bookrandom Chapter 189 is the end? Impossible, absolutely impossible.
Chapter 189 is the end? Impossible, absolutely impossible.
When Yinzhuo and his group finished the competition, it was already close to noon. The whole fish feast that Yinzhuo had ordered naturally did not appear on the lunch table. However, as the saying goes, good food is never too late, and Yinzhuo believed he could wait for the afternoon.
How to describe the dishes on the table that evening? Well, for Yinzhi, who doesn't like fish, the sight of them made his temples throb. You could say it was lavish, since eight out of the ten dishes were made with fish. But you could also say it was monotonous, since the fish dishes were prepared in all sorts of ways with different flavors. However, for Yinzuo, who loves fish, it was a different story. He liked spicy fish chunks, braised fish, boiled fish... Even when Yinzuo was vomiting with a basin of fish after the meal, he was still in a good mood.
Contrary to what is portrayed in television dramas, Emperor Kangxi's six trips to the south of the Yangtze River were not for pleasure or incognito visits. His purpose was always clear: to inspect and manage river affairs. As early as the beginning of his reign, Kangxi paid close attention to river management issues and conducted considerable research in private. The problem of frequent breaches and constant flooding in the lower reaches of the Yellow River was also a matter of great concern to him. He even used river management as a test topic in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to examine the candidates from all over the country, hoping to find a good solution for river management. Even when the country was still facing financial difficulties after the suppression of the Three Feudatories, he was determined to carry out comprehensive management of the Yellow River and the Huai River.
Between the 29th and 36th years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, due to the need to quell Galdan's rebellion, personnel changes in river management became increasingly frequent, and river management deteriorated day by day. Kangxi knew that if things continued this way, the previous achievements in river management would be destroyed. Therefore, he embarked on his third southern tour. Along the way, Kangxi inspected the dikes at Guiren Dike and Gaojia Weir on the south bank of the Yellow River, and issued edicts to repair and dredge the river mouth, inspect rivers and lakes and determine the necessary engineering projects. He also convened local officials to discuss and formulate a brand-new river management plan, which included dredging the river, building water diversion dams, opening the Taozhuang diversion channel, straightening the river channel, and dismantling the Yellow River dams. He appointed Zhang Penghe as the new River Conservancy Commissioner and entrusted him with full authority to implement all river management issues.
Of course, none of this had much to do with the little mascot, Yinzhuo. Every day, apart from routinely vomiting while holding a basin, he would at most follow behind Kangxi when he inspected the river works and walk along the embankment with the crowd. Although he would occasionally get interested and ask Kangxi a question, it was naturally unlikely that he could offer any feasible suggestions.
Yinzhuo and his entourage departed from the capital in early February. After a journey of stops and starts, they finally arrived in Suzhou on March 14th. The imperial boat was about to reach its destination. If anyone on the boat was the happiest, it would undoubtedly be Yinzhuo. He had truly had enough of the boring days on the boat, and now, as soon as he stepped off the ship, he would finally set foot on the land of Jiangnan that he had always longed for.
"Yinzuo, there are quite a few people coming from outside today. When we get off the ship, stay close to me and don't wander off. We'll be staying in Suzhou for quite a while, so there will be plenty of opportunities to go out and have fun. It won't make a difference if we stay a little longer."
Although the imperial boat had not yet approached the dock, Yinzhuo had already seen the huge crowd outside clearly through the cabin window. With such a large number of people, he dared not wander off. Naturally, it was safest for him to stay by his father's side.
"Don't worry, Father. I'll stay right behind you. There are so many people on this shore. If we get separated and I get trampled into a pulp, that would be horrible."
Although Kangxi was worried that Yinzhuo might become too excited and out of control after getting off the boat, he never thought of actually scaring the child. When he heard Yinzhuo's words and thought of the scene, he frowned. He was even more worried about getting off the boat, so he simply took Yinzhuo's hand and walked out of the cabin.
“Brother, am I seeing things? Father was holding Sixth Prince’s hand as they went out, wasn’t he? That kid must be twenty this year, right? Have you ever seen a twenty-year-old lad being led by the hand by his father? And the rest of us have been standing here for ages, haven’t we? Ninth Prince and Tenth Prince are several years younger than Yinzhuo, yet Father hasn’t said a single word to them…”
It has to be said that Kangxi's biased move really provoked Prince Cheng quite a bit. His sour taste almost flooded the cabin. As for Yinti and the others, their reaction was calm. After all, there's a saying that you get used to things after experiencing them a lot. Their father's biased behavior wasn't something that happened overnight, and they were already used to it.
"Alright, third brother, it's been so long and you still haven't gotten used to it? Let's go, we need to hurry, if we keep dawdling here, Father and the others will be ashore."
The journey from the Imperial Wharf to the Jiangning Textile Bureau was not very long, but Kangxi and his entourage encountered extraordinary difficulties. There were already many officials who came to greet them, and with the addition of numerous onlookers, the already narrow road was completely blocked. Even with soldiers clearing the way, the procession did not move much faster.
When they finally arrived at the Jiangning Imperial Textile Bureau, Yinzhu thought it was all about to end, but reality slapped him hard in the face again. End? Impossible, absolutely impossible. What end? This welcoming ceremony only began the moment they stepped into the bureau!
The welcoming ceremony was grand, and the food on the table was plentiful. Yinzhuo sat in his seat looking at Kangxi. Yinti and the ministers who came to toast him felt nothing but boredom. Indeed, after his drunken outburst last time, Yinzhuo had been strictly forbidden from drinking by his father. Today, there was not even a wine pot or a wine cup on the table in front of him.
"Sigh, didn't the Beijing Third District Transportation Commission say it themselves? There are thousands of roads, but safety is the first priority. Reckless driving will bring tears to your loved ones' eyes. Don't drink and drive. Don't drive after drinking. Look at this alcohol, it's no good..."
It has to be said that Yinzhuo's self-brainwashing was quite successful. Anyway, he decided not to look at his father and elder brother until the banquet ended, resolutely implementing the five-word policy of "out of sight, out of mind". But as the saying goes, it's not the god-like opponents you should fear, but the pig-like teammates. And now, Yinzhuo's pig teammate is flirting with him again.
"Ah, the wine in Jiangnan is just different from the wine we drink in the capital. It's a pity that my sixth brother is strictly forbidden from drinking by Father, otherwise he could have had a taste..."