From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 780

Zhou Yuan rushed southward, passing through many provinces, without stopping.

On the tenth day of June, which was summer, the team finally arrived in Fuzhou.

This is a big city, but also a declining city.

Fuzhou used to have a developed shipbuilding industry and prosperous export trade, which boosted the economy here and made it a seaport city that was very different from the inland cities.

However, with the implementation of the "sea ban" policy, it has suffered a double blow of politics and economy over the past century.

The shipbuilding industry declined, export trade was banned, countless industries and derivative industries were almost extinct, and the people could not survive and were forced to migrate.

Politically, especially during the reign of Emperor Shun, in order to eliminate smuggling, the people were forced to immigrate, which dealt a heavy blow to this place.

Since the reign of the previous emperor and Empress Zhaojing, smuggling began to spread here, and gradually recovered some vitality, but with the defeat of the Guangdong Sea War, the coastline was blocked, and this place fell into a heavy haze again.

Walking into this city, you can see the atmosphere of the vicissitudes of time. In the interweaving of reform and tradition, it presents a completely different style.

The weather is hot, and people wear very little. The sweat shirt with a collar gives people a sense of modern times.

"It feels less lively than before."

The crowd did not sit in the carriage, but got off and walked forward to appreciate the scenery here more comprehensively.

As a native of Fuzhou, Kang Youzhi naturally explained to everyone: "I remember when I left my hometown, Fuzhou Prefecture was much more lively, with people everywhere, and people coming from all over the country to do business were endless."

"Now the streets are sparse."

Zhou Yuan said: "How long have you been away from home?"

Kang Youzhi scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said: "I won the first place in the provincial examination at the age of twelve, and became one of the ten students selected by the prefect and sent to the Imperial Academy. It has been more than four years now."

Sure enough, the students of the Imperial Academy are all geniuses carefully selected from all over the country.

He won the first place in the provincial examination at the age of twelve, which is quite something.

Looking at the streets of Fuzhou, Zhou Yuan sighed: "The court's policies and measures are related to the life and death of a place and the happiness of thousands of families."

"A maritime ban almost destroyed this place."

"A defeat almost wiped out the status and role of Fuzhou as a major export trading city."

"If we want this place to return to prosperity, the only way is to open the sea."

Just when Zhou Yuan was sighing, several carriages came in the distance at a very fast speed, scaring the crowd to scatter, and even an old man who couldn't walk was directly knocked away and fell to the ground on the spot with a bloody head.

"Get out of the way! Make way!"

The coachman shouted, and a group of thugs followed the carriage. If someone blocked the way, they would push it away or fight. Their arrogance was arrogant.

Bai Yu gritted his teeth and said, "This behavior is even more domineering than the royal family of Shenjing. I wonder which noble son is showing off again."

Zhou Yuan said, "Go and save him. The old man's leg is broken and the back of his head is bleeding. It's too late if we don't save him now."

"Yes."

Many guards rushed up and helped the injured old man up, but they frightened the old man so much that he trembled all over, broke free from the crowd, and knelt on the ground and kowtowed for mercy.

Bai Yu couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "What are you afraid of? We are sending you to the clinic."

"No, no, I was wrong. I beg you to have mercy and spare my life."

He kowtowed hard and tears were about to come out.

Zhou Yuan said in a deep voice, "Don't waste time, carry him to the clinic."

Soon, under the old man's wailing, several guards carried him away.

And the people around didn't even dare to watch, they just huddled in the corner, secretly paying attention to this side.

It was only then that Zhou Yuan looked at the carriage that had been forced to stop.

The thugs around the carriage were holding sticks and were already walking towards them.

"I say, you don't have eyes! Didn't you see our carriage!"

The leading young man was dressed in luxurious clothes and was very arrogant, but when he saw that Zhou Yuan and others did not look like civilians, he did not call for action immediately.

Bai Yu said: "You rode a horse in a busy city, injured others, and dared to ask people to give way? Do you still have the law?"

The young man was stunned for a moment, then he was relieved and sneered: "So you are from the north, where the hell are you from, why are you pretending in Fuzhou?"

Bai Yu said: "From the capital."

"Wow! Jing Ye! It's really amazing!"

The young man laughed exaggeratedly, and then said fiercely: "But this is Fuzhou Prefecture, if you don't know what's good for you, Lin Bei will teach you how to be a man."

Bai Yu frowned, probably heard that it was not a good thing, and immediately said: "What do you mean? You just want to walk on this road, so others should give way to you?"

The young man said angrily: "Damn it! If you don't get out of here, I will kill you.I'll break your head with a stick!"

A group of thugs surrounded him aggressively, and the people around him hid further away, not daring to get close.

Zhou Yuan looked forward and said slowly: "Who are you?"

"He is the eldest son of the garrison master, don't mess with him!"

Some people kindly reminded him.

The young man tilted his head and said: "Another idiot, who are you? I dare to ask who I am...ah!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly squatted down with his head covered, and blood flowed out from his fingers.

Li Yu'an held peanuts in her hand, eating them while saying: "Watch your words, not everyone can scold you."

She didn't hit him too hard, just broke his forehead and taught him a lesson.

"Damn it, beat me!"

The young man yelled, and a voice suddenly came from the carriage: "Wait! "

The voice was very strange, mainly because of the strange accent.

But the young man and many thugs stopped.

The carriage opened, and a young man with dark brown hair and brown eyes came down. He was wearing clothes that were very different from those of the Dajin people, and he was very tall.

He locked his eyes with Li Yu'an, bowed like a dog, and said with a smile: "This lady is so beautiful. I am Greta, and I am honored to meet you."

Li Yu'an looked at Zhou Yuan and said: "You can do whatever you want. I don't want to say a word to this kind of stuff."

Zhou Yuan's face was gloomy, and he said slowly: "The son of the Fuzhou garrison is a dog for the Portuguese. It's really ridiculous."

"Everyone talks about resisting the invaders and fighting. The garrison's son is so servile. How can we fight?"

He waved his hand and said: "Don't worry about others. Catch that second-generation ancestor for me."

As soon as the voice fell, the guards behind him rushed up.

"Beat them! "

The young man finally couldn't hold back his anger.

So the two sides fought together, without any suspense, and after just over ten breaths, all the thugs fell to the ground and wailed.

Just kidding, the guards around Zhou Yuan are all elite soldiers who are good at fighting, and it's not a piece of cake to control them.

The young man was also caught, and he cursed anxiously: "You are finished! Fuck! You are all dead!"

"If you dare to hit me, I want you..."

Before he finished speaking, a guard punched him in the stomach, and he immediately screamed "Wow", almost vomiting his breakfast.

But the Portuguese who got off the carriage didn't care about this, but still looked at Li Yu'an, and made a Western salute again, and smiled: "Madam, do you have the honor to have lunch with me? You are the most beautiful oriental woman I have ever seen. "

Li Yu'an was too lazy to answer, and ate peanuts silently, just like a bystander.

Zhou Yuan looked at him deeply and said slowly: "So-called, Mr. Greta, I think we will have a chance to meet again."

"As for lunch, I think you should solve it yourself."

He suppressed his anger and growled: "Let's go to the official residence."