Halfway through application time.
Although the sun was halfway down, the heat outside Juyang City was still strong.
The open space that had been noisy all day gradually became calm.
A shirtless, middle-aged man with strips of dirt on his face squatted on a pile of wood, breathing heavily.
He stuck his head out and took a deep breath of the hot air.
An intoxicated smile suddenly appeared on his face.
"Old Li Tou, there is some meat today."
"What kind of meat is this stew? Why is it so fragrant?"
The middle-aged man asked intoxicatedly, showing his big teeth covered with yellow stains.
Beside him, hundreds of similarly dressed civilians squatted in twos and threes.
An old man wearing shabby linen clothes with a towel of an indistinguishable original color wrapped around his head heard this and turned to look at the civilian husband who had just spoken.
He opened his mouth, revealing his big teeth covered in black stains and cracked them, and breathed heavily as he replied, "It smells like mutton."
As he spoke, Lao Li pursed his chapped lips and said with nostalgia, "I haven't eaten mutton in more than ten years."
"Hey." The middle-aged citizen said with surprise on his face when he heard this: "Old Li Tou, you have eaten mutton before."
Old Li Tou grinned and scolded: "Well, you Zhang Ergou, who do you look down on? When we, Old Li Tou, were young, we didn't dare to say that we ate mutton every day, but how could we not eat it ten or eight times a month? "
"It's not like you. Do you know what mutton tastes like?"
Zhang Ergou didn't care and said with a smile: "What am I going to do with that thing? With that kind of money, I can buy my boy a set of real four treasures of the study."
After finishing his words, a bright smile suddenly appeared on Zhang Ergou's face: "Old Li Tou, you don't know, that boy of mine is very promising now."
"Some time ago, when I went to pay Shuxiu, Mr. Wang even praised my boy."
After hearing this, the smile on Old Li Tou's face gradually disappeared, and he slightly raised his head to look at the scorching sun that was halfway down the mountain in the sky.
He was distracted for a moment.
"Old Li Tou, Old Li Tou." Seeing Lao Li Tou's delay in responding, Zhang Ergou couldn't help but turn his head and look.
I saw two traces of tears on Lao Li Tou's face covered with wind, frost and dirt at some point.
"What's going on? Old Li, why are you crying?"
"I didn't say anything."
Zhang Ergou couldn't help but panic when he saw this.
This group of people came from all corners of Juyang City.
Or they want to earn some money to supplement their family income before the autumn harvest.
Or, there is no land at all and they have to make a living doing odd jobs all day long.
Unfortunately, neither Zhang Ergou nor Old Li Tou had land in their homes.
More than ten days ago, the two met at a large family's house, and because they got along well with each other, they got together.
I can’t remember how many times Zhang Ergou has been paired up with someone like this.
In the past, those who worked with each other starved to death, froze to death, and were lazy to death. Those who were favored by wealthy families were accepted as domestic servants.
He has had many opportunities to be a domestic servant.
But no matter what, there is still a wife and children at home.
Between his wife and children and enjoying happiness alone, Zhang Ergou finally chose the former.
Because they had been together so many times, Zhang Ergou was particularly concerned about the old man with a weathered face in front of him.
Maybe some people are really naturally kind-hearted.
Lao Li raised his right hand, which was missing his thumb, and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.
Then he laughed and cursed: "None of your business, I was just blinded by the sand."
Zhang Ergou laughed twice when he heard this, then changed the topic and said: "Oh, I almost forgot to ask, Lao Litou, did you really eat mutton a lot when you were young?"
Hearing this, Old Li Tou looked at the kitchen with smoke curling up in the distance, and said with nostalgia: "How can it be fake? We, Old Li Tou, never lie to others."
Zhang Ergou rubbed his hands and asked sheepishly: "How long can the cooked mutton be stored? Can it be stored for ten days and a half?"
Old Li Tou looked at Zhang Ergou in surprise.
There was a sudden movement in my heart.
Then he shook his head helplessly and replied: "The weather is so bad right now, let alone ten days and a half month, it won't even last two or three days."
"That's it." Zhang Ergou lowered his head and whispered.
His voice was unconsciously filled with feelings of disappointment or something else.
Old Li Tou sighed in his heart, and then slowly said: "We have known each other for such a long time, and I have always heard you say how sensible and smart your son is. Is this true?"
Zhang Ergou, who was originally disappointed, immediately became energetic when he heard this, and quickly affirmed: "Can this be false? Of course it is true! We Zhang Ergou never lie to others."
Old Li Tou smiled and then said: "When the Zhu family's work is finished, I must go to your house to see if you, Zhang Ergou, are bragging."
"Just watch, who's afraid of whom?" Zhang Ergou said with a big smile, showing his yellow teeth, "We Zhang Ergou never lie to others."
Just between the two of them chatting.
Not far away, several food trucks suddenly came slowly.
The dining car slowly stopped not far from Lao Litou and others.
A man in servant clothes held a gong and struck it hard.
"clang!"
"clang!"
"clang!"
"It's time to eat~!"
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a hundred civilians around him stood up quickly with lightning speed.
After picking up his own bowls and chopsticks, he quickly ran towards the dining car.
"Dang Dang Dang~!"
After a series of slightly urgent gong sounds.
The servants of the Zhu family shouted to the people: "Don't be anxious, everyone! Get in line!"
"His Royal Highness King Yan and his masters have prepared mutton stew for everyone today!"
"Everyone has a part to play! Don't worry! Get in line!"
"Whoever can't put it in the right place will eat last!"
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a hundred people lined up in an instant. The queue was even more orderly than an ordinary army.
"Butler Zhu! Is His Royal Highness King Yan really here?"
The leader, a man in sackcloth, asked with a fiery face.
When the servant of the Zhu family heard the word housekeeper, an indescribable smile instantly appeared on his face.
"Come on, come on, His Highness King Yan is not only here, but he has also prepared a surprise for everyone."
The Zhu family servant answered with a smile on his face.
As soon as these words came out, the eyes of more than a hundred civilians instantly became hot.
"Surprise? What surprise, Butler Zhu?"
"Yeah, what exactly is the surprise, Butler Zhu?"
"Butler Zhu, please stop being so secretive and tell everyone quickly."
The servants of the Zhu family listened to more than a hundred people speaking to Butler Zhu, and the smiles on their faces never dissipated.
After a long time.
The servants of the Zhu family waved their hands to signal the civil servants to be quiet.
After the noise gradually subsided.
Zhu's servant took out a crystal clear ice cube from the dining cart nearby.
He raised it high and said loudly: "Here, this is the surprise His Highness King Yan has given everyone."
"From today on, everyone will receive two ice cubes per day!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the hundreds of civilians were all looking at the ice cubes in the hands of the Zhu family's servants with dull eyes.
"Honey! It's actually an ice cube!"
After an unknown amount of time, the man in linen clothes at the front shouted with his eyes wide open.
Perhaps people like them have the best say in how difficult it is to endure the sweltering heat of August.
Sometimes, not to mention ice cubes, even a bowl of water may save their lives.
"Is this...is this really ice?"
"Butler Zhu, are you really going to give us two ice cubes every day from today on?"
"This...can we also enjoy the treatment of a wealthy family?"
For a time, the noise caused by more than a hundred civilians actually made people feel...
A deafening feeling.
At the same time, scenes happening here frequently appeared in the open space.
Gradually, the noise from dozens of hundreds of people gathered together and reached into the sky.
The Zhu family servants waved their hands again, but no one paid him any attention at this time.
The smile that always hung on his face slowly dissipated unconsciously.
"Clang clang clang!"
"Clang clang clang!"
"Everyone, be quiet!"
The servants of the Zhu family struck the gong beside them vigorously.
After a while, the noise gradually dissipated.
"Butler Zhu, don't be angry. Everyone is just too happy."
"Yes, Butler Zhu, please calm down, calm down, don't get angry."
"My lord, Butler Zhu, has a lot. The Prime Minister's belly can carry a boat. Well... My lord has a lot."
The civilian husbands all had panic expressions on their faces, coupled with the constant flattery in their ears.
The Zhu family's servant had a smile on his face again.
"Ahem!" The servant of the Zhu family cleared his throat, straightened his back and said loudly: "Look at your little concentration, how can you get so excited with just an ice cube?"
"Then if I tell you that His Highness the King of Yan has ordered that the method of making ice cubes be taught to us, the people of Yan, for free, how would you go crazy with excitement?"
After the words fell, the whole place was silent.
I don’t know how long it took, but suddenly there was noise in the silence.
The noise grew from small to large, and gradually evolved to the point where it was uncontrollable.
"What?!"
"Did His Highness Prince Yan make this ice cube?"
"His Royal Highness, King Yan, wants to teach the people of the entire Yan land how to make ice?"
"Butler Zhu, please don't lie to us. Is this true or false?"
"Butler Zhu, making ice must be very expensive, right?"
"Butler Zhu, how are these ice cubes made? Can they freeze even on a hot day?"
The Zhu family servant looked at the chattering peasants in front of him and gently struck the gong beside him.
"Dang~!"
With just one tap, the noise in front of him receded as quickly as the tide.
The smile on the Zhu family's servant's face grew stronger when he saw this.
"Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me." The Zhu family servant waved his hand, and then slowly said: "First of all! The news is true!"
"His Royal Highness the King of Yan has given the order! It won't be long before everyone in Yan Land will be able to make ice cubes."
"At that time, if everyone wants to eat ice cubes to cool off, you can do it at home!"
"Secondly, making ice is not troublesome or expensive!"
"Everyone can make a clay pot of ice cubes for just a dozen pennies."
"If you don't want to spend more than a dozen pennies, just collect the raw materials from the hut yourself!"
"Everyone, don't think I'm cussing, there really are some raw materials in the latrine!"
"Okay! No more nonsense! Now let's tell everyone how to make ice cubes! After that, let's start dinner!"
The Zhu family servant swallowed his saliva and then continued loudly: "This method of making ice cubes is very simple!"
"Everyone prepare two pots, one big and one small!"
"Fill the big basin halfway with water, fill the small basin with water, and then place the small basin in the big basin."
"Then just add saltpeter to the big basin one after another!"
"Saltpeter is available in drug stores. If you don't want to spend money, just hang that white frost on the wall of your hut!"
"The white frost is also saltpeter, so it can be used."
After the words fell, more than a hundred people all looked at each other in shock.
"Can you make ice cubes? Isn't this too simple?"
For a time, the same doubt arose in countless people's minds at the same time.
Upon seeing this, the Zhu family servant smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I've taught you the method, believe it or not.
I believe that when the work is done, I can go home and try. "
With that said, the Zhu family servant knocked the gong on the side again and said loudly: "Let's eat!"
After saying this, several servants of the Zhu family lifted the curtain on the dining car together.
In an instant, the malty aroma of the steamed buns mixed with the unique aroma of mutton hit the nostrils of more than a hundred people.
And the carriage loaded with ice cubes made the bodies of the people at the front tremble.
For a moment, more than a hundred pairs of eyes turned red, and more than a hundred mouths were drooling unconsciously.
"One bowl of mutton stew per person! Two ice cubes! Four steamed buns!"
"Everyone has a share! Don't rush."
The leading servant of the Zhu family roared, and then held a long ladle to signal the man in linen clothes at the front to come forward.
Two quarters of an hour later.
Lao Li Tou and Zhang Ergou sat on the ground next to a pile of wood with stewed mutton, ice cubes and steamed buns in their pockets.
Zhang Ergou carefully placed the ice cubes and steamed buns in his clothes on the wood beside him.
Then he picked up the large porcelain bowl and took a sip of the mutton soup intoxicatedly.
"It smells so good~!" Zhang Ergou exclaimed with intoxication on his face.
After finishing his words, Zhang Ergou couldn't help but look at Old Li Tou on the side and asked curiously: "Old Li Tou, you said that the Huns eat mutton from time to time."
Lao Litou slowly looked back at the mutton and ice cubes.
He smiled and asked: "Who told you that the Huns ate mutton?"
"Shocked." Zhang Ergou was stunned for a moment, and then asked in confusion: "They don't grow crops, they herd sheep every day, what do they eat if they don't eat mutton?"
Old Li Tou couldn't help laughing after hearing this.
"Why are you laughing? Am I right?" Zhang Ergou took another sip of the mutton soup and asked with confusion on his face.
"Of course not." Old Li looked down at the mutton in the bowl, and then asked, "If you plant crops every day, can you eat millet every day?"
Zhang Ergou was stunned for more than ten breaths after hearing this, and then said with a slight disappointment: "I have never farmed my own land. My land was bought by the landowner in the village when I was young."
Lao Li looked up at Zhang Ergou, stretched out his right hand that was missing his thumb and patted Zhang Ergou's shoulder gently.
Then he slowly said: "There will be land for planting. When Prince Yan comes, we will all have land for planting."
Hearing this, Zhang Ergou asked noncommittally, "Will there ever be such a day?"
"It will happen, don't worry." Old Li looked up at the three-legged green-covered carriage in the distance and murmured to himself: "The new King Yan is different from the former Prince Yan. I can feel that he is a true A man who is devoted to the people.”
"What?" Zhang Ergou asked in confusion: "Old Litou, what did you just say? Why is your voice so low?"
Old Li Tou looked at the three-column green-covered carriage in the distance and asked with a smile on his face: "What do you think of the new King Yan?"
"Very good." Zhang Ergou replied directly without thinking, "The new king of Yan built a nursing home to support the orphans and old soldiers."
"Building a workshop with the Zhu family will not only not lower our wages, but also give us 10% more."
"We were given meat every three days, and today we were given ice cubes to cool down."
"In addition, they also asked us to make ice cubes."
"That means I'm getting older and I still have children at home who need to go to school. Otherwise, I would go to the King's Camp to serve as a soldier for His Highness the New King Yan!"
"I heard that those soldiers not only get high military pay, but they also eat meat at every turn."
As he said that, Zhang Ergou couldn't help but show a look of yearning on his face.
Old Li Tou smiled, looked down at his severed finger and said, "Yes, King Xin Yan is a good man. With him around, maybe one day we will be able to plant crops again."
Zhang Ergou was stunned when he heard this, and then said with a wry smile: "I don't dare to think about it. I heard that there is another war outside the pass. As long as it doesn't come to our side."
"We're fighting again." Lao Litou unconsciously touched his severed finger and muttered to himself.
"Yes, there is a war again." Zhang Ergou nodded and continued: "Some time ago, before we got together, I heard Xiao Shanren talk about it when I was working as a helper at Xiao Shanren's house."
"Xiao Shanren said that General Li is chasing the Huns outside the pass like rabbits."
"Zizizizi, let me tell you, these Huns deserve it. General Li did a good job of expelling them! Let them plunder our Shanggu County again."
After Old Li Tou heard the words "General Li", he fell silent for a moment.
Silently, he picked up the large porcelain bowl and swallowed the last bite of mutton into his belly.
Then he threw the remaining steamed bun to Zhang Ergou.
"I'm full, so I'm going back first." Lao Litou slowly stood up, picked up the two ice cubes next to the wood, and walked towards the temporary house.
"What's going on?" Zhang Ergou's puzzled eyes flickered back and forth between the steamed buns and Lao Li's head next to him.
...
...
at the same time.
On the other side of the clearing.
Xu Yi, who had simply eaten his meal, slowly stepped onto the carriage with three green awnings.
"I respectfully send the prince on his way."
"We respectfully send His Highness King Yan off."
Xu Yi slowly opened the curtain and waved to the Zhu family members who were bowing beside the carriage.
Then the wheels turned slowly, and the carriage with three green hoods slowly drove away from the open space, guarded by more than a hundred horsemen.
When he comes back next time, an armaments workshop, two iron-making workshops, and a workshop that can accommodate 5,000 people will be built here.
inside the carriage.
Xu Yi slightly closed his eyes and leaned on the pillow.
Scenes from today's conversation with Zhu Zongnian kept popping up in his mind.
If it weren't for Zhu Zongnian's words and deeds, it could be clearly judged that he was just gifted.
Maybe Xu Yi really suspects that Zhu Zongnian is also a time traveler.
Now, it can only be said that countless geniuses will be born in any era.
It's just that the vast majority of geniuses fail to truly grow due to many factors.
Can a genius who has not grown up still be called a genius?
Obviously not.
Is Fang Zhongyong in Wang Anshi's "Injury to Zhongyong" a living example in his previous life?
Fortunately, Zhu Zongnian was born into the Zhu family in Shanggu.
Fortunately, the head of the Zhu family, Zhu Huaimin, was very tolerant.
If not, how could Xu Yi have such a general?
Just when Xu Yi was full of emotions.
The carriage with three green hoods suddenly stopped slowly.
"Sixth Master." Yang Xian'an reined up his horse and stopped beside the carriage, cupping his hands and reporting: "An old man was kneeling on the road ahead. He claimed to have been a horseman under the command of Vice General Zhao Fusheng, and he had something to offer to Sixth Master."
inside the carriage.
"The horseman who gave birth to my brother?" Xu Yi murmured in a low voice with a slight frown.
At the same time, the memory of Zhao Fusheng could not help but emerge in his mind.
Zhao Fusheng, the third son of former military general Zhao Qing.
He was born with supernatural powers since he was a child, and he followed his father in the military all year round.
At the age of seventeen, he went to Monan with his father. When the two armies were anxious, he led 800 cavalry alone, abandoned the army and attacked for hundreds of miles, directly attacking Huanglong.
In this battle, more than two thousand enemies were killed, and he used his own power to change the situation.
At the age of nineteen, he followed his father to conquer Monan again, leading three thousand cavalry alone, and contained more than ten thousand cavalry of King Hunxie in the Huangshui River Basin!
Zhao Fusheng accomplished extraordinary feats every time he went on an expedition.
It is precisely because of this that the Zhao family has just achieved the miracle of having two princes.
It's a pity.
In the decisive battle of Mobei, he failed to continue his glory.
Eventually, he and his father were buried together in the Mobei grassland.
Thinking about this.
Xu Yi came back to his senses, sighed in his heart, and then slowly said, "Let him come over."
"Obey the order!" Yang Xianan solemnly saluted with his hands raised, and then rode away.
After a while.
An old man, an old man, rode with Yang Xianan to the carriage with three green awnings.
The old man slowly got off his horse.
"The grassroots general Zhao Fusheng leads the horse soldier Li Shoushan to pay homage to His Highness the King of Yan."
The old man faced the carriage with three green awnings, clasped his fists and saluted with great solemnity.
"No courtesy." Hearing this, Xu Yi slowly stepped out of the carriage and looked at the person in front of him.
I saw that the old man was wearing a shabby linen clothes, and his head was wrapped with a towel whose original color could not be distinguished.
When you clasp your fists in salute, there is nothing at the thumb of your right hand.
If Zhang Ergou were here, he would definitely recognize him at a glance. This person is Lao Li Tou, who works with him.
Xu Yi calmed down and then asked: "The old man has something important to offer to me? I wonder what the old thing is?"
Old Li Tou tried his best to straighten his back and replied: "Back to Your Highness King Yan, the thing that the common people want to offer is a spear."
"A spear?" Xu Yi's heart suddenly moved. After suppressing his excitement, he asked with a normal expression: "Is the spear that the old man wants to present called Qingyang?"
"Exactly." Old Li nodded heavily and said, "The tree that the common people want to offer is the Qingyang tree in General Zhao's hand!"
When Xu Yi heard this, his heart suddenly became hot.
It is said that the Qingyang branch is the ancestral branch of Jiang Qingyang, the first general under Emperor Taizu.
His weapon was originally unknown, but later Jiang Qingyang repeatedly used it on the battlefield and defeated countless enemies.
Therefore, Fang was given the title Qingyang Li.
Emperor Taizu personally ordered the leading calligrapher at that time to write the word Qingyang on the stem.
Since then, this Qingyang tree has been passed down in the Jiang family for several generations, and was eventually spread among the people as the Jiang family's family declined.
After several twists and turns, it finally fell into the hands of Zhao Fusheng.
It can be said that Qingyang Yan witnessed Zhao Fusheng's magnificent and short life.
Finally disappeared completely on the Mobei battlefield.
For Xu Yi, Qingyang is not only a weapon, but also a symbol!
