Wu Haogu woke up, and his head was still a little drunk.

Last night, he entertained Su Dongpo's master and apprentice in Yuxian Village, and talked about it while eating and drinking, and he didn't go to bed until midnight this morning.

When I opened my eyes, a charming and pretty face was right in front of me. A pair of bright eyes revealed a strong affection: "Da Lang, you are awake." ”

This is Wu Haogu's eldest woman Pan Qiaolian, last night, oh, it should be said that Wu Haogu was holding her to sleep this morning. At this time, Pan Qiaolian had already gotten up early, and she also dressed herself up carefully, thinly applying fat powder, lips and eyebrows, and Wu Haogu had the urge to hold hands when she saw it.

But by this time, the sky was already bright, and the sun outside the window was already on the buttocks. Prostituting adultery during the day is not in line with the current Confucian identity of Wu Haogu!

It seems that there are also inconveniences in being a big Confucian.

Wu Haogu sat up, looked at the sky outside, shook his head and said: "In the future, you still have to be lighter, if you eat and drink every day until dawn, then you will have a great loss of life." ”

Pan Qiaolian smiled: "Who is not like this when you are an official today?" I haven't seen many officials die early. ”

Why don't you die early? Wu Hao Guxin said: There are not many people who are fifty or sixty years old, and it is even rarer to live to be in their eighties like Cai Jing's old thief. With such a major mission and so much money, he naturally has to keep up with Cai Lao Thief and strive to be an old and immortal Confucian.

"By the way, is the old teacher okay?" Wu Haogu remembered Su Dongpo at this time.

Historically, his old mentor came to the point in the first year of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Jingzhong, and it has only been a few months since he left.

"Mr. Dongpo is in better spirits than the official, when the official sleeps, he will be accompanied by Mo Niangzi and Brother Yin to watch the sea of clouds." Pan Qiaolian said, "It's only about time to go back to Zhuangzi in the town." ”

"The old gentleman is in good spirits." Wu Haogu sighed, "By the way, has Qing'er woken up?" ”

When Wu Haogu was asking, a few footsteps sounded, and Ximen Qing personally entered the house with breakfast: "Has the official woken up?" ”

Pan Qiaolian immediately turned around to help her take down the tray, and said with a smile: "The official just woke up, and he asked about you before he washed up." ”

"What's the matter with officials looking for slaves?" Ximen Qing also smiled.

I don't know if it's rare to meet, and they are comrades-in-arms who "manage" Wu Haogu together, the relationship between Pan Qiaolian and Ximenqing is very close, and there is no jealousy in the main house and the second room - they are united to eat other people's vinegar together.

Wu Haogu was wearing clothes at this time, and said with a smile: "Eldest sister, I want you to ask about something." ”

"Judge, just ask."

Wu Haogu said: "Can you send someone to Japan to find the monk who is in power?" ”

"It's been sent a long time ago." Ximen Qing replied with a smile, "I sent the Hua family's Hua Mancang, and when the northwest wind rose, I took the shipowner of the Wu family in Haizhou, and it was probably time to arrive at Hakata Port in Japan by now." ”

"When will I get a response?" Wu Haogu asked again.

"We have to wait for the southeast wind to rise next year at the earliest, almost next spring and summer." Ximen Qingdao, "All things on the sea are done with the wind, and when the northwest wind rises, it goes east and south; When the southeast wind comes, it goes north and west. Don't look at Japan, it's not far from Haizhou, but it only goes back and forth every year. ”

"Haizhou to Hakata, Japan, about 2,000 miles, right?" Wu Haogu frowned, "If the wind is favorable, it will be there in a few days, right?" Even in summer, there may not be a time when the northwest wind blows, right? Even if there is no wind...... You can also use a paddle, right? ”

"This slave doesn't know," Ximen Qing shook his head and said, "If the official wants to know about the sea, the slave will immediately ask people to go to Tianya Town and find the flowers all over the mountain." ”

"Where is the mansion of the Wu family in Haizhou?" Wu Haogu thought for a while and asked, "Wu Yanen is staying at home these days, right?" ”

The Wu family in Haizhou is the giant crocodile in the northern sea, and compared with them, the Hua family was a small fish and shrimp when they did not quit the sea trade line. Now Wu Haogu's identity can be directly face-to-face with the predators, why bother to find small fish and shrimp again?

"The Wu family's mansion is in Qishan County," Ximen Qing said, "Wu Yanen has been in Haizhou these days, and a few days ago, when the northwest wind rose, it was when the Wu family's big ship group set off from Haizhou to Mingzhou to trade with Japan, he was the head of the family, and he should be in Haizhou to preside." I've just been free these days, and most of them are recuperating at home, right? When the weather is a little cooler, it is time for him to go to Mingzhou to escape the cold. ”

"Going to Mingzhou to escape the cold?" Pan Qiaolian interjected and asked, "Is it warm in Mingzhou in winter?" ”

"It's not too warm," Ximenqing said, "and if you get to Quanzhou, it's really warm." ”

"Then what did he do in Mingzhou?"

Ximen Qing smiled: "It is said to be to avoid the cold, but in fact, it is to preside over the Wu family's business in Mingzhou."

All maritime merchants must have at least two local ports, one at the beginning and one at the end of the main route they operate, or at an important trading point on the way. The Wujia maritime merchants have three places in Hong Kong, one in our Song Haizhou; one in Haeju, Goryeo; The other is in Minnesota Prefecture. The local port direction of Haeju in Goryeo was presided over by the Wu branch in Goryeo, while the two local ports in Haeju and Myeongju were presided over by the head of the Haeju Wu family himself.

The transactions of the Wu family's sea ship group in Haizhou and in Mingzhou must be nodded and looked at by the head of the Wu family. In addition, the head of the Wu family also had to meet and negotiate with the maritime giants from Mingzhou, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou in Mingzhou. ”

"What are you talking about?"

When Wu Haogu asked, his personal maid Luohan brought toiletries and hot water, and Wu Haogu, who was dressed, began to brush his teeth and wipe his face in his bedroom.

"Of course, it's a big matter of how to control the maritime trade." Ximen Qing said with a smile, "The truth that the grain is cheap and hurts the peasants is the same when used at sea." This maritime trade, if you want to get a lot of profits...... We still have to follow the principle that rare things are expensive. Therefore, various maritime merchants will meet in Mingzhou every year to discuss a market. ”

So that's the case, Wu Hao Guxin said: If you want to make a lot of money, you really have to rely on monopoly!

"Business at sea is so lucrative," Wu Haogu asked with a smile, "It's not easy for other families to break in, right?" ”

Pan Qiaolian said with a smile: "Then it depends on who wants to intervene, if the officials want to enter, can the Wu family, the Ji family, and the Aladdin Chamber of Commerce stop it?" ”

Wu Haogu had finished washing up by this time, and began to sit down for breakfast, which consisted of white porridge, cooking cakes, a boiled egg and a little pickles.

He picked up the porcelain bowl containing the white porridge, took a sip, nibbled on the cookcake, and then looked at Ximen Qing.

"It's hard to say." Ximen Qing talked about the sea again, "It depends on how much Da Lang wants to eat and how he wants to eat." ”

Pan Qiaolian laughed: "Eldest sister, what did you say...... The Wu family is a wealthy businessman when he dies, and he dares to rebel against the officials? ”

Wu Haogu is now the confidant of the official family! It's not easy to rectify a Wu family maritime businessman?

Ximen Qing shook his head and said, "Eighteen sisters, you think things are simple...... Of course, they won't fight the officials in person, but they can't afford to stab them in the back. As soon as we go to sea, it is a world of others, and no one knows that the Wu family's warfleet destroyed our sea ships, and they thought that they had suffered from wind and waves. ”

Wu Haogu nodded. This is the difference between maritime merchants and land merchants, no matter how awesome the merchants on land are, they can't escape the palm of the government. But at sea, if there is no blue sky, you have to fight for warships!

This is probably the reason why the countries that the bourgeoisie was very aggressive in the first place were all small coastal states or island countries based on maritime trade, right?

"Eldest sister," Wu Haogu thought for a while and said, "Let's go and prepare, we'll visit Wu Yanen tomorrow." ”

"Okay." Ximen Qing thought for a while, and then asked, "Official, if you want to enter the sea trade industry...... But you must be careful of maritime merchants like the Wu family, the Ji family, and the Aladdin Chamber of Commerce! They are sea merchants, and they are also sea pirates! ”

"There are a few," Wu Haogu smiled, "I have my own way, you just have to prepare." ”

……

After breakfast, Wu Haogu took Olga out to visit his mentor Su Dongpo.

The white female slave given by Bai Siwen is really good, not to mention her posture and appearance, she is not much better than Mo Niangzi, and she also has good skills. At first, Wu Haogu didn't know it, until Bai Feifei reported that he found that this Bai Fan girl always "stole" Wu Haogu's longbow and wooden sword to play with, and she played very slippery, which made Lin Chong take the Olga exam. found that she really had two strokes, and she was especially good at using long swords and shields in combat, and she was able to fight with Lin Chong.

It turned out that Lin Chong was born in the Kaifeng Forbidden Army, and his skills were mainly in riding and archery, and he had also practiced close-quarters martial arts, but he was somewhat out of actual combat. And Olga was born in a family of Eastern Roman mercenaries, and they fought every day, and they all summed up their fighting techniques from actual combat.

Therefore, Wu Haogu did not treat Olga as a slave girl, but paid a high price (in fact, it was not very high) to "hire" her, let her carry a long sword to follow him as a bodyguard, and by the way, let her accompany him to practice swords.

That's right, Wu Haogu is also going out with a long sword now! He does not agree with the view in "Prodigy Poems" that "others have swords, but I have a pen like a knife". Therefore, I am determined to follow the example of the sages and be a great Confucian who "never leaves the sword and convinces people with virtue".

In his mind, "the sword does not leave the body" should be the standard dress of Confucianism. At least the Confucian students of the Yuntai Academy, whether they were "Doctor Evangelists" or "Doctors of Protectors", should learn fencing and archery, the latter must be proficient in fencing, archery, horseback riding and other combat skills, and also need to master the method of commanding and training a group of soldiers and horses (500-1000 people).

And for Wu Haogu himself, the sword can't just be an ornament. Therefore, when Wu Haogu was in Jiehe Shang City, he began to learn fencing from Lin Wancheng and Lin Chong father and son.

So when he went out today, he was dressed like a Confucian sword. And Olga, who followed him, also changed into a narrow-sleeved men's outfit, also carrying a long sword.