(Several extra chapters mainly complete the endings of some characters.)
In March, the snow in Shandong has just melted away.
A man with a broken arm and gray temples rode a carriage to the Jiaoshui River.
There is a post station near the ferry, and it is a large station. If there is a typhoon near Shanghai, documents from Nanjing will enter Shandong through the canal and be sent to Liaodong via Dengzhou Port, and this post station is the only place to pass.
Of course, there are many storms in summer and autumn, and sea routes are often cut off. It is safer to go directly to Shanhaiguan.
Since it is an important road, it will naturally prosper.
There are inns next to the inn, and there are more than one.
Officials, businessmen, and scholars often stayed in guest rooms, while the caravan crewmen who escorted goods slept in cheap Datong shops.
"It's getting very late, let's check in the hotel first." The man with the broken arm paid the fare and said to the woman who was getting off the bus.
The woman was in her early thirties, wearing a hat with a veil hanging from the brim, covering her face tightly. She was holding a child in her hand, about ten years old, and was curiously observing the surrounding scenery.
This family of three has been hiding their names for many years, and even the government's wanted notices are no longer posted.
The man with a broken arm was none other than Li Huchong, the protagonist of the first major military smuggling case in the New Dynasty. Now he has changed his name to Mu Feiyu. His old comrades turned a blind eye and allowed him to hide in Shaanxi for nearly ten years. Now he is carrying fake documents.
I plan to go to sea and settle down in Luzon.
After glancing at the three inns, Li Huchong took his wife and children and walked straight towards the smallest one.
It was a two-story building with only seven or eight guest rooms, and there were no stables or other facilities.
"Among the three of you, please, do you want to be the top one, or do you want to stay in the hotel?" the store clerk greeted warmly.
Li Huchong said: "Stay one night and cross the river tomorrow."
The store clerk said: "Then you register first."
Li Huchong walked to the counter and said as he walked: "Fried two side dishes."
"Okay, let's fry two side dishes." The waiter called in and reached out to receive the gift. Li Huchong only handed over the big luggage, but the small luggage containing gold cakes was hung on his shoulders.
The one holding a writing brush at the counter was Wei Jianxiong, who had disappeared for many years.
Wei Jianxiong was already gray-haired. He and his wife had been looking for relatives for many years. After finding nothing, they actually opened a small inn by the Jiaoshui River.
Taking out the store calendar, Wei Jianxiong asked: "Does the guest have a ticket to guide you?"
"Yes." Li Huchong took out the fake documents.
The store calendar, also called the store book, must contain the identity information of hotel guests in detail so that it can be inspected by the government on a regular basis.
In ancient times, when staying in a hotel, you also had to check your “ID card”!
Wei Jianxiong glanced at the opponent's severed arm, then glanced at the calluses on his mouth, and asked casually: "Retired officer?"
Li Huchong said: "Retreat early."
"Then you are a veteran," Wei Jianxiong looked at the fake documents and smiled playfully, "Since you are a veteran of Datong, I will give you a 20% discount. Will you go to sea to join your relatives?"
Li Huchong said: "There is a nephew who got rich in Luzon. He wrote home and asked me to help him."
Wei Jianxiong quickly recorded the store calendar, handed back the fake documents, and warned in a low voice: "Don't cause trouble in my store. It's good for you and good for me."
Li Huchong's eyes narrowed and he stared at Wei Jianxiong for two seconds. Then he smiled and said: "The shopkeeper is joking. In this prosperous age of great harmony, how can there be bad people causing trouble for no reason?"
"I hope so." Wei Jianxiong also smiled.
Li Huchong took his wife and children upstairs and followed the waiter to the guest room.
After placing his luggage, Li Huchong sighed: "I was recognized."
Yang was surprised: "No way?"
Li Huchong said: "The shopkeeper has a good background. He is a practicing master. Moreover, he has probably met me before...where?" After thinking for a long time, Li Huchong's eyes widened and he whispered in a panic, "I
I remembered that I had seen him in Jiangxi, and His Majesty once called him Uncle! At that time, I asked Lao Huang where His Majesty’s uncle came from, and Lao Huang said that it was His Majesty’s master. His Majesty’s martial arts were all taught by this man!
"
Yang was so frightened that he trembled all over: "His Majesty's gun and stick teacher must be very powerful. Could he..."
Li Huchong comforted himself: "No, no, definitely not."
…
downstairs.
A child of six or seven years old, carrying a schoolbag, jumped up and down, ran into the inn and shouted: "Dad, I'm back!"
Wei Jianxiong suddenly smiled: "What did you learn today?"
The child said: "I learned subtraction and also learned two new words."
"Go to the backyard to find your mother." Wei Jianxiong said.
Seeing his son skipping away, Wei Jianxiong smiled even more happily. He has been a dog licker for half his life and still has a son with a goddess. What else could be happier than this?
Wei Jianxiong only hopes that he can live a long and healthy life until the day his son gets married and has children.
If his son fails to go to college in the future, Wei Jianxiong, who has never begged for help in his life, will most likely beg the emperor. He does not expect the emperor to break the rules, but there are many ways to get around it, such as letting his son learn foreign languages and then specially recruiting him to Honglu.
Become a diplomat.
Children rushed across the backyard, where Mrs. Chen was spinning.
Although Shandong, like Jiangnan, has already used steam engines extensively, folk women still like to spin and weave their own fabrics.
"Mom!" The child put down his schoolbag.
Mrs. Chen glanced at it and asked accusingly: "Did you go fishing in the river again on your way to school?"
The child denied it: "No."
Mrs. Chen said angrily: "Go and change your pants quickly, the legs of your pants are all wet."
"Oh." The child lowered his head and walked away.
There was a teenage maid next to her, who was packing her things and planning to go home from get off work. She smiled and said: "Madam, please don't be upset, the young master is very good at studying. No matter how playful you are now, you can be a high official when you grow up." .”
Chen said: "I don't ask him to be a high official. It would be good if he can live a peaceful life."
The maid's name is Lian'er, a nearby villager. She has been married for half a year and usually helps Mr. Chen with some housework.
Lian'er finished work and left the backyard, then went to the front store to say goodbye to Wei Jianxiong. Not far from the door of the inn, she heard a noise in the inn next door, and she ran over curiously to watch the excitement.
The innkeeper said: "Guests, the guest rooms are really full, and only Datongbu is still vacant. How about some of you go and ask next door?"
A follower slapped the counter and shouted: "How can you wrong my master in a small shop like this next door? Do you know what my master does? Let me tell you..."
"alright!"
The fat middle-aged man suddenly told his entourage to shut up: "Go to the next store and have a look."
The shopkeeper immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He finally figured it out. This group of people had a big background. They were middle-aged and fat, with seven or eight followers. The followers were armed, and they didn't look like businessmen. They almost used a knife just now.
This kind of person is definitely not easy to mess with.
A group of people went to Wei Jianxiong's shop. Lian'er was afraid that something would go wrong, so she hurried back and said, "Master, a group of aggressive customers are here. They don't look easy to talk to."
"I understand." Wei Jianxiong nodded.
The fat, middle-aged man had already walked into the inn. Wei Jianxiong was stunned for a moment, and the other party was also stunned when he saw him.
The entourage was still shouting: "Clean up the best room in your shop..."
"Shut up!" the fat middle-aged man yelled angrily.
Wei Jianxiong called the waiter: "Take out the vacant rooms."
The fat middle-aged man walked forward, bowed his hands and said, "Uncle Wei, long time no see."
Wei Jianxiong raised his hand and returned the greeting: "Master, please come to the backyard to talk."
Lian'er and the entourage stopped talking. It was obvious that they had met an acquaintance.
Of course, Fei Yuanjian is the fat middle-aged man. He had trouble with Zhao Han when he was studying, and he was one of the early civil servants who followed Zhao Han to conquer the world.
After being led to the backyard by Wei Jianxiong, Fei Yuanjian saw Mrs. Chen and respectfully saluted: "Mother!"
Mrs. Chen was overjoyed: "Sit down quickly, sit down quickly!"
Lian'er also came over and hurriedly went to bring water and tea.
The child leaned next to Chen curiously, wondering about the situation in front of him. Why did this big fat man call his mother mother?
Mrs. Chen said: "This is your brother, please call me brother."
The child shouted blankly: "Brother."
Fei Yuanjian's mood was a little complicated, but he was mostly happy. He smiled and took off his jade pendant: "I haven't prepared a meeting gift, so I'll give this to my little brother."
He is not Chen's biological child, but his biological mother left him alone when she died, so Chen is considered his mother in the legal sense. Now he has no other relatives except his wife and children, so having multiple "brothers" at this time is also a surprise to him.
Everyone was reminiscing about old times, and Wei Jianxiong asked: "Young Master..."
Fei Yuanjian interrupted: "Uncle Wei, don't call me young master."
"Ahem...then...are you going on business?" Wei Jianxiong felt a little awkward.
Fei Yuanjian said: "I have been recuperating at home for several years, and now I have finally recovered. I have been transferred to Xuantu Province to serve as the left-hand governor and also supervise the civil affairs of the Andong Protectorate."
With Fei Yuanjian's qualifications, he should have been appointed cabinet minister long ago.
However, his personal abilities are average, and he has been sick for many years and has become a fat man after being bedridden. Last year, he returned to Beijing to resume his duties, but could not find a suitable vacancy. This year, he was transferred to Xuantu Province first. After working for a few years, he could be transferred back to the central government.
.
His position is extremely powerful. He not only governs Xuantu Province (Jilin), but also supervises the civil affairs of the entire Heilongjiang region.
Fei Yuanjian currently does not have a title, but the emperor treated him well.
Prince Yi's Mansion in Jianchang, Jiangxi Province, covers an area of several hundred thousand square meters. Part of it was converted into primary and secondary schools, and part was converted into a court office. The remaining 50,000 square meters of gardens were all given to Fei Yuanjian as a private residence.
Moreover, there are mines in Jianchang Prefecture, and Fei Yuanjian has the right to operate a mine.
Although Jianchang is located in a remote place, with the large mansion and the mine, Fei Yuanjian can live a relatively comfortable life among the heroes of Conglong.
Wei Jianxiong asked: "Why not take a boat from Shanghai to Liaodong?"
Fei Yuanjian said: "I have a friend in Shandong, and I stopped by for a visit. Unexpectedly, I met Uncle Wei and my mother."
Mrs. Chen said with emotion: "If my sister knew something from me, she would be very happy to know that Brother Jian has such a promising future. The last time I went back to Qianshan, I heard that my sister's grave had been moved to Jianchang, and I never had the chance to pay homage.
.”
Fei Yuanjian said: "When I return to Beijing to report my work in a few years, I will also go to Jianchang to pay homage. My mother and Uncle Wei can go together."
"That's okay, that's okay." Mrs. Chen agreed. After all these years, the past grudges have long since faded away.
The next day, Fei Yuanjian set out to cross the river.
Li Huchong also took his wife and children on a boat. When he saw Fei Yuanjian, he was so frightened that he lowered his head and said nothing. When they arrived in Dengzhou, they were eager to find a boat to Luzon, so that they could live a normal life overseas.