Chapter 89: The Character of a Scholar
In ancient times, women’s hair was often used as a token of love . The sound of black hair could convey love and represented a feeling of longing.
Such things as body and hair would not be easily given to a strange man, so what Liu Wan'er meant was very clear.
Shen Yichen opened the small piece of paper and saw a beautiful and elegant handwriting on it. After all, Liu Wan'er was born into a scholarly family, and her handwriting was not inferior to that of ordinary scholars.
"Master Shen, after the Winter Solstice Poetry Festival, Wan'er always remembered that justice will never be absent, and she dare not forget it."
"The memorial in the brocade box was written by my father in prison with tears and blood. He intended to present it to the emperor to prove his innocence, but it was never sent out until his death."
"When my brother was helping father prepare his body for burial, he found this memorial. He searched all the ministers in the capital who were familiar with father, but no one was willing to help him submit the memorial. In order to prevent the eunuch Wang Zhen from finding it, I have kept the memorial close to me, just so that it can be heard by the emperor one day."
"Wan'er is now handing this memorial to Master Shen, hoping to see the delayed justice you mentioned in the future."
"Wan'er will never forget this great kindness. I may not be able to repay you in this life, but I hope to serve you in the next life."
After reading the words on the note, Shen Yichen found that the ink was smudged in many places. It was obvious that Liu Wan'er was crying while writing.
To be honest, when he first saw the black hair, Shen Yichen had some thoughts like repaying his gratitude with his own body. But at this moment, he felt a little heavy in his heart, and the words on the note were more like a suicide note written in despair.
This strand of black hair was Liu Wan'er's way of repaying the favor in the next life, as she felt that she might not be able to repay him in this life. She even changed her self-proclaimed name from "nujia", which is commonly used by women, to her nickname Wan'er.
Just when Shen Yichen was about to roll up the note and put it into the sachet, he unexpectedly discovered a line of small words on the back of the note.
"Master Shen, the eunuch Wang Zhen controls the government and has no control over everything. Wan'er knows how difficult and dangerous this matter will be, and she does not want to put you in danger because of her family's affairs."
"If you feel that the matter is hopeless, burn the memorial in the brocade box to avoid future troubles. Wan'er is still grateful for your help, because you gave Wan'er a ray of light at the darkest moment of her life."
After reading these last few words, Shen Yichen couldn't help but smile. He never thought that there would be a day when he would become someone else's light.
After packing up his things, Shen Yichen did not choose to open Liu Qiu's memorial, because he could already tell from Liu Wan'er's note that it was a memorial of self-defense.
And to be honest, this thing is useless. If self-defense was useful, would you still die unjustly?
If he wanted to clear his name, he didn't rely on this memorial, but on Wang Zhen's downfall.
It can only be said that this will, which the Liu family regarded as their life, is worthless in the eyes of others.
"Brother Chen, the bow is foggy, don't catch a cold, how about going back to the cabin and sitting down?"
Aniu saw that Shen Yichen had been standing at the bow . He didn't know if he was paying attention to something important, so he didn't dare to disturb him.
It was not until Shen Yichen put away the things that he spoke.
"good."
Shen Yichen nodded. His clothes were indeed wet from standing for so long, so he turned around and went back into the cabin.
The area inside the canopy of the sparrow boat is not large, only a few square meters. There are square tables and chairs in the center of the boat, and there is a stove for making tea and cooking.
Under normal circumstances, the boatmen will not spend the night in the cabin. However, if you are in a hurry, you can lie down there, but the comfort will definitely not be very high.
Of course, Shen Yichen was not picky about clothing, food, housing and transportation. As long as conditions allowed, he planned to reduce the rest time on shore as much as possible. He sailed day and night and rushed to the capital at the fastest speed.
"Mr. Shen, there is tea boiling in the pot, but the tea leaves are not good. If you don't mind, you can drink the tea to warm your body."
The boatman saw Shen Yichen sitting down and greeted him.
"Thank you, boatman."
"You're welcome, Mr. Shen. You are the top three candidates. It's my blessing to be able to ride on my boat."
Shen Yichen's reputation as the top three winners in the imperial examination was known throughout Yingtian Prefecture. Even the illiterate boatmen on the river had heard of his name.
Hearing this, Shen Yichen smiled, but he was not proud of it. He picked up the kettle from the stove and poured a cup of tea into the ceramic bowl on the table.
It was just as the boatman said, the tea was not even coarse tea, but just some broken tea foam. From this, we can see that the living conditions of ordinary boatmen were not very good.
Shen Yichen has no habit of tasting tea. For him, tea is just for quenching thirst, so he doesn't care whether the tea is good or bad.
He blew away the floating tea leaves, took a sip, and then turned his eyes to the boatman.
The boatman looked weathered and in his 40s or 50s. However, Shen Yichen knew that people who made a living on the water all year round were much younger than they looked, probably only around 30 years old.
"Boatman, how long will it take us to reach the capital?"
"Replying to Mr. Shen, if we don't stop day and night, we can reach the capital in a dozen days at the fastest with a small boat like ours."
The length of the Grand Canal from Zhenjiang to the capital is about 1,500 kilometers.
Even if the fastest time is fifteen days, it means the boat has to travel about a hundred kilometers every day, which is about four kilometers per hour, which is very close to the walking speed of an ordinary person.
Although this speed seems slow, in fact, in ancient times, being able to travel 100 kilometers a day was already considered fast. This can only be achieved by sailing day and night and using oars and sails at the same time.
Perhaps because he was free, Shen Yichen simply chatted with the boatman. He learned that he was only 35 years old this year, and had worked in the canal transport in his early years, so he was very familiar with the river channel from the canal to the capital.
Later, he married and had children to take care of his family. The risk of water transport was too high, so he settled down by the Yingtian River. If he had not known Aniu and the passenger was the top of the Sanyuan case, he might not have accepted this business.
After chatting for a long time, as the boat rocked, Shen Yichen felt a little sleepy.
Perhaps he could see Shen Yichen's tiredness, so the boatman put down the oars, took out bedding from a wooden box and said, "Mr. Shen, the boat is simple and there is no bed or anything like that, so you have to make do with it."
"It's okay, just stay for a while."
Listening to Shen Yichen's words, the boatman suddenly sighed: "Mr. Shen, I have met many dignitaries, but no one has ever been willing to chat with me about these family matters, and no master is as easy-going as you."
"People say you are the reincarnation of Wenquxing. Now I believe you are really kind-hearted."
The boatman's words made Shen Yichen at a loss as to what to say. Many trivial things that seemed ordinary to him were regarded as great respect by the common people.
Perhaps one of the differences between modern and ancient thinking is the idea that all men are created equal.
Shen Yichen wrapped himself in a blanket and leaned against the cabin, falling asleep in a daze. When he woke up and opened his eyes, he found that the thick fog on the river had dissipated, and the sun shone on the river, making it sparkle.
"Aniu, how long have I slept?"
"Brother Chen, probably more than an hour."
So long?
Shen Yichen rubbed his eyes. He felt that he had just closed his eyes for a while, but he didn't expect that more than two hours had passed.
Pushing aside the quilt and standing up, Shen Yichen found that the boatman was already cooking lunch at the stern. Perhaps he was worried that the fumes would bother him, so he took the stove out.
The food on the boat was very simple, just a pot of fish soup and some prepared bread, and that was it.
In the afternoon, in order to kill the boring time on the boat, Shen Yichen took out a book and sat on the bow to read.
It’s true, reading is a special experience accompanied by the gentle river breeze and the warm sunshine at the turn of spring and summer.
As we went down the Yangtze River, as night was about to fall, we saw more and more buildings on both sides of the river, and we could vaguely see bright lights in the distance.
"Mr. Shen, Zhenjiang Prefecture is just ahead. We will soon leave the river and join the canal."
The boatman looked at the lights and told Shen Yichen about the itinerary. In ancient times, the Yangtze River did not have a specific name, and was generally called the Great River.
"Um."
Shen Yichen nodded. Yingtian was about a hundred kilometers away from Zhenjiang Prefecture by water. He thought it would take a day to reach there. But as he went downstream, the speed was much faster than he expected, and he arrived in less than half a day.
However, after reaching the canal, in most cases it is upstream, and the width of the water surface is much smaller than that of the Yangtze River. The wind blowing from the river is not strong enough, so the speed will be much slower.
Leaving the Yangtze River and merging into the Grand Canal, the section inside Zhenjiang Prefecture is called the Inner Grand Canal, which is about the same width as the Qinhuai River. In addition, since the Song Dynasty, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas have always been prosperous, so the landscapes on both sides of the river are also very similar.
There are all kinds of beautiful buildings, painted boats, brothels and other places of custom and fireworks.
"Brother Chen, I see you look a little tired today, how about we find an inn to stay in Zhenjiang Prefecture tonight?"
Although Ah Niu is honest and doesn't talk much, he still has basic vision. It's Shen Yichen's first time to travel long distance by boat, and he can clearly feel that he is not used to it and feels tired. It would be better for him to get off the boat and rest for a night before setting off again.
However, Shen Yichen shook his head at what Ah Niu said, looked at the boatman and asked, "Boatman, can we travel on the canal overnight?"
The sooner they arrive in the capital, the more time they will have to prepare, so Shen Yichen does not plan to dock.
"Mr. Shen, there are many pleasure boats on the Zhenjiang Canal. At night, the boats are congested and prone to collisions. If you offend your son or master, you may get into trouble."
"Also, there are gangs that make a living on the river, and it's easy for trouble to happen at night. It's best to pass Zhenjiang before traveling at night."
After all, the boatman had experience in water transport. Even though he entered the river in the bustling urban area, it seemed that sailing was more convenient at night.
In fact, it is precisely because of the prosperity and the complexity of the forces of all parties that if you are a foreign ship and your vision is not wide at night, it will be troublesome if you provoke any party.
Even a dragon from another country may not be able to suppress a local snake, let alone Shen Yichen's mere scholar status.
In ancient times, long-distance travel was not only inconvenient due to transportation and road conditions, but public security was also a major issue that deserved special attention, and it even had a higher priority.
"What the boatman said is true. Ah Niu, let's go down and find an inn to stay."
Shen Yichen was never a person who would argue unreasonably, and the boatman's words made sense. So he called Ah Niu, and the two of them got off the boat, preparing to find an inn to spend the night.
The canal scenery of Zhenjiang is brightly lit when viewed from the boat, and bustling with people after getting off the boat, showing its prosperity.
But among this crowd, Shen Yichen saw many ragged refugees huddled in street corners begging for food, which was in stark contrast to the scene he had seen before.
On one side, people are living in peace and prosperity, while on the other side, they are struggling to survive due to natural disasters and man-made calamities.
"Aniu, these should be refugees from Zhejiang who were hit by the flood, right?"
"Well, Zhejiang suffered severe flooding in the spring this year, and many farmers who could not survive had to flee with their families. The city defense of Yingtian Prefecture was strict, so they could not enter the city. It seems that many people from Zhenjiang Prefecture slipped in."
After listening to Ah Niu's words, Shen Yichen finally understood why there seemed to be no trace of natural disasters in Yingtian Prefecture. It turned out that refugees were not allowed to enter.
The ancients said: "I will not listen to the outside world, but will concentrate on reading the books of sages." Although Shen Yichen has not reached this point yet, in fact, he has focused his main energy on the imperial examination and does not pay much attention to changes in the outside world.
Now that we have left Yingtian Prefecture, we can see the dark side of the prosperous Ming Dynasty.
"Let's go and find a place to eat something first."
Shen Yichen sighed and turned his eyes away from the refugees. Even though he had compassion, he was powerless in the face of the current situation.
"Okay, Brother Chen."
In comparison, Aniu seemed to be accustomed to it, because becoming a refugee due to natural disasters or man-made calamities was a very common thing in ancient times.
The two of them walked along the canal. The prostitutes in the riverside brothels saw Shen Yichen's handsome appearance and his long robe, and they all flirted with him.
"Sir, the boat has prepared delicious food and wine, why don't you drink with me?"
"My dear young master, you are so handsome and talented that my heart is beating like a deer. I hope you will have mercy on me."
"Sir, the night is long and I am very lonely. Please stay."
It has to be said that Shen Yichen has inherited the advantages of both his parents in terms of his figure and appearance.
He has the tall and handsome figure of Duke Chengguo Wuren, and he also inherited Shen's good looks. Adding on the scholar's robe, he can be said to be a promising young man, so it is no wonder that he can attract the favor of many women in brothels.
However, even when Shen Yichen was by the Qinhuai River, he had little interest in romance, let alone the vulgar women in Zhenjiang.
Not far away, Shen Yichen saw a vendor selling duck blood soup, which was the prototype of the famous duck blood vermicelli soup in Nanjing in later generations.
So he asked Ah Niu to sit down and have a bowl of duck blood soup at night, which could warm the body and would not cause bloating, so it was really killing two birds with one stone.
The vendor was very efficient and in a short time two bowls of duck blood soup were served on the table. Just when Shen Yichen picked up the spoon to taste it, he heard a noisy sound.
I saw a group of young men in gorgeous clothes walking towards the brothel beside the canal. One of them was holding a bag of cakes and kept throwing them out, attracting several refugee children behind him to scramble for the food.
This monkey-like action made the other young masters laugh and throw more vigorously. They even teased the refugee children in various ways, asking them to imitate the barking of dogs, and whoever barked the loudest would get the ball.
When the pedestrians and vendors on the street saw this scene, they all shook their heads and sighed at the decline of morals in the world. However, the other party was obviously not someone to be trifled with, so no one dared to step forward to stop it.
"You bastard, this is too insulting."
After seeing this scene, Ah Niu put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands and cursed angrily.
Shen Yichen also had an angry look on his face at this moment. He had come into contact with a lot of young masters in Yingtian Prefecture. It could even be said that he grew up in an environment of dandy young men.
I don't know if it's because the level of the young men from Yingtian is too high, or for some other reason, but even if they indulge in eating, drinking, and having fun and causing trouble, they never play pranks on children without any bottom line, at least Shen Yichen has never seen it.
Today's scene made Shen Yichen realize that in the eyes of some rich young masters, the poor refugees were not even considered human beings!
Just when Shen Yichen and Aniu were feeling indignant, a sturdy man in coarse linen clothes sitting at the next table also stared at the group of young men in front of them with a very gloomy expression.
If you look closely, you can see that they subconsciously put their hands on their waists, revealing the outline of a short knife or dagger.
"Brother Ye, I can't bear it anymore. They will rebel sooner or later. Why not use these bastards as sacrifices first?"
One of the sturdy men couldn't bear to watch it anymore and said to the middle-aged man who was in the lead.
"No, this is Zhenjiang City, and the defense is tight. We won't leave until we kill these bastards."
Before Brother Ye could reply, a man next to him shook his head and rejected the idea. They came to Zhenjiang for important matters and could not lose their composure.
"Wang Neng, are you scared?"
"Cang Huotou, I'm not afraid of rebellion, so how can I be afraid of these bastards?"
Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Brother Ye finally spoke up: "A little impatience will ruin a big plan. We have important things to do, so we must be patient!"
Just as Brother Ye was trying to comfort them, someone at the table next to him stood up and walked towards the group of young masters.
This person is none other than Shen Yichen!
The character of a scholar should never be just about writing and chanting, but also about having the courage to stand up when encountering injustice!
Shen Yichen not only has the blood of a warrior, he also has the character of a scholar!
