Do you know that my grandfather was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

Chapter 90 Cruise on the Bian River

Chapter 90 Cruise on the Bian River

In modern terms, it was essentially a form of resource integration.

Moreover, if these elements were truly integrated, they could even create an intelligence system.

The Grand Canal region was the most prosperous area in the Song Dynasty. Being able to grasp the dynamics of these areas would greatly benefit the court's control over the regions.

Of course, Wang You only wanted to make some money; he didn't have the guts to touch the intelligence system.

Whether or not to bring it up in the future depends on whether the future emperor trusts him.

"The letter has been sent, but my brother and sister-in-law have no fixed abode, so we don't know when they will receive it," Stone said.

His brother and sister-in-law made a living by running boats and didn't have a fixed address to send letters.

The only option is to send it back to his hometown, where his brother and sister-in-law will naturally return when they pass by on their boat.

He had made an agreement with his elder brother and sister-in-law; otherwise, with their parents no longer alive, his elder brother and sister-in-law might not have gone back to their hometown even when passing through it.

Wang You didn't say anything upon hearing this; given the communication conditions in ancient times, this was all that could be done.

"Ziqian!"

Just then, a shout came from afar.

Wang You looked in the direction of the sound and saw Sheng Changbai and his entourage of Sansheng in the crowd opposite.

"Let's go over there."

Wang You waved in response and then led Shi Tou to join them.

"I'm sorry to have kept Ziqian waiting," Sheng Changbai said apologetically.

"I just arrived too, and it's not time for our appointment yet."

Wang You smiled and asked, "Has Zhong Huai not arrived yet?"

"It should be soon."

Sheng Changbai looked around and said, "This state bridge is too wide. Although I had heard about it before, it is still very shocking to see it in person."

"The bridge is sixteen or seventeen zhang wide, and the Bian River is about eight zhang wide. It is truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship to be able to build such a bridge," Wang You exclaimed.

Converted to modern units of measurement, the bridge was approximately fifty meters wide and over twenty meters long.

It wouldn't be considered a major bridge in later generations, but in the present day, building such a brick and stone bridge represents the pinnacle of current technology.

The two cousins ​​chatted for a while before Gu Tingye finally arrived.

Accompanying him was a boy of similar age to Wang You.

"Zecheng, Ziqian."

Gu Tingye said apologetically, "There was a traffic jam on the road, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."

"It's not late yet, so it's not considered late."

Sheng Changbai looked at the boy beside him and asked, "Who is this?"

"This is Qi Heng, courtesy name Yuanruo, son of the Duke of Qi. Our two families are related and have always had a good relationship."

"By all accounts, he's a generation younger than me, but we're distant relatives, so we'll stick to our own family relationships." Gu Tingye introduced Qi Heng's identity with a smile.

"Qi Heng greets Brother Sheng and Brother Wang."

Qi Heng bowed to Sheng Changbai and Wang You.

Wang You was sizing up Qi Heng, and when he saw Gu Tingye bringing a young man over, he guessed the young man's identity.

Upon hearing this, he and Sheng Changbai quickly returned the greeting.

It must be said that Qi Heng makes a very good first impression. He is of noble birth but humble and polite. He not only takes the initiative to greet the two of them, but also performs the greetings with great care and without any perfunctory manners.

There was no trace of arrogance on his face, typical of a prince's son.

Wang You actually had no ill feelings towards Qi Heng, even though Qi Heng was unwilling to give up on Minglan despite her repeated rejections.

Finally, at crucial moments, they lacked sufficient responsibility.

From the perspective of later generations, Qi Heng lacked a sense of responsibility and was weak-willed.

But only when you actually come to this era can you understand that it was entirely a helpless situation under the feudal ethics.

Minglan was moved by Qi Heng and agreed to accompany him on a gamble.

Grandma Sheng initially disagreed, but with Minglan's insistence, she eventually agreed.

But what if Minglan falls for an ordinary person?

No matter how much she begs, Old Madam Sheng will not give in.

The difference in status between Qi Heng and Minglan is no different from the difference between Minglan and commoners.

Don't say that Princess Pingning broke up the couple. From a rational point of view and according to current values, Princess Pingning did not do anything wrong.

Even in later generations, how many wealthy families would be willing to let their sons marry women from ordinary families?

It is already quite remarkable that Qi Heng was able to continue his struggle through a hunger strike.

Ultimately, it was because the Prince of Yong detained his father that he had no choice but to agree to marry the Princess of Jiacheng.

It can be said that Qi Heng has reached the limit under the feudal ethics.

Could it be that they really expect him to abandon his parents and elope with Minglan?

Or perhaps, disregarding his father's life or death, he insisted on not marrying the Princess of Jiacheng County?

After Sheng Changbai and Wang You introduced themselves and exchanged pleasantries for a while, Gu Tingye bowed to Wang You and said, "What Ziqian said last time has been lingering in my ears."

I reflected on it later, and I realized that I hadn't considered things carefully at the time.

99

"No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes."

Wang You cupped his hands and said, "I was too excited at the time, Brother Zhonghuai, please don't take it to heart."

"I was in the wrong first, how could I shamelessly blame Ziqian?" Gu Tingye said sincerely.

"alright."

Sheng Changbai smiled and said, "We're all friends. Some things are better discussed openly. Why bother to determine right or wrong?"

Although my cousin stayed in Bianjing for a while last year when he took the prodigy exam, he was busy preparing for the exam and probably didn't have time to travel.

Zhonghuai, if you truly wish to atone, then as a good host, take my cousin and me on a proper tour of Bianjing.

"That's natural!"

Gu Tingye smiled and said, "I've already sent someone to rent a boat. How about we take a boat trip to enjoy the scenery of the Bian River, then have lunch at Fanlou Restaurant, and in the afternoon go to Daxiangguo Temple to experience the gentle breeze of the Zisheng Temple, and then go to Yishan to watch the sunset?"

The gentle breeze at Zisheng and the sunset at Yishan are both among the Eight Scenic Spots of Bianjing.

"Zisheng" refers to Zisheng Pavilion, which is so tall that it can receive the south wind, hence the name "Zisheng Xunfeng" (Zisheng Gentle Breeze).

Zisheng Pavilion was built in the Daxiangguo Temple during the Tang Dynasty. The pavilion is over 300 feet high and houses 500 bronze Arhats.

The meaning of "Yishan Sunset" is easy to understand; it simply means going to Yishan to watch the sunset.

Although this was Sheng Changbai's first time visiting Bianjing, he had long heard of the Eight Scenic Spots of Bianjing. Upon hearing this, he smiled and said, "It is certainly possible to appreciate two of the Eight Scenic Spots of Bianjing in one day."

"In that case, let's go," Gu Tingye said with a smile.

The group arrived at a dock not far from the state bridge, a dock specifically for renting boats to tour the Bian River.

The area around Bianjing has a well-developed water system, with the Bian River flowing through the city.

However, apart from the imperial ships, other ships were not allowed to enter the city directly, and ships inside the city could easily leave.

Navigation is only permitted on the Bian River within the city.

The four men arrived at the dock with their entourage. Gu Tingye's entourage had already rented a two-story painted boat.

Once on the second floor and after the ship set sail, Gu Tingye had his attendants open the windows.

In this way, you can enjoy the scenery on both sides of the strait.

"It has a certain charm reminiscent of a boat trip on a water town in Jiangnan, but because of the prosperity of Bianjing, it lacks some tranquility and serenity," Sheng Changbai said.

If we're talking about the most waterways, then Jiangnan is the place to go.

Towns in the Jiangnan region all have rivers, and boat trips are very common.

Pedestrians strolled leisurely along the roads on both sides of the river.

However, the Bian River is different. The roads along both banks are crowded with people and very noisy, which spoils the scenery.

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