In late November, the 25th year of Tiansheng.

After returning to his hometown in Haiping for less than a month, Zhou Ming, who had just attended the launch ceremony of the "Warship Type 1" warship, was hurriedly called back to Tianjiazhuang Fort by his servants.

The imperial edict is here.

"I have submitted a metaphor to the heavens. The emperor ordered that I heard that there was a strange man named Tian in Qingzhou who was named Zihua, who was outstanding in literature and famous all over the world... I want to announce it and see it, but I wonder if Mr. Zihua would like to meet me?"

After reciting the imperial edict, the eunuch Ma Dexi felt a lot of emotion. In order to find Mr. Zihua, who was wandering, he took people to Liangzhou first. He searched in the vast crowd for more than half a month but couldn't find it. According to the news, he went to Youzhou for thousands of miles, but his butt was worn through by the horse's back.

In the end, there was no choice but to come to Mr. Zihua's hometown and complete the task of reading the imperial edict first.

However, unexpectedly, Mr. Zihua returned to his hometown and had just finished his marriage.

"Eunuch Ma, it's cold and the road is hard to move. Can I wait until I finish the New Year at home and then go to Beijing to meet the saints? This saint is not a matter of a moment, right?"

The emperor issued an imperial edict to summon him, and Zhou Ming must have gone there.

However, the weather outside was so cold that he had just spent a few days at home and had to set off again to face the Saint of Zhongzhou three thousand miles away. Zhou Ming was definitely not happy.

At least we have to finish the New Year and set off again after the spring is in.

"Okay, okay, we will spend the New Year with you at your house, and then come to Beijing with you to meet the Saint. Tian Zihua, don't run away anymore. In order to find you, our body is almost gone."

Ma Dexi pulled Zhou Ming's robe and said with a complaining face.

"Haha, Eunuch Ma, you can live well in my Tian family this year. Let's take your body apart and then leave!"

Zhou Ming smiled and asked the butler to arrange the guest room, and settled down Ma Eunuch Ma and others who came to read the imperial edict.

So, the eunuch Ma Dexi and four guards stayed in Tianjiazhuang for more than a month.

In the past month, they have eaten and drank well. Each of them has gained several pounds and received hundreds of filial piety. They have learned to play poker and play mahjong and have lived a very happy life. If someone hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten the task of coming here.

"Mr. Zihua, this year is over and spring is coming soon. Why not set off earlier and go to Beijing with our family to meet the monks?"

On that day, when he saw Zhou Ming who had returned from doing a job outside, Ma Dexi, whose single chin had turned into a double chin, he pulled him and said.

"Okay! Eunuch Ma, let me burn incense and bathe for five days to show my respect for His Majesty Ming and Empress Tianhou. On the morning of the sixth day, we set off!"

"Okay, so good!"

...

Six days later.

The 26th year of Tiansheng, the 22nd day of the first lunar month, early in the morning.

Zhou Ming, Li Dazui, several classmates, one hundred clan soldiers, Ma Dexi, four guards, and a convoy of fifty four-wheeled heavy-duty carriages, carrying a large number of books and gifts, heading towards Zhongzhou in a vast and vast way.

As for family and female relatives, except for her sister Tian Jiao who insisted on following her, Zhou Ming did not take care of her.

His wife Cui Rou and his concubine Chu Jingling really wanted to go with him, but they are both pregnant now, which is not convenient for long-distance travel, so Zhou Ming did not agree to them to follow him. It would not be too late to go to Zhongzhou together after they gave birth to the child.

Moreover, this trip to Zhongzhou is beneficial and risky, so he has to treat it carefully.

The advantage is that it can enhance one's fame and expand the influence of "Mr. Zihua".

The risks are unpredictable. As the saying goes, being with a king is like a tiger. The closer it is to the political center of the feudal dynasty, the greater the probability of getting into trouble. Of course, Zhou Ming will not take the initiative to cause trouble. He is afraid of villains and disasters. He will try his best to dig traps and use eye drops. He is unable to guard against it. If he takes a wrong step, he may fall into the abyss and die without a burial place.

So, this time he brought a total of 100 soldiers of the tribe, all equipped with rifled rifles, and prepared to escape when the situation was not good.

...

After a three thousand miles of journey, the huge team walked for more than two months at a speed of 40 or 50 miles a day and arrived at Qinghe County, which was less than a hundred miles away from the imperial capital Luojing City.

It’s not that Zhou Ming deliberately slowed down his speed and did not have the sincerity to come to Beijing to meet the saint.

But along the way, when I learned that "Mr. Zihua" had arrived, the counties along the way seemed to be in a bad mood. Counties and countless local celebrities stopped in front of the convoy and said that they wanted to see Mr. Zihua.

There are also those owners who have arranged banquets, folded beds and quilts, invited him to visit for a day and stayed overnight. Zhou Ming was not very willing to refuse, so he had to go.

Because these people who kept him as guests were all famous and prominent families in the local area, including many wealthy families who have stood for thousands of years, and they must give him face.

The enthusiasm of these families also surprised Zhou Ming. In addition to giving various precious gifts, the beauty alone received dozens of people, and almost formed a "Night Moon Forty-Eight" singing and dancing group.

The most exaggerated thing is the rich merchants in Zhongzhou who are rich enough to compete with the country and have countless wealth. When they learned that Mr. Zihua was coming, they started a jaw-dropping "rich-fighting" competition around Mr. Zihua's team.

A silk merchant surnamed Shi paved a thirty-mile-long silk carpet on the official road for people to trample on it, and didn't care.

A gold and silver mine owner named Zhao took out millions of gold and silver and sprinkled them on the ground, laying a "golden road" that was half a mile long. After Mr. Zihua passed, he asked passers-by to pick it up at will, known as "golden half a mile".

There was also a slave vendor named Shi who brought 108 women from different countries through various channels, even whites and blacks, and set up a "108 National Girl Star Array" that was to be given to Mr. Zihua for enjoyment, but Zhou Ming directly asked the clan soldiers to drive all these women away.

In short, the closer you are to the imperial capital, the more exaggerated and bizarre the welcome scenes Zhou Ming encountered, and the various attractions attracted people's attention and opened their eyes.

Of course, Zhou Ming also understood that these wealthy merchants were wasting themselves, and tried their best to create big news. They were not to prove how generous they were, nor did they rely on the elegance of their vassals and admire Mr. Zihua's talent.

The fundamental purpose of these wealthy merchants is nothing more than to take advantage of the hot topic and take this opportunity to advertise and whitewash themselves. If he really gets into the trap of these wealthy merchants and becomes their "notebook" and "spokesman", the benefits are there, but they will also cause endless harm.

Therefore, Zhou Ming still distanced himself from these wealthy merchants, attacked the world, and acted alone from the large army, and played hide-and-seek. In this way, the team's speed of moving was a little faster.

Qinghe County is close to the imperial capital Luojing. When you arrive in this county, you can reach the imperial capital in one day at most.

Before entering Beijing to meet the saint, Zhou Ming and his group stayed in Qinghe County for a few days and visited the Cui family in Qinghe for a few days.

The Cui clan of Qinghe and Cui clans of Anping are also considered to be Zhou Ming's distant relatives.

After ordering people to submit a visit, Zhou Ming was welcomed at the Cui family in Qinghe. The head of the family Cui Jing personally received a reception and called him "nephew". The young talents in the Cui family all shouted enthusiastically, "cousin cousin" and looked enthusiastic about him. Zhou Ming gave the gifts he brought at the right time, especially the exquisitely printed and signed comic collection, which attracted cheers and screams.

For a time, the etiquette and reserve that the big family cultivated for many years disappeared.

"Hehehe, I haven't seen each other for many years, Zihua's cousin is still so free and unruly."
Chapter completed!