Chapter nine hundred and twentieth giant ship official prestige
The three ships docked slowly at the dock, and Xu Bing, Liu Zhiwei and a group of people rushed to greet them.
When they came to the ship, they saw that a plank bridge had been built on the side, but Qian Zhixian was not in sight. Instead, a man who looked like a servant stepped off the ship and said to Xu and Liu: "Are you the officials who came to greet you? The magistrate has asked you to board the boat to pay homage,"
The two of them claimed to be so and boarded the ship on the bridge.
Xu Bing couldn't help but murmured in a low voice: "Since Mr. Qian has come to Nan'ao to take office, why doesn't he get off the boat and go to the county government office with us, but he asks us to get on the boat to worship him? Isn't it unnecessary?"
Liu Zhiwei said: "General Xu doesn't understand. The most important thing for an official is to establish official prestige. This magistrate of Qian County has just arrived in Nan'ao. He naturally wants to put on airs. It is also right for him to ask me to wait on the ship to meet him. ,"
Xu Bing curled his lips and said: "You civil servants are so weird, but our generals who lead troops to fight are not so particular."
Qian Baichuan was a fat man with a big belly. Xu and Liu got on the boat and entered the cabin. They saw him immediately. They announced their names and paid homage. Qian Baichuan just waved his hand casually. The official power was indeed not small. .
As the saying goes, "the first level of officialdom crushes people to death", not to mention that Qian County Magistrate has a great background. Although Xu Bing was a little disdainful, he did not dare to show it.
"This county went to Hangzhou to visit my uncle Min. When he was leaving, he personally assigned a boat to see us off, so we took the water route instead. But it took all the trouble for you to come to the dock to greet us," Qian Baichuan squinted his eyes and said leisurely, as if He is afraid that others will not know how big his backing is.
Xu Bing felt contempt in his heart and had no words. However, Liu Zhiwei was a well-rounded person. He held up his hands and greeted him: "It is our duty to come to greet the magistrate. It is not hard work for our subordinates. It is obvious that Min Gong sent such a high-level boat to escort him." I care and respect Mr. Qian, and if I want to get Mr. Qian to be promoted, it will be a matter of time."
Hearing this, Qian Baichuan felt very proud, but he waved his hands pretendingly: "This county has just taken office and has not achieved any achievements yet. How dare we talk about promotion? However, the ship sent by my uncle is indeed extraordinary. , this three-masted fortune ship is one of the largest ships in Zhejiang Province. Compared with the small boats of your navy in Guangdong Province, it is not the same. General Xu, have you ever seen Biben? Is the county ship a taller ship?"
Over the years, the Ming Dynasty's treasury has been depleted and military expenditures have been significantly reduced. There are indeed not many large ships left in the navy in Guangdong, and the three-masted fortune ship that Qian Zhixian is riding on has become a capital for him to show off his official power. .
Xu Bing could only respond: "This general is short-sighted and makes Master Qian laugh."
Qian Baichuan said: "It's not that General Xu has limited knowledge, but that the ship in this county is huge. It will definitely not be available in a small place like yours."
He laughed heartily, turned to Liu Zhiwei and said: "Master Liu, you have been working here for many years. How do you feel when you first come to this county? What are the customs and habits of Nan'ao and how is the local economy? Is there anything special about it?" How about introducing something to this county?"
Liu Zhiwei responded respectfully: "Yes, I have been serving as the clerk of the county government for ten years, and I know a thing or two about the local customs. Although Nan'ao is a bit remote, the people are simple and kind, and the place is It is also quite wealthy, and it is indeed a very good place. The former county magistrate, Mr. Huang Tingkai, has been in Nan'ao for eight years. When he was transferred, the gold and silver he brought with him was enough to load eighteen cars. As an official here, only There is something you need to pay attention to..."
As expected, Mr. Liu had been in the officialdom for many years. He knew very well what the new county magistrate was most concerned about. He aroused Qian Baichuan's interest with just a few words of introduction.
Xu Bing was not interested in what Liu Zhiwei said. His eyes wandered and he accidentally glanced out the window of the cabin. Suddenly his eyes widened and his mouth opened and he couldn't close it. His face was full of surprise.
He pointed out the window and said loudly: "Look, how, how, how can that ship be so big?"
Qian Baichuan was listening with interest when he was interrupted by Xu Bing's call. He couldn't help but feel unhappy and said: "There are big and small ships on the sea. Why should General Xu make a fuss? Can that ship be a ship from this county?" How big..."
Before he finished speaking, he followed Xu Bing's wishes and his eyes suddenly widened.
The wooden window on that side faced the open sea. Through the window, Qian Baichuan only saw a ship heading towards Nan'ao Port against the wind and waves. What surprised him was that the ship was so huge. Already.
The three-masted ship in Qianzhi County is about ten feet long, and the water on the side of the ship is about ten feet, which is not too small. However, the ship opposite is at least forty or fifty feet long, and the water on the side of the ship is as high as five feet, with a total of nine The mast was hung with more than twenty sails. In front of such a behemoth, his ship was just a small sampan.
A moment ago he was saying that it was impossible for a small place like South Australia to have a big ship, but now it seemed like a joke. He was the only one who had never seen the world.
In addition to being surprised, Qian Baichuan couldn't help but look a little embarrassed, saying: "This dynasty's 'Sea Ban Order' has been promulgated for many years, and people are not allowed to build large ships with more than two masts. This ship is so huge, with nine masts, it is a blatant violation." The imperial court issued a ban, Lord Liu, so he quickly sent a police officer to investigate who owns this ship. This county must punish the crime in accordance with the law."
Liu Zhiwei only said yes, but Xu Bing's face began to turn pale. He was a military general. Compared with civil servants like Qian Baichuan and Liu Zhiwei, he still had a little more eyesight. He could see that the huge ship on the sea was not an ordinary merchant ship carrying goods, but a warship. , the square windows arranged in layers on the side are clearly cannon holes. After such large holes, I am afraid that the Hongyi artillery that weighs more than several thousand kilograms will be installed.
There are hundreds of these cannon holes. If the opponent intends to attack, hundreds of Hongyi artillery can blast all three official ships of Qian Zhixian County into pieces with just one salvo.
No matter who owns this giant battleship, it is definitely not something they can mess with. Qian Baichuan treats a tiger like a sheep and wants to punish others for his crimes. He is simply reckless.
Just as Xu Bing was about to say something to dissuade him, Qian Baichuan suddenly said "Hey" and said, "What's going on there? Someone broke into the dock."
In order to welcome the new ship arriving in Renzhi County, the entire Nan'ao Pier has been cordoned off and ordinary fishermen are not allowed to enter. At this time, dozens of horsemen were seen galloping in from outside the pier. The guarding officers and soldiers actually ducked and gave way. Unexpectedly, Dare to stop.
Qian Baichuan's face darkened. Today, when he took office as a new official, he originally wanted to make a grand show in order to establish his official authority in South Australia, but he didn't expect that what he encountered turned out to be so unsatisfactory. The riders who broke into the dock There were both men and women, and judging by their attire, they were not officials, but just common people, and there were even two big long-haired dogs, one brown and one white.
Xu Bing looked at the dock and saw some clues. He said: "The people coming in over there seem to be Chai Dashan's family members. No wonder the soldiers didn't dare to stop them."
When Qian Baichuan heard this, he became even more angry and said: "What does Mr. Chai Dashan do? Could it be that he is not the prince of the dynasty? Even the officers and soldiers dare not stop him?"
Liu Zhiwei said: "Your Excellency, you don't know. Chai Dashan's name is Chai Lin. He is the richest squire in the local area and has great influence. Most of the various industries in Nan'ao Town are owned by his family. It is said that Chai Mansion He also has hundreds of disciples, all of whom are powerful men. What my subordinates just said you need to pay attention to when you are an official here is that you must not offend the Chai family."
Qian Baichuan slapped the table and glared: "What are you saying about Chai Dashan? He is just a country squire. Why can't he be punished? You must know that this county is the parent official of Nan'ao. Come on, go and force these people into the dock." Catch all the unruly people,"
Seeing Magistrate Qian getting angry, Xu Bing and Liu Zhiwei looked at each other with sad faces.
At this time, the group of people had already galloped to the wooden bridge on the shore. They reined in and jumped off their horses. Only one of them walked out and shouted loudly: "All the officers and soldiers in the dock, listen up. Today, I, the head of the Chai Mansion, are sending your nobles out to sea. Outsiders are not allowed to stay here. They should all leave the dock immediately. The three official ships parked on the shore are limited to leaving the shore within a quarter of an hour. Those who do not leave by then will bear the consequences."
Both Xu and Liu knew that the person who was shouting was Mr. Xie Er, the housekeeper of the Chai Mansion, and the head of the family, Chai Lin, was also chatting with a young man in white among the group of people.
Qian Baichuan was so angry that he trembled all over and stood up from his chair. Before he, the county magistrate, had time to act, the other party came to clear the place first, and even though he knew it was an official ship, he drove people away so blatantly, and his tone was so loud. Just like the king of heaven.
"Rebellion, these unruly people are really lawless," Qian Baichuan shouted, "Why are you two still standing here? Go out and call someone to arrest them all."
Liu Zhiwei stared outside the cabin and suddenly recognized who the young man in white next to Chai Lin was. His expression changed greatly and he said, "I can't catch you, Lord Magistrate. I can't catch these people."
Qian Baichuan said: "Why can't we catch him?"
Liu Zhiwei said: "That young man in white was arrested by Magistrate Huang back then, but he led a group of people into the courtroom and beat Mr. Huang to serious injuries. You cannot mess with such evil men. "
Qian Baichuan was startled when he openly beat the imperial official in court, and couldn't think straight for a while.
Xu Bing was also shocked when he heard this and said: "I heard that Mr. Huang was surrounded by a group of strongmen in the Yamen. He had to lie in bed for more than half a year before he could get off the ground. He also suffered from leg problems due to improper bone setting. The leader He seems to be called ‘Evil Dog Master’ Hua Bushi, could he be this person?”
Liu Zhiwei said: "That can still be false. Liu was in the Yamen at that time. Fortunately, he got under the desk in time and escaped. However, he could see clearly what happened. Even though more than six years had passed, he was determined to You won’t admit it,”