As a salted fish, I was forced to become the teacher of all ages

Right now, it’s not that Huamanlou doesn’t ask questions, but that there are no people in the capital who understand water warfare and navigation at all. There are one or two generals who have been in contact with Japanese pirates. How about asking the wall, at least the wall still echoes a bit, doesn't it?

"Okay, anyway, the investigation is almost done now, I will bid farewell to His Majesty tomorrow, and then go back to Xishan to copy the guy." Hua Manlou did not continue to attack Qi Wanrong, but brought up the matter that has been entangled in the past few days. : "As for you, how about going to the hall to fulfill your wish honestly? By the way, please ask a few more Bodhisattvas and old masters to bless me to come back soon, okay?"

"No!" When Qi Wanrong mentioned this, she became excited again: "Don't you forget that I am also a member of the Xishan Guard, how can there be a reason for a general to fight without a deputy?"

Hua Manlou was dumbfounded: "I thought my deputy was Huang Zichao, and he won't go this time!"

"That's not okay, even if I die, I have to die before you!" Qi Wanrong bluffed: "I'm not like a certain beauty who will only bring you trouble, I can protect you from cold arrows!"

Huamanlou was extremely speechless.

Ever since Qi Wanrong knew the reason why Nie Wenbing wanted to drag him to his death, she kindly referred to Wen Liang as a disaster for her beauty, and yesterday she wrote a letter full of sarcasm and sent it to Xishan...

Looking at this posture that can be pinched from the air, it must be quite a mess in my backyard in the future, right?

Huamanlou suddenly had the urge to not want to get married, and wanted to take Miss Baimao, Qiaoqiao, and Qin'er to Tianjin quietly, and then went to sea alone and never came back...

As soon as the two of them stepped into Huai'an uncle's mansion, Hua Er came up to greet him: "Master, we have a visitor, and we have been waiting for half an afternoon."

(I have a migraine... I will update it later)

356. Give me a pillow when I'm sleepy

The guest's surname is Gu, the son of a tea crocodile in the south of the Yangtze River. He is currently the external general manager of the Xishan Trade Department.

After signing the contract with Huamanlou that day, Gu Xinghuai immediately returned to his hometown to buy tea in a big way. He returned with a large amount of goods a few days ago, just in time for the first large-scale transaction with Wala.

I have to say that Gu Xinghuai still felt a little entangled when he signed the contract with Huamanlou. After all, it is not good to get too close to Xungui, but now...

So fragrant!

And it’s not just Oala, as the Tatars began to fall into war, the tribes in Hetao and Yinshan also began to contact Da Zhao to ask for mutual trading, and these things were all handled by Huamanlou, so Gu’s tea was also sold to these places. .

With such a big market for one family, the money can be said to flow to Gu's family, so the only little entanglement that Xiao Gu had was gone.

Today he came to Huamanlou on the one hand to report on the sales of a large number of cattle and sheep received from Wala before, and on the other hand he brought a personal introduction to Huamanlou.

"Uncle, this is Mu Wenbin, Brother Mu..." Gu Xinghuai looked at Hua Manlou with a playful face, and he was cautious when speaking: "At the previous poetry meeting, Uncle should have met Brother Mu."

Hua Manlou smiled and said, "That's right, I've seen it before. That's why Brother Mu came to see me today... Could it be that the pair came out?"

That's right, this is the talented Jinling scholar who was stumped when Hua Manlou appeared in the poetry meeting for the first time. Although Hua Manlou was not impressed by him, he was I still remember.

Mu Wenbin was embarrassed when he heard the words, but he still saluted Huamanlou politely and said hello, and then said: "Uncle is a great talent, the students have never spoken to each other."

Hua Manlou raised his eyebrows: "So you came to me today to ask for an answer? Or...you want to seek justice for a certain hanged Hanlin?"

It's not that Huamanlou doesn't want to see Mu Wenbin, it's true that he was disgusted by Nie Wenbing's torment, so he really doesn't bother to continue the mushroom thing with these Nie Yuantu related people.

Although Mu Wenbin left early at the poetry meeting, and it seemed that he was closer to Gu Xinghuai, but who knows the secrets among these scholars?

So, if Mu Wenbin really mentioned the cause of Nie Yuantu's death, Hua Manlou wouldn't mind driving him out, or simply sending him to Beizhen Fusi to calm him down. Who asked him to frame the imperial court official?

But what Huamanlou didn't expect was that Mu Wenbin suddenly bowed to him and said: "The student is not here, but I just asked Brother Gu for a recommendation when I heard that my uncle is going to Pingwa, and I am here to help my uncle." A force, that's all."

Hua Manlou blinked, looked him up and down, and said, "You... mean you want to go with me?"

It's not that Hua Manlou underestimated him, it's that this person's body looks too weak, he has a typical literati physique, this kind of person goes to the battlefield, guess...

Don't guess, he has to kneel in the first round of battle.

But Mu Wenbin said sternly: "Although the students can't carry their shoulders or hands, and they can't carry a knife and go to the battlefield, they still have some experience with the southeast sea route, and maybe they can help uncle a little bit."

Gu Xinghuai added for him from the side: "Uncle, Brother Mu's grandfathers all thought that reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles, and they love geography and maps, so Brother Mu has been influenced by his ears and eyes, and he likes to travel. This time, he came back from a trip to the West Lake. ..."

Hua Manlou's eyes lit up: "Is this really true? Come on, sit down and talk!"

Gu Xinghuai didn't lie, Mu Wenbin's family is really out of tune with today's scholars, it's too weird, and they really have some research on geography.

The Mu family was well-off and owned a lot of property in Jinling, and Mu Wenbin's father and grandfather didn't have much interest in taking the imperial examination route, so the family almost all considered the style of celebrities.It's just that Mu Wenbin feels that he should have some ambitions, so he tends to follow the path of a scholar, but Xiao Mu's preference for geography can be said to be unabated.

Mu Wenbin, who had been depressed for several days after being troubled by a pair of Huamanlou before, felt that he should go out for a walk, so he went to Hangzhou and went boating on the West Lake for half a month, just to Think quietly.

What he was thinking about was not only the pair that Huamanlou played for him, but also how he should go in the future.

In fact, Mu Wenbin didn't think there was anything wrong with following the path of today's scholars, but after hearing Hua Manlou's poem that scolded everyone present, he was deeply impressed by the song "Mocking Suan Ding". Of course, and faintly began to dislike this group of Confucian scholars who only know how to talk but have no opinion on economics and economics.

And just when Mu Wenbin felt at a loss that he was no different from this group of Confucian scholars, news spread to Jiangnan that Huamanlou's advice had caused the Tatars to fall apart.

After hearing this incident, Mu Wenbin felt in a daze that the poem "Mocking Suan Ding" had faintly become a fact—Hua Manlou was actually doing practical things for Da Zhao, and it could almost be said that he was doing his best to change the situation. The offense and defense of Da Zhao and the grassland brought peace to the north, but the group of people who were attacked by him that day were still immersed in the teachings of the saints and could not extricate themselves. A few decent articles.

Mu Wenbin suddenly wanted to ask Hua Manlou face to face what his ambition was.

After this idea was born, Mu Wenbin actually tossed and turned and couldn't sleep for several days, so he really came to the capital, intending to ask Huamanlou personally.

After arriving in Beijing Normal University, the first thing Mu heard was that Hua Manlou would preside over the important event of Pingwa. Now Mu Wenbin felt that he didn't need to ask, and all he had in his heart was admiration: a boy who was only sixteen years old, almost He spared no effort to make the people of Dazhao live and work in peace and contentment. Does such a person need to ask about his ambition?

At the same time, Mu Wenbin felt that he had found the same ambition as Huamanlou: to strengthen the country.

Huamanlou: ? ? ?

In short, with this ambition, Mu Wenbin planned to help Huamanlou—I dare not say anything else. If the Mu family in the southeast coastal geography said that they were second, no one in Dazhao would dare to say that they were number one. Moreover, Mu Wenbin himself has traveled all over Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Huguang, and he feels that he should be able to contribute.

So he just hit the door.

"Brother Mu, let's not talk about the other side, are you familiar with the area from Huai'an to Songjiang Mansion? Most importantly, is there any research on the waterways in the coastal area?"

After sitting down, Hua ManLou couldn't wait to ask a question without even having time to be served tea.

"Uh..." Mu Wenbin was a little dazed by Hua Manlou, but he still said seriously: "That area is fairly familiar. As for the waterway, my ancestors have found some ancient books and asked about some of the current sea restrictions. The old people who crossed the sea, and even the father of the Japanese pirates who were occasionally caught have tried their best to get in touch, so the waterway is not unfamiliar."

Hua Manlou was overjoyed: "Sure! With you here, I will have confidence in fighting the Japanese pirates this time!"

Doze off and give me a pillow!It was also said in the previous episode that no one in the capital knew about this, but now there are?

Mu Wenbin: "..."

357. Follow for Life

To be honest, Mu Wenbin ran here without thinking about anything, and he didn't feel that it was a bit abrupt for him to come to Huai'an uncle's mansion until he entered Huai'an.

In other words, the last time we met, he was on the side of the scholars, and he had a run on Hua Man Lou, but in the end he himself was run on by Hua Man Lou...

In short, the encounter was not at all pleasant.

So when he was waiting, he was a little uneasy, for fear that Huamanlou would leave Huaianbo Mansion in a smooth manner when he met Huamanlou. Didn't even have an interview, this...

Is it too disrespectful?

As everyone knows, when Huamanlou heard about his background, he thought of a person: Xu Xiake.

This geographer of the Ming Dynasty, "Exploring what people don't know", also has a wealthy family, and also has a father who has no intention of official career as a donkey friend, and he himself also likes to travel.

From the 36th year of Wanli to the 12th year of Chongzhen, for more than 30 years, this master was either traveling or on the road, traveling all over the country. It was not until he was 53 years old that he was "crippled with both feet and exhausted mentally and physically". The magistrate sent him back to his hometown in Jiangyin, and died of illness the next year. It can be said that he has been a donkey friend for a lifetime.

This is how a generation of geographers, travelers, and writers were created. While leaving their names in history, they also left many precious historical documents for future generations, which can be described as legends.

Although Hua Manlou doesn't know if Mu Wenbin can achieve as much as Xu Xiake, but with such a person by his side, at least Pingwo can avoid many detours, right?

After all, there is no such thing as a certain degree and a certain German map these days, and a tour guide is still very important.

So in a daze, Mu Wenbin was led by Huamanlou. He had no time to talk about his ambition to strengthen the country, and he had no time to express his admiration for Huamanlou. He just started to teach geography. The referrer, Gu Xinghuai, was put aside, neither to leave nor to stay.

I have to say that even though the sea is banned by the Great Zhao, how can people who are interested in traveling and taking risks not go to see the sea?So different from Xu Xiake, the members of the Mu family have a higher enthusiasm for the ocean, which can be seen from the behavior of Mu's father running to talk to the Japanese pirates.

Moreover, Huamanlou also discovered that the Mu family not only drew a map of East Asia based on the description of the Japanese pirates, but also had a deep understanding of monsoons and ocean currents.If this kind of talent doesn't come to find him, where can he find him?

So Hua Manlou said cheerfully: "Are you staying in the inn recently? Don't go to the inn today, just stay here. Tomorrow, after I say goodbye to His Majesty, I will go to Xishan together. Take the guy with me and go with me." Tianjin!"

Mu Wenbin complied dazedly, and his admiration for Huamanlou increased: those who achieve great things don't care about small things, this is the one who does great things!

After chatting with Mu Wenbin, Hua Manlou looked at Gu Xinghuai aside, and asked inexplicably, "Huh? Why are you here? When did you come?"

Gu Xinghuai: "Uh..."

"Oh yes, I get confused when I'm happy." Hua Manlou patted his forehead, and said cheerfully to Gu Xinghuai: "Thanks to your recommendation, otherwise this time might be a lot of trouble! If there is any progress in Pingwa this time, I will Credit to you!"

Gu Xinghuai hurriedly said politely: "The student just brought Brother Mu here, so how dare he take credit for it?"

Hua Manlou nodded: "Oh, forget it."

"Uh..." Gu Xinghuai was almost bent over by Hua Manlou, and stayed for a long time before talking about the business with a wry smile: "Uncle, the cattle and sheep sent by Wala have been sold out. In addition, I have to report to my uncle..."

Hua Manlou waved his hand: "Why are you reporting it to me? Don't bother me with these trivial matters. You can go to Xishan to meet yourself. Oh yes, remember to pay the tax."

"Pay...tax?" Gu Xinghuai suspected that he had heard it wrong.

Hua Manlou took it for granted: "That's right, pay the tax. Ten taxes are one, and after the bill is settled, you send it to Shuntian Mansion yourself."

Gu Xinghuai reconfirmed: "Uncle, the amount this time is not small, if ten taxes are one..."

If the ten taxes are one, it will be tens of thousands of taels of silver, and even Gu Xinghuai, who has been rich for several generations, feels his flesh hurts.

In fact, logically speaking, not to mention that this business is Xishan's business, even Huamanlou is eligible for tax exemption.

Although officials are not allowed to do business, but...

Take Gu Xinghuai for example, as the sales manager of Xishan, how could he not know how to apply the current rules?For example, the tea from his Gu family was sent to the capital via the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal. Is there a toll station along the way?

There must be, but as long as the Xuanwuwei logo is hung on the bow of the ship, no one will charge or even ask. This is the prerogative of officials.

Not to mention the Gu family, many ships along the way are marked with various official logos, and even the family members of officials go to the cargo ship directly when they return home with the ship. For the ancestors, these people are usually offered up—it’s convenient for you, and it’s convenient for me, but the treasury is a little bit short...

So when Hua Manlou suddenly mentioned paying taxes, Gu Xinghuai was a little puzzled: Is this master really ignorant, or is there something hidden?

When Hua Manlou saw what he said, he said casually: "If you are asked to pay, you can do it. From now on, the business in Xishan will be like this. If Shuntian Mansion asks, you can just say that it is His Majesty's intention."

Gu Xinghuai's heart moved: Xishan's business is His Majesty's business, if His Majesty says so... Maybe His Majesty will regulate business taxes?

Looking at the indifferent Huamanlou, Gu Xinghuai didn't dare to ask any more questions, but secretly made a decision: In this way, the family's business has to follow the rules, anyway, there is no shortage of money, and keep up With His Majesty's footsteps, isn't my Gu family's prosperity just around the corner?

Seeing that he seemed to have realized something, Hua Manlou nodded secretly: How about saying that a businessman has a flexible mind?Is the ability to be transparent at this point any better than a scholar who reads dead books?

As everyone knows, after hearing the conversation between the two, Mu Wenbin who was on the side looked at Hua Manlou in shock: Even the business tax is going to be moved?Look at this understatement, I'm afraid this uncle has a plan long ago, and he has the support of His Majesty, this...

Mu Wenbin was worried for a while, and felt that he was with the right person.

What is worrying is that most of the people who let go of reform in the past dynasties have no good end, and the more impatient they are, the faster they die.

But small actions like Hua Manlou's are not radical at all, and some people will laugh at him for not being able to do it after he makes it. How can such actions be considered stable?

The older he was and the more he knew, the more Mu Wenbin felt that there was a problem with Da Zhao, and now Huamanlou was solving a problem that he had seen and could do nothing about. Is it worth following?

Hua Manlou didn't know it herself. After these few words, her image in front of Mu Wenbin became more and more powerful, and she even secretly made a decision to follow her for the rest of her life...

(Third watch...headache, fell asleep)

358 You two are about the same

Early the next morning, Huamanlou bid farewell to Uncle Huai'an with a tense face, Emperor Guangxing and the two old father-in-law who had told him to be careful several times, and returned to Xishan.

At the same time that Huamanlou returned to Xishan, Nie Wenbing also left Beijing according to the order, and half of the people in the court ran to see him off—anyone with a discerning eye can see that even a little unusual movement of him will cause trouble. There was a huge rebound, and he had to move, so he guessed that he would encounter a large group of bandits who appeared inexplicably in many places this time...

Before leaving, Nie Wenbing gave a speech with tears in his eyes, expressing that he would thoroughly clean up the moths in the southeast for Emperor Guangxing, which made many people wipe their tears—this show was like saying goodbye to a dead body.

In fact, Lao Nie's demeanor was not only for Emperor Guangxing, but also for Huamanlou.

The former is easy to understand, because after such an incident, even if he died on the road, Emperor Guangxing would treat his family generously—the son is gone, but his wife, daughter, brother, and nephew are still there, so they have to be in exchange for their safety, right?

The latter can only be understood by those in the know.

Old Nie honestly followed Huamanlou's wishes to do things. The reason why he didn't act as a demon was to tell Huamanlou: I will do things according to your orders. Targeting my people.

In other words, after three days of buffering, Lao Nie finally figured out that Hua Manlou was someone he couldn't afford to offend—one of the two father-in-laws was the Duke of the State and the other was the elder of the court, and his own father was also a hidden boss. It's also very awesome, not to mention that his godfather is the emperor himself...

Such a ruthless character, why didn't he want to hate him at the beginning?

But things have come to this, Lao Nie and Huamanlou have no way out, so Nie Wenbing had to finish the play, honestly following Huamanlou's script, while cursing him for being beaten to death by Japanese pirates...

Nie Wenbing is sad, but Huamanlou is actually having a hard time.

After returning to Xishan, both Wan Yanran and Wen Liang looked gloomy, and the latter also blamed himself a lot: "If I could have realized Nie Wenbing's heart to perish together earlier, this matter may have been avoided..."

Glancing at Qi Wanrong who was just pulled away to chat not far away by Wan Cheng Yanran, Wen Liang's expression became even sadder: "I can also avoid being ridiculed by her."

Obviously, Wen Liang couldn't let go of the fact that Qi Wanrong called her Huoshui when they met each other.