Sima Hong took Sima Jie to take stock of the goods transported by the caravan.
Cotton is essential for making winter clothes, and the best quality cotton is not cheap.
Da Qin's treasury also has a lot of cotton reserves. Its main use is to make official and military uniforms in winter. However, if it is to trade with the Western Regions, the cotton stored in it is slightly insufficient.
After Sima Hong returned to Xianyang, he received the order left by Ying Zheng and began to collect goods from Sima's mansion. He found that there was no cotton among the goods purchased, so he immediately sent people to notify the envoys of various countries and added cotton. This product.
This matter is not an omission. After all, Ying Zheng went to the Western Regions in the summer, and how could the orders placed by the Western Regions at that time include cotton.
The envoy from Chu State seemed to have something in mind with Sima Hong. Before receiving any news from Sima Hong, he was already purchasing goods from Chu State.
By the time Sima Hong's messenger arrived in Chu, the cotton caravan was already on its way.
Those who are far-sighted can always discern opportunities.
Only Ying Zheng and Ji Fa were left in the hall.
"Senior, this mansion was originally Lu Buwei's prime minister's mansion. How about it? Is it grand?" Ying Zheng asked.
When Lu Buwei was mentioned, Ji Fa's face changed slightly, but he still said: "The style of this regent's powerful minister is just different."
No one knows the deep meaning behind the seemingly sarcastic sentence.
Ying Zheng put away his smile and looked at Ji Fa seriously: "Senior, are you a little unkind to Lu Buwei?"
Ji Fa shook his head slowly and said: "In my plan, he was a bad guy, and everything he did was without any deviation. As for this destination, he must have been there long ago. Just figured it out."
"But, I always feel that I owe him a lot." Ying Zheng said with his lips pursed.
Ji Fa sighed softly and said, "Not only you, but also me, owe so much to the Lu clan. When you said you wanted to worship the Grand Duke, it wasn't my idea."
"Then don't we make some compensation for the Lu clan?" Ying Zheng asked.
"I have indeed thought about compensating the Lu clan." Ji Fa said, "It's just that I haven't found a more suitable method. And it is obviously not suitable for them to participate in the thousand-year plan you designed."
"It is indeed inappropriate." Ying Zheng said, "That's why I asked Lu Buwei last time, and the final result of the discussion was to let Lu Wen help Liu Bang so that the replacement of the country can be smoothly carried out."
"This is a solution." Ji Fa said, "Then how do you want Lu Wen to help him?"
Ying Zheng shook his head and said, "I don't have a specific idea. I just asked him to get close to Liu Bang and then help him."
Ji Fa thought for a while and said, "What do you think if the descendants of the Lu family are allowed to share the throne with Liu Bang?"
Ying Zheng was startled and asked, "Senior, do you mean to divide China into two countries?"
Ji Fa shook his head and said, "What I mean is to merge Liu Bang and the Lu family into one family."
"Oh?" Ying Zheng asked, "How is it legal?"
"Haha." Ji Fa smiled and said, "Just like you and Wu Chan."
Ying Zheng: "..."
Ji Fa's smile did not fade and he continued: "I heard from Li Si that Lu Wen has a young daughter named Lu Pheasant. In my opinion, it is better to marry Liu Bang when she grows up."
Ying Zheng looked slightly embarrassed and said, "But Lu Wen's daughter is only three or four years old this year, and Liu Bang is already eighteen years old. The difference between the two is too big, I'm afraid it's not appropriate."
"If you want to give the Lu family justice and still be able to control Liu Bang, this move is undoubtedly the best strategy." Ji Fa stroked his white beard and said, "As for the Lu family, I will tell you personally."
"Oh well."
Ji Fa said this, and of course Ying Zheng would not refute it, and immediately told him where Lu Buwei had settled.
In Ying Zheng's view, the Tiancheng lineage indeed owed the Lu family a lot.
Immediately
If you are going to pay homage to your great-grandfather, how can you not give an explanation to his descendants?
"After Lu Buwei returned to seclusion, was there any turmoil in the court situation?" Ji Fa asked with concern.
After all, Ji Fa was once the emperor. A powerful minister who could only hold the sky with one hand suddenly stepped down. It was self-evident what it meant to the government. Ji Fa certainly understood this.
"The situation in the court is relatively stable, but..." Ying Zheng hesitated before saying, "The position of the left prime minister is too important. With the sudden change of people, many things have to be re-adjusted, and Lord Changping does not seem to be moving quickly. into the role.”
Ji Fa nodded and said, "Indeed, if we take the matter of ordering cotton at hand, Lu Buwei must have thought of it a long time ago."
"Changping Jun made great contributions in Lao Ai's rebellion. He should be reused both emotionally and rationally. However, he seems to be more suitable for assisting others and lacks the courage to stand alone." Ying Zheng said, "But today's temples , and there is no more suitable candidate than him.”
Ji Fa shook his head and said, "If you think so, it means that it is not him who has not entered the role, but you."
Ying Zheng was speechless and just looked at Ji Fa in confusion.
"If Lord Changping is not your legitimate minister and has not participated in your thousand-year plan, he will always be an outsider to our Tiancheng lineage." Ji Fa said, "If you keep your secrets for a long time, Wouldn't it be tiring if you were always on guard against your Prime Minister?"
Ying Zheng nodded slightly.
"Besides, Lord Changping is a prince of Chu after all. If you send troops to attack Chu, what do you think he will make?" Ji Fa continued to ask.
Ying Zheng finally knew who Li Si learned this habit of answering questions by asking questions.
"If a person is not qualified for his job, don't force it too hard." Ji Fa said, "And for Lord Changping, maybe you have a better way to use it."
"What's a better way to use it?" Ying Zheng looked confused.
"Yes." Ji Fa said, "We just said that if you attack Chu, Changping Lord may change his title, so why not take advantage of this? Sometimes, it is also good to create some opponents for yourself or future generations. A good means."
"Just like Lu Buwei summoned Lao Ai into the palace."
Ying Zheng thought for a moment, then looked at Ji Fa and said, "I understand this, but I don't know, what does senior want me to do?"
"Haha." Ji Fa said with a smile, "This is your era, you have to make your own decisions on everything, and I only give you some suggestions."
"I understand, I will think carefully about how to deal with this matter." Ying Zheng seemed to suddenly think of something, and then said, "By the way, Jiuding is in the treasure pavilion in this mansion. I will take senior to have a look. .”
"Okay, let's go and have a look." Ji Fa's always calm eyes suddenly showed a glimmer of light.
Ying Zheng led Ji Fa through the garden and came to the treasure pavilion next to the water pool. After ordering the guard to open the door, the two of them walked in together.
After arriving at the dense stone underground, Ying Zheng lit the spare torch and led Ji Fa to the front of the nine cauldrons.
Ji Fa looked at the nine big cauldrons and sighed sadly: "Old guys, long time no see."
Buzz…
The nine big cauldrons seemed to be responding to Ji Fa. Inside each cauldron, there was a resonance that was not loud but could be heard clearly!
"This..." Ying Zheng was stunned for a moment, and he could only squeeze out a mosquito sound in his throat that even he couldn't hear.
"Don't be surprised." Ji Fa gently patted Ying Zheng's arm and said, "This Jiuding was made by me. Like the Xuanyuan Sword, they are spiritually connected with our Tiancheng lineage."
"Oh, no wonder." Ying Zheng said, "Last time I came to see Jiuding, I got burned."
Then, Ying Zheng briefly told Ji Fa what happened last time.
"Well, now that you have lifted the restriction and awakened your bloodline, they are confirming your identity." Ji Fa said.
"This Jiuding...is it really so spiritual?"
Ying Zheng murmured.
"Yes, by cooperating with the Third Eye, the maker will activate their spirituality, but they will never be revealed to outsiders. In other words, no one except the Tiancheng lineage can activate their spirituality." Ji Fa said. , walked to the big cauldron at the front, and placed his hand on a raised spot on the cauldron.
For a moment, the cauldron's body was faintly glowing with a light red halo, flickering on and off, like a firefly flickering.
The blush on the place Ji Fa touched was even more intense, very similar to what Ying Zheng saw last time.
Snapped!
With a sound, the big cauldron's ears were raised upward by more than an inch, as if they suddenly popped out from the upper edge of the cauldron body.
What is this operation?
Before Ying Zheng could ask, Ji Fa said: "In this way, the Jiuding is activated. You can step up and take a look inside it."
"Yeah." Ying Zheng responded, moved a ladder, and climbed to the top of the big cauldron.
Holding the torch and looking inside, Ying Zheng was immediately surprised.
I saw rows of water-like fine lines inside the belly of Jiuding. The same was true for the depression in the middle, and there were also relatively small round holes.
If Ying Zheng's eyesight was not stronger than before, he probably would not have noticed the existence of these round holes.
And within the belly of the cauldron, the whole thing looks like a black iron compass.
"Don't go inside." Ji Fa reminded, "If you look carefully, come down."
"Yeah." Ying Zheng walked down the ladder.
Looking at Ying Zheng's expression, Ji Fa asked with a smile: "What, is it weird?"
"Uh..." Ying Zheng hesitated for a moment and said, "I didn't expect that this Jiuding actually has another form."
"Didn't I tell you that our predecessors of all generations used Jiuding to repair the natural source of power? If these are just dead cauldrons, how can they be used?" Ji Fa said.
"I understand." Ying Zheng said with a smile, "This tripod is like a black iron snail. It has different forms, and it also has different functions and effects in different forms."
"Yes, you have also seen the inside of the tripod body. Do you think it is very similar to the black iron snail in the form of a compass?" Ji Fa asked.
"Well, it feels very similar." Ying Zheng said.
"Actually, this principle is the same." Ji Fa patted the tripod lightly and said, "The power of the Heavenly Eye is not endless, and the Jiuding plays the role of transporting energy to it."
"At the bottom of the cauldron, the millstone-like structure can grind things containing power, transfer this energy to the Third Eye, and then guide the Third Eye to release the source power."
"So, this is also the reason why the lower four floors of King Wu's Tomb are all grown from original grains."
Ying Zheng blinked and asked, "So that's what the original grain seeds do."
"Yes." Ji Fa said, "Put the original grain seeds into the activated Jiuding, and you can grind them clean and transfer their power."
"Then what should we do if we don't have so many raw grain seeds?" Ying Zheng asked, "Can we use other things instead?"
"Of course." Ji Fa replied, "In the medicinal materials, even humans and animals can be used."
Ying Zheng's scalp felt numb, he stuck out his tongue and said: Let's forget it. But I wonder if the raw grain seeds we have stored are enough? "
"This restoration of natural source power is the ultimate action. I can't say how much Third Eye energy will be used." Ji Fa frowned and said, "That's why I asked you to try to cultivate raw grain seeds at the very beginning. "
"Okay." Ying Zheng said firmly, "Then in the spring of next year, we will fully implement the planting of original grain seeds!"
"Well, it's up to you." After Ji Fa said this, he pointed to the big cauldron in front of him and said, "Here, give me your hand."
Although there was no hesitation, the fingertips of Ying Zheng's extended right hand were obviously trembling slightly.
