Chapter 20 Chapter two

Duke Di and his family members were sitting in the high open room at the stern of the official boat playing mahjong.The darkness was getting darker, and the cards in his hand were no longer easily recognizable.Their official ships were moored in the canal a little away from other ships, and the boats and boats on and off the canal were connected end to end. Today is the fifth day of May - the annual Dragon Boat Festival.As the sun turned in the afternoon, the people of Puyang City poured out of the south gate like flowing water, and crowded under the colorful platform on the bank of the canal—the end of the dragon boat race.The colorful platform is covered with red and green, and the flags and flags are flying.

Di Gong is the governor here, and he will give awards to the winning raceboats.The governor came here just to make fun of this ceremony.But Di Gong was very enthusiastic about this festival, he left the city an hour before sunset, brought his family and followers, and rushed to his official boat in three sedan chairs.The official ship is moored opposite the colorful platform, and there are already crowds of people under the colorful platform.Mr. Di hastily ate dinner in the boat and had some sweet soup.After supper they sat down to play cards and wait for the moon to rise and the regatta to begin.

At dusk, the wind on the river is slightly cold.Singing and laughter floated from the water near and far.All the lights on the boat were lit up.Immediately, a brilliant and dazzling brilliance was reflected on the quiet and dark water.This scene is really like a fairyland.Yet all four players at the table played their cards intently.Playing mahjong cards is a hobby of Di Gong's family, and they are serious about playing cards, and there are many mysterious methods and complicated details.At this time, the game is facing the key to winning or losing. The concubine took out a card, turned her head and ordered the two maids who were squatting in front of the tea stove to watch the fire, and said: "Light up our lanterns too, it's so dark that the flowers on the card can't be seen clearly." .”

Di Gonggong was thinking about the game on the table, when he suddenly looked up and saw the old butler walking into the open room, he couldn't help being annoyed: "What's the matter? Could it be that strange guest has come again?" Half an hour ago, when Duke Di and his wives and concubines were leaning against the railing to enjoy the scenery on the river, a stranger stepped onto the boat.Just as the butler was about to report, the man stopped and thought for a while, then got off the boat and left, saying that he didn't want to disturb Master Di anymore. "My lord, this is Mr. Bian and Mr. Ke begging to see him." The old butler with a beard and beard reported respectfully.

"Tell them to come in." Duke Di sighed. Bian Jia and Ke Yuanliang are in charge of preparing for the dragon boat race.In his spare time, Mr. Di sits in the Yasheng Hall and asks about official business, but rarely has any contact with them.Bian Jia is a famous doctor who runs a big herbal medicine shop, and Ke Yuanliang is a well-known antique dealer in Puyang City. "They don't sit for long." Di Gong said to the three wives and concubines with a smile. Mrs. Zheng pouted and said: "It's okay, but you are not allowed to change the cards secretly." The three of them put down their cards together, got up and walked behind the screen.Di Gongnai stood up and nodded to the guests waiting outside the open room.

"Two gentlemen, please come in and sit down." Duke Di said kindly, "Perhaps you are here to report the dragon boat race. I think everything is ready?" The two dignified country gentlemen wore plain silk gowns and black gauze caps on their heads. "Exactly, sir." Bian Jia replied.His voice is dry but he is eloquent. "Mr. Ke and I have just left Baiyu Bridge. A total of nine boats have been arranged at the starting point." "Aren't the oarsmen good?" Duke Dee asked.While turning around to remind the maid who brought the tea to the table, "Be careful to mess up the cards!" Saying this, she quickly put her own cards face down.

Bian Jia replied: "The twelve oarsmen on each boat were all recruited in a few days. The oarsmen on the second boat are all canal boatmen. They have sworn to beat the city people. Needless to say, the competition was fierce. Mr. Ke and I arranged for them to have a hearty meal in the hotel in Baiyuqiao Town, and they were eager to play at this time." "Doctor Bian, your No. 9 boat is brisk, but my boat is a loser. After all, the boat is too heavy." Ke Yuanliang pouted and said. Di Gongdao: "Mr. Ke, I heard that your boat is built strictly according to the ancient style handed down by our ancestors, only this layer is different."

A smile appeared on Ke Yuanliang's face.He has a good appearance, a strange bone, a personable demeanor, and an elegant manner.Hearing Di Gong's words of praise, he hurriedly bowed and replied: "Master Di is a bosom friend. I dare not forget the old system of our ancestors. Believe and love the ancients, my way is not alone!" Ke Yuanliang has been a rural eunuch for many generations, heir to the family of poems and books, he only read sage books all his life, and he is also a collector of antiques.Di Gong also wanted to see the ancient calligraphy and paintings collected by Ke Yuanliang several times.Now, after listening to his words, I applaud him, and can't help but say with deep emotion: "It's very comforting to listen to Mr. Ke's words. Throughout the ages, wherever there are rivers and rivers in the world, there is a custom of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. The common people in the sea are tired all year round, and there is only one day to have fun.”

"People in this prefecture say that dragon boat racing can make the Goddess of the River look good. Once the Goddess of the River shines, the weather will be good and the river will be full of fish," Dr. Bian said. Ke Yuanliang frowned, glanced at Bian Jia, and said: "In the past, this dragon boat race became a demon. After the boat race, a living person was used as a sacrifice, and as usual, a beautiful young man was killed in the Temple of the Goddess of the River, and he was dressed in red. Hanging green is called "the new official of the white lady". The family who paid the sacrifice still think it is a rare sight."

"Fortunately, at the beginning of the country, the Ding Ding was established and this obscene sacrifice was abolished." Di Gong said. Bian Jia hurriedly said: "However, the ghost of the white lady has not subsided. The people here still enshrine her statue, and the temple of the river god keeps burning incense all the year round. I remember four years ago, when a boat capsized during a boat race, some One person drowned, and the people in this state called it an auspicious omen, saying that it was a year full of grains, and people and animals prospered." Ke Yuanliang looked at Dr. Bian uneasily. He put down the teacup and stood up and said, "Master Di, take your leave. We still have to go to the stage to see if the rewards are ready."

Dr. Bian had no choice but to stand up, and they bid farewell to Mr. Di and went out of the Changxuan to get off the boat in a hurry. The three wives came out from behind the screen immediately after, and sat down for a poker game again.The concubine shouted anxiously; "How many cards are there left? It's the last fight!" (Di Renjie's note: This concubine is from my hometown - Suzhou, and the final meaning is last) The maid brought freshly brewed tea, and the four of them played cards again intently.Di Gong stroked his beard slowly, calculating moves.His card potential has "three lines returning to the original", and he is only waiting for any one of the "three barrels" or "white board". The "three barrels" are all out, and there is still a "white board", whoever hits that "white board" will win.Duke Dee looked at the excited and flushed cheeks of his wives and concubines, wondering who had the card. Suddenly, there was a huge bombardment of fireworks nearby, followed by a series of firecrackers, and there was a faint music of Xiao drums. "Play your cards!" Di Gong impatiently urged his elder concubine. "Fireworks have been set off!" The concubine hesitated for a moment, patted her shiny hair, and then punched a "four ropes" on the table. "I won! I won!" the concubine shouted excitedly and laid down her cards. ——She was only waiting for this "four ropes". Duke Di asked disappointedly: "Which one of you hid the 'white board'? I've been waiting for this unlucky card for a long time." They put the cards down, and there is no "blank board" for anyone, nor for the rest of the cards. Di Gong frowned and said: "This is a mischief, there is only one on the table, I have a pair here, and there is another 'white board' with wings flying away?" "Could it have fallen to the ground?" Madam Zheng said. They all looked under the table and shook their dresses, but there was nothing.The concubine said: "Could it be that the girl forgot to put it in the box?" "How unreasonable!" Di Gong said angrily. "I counted all the cards when they were poured out of the box, and every time I flipped the cards, I had to count them as usual." There was a "shh--" and then another deafening bang, and the canal was illuminated by the colorful stars that rained down from the fireworks. "Why are you looking for a 'white board'! This red and green flower umbrella is full of stars, so you don't want to see such a beautiful view?" Mrs. Zheng said. They stood up hastily and walked to the side of the boat rail.Fireworks were rising from all sides, the sound of firecrackers rang together, the crowd erupted into loud applause, and a bleak silver moon hung in the sky.At this time, the dragon boats for the race had already left the Baiyu Bridge, and the spectators were chatting about their bets. "We might as well come to bet a treasure!" Di Gong said happily. "Tonight, even the poor and worrying people will bet a few copper coins." The concubine clapped her hands in agreement: "What the master proposes is that I bet fifty coppers on the No. 3 ship. I'm lucky these two days." "I'll bet fifty on Dr. Bian's boat." Mrs. Zheng also got excited. "I bet fifty on Mr. Ke's boat. I believe in the old ways of my ancestors." Di Gong said. Suddenly, they saw people on both sides of the boat stood up, stretched their necks and stared at the bend in the canal, and the raceboat was about to make the final sprint.Duke Di and his wives and concubines leaned against the railing again, and the atmosphere of nervous anticipation also infected them. The two-leaf flat boat galloped out from the shore, anchored separately in the canal in front of the colorful platform, and the officer on board unfurled a big red flag. There was a faint sound of drums in the distance. Although the boat had not been seen yet, it could be seen that it was approaching the bend of the river. The crowd shouted chaotically, and boat No. 9 had already turned the bend in the river.In the long and narrow hull, twelve oarsmen lined up side by side, paddling desperately to the rhythm of the big bronze drum in the center of the boat.A big man with broad chest and broad shoulders, with his upper body exposed, raised two drums and beat the big bronze drum frantically.The helmsman held the long tail rudder and shouted at the oarsmen.The bow of the boat depicting the dragon's head raised its head, the white waves splashed in the river, and the roar from the bank shook the sky. "It's Mr. Bian's No. 9 ship, I won!" Mrs. Zheng couldn't help shouting. The dragon's head of the second ship appeared behind the dragon's tail of the No. 9 ship. The dragon's head opened its mouth wide as if it was about to bite the dragon's tail in front of it. Di Gongdao: "That's No. 2, No. 2 of the canal boatman, they are trying to catch up!" The drummer of the No. 2 ship was a short, fine welding boy, beating the drums like crazy, and shouting non-stop with his throat tearing open.No. 2 gradually approached No. 9, and its dragon head bit the tail of No. 9's dragon.The deafening roar of the crowd drowned out the drums. Four more boats appeared on the bend of the river, but no one paid any attention to them.All eyes were on number nine and number two.The No. 2 ship was speeding up and approached No. 9 even more. Mr. Di could clearly see the wild laughter on the face of the drummer on the No. 9 ship.At this moment, they were only ten feet away from the finish line, and Zhong Shiguan lowered the big red flag to indicate the finish line. Suddenly, the big drummer of Ship No. 9 stopped moving, and the drumbeater in his right hand froze in the air, as if he was stunned looking up at the drumbeater, and in a blink of an eye he fell on the big bronze drum.The oarsmen stared at him in a daze for a moment, several oars collided together, and the hull tilted slightly and slowed down.No. 9 and No. 2 passed under the big red flag at the end at the same time, but No. 9 fell half a boat away. "Poor kid, I made a mistake when I was about to succeed. I shouldn't have poured so much." Duke Di sighed. The crowds on both sides of the strait were thunderous and passionate, and there were also many surprises and regrets. When No. 9 and No. 2 floated to the edge of the color platform, the other seven boats also crossed the finish line, and each race boat was enthusiastically applauded by the excited crowd, a group of drums began to blare, and fireworks rose from all around again. When Duke Di saw a small boat coming towards his official boat, he said to his wives and concubines: "You dare to come to pick me up to deliver the rewards. The old housekeeper will take care of you and go back to the mansion first. I will settle the matter in a short while, and then I will go back." The three wives and concubines turned to send them off, and Duke Di got off the official boat.Bian Jia and Ke Yuanliang had been waiting for him by the bridge.When Di Gong got off the boat, he cupped his hands and said to Bian Jia: "Mr. Bian, it's a pity to lose this time. I think the drummer is not seriously ill?" "I'll go and have a look, sir. He's a solid fellow, maybe he's tired and loose. If you move your legs, you can recover within a moment, so you don't have to worry about it. "Bian Jia said. Ke Yuanliang stood aside without saying a word.He stroked his beard nervously, his brows furrowed. They went ashore, and the Yamen official brought six Yamen soldiers to salute Di Gong.Bian Jia and Ke Yuanliang led Di Gong to the hanging ladder of the Caitai.As soon as Mr. Di stepped onto the stage, Hong Liang, his Zhongshi's senior official, joined the army, dragged him to the inner room behind the bamboo lacquer screen, changed him into a dark green brocade official robe, tied it with a jade belt, and put it on. Put on a black hat. "Is everything okay in Yali?" Duke Di asked. Hong Canjun nodded, and said, "The officials and yamen servants got off work early, and came home to watch the dragon boat race after messing up dinner and drinks at home." "Let's go and see what's going on with the drummer of the No. 9 ship. He was defeated when he was about to reach the finish line." Di Gong dressed up and came out to the front of the stage, where the audience was crowded with crowds.The Yamen lined up the paddlers of the dragon boat and led the helmsman to the stage.Di Gong said a few words of encouragement, and gave out rewards - a piece of printing cake and a few coins in a red paper bag, and for the losing ship, the second ship was a big red satin sandalwood box with twenty taels of color in it. Patterned silver.In the end, Di Gong wished all the people in the state good luck and prosperity.For a while, the crowd applauded loudly and cheered endlessly. After the speech, Duke Di walked into the inner room behind the painted screen, and reported to him with a gloomy face: "Master, the drummer is dead! Wu Zuo Dao was poisoned to death by someone."