Only then did Yan Rui realize that this princess was indeed generous, extraordinary, and not an ordinary woman, and she couldn't help but have sincere respect for her in her heart. thought: Only a talent like this princess can match Yang Yan. It's a pity that the marriage between the two has been canceled now. Thinking of this, I can't help but feel gloomy in my heart.

At this time, Zhao Qian smiled and said: "Okay, I have asked what I want to ask, and I have said everything that Miss Yan wants to say, so I will leave first." Another day, I'm here to visit Miss Yan's injury. As he spoke, he saluted Yan Rui again, turned around and walked out the door. Tassel hurriedly got up and sent her out.

Yang Yan naturally didn't know anything about what was happening at home, and at this time he was heading south with Xie Yuanqing's caravan. After regrouping and setting off, the caravan walked for nearly two hours, only until the sun set, and finally crossed the Huangheling Mountains and arrived in Qiyang County.

Qiyang County is a medium-sized county and does not have a large store auxiliary. So Xie Yuanqing asked someone to find a big manor to spend the night. After everyone settled down, Xie Yuanqing immediately asked someone to arrange for cooking and arranging wine and food. The members of the caravan were grateful to Yang Yan for subduing the robbers, so he saved the thoughts of the entire caravan, and waited very attentively to him.

Not long after, the meal is ready. Although it was borrowed from someone else's stove, a table of more sumptuous wine and food was also set up. Xie Yuanqing immediately invited Yang Yan to sit down and pushed him to sit down. Yang Yanqian tried his best to resign, and finally let Xie Yuanqing be the main seat, Yang Yan sat as a guest, and invited his wife, sister-in-law, Steward Liu, Steward Zhang and Ali to accompany him.

During the banquet, everyone was eating and drinking, chatting at the same time, Yang Yan said: "I don't know what business Xie Yuanwai is going to Guangzhou with the caravan this time." ”

Xie Yuanqing said: "In Wuzhou, my ancestral hometown, I have been mainly doing business overseas for generations. It was only when he was in charge of his family's business that he began to do business in the interior of the Great Song Dynasty, so he opened a restaurant in Lin'an. However, he did not give up his overseas business. This time, our goods were shipped to Guangzhou City Bosi for loading and then selling overseas. Moreover, there is also a merchant in Jingjiang Mansion, where there is also a batch of sausages, which are transported away. ”

When Yang Yan was in Lin'an, it was also common for a large number of overseas cargo ships to arrive in the port of Hangzhou Bay, carrying ginseng, musk, tiger skin, ydden, sand gold, mercury, sulfur, wood and other materials from Goryeo. Therefore, he asked: "Why didn't Xie Yuanwai go to sea from the city of Lin'an, and had to travel thousands of miles to Guangzhou to go to sea." ”

Xie Yuanqing said: "The sea ships of the Bosi Division of Lin'an City are mainly for Dongying, Goryeo, Liuqiu and other places. The business below is mainly in the Nanyang area of the Three Buddhas, Hu (one door, one inside) Po, Purui, Mayi, Bagan, Zhenla and other places, as well as the Western countries of Dashi, Tianzhu and Ceylon. These places are much closer to the sea from Guangzhou. ”

Yang Yan was quite interested in these seaside places, and said, "Have you ever been to these places?" ”

Xie Yuanqing smiled: "It's a shame to say that you came, there is no one in these places." When Steward Liu and Steward Zhang were young, they often escorted ships to sea and went to many places. But Ali is the most experienced among us. ”

Ali smiled: "It's not that I'm disrespectful, I'm afraid I've been to all the places I can go in the world." ”

Xie Yuanqing was also stunned for a moment, and then said: "Ali, it's not 'disrespectful', it should be a wild speech." ”

Ali was also stunned, and smiled embarrassedly: "Your Chinese is too complicated, anyway, that's what I mean." I am what you call a big cannibal in black, and my family is a noble family in Baida (Bakda), and for generations they have been keen to go out for business, which is actually adventure. Since I was thirteen years old, I have been moving around with my family's caravanserais, and for more than twenty years I have been to almost everywhere I can. ”

Yang Yan said: "Ali, you have been to those places. ”

Ali was very suggestive, and when he heard Yang Yan ask, he talked endlessly about his experience. "When I was thirteen years old, I went with my family to the continent of Obaro to do business."

Yang Yan said: "Obaro Continent? What is that place? ”

Xie Yuanqing said: "I heard that it is still in the place where Dashi is further west. ”

Ali nodded and said, "This time I went out, and it took a total of seven years to reach Istanbul, Athens, Sparta, Rome, Florence, Venice, Gaul and other places along the way before returning to Baida. Two years later, I set out with a caravan along the coastal road, passing through the countries of Szhenganda, Megargye, Ceylon, Zhulin, Nanbi, Gulin, and Srivijaya along the way, and it took three years to reach the Great Song Dynasty from Quanzhou. That time, I stayed in Da Song for more than three years and learned Chinese. Three years later, he returned to Baida by boat. ”

Yang Yan said: "So what about your second visit to the Great Song Dynasty this time?" ”

Ali said: "After I returned to Baida, a year later, another caravan was going to set off by land and come to the Great Song Dynasty along the Silk Road of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, I followed them along the way through Persia, Huazimo, Western Liao, and Western Xia to Sichuan in the Great Song Dynasty, and then along the Yangtze River all the way east, to Lin'an, where I met Xie Dongjia, and this time I went with him to Guangzhou. ”

Yang Yan said: "This time are you going to go back by sea from Guangzhou?" ”

Ali shook his head and said, "No, I still plan to stay in the Great Song Dynasty for a few years, your place in China is too big, and there are still many places I haven't visited." This time when I arrived in Guangzhou, I helped Xie Dongjia contact the fleet that went to Da Shi and asked them to pedal the boat and set off. My mission is complete, and I can get my reward and continue my journey. ”

Yang Yan's heart couldn't help but be shocked, how big this world is, there are so many countries outside the Great Song Dynasty. Some are even unheard of. Ali's experience was indeed very colorful.

Ali said: "Actually, the Great Song Dynasty is the largest, richest, and most prosperous country in the world that I have ever visited. In my hometown, everyone is interested in the countries of the East. I plan to travel to all the places in the Great Song Dynasty, and then record everything I have seen and heard, and then when I return to my hometown, I will write a book, so that our great cannibals, as well as my children and grandchildren, can understand the world of the East through my book. That way, I can be immortal. ”

Xie Yuanqing smiled bitterly and corrected: "It should be 'Tassel Baishi'." ”

Yang Yan couldn't help laughing and said, "Why don't you write a book about Dashi and other places and countries you've been to in the Great Song Dynasty?" In this way, we can also let the Song people understand your country and culture, so that you can also be famous in the Great Song Dynasty. ”

Ali listened, was stunned for a moment, and said excitedly: "Yang, this is really a good idea, why didn't I think of it?" But I can only speak Chinese, and I don't lose writing Chinese characters. What should I do about this? ”

Yang Yan said: "This is also simple, you say, can't you just find someone to help you write?" ”

Ali nodded and said, "Yang, what you said is a good idea, but I can start now." He turned to Xie Yuanqing and said, "Xie Dongjia, I only have you as a friend in the Great Song Dynasty, can you find someone to help me ghostwrite?" ”

Xie Yuanqing smiled bitterly: "This is not easy to find, although there are many people under me, there are few people who can really read and write, and I can't even invite a Mr. Ledger, let alone find someone to help you write a book." ”

Yang Yan was a little surprised, and said: "Xie Yuan, you are very rich, how can you not even invite a Mr. Ledger?" ”

Xie Yuanqing sighed and said: "Shinong industry and commerce, business has always been the end of the four people, and now the scholars are either worried about participating in the nomination of the gold list of the imperial examination, or reciting poems, unless there is really no way out, otherwise who would be willing to be a businessman like us as a bookkeeper." To tell you the truth, I took the exam for four or five years in a row, and I didn't even get into the exam, so I realized that I wasn't that material, so I died and followed my father in business. At that time, it started from the tent office. Later, I took over the family business, and I couldn't hire a satisfactory bookkeeper. Fortunately, my sister-in-law Zhi knows a few words, and she has helped me in the past few years. If she gets married, it will be really difficult. ”

Xie Yuanqiu, who was at the same table, blushed slightly, just smiled and didn't speak.