307 Iron Tadpole

  In the rhythmic sound of the water splashing against the wheel, everyone on the boat slept very sweetly, unknowingly passing several hours. When it was about to dawn, the boat got stuck at the exit of Hongze Lake leading to the Grand Canal.

  The loud noise from outside woke Liu Ziguang up, and he looked out of the porthole to see many cargo ships crowded together, their masts densely packed like a forest. He immediately put on his clothes and went up to the deck to take a look. The captain was already standing there with a telescope in hand, observing the scene. When he saw Liu Ziguang come up, he hastily saluted and said: "General, two ships ahead are competing for the right of way, and they've blocked the entrance to the canal. Neither side is willing to give in, it seems we'll be delayed for some time."

  The vast expanse of water was actually able to block the ship, and Liu Ziguang picked up a telescope to look at it. Not far ahead was a huge official ship with many colorful flags on it, which seemed to be the flagship of some big shot from the Ministry of War, trying to enter the Grand Canal from Hongze Lake. The ship opposite was even more incredible, although not an official ship, but twice as large as the official ship, with five layers of pavilions and halls on board, all intricately carved and painted, with a high and majestic hull, and portholes inlaid with Western glass, two huge paddle wheels were also very impressive, and the iron-plated paddles shone brightly in the morning light. A golden flag at the bow was blown by the river wind, and a large "Hu" character could be vaguely seen on it. This ship was about to enter Hongze Lake from the Grand Canal, but the waterway was originally quite spacious, however, these two ships were both high-spec super-wide ships, so they blocked each other head-on, making it impossible for other ships to pass through.

  The two groups of boatmen refused to give in, using long bamboo poles to poke at each other, while continuously shouting and cursing. The Hu family's large boat was five or six feet higher than the official boat, and their boatmen were also more robust, so they had the upper hand, poking the boatmen and soldiers on the official boat until they fell over.

  "What kind of person has the surname Hu? Dare to rival an official ship." Liu Ziguang put away his telescope and asked.

  "General, take a closer look at that flag." The captain replied, pointing to the golden large flag that was blown open by the wind again.

  Liu Ziguang looked again and found that next to the character "Hu" were three silver characters "Ri Sheng Chang". He suddenly realized, it was a money transport ship of a bank. No, even if a money transport ship is powerful, it can't be so arrogant, a ticket number no matter how rich it is, is still a merchant, is a commoner, and cannot fight against the government.

  "This ship is not an ordinary one, also known as the Iron Crocodile, it's the flagship of Dayu Chang's boss, from top to bottom there are eight decks, can hold five hundred people, all made of high-quality nanmu wood, and outside is wrapped with a layer of iron skin; The hull has a watertight compartment, good waterproof performance; The steam engine is also specially made by the Wuchang Shipyard, with a power of 10,000 horsepower; Also equipped with the warship steam crossbow made in our country's Tieguo Iron Factory, that's sharp, an ordinary sailboat can be shot through in one go......" The captain was talking excitedly, his face full of excitement, spitting stars almost splashing onto General Liu's face.

  Liu Ziguang hastily retreated a step, thinking that this usually steady captain had become frantic when mentioning the Ironclad, and hurriedly stopped the somewhat frenzied captain, continuing to ask: "Is it that having a big ship makes one a master? Then I'll also find someone to build a big ship tomorrow and block the official ships' way everywhere."

  The captain hadn't responded yet, when Peng Jingrong's voice rang out from behind: "Ordinary civilian ships, no matter how big they are, wouldn't dare to compete with official ships for the right of way. Not even our own Lixin Iron Factory's ships would be an exception. But the Tieda Bao is different - it dares to compete with official ships not because it's big, but because its owner is Risheng Chang, and more importantly, it's the personal vessel of Miss Hu Daxia, the head of Risheng Chang."

  Seeing Peng Jingrong walking up to the top of the boat, the captain hurriedly paid his respects. The eldest sister joked and said: "Old Wang, I heard you talking so enthusiastically just now, are you interested in our Tie Da Biao number? Our iron factory also wants to change boats. Although it can't compare with Tie Da Biao, it's also a rare big boat on the canal." As she spoke, she walked up to Liu Ziguang and put a black-faced red-bottomed cloak over his shoulders: "The wind is strong on the lake, be careful not to catch a chill."

  The big sister is becoming more and more like a little woman, the captain hehe smiled, bowed his head and retreated without disturbing the young couple's conversation, returned to his own cabin to ponder that dreamy new ship.

  Miss helped me wear my cloak, but I put on the long shirt for Zeng Cheng, what a disloyal and ungrateful person I am! Liu Ziguo's face was slightly flushed as he allowed Peng Jingruan's slender hands to help him tie the silk ribbon at the collar of his cloak.

  "What's so special about that Hu Dajie you just mentioned? How can she be more powerful than the Ministry of War?" Liu Ziguang still didn't understand, leaning on the railing to watch the fighting scene in front of him. The high-ranking officials from both sides had not shown up, letting their subordinates curse and fight each other to see who was stronger.

  "What if he's the Minister of War? What rank is that, just a second-rank official. But the great manager of Rishengchang is a hereditary first-rank official, one of the three dukes of the Ming dynasty. There's a system in the Ming dynasty where merchants can be granted ranks based on their contributions to the court, this was established by the previous emperor. In the past, it was thanks to the donations from these big households in Jiangnan that the military salary was paid and half of the country was preserved, which also created many wealthy merchants in the Ming dynasty. Merchants with ranks may not have real power in the government, but they can wear black gauze round collar robes, their wives are also granted titles, and when meeting officials of the same rank, they don't need to bow. My father even has a third-rank official robe. Among all these merchants, the one who donated the most and had the highest rank was Hu Xueyan, the former manager of Rishengchang, a first-rank official with a loud reputation. Not to mention the Minister of War's personal ship, even if he came in person, it wouldn't be enough." Peng Jingrong explained all this clearly.

  "Oh, I see, then why didn't that official boat give way?" Liu Ziguang was even more surprised.

  "In the past, my father wouldn't even wear his official uniform, let alone carry a sword. Now that the nine-thousand-year-old is in power, officials are being sold like goods, and no one takes it seriously." Peng Jingrong said.

  "But this official ship is still somewhat arrogant. The Hu family isn't just any ordinary merchant, they're wealthy enough to rival a country. The silver notes circulating within the Great Ming's borders are all from Rishengchang, their reputation is on the line, and with just a piece of paper, it's like having silver in hand, more convenient and safer than actual silver. Their escort team, whether by land or sea, has three numbers '101' painted on the front, representing two swords and one shield. Any vehicle or ship with this symbol will not be robbed by bandits, whoever messes with the Hu family is messing with a hornet's nest. Half of the world's top experts are in the imperial palace, and the other half are in the Hu family's mansion in Hefei. Just wait and watch the show, once Miss Hu gets impatient, this official ship will be in for a treat." Peng Jingrong explained.

  "This time I really understand." Liu Ziguang finally understood that the Hu family was equivalent to the central bank of the Ming Dynasty. If the Minister of Revenue was the Minister of Finance, then Miss Hu was equivalent to the governor of the People's Bank and the Agricultural Bank, with control over the country's economic lifeline in her own hands, of course, she had the qualifications to be arrogant.

  It seemed to verify Peng Jingrong's words, the sailors on both ships started to wield their weapons, switching from bamboo poles to long knives and spears. The official ship had many soldiers wearing soft armor, who climbed onto the Iron-clad Turtle Ship with swords in hand, using the backs of their blades to strike the sailors wielding bamboo poles, causing them to cry out in agony and momentarily turning the situation around. However, before long, they were beaten by several burly men who emerged from the ship's cabin, either falling into the water or being thrown back onto the official ship.

  A burst of wailing and shouting, the nearby boatmen also dropped anchor, eagerly watching the officials being humiliated. The big shots on the official ship could no longer sit still, a team of attendants holding placards for silence and avoidance formed a formation on the ship, waiting for the big shot to make an appearance.

  This lively scene is worth watching. Liu Ziguang saw how happy the bully was and couldn't help but want to bully the small boat in front, "Old Wang, tell someone to chase away the boat in front, let's move forward a bit, I want to see more clearly."

  The captain responded with a grunt, slowly starting the ship's engine. Several sailors holding bamboo poles shouted and chased away several fishing boats and passenger ships in front of them, making way for General Liu to enjoy the excitement.

  Fortunately, they were on the lake side, with a relatively large turning space. After several boats were driven away, the iron factory's paddle steamer had approached the bustling center. Without using binoculars, one could already see the awe-inspiring authority of the officials.

  In the 18th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, he was a jinshi and served as a university scholar in the Wenyuan Pavilion, Minister of War, Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies, and Governor of Shandong. The large banner with his name on it was taken out from the cabin, unfolded against the wind, and fluttered loudly in the fresh lake breeze in the morning.

  "It was him, the 9,000-year-old commander of the Ten Tigers, Minister of War Cui Chengxiu. No wonder he wanted to meet with the Hu family separately. Minister Cui is a direct descendant of the 9,000-year-old, and Miss Hu is the Empress Dowager's most beloved person, in the capital city people call her the Dry Princess. When the representatives of both sides meet, they must distinguish between high and low." Peng Jingrong said after seeing the big banner.

  As soon as the words fell, a man dressed as a general stood at the bow of the official boat and shouted loudly: "You civilian boats listen, Minister Cui of the Ministry of War has urgent military affairs, don't you quickly retreat and clear the waterway for us to pass!" The loud voice echoed across the lake surface, and people far away could hear it. Minister Cui wore a bright red official uniform, standing on the deck stroking his beard, with an air of composure.

  A man wearing a low-ranking official uniform stood up on the Iron Great Wall and replied loudly: "The imperial gift, the first product of Anhui Daye Chang Hu Da Zhanggui, has urgent business to enter Beijing to meet the Empress Dowager. Regardless of officials or civilians, all must retreat!" This master's voice was even more powerful, it was the Lion's Roar skill of the Wulin Absolute School, and the people around him were shocked, covering their ears and showing painful expressions, probably even people tens of miles away in Hongze County could hear it.

  The old man shouted again, and then added: "May I ask what rank is the big man on the opposite official boat? Do you want to compete with the first-class of the current dynasty, do you still have courtesy and ethics?" The general was asked to be speechless, turned his head and looked at his own Shangshu (a high-ranking official) .

  Chui Shangshu was indeed the leader of the Ten Tigers, with a decisive wave of his hand: "The military situation ahead is urgent, and now we can't discuss what rank, get me to start the fire and set sail, crash! Whoever dares to block us will be beheaded without discussion."

  "Yes!" The officers and soldiers received the order, like wolves and tigers drawing out their bows and crossbows, aiming at the sailors on the Iron Crocodile. Several officers also pushed out a cart-mounted crossbow, placing three-edged steel arrows on it, the strings drawn tight, exuding a murderous aura aimed directly at the hull of the Iron Crocodile, ready to turn their opponents into hedgehogs at any moment.

  The iron-plated warship, Iron Crocodile, had been quietly anchored for a long time, but its steam engine never stopped working. Seeing the official ship preparing to take action, with a sharp whistle, a row of windows suddenly appeared on the bow, and the giant halberd heads gleaming with cold light displayed a deadly threat in front of everyone. This was the famous Steam-powered Repeating Crossbow, which could fire thousands of arrows at once, leaving no room for even a fly to survive. Not only was the steam-powered crossbow a threat, but also the Iron Crocodile's massive iron-plated hull, which had now slowly started its propeller. If it were to ram into the small official ship, it would surely be reduced to splinters.

  The faces of the officials and soldiers turned pale, and they were at a loss for what to do. The other side was being completely uncooperative and refusing to give face to the Minister, so how could this situation be resolved?

  Choi Seung-su's face didn't change color, he walked a few steps and stood at the bow of the boat, like a stone statue. The lake wind blew up the hem of his red official robes, revealing black boots underneath. The surrounding soldiers looked at their superior's calm demeanor and also straightened their bodies, putting on a brave front to accompany him.

  Chui Shangshu was not prepared to play the fool and risk his life, he was a high-ranking official of the imperial court, not some street thug. He simply stretched out his right hand and shouted "Sword, come!"

  A small official who had been waiting inside the cabin darted out like a flying fish and placed a long sword in Cui Shangshu's right hand. The latter held the sword high with both hands, "The precious sword is here, who dares to crash!"

  Liu Ziguang was shocked, it's really a twist of fate, unexpectedly the legendary Shangfang Treasure Sword is also taken out to rob the road. Looking closely at the sword: its length far exceeds that of ordinary swords, with cloud-shaped hilt and flower-petal-like pommel, the scabbard wrapped in white python skin, without a carrying strap, giving an overall feeling of simplicity yet not being simple. This Shangfang Treasure Sword can't be fake, and Cui Shangshu doesn't have the guts to forge royal authority like this.

  The imperial sword of justice, as if I were present myself, can behead first and report later. This is a fact known to every ordinary citizen. You may not take the second-grade official seriously, but you cannot ignore the emperor himself either.

  However, a cold and arrogant female voice still came from the Ironclad Turtle: "Ram me."