Since the Yellow River "grabbed Huai and entered the sea" in the Jin Dynasty, it has silted the sea channel into the lower reaches of the Huai River, and the river water is not discharged smoothly and flooded everywhere. This has caused the Huai River water system to be disordered, disasters occur frequently, and water or drought. Since then, the Huai River has entered a troublesome autumn.

The strategy of controlling the Yellow River in the Yuan Dynasty was to maintain the canal transport of the Grand Canal and try its best to avoid the Yellow River collapse to the north. Therefore, the river mainly collapsed to the south, and the disaster area moved to Xuzhou to the mouth of the sea. Jiangsu was the worst affected, followed by Shandong.

At the same time, due to the influence of the Yellow River diverting, the Grand Canal of Beijing-Hangzhou was once transported by a section of the Yellow River from Xuzhou to Huaian.

By the Chu Dynasty, the Yellow River often flooded, resulting in frequent hindrance of canal transportation. In order to avoid the danger of Yellow River shipping, there was a proposal to open the Xikou River to the distant river, and a canal between Weishan Lake and Luoma Lake was opened.

From then on, the Li River completely replaced the Yellow River transport route and became the golden waterway. The prosperity of Taierzhuang, the "No. 1 Manor in the World", also came into being.

Taierzhuang is located north of the Yellow River and belongs to Yi County, Yanzhou Prefecture, Shandong. This location is the junction of Shandong, Henan and Nanzhili. It is the central point of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal.

This place used to be called "Taijiazhuang". Perhaps there were more officials coming from the capital, and gradually became "Taijiazhuang".

Due to such an important position, the Chu Dynasty successively set up river management institutions such as the General River Department, Dongyan Road, Lihe Hall, Yixun, and Taizhuang Gate in the Taierzhuang River section.

At the same time, Taierzhuang was also well equipped with military equipment stationed in the inspection department, Taizhuang camp, Taizhuang Zhaxun and other military equipment.

A small village, the second-rank river governor, the third-rank general, the fifth-rank guard, the sixth-rank chief judge, the seventh-rank chief general, the eighth-rank county magistrate, the eighth-rank foreign commission thousand general, the ninth-rank inspector and other officials at all levels are stationed here.

During Emperor Yanguang's southern tour, Ma Shisheng, who was the governor of the Chu Dynasty's river channel, was in Taierzhuang.

The Governor of the River is not small at all, but on the contrary, it is very large. Its full name is "Prime Minister He Cao and Admiral Military Affairs", and is appointed as the Minister of the Censor's Processing Department or the Minister of the Secretariat.

Ma Shisheng, the governor of the river, is a second-rank official and can mobilize an army of 20,000.

The Rui army pursued Emperor Yanguang Shi Ma Shisheng and did not dare to move. He waited until Emperor Yanguang moved to Jinan that he realized that this was his opportunity to show his strength.

Unexpectedly, the situation suddenly changed, Emperor Yanguang suddenly passed away, and the four towns in Jiangbei rushed to Shandong.

Ma Shisheng was frightened at that time. He said that he could mobilize 20,000 troops, but the problem was where did the 20,000 troops come from?

The military farming of the inspectors and soldiers in Taizhuang camp had been completely smeared by the wealthy households decades ago. Generals and officials at all levels were empty salaries and drank soldiers' blood. The officers and soldiers all went to the dock to make a living, and they were not as good as those of the Cao Gang.

The canal military preparations are like a piece of rag, which is usually spread there and cannot be seen, but they will be broken into pieces as soon as they are picked up.

Fortunately, the four towns in Jiangbei did not go north from Taierzhuang to advance to Linyi, so they took the route of Linyi. In order to reach Jinan, they involved Laizhou.

Ma Shisheng was nesting in Taierzhuang, afraid that someone would notice this small village.

Fortunately, that battle did not affect Ma Shisheng, but he also lost the opportunity to make a fortune.

Later, Emperor Shouchang, Nanjing City, succeeded to the throne, and King Qi established a vassal in Jinan City. The north of the Yellow River and east of the canal became the fiefdom of the King of Qi, and Taierzhuang happened to be under the rule of the King of Qi.

At that time, the west side of the canal belonged to Henan, the south of the Yellow River belonged to Emperor Shouchang's Nanzhili, and Taierzhuang belonged to the junction of the three forces. It was supposed to be war, but unexpectedly, it maintained peace for more than a year.

The Rui Dynasty was simply unable to govern Henan and left it alone; Emperor Shouchang no longer crossed the Yellow River north, and only nominally controlled the King of Qi; King Qi did not move Shisheng, and still let him serve as the governor of the river... The three parties formed a delicate balance.

Ma Shisheng was happy to be idle, the canal transportation was stopped, and no one wanted to manage the Yellow River. He ate wine and listened to opera every day. He didn't know that the root of this balance was because the Qing army was powerful, which made the three sides dare not move.

As today's general trend changes again, the Qing army's iron hooves were blocked north of Shandong. Ruichao retreated back to Shanxi, Shaanxi. Nanchu took advantage of the chaos to recover the lost land south of the Yellow River and east of Tongguan, and immediately penetrated its tentacles north of the Yellow River.

...

"I went from Suzhou to Nanjing, and from Nanjing to Xuzhou. All the way I saw was a prosperous scene. After crossing the Yellow River north, the fields were withered, and Taier Village was no longer as lively as before." A scholar named Liu Lanshan sighed with emotion while twisting his teacup.

"If you have anything to say to me, just say it quickly. I don't have time to chat with you." Ma Shisheng's face showed an unhappiness of the superior.

Although he was dressed as an ordinary person, his behavior was still majestic.

Ma Shisheng secretly left the city from the Shuimen in Taierzhuang to have a secret talk with Liu Lanshan. At this time, the two were sitting on a canal boat, as if they were merchants mooring due to war.

"Master Ma, don't worry," Liu Lanshan said: "First try my tea, this is a tribute tea produced in Guzhu Mountain, Huzhou. The "Tea Classic" says, "The Yin Forest of Yang Cliffs, purple ones are on the top, green ones are on the top, bamboo shoots are on the top, and buds are on the top, and this "purple bamboo shoots" are the best. Bai Letian has a poem praising it, "The green E should compete for the wonderful dance, and the purple bamboo shoots are on the top, and each fights new." What does Master Ma think?"

Ma Shisheng had no intention of tasting tea with him, but he didn't want to show his hurry and let people look down on him. He took a cup of tea and drank it in small mouthfuls, and said casually: "Good tea, the tea soup is clear and bright, with a green and purple color, sweet and fresh, and a faint orchid fragrance. It is worthy of being 'the peony flowers smiled and the golden veils moved, and the purple bamboo shoots in Wuxing came'."

If he didn't even have this taste, how could he firmly sit in the position of the governor of the river?

"Master Ma is indeed elegant." Liu Lanshan smiled and sighed, "It's a pity that the world is constantly in chaos, and most of the tea gardens are deserted. This purple bamboo shoot has only been tributed ten kilograms this year. The Chief Auxiliary gave General Guan. General Guan asked me to bring it to Master Ma to taste."

"Yeah?"

Liu Lanshan put his sleeves together and poured a cup of tea, saying, "Everyone is a catastrophe, and people are a crowd. Lord Ma, look, we are the same people, cooking tea and enjoying poetry, drinking three white wine, and listening to Wu Jingqu. Those northerners will not understand this kind of elegant taste."

He continued to talk about a trivial matter.

"Last year, I met a scholar from Shandong. He told me, 'Suzhou calls itself a famous county in the world, what are the scenic spots? How high is the tiger hill? How can it be called a mountain? Shandong Taishan is called a famous mountain in the world'. I only said one word to him, and he was speechless. What I said was 'Suzhou can produce the top scholar'."

Ma Shisheng knew what he said.

There was a Chu generation, and Suzhou had a prosperous literary style and people at that time admired it.

Suzhou style is a symbol of taste, identity, meaning, realm, elegance, and so on.

The so-called "The Su people thought that those who were elegant would follow the four directions and followed the common people," means that the taste of the Suzhou people is the taste of the Chu people.

There was also a saying in the time that people said, "How many Beijingers learn Gusu language randomly." Ma Shisheng came from the north and was quite inferior when he first came. But now he can speak Wu language and understand Suzhou opera.

"Does Lord Ma envy the height of Mount Tai? Or is it envy the beauty of Jiangnan?" Liu Lanshan asked again.

The horse Shisheng caresses his beard and does not speak.

Liu Lanshan raised his hand and pointed to the calm water surface on the canal, and sighed: "In the past, ships were coming and going on in the canal, but what about now? The canal was suspended, the Yellow River was not managed, and the former prominent river governor had long become an idle person in Shandong. King Qi... or the Duke of Guo laughed, does he really trust you? Lord Ma, are you willing?"

Ma Shisheng bowed to the sky outside the cabin and said seriously: "I am the official of Da Chu, I receive the salary of the Chu country, and the trust of the people of Daming."

This sentence is quite implication. He doesn't say who he will serve, but he is all officials of the Chu Dynasty anyway.

However, Liu Lanshan deliberately acted as if he couldn't hear it, and suddenly tore open the elegant veil and said, "Hahaha, Lord Ma, what you eat is never the salary, but the filial piety of the merchants in the south of the Yangtze River!"

Ma Shisheng's pupils shrank, and his face immediately became a little uneasy. He shouted, "Shu Zi, are you here to humiliate me?"

"I'm here to save you, Lord." Liu Lanshan said: "Why do you think Wang Xiao hasn't dismissed you yet? It's just that there is Jiannu in the north, he can't get out of time. Anyway, the canal is paralyzed, and you, the governor of the river, have no power or position, and having a false position can calm people's hearts. But now, the situation is different..."

"In the future, Wang Xiao will never let you live as comfortable as before. What kind of treatment do famous families in Shandong encounter? According to the legend of poetry and books for a hundred years, they have become officials, and they are now simple and simple every day. Lord Ma, what are your plans? After he copied your hard work for half of your life, he was dismissed from office and personally swung his hoe to the ground? Don't forget that Wang Xiao relied on raiding his house and got to the present step by step. Think about the fate of Yan Shenggong. The yesterday of the Kong family is your tomorrow."

The anger on Ma Shisheng's face eased, and he still bowed to the sky and said, "I..."

The words "clean and breeze" in my mouth were still in the end. In the river yamen, there were many people who wanted to be clean and breeze, and their bones were still in the mud under the canal.

"I know what Lord Ma is worried about, it's just that Wang Xiao's army is in full swing. But you can go to the south. The war in the south is different from the north. The people in the north are good at horses, while the people in the south are good at boats. Look at this Taierzhuang, which has waterways, let alone Jiangnan. Wang Xiao has cavalry and sea boats. But in the battle of river boats, can he be the opponent of Jiangnan's army?"

"this……"

"Now the army of Jiannu is gathering in Shandong. Can Wang Xiao keep it? If you keep it this time, will you still be so lucky next time? Even if he can really beat Jiannu, what about you, Lord Ma? Can you get a good ending under him?"

Ma Shisheng said: "I understand what you mean, but now when the Eastern Captains invade, if you dare to launch an army to fight in the north, aren't you afraid of ridicule for the people of the world?"

Liu Lanshan smiled and said, "How could we launch a northern expedition? General Guan just wanted to send troops to help defend the Taierzhuang Canal to ensure that we will provide food and grass for the subsequent support for Shandong. As long as the Taierzhuang defenders are willing to let us enter the city."

"The one who is scolded by the world is my official!"

"Why do you say this? As Lord Ma said before, you are an official of the Chu Dynasty, so of course you have been summoned by Your Majesty. Your Majesty now announces that you have entered Nanjing and promoted to the tutor of the first-rank prince. Do Lord Ma dare not respond to the imperial edict?"

Ma Shisheng's movements of holding tea froze, and he was stunned.

What Liu Lanshan said today told him about the prosperity and stability of Jiangnan. The pros and cons of continuing to stay in Shandong were also clearly analyzed.

"If Lord Ma thinks it's too tiring to be an official in the court, he can also take a rank and go to Suzhou to have a rest. General Guan happened to buy a garden in Suzhou the next year, just outside the Changmen. It was the East Garden of Xu Taishi, the Shaoqing of Taipu Temple in the previous dynasty. It is known as the "Crown Wuxia Famous Garden" and can be given to Lord Ma."

Liu Lanshan said, took out a letter of deed from his sleeve and pushed it over.

"East... East Garden?" Ma Shisheng stopped slightly.

Liu Lan smiled and said, "The East Garden covers an area of ​​more than two hectares. In terms of it, it is just a little larger than the city pier of this Taierzhuang."

The area covers about the same size, but Taierzhuang is not Ma Shisheng alone.

The business is obviously worth it if someone else's Taierzhuang exchanges Dongyuan and adds the position of the prince and the tutor.

What's more, if you don't do this business, you are facing the knife that Wang Xiao puts on his neck. After doing this business, you are facing the prosperity of the Jiangnan water town.

The canal boat shook gently in the canal, with blue sky and white clouds printed on it. Ma Shisheng closed his eyes and saw the glory and wealth of the rest of his life...

~~

Yi County.

"Is Taierzhuang lost? How dare they?!"

"Ma Shisheng surrendered to Nanjing..."

The garrison general who arrived in Yi County was named "Hualuoong". Hualuoong used to be from the Huncao Gang, and was once an old manager of the Dezhou Gang, known as "Hua Ye".

Although the Dezhou Gang defected to Wang Xiao, it still had its own system. Ghost Loach wanted to raise a large group of gangs, and Wang Xiao did not dare to give him an official position. But Hua Ye was different. Since Hua Ye wanted to take the Military Affairs Office, he left the Dezhou Gang and accepted the imperial court's appointment.

Because Hua Ye was familiar with the canal transportation, Wang Xiao originally planned to send him to guard Taierzhuang, but he lacked enough qualifications and obviously could not suppress a senior official like Ma Shisheng, so he had to transfer him to Yanzhou Prefecture as the garrison to survive.

At this time, Mr. Hua frowned and said, "I originally planned to find an opportunity to clean up Taierzhuang, but Jiannu entered the pass and all the troops in the south were transferred away, giving these bastards an opportunity to take advantage of."

"Shisheng came to comfort him, and there was no big battle in Taierzhuang. Only one general and his confidant were cleaned up. If we attack and recover Taierzhuang, we are afraid that if it is spread, others will say that we will start the war first. Moreover, the general's current troops cannot defeat Guan Ming..."

Mr. Hua walked back and forth for two steps, and his face gradually became embarrassed.

From the time when Guanming crossed the Yellow River north, he immediately sent a letter to Jinan to report the letter, and at the same time rushed from Yanzhou to Yi County.

But I didn't expect that Ma Shisheng surrendered so quickly and gave him Taierzhuang in just two days.

Now the war in the north is likely to be won. If it is only me who has problems in the south, it would be too embarrassing. The problem is that Shandong does not have many soldiers in the south, so it is hard to cook without rice.

"Sir, please decide quickly. According to the officials, Guan Ming may not dare to attack Yixian County, but if he is allowed to stand firm in Taierzhuang, it will be like a thorn in his throat for Shandong..."

Mr. Hua was speechless. He spent a lot of money to hire this staff member, but the staff member told him that it was not good to fight, and it was not good not to fight.

After much discussion, you still have to decide for yourself.
To be continued...