The most unlucky crossing in history

Ever since Shen Du came back, Zhong Qiyun had put all his attention on expanding the scale of the Zhong family's industry, dealing with the newly entered river transportation and the affairs of the Hu family, and he never personally led the boat.

In the past four months, the fleet has expanded rapidly, and the number of new boatmen recruited is several times that of before. The new boatmen only heard that they had the honor to go to sea with Zhong Qiyun and the old crew members mentioned their master Zhong’s superb sailing skills. is never seen before.

Going to Jingzhao is half sea and half land. It takes five days to travel from Hangzhou to Linzhou. It takes five days to transfer to Linzhou and go west all the way. It takes eight days to count the delays such as docking and transshipment. The time is almost the same as that of land transportation, but the five-day sea transportation can save three cents of the cost of traveling and horses, so as long as the weather permits, it is also a good route to go to Jingzhaohai Road.

They have been walking this line for nearly half a year. When the road conditions are good/the weather is good, it is always [-] days, and it has never been able to reduce it.

They only thought that the owner was a good leader, but they didn't know it would be so powerful.

They left Hangzhou in the afternoon on the sixth day of the lunar new year, and they were already standing at the port of Linzhou before the sun set completely on the eighth day of the new year.

two days...

It only took two days.

When they set foot on land, the boatmen looked at the sunset in Linzhou Bay, and they couldn't recover.

"I didn't know it all the time. It turns out that we can save time by sailing..."

"I can't even recall how this was done." A boatman pursed his lips, looking at Zhong Qiyun, who commanded the land transport fleet to carry the goods in the distance, with eyes full of admiration: "It's incredible, it feels like flying!"

"No wonder Brother Zhang Sheng said that Boss Zhong's shipping ability is No. 1 in the middle school. Now it seems that it is not adulterated at all."

The boatman on the side nodded repeatedly, amazed.

Zhong Qiyun couldn't control how much the boatmen Ren admired him.He wanted to arrive at Jingzhao before the Mid-Autumn Festival on August [-]th, and he wanted to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with Xie Wenyuan on this reunion night.

Zhong Qiyun was calculating the time in his heart, today is the night of the ninth day of the lunar new year, and there are only a little more than five days left before the fifteenth day is over...

Land transportation is not as good as sea transportation. Caravans are still rushing, the means of transportation have not changed, and the speed of travel is almost fixed. If you want to arrive at Jingzhao two or three days in advance, you must increase the speed of travel, and then try to save time in every link.

Zhong Qiyun didn't dare to delay any longer, and didn't even take a break, so he immediately arranged for the follow-up land transportation.

August [-]th, Mid-Autumn Festival night.The sky is as clear as water, and the moon is as bright as a mirror.

Not

No matter how things are in this world, every household in Jingzhao City, the most extravagant and prosperous city in Dazhu, lit up lanterns in front of their gates. The lanterns come in different forms, delicate or rough, or tied to bamboo poles or tall trees on tile eaves. How can I look forward to the family reunion in the meantime?

Walking three miles south from the imperial city, the largest square in Jingzhao City, the Qianming Wanxing Lighthouse on the fifth floor of Gaoyue built by the big households in the city is still on. Late at night, the city is also brightly lit.

When Xie Wenyuan left the Zhengshitang, it was already three quarters of the Hai hour, and not long after that, it would be Ziban, and the Mid-Autumn Festival would be over.

Now the city is no longer as lively as it was at dusk, the night is quiet, except for a few wine shops in the streets and alleys that have not closed their doors, there are no passers-by in sight.

Shangshuling's mansion is not far from the Zhengshitang, just a short walk away. On the Mid-Autumn Festival reunion night, except for some important guards and guards, he let the people in the mansion go home for the reunion as in previous years.Therefore, he didn't ask people to prepare carriages and horses when he went to and from the Zhengshitang in the past few days.

He had only taken a few steps before Qiu Ping hurried over, bowed his head and called out, "My lord."

Some time ago, the extension of responsibility was caught by the wind and cold and has not recovered, and it coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Thinking that he had not returned to his hometown for the Mid-Autumn Festival for many years, Xie Wenyuan asked him to go back to his hometown to have a look. By the way, he had a good rest for a few days. This Qiu Ping.He is only sixteen or seventeen years old, although he is not smart, but he is honest and careless, so he is allowed to run errands for the time being.

only······

"Didn't I tell you to go back to the mansion first, don't you wait?" Xie Wenyuan said slowly.

Hearing the sound, Qiu Ping quickly explained: "Steward Cao ordered me to guard..."

Cao Yu is sixty and three years old this year, and it is time for him to enjoy his old age, but this man has no wife and no children. Xie Wenyuan's biological mother brought her a steward from her natal family when she got married. After her biological mother died of illness, Cao Yu has been helping him manage Regarding matters in the courtyard, even though he was a servant, Xie Wenyuan respected him as an elder, he left the general's mansion, Cao Yu also followed him and became the housekeeper of his mansion till now.

Knowing that the old butler was also worried, he made sure to let the boy wait. He was afraid that Cao Yu would scold him for letting Qiu Ping go back, so he hurried over.

It's no wonder that Qiu Ping didn't listen to him: "I'll tell Steward Cao later that he won't deduct your monthly payment."

Qiu Ping opened his big eyes, and said repeatedly: "No, no, my lord is busy with political affairs, don't let this bother you..." He pursed his lips, "Butler Cao is right. Wait here, if the adults are in a hurry, there is also someone to contact

pass. "

If Xie Wenyuan really wanted someone to spread the word, there must be some secret guards, but Cao Guanjia, the servant of the family, is very good at managing the land, Xie Wenyuan didn't bother to intervene, he was really tired after discussing in the political affairs hall for a day today, so he just said Say "Go back to the mansion", I don't want to talk to Qiu Pingduo again.

Qiu Ping couldn't figure out the temper of this lord, so he looked at Xie Wenyuan cautiously, seeing that his master hadn't spoken, his heart skipped a beat, feeling bad.

The master was going to help him with a few words, but he refused for some reason. Isn't this annoying or something?Thinking that this person is now the minister of ministers, with a high position and authority, Qiu Ping became even more flustered, and even his thin body trembled slightly.

Xie Wenyuan glanced at Qiu Ping, who was short and hard to hide his fear, and sighed slightly in his heart, everyone in the house was a little afraid of him, he didn't know...

After thinking about it, Xie Wenyuan still said: "What's going on in the house today?"

Qiu Ping straightened his body, and hurriedly replied: "Many officials and adults came to visit the mansion today, but Steward Cao blocked them all according to your instructions."

"is it?"

Qiu Ping nodded, thinking of the people he met before being called by Steward Cao to guard him at night, and added: "Oh, and the Zhong family sent someone to deliver something again at night, but Steward Cao did not refuse. "

Xie Wenyuan nodded slightly, but did not ask carefully.

Since the opening of the Jingzhao City Chengfeng Station, the things that Zhong Qiyun prepared have been sent over every now and then.

Or snacks, good wine, or fabrics, ready-made clothes, or rare treasures, jade, or even land deeds...

Xie Wenyuan closed his eyes when he thought of the land deed sent by Guanshi Wang at that time, and it is still difficult to recall how he felt when he saw the land deed.

In the scorching summer, he did not mind the trouble of traveling thousands of miles to deliver ice cubes from the south of the Yangtze River...

Although the gift is not real money, it seems worthless, but everything is more wasteful than real money.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhong Qiyun probably prepared something for someone to deliver.

Just thinking of this, Xie Wenyuan suddenly stopped in his tracks, stared straight ahead in a daze.

Seeing that his lord had stopped, Qiu Ping followed Xie Wenyuan's gaze, and saw the servant of the Zhong family who was delivering things at the mansion before he came, standing not far away.

Qiu Ping was startled, thinking that it was Steward Cao who rejected the Zhong family, so he ran to the Zhengshitang to guard.Adults don't like to come like this.

Qiu Ping thought about it, and hurriedly stepped forward and said

Said: "Hey, what's the matter with you? Why did you come here? Do you know where this is? Wandering here in the middle of the night is terrible!" He whispered to this person again: "Go back quickly, if you offend the adults, you will really be walking around without eating!"

It's just that no matter what he says, this person seems to be in a daze, and doesn't even look at him.

Afterwards, he saw that this person did not retreat but advanced, walking towards the adult step by step.

Qiu Ping was anxious, and said, "Hey, you..."

It's just that before he finished speaking, his lord said lightly: "Qiu Ping, don't be unreasonable."

When Qiu Ping heard this, he quickly lowered his head and shut up.

However, he saw the man raising the oiled paper bag in his hand towards his lord, and said with a smile: "Thank you, sir, your Zhong's courier has arrived." He said twice, "There are really people everywhere in this political hall. As for the guard, it’s a pity that I don’t have an official position, and I forgot to bring some silver coins, and the officials will not let me wait in front of the door, so I can only retreat here and wait for you.”

Xie Wenyuan watched him walking towards him step by step, with a smile all over his face, Zhong Qiyun whose eyes were full of him, did not respond.

Zhong Qiyun smiled cheerfully, and then slightly adjusted his smile and said: "Tsk tsk, my lord Xie, you are really a busy person. You don't have a good rest on this Mid-Autumn night, but you come here to deal with political affairs... I just returned I was thinking, if you don’t leave the Zhengshitang tonight, how can I get together for a night here, and I don’t know if I will be taken away by the patrolling officers and soldiers if I make do with it here.”

Zhong Qiyun's eyes traced inch by inch the person he had been thinking about for several months, the sweetheart he had finally met.My heart was throbbing with pain, and my heart was filled with excitement and excitement, like surging waves constantly crashing against a dilapidated dam.People can't control their words, deeds and behavior.

His pupils trembled, Zhong Qiyun clenched his fists, and took a deep breath to calm down Zhong's unconcealed emotions, but it was impossible.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, every family was reunited, but this person dealt with official business for a whole day, and did not have a reunion dinner with others, nor did he sing poems and look at the moon with others...

Unbearably distressed, Zhong Qiyun walked up to Xie Wenyuan with big strides, and when he spoke again, his voice had long lost the smile just now, and he said in a trembling voice: "I originally wanted to rush to Jingzhao during the day, but really No, it’s a quarter of Xu at Jingzhao Capital, and I just went to your house to look for you, but you weren’t here, so I couldn’t wait any longer, so I came here by myself. Have you had dinner yet? Haven’t you eaten mooncakes yet?”

say no

After Xie Wenyuan replied, he hurriedly tore open the oiled paper bag in his hand, revealing the meringue mooncake inside, "It should not be past the fifteenth day, I brought this from Hangzhou, and it was baked on the morning of the sixth day. The store said that there is no problem in storing it for a month, although the taste is not as good as that day, but the taste is still very good, would you like to have a taste?"