Prime Minister.

Chapter 99, Chapter 098: [The Human World]

The morning mist of late spring had not yet dissipated when a three-masted warship broke through the calm surface of the Wei River and swayed forward.

As the morning sun shines down, spring light spreads across the land, and the northern plains on both sides of the river gradually unfold.

“Young master, you need to relax your shoulders and tuck in your elbows, like I do.”

In the refreshing morning breeze, Jiang Sheng stood on the boat, assuming a martial arts stance, and turned to look at Xue Huai behind him.

When Jiang Sheng first came to Xue Huai's side, he was extremely respectful and cautious. After all, this young Hanlin scholar was well-known and sounded like someone who was not easy to get along with.

After getting to know him for a while, Jiang Sheng realized he was completely wrong. Xue Huai didn't deliberately try to win people over or feign goodwill, but he always maintained the most basic respect for their character.

Jiang Sheng felt this particularly acutely, after all, the Princess's residence was a place with strict hierarchy where one could not afford to make even the slightest mistake.

Unbeknownst to him, he had come to regard himself as a member of the Xue family. With Xue Huai's permission and the encouragement of the other guards, he no longer addressed Xue Huai by his official title as before, but instead addressed the unmarried Xue Huai as "Young Master," just like the others on the ship.

The official ship set sail from Tongzhou Wharf on April 12, sailed south along the Chaobai River to Tianjin, then turned into the Wei River from Tianjin, passing through Cangzhou and Dezhou in Shandong Province, taking a total of six days.

Life on the ship was monotonous. Although the scenery along the way was full of the unique charm of this era, it was inevitably boring after a while. In addition to his studies, Xue Huai would spend one or two hours every day asking Jiang Sheng and the guards to teach him martial arts.

Jiang Sheng had made it very clear before that it was too late for Xue Huai to learn martial arts at his current age, unless he was a peerless genius who was one in a million.

Xue Huai was indeed not such a prodigy, nor did he ever think of becoming a master. Moreover, there were no martial arts techniques in this world that allowed one to fly over rooftops or injure people with a flower; there were only the most direct killing techniques.

He only wanted to improve his physical health, because health is the foundation of everything.

"Is that so?"

Xue Huai tried his best to imitate Jiang Sheng's movements, but lacking a foundation, he had to start with the simplest horse stance.

"Yes, Master."

Jiang Sheng practiced with Xue Huai for more than a quarter of an hour, and then led him through a set of boxing moves.

Not far away stood a man in his forties, who was Gan Quanhe, the clerk of the Tongzhou Department of the Grand Canal Transport Office in charge of this official ship.

Looking at the master and servant who were engrossed in practicing their skills, Gan Quanhe was filled with curiosity.

When he first learned that he was to escort the new Yangzhou Tongzhi south, he wondered if he could coax the other party into giving him some reward money. But soon a piece of news scared him sober up quickly.

This Xue Tongzhi was only nineteen years old. His father was the renowned Minister of the Court of Judicial Review during the Qing Dynasty, and Xue himself had been enjoying great success in the officialdom of the capital for the past year.

Most importantly, Xue Huai's mentor was Shen Wang, the Minister of Works, and the allocation of grain transport boats by the Grain Transport Office was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works. Therefore, after Gan Quanhe's superior's superior made a decision, he quickly replaced the originally prepared two-masted flat-bottomed grain transport boat with a more spacious and stable three-masted tower boat. At the same time, he repeatedly instructed Gan Quanhe to take good care of this Assistant Magistrate Xue on the way.

After all, they didn't want to follow in the footsteps of those Ministry of Works officials from last year.

In Gan Quanhe's imagination, a young civil official who had risen to the rank of fifth grade at the age of nineteen, with a family background in scholarship and a tradition of integrity, must be aloof and difficult to approach. However, he did not feel frustrated in the past five days.

Xue Huai treated him and the ship's servants with relative calm, without being condescending or bossing them around, but he maintained a dignified demeanor befitting his status.

This relieved Gan Quanhe from being constantly on edge, but he still dared not be careless.

Seeing that the master and servant had finished practicing, Gan Quanhe quickly smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Your Excellency, Assistant Magistrate."

"Gan Dianli."

Xue Huai nodded slightly in greeting.

Gan Quanhe said, "We will arrive at Linqing Wharf in at most half an hour. The ship will be docked for half a day, and we will need to resupply. I wonder if you would like to go into the city for a stroll, or stay on the ship to rest?"

Xue Huai pondered for a moment and said, "We'll see when the time comes. You guys need to focus on your important business."

Gan Quanhe respectfully replied, "I understand."

Xue Huai returned to his room in the cockpit, where Mo Yun immediately came to greet him.

She wore a light purple, narrow-sleeved, cross-collar thin silk jacket, paired with a moon-white cotton pleated skirt, looking fresh, elegant, and natural.

"Young master, breakfast has been prepared."

Mo Yun is seventeen years old this year. She is intelligent and refined, and is very much liked by Madam Cui. She is considered half a housekeeper in the Xue family's inner quarters.

"it is good."

Xue Huai went to the inner room to wash up and changed into a light blue robe. He sat at the table and ate white porridge with pickles, a bowl of steamed eggs, and two ginger-flavored steamed buns.

Although it was rather simple, it was naturally difficult to expect delicacies on a ship, and the steamed eggs were only provided because of Xue Huai's official status.

"Have you eaten yet?"

Xue Huai looked up at Mo Yun, who was standing to the side.

She smiled gently and said generously, "I'll eat after you've finished eating, young master."

Xue Huai said no more and finished his breakfast as usual.

Mo Yun saw this and, while verbally advising Xue Huai to eat slowly, she couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

When Xue Huai returned to the deck, the boat slowed down significantly. The river ahead suddenly widened, revealing a sea of ​​boats like ants, with layers upon layers of masts almost obscuring half the sky.

Gan Quanhe leaned closer and said, "My lord, this is not even the busiest time yet. If it were July, when the grain is being transported north, the waterways would be packed with people." Xue Huai nodded slightly, but his gaze was fixed on the water gate tower that was getting closer and closer.

Linqing City was built along the canal, and this water gate is like the mouth of a giant beast, swallowing and spitting out ships coming and going from the south and north.

The city gate tower is tall with flying eaves and brackets. Although it has been weathered by wind and rain and shows some signs of wear, it still exudes majesty.

The walls are made of huge blue bricks, and the water gate is connected to the city wall on both sides, stretching along the canal without end. The most eye-catching thing is a huge plaque hanging on the gate tower, with three big golden characters: Qingyuan Gate.

The official boat moved slowly among the many cargo ships before finally being forced to stop.

Xue Huai looked ahead and saw hundreds of cargo ships crammed together at the lock, the stagnant river water churned into a muddy color by the ships. He couldn't help but ask, "Why is it so blocked?"

Gan Quanhe looked troubled, but finally said in a low voice, "My lord, this is because of the new inspection order issued by the Imperial Tax Supervisor. Merchant ships coming from the south must unload their cargo and pay taxes."

He then pointed to the red-roofed tents at the distant checkpoint and sighed, "Look, the merchant ships are lined up for two miles, while the grain transport ships have to wait for the civilian ships to make way!"

Imperial tax supervisor?

Xue Huai frowned slightly. As far as he knew, the tax revenue from the Grand Canal was under the control of the Ministry of Revenue and the Customs. Now that the inner court had intervened, wouldn't these merchant ships have to pay two taxes?
Seeing his expression, Gan Quanhe cautiously said, "Sir, please forgive my indiscretion, but it is said that the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Tax Supervisor have been arguing about this matter for a long time, and there is still no conclusion."

The implication is that, although you are a third-place scholar and a distinguished scholar, it's best not to get involved in such a battle of the gods.

Xue Huai glanced at him and said, "Thank you for the reminder."

Gan Quanhe repeatedly said he dared not.

After another half hour, the official boat finally found a stone dock to moor. Before the boat had even come to a complete stop, a group of men dressed in shorts rushed ashore. Gan Quanhe was adept at dealing with such situations. He quickly stepped forward to the bow of the boat and shouted, "Get out of the way! This is an official boat!"

If Xue Huai hadn't been watching from behind, he certainly wouldn't have used such elegant language.

The laborers on the shore then stepped back slightly, but still stared anxiously at the cabin, hoping to find some work.

Xue Huai looked up and saw that the dock was bustling with noise. Tax collectors were arrogantly scolding the merchants who blocked the way, while ship owners were calculating taxes with bitter faces. In his line of sight, there were more laborers than anything else.

They carried sacks on their shoulders and baskets on their backs, their backs hunched, moving about on and off the dock like worker ants.

Some elderly people trembled and were sweating profusely, the baskets on their backs almost crushing them, while others gritted their teeth and forged ahead, their steps heavy but with no time to stop.

The morning sun shone on their dark backs, and sweat streamed down their backs.

"Sir, would you like to go into the city for a stroll?"

Gan Quanhe quickly resolved all the procedural issues and turned to Xue Huai to ask him respectfully.

"It's fine to take a stroll. Gan Dianli, you don't need to worry about it. You guys get the supplies ready as soon as possible, and I'll take my own men."

Xue Huai gave him a soft instruction, and Gan Quanhe quickly agreed.

A moment later, Xue Huai, along with Li Shun, Jiang Sheng, and three other guards, the group of six went ashore and continued on their way.

Inside Qingyuan Gate was a vast boat market and water gate office. Soldiers with spears guarded the gate, inspecting people and goods coming and going.

Passing through the doorway, Xue Huai was suddenly greeted by a bright and open world, yet it was another crowded and complex place.

The main street along the river is called "Zhuanzha Street," lined with shops on both sides, their signs varied and their banners fluttering.

The air was filled with the stench of sweat, animal manure, cooking fumes, and the smell of decaying wood, along with the salty aroma of pickled vegetables and the smell of alcohol wafting from somewhere.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, and the shops along the road were busy with business, creating a lively scene.

This is Linqing County, an important town on the Grand Canal, under the jurisdiction of Dongchang Prefecture of Shandong Province, located at the confluence of the Grand Canal and the Wei River.

Here you can see grain ships from Henan, as well as silk merchant ships from Suzhou and Hangzhou. There are both Shandong merchants and Huizhou merchants, making it a key hub for north-south trade.

Xue Huai strolled along, taking in the most authentic glimpses of everyday life. For example, not far away, two merchants were arguing over prices. One claimed that the other's cotton cloth was mixed with grass seeds, while the other craned his neck and said that it was a good product from Zhengding Prefecture, take it or leave it.

For example, outside the grain depot named Yuxing on the side, there were many grain carts parked. The manager was rapidly turning the abacus, while the accountant next to him was writing furiously.

There were also three or five ragged beggars squatting by the roadside, stretching out their withered arms to beg for money, but no one paid them any attention. Only a blind old man sat beside them, playing a broken erhu, his hoarse music drowned out by the noise.

Xue Huai walked and looked around, remaining silent the entire time.

Once we left Zhuanzha Street, the noise finally subsided a bit.

Xue Huai and his group continued along Aotouji Street. The market here was more prosperous, and the shops were more impressive. Silk shops, antique shops, money shops, pawnshops... each store had a tall facade and bright signs.

However, after leaving the market, Xue Huai suddenly stopped. Li Shun, Jiang Sheng, and the others followed his gaze and all showed expressions of shock.

On an open space to the west, hundreds of refugees sat on the ground, dressed in tattered clothes, their faces pale and emaciated.

They either burned grass roots in small groups to stave off hunger, or huddled on straw mats, with the elderly coughing and wheezing, the sick women groaning, and the children crying, resembling a scene from a chaotic world.

"This……"

Jiang Sheng was speechless. He had just seen the bustling streets of Aotouji Street, and now he saw this scene. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Under the sunlight, the numb eyes of those displaced people were like cold knives, piercing through the glorious world spoken of by the officials in the court.

(End of this chapter)