Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty-Six Impressions of Yangzhou City Part 2
Yangzhou, which occupies the key intersection of canals and rivers, can definitely be called the convergence of all directions. There are many river ports and docks within tens of miles to the east and south of Yangzhou City (Jiangdu County). The Dongguan Ferry where Li You was moored is
It is one of them. Not far from the pier is Lijin Gate, the east gate of Yangzhou City.
The sky was getting dusk and the evening breeze was blowing. Master Li stood on the bow of the boat and admired the scenery at the ferry. The water was really dotted with rafts and oars, and all the way to the foot of the city, there were densely populated houses and every inch of land was worth a lot of money.
Zhang San got out of the back cabin and said: "Yangzhou City is a good place. From now on, it will be under the control of the master. Why not go and take a look first. It is also close to home, so there is no need to hurry up. Speaking of Qingtian Da in the storytelling
Everyone has to pay a private visit incognito in order to help the weak, eradicate violence and bring peace to the good."[]
Li You smiled and scolded: "What a tricky person! I see you are more energetic than me? Who wants to be the parent official?"
Zhang San patted his horse and said: "The master has face, so the little one is naturally happy for the master." With his crude knowledge, the local officials shouted "Bai Nuo", and cheered before going in and out, and the common people looked at the wind and bowed to each other wherever they went.
Officials in the capital are more prestigious and more prestigious. In Beijing, don't be surprised to see poor officials of the fifth and sixth grades going out to buy groceries in person.
Cui Jing also came out and said: "What Butler Zhang said has some truth. The proprietor is in Suzhou to keep the local atmosphere, and the weather in Beijing is very good, but when he arrives in Yangzhou, it is neither up to nor down. He goes out incognito to observe the folk customs, and it is good to know the people's sentiments. If he takes office
My movements will be restricted in the future, so I’m afraid it won’t be as convenient as it is now.”
When the two of them said this, Li You was also a little moved, and a sense of ownership of the ruling class emerged spontaneously - I am a herdsman for the emperor, so I should inspect my own territory!
In fact, the word "own territory" should be discounted greatly. The immediate superior of Yangzhou Prefect, who is in charge of three states and seven counties, is also based in Jiangdu County.
Not to mention that the super giant Lianghuai Capital Transfer Salt Transportation Department, which controls half of the world's salt industry, is also in the city. Although Emperor Gaozong vigorously increased the revenue during the ZTE, the Huai Salt Tax still accounts for ten percent of the imperial court's cash income.
More than 1% of the total, and it was also used as a temporary cash machine when the court had emergency needs.
However, when Mr. Li was in the capital, he was in the central position, and the number of high-ranking officials and dignitaries he dealt with was mind-numbing. He was still fighting with the prime ministers and ministers, and he was not defeated. He had been promoted by the imperial court, and suffered the imperial stick. He was proud of his reputation.
Habitually inflated, his horizons have been raised very high. Compared with when he entered Beijing, it has become another extreme. It has not been adjusted yet, and intentionally or unintentionally, all local officials below the third rank have been filtered out.
"Are you two looking for excuses to see this colorful world? Okay, let's have some fun tomorrow."
With the master's words, Zhang San jumped ashore with great agility and went to inquire about various market conditions from the locals.
By the early morning of the next day, Zhang San had planned a detailed route map and reported it. "What a coincidence, these days are around the Qingming Festival, and Yangzhou's customs of traveling are very popular. It is a good time. You can enter the city from the east gate, that is
From the most lively Dongguan Street, go straight for two or three miles to the famous Old City River. There is a pier there. Rent a boat and go north along the river and exit the city from Gongchenmen Water Gate. I heard that there is a guarantee in the northwest outside the city.
The garden scenery on both sides of the river is rare in the world. Turn west from the waterway and you can take a closer look."
Old City River? Bao'ao River? Where are these places? Li You was a little confused. In his impression of his previous life, Yangzhou's famous water systems should be called the Little Qinhuai River and Slender West Lake. Don't they still have these names now?
Three men and two women went ashore, leaving Han Zong to watch the ship. After passing through the Lijin Gate, which was three to four feet long, a light came into view. Sure enough, they saw a long street leading from east to west, with neat shops on both sides. There was a constant flow of people on the street.
However, Mr. Li and his party were either from Suzhou or the capital, and were not very new to this kind of commercial street. Therefore, they did not stop to look at the strange things and just moved forward.
But it’s not without its rewards... He’s afraid of being serious in everything. Li You, who is extremely meticulous when he takes things seriously, asked Cui Jingdao: “Have you seen anything after passing this street?”
Cui Jing expressed his confusion and didn't know why the proprietor asked.
"There are many women." Li You said with emotion: "Compared with other places, there are the most women on the streets of Yangzhou, and they speak and act calmly and do not shy away from others. This can give us a glimpse of the local customs."
Hearing this, Cui Jing and Zhang San turned around and looked carefully, and suddenly said, "It's really so." They immediately admired Master Li, a female idol who was popular all over the country, and fell into admiration.
Xiaozhu muttered: "Master is so lustful! He looks at women wherever he goes."
"What does a little maid know about the subtle things?" Mr. Li quickly entered the state of the county magistrate, and sighed worriedly: "Hey! Women's weaving is prevalent in the south and north of the Yangtze River. Where can there be no women workers when the cock crows?
Therefore, the land of Wu is densely covered with armor all over the world. But I am a lazy woman in the city of Yangzhou. I live in peace and contentment and have nothing to do. Once things change and I am trapped in poverty, I will have a long way to go to educate."
Cui Jing held back a word and said, "If there weren't such a lustful man like you, the proprietor, how could there be a woman who doesn't practice women's work?"
Without further ado, after walking for less than three miles, a narrow and slender north-south river lay in front of us, dividing the city of Yangzhou into two, but there was another city wall on the other side of the river.
Cui Jing pointed to the city wall and said: "According to the book, Yangzhou City has two parts, the old city in the west and the new city in the east. The old city and the new city are bounded by the old east city and the old moat. This city wall is approximately
The east wall of the old city, and this river is the old moat."
The old moat is clearly the Little Qinhuai River... Li You looked into the distance. There were many buildings on both sides of the river, and he was certain in his heart that this was probably the Little Qinhuai River that he often heard about in his previous life. There probably wouldn't be a second one in Yangzhou City.
This style of creek.
Zhang San went to find a clean boat, agreed on the price, and asked Li You to get on the boat.
The boatman first asked the guest if he wanted to invite prostitutes to join the fun, but Li You refused. In the past, he might have called seven or eight prostitutes to have a good time, but now he has become a bit more stable. Moreover,
The concubine, Mrs. Cheng, is by her side, and it is very inappropriate to mingle with a prostitute's family.
Before leaving the city, there was not much scenery to see, so Li You asked the old boatman about local things in Yangzhou.
The boatman only said that he was a stranger from outside and was just curious, but he answered all his questions.
"There are 100,000 or 200,000 people in Yangzhou City, and 78/10 of them live in exile. I'm afraid even 20/10 of the local natives are gone."
"In Yangzhou, most of the salt merchants are from Huizhou, and 10% of them are Western merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi. There are twenty or thirty large ones, and it's hard to count the small and medium ones. There are always three hundred, and the whole city will probably point them out.
Eat at these three hundred houses."
"No one knows how much money they make, but I heard that the largest ones earn at least 100,000 yuan in silver every year from the salt industry alone, not counting other businesses."
"Jiangdu County? I haven't heard much about it. The largest yamen in the city is the Salt Transportation Department. If anything happens, the salt merchants will send money and the government yamen will send out missions. By the way, Hua Fang, the villain, is registered in the county."
"Of course, we have to register and register. We have 200 to 300 boats in Yangzhou, and the twelve piers inside and outside the city are not enough to stop. When he was appointed magistrate, he made a register to limit the number of residents. There is no news about anything else he has done.
"
Since the water gate left the North City, the scenery on both sides of the river has gradually changed. This boat is a cheap four-pillar style boat with a simple structure, but the sight is very good. Looking around the water, all you can see are green willow leaves, as green as a smoke cage; peach blossoms are red and colorful.
Among the high hills and flat hills, among the long ponds and lush grass, there are various gardens and gardens. They are suitable for the location and are located near the water. They have different styles and styles. It is like a person swimming in the middle of a painting. It is a continuous and beautiful scenery. It is
The two embankments are covered with flowers and willows, all along the water, and all the way up are the terraces and the mountains.
It is the season of spring and flowers are blooming, and tourists are constantly on the road. Boats are not closed, cars are not curtained, and ladies are everywhere. Some have flowers on their sideburns or hairpins, and everyone has a peach blossom look on their face.
Xiaozhu lay on the side of the boat and looked at the large gold-lacquered and jade-carved boat next to him, and said curiously: "Everyone of the ladies here wears flowers, it's so interesting."
Li You, who is gorgeously dressed and handsome, is sitting lazily by the side of the boat. His human appearance is like a shadow in the water, and he is holding a beautiful man posing in the water, with a jade tree facing the wind. He is not idle, and is acting as a tour guide with Miss Cheng, a northerner.
Chatting, "Yangzhou is said to be located in the north of the Yangtze River, but the water, land and people are similar to those in the south of the Yangtze River. Everything is similar to the south of the Yangtze River, but it is often regarded as a city in the south of the Yangtze River..."
In the middle of speaking, Li You suddenly felt his head being hit lightly, and then a bunch of flowers fell from his head to his hand, with a faint fragrance.
Who is this littering? Li You was furious and turned around to look, only to see several beautiful women sitting together in a painting boat about ten feet away, lowering their heads and eating and smiling. Everyone was wearing hairpins.
.Among them, only the young lady wearing a goose-yellow shirt and combing her hair in a double-flying swallow style has no flowers on her head. This is probably her "malignant hand".
This was being teased... Of course Li You would not lose his temper in such a disgraceful manner, he shook his head and continued talking to Mrs. Cheng. Who said that the little lady was mediocre in appearance, and Li Mingshi, who had practiced to the point of being extremely beautiful and indifferent, was naturally too lazy to respond to her, but
It made the other side "passionate gradually become ruthless".
"I originally heard that you were drunk and leaning on the leaning bridge on the Jiangnan No. 1, with red sleeves and red sleeves all over the building. It is indeed true. I wonder how elegant it is to laugh and dance and sing wildly for forty years, enjoying yourself among flowers and sleeping in the middle of the moon?" Mrs. Cheng's eyes were twinkling.
The light of adoration speaks to my husband.
When Li You was satisfied with this, he could only reminisce and say: "Several famous people are gone, they are all gone!"
This is not something that goes against one's will. When he becomes a Zhengyin parent official in the future, he must pay attention to personal integrity and dignity. There is nothing wrong with occasionally having fun when socializing, but he cannot be as dissolute as before, unless he is determined to be an official.
Senior Du's "Yangzhou dream of sleeping in ten years and winning the reputation of a brothel" is admired by everyone, but the implication is the sadness of not being promoted for ten years. Don't forget that there is also a sentence before it, "the down and out rivers and lakes carry wine shops".
In a blink of an eye, he caught a glimpse of the shore in front of him covered in red and colorful brocades, and fluttering brocade. Li You asked the boatman: "Where is that place?"
"The property of Mr. Jin, a big businessman in Huizhou, has recently built a new garden by the water. There will probably be a cultural gathering to celebrate today. Literati and celebrities will gather here. Speaking of which, Mr. Jin is the largest salt merchant as mentioned by the villain just now.
One of the few.”
"Oh?" Li You made up his mind to see the great salt merchants and local literati, so he ordered: "You stop at the shore, I will go and take a look."
The boatman then docked, and Li You asked everyone else to stay on the boat, and he went ashore alone and walked inward along a path among the lush grass.