I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 113: The Wonderful Boat Girl of West Lake ( Words)

Hu Zongxian and Tang Shunzhi were both members of the Yan Party. They were promoted by Zhao Wenhua and were his own people. Therefore, Tang Shunzhi did not exchange pleasantries with Hu Zongxian. He just said hello and left the living room to go to the prison to see Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang.

Only Hu Zongxian and Lin Shisan were left in the living room.

Hu Zongxian said, "I told you clearly. The white deer is just a legend among fishermen. It is imaginary."

Lin Shisan understood: "Grandfather, I understand. I wandered around Hangzhou for a few days and then submitted a memorial to the emperor, saying that I witnessed the auspicious birth of a white deer."

"Then you can use the auspicious omen to ask the emperor to show mercy and pardon the generals who were convicted of the defeat in Taizhou."

Since the day Lin Shisan met Hu Zongxian, they have been calling each other grandfather and grandson. In fact, Hu Zongxian was only 45 years old at the time.

Hu Zongxian smiled awkwardly: "Ah, I checked the records in Weili. My father is your ancestor. From now on, you should call me your uncle."

The provincial governor gave Lin Shisan a face, so Lin Shisan had to take it in. He cupped his hands and said, "Ah, yes. When I came to Zhejiang this time, Lord Yan, Eunuch Lu, and Governor Lu all sent people to say hello, and told me to obey my uncle."

Hu Zongxian said: "Well, you have to take a boat to Zhoushan Islands, pretend to see the white deer, and then report it. Don't forget, there is also a patrol censor Wang Bengu in Hangzhou. There are also many informants of Yingtian Governor Zhao Zhenji."

Lin Shisan nodded: "Okay. I will leave for Songjiang tomorrow, and then go to Zhoushan from Songjiang."

Hu Zongxian said, "No hurry. You can go around Hangzhou for a few days. All expenses will be paid by the governor's office. To prevent any accidents, I have found a young naval officer who is good at sailing to help you. His name is Chen Lin, and he will arrive in Hangzhou in four days."

Lin Shisan bowed and said, "Thank you, uncle, for your care."

Hu Zongxian asked again: "Has Shen Weijing, who was traveling with you, arrived in Hangzhou?"

Lin Shisan replied: "We are here. We are now resting in the guest room of your yamen."

Hu Zongxian said, "I'll tell you today. I want to negotiate with Wang directly about the amnesty. But I'm afraid someone in the court will gossip about it. I can only ask someone from your Jinyiwei to be the envoy. So I wrote to your governor Lu and asked him to send Shen Weijing."

"Oh, the matter of trying to persuade Wang Zhi to surrender is very complicated and may lead to disaster. Don't worry, I won't let you get involved in this matter."

Lin Shisan said gratefully, "Thank you, uncle, for thinking of me. I only know how to play with pets and seek pets, but I don't have enough brains. If I take on a big task, I'm afraid I'll mess it up."

Hu Zongxian clapped his hands. His third son, Hu Boqi, came in.

Hu Zongxian said, "This is my son, Bai Qi. Bai Qi, this is your half-brother, Lin Shisan."

Hu Boqi cupped his hands and said, "Ah, Brother Lin, I have heard of your great name for a long time."

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "It turned out to be Brother Pachi. He is indeed a handsome man."

Hu Zongxian said, "He is not good at anything else except eating, drinking, whoring and gambling. He has been to all the fun places in Hangzhou. Let him take you around Hangzhou these few days."

Lin Shisan said, "Then I'll have to trouble Brother Boqi. But why are there bruises on your face? I just saw you limping. I guess you got injured while following Uncle Shi to fight against the Japanese invaders?"

Hu Zongxian sighed, "Ah, you really overestimated him. When he came to Hangzhou from his hometown, he was arrogant and domineering. He was beaten up by Hai Rui, the magistrate of Chun'an."

Lin Shisan was surprised: "Which seventh-rank magistrate would be so bold as to hit the son of the governor?"

Hu Zongxian was a tolerant person, which is what people usually say is a prime minister with a broad mind.

When his son was beaten, he spoke well of the man who beat him: "Don't blame Hai Rui for this. Hai Rui is an honest and good official. My son deserved to be beaten by him. Isn't that right, you rebellious son?"

Hu Boqi said with a sad face: "Yes. County Magistrate Hai did a good job in beating his son. He deserved it."

Hu Zongxian said, "Forget it. Take your brother Lin to go for a stroll in West Lake. Come on, call Shen Weijing and Shen Zongqi to the living room."

Hu Boqi led Lin Shisan and Sun Yue out of the governor's office.

Hu Boqi said with a smile: "There is nothing interesting to do in Hangzhou. Only the boat girls on West Lake are okay. I will take the two brothers to West Lake, and we will stay on the boat tonight."

Sun Yue rubbed his hands excitedly: "I've heard of it in a carriage, but I've never heard of it on a boat. It must be a different experience."

Lin Shisan explained: "The boat girls in West Lake are the best at cooking. You are a greedy person and a lecher. Tonight I finally get both."

As they were talking, three sedan chairs were ready.

In the capital, it was taboo for a seventh-rank general to ride in a sedan chair. But it was not the case in the local areas. Not to mention the guests of the governor, even the county magistrates were like local emperors in the local area.

The three of them took a sedan chair and came to the West Lake.

After all, the scenery of West Lake in mid-June is not the same as the four o'clock.

Although it was July, the scenery of West Lake was still beautiful. It was almost evening, and countless sedan chairs and carriages stopped in front of the Flower Harbor Pier.

There are numerous pleasure boats parked at the Flower Harbor Pier. These pleasure boats are all flower boats. The larger three-story pleasure boats have three to five boat girls.

Hu Boqi was obviously a frequent visitor to the pleasure boat. As soon as he arrived at the dock, several boat turtles surrounded him and said, "Mr. Hu, Yanniang hasn't seen you for a long time. She misses you so much that she is foaming at the mouth."

"Mr. Hu, a 29-year-old girl just arrived on our ship. She is so skilled."

"What's so strange about twenty-nine? We just had a fifteenth one on board."

Hu Boqi first joked, "Are you foaming at the mouth because of what I'm thinking? Is it the mouth above that's foaming at the mouth? Hahaha."

"You have a fifteen-year-old on your boat? What a joke. If we want to see skinny horses, we can go to the Skinny Horse Museum. We look for charm in boat girls, not immaturity."

Sun Yue was so excited when he heard this: "Mr. Hu, hurry up and choose a boat. Let's find out what's so strange about the boat girls in West Lake."

Hu Boqi asked loudly, "Has Yu Niang's boat left the dock? Where is the boat turtle?"

A boat turtle stepped forward and said, "Mr. Hu, I am on the ship of Yu Niang. Although our ship has not left the dock, it has been booked by several Hui merchants tonight."

Hu Boqi took out a business card from his sleeve and said, "Give my card to those Huizhou merchants. Let them get off the boat. I have some distinguished guests to receive today."

Since ancient times, merchants have always sought support from officials. How could the Huizhou merchants, who are very sensible, compete with the son of the governor for a woman?
Soon, several Huizhou merchants got off Yu Niang's flower boat.

The fat Hui merchant in the lead bowed to Hu Boqi and said, "We didn't know that Mr. Hu was in a good mood tonight. We almost stole someone's love. Please don't take it seriously."

Hu Boqi treated the Huizhou merchants very kindly: "Oh. It turns out to be the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Wang. I have two distinguished guests tonight. Please find another boat."

Hu Zongxian started his career by borrowing money from Huizhou merchants. Now Hu Zongxian raises military pay in the southeast, buys low-priced military rations, and purchases military supplies, all of which require Huizhou merchants.

Therefore, Hu Boqi would not offend them easily.

The three of them boarded Yu Niang's flower boat.

Yu Niang is the most recognized courtesan in the West Lake flower industry. There are four boat girls on her flower boat. Each of them is extremely beautiful, talented and skilled.

"Se" refers to beauty. "Yi" refers to cooking skills. "Ji" refers to the art of preparing meals.

This three-story houseboat has a dining cabin on the first floor, a viewing cabin on the second floor, and a sleeping cabin on the third floor.

As the name suggests, the first floor is for eating, the second floor is for viewing the scenery, and the third floor is for doing practical work.

The three of them boarded the pleasure boat, and Yu Niang led three women to greet them.

Lin Shisan had seen many beauties from all over the country during his trip southwards. However, when he saw Yu Niang, he couldn't help but move his heart slightly to show respect.

This girl looked to be about 25 or 26 years old, a typical Jiangnan beauty, with skin as white as cream. Her eyes seemed to speak.

Lin Shisan couldn't help but think of the description of Pan Jinlian in "Water Margin": "Her slender waist is as graceful as a lazy swallow or an languid oriole; her soft lips are enough to attract bees and butterflies. Her face is as charming as a flower and she can speak eloquently, her beauty is as graceful as a jade and she exudes fragrance."

The other three women were also in their mid-twenties, charming and beautiful.

Yu Niang bowed to the three people and said, "Mr. Hu."

Hu Boqi smiled and said, "These two are important figures from the capital. Master Lin and Master Sun."

There are rules for pleasure boats. Officials cannot be addressed by their taboos when they are on the boat. Young people are always addressed as "Young Master" and old people are always addressed as "Old Father".

Yu Niang smiled charmingly: "So it's Master Lin and Master Sun. I've heard of you for a long time."

Yu Niang led the three people into the dining room cabin on the first floor.

The three of them sat down. Yu Niang asked softly, "I wonder what the three gentlemen would like to eat tonight."

There are four major schools in the Daming flower industry, namely Datong Poyi, Taishan Nun, West Lake Boat Girl, and Yangzhou Skinny Horse.

The four major schools have their own characteristics. The body structure of Datong women is different from that of ordinary women, and the Eighteen-Move Spring Legs can be practiced sideways.

To put it simply, Taishan Nun is a Ming Dynasty COSPLAY.

Yangzhou skinny horses are “soft, fragrant, thin, small, pointed, curved and straight”, and are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

The boat girls on West Lake are experts in cooking.

Hu Boqi said, "When you get on your mother Yu's pleasure boat, you must try the steamed shad and puffer fish soup. You can choose the other side dishes."

Yu Niang said, "Please forgive me, gentlemen. I dare not agree to steamed shad casually. It depends on whether the fishermen in West Lake can catch it tonight."

"As for pufferfish, there are more than a dozen of them in the bottom warehouse."

Hu Boqi smiled and said, "Okay, okay. Brother Lin, Wang Anshi has a poem that says, 'Hils are out of the net and cover the river bank, and the reed shoots are fat and sweeter than bamboo shoots.' If you come to the West Lake to visit the flower boats, if you can't taste the freshest steamed shad, it's like visiting a treasure mountain and returning empty-handed." "But eating shad depends on fate. If the fisherman who supplies fish to the pleasure boats fails to catch shad in the West Lake that night, we diners can only sigh at the lake."

Hu Boqi's words made Sun Yue almost drool.

Lin Shisan said, "I have eaten steamed shad at Lord Yan's residence."

Hu Boqi shook his head: "It is better to catch and cook the shad right in West Lake and eat it right away than to load it in the ship's hold and transport it 2,500 miles all the way to the capital."

"The person who cooked the fish was the West Lake's most famous courtesan, Yu Niang, so the fish tasted different."

Yu Niang covered her mouth and chuckled: "Mr. Hu, you are too kind."

There was another kitchen at the end of the dining room. Yu Niang asked the three boat girls to talk with the three of them, and she went to the kitchen.

Hu Boqi drank two sips of twenty-year-old girl's red wine, and a few blushes appeared on his face: "I am a loser. My eldest brother helps father with some official errands; my second brother is in my hometown to take care of the business."

"I only know how to eat, drink and have fun. But my father is the best at making the best use of everything. Whenever someone comes to the capital, I am the one who entertains them."

"Alas, he didn't know how difficult it was to be a governor until he became one. He had to take care of all the people around him and couldn't offend any of them."

Lin Shisan agreed: "Everyone thinks that the Governor of Zhejiang is the richest governor in the world. But now that the Japanese pirates are rampant in Zhejiang, it's not easy for Hu Shishu to be an official."

Hu Boqi nodded: "Who said it wasn't true? My father is an official who has his head on his waist! His predecessors and predecessors all lost their heads because of the anti-Japanese war."

Soon, Yu Niang came to the three of them with a small bowl of soup.

Yu Niang smiled and said, "This is puffer fish soup. Let me try it first."

When eating puffer fish, the chef has to taste it first. This is the rule.

Although pufferfish is one of the most delicious delicacies in the world, its blood and liver are extremely poisonous. If not handled properly, people who eat it will become paralyzed and their brains will gradually die while they are still awake.

After tasting it, Yu Niang waited for a while before serving a small bowl to each of the three people.

Lin Shisan said, "Cangzhou has a famous dish, puffer fish bone soup. I tried it when I passed through Cangzhou. I wonder how this West Lake puffer fish soup is different from the one in Cangzhou."

Yu Niang said, "They are very different. Master Lin will know once he tries it."

Lin Shisan picked up the small bowl, took a spoonful of puffer fish soup into his mouth, and immediately a smile that only appeared when eating delicious food appeared on his face.

Lin Shisan praised: "It is fresh and sweet, and it is worthy of being the freshest in the world."

Yu Niang smiled and said, "Cangzhou puffer fish bone soup is made by boiling beef bones and puffer fish together. Our West Lake method is to use Jinhua ham slices, fresh bamboo shoots, river clams to make soup, and then add puffer fish to boil. The flavors are very different."

Sun Yue gulped down the whole bowl of puffer fish soup.

Yu Niang said with a smile: "My lord, you are not tasting the soup, you are drinking it."

Lin Shisan laughed and said, "He looks like a large soup dumpling."

Yu Niang stood up and said, "I'll go make a few more side dishes."

Lin Shisan drank a few more sips of soup and said with emotion: "It is said that 'live in Hangzhou, die in Liuzhou'. It is indeed true."

Hu Boqi laughed and said, "You can't say half the story. It's 'If you have money, live in Hangzhou. If you don't have money, die in Liuzhou.' Hangzhou is a den of money. Coffins in Liuzhou are cheap."

"Well, my old man is almost sick from worrying about money every day."

Lin Shisan asked calmly, "What?"

Hu Boqi said: "I don't know what the bigwigs in the court are thinking. The troops in the southeast were given to the governor of Zhejiang, but the money and grain in the southeast were given to the governor of Yingtian. Zhao Zhenji is a nobody!"

"My father and he are both governors, and neither can control the other. If my father wants to accomplish the great cause of resisting the Japanese pirates, he must keep his official position within reach."

"I don't know when the imperial court will show mercy and let my father take over Zhao Wenhua's job as the governor of Zhejiang."

Lin Shisan knew very well that this was probably the news that Hu Zongxian deliberately let his beloved son pass on to him - he wanted to be the governor of Zhejiang.

Hu Boqi added: "This matter all depends on you, Brother Lin."

Lin Shisan quickly said, "How can I, a small general, interfere with the appointment of a provincial governor?"

Hu Boqi told the truth: "Yin Zhengmao presented a golden turtle to the emperor and was promoted from the seventh-rank imperial censor to the fourth-rank deputy censor."

"Brother Lin is looking for the white deer on behalf of the heaven. If we can see auspicious signs appear in my father's place, then my father's governorship will be a foregone conclusion, right?"

Lin Shisan nodded: "After coming to the southeast, Uncle Hu worked day and night to benefit the people, which moved the heavens. To reward him, the heavens sent down an auspicious white deer. I was sure to see it. Don't worry."

Until now, Lin Shisan only wanted to help Hu Zongxian to complete the lie of "white deer coming to the world". He didn't dare to think that he could find the real white deer and bring it back to Beijing. After all, the white deer only existed in legends.

Suddenly, Yu Niang's boat shook, and Lin Shisan stumbled. Fortunately, the boat girl next to him supported him with her soft bones.

Hu Boqi was furious: "What's going on?"

The boat turtle replied: "There was a flower boat trying to steal the waterway from us. We almost collided with it."

Hu Boqi stuck his head out of the window and yelled, "You are blind! Who dares to compete with my boat for the waterway?"

A cold voice came from the dining room of the boat next to us: "Whose dog is so unruly and barking?"

Lin Shisan felt that the voice sounded familiar.

Hu Boqi yelled, "I am Hu Boqi! Why don't you ask who I am?"

The cold voice on the other side turned into a mocking voice: "Who was that I thought? It turned out to be Hu Yanei who was beaten to a pulp by Hai Rui and Hai Gangfeng."

Lin Shisan suddenly remembered the voice. He stuck his head out of the window and asked, "But is it Eunuch Yang Jinshui?"

Lu Fang's godson Yang Jinshui was in charge of the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau and Zhejiang Maritime Customs, with their headquarters in Hangzhou.

A white, beardless head popped up from the opposite pleasure boat. Who else could it be but Yang Jinshui? Yang Jinshui smiled and said, "Lin Shisan? Are you in Hangzhou?"

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "Yes, I came here riding the red horse that Eunuch Yang gave me as a reward."

Lin Shisan is trying to get close to Yang Jinshui. The red horse is in the capital.

Yang Jinshui said, "The rule on West Lake is that people on separate boats cannot chat. Come to the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau tomorrow. I'll treat you to some good Longjing tea."

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "I will definitely go and bother you."

Two pleasure boats passed each other.

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "I didn't expect to meet Eunuch Yang here. It's really a coincidence."

Hu Boqi said, "If I knew he was on the ship, I would never dare to scold him even if I was beaten to death. My father just borrowed 20,000 rolls of silk from him for emergency."

Lin Shisan was surprised: "The Governor of Zhejiang Province borrowed silk from the Weaving Bureau?"

Hu Boqi nodded: "As I said just now, the money and food in the southeast is in the hands of Sanbuzhan. My father can only rely on borrowing money from everywhere to maintain the military pay in the front."

Lin Shisan said: "The imperial edict has the power to report secretly. Don't worry, I will report this matter to the emperor truthfully."

Suddenly, a boat turtle came to the dining room cabin with three fish in his hands, and said, "The three gentlemen are indeed blessed people. As soon as you got on the boat, the fisherman brought us fresh shad."

Hu Boqi said, "Ah? Do you have shad? Send it to Yu Niang to cook. Pufferfish and shad are both delicious. But pufferfish is common, while shad is not."

After about a moment, Yu Niang brought three plates of steamed shad, one for each of Lin Shisan and his companions.

Lin Shisan picked up his chopsticks to taste it and praised: "It's fat, tender, fresh and delicious, refreshing and not greasy. It's really different from what I ate in the capital."

Sun Yue said: "It tastes good, but it has too many thorns."

Lin Shisan taught him, "There is no perfect thing in the world, and there is no perfect fish either."

Yu Niang smiled and said, "Hilsa shad has many bones, which is indeed a regret in my life."

After eating the shad, Yu Niang served another dish.

Sun Yue showed off his knowledge: "I know, I know, this is braised pork."

Hu Boqi said something that scared Sun Yue: "This is human flesh."

Sun Yue put down his chopsticks: "What? Human flesh? I don't like eating that."

Lin Shisan said with a smile: "Look at your knowledge. This is Dongpo Pork, a famous Suzhou and Hangzhou dish."

Sun Yue said: "Ah, that's how it is."

After dinner, everyone went up to the second-floor viewing cabin and enjoyed the night view of West Lake for an hour.

It's almost midnight. It's time to go to the third-floor bedroom cabin to taste another delicious dish on West Lake.
(This book has been renamed "Spring in Brocade Clothes Enters Shanglin")
　This book has been renamed "Spring in Brocade Clothes Comes to Shanglin".

　　
　
(End of this chapter)