The most unlucky crossing in history

When Zhong Qiyun confirmed that he was able to sail south during this period of time, Steward Pei smiled and thanked him repeatedly: "Thank you, Boss Zhong, I will send a letter back to Jincheng overnight to tell my master about it. "

The Pei family said that the business order was very important, and his Pei family was an outsider in sea travel, so they didn't know the twists and turns. When it was mentioned at the time, they were not sure whether the Zhong family's fleet could accept the order.

Therefore, Master Pei asked the housekeeper Pei Sheng to come here first to inquire. If the Zhong family can confirm the voyage, Jincheng will start the follow-up immediately.

"Don't worry," Zhong Qi said, "I still need to clarify some things with you, the steward. It's already the third day of October. If you want to get to Shendu before the end of the year, you'll have to make the journey all the way. The fleet can sail smoothly. Even so, the time of fifty days is very tight, and it will be fine if there are no storms and dangers on the way, but you also know that the sea cannot be calm forever..."

Butler Pei understood the meaning, and hurriedly asked: "Understood, how long is Boss Zhong estimated to take?"

"Seventy days."

Seventy days... The housekeeper has calculated that if he goes to sea in the middle of the month, he will arrive at the end of January next year.

Seeing that the steward hesitated, Zhong Qiyun said again: "If you think it's not possible, then I won't accept this business, and I don't dare to act recklessly when it comes to sailing the sea."

Having said that, Zhong Qiyun knew clearly that if the Pei family really wanted to get to Shendu country earlier, they had no choice but to find him by sea.

Naturally, the speed of traveling by land cannot be compared with the speed of traveling by sea. Now, to go to Shendu by land, you have to bypass Uighur, Keze, Anuze and other countries, and pass through complex terrain such as Gobi and desert... .. In such a situation, survival is not easy at all, not to mention leading a team forward. According to the estimates of previous traders, if you go by land, it will take at least four full months of travel.

Moreover, the relationship between the Uyghurs and Daqing is unclear now. Although they are talking about peace, they have not actually signed a contract. Who knows what the frontier looks like, and Daqing merchants are naturally afraid to go to the border.

Sure enough, Steward Pei replied, "Seventy days should be feasible. My master mentioned it to me. The matter of going to Shendu country years ago was actually proposed by the merchants in Shendu country, but the master did not agree.. ...In fact, Lord Shendu’s birthday is in February, so I think it’s fine as long as I can make it in time.”

Zhong Qiyun smiled when he heard the words: "In this case, I would like to ask Steward Pei to tell Master Pei as soon as possible, whether it will be successful or not, now time is tight, Hai

The wind and the sea also wait for no one. It is best for our fleet to set off as soon as possible. "

"Nature, nature."

Steward Pei asked some more specific matters, then quickly left.

Zhong Qiyun thought it would take at least seven or eight days for the Pei family to reply, but he didn't know that the housekeeper Pei came to his house in five days, sent him a deposit, and brought a contract and a reply.

It seems that the Pei family is indeed very anxious.

"My Pei family has a kiln for making fireworks outside the city of Hangzhou. It will be the end of the new year in two months. The kiln has already prepared fireworks, and now there are many ready-made goods. When I came here, I ordered people to rush to build it, and I think it will be ready for shipment in a few days."

"Very good." Zhong Qiyun nodded, "How many people from your Pei family are preparing to go to Shendu with me?"

"Counting Shendu merchants, there should be about 160 people."

Zhong Qiyun was startled when he heard the words, and then looked at Guanshi Pei with some amusement: "Is this because I'm afraid that I stole the fireworks halfway and escaped? Speaking of your fireworks, I can arrange at most fifty people to accompany the boat, you people. …”

Zhong Qiyun looked at Butler Pei with a half-smile, but didn't finish speaking.

Butler Pei didn't change his face: "This time my master arranged for the young master to escort him personally, so he added some followers for safety."

Zhong Qiyun smiled, noncommittal.

"And," as if he had already guessed that Zhong Qiyun was not happy, the butler handed over the supplementary contract in his hand: "My master said that if Boss Zhong agrees, the amount of money delivered will be doubled."

Zhong Qiyun laughed loudly and narrowed his exquisite eyes: "Master Pei is really generous! Now that's the case, I have nothing to say, I just hope that the two companies will continue to cooperate in the future." Speaking of this, he called the people behind him. Sun Guanshi said: "Sun Guanshi, you should order people to prepare well. I think Young Master Pei is no more rough than us, he has to take good care of him."

"Yes, Master."

Butler Pei said again: "Then, I will trouble Boss Zhong."

Zhong Qiyun shook his hands, overjoyed: "It's easy to talk about."

Just waiting for the person to leave, Zhong Qiyun's smiling face disappeared, and there was no trace of a smile in his eyes.

Steward Sun walked to Zhong Qiyun's side and said, "Boss, this Pei family is adding money and people. I don't think things are that simple...I'm afraid..."

Zhong Qiyun looked at the direction in which Butler Pei left, and said lightly, "I know."

It turned out that the price he negotiated with this Pei Sheng was already quite high, and now it will be doubled...

That was even worse than the last time Zhang Zhenfeng sent money.

And

, now that the Pei family is planning to send many more people than him, if the Pei family is not good at all and launches a disaster midway at sea, it is really difficult for Zhong Qiyun to guarantee that the fleet can retreat unscathed.

Zhong Qiyun frowned, he remembered what the shopkeeper of the Hu family's silk shop he met on the street the day before yesterday said.

Not many people knew about the cooperation between him and the Pei family, but at some point, the news that Zhong Qiyun had taken over the Pei family's business had already spread in Hangzhou.

Now that the news has spread that he has accepted the order, if the order is made without reason, it may not be a good thing for him to gain the reputation of the Zhong family's fleet.

However, Zhong Qiyun couldn't figure it out, now he is only developing all the way along the coast, and has no connection with the inland Pei family. If it is said that the Hu family wants to kill his fleet, it is still possible, but this Pei family...

For some reason, Zhong Qiyun had a sense of Taoism in his heart.

To be exact, someone estimated his possible actions and forced him to take the first step.

After thinking for a long time, he sighed: "Forget it, first wait for the young master of the Hu family to come and see what the meaning of the Pei family is. It's just a few more boats. When they are at sea, they can't compare with the people on land." It is so convenient and can do what they want.”

This time, he didn't just send the fireworks to Pei's family, but Zhang Zhenfeng sent the furniture in two days...

"By the way, are the silks of Maojiang and Zhancheng ready?"

"It's ready."

"Where's the boat?"

"The three new ships delivered by the shipyard have been tested in the sea for one month, and there is no problem."

Zhong Qiyun nodded. The new boat was ordered by him from the shipyard earlier. Although it was not as huge as the one he arranged and designed privately, it could accommodate the goods of the previous ten boats and hundreds of boatmen.

"That's good. Since the young master of the Pei family is also accompanying you, Guanshi Sun, you can arrange for someone to put the ship in order, so that the young master can live more comfortably."

"it is good."

Zhong Qiyun thought of thousands of possibilities about what the Pei family was going to do, but he never expected this to be the case.

On the morning of October [-]th, at the Qiantang River Port, three huge ships and six large ships were lined up at the port, which was extremely eye-catching.Due to the particularity of fireworks, Zhong Qiyun went to Jiangkou to guide the loading in person.

"Boss Zhong, Boss Zhong!"

Behind him, Steward Pei's voice came, and Zhong Qiyun turned around in response.

He was about to speak, but was stunned when he saw the person next to Butler Pei.

It was only at this moment that he suddenly understood, what is transporting fireworks?It's all a cover, why not send someone to Shendu country?

Eyes staring at me without blinking for a few months

Zhong Qiyun suddenly sighed in his heart, and wanted to say a few words of ridicule when the corner of his mouth curled up.

But before he could speak, Butler Pei smiled and said, "Master, this is Chengfeng Station, the owner of Zhong's fleet - Zhong Qiyun, Boss Zhong, this time Boss Zhong personally led the team to transport Be careful with fireworks."

After finishing speaking, he introduced the person on Xie Wenyuan's right to Zhong Qiyun: "Boss Zhong, this is Pei Yan, the young master of our Pei family."

Zhong Qiyun heard the words, so he was willing to shift his gaze to other people with thin faces. His eyes moved down, and he was half a head shorter than Xie Wenyuan. When he entered his eyes, he saw a pair of triangular eyes with stubby eyebrows and drooping eyebrows, like two With the knife hanging, this young master Pei kept smiling at this moment, but he was smiling like a smirk.

One look at his face, Zhong Qiyun knew that this person was very treacherous and full of ghosts.

"So you are Zhong Qiyun?" Pei Yan looked Zhong Qiyun up and down, and asked, "Which Qiyun?"

"Shanzhiqi, the cloud of the wind and cloud." Zhong Qiyun still responded politely.

"Do you have words?"

Zhong Qiyun smiled, "No words."

As soon as these words came out, the young master of the Pei family looked at him with a flash of understanding, and then looked at Zhong Qiyun with a hint of disdain, "Oh...so..."

In Dazhu, those who have a name but no name must be from a poor family, and Zhong Qiyun has no name, so he can only be from a poor family.When Pei Yanchu heard about this man's name, he thought he was some kind of wandering son from a hermit family, but from this point of view, he was naturally not.

In the eyes of the young master of the Pei family, he is naturally a person without a Ph. D. He is far from a business family like them.

Thinking in this way, Pei Yan didn't pay any more attention, and turned around with a smile and talked to the man beside him.

Zhong Qiyun looked at him, but he wasn't angry at all, he only looked at the person who accompanied Pei Yan with a smiling face, he had thick eyebrows and straight nose, and Xie Wenyuan was only half an inch short, but he was handsome and upright with a smile on his face, looking very Friendly and affectionate.

Then Guanshi Pei also had eyesight, seeing Zhong Qiyun looking at that person, he continued to introduce: "This is a distant relative of my Pei family, Yuan Jin, Young Master Yuan."

What is the distant relative of the Pei family? Zhong Qiyun looked at the person standing in the middle, although he didn't show it, but there was an air of arrogance in his bones...

The minister of the Shangshu Province of the Daqing Dynasty was standing here, so Pei Yan didn't try to flatter him, but flattered this "distant relative" instead?

Zhong Qiyun sneered inwardly.

Among the people of this age, Xie Wenyuan has a higher status than Xie Wenyuan, who else but those princes

?I just don't know who this one is.

Yuan Jin... Yuan Jin...

Could it be... the second prince Tan Yuanjin?

Thinking of this, Zhong Qiyun didn't show it on his face, and didn't make any effort to get close. He just bowed his hands politely and said with a smile, "Master Yuan."

Yuan Jin nodded, exchanged simple greetings with Zhong Qiyun, asked about the departure time, and stopped talking.

This person talked about the arrangement of the fleet, Zhong Qiyun then took the initiative to look at Xie Wenyuan, who was dressed simply and deliberately concealed his face, and couldn't help laughing: "Then this is..."

Xie Wenyuan has been in Hangzhou for many days. Although he doesn't often appear in front of others, he is not guaranteed to be recognized by others. This disguise is indeed somewhat unrecognizable from a distance, but this does not include Zhong Qiyun.

"Oh, this is Guo Yuchuan, the Consul General of our Pei family's Jincheng Fireworks Shop."

Zhong Qiyun was happy when he heard the words, and looked at Xie Wenyuan with eyes full of interest, "So you are Consul Guo! You are so young, butler Pei mentioned you to me, and said that it was related to the transportation of fireworks this time. right?"

Xie Wenyuan nodded with a smile, cupped his hands and said, "Yes, there will be Boss Lao Zhong from now on."

Seeing this, Zhong Qiyun was even happier. It's rare, it's rare, it's rare to see Mr. Xie being so polite to him.Although he knew in his heart that Xie Wenyuan must have set up a trick this time, but even so, the annoyance of being played by Xie Wenyuan disappeared in an instant.

"Since that's the case, I happen to have a lot of things I want to ask Consul Guo for advice. I wonder if it's okay?"

Seeing this, Steward Pei was about to refuse, but Xie Wenyuan responded first: "Of course it is possible."

The author has something to say: Thank you for your support, I will continue tomorrow, I have been struggling on the front line of the assessment for a few days!I finally got my annual leave!Babies, my annual holiday is here~ I will update you every day for the Chinese New Year! ! ! ! ! !