Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 273 There are some rumors

The boatman smiled bitterly: "Girl, you have to believe it!"

He pointed to the boat behind him and said, "Look at that boat, the clothes they wear, the way they talk, they are all our people.

"I even recognized the boatman. We were all from the same village, so after so long, who knows who?

"But I was still worried and scared just now. Why?

"These people on the boat are all ferocious and vicious, not much different from those fake Japanese pirates.

"They are more ruthless than the real Japanese pirates. We must kill them to silence them! Otherwise, those who are kidnapped will go back and shout that they are actually our own people."

Daiyu couldn't help but sigh after hearing this: "Really? It would be better to run into real Japanese pirates."

The boatman also sighed: "Who said it wasn't true?"

Daiyu took the opportunity to ask again: "You just said that there is unrest on this sea, and there have been bandits in recent years? Didn't you report it to the authorities?"

"Why wouldn't they report it?" The boatman smiled bitterly, "It's just that this group of bandits is smart, sometimes they are in Songjiang Prefecture, sometimes in Jiaxing Prefecture.

"It not only spans the prefecture, but also the province. Although the Governor-General of Liangjiang is in charge of the troops in these two places.

"But they couldn't resist the performance evaluation of the local officials, so they refused to report anything and suppressed everything.

"Fortunately, they only came out a few times.

"It's been almost a year, and I haven't heard of anyone being robbed. Although we are also being careful, the road is generally safe now."

Daiyu nodded silently. After a while, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "I heard my uncles talk about a group of bandits named Yu, but they quit later. Do you know anything about them?"

"Oh, young lady, you are talking about the Ningbo Yu family." The boatman nodded immediately, "I know! His family was indeed a pirate family in the past. Later they surrendered.

"I heard that his family moved to the north. We often say that those who leave their hometowns may not even be able to eat a live clam!

"But his family has been pirates for generations. Half of Ningbo belonged to his family back then. They are extremely rich! They can live well wherever they go."

Daiyu sneered, tilted her head mysteriously, and whispered, "Six years ago, there was a case of three families being exterminated in Suzhou Prefecture. Did you know about that?"

The boatman was stunned: "I've heard a little bit..."

"The family in Hushuguan is surnamed Yu." Daiyu said, looking deeply at the boatman's expression.

The boatman was stunned and puzzled. After a while, he asked blankly:

"But aren't those who occasionally come here to do some work in the past few years also from the Yu family?"

Daiyu was surprised and asked, "How do you know?"

"They told us their numbers!" the boatman said bluntly. "If you tell us your numbers, those who know what's good for you will hand over all your valuables and merchandise, and they will not hurt you."

After a pause, he continued, "I was wondering, this is the first time that the people on my ship encountered the Yu family pirates, and their faces were as if they had seen a ghost.

"I guess, just like the girl, he mistook this Yu family for that Yu family."

Daiyu uttered an "oh" and held her chin with both hands, as if she was just unwilling to argue, and then said:

"How do you know they weren't impersonating? What if they knew that the Yu family was extinct and no one would expose them, so they just pretended to be someone else?"

The boatman shook his head repeatedly: "I have seen the Yu family's flag with my own eyes! And their Yu Lao Si's harpoon, which is famous in the coastal waters!"

Daiyu pouted: "Well, you win."

The boatman laughed, thought for a moment, and then changed the subject, saying, "Besides the Yu family, there are many pirates in our coastal waters.

"I heard that the current uncle who is in power, Prince Yu, came in person to offer amnesty. A dozen boat gangs from near and far, big and small, all came ashore."

Prince Joy?!

Daiyu's heart skipped a beat and she frowned, "The Emperor's uncle in charge?"

"Yes! The Emperor Retired was wise and brave all his life. He thought the current Emperor was too soft-hearted, so he asked his uncle, Prince Yu, to take care of state affairs for the Emperor.

"Look, there was a big flood on the river a few days ago, which flooded many dikes. It was only after the emperor's uncle sent the King of the North that the flood was controlled.

"I heard that the Northern King was too young, and the Emperor was worried, so he came to see him in person, and found that the Emperor's uncle had a keen eye. The Northern King did a really good job.

"But the Northern King has one disadvantage, which is that he is too young and cannot resist women.

"That new Princess Zhaoqing that the Emperor has conferred upon her is a beautiful woman who brings disaster. She has caused the Northern Prince to become obsessed with her and insist on marrying her as his concubine.

“The Highness was concerned about the Emperor’s reputation and gave the Northern King a good beating.

"Now that the Northern King has come to control the floods, she has come to seduce him again, so the Northern King has gone after her to Suzhou. Tsk tsk tsk tsk!"

When Aunt Meng heard this, she was so angry that veins on her forehead popped out and she jumped up and was about to curse!

Daiyu quickly pulled her back and asked the boatman with a smile, "There was a salt commissioner in Jiangnan back then named Lin. Do you know him?"

"I know!" The boatman knew everything. "Mr. Lin is an honest official. But it's a pity that he is too honest to be an official.

"Apart from these pirates, the richest people in Jiangnan are the salt merchants.

"This Mr. Lin doesn't give the salt merchants any face, but he is very kind to us common people.

"During the years when he was here, we ate a lot of cheap and good salt!"

Aunt Meng immediately interrupted and said, "Then did you know that Princess Zhaoqing is Mr. Lin's only daughter?

"Her rank was conferred by the Emperor and Empress Dowager. It has nothing to do with the Emperor.

“This time, sending the Northern Prince to Jiangnan to control the floods was also ordered by His Majesty, and has nothing to do with Prince Yu!

"As for Princess Zhaoqing's return to Gusu, it's because Master Lin has passed away for three years, and she came back to pay respect to her ancestors! What does this have to do with the King of the North?!

"Who told you these nonsense?!"

Daiyu held her forehead helplessly and said, "Aunt, they are from the south, how can they know about these things in the capital?

"Don't be angry. Don't tell the old lady later. If she gets angry again, you won't have anywhere to hide on this boat."

The more the boatman listened, the more he felt something was wrong. He glanced at Lin Daiyu and asked carefully, "Miss, are you Princess Zhaoqing?"

"Princess Zhaoqing would take seven or eight people with her on your boat? She should have arranged the ceremonial guards and taken the official boat long ago."

Daiyu covered her mouth with her hands and laughed, and then tried to smooth things over, "We have some relatives in her family, so my aunt can't stand rumors."

Are you related to Mr. Lin, the salt collector?

Then wouldn't he be held accountable for his slander against Princess Zhaoqing? !

The boatman was so frightened that he fell to his knees, crying loudly, kowtowed and begged for mercy: "I will never spread these rumors again!

"I deserve to die! But I still have an eighty-year-old mother..."

"Okay, okay, okay! Come on! I saw your parents before I got on the boat, and they were no more than sixty years old!"

Aunt Meng snorted, "Don't talk nonsense about important court affairs! You also said that the emperor is visiting Jiangnan incognito.

"If he hears you say this, your head will be in danger!"