Chapter 045 Enemies Meet Again
Compared with land transportation, water transportation is much more comfortable.
But the prerequisite is that you don’t get seasick.
Lu Sen didn't have any worries in this regard. He had taken many ships before because of his work. He felt a little seasick at first, but later he got used to it.
Zhan Zhao did not have any problem in this regard. He was a martial arts expert, and the slight waves and ups and downs of the ship in the canal were almost nothing to him.
But the black column is not okay.
Less than an hour after he got on board, his face started to turn blue, and he vomited all over the place.
As a last resort, Lu Sen took out lettuce from the system backpack and gave it to him.
I would feel better after taking a few pills, but then I would start vomiting again after two or three hours, and then I would continue to eat.
He was almost exhausted from the whole thing, and after a few days, his stomach was full of lettuce.
Zhan Zhao looked at it in amazement.
He naturally knew that ordinary lettuce could not cure seasickness, but Lu Sen’s lettuce could... He then realized how valuable the raw vegetables he had eaten before were.
They rented the boat themselves. There were only six people on the boat, including three boatmen who took turns rowing.
Moreover, Lu Sen, Hei Zhu and Zhan Zhao had been staying in the cabin the entire time, so the boatman naturally didn't know that Hei Zhu's seasickness was getting better and worse.
Fortunately, after six or seven days, Heizhu gradually got used to it and stopped vomiting.
The boat stopped and went on the Grand Canal, occasionally stopping in a town along the way to rest for half a day, wash up and eat something good before setting off again. In this way, twenty-three days later, the three finally arrived in Hangzhou.
During this period of time, Lu Sen was almost bored to death. He took some time to look through his own recipes. After the character was upgraded, "transportation" also appeared in the new recipes, but... the recipes were too weird and he couldn't understand them at all.
Things like the colorful auspicious clouds, the golden sky boat, etc., which sound magical at first glance, all require the same core material: spiritual power!
Who knows what this thing is? It sounds like a variation of internal energy, but Lu Sen can guarantee that it is definitely not.
The boat docked at the Qiantang River North Ferry in Hangzhou. After Lu Sen paid the fare to the boatman, he walked to the shore.
With his feet on the ground, Lu Sen felt much more comfortable.
After being on a boat for a long time, I feel that I am swaying from side to side when I get off the boat, but this is just an illusion. When people get used to life on the boat, their center of gravity will change with the waves to maintain their shape.
But after reaching the shore... without the waves and the swaying of the boat, the human body's instinct will kick in and it will spontaneously sway slightly.
After walking crookedly for a while, Lu Sen and the other two gradually became normal.
Of course, the first one to return to normal was Zhan Zhao. With his strong strength and good health, he naturally recovered quickly.
They walked along the stone road at the ferry to the city gate. With the help of Zhan Zhao's official badge, the three of them entered Hangzhou city without any hindrance.
At that time, Hangzhou was a major commercial center second only to Bianjing, with a permanent population of nearly two million.
If Bianjing was a city that emphasized both politics and commerce, then Hangzhou was a pure commercial city.
Moreover, Qiantang River is an estuary, making sea transportation extremely convenient.
Hangzhou in later generations lost most of its shipping capabilities, but at this time in the Northern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou's shipping capabilities were comparable to those of Quanzhou.
After the three of them entered the city, Zhan Zhao said, "Now that we are in Hangzhou, we have to go to the Shipping Department to have a look and have a drink."
Anything nice to see?
Lu Sen was a little curious, but he didn't ask. Instead, he followed Zhan Zhao.
The streets were bustling with people along the way, and the bustle of Hangzhou was no different from that of Bianliang City.
If we have to make a clear distinction, it is that people from Hangzhou are more down-to-earth, more casual in their behavior, and not as arrogant as people from Bianliang, who lived under the feet of the emperor.
Most people had a gentle smile on their faces.
Of course... there are also a large number of gangsters walking on the streets.
All carrying weapons.
Zhan Zhao also carried a weapon. On his waist hung a single-edged sword with a black sheath. This was the standard sword for the Kaifeng Prefecture's constables. On his back hung the stone sword that Lu Sen had given him.
However, he made a scabbard for the stone sword, and at first glance, the stone sword looked much simpler.
The three of them walked for a while and arrived at a large restaurant in the east of the city.
Compared with Fanlou, this hotel looks a little worse and not as upscale, but when Zhan Zhao took Lu Sen and Hei Zhu to the fourth floor and sat by the south window, even Lu Sen couldn't help but sigh when he saw the scenery outside.
“Spectacular!”
In the distance, the sea and the sky merged into one color. At the mouth of the Qiantang River, countless white sails were lined up, and the densely packed ships almost reached the end of Lu Sen's vision.
Hei Zhu didn't close his mouth for a long time.
Lu Sen lowered his eyes and saw a large number of Semites staying outside the city wall or setting up tents on the beach.
"If one out of thirty Semu people is found, he can enter the city." Zhan Zhao said calmly.
Because there were too many foreign ships coming to Hangzhou to do business, and the Song people despised barbarians, they naturally would not allow too many Semites to enter the city.
The so-called "one in thirty" means that thirty Semites have to register with the Maritime Bureau by putting their fingerprints together. Then this person, as the leader of a merchant ship, can enter the city to do business. The other Semites can only stay outside the city.
If a Semu tried to cheat, such as repeatedly pressing fingerprints, he would be arrested on the spot and sent to a stone quarry south of Hangzhou for three years of forced labor before being released.
Lu Sen shook his head with some regret. Whether it was the Northern Song Dynasty or the Southern Song Dynasty, maritime trade had brought huge profits to the imperial court. Who would have thought that after the end of the Ming Dynasty, it would embark on a path of closing the country to the outside world.
What a pity. What a pity.
If we could change the thinking of the Song people at this time in the Northern Song Dynasty and let them know that there were huge profits to be made overseas, would it have turned the Song people into a pioneering nation?
After all, the Northern Song Dynasty’s shipbuilding technology was not bad.
Write a book? An overseas adventure?
For example, there is a big gold mine in Australia, with a large amount of nugget gold exposed on the ground?
The Spice Islands to the south.
Yes...the spices from the Northern Song Dynasty were very valuable.
Write these down in the form of a book and publish it in large quantities?
Is there any possibility of success?
Lu Sen looked at the white sails in the sky outside and fell into deep thought.
After a while, Zhan Zhao knocked on the table lightly and said, "Lu Xiaolang, stop daydreaming and eat."
Before I knew it, several delicious dishes were already on the table.
After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhan Zhao asked, "What are Lu Xiaolang's plans for the future?"
"We'll separate for now." Seeing Zhan Zhao's puzzled expression, Lu Sen explained, "Captain Zhan will be assisting the government in the martial arts conference. I think it will be very busy and dangerous. With your kung fu, you won't be afraid. But if we two are the burden, I'm sure you will feel a little overwhelmed."
"Lu Xiaolang is not an ordinary person." Zhan Zhao said with a smile, "Why do you need to belittle yourself like this?"
Lu Sen waved his hand: "I still have some self-knowledge. Next, I will find a small house in the city to live in, and by the way, I will experience the customs and customs of Hangzhou, and also see the martial arts conference to show my ability as a captain. I think it should not be difficult for them to find us."
As the chief constable of Kaifeng Prefecture, Zhan Zhao has the power to control all the constables in the world, and he can naturally also control the constables in Hangzhou.
So it would definitely not be difficult for him to find out the news.
"Then let's separate for now." Zhan Zhao clasped his hands together and said rather embarrassedly, "After the martial arts conference is over, I will come to find Lu Xiaolang and return to Beijing together."
"no problem."
This time, Zhan Zhao paid for the meal, and then the two of them separated. Lu Sen took Hei Zhu and wandered around Hangzhou.
In essence, Hangzhou is a smaller version of Bianjing. The cultural environment here is similar to that of Bianjing. After all, both cities are water cities.
Small bridges, flowing water and houses are the best portrayal of Kaifeng and Hangzhou at this time.
Lu Sen wandered around the city for a long time. When the sun was about to set, Lu Sen went to a brokerage firm, spent some money, and with the help of a broker, found a small house. After negotiating with the owner, he rented it.
The conscience of the pawnbrokers at this time was not completely corrupted, unlike during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when pawnbrokers had the saying "I will never make a mistake in killing someone".
Lu Sen didn't spend much money.
The owner of the house was an old man. After giving the key to Lu Sen, he put his hands behind his back, hunched over, and went back to the big house not far away.
The first thing Lu Sen did when he moved in was to put up another circle of fences behind the wall of the cottage yard to "protect" the entire yard.
Heizhu looked at the golden fence wall and felt extremely reassured.
As soon as Lu Sen finished doing this, he saw a large group of people walking through the center of the street in front of the cabin.
There were at least two hundred people, some of whom were holding up a large blue flag with the Chinese character "马" on it. Walking in the front was a northern man with a purple beard and green eyes. It was obvious at first glance that he was not a purebred Han Chinese.
But he has the air of a Han man, and this mysterious thing can be seen by most Han people.
This man had bright eyes and occasionally looked around while walking, like a tiger patrolling the mountains.
After the group of people passed by, the pedestrians on both sides of the street breathed a sigh of relief and started talking about it.
From their intermittent discussions, Lu Sen also learned that this group of people were from the world's largest gang, the 'Ma' gang.
Leading the group was Ouyang Chun, the leader of the horse gang. He was a few years older than Zhan Zhao and was recognized as the strongest knight among the younger generation.
Hearing this, Lu Sen vaguely understood the criteria used by the people in the martial arts world to select masters.
Whether it is Ouyang Chun or Zhan Zhao, even if they are very strong, they are not particularly strong, and they do not have a huge gap with other top young heroes. But why are these two the most famous?
To put it bluntly, it's a question of "power".
Zhan Zhao is a third-rank sword-bearing guard and the chief constable of Kaifeng Prefecture. He can mobilize hundreds of people to fight with you anytime and anywhere. Who in the world would not be afraid?
Ouyang Chun is the leader of the largest gang in the world, the Horse Gang. The Horse Gang mainly manages horse dealers... You know, horses are strategic materials in this era of cold weapons.
Ordinary people are not qualified to touch it.
No one would believe that there is no power from the imperial court or government infiltrating the caravan.
Not only are these two highly skilled in martial arts, they also hold great power. If they are not the number one or number two masters in the world, who else among the young martial artists would dare to take the position?
Can it convince the public?
What's more, there are many martial arts sects that are jealous of them.
Look... the imperial court said that it would hold an election meeting for the leader of the martial arts world. The leader will be a fourth-rank official under the control of the Ministry of Rites, so he can be considered a civil servant.
When this treatment was announced, all the well-known sects, not to mention the big and small ones, came, even Ouyang Chun, the apparent number one in the world, came.
After closing the fence, Lu Sen and Hei Zhu returned to the cabin. After cleaning for an hour, it was dark.
After lighting a candle, the two of them ate some raw vegetables and fruits from the system backpack as dinner.
After eating, Lu Sen said, "Hei Zhu, follow me to visit the brothel."
Lu Sen just wanted to check out the 'Character Cards' to see if there were any attribute bonuses worth noting.
That night, he went to Tianshui Street in Hangzhou, visited six or seven brothels, and swiped more than fifty character cards.
The vast majority of them are cards that are neither high nor low.
There is one character card that is pretty cool.
Xu Shishi (Lovely Women, Well-read) Your charm will increase slightly, and women will be more likely to fall in love with you; when you study writing-related skills in the courtyard of the home system, your learning speed will increase significantly.
A rare dual talent, but far behind Mu Guiying. Overall, the practicality of the attributes is barely on par with Yang Jinhua and Zhao Bilian.
Then Lu Sen also discovered a phenomenon that the young ladies in the Northern Song Dynasty liked to have repeated words in their names.
Such as Zhao Xiangxiang, Xu Shishi, Li Shishi, Liu Piaopiao, Huang Luoluo and so on.
As long as they are named "jie'er", their names are all reduplicated words.
It was soon late at night, and Lu Sen took Heizhu back to the cabin to rest.
Hangzhou's night market is also extremely lively. Even late at night, the streets are still brightly lit with lights.
He returned to the hut, used wooden blocks to make two wooden beds, one for each of them, and then fell asleep.
Although there were beds and bedding in the cabin, he personally didn't like sleeping on other people's things.
Because of the fence, safety was guaranteed and the two slept very soundly, sleeping until dawn.
After eating something casually, the two continued to go out.
Lu Sen planned to visit Jinshan Temple and Broken Bridge on the Qiantang River.
After all, these are two major scenic spots in Hangzhou, and he has never seen them before.
However, at that time, the Broken Bridge was not yet a famous tourist attraction. Lu Sen asked many people on the street before he found its location.
It turns out that the Broken Bridge next to the West Lake was originally named Duanjia Bridge, simply because this bridge leads directly to Duanjia Village opposite the West Lake.
Although it is not a broken bridge, Lu Sen did not feel that the trip was in vain. He walked on Duanjia Bridge, looking at the lake on both sides. On the clear water, there were green lotus petals and pink lotus buds. With the gentle breeze, it was a refreshing sight even under the scorching sun.
There is a sense of exhilaration as if you are walking on the waves.
After walking back and forth on the bridge, Lu Sen returned to the bank of Baidi Bridge and admired the willow embankment by the lake. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a scream not far away.
Then a large number of pedestrians began to run in panic.
Lu Sen almost took the wooden armor out of the system backpack and put it on Hei Zhu.
After all, he had seen this situation several times in Bianjing City.
I didn’t expect to hear it in Hangzhou.
But if you think about it, it seems normal.
Now many people from the martial arts world have come to Hangzhou City, preparing to participate in the martial arts conference. With more people from the martial arts world, there will definitely be more troubles.
Then he realized that the accident site was quite far from where he was, so he said, "Heizhu, go back to the cabin and wait. I'll go over there to see what's going on."
"My dear, please be careful."
" Don't worry, ordinary people can't hurt me."
After Heizhu left quickly, Lu Sen walked against the flow of people.
After walking nearly two hundred meters and turning a corner, I heard the clinking sound of iron objects colliding with each other.
When I looked up, I saw a dozen people fighting in front of me.
Then Lu Sen raised his eyebrows. Among these dozen people, there were actually five rats.
After all, Bai Yuting's face was very easy to recognize, he was as feminine and pretty as a woman. Once he was recognized, the other four mice would be easy to recognize.
He sneered and without saying anything, he took out a wooden longbow from his system backpack.
