Since Feng Quan had to prepare for a collective wedding and then go to negotiate business outside the customs, he had no time to take care of these two guests, so the task of hosting fell on Wang Wei, the head of the Hanlin Academy.
Huang Zongxi was a dispensable person, but Liu Zongzhou was a great scholar of our time, and the prince had sent someone to warn him, so Wang Wei had to fulfill his duties as a landlord.
Another point, and the most important thing, is that the entertainment expenses are paid by the prince. Wang Wei does not need to pay for them himself. He entertains these two guests at fifty taels per day.
Wang Wei received an entertainment fee of two hundred taels at a time, which was no less than the standard for entertaining a third-rank official of the imperial court. The prince was so generous that Wang Wei felt that he had gotten a fat job where he could eat and drink for free.
Wang Wei didn't take Zhang Pu's matter to heart at all. This man had ulterior motives and ended up seeking his own death. He couldn't blame others, let alone deserve sympathy and mercy.
Gangs such as Donglin and Fushe can call the shots in the Jiangnan area and influence the government and even the Holy See. This does not mean that they can do whatever they want in the capital. This incident is a lesson.
After Wang Wei got the job of a tour guide, he didn't rush there. Instead, he waited until the next morning to go to the guest house to visit the two colleagues from the south.
"Have you two had breakfast?"
"Not yet!"
"That's perfect. I'll invite you two to eat ramen!"
Although beef ramen has become tonkotsu ramen, due to the cold weather, ramen has reached its peak sales period again. Many chain stores in Beijing are full of customers and it is very lively.
Wang Wei is not the Minister of Military Affairs, nor has he been appointed to the position of Minister, but the benefits of joining the Crown Prince are obvious. At least with the VIP card, there is no need to queue up to eat ramen.
"So many?"
Huang Zongxi didn't expect that there would be as many customers in a ramen restaurant as in a market. Some of them didn't even have a table, so they were sitting on the bench under the wall, holding a bowl of steaming ramen and devouring it.
"What you two don't know is that this ramen is the prince's imitation of the delicacies of the fairy world. It tastes very good and is rare. Even the first assistant and the second assistant were full of praise after using it. The prince specially asked the chef to master the ramen skills. Opening a store in the city will also allow the general public to taste this fairyland delicacy, which is really a blessing for us!"
When it comes to ramen, from the chief minister to the government servant, everyone has said it well after eating it. Many officials and wealthy gentry are too lazy to move, and often send servants to pack it up and go home.
As the head of the Hanlin Academy, Wang Wei enjoys the fourth-grade treatment, which means his salary alone is as much as one hundred and twenty taels per month, which is enough to support a family.
The position of head of the academy was originally the job of the fifth rank, but the prince who valued the development of the Imperial Academy directly promoted him to two levels, which benefited all the officials of the Imperial Academy.
After receiving such great benefits, everyone will naturally manage the Hanlin Academy well and will not let the students in the academy go out to petition wantonly.
"May I ask the owner, what's the price of this dish?"
People eating ramen in the shop include soldiers, government officials, merchants, scholars, and even the elderly, women, and children. Their identities can be described as diverse.
Liu Zongzhou stroked his beard and looked at the lively noodle-eating scene around him. He was very curious about the taste of this ramen, which could attract so many customers to patronize it. But the most important thing is that the price must be fair.
"Originally, a bowl was worth twenty-five cents. However, due to the previous siege of the city by Donglu and the implementation of material control in the city, the price increased by five cents. Each bowl is twenty-five cents. If you add meat, you will be charged separately."
If it is too expensive, people will not be able to afford it. The reason why there are so many people in the store is because the price is cheap.
However, the real poor people are still reluctant to spend twenty-five cents on a meal, and it is more practical to eat steamed buns.
"Hey~! Isn't this Mr. Wang! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you! You are..."
When the owner of the imperial kitchen sees an old acquaintance coming to the store, he will naturally come up to say hello. He basically knows all the important officials of the imperial court.
"Bring two colleagues over to try your ramen!"
"I see, it's just that it's full now. If you don't mind, you can eat in the back kitchen."
"Master Liu, what do you think?"
"It doesn't matter, then I won't bother you!"
"No problem, no problem, you are too polite!"
Wang Wei asked Liu Zongzhou what he meant. The latter naturally did not choose a place to eat. Besides, even if he stood and waited, there would be one or two empty seats for three people to eat together.
Under the leadership of the boss, the three guests came to a corner of the back kitchen. There was a long, not wide table next to the corner, where the back kitchen used to place the freshly made ramen noodles waiting to be served.
"The ramen is good. Please use it, you three!"
The boss of the imperial chef who has served in the palace for a long time is also very sharp. He has never seen Wang Wei bring his colleagues to dine with him. Those who can eat with him are at least third- and fourth-rank officials of the imperial court.
The unfamiliar face that he had never seen before must have a lot of background, which made Wang Wei still have a hint of respect in his politeness, especially this old man.
"Thank you!"
Liu Zongzhou looked at the steaming bowl of ramen in front of him, picked up his chopsticks, and prepared to pick out some noodles and taste them first.
"Master Liu, please drink the noodle soup first to moisten your throat and warm your stomach, and then use the noodles!"
When Wang Wei saw this, he mentioned his own experience. Most people who come to eat noodles are like this, and it has become a common rule.
"well!"
Guests and hosts did as they pleased, and Liu Zongzhou agreed wholeheartedly. Huang Zongxi on the side was still waiting for his elder to make the first move, so he naturally followed suit.
"Ah...the taste is so good and strong!"
"Wonderful! Wonderful! Endless aftertaste!"
Both of them are from Shaoxing Prefecture and are typical Jiangnan scholars. Eating rice is a common thing, but they are not averse to eating noodles. Now they took a bite of the rich noodle soup and couldn't help but admire it.
After enjoying the taste of the noodle soup for the first time, Liu Zongzhou instinctively took a second sip. The taste was also the same, showing no signs of diminishing, and the impression became even more profound.
When I try this noodle again, I find it has smooth texture, each noodle is made long and slender, and tastes as good as the noodle soup, making people want to stop eating it.
No matter in Nandu, Yangzhou, Suzhou or Hangzhou, there is no noodles that can match it. From this point of view, it is really a masterpiece and deserves the title of delicious food in the fairy world.
Although the meat Wang Wei ordered was pork, it was also a rare part, which was the elbow. Five slices of fat and thin crystal elbow meat, paired with a bowl of ramen, you can enjoy it in winter and feel comfortable all over.
The sound of "sneezing baldness" for eating is an indecent state, especially as a scholar who pays attention to personal cultivation and manner.
Huang Zongxi had previously despised the eating habits of the scholars outside. When he started eating, he realized that his previous conclusion was a bit abrupt, because his own eating habits were also the same.
This is how you feel when eating ramen, and even the boss is eating it with a bold attitude. After watching it for a while, he has no worries anymore.
Today's itinerary is like this. Wang Wei took the two of them to have breakfast first, and then while his body was getting hot, he went to the battlefield to the west of the inner city for an on-site inspection.
It was noon when I got back, so I went to a restaurant to have a stir-fry meal, and then visited the Hanlin Academy in the afternoon. In the evening, he served as the host for the prince, and invited the first assistant Xue Guoguan, the second assistant Wu Zong, the minister of rites Feng Quan and others to eat together. hot pot.
The next day, they visited factories, hospitals, shops, markets and other places in the city, and visited various scenic spots and historic sites, so that the two of them had a more comprehensive understanding of the development of the capital.
The reason why a certain prince made such an arrangement is very simple. For people who are reasonable, they should be treated in a reasonable way. hot book
For unreasonable people, there is no need to reason with them, just treat them in a simple and rough way...
After eating ramen, Wang Wei hired three rickshaws and went straight to the battlefield on the west bank of the Cao River to let the two guests open their eyes first.
This area has been reasonably cleaned up by the defenders and strong men, and no corpses or limbs can be seen anymore.
However, due to the severe damage to the building by fire and artillery fire at that time, there was no sign of reconstruction in the short term.
If you want to restore it to its pre-war appearance, you will have to wait at least until next spring for major construction work, and you won't be able to see it until autumn.
The surviving residents in this area have been resettled in the middle city and outer city, and now this is the temporary military garrison.
After Wang Wei showed the post issued by the Crown Prince for him, the group could conduct an unimpeded inspection.
In fact, it is just a quick tour, not much different from going to a scenic spot.
"Alas~! You are poisoning the people and causing things to change!"
Liu Zongzhou worked as an errand in the capital, and he was not too unfamiliar with the scenery in this area. He did not expect that when he came back, it would be in such a dilapidated state, and he felt very sorry for this.
"Master Liu, there is no need to worry. His Highness said that a stadium, power station, barracks and other buildings will be built here. It will be more prosperous than before."
Wang Wei had heard a little bit about the planning of this area, so he mentioned it in passing. If it looked specific, he would have to ask Zhang Guowei, the minister of the Ministry of Education and Industry.
"Oh~! I dare to ask the commander, I know what the military camp means, but this stadium and power station..."
Although Liu Zongzhou is old, he still has a strong curiosity for novel things and does not intend to stick to the rules and rest on his laurels.
"The stadium is a place for sports. For example, Cuju can be played in this venue. His Highness said that a venue where tens of thousands of people can watch Cuju will be built. This will also collect tickets, create employment opportunities, and then stimulate the economy of the capital. Development. The power station is the place where electricity is generated. The electricity generated here is weaker than the thunder and lightning in the sky. It can be used in the world for lighting and making phone calls. The light emitted by electric lamps is brighter than that of oil lamps. , you can use the phone to hear the other party's words even though they are miles, dozens, or even hundreds of miles apart."
Installing telephones for each yamen has been put on the agenda, and construction is expected to start in the spring. If the chief officials of each yamen have something to do, they can communicate with colleagues in other yamen without going out, which is extremely convenient.
As for the stadium, Wang Wei also hopes that it will be repaired soon, so that tens of thousands of people can watch Cuju on site. It is definitely an unprecedented building.
"I wonder where I can see this electric...light...electricity...phone?"
Liu Zongzhou was very curious about things he had never seen before. Huang Zongxi on the side was embarrassed to mention it due to his lower status, but he still listened with his ears up, for fear of missing any of the content.
"The phone... um... yes, there is one at the top of the city. You two can come and watch!"
Wang Wei originally wanted to say that there is a military aircraft office, but then he thought, isn't there a ready-made one at the top of the city, so he can just go to the city and take a look.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Liu Zongzhou was naturally unwilling to miss this opportunity to witness it with his own eyes, and Huang Zongxi thought so too.
The three of them came to Fuchengmen, which was previously an area defended by Ni Chong's command, and it is still the same now.
The tower of Fucheng Gate was built extremely tall and looked very strong, which made both Liu and Huang marvel.
"Mr. Ni! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!"
"Wang Zhangyuan! What are you..."
Ni Chong was quite surprised by Wang Wei's arrival. What was a leader of the Hanlin Academy doing in the cold weather?
He is the commander-in-chief of this defense area. Even if there is no war now, he still has to come here every day to check it out. After seeing it with his own eyes, he can feel at ease.
Come in the morning and you'll be fine for the rest of the day. It's much more convenient than coming in the afternoon or evening. There's no need to get up early or stay in bed.
When Wang Wei explained the purpose of his visit, Ni Chong understood. Since it was a contemporary scholar who came, and there was a post from the Crown Prince as proof, he would naturally cooperate.
If Master Liu wants to look at the phone, let him look at it. It doesn’t look bad anyway. He is not busy with military affairs now, so there is no harm in making a phone call. As for who to call...
"I am Xue Guoguan, who am I?"
"Ni Chong, the last general, can the first assistant have breakfast?"
"...I've already eaten it!"
The other party obviously didn't expect Ni Chong to call, let alone ask him if he had eaten!
"Master, it's cleared, please!"
There are three telephones in the city tower, which is Ni Chong's headquarters. One is directly connected to the East Palace, and the other is connected to the East Palace Guards Headquarters. The person who answers the phone will be his superior Zhou Yuji, and the other one is connected to the military aircraft office.
Ni Chong didn't dare to bother the prince with such a trivial matter, and he didn't know if his boss was in the office of the headquarters. He felt that someone was on duty at the military aircraft office all the time, so he chose to call the military aircraft office.
"Chief Assistant, I'm Wang Wei..."
After Wang Wei explained the situation, Xue Guoguan realized that this group of people actually ran to Fuchengmen and called the military aircraft. Especially Ni Chong's greetings really made Xue Guoguan dumbfounded.
Anyway, the phone calls are open, just deal with a few casual words. If you really have anything to say, we can talk about it in person during the banquet. Xue Guoguan thought this, which frightened Liu Zongzhou on the other end of the phone.
It was completely unbelievable to him that a human voice could be heard from a small tube, and it was the voice of the chief minister. He thought it was indeed something from the fairy world.
The conversation made Liu Zongzhou feel in a trance. When the call ended, he completely forgot what he had just said to his chief assistant. All he could remember was shock.
The city gate was now open, and Ni Chong took a group of people to walk around outside Fucheng Gate for a while, and then fled away shyly on the grounds that they were busy with military affairs.
Ni Chong would not have humiliated himself by hanging out with this group of Confucian scholars who were all talking about "what's wrong".
I have a lot of silver reward in my hand, so it would be better to spend some time with this pretty little lady!
When he went to the Hanlin Academy in the afternoon, Liu Zongzhou found that the scale of the Hanlin Academy seemed to be larger than before.
Wang Wei explained that because the prince paid special attention to the construction of the Hanlin Academy, all the officials and scholars in the academy benefited from it.
The head court has been raised two levels, which means that the officials below can also borrow money, and the official team has been expanded.
For those scholars with real talents and practical knowledge, if conditions permit and they pass the examination, they can stay in the academy to teach.
In addition to daily accommodation, the courtyard also provides subsidies to scholars, which are paid on a monthly basis. It is no problem to hold a tooth ceremony every once in a while.
Wang Wei gave a detailed explanation on the compilation of the dictionary that the two were concerned about. Although the Ministry of Rites took the lead in this matter, due to the wide range of content involved, the Imperial Academy also had to make great efforts.
Liu Zongzhou and Huang Zongxi now had a more comprehensive understanding of the entire project, and they could not help but secretly praise His Highness the Crown Prince for his keen eyesight and foresight. This project was indeed the best choice to educate Wan Min.
Wang Wei also said that the prince plans to open a "Capital University" based on the Hanlin Academy within five years. The subjects will be broader, focusing on liberal arts, science, engineering, art, and physical education.
At that time, talented people from all over the world will be recruited to enroll. After graduation, these talented people with more profound knowledge can benefit the people of thousands of miles of territory.
As a contemporary great scholar, Liu Zongzhou could also apply to teach at the school, with the title of "professor". Not only did he receive generous remuneration, but his reputation was also extraordinary.
