It took Zhang Jianxiu nearly half an hour to explain the Huya Mountain bandits clearly. It is not possible to elaborate on his general narrative based on historical research here, so I can only briefly explain it.
Unlike the broad and gentle Yangtze River in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Yangtze River is particularly steep in the Chuanjiang and Jingjiang stages. Therefore, boating in the Three Gorges has had two completely different experiences since ancient times.
One is the smoothness of going straight down the river. It is like "The white emperor's colorful clouds, thousands of miles of rivers and mountains are returned in one day. The apes on both sides of the bank can't stop crying, and the boat has passed the ten thousand mountains"; it is the "from Ba Gorge to Wu Gorge"
, just go down to Xiangyang and go to Luoyang with ease and ease.
The other kind is just the opposite. You can imagine how fast the water must be since it goes down so fast. At such a speed, paddling is just a dream. It's just taking one step forward and taking three steps back.
The boat can be pulled along little by little by trackers on both sides of the strait.
However, the terrain on both sides of the Three Gorges is changeable. Trackers can get off the boat to pull fiber on the tidal flats. However, in many river sections with steep cliffs on both sides, other methods can only be used. For example, many strong long poles will be prepared on the boat.
There is an iron hook at one end, and the trackers on the boat hook the long poles with hooks into the crevices of the cliff and pull it forward with difficulty.
If the wind is favorable, you can still set sail to borrow some wind power. If the wind is not favorable, you will be completely slow. (Data shows that even with favorable winds, it is impossible to sail against the current in the ancient Three Gorges solely by wind power.)
Therefore, since ancient times, the waterway from Sichuan to Sichuan has taken one day. If it were changed from Sichuan to Sichuan, it would probably not take ten days.
As a result, there are a large number of trackers around this section of the Yangtze River. These trackers make a living by pulling fiber. It is not only extremely difficult, but also very dangerous. If you are not careful, you may fall into the water. Although they usually have excellent water quality, they are not in the Three Gorges.
The water flow is not only rapid, but also has whirlpools and undercurrents everywhere. No matter how good the water quality is, there is no guarantee that you will survive falling into the water.
"The Yangtze River is thousands of miles long, but the danger lies in the Jingjiang River" refers to these situations.
Difficult living conditions always best train human beings' ability to cooperate. The trackers on both sides of the Three Gorges of the Ming Dynasty gradually spontaneously formed a certain organization, which was later called the Tracker Gang, also known as the Fiber Gang.
In the 39th year of Jiajing, exactly twenty years ago, a huge flood occurred in the Yangtze River Basin (historical facts are recorded in the records of Emperor Shizong). The Sichuan River, Hanjiang River, and Jiujiang River rose at the same time. The three rivers flooded abnormally, and all the counties and counties along the river were wiped out.
Very few dykes survive, and the affected area covers Jingzhou, Chengtian, Hanyang, Changde, Yuezhou and other prefectures in the Lianghu Plain.
Since then, the plains of the two lakes have experienced floods rising simultaneously in Sichuan and Han Dynasties every summer and autumn, and there has been no peace. The tens of thousands of taels of silver used to build embankments every year have been wasted, and the people in this area have begun to fall into the endless labor of building embankments to fight floods.
However, it is still inevitable to suffer the pain of drifting and drowning.
The life of the trackers became even more difficult. As a result, the fiber gang, which originally existed just to facilitate everyone to take business together and unify pricing, split.
Some people usually show themselves as trackers, but on days when there is no business, or when they can't support their families even if they have work, they start robbing houses on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The group of trackers is originally composed of extremely hard-working people. There are many physically strong people. Moreover, they are extremely organized and attach great importance to cooperation. Once they start to do evil, their combat effectiveness is not as good as those of the extremely bad guard soldiers.
Comparable?
Needless to say, the result was that the local government and the guards sent troops to annihilate them. If the troops were small, they would just deliver food. If the troops were large, they would have been reduced to pieces and the rightful owner could not be found. However, it was impossible to kill all the trackers.
Ah, otherwise, wouldn’t this main waterway be useless?
Therefore, for nearly twenty years, the Huyashanshui bandits split from the Xian Gang became more and more powerful, but they were unable to suppress them and the local government was helpless.
Recently, it is the autumn flood, and the trackers are also in the off-season. Naturally, the Huyashan water bandits have begun to go out in large numbers again, looting everywhere. This is where Zhang Jianxiu's warning comes from.
However, Zhang Jianxiu also said that he has no idea how many bandits there are in Huya Mountain. These people are not simple bandits. They are usually the worst people living on both sides of the river. Maybe there are only two or three thousand of them in total.
But there may be twenty or thirty thousand people... There are more than a hundred thousand trackers on both sides of the Yangtze River guarding the Yangtze River waterway for food!
After hearing this, Gao pragmatism was at a loss. No matter how much money he had, he couldn't solve this kind of problem. Unless he ordered all the mine guards and factory guards from Henan to be transferred, and two to three thousand people were gathered to go directly along the river by land.
Only by entering Sichuan at the speed of a tortoise can we ensure absolute safety. After all, the Xian Gang is just looking for money. If the two or three thousand armed servants don't bring a lot of money, they will definitely not mess with them.
But how is this possible? Not to mention the time and effort required, tofu has become as expensive as meat.
Gao Pingshi smiled bitterly and said, "So, we really have no choice but to take a detour?"
Liu Xin frowned and asked: "Since they are just asking for money, and I brought two hundred servants along the way, I shouldn't be regarded as a target by them, right?"
Zhang Jianxiu thought for a while and said: "During the autumn flood period, it is more difficult to sail against the current than usual. Large ships cannot go, and only medium-sized ships can be used at most. And Miss Liu takes two hundred servants, which requires at least three boats...
If we hire trackers, it would take more than a hundred people, and to be on the safe side we can even hire two hundred people."
Gao Pragmatic and Liu Xin looked at each other, somewhat confused about what Zhang Jianxiu meant.
Zhang Jianxiu also saw their doubts and explained: "Two hundred trackers is not a lot for the Fiber Gang, but it is still a big deal. In fact, the Fiber Gang is usually honest, and it only happens when there is really no way out.
Only then will you take a desperate risk. If Miss Liu is willing to hire so many trackers, the Fiber Gang might be willing to hang a string for you - this is the symbol of the Fiber Gang. If you hang a string, you will not be attacked by the Huya Mountain bandits."
Now Gao pragmatic understood what he heard and slapped his thigh: "Brother Zhang said this earlier and it's over? In the end, isn't this still a matter of money? How to buy this scorn rope? How big of a deal will they be willing to hang up?
"
Zhang Jianxiu shook his head in embarrassment and said: "This, brother, I don't know too much about it. I have to go to Jingnan Water Station to ask."
"Jingnan Water Station?" Gao Pragmatic was slightly startled: "Isn't this an official station of the imperial court?"
Zhang Jianxiu nodded and said: "Yes, it is an official post of the imperial court. From Jingzhou to Sichuan, if we only count the waterway from Jingzhou to Kuizhou, we have to start from Jingnan Water Post and pass through Liudian Water Post in Zhijiang County.
Fenglou Water Station, Huangniu Water Station in Lingzhou, Jianping Water Station in Guizhou, Bashan Water Station in Badong County, and then to Yongning Water Station in Kuizhou."
"The trackers in these fiber gangs all pick up work near these water stations. The trackers don't walk thousands of miles at a time. They only go to one water station for a section. Each section of the road is calculated separately, so if you want to ask about the price,
You have to go to Shuiyi."
Now Gao Pragmatic understood that the trackers' boating against the Three Gorges was also a relay race. Otherwise, the labor intensity would be too high and they would have to die of exhaustion on the way. However, is Shuiyi really just a gathering place for trackers? I'm afraid.
not necessarily.
Gao Pragmatic estimated that these water stations must be related to the Xian Gang, and they may be allies.
But he didn't plan to take care of this matter, otherwise the Huguang officialdom would regard him as a bandit.
At Gao Jianshi's insistence, Zhang Jianxiu personally took Gao Jianshi, Liu Xin and others to Jingnan Shuiyi to discuss matters. Only then did Gao Jianshi discover that the Jingzhou Zhang Mansion still had deep roots in Jingzhou itself.
When Zhang Juzheng first fell, he was "exempted from his job and held various positions, and returned to his hometown to live idle without being allowed to stay." That period must have been the most vulnerable period for the Zhang family in Jingzhou.
However, because Gao Jingshi sent his servants to escort Zhang Juzheng back to his hometown, this move caused many people who were speculative and charming to misunderstand, thinking that Zhang Juzheng's downfall had nothing to do with Gao Gong, and that Gao Gong might even be nostalgic for his old feelings. So the Zhang family did not
Suffered too much pressure.
Later, the three sons of the Zhang family won the Jinshi or the same Jinshi one after another, and the status of the Zhang family was established again. To a certain extent, it was better than the original history of "its rise was booming and its demise was sudden."
.
The postmasters of Jingnan Shuiyi and others were surprised when they heard that the fourth master of the Zhang family was coming in person, and hurriedly came out to greet him. They also heard that there was also a Guangxi patrol commissioner who was also coming, and everyone in Shuiyi hurriedly came to greet him.
Come out to greet.
When Gao pragmatic came to the water station, he realized that the water station in the south was really not comparable to the water station in the north.
This Jingnan Water Station is not in the city, but outside the southeast of Jingzhou City. It is only about five or six miles away from the city. It is said to be a Water Station. In fact, it not only has a large yard like a horse station, it can accommodate four to five hundred people.
There are many people (not counting officials, only servants), and there is also a rather large wharf - it can even be regarded as a river port.
Jingnan Shuiyi is located in Jingzhou, which is the main road of the Yangtze River waterway. As a rule, it should be equipped with "twenty ships", but the river port owned by Shuiyi now has at least 30 medium-sized and above ships parked, and even
There are also six large inland river boats. As for the small boats, Gao Pang is too lazy to count them. Anyway, there are at least dozens of them.
The horse post in the Ming Dynasty was short of horses for many years. It was not until the tribute was paid that the Beijing Chamber of Commerce purchased a large number of horses from right-wing Mongolia. This allowed the northern post to gradually reach the original number of horses. However, the southern post still had the shortage, but there was no shortage of horses.
What comes to mind is that Ma Yi is short of horses, but Shui Yi is not short of boats at all. The boats of Jingnan Shui Yi even exceed the standard!
Gao Pingshi was amazed, why is this?
This question didn't last long before it was answered, because after the Yi Cheng heard Zhang Jianxiu tell Gao Pragmatic, Liu Xin and others the purpose of their visit, he actually patted his chest and affirmed: "As long as the price is agreed upon and the rope is hung, the Three Gorges will be free."
It's dangerous!" Then he smiled and introduced the prices here, including boats, trackers, security, food and beverage supplies during the trip, etc. They all have different standards and different prices, and even said that entertainment activities - listening to music can be included
Whether it's a theater show or a brothel, they have everything you need, even rabbits and prostitutes, they can provide it!
Gao Pangshi was stunned when he heard this, while Liu Xin secretly spat and excused herself to go out.
Only Zhang Jianxiu looked like he was not surprised. He waved his hands and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Gao Zhizhi said that he is not going to Sichuan, but the Miss Liu who just wanted to join Sichuan. Miss Liu's identity is not simple. Maekawa Shuai Liu
Wei Ming Liu Zongrong is her father... Have you seen the two hundred servants outside? Those are the strongest "Japanese descendants" under Liu Zongrong. Don't say I didn't make it clear to you. If there are people from Huya Mountain
If a person makes a wrong decision, he may die without knowing why."
Although the Yi Cheng was taken aback, his expression remained unchanged and he kept saying: "Master Zhang Si, look at what you said, don't you know what kind of person I am? He is just the most honest small businessman.
How could you have such evil thoughts? Don’t worry about Misheng. A person like Miss Liu is such a big deal... Let’s do this. From Jingnan Shuiyi to Kuizhou, I will help you with all three of you.
Let's talk about it, a total of one thousand two hundred taels, what do you think?"
Gao Jianshi had almost no concept of money below ten thousand taels. Hearing this, his expression did not change, but Zhang Jianxiu's face darkened and he cursed: "Open your dog eyes and see clearly, your fourth master is not from Jingzhou, how dare you