Chapter 536 537 [Poor travel]
Qianlong then ordered someone to bring a bird gun and set up a target in front of the hall.
"Ji Xiaolan, you are asking for bad luck. I am a bodyguard in Ouchi, and I have played with firearms before." He Shen said proudly.
Qianlong was also somewhat proud. He also played with firearms since he was a child, and he is quite accomplished in this area.
"Your Majesty, you come first~" Qianlong raised the firecracker, took aim, and hit the target with a snap. But it's a little off the mark.
But even so, He Shen still applauded loudly, "Okay, Long Live Lord really hits every shot with every shot."
"Okay, He Aiqing, it's your turn." Qianlong also said quite complacently, hitting the target with one shot, which is quite powerful.
He Shen took the bird gun, aimed at the target, and fired a shot.
The lead ball flew out and also hit the target, but it was far worse than Qianlong's.
"Okay, we played well with Aiqing." Qianlong clapped his hands and laughed.
"Thank you for the compliment from the emperor. The slave was born as a guard in the Ouchi. Although he is now the elder of the cabinet, he has not forgotten his roots. Bows, knives, stones, horse arrows, firearms, etc. are still being practiced." He Shen boasted.
"Okay, okay." Seeing that he was rich and honored, Qianlong smiled and praised, "Ji Xiaolan, it's your turn."
"Ji Xiaolan, can you shoot, do you need me to teach you?" He Shen smiled.
Xiang Nan pretended to ask him for advice, then raised the blunderbuss, and hit the bullseye with a snap.
"..." Qianlong and He Shen were a little dumbfounded.
Who would have thought that Xiang Nan, a civil servant, would be so good at playing with guns? !
"Your Majesty, the subject actually hit the bull's-eye. It seems that God has a good eye and told us to go south." Xiang Nan laughed.
Qianlong and He Shen had no choice but to nod.
As a civil servant, Xiang Nan should have never played shotgun, but he shot it so accurately. There is no other explanation than God's will.
Since God's will let them go south, they had no choice but to go south.
…
Xiang Nan then left the Forbidden City with Qianlong and Heshen and headed south.
Just as they set off, the people sent by Zhili Governor Shang Rong hurriedly followed.
…
Out of Yongding Gate, Xiang Nan and the others did not take the official road, but walked along the country road.
Firstly, there are people coming and going on the official road, if the Xingzang is leaked, the emperor may be in danger; secondly, there are many people on the official road, and if something happens, it may delay the trip.
So Xiang Nan didn't take the official road, but took the small road, took a shortcut, and headed for Quyang.
After walking like this for more than an hour, Qianlong couldn't move anymore.
"Lao Ji, He Er~" He took off his coat and sat directly on the grass beside the road.
When He Shen saw it, he hurried over, "Master, are you tired?"
"I'm tired." Qianlong panted, "Old Ji, can we hire a car?"
"Car, car..." He Shen looked around and saw that there were farmlands all around him, not to mention cars, and there were not many people in sight. It was a daydream to hire a car.
"Old Ji, you are wrong. Why do you keep mentioning your exile? Are you taking revenge on the emperor?" He Shen scolded, "You are not afraid that the emperor will give you small shoes to wear after you return to Beijing?"
"Scared! But no matter how scared we are, we still have to go." Xiang Nan insisted, "Although there are no officials with water and fire sticks in their hands, I have the imperial fan given by the emperor..."
Xiang Nan held up a fan case. Inside the case was a fan, but it was not the emperor's imperial fan, but a paper fan he bought casually from the street.
"Okay, okay, okay, you are amazing!" When He Shen saw it, worried about being beaten, he flinched quickly, "Master, let's go, I will support you!"
Qianlong had no choice but to stand up and walk forward with He Shen's support.
"Tell me, why did you give him this fan back then. If you had given it to me, I would be able to play now..." He Shen complained as he walked.
"That's right, why didn't I give it to you." Qianlong also regretted, "But you didn't say it at the time."
"Oh, third master, how can I be as bad as him." He Shen said to Xiang Nan in front of Qianlong.
"Hey, I have a good comparison. If the common people say it, they should dig their own pits and bury them!" Qianlong said depressedly.
"Appropriate, very appropriate." He Shen flattered without losing the opportunity.
"Okay, stop praising me." Qianlong said angrily, "Old Ji, I'm hungry!"
"If you're hungry, go ahead and eat." Xiang Nan waved his hand.
…
All the way to a farm.
Xiang Nan slapped Caimen, "Is anyone home?"
Out of the low thatched hut, seven people emerged, four adults and three children, all dressed in patch upon patch, not very rich.
"How are you, fellow, we are passing by. Passing by you, I want an excuse to drink water." Xiang Nan laughed, "Also, if your family has food, let's buy some. You see, we have money~"
As he spoke, he dispensed a few copper coins.
The farmer saw it, and quickly scooped up water with a ladle, and sent some black corn buns.
"Third Lord, drink it first." Xiang Nan handed the water ladle to Qianlong and said.
After walking all the way, Qianlong was already tired and thirsty, so he couldn't wait to take a big gulp, and then spit it out all at once.
"What kind of water is this, why is it so astringent?" He stuck out his tongue and said, the saliva made his tongue astringent.
"Astringent, I'll taste it." He Shen also took a sip and spit it all out.
"There is only one bitter water well in our village. If we don't have money to build a sweet water well, we can only make do with it." The fellow explained.
"My fellow, how much does it cost to drill a well? I see that your village is not small, and you can spread the money for each household. Isn't it enough to dig a well?" Xiang Nan asked.
"It always costs ten taels of silver to drill a well. There are quite a few people in our village, but these years, the money paid is too much, and no one has rich money." Yuanzi, we donated ten Wen per person on the basis of the head."
He Shen's face suddenly collapsed.
"Huh?!" Qianlong was taken aback when he heard this, "What money do you pay for the emperor's garden?"
"We don't know, it's all handed over by the local security. If you don't hand it in, you can grab it. I even robbed two of my chickens." I repair gardens everywhere. Our family of seven lives in such a thatched house, and we don’t have the money to build another one.”
When Qianlong heard this, he was quite embarrassed.
"Don't be angry, fellow, our emperor is still wise, but those corrupt officials are too shameless." Xiang Nan laughed, "Come on, I'll give you the money, and we'll take these cornbreads. Third Master, let's go."
Qianlong nodded, he was ashamed to stay any longer.
(end of this chapter)