Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 81

Chen Tingjing was very happy to hear that, and said, "Are you interested? Well, I'm worried that no one will play chess with me when I go out!"

Dashun laughed and said, "The two of them are not interested in anything. They are rare glass chess pieces bestowed by the emperor. They say they don't know how to make them. They are smooth and refreshing."

Chen Tingjing laughed out loud.

While talking, I arrived at Yanhang Street, but I saw a lot of shops, most of which were salt shops, money houses, tea houses, and inns.Chen Tingjing lifted the curtain and looked, but saw that few shops were open, which was very strange.

Ma Ming said, "Brother Liu Jing, is the shop closed so early?"

Liu Jingdao: "I don't understand either, maybe it's the custom of this place."

Ma Ming said: "It's reasonable for the salt shop and the bank to close earlier. Why does the inn also close early? It's the time when the Niaotou forest people leave the store."

In front of the official post, Chen Tingjing and others got off the car and got off the horse.After hearing the movement, Yicheng went out to check.

Liu Jing asked: "My lord, can we stay overnight in Guiyi?"

Yicheng asked: "I don't know which party you are distinguished guests from?"

Ma Ming said: "We are businessmen."

The postman cupped his hands and said: "This is an official post, and only officials can stay overnight. Businessmen dare not stay overnight. I'm sorry."

Liu Jing said: "The inns are all closed, we have nowhere to go."

Yi Cheng looked very embarrassed and said, "I really have no choice."

Ma Ming said: "We have no place to live, sir, please make it easier for you."

Dashun said, "We'll just pay the money."

Let them gossip, Yi Cheng just refused to accommodate.Zhen'er drew out her sword hissingly, and blew on the sword, without looking at anyone, she just asked, "Are you Yi Cheng?"

Yi Cheng raised his eyes to look at the white-faced knight on horseback, and hurriedly said, "I'm right."

Zhen'er put the sword into the sheath bang, and said: "You are the master of Yicheng. Let's go in and live here."

Seeing this momentum, Yi Cheng didn't dare to say any more, so he just nodded and said: "Okay, everyone, please come in."

Seeing Zhen'er acting like this, Chen Tingjing couldn't help laughing.Chen Tingjing turned around and asked Yicheng: "Dare to ask what is the name of Yicheng?"

Yi Cheng said: "I will call you Xiang Bao!"

Chen Tingjing snorted and entered the station with his hands behind his back.There was nothing delicious in the post station, so I dealt with it hastily, and went back to the room to wash up.Chen Tingjing asked Zhen'er to call Liu Jing and Ma Ming over, and said: "Let's go out for a walk. This Yanhang Street is the main road from Kunming to the capital. There are many shops. It should be a very lively place, but now it is so deserted. There must be something strange."

Chen Tingjing led Zhen'er, Liu Jing, Ma Ming, and Dashun out of the post station, and it was completely dark.The lanterns in front of the shop were all extinguished, Dashun said: "The black lights are blind, something is wrong!"

There are no lights, but the moon is bright and the sky is blue.Chen Tingjing didn't speak, just walked forward casually.Suddenly, I heard faint music not far away.

Liu Jing asked: "What is this blowing about? I've never heard it before."

Chen Tingjing listened attentively, and said, "I haven't heard of it either, maybe it's the gourd silk that people talk about."

Following the sound, I came to a garden gate, but saw that the garden gate was closed.Liu Jing just wanted to knock on the door, but was afraid of startling the person who was playing music, so he tried to push it lightly, and the door opened.

Chen Tingjing hesitated for a moment, then entered the garden lightly.Under the moonlight, I can only see strange trees in the garden, with pavilions and wings.Someone inside the pavilion was blowing a gourd-shaped musical instrument with his head bowed, his voice was melodious and delicate.Chen Tingjing stopped, and was about to appreciate it, when suddenly there was a sound of a knife being drawn, and a dozen men came up from nowhere and surrounded him.Seeing this, Zhen'er drew out her sword hissingly, jumped in front of the musician, and pressed the sword against his neck.The man didn't panic, but the music stopped.

The man asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"

Chen Tingjing hurriedly said: "We are foreigners, and we came from the north. I have never seen the instrument played by the gentleman. I can't help but want to come in and have a look. I don't intend to disturb the gentleman. Zhen'er, put the sword away."

The man said: "So it's just to listen to gourd silk!"

Chen Tingjing said again: "Zhen'er, quickly take the sword away."

Zhen'er shouted: "Tell their people to step back first."

Da Shun said: "Master, it really is gourd silk, you guessed it right."

The man said: "That said, I really came here to listen to Hulusi. You all go down."

The servants put away their swords, and Zhen'er also put away their swords.The man stood up and said, "The folk customs here are fierce, and doing business is very difficult. There must be a strong man at home to guard the house. I'm rude, I'm rude."

Chen Tingjing cupped his hands and said, "Where is it, we are the ones who disturbed you!"

The man became polite and said, "Since you're here, please take a seat. Enjoy tea!"

Chen Tingjing sat down, and Zhen'er and others stood beside him.While talking, someone poured tea, Chen Tingjing thanked him, and said: "My surname is Chen, and I come to Yunnan to do tea and Baiyao business. May I ask your name?"

The man said: "Wangda in Xiakan, a salt merchant for generations, has been passed down to me for five generations."

Chen Tingjing said: "Mister's surname is Kan? So it's Mr. Kan Zhenzhao's family."

Kan Wangda leaned back, and said, "Mr. Kan is a famous scholar in Yunnan. He only knows his name in his late life and has no contacts with him."

Chen Tingjing said: "Mr. Kan's character and knowledge, especially his calligraphy, are well-known in Beijing."

Kan Wangda said: "The late student also admires Mr. Kan. I didn't expect his name to be known to you northerners."

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "Mr. Kan is honored as a guest of honor by the Governor of Yunnan, Guizhou and Governor of Yunnan, Mr. Wang Jiwen. Everyone in the world knows it."

Kan Wangda said: "As far as I know, as early as half a year ago, Mr. Kan resigned and retired to Linquan."

Chen Tingjing asked in surprise: "So?"

At this time, the housekeeper of the Kan family came over and said, "Young master, it's getting late. The old lady ordered you to rest."

Kan Wangda said: "I met a distinguished guest today, and I want to talk a little more."

The housekeeper said again: "Eldest young master, the master has ordered you not to..."

Kan Wanda interrupted the butler and said, "Understood, you can go."

Chen Tingjing said, "Young Master Kan, let's rest earlier, we won't disturb you."

Kan Wangda said: "It's okay, let's drink tea before leaving."

Chen Tingjing said: "When we came here today, it was not too late. I wanted to find some shops early to inquire about business, but I saw that the shops closed early."

Da Shun interjected, "Even the inn is closed, it's strange."

Kan Wangda smiled and said, "I can't say. The business is their own business. The shop is closed early and late, and there is no law to control it."

Chen Tingjing asked: "Did your store close early?"

Kan Wangda laughed and said, "Everyone closed it early, I dare not stand out, so I had to close it too."

Chen Tingjing said: "That's true."

Seeing that Kan Wangda was hesitating in speaking, Dashun said, "My master sincerely asks for advice, but Mr. Kan always talks around the corner."

Kan Wangda raised his eyes and said, "This brother speaks straightforwardly."

Chen Tingjing said casually, "Dashun must not be rude."

Kan Wangda asked again: "The inn is closed, where do you live?"

Chen Tingjing said: "We live in the official post."

Kan Wangda became alert and asked, "Official post? Are you an official post?"

Chen Tingjing said: "We are businessmen."

Kan Wangda said: "The official station does not allow businessmen to stay overnight."

Dashun said: "We insisted on hard work and promised to give more money, so the official post let us live."

Kan Wanda nodded, still puzzled.Liu Jing said, "Boss Kan, we feel that something is wrong in Kunming."

Kan Wangda laughed loudly, and said: "The world is different, the scenery is very different, it must feel very different. Let's talk about this gourd silk, you northerners have never heard of it!"

Da Shun said: "Look, Boss Kan is playing around again."

Kan Wanda laughed even more when he heard this.Chen Tingjing picked up the gourd silk on the stone table and looked at it carefully under the moonlight.

Kan Wangda asked, "Sir, are you interested?"

Dashun said: "My master is good at piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, he is good at everything!"

Kan Wangda hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "Where, don't listen to his nonsense. Can I try?"

Kan Wangda said, "Sir, please."

Chen Tingjing tried to play, and after a while, he played the tune.Kan Wangda was very impressed and nodded.Zhen'er glanced at Kan Wanda with a look of arrogance.

As the night was getting dark, Chen Tingjing said "excuse me" and got up to leave.Kan Wangda saw off the guests to the gate of the garden, and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you! If you have any inconvenience in Kunming, please come to me."

Chen Tingjing said: "Thank you, if I have to trouble you, I will not be polite."

When Chen Tingjing walked back, Fang saw that he had just entered the backyard of the Kan family, and the front door was open.

Back at the station, Chen Tingjing was puzzled and said, "Kunming is indeed too quiet."

Zhen'er said, "Master, that Kan Wangda's words are flashing, why don't you ask more questions?"

Chen Tingjing said: "One is not above the court, and the other is that we don't know the details of Kan Wangda. How can we ask in detail? We have to touch it slowly."

Ma Ming said: "I think Kan Wangda looks like a Confucian scholar who knows how to read and understand."

Liu Jingdao: "Not necessarily! We met Zhu Ren in Dezhou, Shandong, and Li Jiasheng in Yangqu, Shanxi. Aren't they both scholars? What happened? Bully!"

Ma Ming asked: "Master Chen, do you think Wang Jiwen knows that you have arrived in Kunming?"

Chen Tingjing said: "How could he not know! I traveled all the way in casual clothes, just to have less entertainment and hurry on the road. I didn't mean to imitate the emperor's private visits in micro-services. People leave their names, and geese leave their voices. The so-called private visits in micro-services are fake. of!"

While Chen Tingjing was speaking, he accidentally saw a box in the corner, and felt a little strange.Zhen'er stepped forward to open the box to have a look, and said, "Master, it seems that someone has moved the box."

Chen Tingjing hurriedly asked: "Is chess still there?"

Zhen'er said, "Chess is still there."

Chen Tingjing heaved a sigh of relief, and said, "It's fine as long as the Yuci chess is still there. However, it's useless for him to move a few sets of official uniforms. How dare he wear them? Wang Jiwen must know that I'm coming."

Liu Jing said: "Wang Jiwen knew you were here, but pretended not to know, there must be an article."

Ma Ming said: "That's right. When I went to Shandong, the governor Fu Lun also pretended not to know that you were here. What happened?"

Chen Tingjing said: "Don't talk to death first, and don't rush to find Wang Jiwen. Minger Zhener and Dashun accompanied me to visit Dianchi Lake, while Liu Jing and Ma Ming walked around the city of Kunming."

Zhen'er was very happy when she heard about Dianchi Lake, and said, "That's a famous place in the world! It's great!"

(End of this chapter)