Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 213 Cabbage Tofu
On the 41nd of the winter month in the 22st year of Jiajing, He Liu, the governor of Jinyiwei North Town, and Liu Da, the commander of Zuo Tongzhi, went south by boat to inspect the coastal defense of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.Of course, patrolling coastal defense is just an excuse.Their real purpose is to investigate Hu Zongxian.

Half a month later, He Liu and his party arrived in Hangzhou.

It was not Hu Zongxian, governor of Zhejiang Province, but Zhao Bingran, the new governor of Zhejiang Province, who led the civil and military officials of Hangzhou City to welcome the imperial envoy.

Zhao Bingran led all the officials to kowtow to He Liu and Liu Daxing.

Liu Dao: "Governor Zhao, Hu Zongxian, as the highest official sent by the imperial court to Jiangnan, why didn't he come to greet the imperial envoy in person? Could it be that he despised the imperial envoy?"

Zhao Bingran replied: "Appointment to work. It is said all the time that dams are built in winter and floods are controlled in summer. Hu Butang has been staying in Chun'an County these days, supervising the construction of the Xin'an River embankment by the river workers."

Liu Da sneered and said, "Oh, I'm afraid I've done something wrong. I'm afraid that our imperial envoy is envoy Mr. He, right? Why should he supervise the construction of the embankment in person? Could it be that the officials of the river channel yamen and the river channel supervision yamen , Father-in-law are all decorations are not enough?"

He Liu glared at Liu Da.Liu Da immediately fell silent.

He Liu asked Zhao Bingran, "I haven't seen Master Zhao before."

Zhao Bingran replied: "Before I became an official, I had been working in the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing. After the former Zheng Michang was transferred to the supervisor of Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, Hu Butang served as the governor of Zhejiang for a year. I was appointed as the minister of the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing last month. He was transferred to be the governor of Zhejiang. Mr. He has been working in Beijing for a long time, so he didn't have the chance to see him before he stepped down."

Zhao Bingran is a member of Yuwang Party.After Yan Song and Yan Shifan lost power, King Yu recommended him to Emperor Jiajing as the governor of Zhejiang, which was obviously to weaken Hu Zongxian's power.

He Liudao: "So that's the case. By the way, Mr. Zhao. The coastal defense of Jiangsu and Zhejiang has a lot to do with it. We are ordered by the imperial court to patrol, and we must be accompanied by Hu Butang..."

Zhao Bingran hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I will send someone to send a message telling Hu Butang to rush back to Hangzhou."

He Liudao: "That's not necessary. I'll go to Chun'an to meet Hu Butang myself, and then go back to Hangzhou with him."

Liu Da asked: "Brother Six, shall I go to Chun'an with you?"

He Liu shook his head: "No need!"

Then He Liu pointed to the carriage behind, and Bai Xiaoyan and Xiangxiang were sitting in the carriage.

He Liudao: "You help your sixth sister-in-law and niece settle down in the imperial envoy's Xingyuan first. When Hu Butang and I return to Hangzhou, you will patrol Haiphong with us."

Liu Dawei said obediently: "It's all according to the sixth brother's orders."

He Liu saw Qi Jiguang standing at the forefront of the generals class.He hurried over, cupped his hands and said, "Qi Shuai, it's been a long time!"

Qi Jiguang cupped his hands: "Sixth Lord, when we broke up last time, I said that the green mountains will not change, and the green water will flow forever. There will be a period later. I didn't expect that we will meet again after half a year."

He Liu found a scar on Qi Jiguang's face, he pointed to the scar, and asked, "Qi Shuai, who is this?"

Qi Jiguang smiled: "After breaking up with the sixth master in Ningde, Fujian at the beginning of the year, I led the army to fight a few more battles with the Japanese pirates. In the battle of Fuqing, I accidentally let the Japanese pirates take a bite of the firecracker. It's okay." .”

He Liu said with sincere emotion: "The emperor praised Qi Shuai as the world's Wei Huo. Wei Qing and Huo Qubing died more than 1000 years ago. I have never seen it. But Qi Shuai's bravery and martial arts, but I have seen it with my own eyes! Yes By the way, how has Madam been recently?"

Qi Jiguang leaned into He Liu's ear, and said, "Okay? What a fart! That tigress doesn't like me recently, and makes me sleep on the bluestone floor under the bed every night. I have no choice but to hide in the barracks under the pretext of training soldiers." .”

He Liu laughed loudly: "Qi Shuai didn't dare to show the masculinity of killing the enemy on the battlefield, and said to her: Why should I sleep on a bluestone slab? You sleep on a bed? Since ancient times, husbands sing and women follow. Have you ever seen women sing husbands?" ?”

Qi Jiguang smiled wryly: "Master Liu, every family has scriptures that are difficult to recite. I dare not provoke that tigress in my family! If I provoke her, she dares to take that family saber and kill me alive!"

Zhao Bingran said: "Master He, the officials in Hangzhou have prepared a reception banquet for you. Let's stop talking at the gate of this city. Go into the city and chat while eating."

He Liu waved his hand: "No. I will go to Chun'an County on horseback to meet Hu Butang right now. The imperial envoy Deputy Envoy Mr. Liu will attend the banquet on my behalf. By the way, I am bringing my family with me on this trip to the south for business. Yes. I also ask Mr. Zhao to tidy up two more elegant rooms in Xingyuan, the imperial envoy, for Zhuo Jing and my daughter to live in."

After speaking, He Liu took ten warriors in brocade clothes and rode straight to Chun'an County.

In the evening, He Liu arrived at the embankment of the Xin'an River in Chun'an County.

As the sun sets, the afterglow shines on the river. It can be said that a setting sun spreads over the water, half of the river is rustling and half of the river is red.

He Liu looked around and saw two people wearing commoner clothes and bamboo hats, holding their trousers, standing in the cold river, directing a group of peasants to fill the embankment with soil.

Among those two people, one was Hu Zongxian, governor of Zhejiang Province, and the other was Hai Ruihai, the magistrate of Chun'an County.

He Liu shouted to them: "Hu Butang, Magistrate Hai, don't come here!"

The two recognized He Liu from a distance, and hurried ashore.

Hu Zongxian said: "Lao Liu, a few days ago I received a Tang newspaper saying that the imperial ship had just passed through the Shandong border. Why did it arrive in Zhejiang so soon?"

He Liudao: "The speed of the official ship is too slow. I borrowed two Iris clippers from the Cao Gang to transfer, so I arrived two days earlier."

Hai Rui said from the side: "My officer, Hai Rui, I have met Mr. He."

After speaking, Hai Rui bowed to He Liu.

He Liu smiled and said, "You don't need to be too polite, County Magistrate Hai. I can't bear your worship. Who doesn't know the allusion of Hai Bijia?"

Hai Rui said: "In front of corrupt officials, no matter how high their official position is, Mr. Hai will never salute. However, Mr. He is a good official who wholeheartedly serves the country and the people. This time, Mr. Hai is willing to bow of!"

When He Liu investigated the Jiangnan salt smuggling case, he did not hesitate to offend five prominent high-ranking officials in Jiangnan, forcing them to spit out dirty money.From then on, Hai Rui admired He Liu from the bottom of his heart.

The three exchanged pleasantries.Hu Zongxian said: "Lao Liu, you haven't had dinner yet. Let's go, go to my interim Governor Xingyuan, let's chat while eating."

The so-called "temporary Governor's Xingyuan" is just a small shed temporarily built with a few large wooden stakes and a pile of thatch.There was a broken wooden bed, a table, and a few chairs inside.

The three entered the thatched hut.Hu Zongxian said with a smile: "Lao Liu, my job is a bit crude. I have wronged you, the imperial envoy!"

He Liu said something from the bottom of his heart: "If the governors of the world were like this thatched hut in Hu Butang, the world would have been at peace long ago!"

The three sat down, and Hu Zongxian's head came in for dinner.

The so-called dinner is just a plate of tofu, a plate of pickled cabbage, a pot of white rice porridge, and three white steamed buns.

Hu Zongxian said: "I don't have any delicacies from mountains and seas here. But there is a saying that fish produces phlegm, meat makes fire, and cabbage tofu keeps you safe. Cabbage tofu has its own unique flavor."

He Liu took the white steamed buns handed over by Hu Zongxian, and thought of the "partridge rice" and "cucumber stick gravy" he ate at the Yan Mansion banquet.

He Liu thought to himself: What is a good official and what is a corrupt official, you can get a glimpse of the whole leopard from the diet alone.

(End of this chapter)