Han Shizu

While the unveiling ceremony of the Jiangguan Customs Building was going on, not far away in the Songjiang Post, the largest official post in Shanghai, Wang Xuanzhen, the energetic chief envoy of Jiangnan Province, was spreading out a picture and looking hard at Zhao Wang Liu Fang, who was patrolling the southeast. "Promoting" his plan.

This is a water system map of Songjiang River, which relatively clearly presents the hydrological conditions of lakes and ponds in Shanghai, Suzhou and Xiuzhou. The most conspicuous ones are several blue marking lines that connect Dianshan Lake and the canal. It ends in Huating County, then turns northeast and merges into the Songjiang River, where it flows into the Yangtze River Estuary and flows into the sea.

But obviously, the river represented by the blue line does not yet exist. To be precise, it is not yet a system. What Wang Xuanzhen was selling to Liu Fang was to carry out such a "major operation" of digging trenches, digging ponds and sorting out water veins in Shanghai and Xiuzhou.

Liu Yang was an emperor who loved inspections. Not to mention how many times he had conducted overt and covert inspections in the Gyeonggi area, he had already visited faraway places such as Southwest, Northwest, and Monan. Moreover, he has always been dedicated to serving the public good, kept his etiquette simple, and made sure not to cause trouble to the local area. He rarely performed parades.

The dignitaries and bureaucrats across the country all know that the emperor not only loves to inspect, but also likes to send censors, special envoys, and secret envoys to inspect. This has led to the fact that in recent years, local officials and people in various prefectures and counties have been particularly sensitive to "outsiders". They may not be sure that a person dressed as a businessman is the emperor's secret envoy, and the official atmosphere is always filled with a sense of tension.

But in such an atmosphere, local officials are forced to have a more detailed understanding of the political and people's livelihood conditions under their rule. Real control begins with all kinds of disturbances.

This time, Zhao Wang Liu Fang, as the "Jianghuai Inspection Envoy", patrolled the sky on behalf of the sky and inspected the political and people's livelihood conditions in the Jianghuai prefectures. The journey was very low-key, with few entourages and few guards of honor, but the pressure on Jianghuai was extremely high.

Not only was the deterrence brought by King Zhao himself, but also because there were two heavyweight missions accompanying Liu Fang on the patrol, Linzi Gong Liu Wenji and Taiyuan Gong Liu Wenpeng. In today's Han Dynasty, when these three people come together, except for the emperor Liu Yang, no one can represent the Han royal family better than them.

At the same time, allowing Zhao Wang Liu Fang to go on patrol independently was also a strong political signal sent by Emperor Liu Fang. Zhao Wang Liu Fang "lifted the ban."

You know, in the past ten years, Zhao Wang Liu Fang was enshrined in the court like a Buddha, and his treatment was the best. The emperor thought of him no matter what the benefits were, and was stingy with other people, except Liu Fang. Generous.

However, in terms of real power, for Liu Fang, there is no need to mention it at all. Compared with his compatriot Liu Ai, it is far less than it is.

The reason is simply that "a great talent is hard to control", and these four words have buried countless heroes throughout the ages. In view of his father's "trapped" situation in the capital, the eldest son Liu Wengong, who had already made some success in running the Beiting Kingdom in the Western Regions, wrote to Liu Yang and expressed his hope to welcome Liu Fang back to Beiting and reunite his family.

In this regard, before Liu Yang expressed his position, Liu Fang directly refused, and later requested the emperor's brother, hoping that the throne of Beiting could be passed directly to Liu Wengong.

Liu Fang rarely asked Liu Yang for anything, so he agreed after just thinking about it for a moment. It was also from that time that Liu Fang's political loosening began.

This time, he was ordered to inspect Jianghuai and even handed over two princes, including Liu Wenpeng, the legitimate son, to Liu Fang. This obviously had deep intentions.

Following the holy will, Liu Fang and his two imperial nephews patrolled and provided education along the way. The main focus of the group was on Huaixi Road. There was no other way. The traffic there was relatively congested, the folk customs were more violent, and the economic conditions were insufficient. It allows people to see some more realistic social features in the Han Dynasty.

Over and over, it took more than two months to visit Shanghai, a commercial capital located on the bank of the river and sea. I caught up with the opening ceremony of the Jiangnan Customs Supervisor Building, and was also taken advantage of by Wang Xuanzhen, the chief envoy of Jiangnan Province. .

After listening to Wang Xuanzhen's endless talk about his idea of ​​digging the "Qingpu River" in Xiuzhou and Shanghai, and seeing his unfinished expression, Liu Fang was noncommittal, but showed a hint of curiosity and asked: "Wang Xuanzhen, are you from Jiangnan?" Sir, if you are not the mayor of Shanghai, why are you so concerned about Shanghai’s water conservancy canals?”

When asked, Wang Xuanzhen did not shy away and said directly: "Your Majesty, the emergence of Shanghai is a completely new thing. It has never happened in China's thousands of years of history. It deserves long-term careful study and development attention by the imperial court and the officials and people of the Han Dynasty.

This is a city that thrives on commerce. The port is its heart, the ponds and canals are its blood vessels, and the rivers and seas are its blood. Only by continuously strengthening its foundation and giving full play to its benefits can we ensure its vigorous development and see the future. A majestic city that transcends ancient and modern times.

To achieve this goal, just one Songjiang River is not enough. Digging a new river to connect the surrounding water systems is also creating history."

When Wang Xuanzhen said this, his old eyes were shining. It was hard to imagine that such a person who is famous for being gloomy and reserved could be so "passionate". However, his statement is really hard to agree with.

Liu Fang is a tolerant person and is always willing to listen to other people's ideas, but he still can't help but question Wang Xuazhen's idea: "Isn't one Songjiang enough? Based on what I have seen in Shanghai these two days, Shanghai's development can be continued. Both sides of the Songjiang River are not filled up.”

Wang Xuanzhen said: "The upper reaches of the Songjiang River are inconvenient to discharge floods, and the lower reaches are silted up. In recent years, with frequent shipping and overuse, it has become even more congested and unfavorable. In the past ten years, the government has invested a large amount of money, food and manpower every year for dredging and drainage. At the same time, the shallow siltation of the river also makes the load of navigable ships low and the rotation slow. Many large ships can berth in the outer harbor. During the busy seasons of summer and winter, they need to line up in the open sea and wait to dock.

All these are not conducive to trade and navigation, and also hinder the further development and prosperity of Shanghai. If the blood circulation is not smooth, people will not be healthy, and the same is true for Shanghai! "

Wang Xuanzhen spoke so eloquently that Liu Fang couldn't help but feel a little emotional, feeling that his vision was ahead of his time. However, it was equally difficult for him to support him. First of all, Liu Fang didn't understand the ways inside, and he didn't think Wang Xuanzhen's proposal was urgent. ,necessary.

After pondering for a while, Liu Fang looked at Wang Xuanzhen and said, "Even if your considerations are reasonable, they are too far-reaching! According to your idea, this project is not small. How much manpower and material resources will be required? Have you ever thought about it? In Songjiang How can the imperial court agree to carry out such a big project if the conditions are sufficient?"

Wang Xuanzhen immediately said: "Fifty years ago, when Wang Yangong (Wang Pu) was governing the Huaihe River, he dug the flood swamp and opened the Guishan Canal, which cost a lot of money and took many years. However, the people around the river swamp are still benefiting from it! "

"You want to imitate Wang Yangong?" Liu Fang glanced at Wang Xuanzhen.

Wang Xuanzhen said: "I don't dare! I'm just an official. I just want to gain fame and reputation, but I also want to leave something for the people under my rule."

"One Shanghai city is not enough?" Liu Fang said lightly.

Wang Xuanzhen: "I hope Shanghai can become more prosperous!"

"You are the chief envoy of Jiangnan Province!"

"I am already old. If I can accomplish one more thing, I consider myself worthy of this position."

After hearing what Wang Xuanzhen said, Liu Fang was silent for a while, raised his head, and said leisurely: "You are honest, your ideas are grand, and you are very forward-looking.

However, this time I am in the court and am neither responsible for water conservancy projects nor money and food. If you come to me about this matter, you have gone to the wrong temple and worshiped the wrong god."

Wang Xuanzhen bowed and said, "I don't dare to embarrass the king. I only ask the king to present this picture to His Majesty on my behalf when he returns to the capital!"

Wang Xuanzhen looked very calm, and his eyes returned to calmness. Seeing this, Liu Fang looked at him carefully for a while, rolled up the drawings on the table, and said: "Keep the drawings, I will consider it!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Seeing this, Wang Xuazhen stood up and saluted Liu Fang solemnly: "I'm sorry for bothering you, Your Majesty, but I hope you'll forgive me and I'll resign!"

After saying this, he bowed respectfully to Zigong Liu Wenji who was accompanying him and then slowly left the room.

"Why did Fourth Uncle agree to submit the petition on his behalf?" Liu Wenji, who had been drinking tea silently and had not spoken a word, suddenly asked.

Obviously, Liu Fang said he would consider it, but leaving the picture behind was an attitude in itself. Upon hearing this, Liu Fang smiled faintly: "It's a favor, so what if I give him a gift?"

"This is not a favor! And the fourth uncle doesn't seem to be someone who just goes with the flow, and there is no need to do so." Liu Wenji looked at Liu Fang and said.

Liu Fang smiled again and asked, "You seem to disagree with Wang Xuanzhen's proposal to build the river?"

Liu Wenji shook his head: "It doesn't matter whether my nephew agrees with it or not. What matters is whether the people in power in the DPRK agree with it!"

"You are not optimistic about this proposal!" Liu Fang said.

Liu Wenji pondered for a while and said: "The concerns about Songjiang mentioned by Wang Xuanzhen are not serious at present, and there are many ways to improve them. If the river is narrow, then widen it; if there is sedimentation, then dredge it; use big boats If there are not enough berths, then expand the port

In short, it is easier for people to accept it than building a large-scale construction project and carving out a river.

Wang Xuanzhen had a big idea and seemed to have far-reaching considerations, but because of this, it was even more difficult to realize it. What's more, this matter involves a lot of places, far beyond Shanghai and Suxiu Prefecture. The more involved, the more difficult it will be to make the trip.

As for whether Wang Xuanzhen's thoughts are reasonable or not, I can't draw a conclusion. Maybe the situation in tens or even hundreds of years will be more severe than what he said today, but the discussion of repairing the river is at least inappropriate at the moment."

Liu Wenji's remarks made Liu Fang both surprised and emotional, and said: "As you said, I am just a 'messenger'. As for whether we agree or disagree, that is a matter for your Majesty and the court to consider!" Immediately afterwards, Liu Fang asked Liu Wenji: "What do you think of Wang Xuanzhen?"

Regarding this question, Liu Wenji also showed a smile and said: "He is a good official! At least, compared to the flattering officials he has seen along the way, this person can be called a practical person. When I talked to my fourth uncle and reported, he was also For official matters, observe his words and observe his actions, and it is not difficult to understand that Your Majesty will abandon many criticisms and appoint this person."

After listening to Liu Wenji's opinions, Liu Fang couldn't help but look at him carefully. His face with many wrinkles was very calm, but he secretly sighed in his heart: "What a pity."

Feeling the scrutinizing gaze of his fourth uncle, Liu Wenji was also very calm, with a calm expression. He just played with the tea set skillfully and helped Liu Fang pour a cup of tea.

The twenty-six-year-old Liu Wenji has completely matured. After opening the government, he has been studying step by step for seven years. In accordance with the "tradition" cultivated by the Tian family, he went to the military academy and went to the battalion to gain experience. Until the past two years, he In the year of 1989, he was just arranged by Emperor Liu Yang to work in the court.

He started from some "minor" minor positions, starting from serving as censor in the palace, then judging affairs in Dali Temple, and then promoted to official position in Luoyang Mansion. Until this time, he still wore the title of censor of Jiangnan Province.

This kind of progress and speed is much slower than that of the eldest brother who has already been crowned king and participated in the military affairs of the Han Dynasty early. Because of this, although Liu Wenji is the second prince in the court, he rarely attracts attention. The focus is all on the eldest prince Liu Wenhuan and the growing-up legitimate prince Liu Wenpeng. As for Liu Wenji, he didn't even do anything to manage his reputation and power.

At this time, Zhao Wang Liu Fang couldn't help but think about the situation of the three princes, the emperor's second brother. With a solemn expression, he immediately ordered the attendant in front of the door: "Come, go and find the third prince!"

"Yes!"

"No need!" As soon as he finished speaking, a slightly excited voice sounded from outside the door, followed by a handsome young man who came in, it was Liu Wenpeng, the third son of the emperor.

Liu Wenpeng had no contact with his uncle and brothers at all. Liu Wenpeng quickly walked in and sat down. He picked up a cup of tea on the table. Without waiting for Liu Wenji to dissuade him, he put it into his mouth and then spit it out. He looked at Liu Wenji with some grievance: " Second brother, this tea has just been brewed.”

Looking at Liu Wenpeng, Liu Wenji chuckled and said, "You are too impatient!"

"I'm too thirsty!" Liu Wenpeng said, then he raised his eyes, looked at Liu Fang and Liu Wenji, and said: "Fourth uncle, second brother, Shanghai is extremely lively today, there are so many new things here, it's dazzling. , why don't you go out and take a look, how can you patrol in the post house?"

Liu Wenpeng's eyebrows were full of joy. Obviously, this child was raised in a deep palace and was very depressed on weekdays. This trip was the first time that he got rid of the literary teachers and martial arts teachers in the palace and went out on a tour. For Liu Wenpeng, such an opportunity, even if it was not like a wild horse, completely letting himself go, it still released some Innate.

Noticing Liu Wenpeng's excited expression, Liu Fang smiled and said: "Just in time, you can look at it for us and tell us what's new."

Just when Liu Wenpeng had a strong desire to share, he immediately recounted his experiences in Shanghai with great joy.

From the flat and open Songjiang Avenue to the rows of warehouses and shops; from the distinctive new buildings to the densely packed cargo ships; as well as the people in strange clothes and even "weird shapes".

The unveiling ceremony of the Customs Building also mentioned that for Liu Wenpeng, this emerging port city may be far from grand and magnificent, and its layout cannot be compared with the two capitals, but just the word "fresh" is enough. That's enough.

Liu Wenpeng even told the story he heard about the "North-South Cotton War". Under the false rumors, the commercial dispute between the North and the South, which had stopped fighting, became more and more magical, with the twists and turns of the process, the vastness of the scenes, and the complexity of the story. It's wonderful, it's enough to make people gasp in admiration and admiration.

As for the actual situation, Liu Fang had heard about it, and it was nothing more than the competition between cotton merchants in the north and south regions in the entire chain from production, transportation to sales. Shanghai was the most important base for southern cotton merchants, and this was where the "Northern Expedition" began. And when this kind of commercial dispute develops, it often turns into violent methods, including murder, arson, poisoning and robbery, and various methods emerge in endlessly.

Of course, when it reaches this level, it is naturally impossible for the court to ignore it. So local inspections and police officers were dispatched to first control the violence and arrest the offenders. Then the Finance Department sent personnel to summon the main cotton merchants from the north and the south to mediate conflicts and eliminate disputes.

With the court's strong intervention, the matter eventually calmed down, at least on the surface. But the imperial court, as always, killed two "chickens" that danced the most happily, causing such a big commotion and causing such a bad impact. So many people died, so many laws were disrupted, public order and good customs were violated, and social stability was affected. How could this be mediation? Can it be done in one or two?

Who gave these profiteers the courage? Although the Yongxi Dynasty followed the line of reconciliation, it did not include too many compromises with businessmen.

In this war between the north and south business gangs centered on cotton, it was also the first time in decades that the price of cotton cloth fell. Especially the cloth merchants in Jiangnan lowered the price. For this reason, those big merchants with strong family backgrounds all The losses were heavy, a large number of small and medium-sized businessmen went bankrupt, and cotton farmers also suffered greatly.

Of course, as the situation was brought under control and the market stabilized, the prices of cotton and cotton cloth rose rapidly, even exceeding previous levels.

After such a conflict, the pattern of the north-south cotton cloth market has become further clear. The north has the first-mover advantage, has strong influence and profound foundation, while the south has caught up from behind.

From the perspective of the entire Han Dynasty, this market is far from reaching its upper limit. Both the north and the south still have a lot of room for deep cultivation. This battle has come too early. However, who taught the two capitals to be in the north?

But after receiving this painful lesson, they were able to live in peace for a long time, until the next time conflicts couldn't be easily reconciled.

What happened in the whole process, through word of mouth, evolved into the "romantic romance" and "heroic legend" that even Liu Wenpeng was interested in.

Seeing Liu Wenpeng talking eloquently, Liu Fang also showed a little caring smile on his face, and said softly: "Everything you said was the glamorous side of Shanghai, so you didn't find any problems?"

"Question?" When asked, Liu Wenpeng was stunned for a moment, and his expression immediately became serious. He looked like he was thinking, but he couldn't help but think of those unharmonious experiences in Huaixi.

Facing Liu Fang's gaze, Liu Wenpeng said hesitantly: "The time is still short, and there is no time to observe carefully."

"Then look more and listen to the voices in the corners of this city. We still have time!" Liu Fang became a little serious and even said to Liu Wenpeng solemnly: "You have lived in the palace for a long time. Come, most of them are new things and experiences for you. It’s understandable that you are full of curiosity and happy to see things, but you have come to the shore of the East China Sea, so it’s time to calm down!”

Compared with the emperor's attitude towards him, Liu Fang, his fourth uncle, has always been tolerant. When Ran Fu became serious, Liu Wenpeng couldn't help but be awe-inspiring and responded seriously: "Yes! My nephew understands what my fourth uncle taught me!"

His attitude was worthy of recognition, but Liu Fang knew that Liu Wenpeng might not really understand his persuasion. After all, he was only a fifteen-year-old boy.

So, after thinking for a moment, Liu Fang said to Liu Wenpeng: "I'll give you a task!"

"Fourth uncle, please give me your orders!" Liu Wenpeng immediately became energetic.

Liu Fang said: "In addition to the many ships and merchants in Shanghai, the largest number of people are workers who are working hard to make a living at the major ports. If you go to the docks in Shanghai to stay for a while, you are not required to unload the goods, so you can just go with them. Let’s eat and live together, talk about everything, and then talk about our thoughts!”

Liu Wenpeng seemed very interested in this, but immediately bargained: "Can you work as a sailor on the ship? I want to go to sea and see——"

Liu Fang's response to this whimsical idea was very straightforward: "No!"

Although his efforts were fruitless, Liu Wenpeng was not disappointed. Instead, he was very interested in the dock life that was about to begin.

"After all, he is still a child!" Liu Wenpeng went to take a bath and rest, while Liu Fang couldn't help but sigh.

"The third brother has a pure nature, but he is still young. When he gets older and has more experience, he will eventually mature!" Liu Wenji said with a chuckle.

Liu Fang glanced at him, but said meaningfully: "Fifteen or sixteen years old, he is not young anymore. He is still very well 'protected' by his mother!"

In this regard, Liu Wenji did not answer the call, and Liu Fang did not have an in-depth conversation about this.

The "small lesson" that Liu Fang arranged for Liu Wenpeng failed to achieve the expected results, and even ended as soon as it started.

The next day, Liu Wenpeng was assigned to Songjiang Pier No. 3. However, he only stayed there for one day. Before he was familiar with the work of the terminal and the livelihood of laborers, he had to follow Liu Fang to return to the court in an emergency.

An urgent report came from Luoyang, Xijing. To be precise, something happened in the court. It was a drastic change that affected the entire court and even the future of the empire.

There were only two uncles and nephews when they came, but Liu Wenji, the Duke of Linzi, took the initiative to stay. He was also full of inquiry about the city of Shanghai, hoping to spend more time observing it, and found a job for himself. In the newly established Jiangguan Customs Department, he became a director in charge of tariff accounting.