I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 17 Going to Tokyo

Yang Zhi was originally ordered to inform Zhao Zicheng and return to Suzhou that day.

However, it was already afternoon when they arrived at Zhaojiazhuang. Zhao Zi said that there was no time to discuss and asked his relatives to kill a pig and set up wine to entertain them.

"It's getting late, let's leave tomorrow morning. The journey will take a day and a night anyway, so we can just get to Suzhou the day after tomorrow morning. I still have some things to prepare."

Yang Zhi and Deng Yue couldn't refuse, so they just followed the arrangement.

Zhao Zicheng then instructed his nephew, "Hurry up! Once this batch of duck feathers is cooked, stop and transfer all the workers to the tailors. Have them work all night. Tomorrow morning I will take away all the finished clothes and quilts."

Zhao Zi said he doesn't plan to sell the first batch of down quilts directly. Since this product is still relatively unknown, there won't be many people willing to try it outright.

Traditional silk cotton quilts and duvets can basically meet the needs of today's high-ranking officials, but their only drawback is that they are too expensive. Newly emerged down jackets and duvets cannot offer a crushing advantage over silk cotton quilts in terms of user experience, and at most they are a little lighter.

So it is better to give it as gifts first, let the dignitaries use it for free and feel that it is good, cultivate user habits, and let everyone know that this is a scarce new gadget, so as to start a popular trend.

My cousin Zhao Boqi quickly accepted the order and asked, "Since we're working all night, should we give the silkworm mothers a temporary pay raise? Twenty coins each tonight? That way we can work more efficiently."

Zhao Zicheng thought about it and decided that since we were pursuing efficiency, we might as well change the incentive:
"Don't bother, just pay by the piece. Before the boat leaves tomorrow morning, I'll pay you as many pieces as you can make. A down robe is fifty coins, and a down quilt is twenty. You should also keep an eye on it. If you find any defective products, have them reworked immediately, otherwise you won't be paid."

Clothes require less material but require a lot of tailoring work. Quilts use more material and have simpler styles. If a silkworm mother is diligent, she can definitely sew more than a quilt in one night. Piece-rate wages are also a way to encourage everyone's enthusiasm.

Zhao Boqi immediately agreed to make the arrangements.

Zhao Zi said he would no longer ask about it, but just took Yang Zhi and Deng Yue to drink and eat meat, chatting about what they had seen and heard, and there was no conversation all night.

The pigs killed that day could not be eaten up, and there was no way to keep them fresh. Zhao Boqi advised him to pickle the leftovers into bacon, but Zhao Zicheng did not agree:
"Don't bother. Just add some rice wine and make Dongpo pork. Give a few pieces to everyone who works at night."

The silkworm women who worked all night to sew down jackets and quilts were originally just working for fifty cents a piece, but when they heard that there would be meat as a midnight snack, they immediately became more excited.

……

The next morning, Zhao Zicheng prepared dozens of down jackets and down quilts, packed all his luggage, and took a boat back to Suzhou.

The entire journey from Xiuzhou to Suzhou was along the Grand Canal, which was very safe and naturally there were no accidents.

The next night he managed to get some sleep on the boat, the turbulence not affecting his sleep at all. On the morning of the third day he had returned to Gusu City, packed up briefly, and went to report to Zhu Zhen.

When Zhu Zhen saw him, he frowned and scolded him a few times, scolding him for being inactive recently and staying at home for half a month to visit his relatives.

Zhao Zicheng did not explain much, but just used the excuse that he was young and ignorant, saying that he was not yet an official, and thought that the last case was over and he would have nothing to do with it.

Zhu Zhen wanted to lash out, but he felt he had no place to put his energy. He thought to himself:

"Humph, this guy is so lazy and slacking. Without an official position, he can't work for the Yingfeng Bureau. There are so many people vying for a job."

However, since they were in urgent need of help, Zhu Zhen was too lazy to argue with him and simply gave him the task: "The Daoist Canon reissued by Huang Zhizhou of Fuzhou will arrive in the next two days. The day after tomorrow morning, you and Yang Zhi will go to the capital together.

Yang Zhi will be in charge of the escort, and you will be in charge of the commendation. Hand this over. There is also a steward with you, no need to ask any questions, just protect him along the way."

Although the former governor Duan Ming, who had committed embezzlement, had been tortured and beaten to death after being questioned, Zhu Jie still had to send another governor. There was no other way.

Zhao Zicheng wasn't Zhu Jie's closest confidant, so he couldn't help him with the nepotism and gift-giving. He wasn't confident in entrusting the routine handling of hundreds of thousands of guan (approximately 100,000 guan) to someone he'd just met, so at best he could have them monitor each other.

As Zhu Zhen spoke, he handed Zhao Zicheng a document and asked him to take a look at it.

Zhao Zicheng was suspicious and opened it, only to find that it was a transcript of Zhu Jie's memorial.

The official memorial had been sealed and could not be opened, so Zhao Zicheng took a handwritten copy and asked him to take a look first so that he would have a clear idea when doing things.

According to this memorial, the reason the Flower and Stone Gang and the Daozang had been delayed for over two weeks was because of sabotage by Zoroastrian bandits plotting rebellion around Taihu Lake. Fortunately, the Yingfeng Bureau and the Suzhou militia worked together, observing the situation closely and taking swift and decisive action to eliminate them.

Finally, Shi Sheng, the leader of the "Sea Sand Gang" entrenched in Taihu Lake, an important branch of the Zoroastrians, was eliminated. The remnants of Shi Sheng fled to Wuxing (Huzhou) and joined another group of local Taihu Lake thieves, the "Giant Whale Gang". Due to insufficient authority, the Yingfeng Bureau was temporarily unable to dispatch troops across the border to pursue them, but it was able to repeatedly dampen their momentum, making the thieves at least dare not commit crimes in Suzhou.

Zhao Zicheng was stunned. While it was true that Shi Sheng was a former salt smuggler who had been granted amnesty, where did the name "Sea Sand Gang" come from? His son had never confessed to such an organization. Weren't they just colluding with a group of ordinary pirates?

For a moment, Zhao Zicheng thought that many of the gang names rumored in later generations were just made up by the government to make the record look better after the government had wiped out the gangs.

Well, just like in the Water Margin, Song Jiang went to seek refuge with Hua Rong, but was framed and captured by the wife of Liu Gao of Qingfengzhai. Since they couldn’t find out his identity as a bandit, they gave him the title of “Yuncheng Tiger”.

It seems that the Sea Sand Gang and the Giant Whale Gang, which are all salt smugglers and pirates in novels, have become a common and commonly used name for bandits. There may be many Giant Whale Gangs and Sea Sand Gangs in the world, but in reality, they fight independently and have no subordinate relationship.

Zhao Zicheng couldn't help but think of the endless paradox games he had played in his previous life, in which he traveled through thousands of years and countless countries and was never to be killed.

He memorized the words of commendation, checked the details with Zhu Jie, and then said goodbye and went back to prepare for his trip.

……

After leaving Yingfeng Bureau, he met Yang Zhi who had been waiting for him as soon as he went out.

Zhao Zicheng then joined Yang Zhi in traveling together to Murong's manor.

During his time in Gusu, he lived in Murong Manor. He was too lazy to look for a place to stay and treated the Murong family as his own home.

Along the way, Zhao Zicheng raised a worrying question: "In Zhu Jie's memorial praising his achievements, he claimed to have wiped out the rebellious Taihu Lake pirates and the Haisha Gang, a branch of the Zoroastrians. But what was the reality? Were Shi Sheng's men truly severely damaged?"

Yang Zhi had been in Gusu for the past two weeks. He knew the situation and immediately told the truth:
"How could it be that easy? We did send government troops to that water stronghold, but the pirates, seeing the government troops were so powerful, fled in their boats.

There are so many small islands on Lake Taihu that hiding there would be impossible. Zhu Zhen's men simply set fire to the bandit camp, burning all the wooden fences and deer horns, and prepared to report it as a great victory."

Zhao Zicheng scoffed and said, "As expected, the imperial court's military preparations have become so rotten. Zhu Jie's actions not only do not help, but will only alert the enemy and bring more resentment."

Shi Sheng escaped, but his strength hasn't been greatly diminished. How could he let us go this time when we head north? He might even find an opportunity to rob us."

After hearing his concerns, Yang Zhi was in high spirits: "Don't worry, sir. How can we let him down twice? The stone bridge over the canal in Wuxi County has been repaired long ago, and the canal transportation is smooth.

This time, we're heading north, only via the Grand Canal, avoiding dangerous terrain. The Grand Canal is calm, and if any bandits dare to provoke us from either side, with Yang's inherited spearmanship and this precious sword, I'll punish a thousand of them, and we'll kill them all!

Yang Zhi spoke, shaking the precious sword in his hand tightly. Zhao Zicheng was less optimistic. "If there are thieves on land, I'll be relieved if they are highly skilled in martial arts. But the waterway here can't be the entire canal. We still have to cross the Yangtze River, and before we can turn from the Han Canal to the Tongji Canal, we'll have to sail on the Huai River for several days."

The Jianghuai section of the waterway cannot be taken lightly. If I were in that stone bandit's shoes, if I wanted revenge, I would definitely strike while crossing the river between Jingkou and Guazhou."

Taihu Lake has been bypassed, and the Huaihe River is too far away from Jiangnan. Zhao Zicheng felt that it was unlikely that the pirates in Jiangnan would go so far north to commit crimes.

But it is very likely that action will be taken on the Yangtze River.

Taihu Lake is too close to the Yangtze River, and there is a complex network of waterways. If a Taihu Lake thief disguises himself and breaks up into small groups, wants to infiltrate the Yangtze River, and then find local pirates to work together and get a boat to commit crimes, it is entirely possible to do so.

Originally, Yang Zhi didn't know much about the thieves on the water. When he was working as an escort for the Yingfeng Bureau, he only escorted rare stones and trees, and had never escorted such a large amount of money, so he was not targeted by large groups of thieves.

After listening to Zhao Zicheng's analysis, he felt a greater sense of crisis.

But Yang Zhi still felt his own strength was sufficient. He explained, "This time, Zhu Jie has already sent skilled local sailors to escort the shipment, and he's also secured nine other ships carrying other cargoes to form a contingent. With a total of two hundred people, even the most aggressive pirates wouldn't dare attack a fleet of two hundred, right?"

Zhao Zi said he felt a little relieved after hearing the news.

According to the Song Dynasty's "Gang Yun Fa," at least ten grain ships had to travel together to form a gang. On a previous trip, Yang Zhi was supposed to be on a group of ten ships, but he was delayed waiting for the cargo behind him, allowing someone to take advantage of him.

Since Zhu Jie knew that someone was targeting him, even if the target was the Taoist scriptures in the boat instead of the money, he would definitely strengthen his defenses, so this time he gathered ten boats to travel together.

Since they couldn't find so many rare stones and trees to transport, they could use the grain-carrying ships to make up the number, and replace the crew members on those ships with relatively capable sailors, and let Yang Zhi lead them all.

"Two hundred men? We must check them thoroughly, use reliable veterans, and check their weapons. We must not let our guard down before crossing the Yangtze River."

……

Zhao Zicheng and Yang Zhi chatted all the way while riding, and after explaining these precautions, they arrived at Murong's house.

Zhao Zicheng said goodbye to Yang Zhi and went straight inside.

When Murong Yan heard that he was coming, she hurried out to greet him without even letting the servants or maids greet him.

The two hadn't seen each other for over half a month, and Murong Yan didn't know what to say. In the end, she just asked calmly, "Are your father and mother all right?"

"Everything is fine." Zhao Zicheng nodded slightly. "I will leave for Tokyo the day after tomorrow morning. If I stay in Suzhou for too long before I get my official position, I will inevitably be ordered around by Zhu Zhen. Once or twice, I might be able to avoid aiding and abetting his evil deeds, but if I do it for a long time, I'm not sure. It's better to stay away."

Zhao Zi said that he was not really working for Zhu Jie, so he tried to avoid it if possible to avoid ruining his reputation.

Murong Yan bit her lip and remained silent.

Zhao Zicheng thought for a moment and suggested, "Sister, I'd like to borrow some men from you. Could you please let Uncle Deng come with us? I'm afraid there might be pirates out there. Yang Zhishi is a skilled warrior and can hold his own on land, but he's not a good swimmer. I'm worried something might happen when we cross the river."

Murong Yan was worried about not having a chance to speak, so she immediately turned her anger into joy and agreed: "That's not difficult, just let him accompany you for a few months. As for swimming, I'm not bad at it either."

Zhao Zicheng said without a second thought: "How can I let you take risks?"

Murong Yan suddenly felt unhappy: "My mother has always raised me as a man. Last time I went on a long trip, no one noticed."

Zhao Zicheng laughed: "Didn't I get into trouble last time?"

Murong Yan was quite discouraged. After thinking for a moment, she reluctantly said, "I'll do whatever you say this time. I'll also be dressed as a man so I won't make things difficult for you. Just consider it as some training. Besides, don't think you've only practiced martial arts for a month or so. You're no match for me when it comes to self-defense."

Seeing her sincerity, Zhao Zicheng could only compromise: "Then go and ask your mother. If she lets you go, I have no objection. But I dare not take you away without permission."

Murong Yan turned her anger into joy: "It's a deal! I'm so bored staying at home."

Zhao Zi said, "Wait a minute."

Murong Yan: "What else?"

Zhao Zi asked, "Who is better at martial arts, you or Yang Zhishi?"

Murong Yan: "Of course it's him. I've only been training for a few years. But when it comes to being on the water, I'm not sure."

Zhao Zicheng nodded, and he had a new understanding of the quality of the martial arts he practiced.

Murong Yan went to ask Duan Yuyan for advice. She didn't know whether she used coaxing or persuasion, or relied on reasoning, but in the end Duan Yuyan agreed to let her go with her to gain some experience.

Duan Yuyan was just worried about her daughter, so she found Zhao Zicheng alone and had a talk with him.

"Young Master Zhao, you are a member of the imperial clan, have passed the imperial examination, and now have made great achievements. Your future is limitless. Our family has some wealth, but our population has dwindled, and our influence is no longer as great as it once was.

Yan'er disguised herself as a man because we had to resort to this desperate measure to protect ourselves in recent years. I have no idea where her future will lie.

I respect you as a gentleman, so please be sure to protect her well along the way. We can only take things one step at a time as we move forward."

Murong Yan still identified as a man, and Duan Yuyan knew it well. Expecting her daughter to suddenly return to her female form and then arrange a marriage would require considerable effort. How could a wealthy family so easily marry a woman of unknown origin?

Even though the Murong family was considered wealthy and still had a lot of property and farmland, they were, after all, impoverished and destitute. It would be extremely difficult for them to marry the wife of a member of the royal family and a powerful official.

Zhao Zicheng also knew the other party's difficulties, and did not say much, but solemnly promised: "Zhao is a man who only wants to have a clear conscience. My dear sister, please dress as a man and go out with me to gain experience. I dare not say anything else, but I believe that I can keep my word in private. A gentleman is cautious when he is alone."

Duan Yuyan nodded. "Well, you are children of the Jianghu. There is no need to be so particular. It all depends on your own destiny and fate. The servants in the family who are good at water and martial arts, as well as Manager Deng, can also be deployed by you."

The two sides reached a gentleman's agreement and there was no conversation the next day, except to make all preparations before departure.

Early on the third day, ten cargo ships were gathered at the dock, with a total of 200 sailors, ready to head north along the canal.

-

PS: Sorry, the map change was a bit slow. I had an outline, but after looking over it myself, it still felt a bit dry. If you guys think we could meet some heroes along the way, please leave a comment and give us some suggestions (I'll consider plausibility, accessibility, and character morality, and then consider them comprehensively).
I'll write a big chapter each day in the next two days. After all, it's still in the new book period, so I'll wait for the release.

Starting next week, the recommendation ranking competition will all be based on the number of followers and comments. If these two data points are poor, the big data algorithm will put the work in the cold palace.

(End of this chapter)