Chapter 217

Listening to Seeing Hu Yanjiong's words, Xu Zaijing stood up from his chair and bowed:

"Jiong-ge'er, I've seen less of you lately. Gentlemen, long time no see."

The few people behind Seeing Hu Yanjiong looked surprised, and somewhat flustered and awkward, they hurriedly bowed and returned the greeting.

Seeing Hu Yanjiong's face revealed a somewhat surprised expression; although he had long known that these tough soldiers who had been transferred from the transport soldier garrison had met Xu Zaijing last year,

he hadn't expected Xu Zaijing to still remember them.

Liang Han, looking at the expressions and temperament of those people, as well as their somewhat awkward appearance, guessed that they might not be noble children.

So he asked curiously: "Jing-ge'er, who are these heroes, that you actually remembered them?"

Xu Zaijing smiled and said: "They are the heroes who dared to dive into the river to catch fierce thieves during the first lunar month."

Hearing this, Qiao Jiulang hissed, and he and the noble youths he was close with frowned and looked at each other.

"Daring to jump into the water to catch thieves in the first lunar month when it's so cold? Truly amazing!"

One of them said: "Young Master, you flatter us."

Seeing Hu Yanjiong watched this with a smile, hesitated for a while, and said: "Jing-ge'er, I wonder... uh... what..."

Xu Zaijing looked at him and smiled without saying a word.

Seeing Hu Yanjiong was interested in his own sister, and through the matchmaking of Wu Daniang, the madams of both families could be considered to have agreed.

Last year, Zaizhang had already married, and Anmei's marriage could be brought up.

Seeing Hu Yanjiong was...

Liang Han naturally knew about Seeing Hu Yanjiong's affairs through his own mother, and he and Qiao Jiulang looked at each other with expressions of watching a show:

'There are quite a few people who want this Jinming Pool gold prize.'

Looking at Seeing Hu Yanjiong, who wanted to ask if his sister would return to the tent but was hesitant, Xu Zaijing was about to say a few words to relieve him,

when Seeing Hu Yanjiong suddenly said: "Jing-ge'er, I wonder... does the Marquis of Yongyi have any plans to build a navy?"

Xu Zaijing: "Hmm???"

Liang Han, Qiao Jiulang: Huh?? What are you saying?

Xu Zaijing: "Jiong-ge'er, you're wearing the navy uniform for the upcoming race and brought a few people to tell me this?"

Seeing Hu Yanjiong said with an awkward expression: "To have them compete with the eldest branch, I have to arrange a way out for them, right?"

Looking at the appearance of the few people in the tent, Seeing Hu Yanjiong thought of his mother's words and hardened his heart, saying:

"These few were men who defected when my father was in the East Jiangnan Circuit; their fathers were descendants of the Great Zhou navy during the conquest of Southern Tang, and they have some connection with my family."

"In those years, for the sake of my family's business, these few offended the children of the Marquis of Ruyang's mansion. I thought it was a good thing to follow my father to the Bianjing Imperial Guard Navy, but my grandmother insisted on arranging for the Bao family's children to enter; filial piety comes first, and I had to obey my mother's orders!"

"Unfortunately, it just so happened that the person was someone they had a grudge against; in Dengzhou, with my mother's family supporting us, it was easy to talk! But in Bianjing, there are too many gods and monsters, and my father had no choice but to..."

Xu Zaijing looked at Seeing Hu Yanjiong and said: "Could only let them suffer a little?"

Hearing Xu Zaijing's words, those few tough men looked at each other, and the man who spoke just now bowed: "Young Master, we didn't suffer."

As soon as these words were spoken, the others all nodded.

Seeing Xu Zaijing look over, the man hadn't spoken yet when Xu Zaijing asked: "What is your name?"

"Small one is Zhang Shun."

"He had a nickname in the south called 'White Strip in the River,' and his swimming skills are excellent." Seeing Hu Yanjiong said.

Xu Zaijing was stunned and continued: "Oh? This nickname is interesting."

The tough man named Zhang Shun rolled up his sleeves somewhat embarrassedly and said: "Small one was born as white as refined silk; let the Young Master laugh."

Liang Han took one look, and sure enough, he was white-skinned.

Xu Zaijing said: "Then do you have any brothers?"

One of the people who followed and the comrade beside him looked at each other in surprise and said: "Young Master, small one is Zhang Heng, the younger brother."

Xu Zaijing smiled and said: "I don't know why you said you didn't suffer?"

"Our families are all in Dengzhou, wearing warm clothes and eating meat, better than ordinary official families!"

"Wanting to study, they study; wanting to do business, the Madam provides the capital, and they don't have to worry about profit or loss."

"When sisters marry, they have the Pan family supporting them and aren't bullied."

Everyone in the tent nodded upon hearing this.

Such care could be considered quite good in the Great Zhou; as noble children, they had heard of many dog-eat-dog affairs of killing the donkey after the millstone is used and hiding the bow after the birds are gone.

Xu Zaijing scratched his head and said: "Then you guys finish your business with Jiong-ge, and just go back to Dengzhou! Jiong-ge, why did you ask me what you just asked?"

"Uh, these few are truly rare talents for the navy; they are overjoyed when they hear of water battles, but on land, they are like fish out of water. If the Marquis of Yongyi wants to build a navy, they can be considered to have one more way out."

Xu Zaijing looked at Liang Han and their little friends, then said: "Jiong-ge, isn't the Emperor letting the Dengzhou navy 'do business' with the Jin Kingdom? It's exactly the time when they are developing and need people; why are you..."

Hearing Xu Zaijing's words, Liang Han and Qiao Jiulang looked at the other noble youths with serious expressions, and the others hurriedly nodded, indicating that they would keep their mouths shut.

Seeing Hu Yanjiong smiled bitterly and said:

"Grandfather let my father, third uncle, and fourth uncle all split half of the navy to the eldest branch; the eldest branch naturally has people from the Weizhao Navy filling into the Dengzhou Navy and the transport soldier garrison. They can't stay in the Imperial Guard, and they will be excluded in the transport soldier garrison. Even if they go back, they can only stay on land. If the Marquis of Yongyi can build a navy, those people can have a place to go."

Looking at Liang Han and the others, Seeing Hu Yanjiong said: "You should all know about this in a few days."

Xu Zaijing wanted to say that an inland navy and a navy were two different things, but he stopped himself.

The Marquis of Jinghai's mansion was still headed by the Marquis of Huyan, and this could also be considered a struggle between the Bianjing nobles and local powerful clans within the Marquis's mansion; the main branch of the Marquis's mansion was strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches.

Even what Liang Han and Qiao Jiu just said about the Bao family of the Marquis of Ruyang planning to show favor to Rong Feiyan—could it be that they didn't have this consideration? The Rong family doesn't have a foundation to support them? It doesn't matter; are the two Marquis mansions of the Marquis of Ruyang and the Marquis of Jinghai enough?

After thinking about it, Xu Zaijing looked at Seeing Hu Yanjiong and said:

"Even if Father doesn't have plans to build a navy, don't we have ways to arrange for them!"

Hearing Xu Zaijing's words, Seeing Hu Yanjiong nodded and said:

"Jing-ge'er is right, but having a chance to join a newly established army always offers more opportunities. The Bai family is, after all..."

After all, they are merchant commoners.

After Seeing Hu Yanjiong finished speaking, Zhang Shun and the others all lowered their heads, hiding the helplessness in their eyes.

Xu Zaijing thought for a moment and said: "Jiong-ge, do you know the current situation of the northern navy?"

"Mostly bridge-guarding soldiers, no ships to go down the river, and without training for a long time, they have already somewhat..."

He didn't have the heart to say the word "useless."

This newly established Great Zhou army wasn't just eyeing either the Bai Gao or Northern Liao; if they had a navy, they would sometimes have one more choice.

"Jiong-ge, I will tell Father about this in detail! Even if they really go to the Bai family's fleet in the end, with... the support of two Marquis mansions and the Imperial City Division behind them, they certainly won't be bullied or suffer losses."

Xu Zaijing knew that the Imperial City Division was currently investigating the military equipment that had appeared in Yang Zhou Prefecture.

And stationed to the east of Yang Zhou Prefecture was the Great Zhou's other navy, the Weizhao Navy.

Hearing this, Seeing Hu Yanjiong smiled and then said:

"With that, I can rest easy! I wonder... uh... what about An... Madam Sun, when will she return to the tent?"

Xu Zaijing shook his head and said:

"I don't know either. Jiong-ge, are you so sure you can win that peony jade carving?"

Seeing Hu Yanjiong heard this, looked at the few people who came with him, and Zhang Shun said:

"Young Master, we dare not speak wildly about other things, but as for winning the prize... among those left in the navy, there is currently no opponent for us."

"Good, then Jiong-ge, wait for me here for a moment. Sixth Young Master, follow me."

After speaking, Xu Zaijing and Liang Han walked toward the Marquis of Ningyuan's mansion; the business between the Pan and Bai families involved more than just two families.

Arriving at the tent of the Marquis of Ningyuan's mansion, after being announced, the two walked in,

and Xu Zaijing saw Madam Pan talking to Sun Shi and the Bai clan.

The attitude of the fifth branch of the Huyan family, or perhaps one should add the third and fourth branches, was laid out: when others were risking their heads, breaking through the waves, and fighting for their lives, your eldest branch was shrinking in Bianjing Prefecture eating dividends; now that there was a great opportunity, you stood out righteously.

Fine, then I will also invite help from outside; let's see whose hand is stronger.

Seeing Hu Yanjiong, who was helping his cousins get close to the Rong family on the polo field last year,

was now facing a situation he had never thought of before,

and the reason was the rise of a tribe in the northeast of Northern Liao, thousands of miles away.

Time was at the moment when the Marquis of Jinghai, the Huyan family, was about to have a chance to step into the ranks of the top nobles of the Great Zhou.

In the British Duke's tent, Rong Feiyan smiled and listened to Xu Anmei talking, when Seeing Xi Bu walked in and whispered in Rong Feiyan's ear:

"Da Niangzi, the Madam wants you to return to the tent, saying that the madams of the eldest branches of the Bao family of the Marquis of Ruyang and the Huyan family of the Marquis of Jinghai have come."

(End of chapter)