, his face turned pale, and he suddenly looked around, as if he was trapped in some great terror, and a chill ran down his back...
Zheng He and others were at a loss again.
Zhou Ruonan also said: "What's wrong with you?"
Zhou Ruoyu looked frightened and said tremblingly: "You, you didn't hear?"
"What did you hear?"
"Just, just..."
He still looked left and right, as if facing a formidable enemy.
But before he could tell the result, he heard a roll call coming from the ship——
"Please ask for the statue of our Lord's true body!"
"Please ask for the statue of our Lord's true body!"
Two young prisoners, one on the left and one on the right, disembarked from the boat carrying a wooden statue.
At this point, Zhou Ruonan didn't waste any time and quickly pulled Zhou Ruoyu back to his original position.
at the same time.
Zheng He and others also quickly backed down and placed the statue on the altar in full view of everyone.
More than a dozen eunuchs, the chief and deputy envoys of the young eunuch, knelt down together at this moment, led by Zheng He first——
"I returned safely from this trip, all because of the protection of Balance and Glory!"
"You all should join me in praising His holy name!"
A dozen people kowtowed to the statue together, their voices loud and clear, and they all said in unison——
