Two days later, Liu Mingqi and his group arrived at Huai'an, the most important center of the Grand Canal.

Huai'an City was not too big, but because of the canal transportation yamen, after repeated expansion, it was actually divided into inner and outer cities.

Originally, Liu Mingqi saw a lot of people coming and going in Zhenjiang and the commerce and trade were very developed, but after comparing to Huai'an, he realized that Zhenjiang was the younger brother.

The several ports here are busy with various shipments all the time, with ships coming and leaving constantly.

According to the information Liu Mingqi knew before coming, there were no less than a thousand ships coming and going at the port outside Huaian City every day. If it was August and September when the grain was harvested, it would be even more congested and could increase several times.

With the addition of merchants and caravans from south to north, there was a busy atmosphere of fireworks everywhere inside and outside the city.

The Cao Transport Governor's Office located in the inner city is even more magnificent and occupies three blocks.

The person who came to pick up Liu Mingqi was his acquaintance Su Zishan.

This former general police officer in the capital has now become a lieutenant in the Cao Transportation Office. He has been promoted from the fifth rank to a higher level than when he was in the capital.

But compared to the capital, the jurisdiction of the lieutenant is much larger.

The entire canal route is related to thousands of miles between the two sides of the strait, and it is all under the jurisdiction of the lieutenant.

Not only does it manage the relevant sewage transportation, but it also manages all sluices, checkpoints, etc., all of which are managed by the criminal lieutenant.

For this matter, the other three general police officers brought by Miao Yan are still running outside.

Only Su Zishan is the most knowledgeable person, so he is left by his side to deal with various docking affairs.

"Old Su, why have you gained weight recently?" When seeing Su Zishan, Liu Mingqi patted his shoulder and smiled, "Is the water and soil of Jiangnan more nourishing?"

"Your Highness, you are joking. I'm very annoying to get along with people!" Su Zishan was also very happy to see his acquaintance. "Compared to the capital, there are too many things here, and it's really troublesome to deal with it!"

"No way? There are still things under Lord Miao that can deal with the troubles?" Liu Mingqi said in surprise.

"It's not those who are disobedient, but those who want to please Lord Miao and share a little more share in the canal transportation." Su Zishan said: "To put it bluntly, in addition to the imperial court's grain tasks, more business is to do business. Since doing business, human relations are indispensable. Lord Miao doesn't like these, so of course he gave them all to me. It's so tiring!"

Although Su Zishan sighed, the smile on his face was actually constantly.

This is also nonsense.

Miao Yan handed over such an important task to him, making him the socialite of the entire Huaian City. He was praised all day long. Do you think he is happy or not?

"Stop being pretentious here!" Liu Mingjing patted him impatiently, "Old Su, hurry up, take Mingqi to Lord Miao, and then we will take over the horses and weapons and supplies... I will tell you, you dare to bring us cracks and wait for goods, I will peel you!"

Su Zishan laughed, "Your Highness, please don't worry, can I not get what I have prepared for you? They are all the best. I will choose for you personally, don't worry!"

While speaking, he asked his subordinates to take Liu Mingjing, the Royal Rugby Team, and two hundred guards to collect horses and supplies.

The Sima family specially built ten large ships to transport them. Although the horses were a little uncomfortable with the bumps of the ships, the current water flow in the south of the Yangtze River was not turbulent in March and April, and these horses from the canal transportation yamen were also adapted to the breeds in the south, so the problem was not big.

Otherwise, we would have to walk on land all the way, and everyone would find it troublesome.

When you come to Jiangnan, you have to shuttle through the Jiangnan water town to be interesting.

Zhang Qin, who was in charge of overall security, agreed with this idea after thinking about it.

Because if the Japanese came to the hinterland of Jiangnan, they would not be able to own ships and sail on the water town of Jiangnan. As long as the governments on both sides of the Taiwan Strait acted, these people would catch turtles in a jar and die so much that they could not die again.

Only by moving on the shore and on land can they maintain their own mobile combat.

So from a certain perspective, ships are actually a kind of guarantee.

Xiong Dabao followed Liu Mingjing, but Zhang Qin was always by Liu Mingqi's side, and followed Dazhu and Fan Shan.

Looking at Zhang Qin's figure, the Sima family's father and son looked cautious.

They knew Zhang Qin's identity yesterday, and they knew that this was the Qianniu Wei Captain, and the main force standing guard directly at the door of the emperor's bedroom.

This is amazing!

This is a true minister of the emperor!

There is also Xiong Dabao, the son of Xiong Wenqing, the governor of Gyeonggi, who is also a Qianniuwei Captain.

Then the thin and inconspicuous person behind him turned out to be the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!!

The emperor was able to send such elites to protect King De, which shows how high the status of King De was in his mind.

At the same time, they looked at Su Zishan who was a little behind Liu Mingqi, and the father and son felt that this trip was right.

Because I heard them talking, I knew that this person was one of the confidants Miao Yan brought from Beijing.

Seeing his attitude towards Liu Mingqi represents Miao Yan's attitude towards Liu Mingqi!!

However, after entering the government office, they were not qualified to meet Miao Yan with Liu Mingqi, but sat in the side hall and waited first.

The side hall was filled with people.

But they are not officials, but businessmen.

The officials were in another hall.

These merchants all ate in the canal transportation, so of course they knew Sima Chen and his son.

As soon as they sat down, a slightly fat middle-aged man came over and said, "Brother Sima, whose boat are you taking? Why are they so polite to you?"

nonsense.

I came with King De, and it was arranged by Lord Su himself. How could I be like you?

Sima Chen said with a slight smile: "I don't know either. Maybe the sir is in a good mood today, right?"

The middle-aged man is not a fool either. When he heard that he was unwilling to say it, he changed the topic: "Hey, don't say it, Lord Miao has been very active recently. I heard that he has encouraged many people to transport and produce extensively... I wonder if Brother Sima, have you received the task of increasing the price?"

"not yet!"

Sima Chen shook his head and said, "My ambition is not great. It is enough to guard one acre of three parts of the land. What about you, Brother Zhu?"

"Hey, my tung oil is very popular, but recently the shipyard in the canal transportation yamen has used too much and the price has not increased. It's really troublesome!" said the slightly fat middle-aged man: "Well, I'm here again today! I hope I won't just let the horse run away, but I should still ask me to eat some grass!"

Sima Chen cursed secretly.

This kid is just here to show off.

Can Miao Yan rely on it? Even if he doesn’t say anything, will your local officials still dare not be respectful to you?

In this way, you will save too much effort whether it is acquisition or shipping!

Don't you make a fortune?

However, thinking about relying on King De, Sima Chen raised his spirits again, hoping that Miao Yan would look at him differently.

...

When the boy saw Miao Yan, he waited for a quarter of an hour. He received two officials in a row before he had time to let Liu Mingqi go in.

Liu Mingqi entered the office lobby, Miao Yan and several subordinates stood up together, bowed and said, "I will see His Highness King De!"

"No gift!"

Liu Mingqi smiled and asked them to sit down.

After looking around, Miao Yan's confidant Sun Rui was there, and a few of them were also acquaintances.

This is the first time that the two met after Miao Yan left the capital in November last year.

Miao Yan is still so dark and thin. Compared to Su Zishan's life, I think Miao Yan has more sense of responsibility, so I have been busy all the time.

Liu Mingqi thought about it and said nothing, "Mr. Miao, I'll bring you a gift when I come here this time."

"oh?"

Miao Yan smiled, "What is it?"

Liu Mingqi told Sima Chen and his son again.

Miao Yan had a slight jaw on his head, "Your Highness, are you making me more tolerant of them?"

"Where is it!"

Liu Mingqi laughed, "I'm asking you to kill them a little more! The merchants in Jiangnan are so rich! For example, their Sima family does passenger transport work, but there are countless land in the manors under their name! You can easily take out two or three million taels of silver? There are many rich people in our capital, but compared to them, that's really worse than them!"

Miao Yan nodded and said, "Although they have a lot of money, they need to have solid evidence to punish them. However, the Sima family is indeed on my blacklist. If you don't bring them here, I will punish them."

"What bad things are they doing?" Liu Mingqi asked.

Sima Chen and the others couldn't explain it clearly, but the young man knew that they must be a big deal, otherwise how could they have to find Miao Yan to accept the punishment?

Miao Yan hesitated for a moment and said: "They are suspected of transporting some contraindicated materials, and many of them flow to the grassland. Of course, they are not military-purpose."

"What a big courage!"

Liu Mingqi immediately remembered the eight imperial merchants in Shanxi, "Mr. Miao, just check their houses! It can eliminate the harm to the people and shock those illegal people!"

"Not!"

Miao Yan was surprised by Liu Mingqi's sudden radicalism, but he still explained: "When Lin Zhenyuan was the governor of the canal transportation, there were more or less such things. They transported tight food, medicinal materials, etc., but there was no big problem. In peacetime, everyone turned a blind eye.

The Sima family is considered good, and there are several passenger fleets like them, which are involved in the trafficking of women and children. This is where I should go to search my house!"

When he spoke, Miao Yan had a faint evil spirit on his face.

Mr. Miao is professional about how to deal with others. He has his own plans when he sees him, and Liu Mingqi doesn't interfere.

He came to Jiangnan for a trip, so how could he be willing to involve such complex affairs?
Chapter completed!