The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

Seeing this, Xue Zhiwen immediately stretched out his arms and hugged Xue Pan into his arms.Rubbing down the neck continuously, after half a day, he sighed with emotion: "It took three or four years to go here. When I go back to the original place, I just feel like I have had a big dream. So-so. Great to see you again."

When Xue Pan heard this, his eyes turned red with excitement.

Xue Zhizhang pulled Xue Pan to him and looked at him carefully for a long while, then sighed in disbelief: "Pan'er, you were only 15 years old when I left, and you were about to reach my chest. It's only been more than four years, and Pan'er unexpectedly The tall one is as tall as the second uncle. It's really... time is not forgiving!"

Xue Pan hooked the corners of his lips, and said with a light smile, "It's not just me, let's go home later, I'm afraid Er Bo won't dare to recognize Xue Biao and Sister Baoqin when he sees them."

That pair of brothers and sisters has now grown into a big boy and a big girl.Especially Baoqin, since the ceremony of playing and Jiji, it has become better and better.With the background of the Xue family of the imperial merchant, and the beauty and beauty of the country, the people who came to the door to say goodbye during this period of time were one after another.Naturally, there are some who have good conditions, but Xue Zhiwen, the father, has no news, and her mother is a stickler for Jinling, and Madam Xue, the aunt, can't wait to bring Bao Qin's marriage over.

When Xue Zhiwen thought of his two children, he couldn't help but sigh twice in a trance, feeling extremely embarrassed.

It has been a full four years since Xue Zhiwen took two of the most experienced caravans from the Ryukyu area to explore the New World in the first year of Tianqi.

In four years, Xue Pan, who was a white and tender little bun, has grown into a handsome young man with a slender figure and well-proportioned limbs.It also allowed the immature prince Tuzhen to grow into wise and wise.An ambitious king.Let Xue Biao, a young businessman, turn into a fifth-rank household official, and let the innocent Xue Baoqin become a calm lady.In the past four years, Zhiwen Xue has been absent from many important occasions, and Zhiwen Xue did not participate in those pasts when he grew up.But anyway, he finally came back.

Xue Pan sighed softly, looked at Xue Zhiwen's weather-beaten face, and said softly, "Second Uncle, you are finally home. After all these years, you must have suffered a lot, right?"

Seeing this, Xue Zhiwen couldn't help smiling complacently.He reached out and patted Xue Pan on the shoulder, and said proudly: "Even if it is hard work, it is worth it. According to the accurate measurement of the map of Wan Guokun, the second uncle finally found that new land. This is really God's blessing, The emperor's grace is mighty!"

Xue Pan's eyes lit up when he heard the words, and he blurted out, "Really?"

Xue Zhiwen couldn't hide his pride and nod, and smiled at Xue Pan: "Of course it's true. Although we went a lot of wrong ways by mistake, we finally found the right place. It was a The land is very different from the scenery of our Dayong Dynasty. The vegetation and animals there are not the same as everything in our Dayong Dynasty. Our caravan stayed there for more than two months, and the surveyors brought with them were also different. There is no way to measure the entire land accurately, so we had no choice but to come back first. But in order to prove that we have indeed been to that land, we also brought a lot of local vegetation, animals, gold and silver treasures, etc. when we came back. Some are the people of the local tribes, and the tribes representing them have returned with us. They will submit to His Majesty after entering the city."

"It's great." Xue Pan subconsciously turned his head and glanced at Tu Zhen. He approached Tu Zhen in three steps and two steps, and raised his eyebrows proudly and said with a smile: "Congratulations to your majesty for creating an incomparable achievement. Your majesty will become a martial artist and rule the world." .”

Tu Zhen shook his head with a broken smile, stretched out his hand and patted Xue Pan on the head, and said with a doting smile, "Congratulations too, you have the capital to flaunt your might and domineering power again."

"I have always been a law-abiding, gentle and good citizen." Xue Pan frowned, disapprovingly refuted Tu Zhen's words, and said: "The empress dowager's family is the real one who flaunts power and is domineering. Relying on the palace The Empress Dowager and Empress supported them, and they were so public that they hardly knew their surnames. Not to mention me, even the old princes of the clan had objections to them."

Hearing this, Tu Zhen blinked his eyes thoughtfully.

Xue Pan continued: "By the way, tonight I reserved a table in the Fuyuan Hall to invite Prince Zhongyu, Prince Zhongli, and the fifth and sixth princes to talk about things, so I won't spend dinner in the palace. Eat. You remember to eat on time, and I will check Dai Quan later."

Tu Zhen raised his eyebrows irrefutably.Some are not happy.

Seeing this, Xue Pan had no choice but to comfort him: "You don't know how rampant the second child of the Tong family was at the bidding meeting today. I guess their family may have exchanged all the savings in the family into cash, just to get There was a lot of trouble at my bidding meeting. The good bidding made them feel like a child. He was against our Xue family everywhere, but he didn't take His Majesty seriously. In fact, it was His Majesty's money that was lost. So no matter Yu Gong or Personally, if I continue to watch him jumping around, it will feel like a stick in my throat, and I can't spit out. If you don't agree..."

Only then did Tu Zhen relax slightly, and nodded reservedly, agreeing that Xue Pan would not eat in the palace at night.

Seeing the interaction between the two, Xue Zhiwen pursed his lips uncomfortably.He just felt a sense of disobedience rushing towards him, which gave him a very weird feeling.

After discussing dinner with Tu Zhen, Xue Pan turned his attention back to Xue Zhiwen.Discovering new land is a big event. According to international practice, whoever finds the land that is now unowned will own it.With such a credit, I am afraid that the Xue family will produce another Marquis.

In fact, judging from the size of Oceania, it would not be too much for Xue Zhiwen to be a first-class Duke.After all, no matter how great the meritorious service of the founding fathers is, what the ancestor emperor laid down in those days is nothing more than the country of the Yong Dynasty.The total area adds up to less than half of Oceania.Xue Zhiwen donated such a large land without bloodshed and without spending a penny from the court.If it is really a reward for meritorious deeds, the credit will definitely be greater than the sum of all the previous heroes.

However, considering the foundation of the Xue family and various reasons, Xue Zhiwen still only got the first-class position in the end.Only this point made Xue Pan feel a little bit unhappy.However, his son Xue Biao was promoted to be the servant of the household department after being promoted three times in a row.Becoming the youngest servant of the household department since the dynasty, the future is even more promising.Taking into account Xue Pan's habit of making money, Tu Zhen then personally drafted an order to hand over most of the business-related matters such as the development of Xinzhou Province to Xue Zhiwen, and Xue Pan hummed in satisfaction.

Seeing this scene, Xue Zhiwen felt even more weird.It's just that he still has some troublesome things that he hasn't explained, so he doesn't care about the previous problems between Xue Pan and Tu Zhen.

To talk about these troublesome things, it is also related to Oceania.In Xue Pan's memory, he naturally knew about the existence of Oceania.I also know that Oceania has not been discovered before the new European route.But he didn't quite understand the difference between the AD calendar and the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.In other words, as early as the Ming Dynasty, Westerners had discovered various islands in Oceania one after another.When Xue Zhiwen went to the island, he saw foreigners with colorful hair and eyes almost from time to time.

Fortunately, the area of ​​Oceania is large enough, Xue Zhiwen was lucky, and happened to discover several islands and archipelagos that have not yet been discovered.According to Xue Zhiwen's description, there are places such as New Britain, Easter Island, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, which are more famous in later generations.certainly.They don't have that name yet.

Hearing this, Xue Pan also had to sigh, Xue Zhiwen's luck is simply against the sky.Although he arrived in Oceania relatively late, the places he found were all resounding.Just listening to the name is better than those archipelagos whose names were so long that they could not even remember them.

Then the problem arises.In this era of great navigating and enclosing land as king, although you can plant a flag on the land you discover to declare that these lands are yours.But you can't stop others from coming to grab the fat in your mouth with a gun.Although no one has discovered those places yet, relying on Xue Zhiwen's experience of wandering around the world, he is sure that these places will be discovered in just a few decades or even a few years.

At that time, whoever has the initiative and powerful firepower will have ownership.

Therefore, after Xue Zhiwen declared his ownership according to the rules of the sea, he rushed back in a hurry.Make sure that Tu Zhen quickly names these islands and takes them under his command in a legitimate manner.Of course, it is necessary to send troops to station here.

And from the handling of this point, it can be seen that Xue Zhiwen's mind is relatively flexible.

The reason why I say this is that I have to talk about the reservedness of the Chinese people and the extremely strong local character that they have in their bones.

Normally, the people of the Celestial Dynasty are proud and kind.Because of the superiority of being at the top of the world for a long time and the continuous sense of superiority of cultural inheritance, they can't help but despise everything outside the culture.They called the people who did not belong to them barbarians and devils.They call the physics and chemistry that they are not familiar with strange tricks, and they always regard places or people outside their hometown as foreign lands and strangers.And at the moment when the old man returns to his soul, it is always emphasized that the fallen leaves return to their roots.Whether it's the brilliant "I'm a stranger in a foreign land" or the filthy "gold and silver nests are not as good as my own doghouse", in short, in their hearts, everything outside is not as noble and important as their own home.

And under the careful suggestion of some officials at the sticky pole, everything Xue Zhiwen did was aimed at the hearts of such a group of people.

For example, the Dayong Dynasty has been educated by saints since its founding, advocating the teacher of the king, and advocating being famous for being a teacher.Therefore, Xue Zhiwen specially bribed the local people and their leaders with a large amount of silk, porcelain and good-tasting food before returning.He also vividly described to them the wealth and enlightenment of the Dayong Dynasty, and lured these native hats to take the initiative to board the boat with him. He also ordered the civil servants to draft a letter of offering to the land and let all the native hats sign it. I don't know how to sign, but it's okay to press a fingerprint.

Then these native hats who could not understand each other pressed their fingerprints one by one under Xue Zhiwen's dancing and dancing, happily holding batches of silk and jars of porcelain obediently boarded the boat.

For another example, in order to ensure that the wealthy and comfortable people of the Yong Dynasty knew the wealth and opportunities of the new land, Xue Zhiwen took back the overseas specialties of the two caravans, especially the cheap gold, silver, jewelry and spices compared with domestic ones. thing.The purpose is to confuse those aristocratic families and wealthy merchants who want to make a fortune with heavy profits...

It took three and a half years when I went there, and less than half a year when I returned to the Ryukyu Islands.Because Xue Zhiwen missed his family, he left the main force and went all the way north by light boat.But when he just arrived in Yangzhou, he was recognized by Gao Wei who was out on errands.So everyone walked hand in hand and entered the capital together.And all the way into the palace to meet the Holy One.This is why Xue Pan was suddenly called into the palace by Xiao Xiazi at the bidding meeting.

The Xue family caravan, loaded with exotic specialties and common people, walked slowly on the way.It is estimated that it will take another ten or eight days to reach the capital.Of course, to ensure nothing goes wrong, the people in these caravans were disguised.Although with Xue Zhiwen's disposition, he wanted to turn all the noise into the sky and make it known to the whole world.It's a pity that in the eyes of sticky people who are used to hiding behind others, the low-key concealment that makes people defenseless but can stab someone at any time is more important.

Hearing this, Xue Pan couldn't help but questioned: "It's not that I said, expanding the territory is nothing more glorious. Such a thing can't be publicized, and it's only you who cover it up. Gao Big brother is really getting more and more low-key. How many people's compliments and filial piety have been lost for no reason!"

Seeing this, Gao Wei who was standing by the side shook his head helplessly.It's also his plan.Besides, the caravan of the Xue family has not yet been approved by the emperor for entering Beijing. If the officials of the surrounding states and provinces know about it, the rare treasures in the caravan will shrink by half. who is going to cry.

Furthermore... isn't he also obeying the orders of the Holy Majesty!After hearing the news of Xue's caravan's return, the Holy Majesty immediately ordered to block the news, and secretly brought him to Beijing. Everything he did was according to the order!

The expressionless Gao Wei casually glanced at the indifferent Tu Zhen, and could only cry silently.

Seeing this, Xue Zhiwen could only roll his eyes, confirming that even after three or four years had passed, his nephew's arrogance was still the same, and there was even a faint tendency to get worse - there was no cure.

On the other hand, Tu Zhen on the dragon chair looked at Xue Pan with a warm smile, and then said with a smile to Xue Zhiwen: "Xue Qing's family has just returned to Beijing after traveling for many years, so they must be exhausted. You don't have to worry about offering court congratulations. Everything is up to me, you just wait for the reward after the caravan enters Beijing."

Xue Zhiwen was slightly stunned, suddenly changed from the shopkeeper Xue to Xue Qing's family, and he still couldn't accept it for a while.But I have to say that this name really makes people feel proud.It's not in vain that he has been wandering in the sea for three or four years, and the feeling of advancing from a white body to an official body is not bad.

But when he came back to his senses, he hurriedly bowed and thanked him, Shan Hu Long live.

On the other side, Tu Zhen also looked at Xue Zhiwen with some emotion.Once again, it was confirmed that Xue's family was full of nobles from his apprenticeship.Xue Pan is a virtuous "wife" who has "the image of a prosperous husband".It is not in vain that he has worked hard to plan how to ban the harem, and from then on, he will be the only favorite of two people for the rest of his life, Pan'er.

From the fleeing prince who was down and out like a bereaved dog, to the young emperor who is now in power and eager to take over the country.Tu Zhen felt that there was a member of the Xue family behind every twist of his fate.For example, when he first developed his power, Pan Er let him know Mr. Shi; Xue Zhiwen descended from the sky with an incomparably powerful immortality.

This wonderful feeling of going smoothly made Tu Zhen almost couldn't help laughing out loud.

Especially for Xue Zhiwen to come back at this juncture, for Tu Zhen, it is definitely a weight that can be easily manipulated.

Thinking of this, Tu Zhen suddenly said: "Pan'er, I have decided. After the New Year's Day, I will change the year name."

Xue Pan was taken aback for a moment, not understanding why Tu Zhen brought up this topic so well.

Xue Zhiwen, who was standing aside, sighed secretly.For an emperor with ideals, aspirations, and ambitions, "Apocalypse" is definitely not a good year name.The reason why Tu Zhen chose these two characters as his year name at the beginning is probably more meaningful to endure humiliation and bear the burden of humiliation.

But from one moment to another, Xue Zhiwen naturally inquired about the major events that happened in the court in the past four years when he went to Beijing.The young emperor has finally survived his father's monopoly on power, and is ambitiously planning everything in the future, hoping that he can become an emperor with outstanding achievements and a long history.Obviously, the year name "Apocalypse" is not appropriate.

After all, since the beginning of the dynasty, the emperor who took "Apocalypse" as his reign name seemed to have a bad ending.

Under this premise, it is only logical that Tu Zhen, who has just created the Immortal Merit, wants to change the year name.

Xue Pan naturally doesn't know much about these tricks.However, he could also vaguely feel that Tu Zhen was eager to break free from the shadow and oppression left by the emperor.So he nodded nonchalantly, and said with a smile: "If the Holy Majesty wants to change the year name, he will naturally have to talk to the cabinet and the literati in the Imperial Academy. Especially the Qingliu of the Imperial Academy, these people who dropped their bookbags have nothing else to do." The ability to quote scriptures is the most powerful. The Holy Majesty must ask them to choose a year name with good meaning, preferably one that no one else has used."

Hearing this, Tu Zhen twitched the corners of his mouth easily, took a fixed look at Xue Pan, and said with a smile, "Okay."

Next, Xue Zhiwen and Tu Zhen discussed for a while about the caravan coming to Beijing to congratulate.Xue Zhiwen also said that although Jian Cong and Gao Wei returned to Beijing alone, he also personally selected some local products to bring back to Beijing.Among them, the most precious and rare gemstones and other things were naturally presented to the Holy Majesty, but the rest left for the Xue family were also of great value.

Of course, neither the giver nor the receiver cares much about the value.What Xue Pan cared about was only what the second uncle brought back to him after he went out for a long time.

So the two walked out of the palace together in the evening, and behind them were the guards sent by Tu Zhen to help them carry the boxes, and rode all the way back to Zhongxinhou's mansion.Xue Zhiwen looked at the surrounding scenery, and couldn't help sighing: "It's only been four years, but in my eyes, it seems like a lifetime away."

Hearing this, Xue Pan turned around and smiled at Xue Zhiwen, but didn't know what to say.

There was no news for four years, and I was in exile.Xue Pan didn't know how much Xue Zhiwen suffered and suffered.But Xue Pan also knows that what Xue Zhiwen has experienced in the past four years is absolutely thrilling and vast beyond imagination for the Xue family who are busy in the capital city or in Jinling busy educating their children.And this kind of experience and turmoil also gave his gentle and hearty second uncle a bit of majesty and murderous aura.It made his second uncle look a bit more open-minded and unrestrained than the people of the current Dayong Dynasty.From the strong pride and self-confidence in his brows, Xue Pan could imagine that his second uncle must be complacent and proud.A few days later, the return of the Chaohe caravan will make his name go down in history and his name will last forever.

However, no matter how thrilling and unrivaled his feats are, in Xue Pan's heart, all of these are not as important as the second uncle who can talk and laugh with flesh and blood appearing in front of him again.

He hooked the corners of his lips a little excitedly, and thought with great joy: "That's great, Second Uncle has come back intact."

After a while, everyone arrived at Zhongxinhou's Mansion.Zhongxinhou's mansion, who got the news early on, opened the middle door. On both sides, well-dressed servants stood with their hands tied. Firecrackers and fireworks were set off in front of the door, and children on the street were frolicking around.Xue Zhizhang and Xue Biao stood at the door and waited excitedly.

Seeing Xue Pan and Xue Zhiwen, Xue Biao cried out: "Father—"

Xue Zhiwen looked at the half-grown man who was in the middle of the eighteenth grade and ninth grade running towards him, he was handsome and cheerful, with a slender figure, and his face was five or six points similar to his own, and he was very excited.Xue Zhiwen jumped off the horse a little excitedly, couldn't help but put his arms around Xue Biao and shouted: "Tad."

Then restrainedly let go of Xue scorpion, took a step back and looked at it for a while, the sun was setting, and the sky was already a little dark now.Against the light of the lantern on the door, it could be seen that Xue Biao was about the same size as himself.He was actually one year younger than Xue Pan, but four years later, he was a little taller than Xue Pan.

Xue Zhiwen nodded in satisfaction, patted Xue Tada on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Good boy!"

As he spoke, he couldn't hold back his tears and hugged Xue Biao.Xue Biao also hugged Xue Zhiwen crying loudly.

Seeing this scene, Xue Zhizhang, who was above the stage, also came down, punched Xue Zhiwen and said: "You have not heard from you for four years, and now you are back, why are you standing at the door crying, why don't you go into the house?"

Xue Zhiwen hurriedly pushed Xue Biao away, wiped his tears with his cuff, and said, "The past four years... I have made my elder brother worry."

Xue Zhizhang snorted coldly, looking at the dark-faced and lean Xue Zhiwen, he couldn't help feeling sad for a while, and quickly entered the gate with his arms around Xue Zhiwen's shoulders.In the yard, Mrs. Xue came up with Baochai and Baoqin.Baoqin couldn't help but rushed forward and cried: "Daddy, you are finally back."

So all of a sudden, everyone was crying again, and when they came back to their senses, they were already sitting in the main hall.The little girls waited for a group of men and women to wash up.Xue Baochai, Baoqin and Xue Biao pestered Xue Zhiwen again to ask about the new land.Only Xue Zhiwen was patiently nagging again.

It was a land that no one from the previous dynasty had ever set foot on, and it was a piece of precious wealth that was truly lost before the world.Before that, no one even imagined that there would be a resource-rich continent in that vast sea.And their search is also full of blood and killings, deals and traps.Xue Zhiwen mentioned some of the difficulties and obstacles, but he couldn't remember some of them.But no matter what... Xue Zhiwen finally came back intact.He came back with the glory he had longed for, and the success that never came out of the world.

To use a cliché and bloody words to describe, after the arduous struggle, Xue Zhiwen finally ushered in his own flowers and applause.

As for Xue's lineage, because of Xue Zhiwen's return, they climbed to an unprecedented height again.