"Whether the guest is going to Anqing, Wuhu, Nanjing, Jiujiang, or Huguang, we have all the ships here."
"Come down, guest officer. The boat here will leave soon after it is full. Listen to me, it has not been peaceful recently. There are many people going down the river. If we delay for a while, the boat may be full today and we will have to wait again.
Tomorrow, I’ve missed a whole day’s schedule.”
"Young Master, I'd better tell you something plainly. If we Ya people didn't take you to the south of the Yangtze River, the passenger ship wouldn't dare to let you on board."
"The young master listens to the villain. The boat that the villain has brought to the young master has been running for decades in both Huguang and Nanjing. There will never be any trouble on the road..." A group of passenger boats were rowing around Leigang Pier in Wangjiang County.
Pang Yu and the others, with He Xianya leading the way, while Guo Fengyou kept pushing to prevent the teeth from getting too close.
After coming out of Susong, Pang Yu originally wanted to board the boat outside the city, pass through Wangjiang County via Leishui, and then transfer to Dajiang.
However, Susong was massacred. At that time, people were taboo about innocent souls. There were very few ships coming to Susong. They usually brought some funeral objects from Wangjiang River and left in a hurry after unloading the goods. They never dared to spend the night in Susong.
There are no boats in the afternoon.
Going south from Susong, a few miles out of the city, you will reach the Lei Pond. The Lei Pond is a vast mist with many fishing boats floating in it. If Chen Shifu had informed the people of Susong that day that they would be out of danger after entering the Lei Pond, these fishing boats could have saved thousands of people.
No passenger ship was found along the way, so Pang Yu and the others had to take their own carriage to Wangjiang and go east around Bohu. Bohu and Leichi half surrounded Susong, because they were getting closer to the river, and the water system along the way crisscrossed Tanghu.
It was dense and not suitable for military operations, so Wangjiang County was protected from the invasion of rogue bandits.
Guo Fengyou walked along this road when he captured his friend, and took a few people to Wangjiang County the next day. Most of the passenger ships going to Jiangnan were anchored at Leigang Ferry. When they arrived at Leigang Ferry in the afternoon, they encountered groups of Yaxing.
Leigang Ferry is not on the bank of the river, but on the bank of Leishui River, a tributary. Because it is located at the mouth of Leichi and Bohu, nearby grain, bamboo, wood, and medicinal materials all enter the Yangtze River through this place. It is an important port in Anqing.
After finally arriving at the riverside, Pang Yu glanced over and saw that there were various types of boats parked under the ferry. Most of them were two-masted canopies, with a total length of about nine feet and a head width of about a little over ten feet. There were large hoods and hoods on the hulls.
One each.
Pang Yu saw many ships of this type at the Shengtang Pier in Anqing. Pang Yu didn't know the specific specifications, but what he heard in Anqing that day was that this kind of flat-bottomed shallow ship transported grain, with a full load of up to two thousand shi.
.
There were many passenger ships and many inns on the shore. Pang Yu was not in a hurry to get on the ship. The people on the passenger ships surrounded the four people soliciting passengers. Pang Yu wanted to see the situation around the ferry, but he could not get away for a while.
He Xianya was yelling and pushing at the same time, but the Yaxing people did not retreat easily. Xu Lengzi walked at the end. Seeing that he was tall and strong, the Yaxing people did not dare to pull him, but they also crowded around him.
These Ya people have been active at the pier for a long time, and their eyes are first-class. They can tell at a glance that Pang Yu is the boss, and they all surround Pang Yu to persuade him.
A large group of Yaxing surrounded each other, fighting fiercely with each other, and some people stretched out their hands to pull Pang Yu, without any fear that all four of them were armed with swords.
Pang Yu didn't want to get entangled with these local snakes, so he said loudly to them, "Master, I am going to Dongliu. It's late today and I won't cross the river until tomorrow. Please come over tomorrow."
Upon hearing that they were going to Dongliu, the expressions of those Yaxing immediately changed and they all turned around and left, even cursing a few words in the process.
He Xianya wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked in surprise, "Where is Dongliu?
Why did they leave as soon as they heard it?"
"Crossing the river from Leigang is the eastward flow. The ferry fare is only a few pennies. They don't want to take the trouble."
"Second brother, how did you know about Dongliu?
I've never heard of it."
"Do your homework."
Pang Yu took out a book from his arms and handed it to He Xianya. He Xianya took a look and saw that it was the "Water Routes of the World". This book was also available in the fast class, but He Xianya only read a few nearby counties. At this time, most of the books were
People don't travel far. Many people in rural areas have never even been to the county town. Government officials only go to Anqing for work. Little is known about the south of the river.
"You can also take a look on the way. A man should have the world in mind."
Pang Yu pointed to an official office not far ahead, "Do you know where that place is?"
He Xianya and Guo Fengyou shook their heads at the same time.
"It's the official office of Leigang garrison."
Guo Fengyou said in surprise, "The official office is even recorded in this book?"
Pang Yu said proudly, "That's not true. I asked about it in Anqing. There is one guard here and two to three hundred sailors. There are no other official offices around, so this should be it.
There is also an inspection department here, but I haven’t found out where it is yet.”
Before he finished speaking, he saw several soldiers wearing fat jackets walking all the way this way, and the people around him and the porters all got out of the way.
When they passed by the four people, they looked up and down and saw that Pang Yu and others were carrying swords, but there were quite a few merchants carrying swords. They probably saw more of them. Although a few soldiers looked bad, they did not come to ask.
.
Pang Yu waited for them to pass by and said, "It's about two hundred miles from Jiujiang to Leigang, more than a hundred miles from Leigang to Anqing, and nearly a hundred miles down from Anqing is Congyang County. Leigang and Congyang are both within the jurisdiction of Anqing.
From Jiujiang to Songyang, with these four points, we can control the river surface for hundreds of miles."
He Xianya quickly remembered that Pang Yu seemed to be very interested in the river recently and was inquiring about everything along the river. He felt that he should spend more energy.
He Xianya flattered Pang Yu, "Second brother is so diligent, no wonder he knows everything."
"It's always right to have the information, so you can be confident when encountering problems."
After Pang Yu finished speaking with some satisfaction, he suddenly heard a scream from Xu Lengzi behind him.
"My money bag is gone!"
...Xu Lengzi drooped his head, and the four of them came out together. They were also squeezed in the middle by Ya Xing, but the other three did not lose their money bags, and he was the only one who disappeared.
Before this trip, Xu Lengzi had never been outside the confines of Tongcheng. He was a little excited when he knew he was going to Nanjing, but he was hit hard before he even boarded the ship.
He Xianya and Guo Fengyou were both fast-paced gangsters and were very familiar with these routines. The thief must have gotten into the gang and took advantage of the crowds to steal Xu Lengzi's money bag.
That's why they all covered their money bags with their hands just now, and Pang Yu did the same.
But even if he knew about it, he couldn't find the thief again. Fortunately, Pang Yu knew that Xu Lengzi was not safe, so the business trip expenses were not paid to Xu Lengzi.
I had no choice but to comfort Xu Lengzi. After a few people inspected the vicinity of Leigang, they returned to the port. At this time, the sun was turning to the west and there were fewer cruise ships. Sure enough, some passenger ships would not leave and they had already paid.
Those who board the ship will have to stay one more night on the ship.
Pang Yu didn't want to delay in Leigang. When he saw a ship about to leave the shore, it was probably a night ship, so he went to the ship and asked the price directly. The boatman didn't dare to pick it up, so Yaxing came over soon.
This ship is bound for Yangzhou and has to pass through Nanjing. Leigang is about 700 miles away from Nanjing. The fare charged by Yaxing is 170 Wen per person.
Naturally, the few of them did not bring so many copper coins. He Xianya bargained with Na Ya's shop, and finally settled the deal for 130 yuan. They also conducted some currency conversions. It took a lot of time, and the guests who had already boarded the ship were all urging them on.
After He Xianya paid the money and the boatman paid Yahang the interview fee, Pang Yu and the others finally boarded the boat.
The passenger ship they were on was a flat-bottomed shallow boat used by ordinary ship merchants. The ship merchants’ first consideration was not the ship regulations set by the imperial court, but the return on investment. At this time, the ship speed was slow, especially when returning from the lower reaches. They needed to be more careful.
Only with a large load capacity and enough load on a single trip can their income be guaranteed.
Therefore, ship dealers usually buy military-built ships, which are two feet longer and two feet wider than ordinary cannon ships. They can transport grain up to three thousand stones. The bottom warehouse is usually loaded with cargo. Passengers ride in the upper cabin, and the passenger cabin is at the front.
The second deck occupies the rear half of the deck, with a wooden roof built above it to protect it from wind and rain. At this time, there were already twenty or thirty people inside.
There were no stools inside, so everyone sat cross-legged. Because the boat trip was not short, they used their own luggage and clothes to cushion them underneath to find a comfortable position to rest.
Among the passengers were merchants, servants, Taoist priests, laborers and other people. Some fellow travelers were talking loudly to each other, the Taoist priests were telling fortunes to others, and they were also doing business during the boat ride. The cabin was crowded and noisy, and some people took off their clothes.
Shoes, the warehouse is filled with various smells.
Pang Yu had also seen this kind of scene before. Although he was mentally prepared, it was still a bit unbearable, so he had to sit at the warehouse door. It was very windy and difficult to sleep here, but the air was relatively fresh.
There were three or four shirtless boatmen on each side of the outer deck. The helmsman at the helm in the pheasant shed behind was giving instructions loudly. The boatmen were rowing neatly. The boat was slowly leaving the shore. A man was sitting on the top of the foremast.
Not a single hard sail was hoisted.
While it was still dark, the passenger ship entered the Yangtze River along the Thunder River. At this time, the wind direction was favorable, and the passenger ship went down the river. Pang Yu was sitting at the gate of the warehouse. The river surface was sparkling, the banks were green, and the river wind blew away the smell.
Pang Yu suddenly felt refreshed.
Several boatmen on the deck began to arrange the sail. This kind of hard sail is woven into pieces with strips of bamboo, and then sandwiched with bamboo strips. The entire sail is composed of more than ten long strips, which can be folded and stacked when not in use.
On the deck, this will not occupy much deck space, but the weight will be heavier than that of a soft sail.
The boatman on top of the pontoon lifted the pontoon rope, raised his head and shouted, "Shengtou pongluo!"
The boatmen below shouted in unison, "Yo...ha!"
The sails slowly rose, and every time the boatman lifted one, the boatmen on and off the boat shouted "Yoho!"
Pang Yu looked at it with a smile and whispered, "Jiang Tu."