"Master Li, Master Li..." The soft calls of Zhang Ping and Chamberlain Liu made Li Dan wake up.
He hurriedly apologized: "Ah, this, this, I really didn't expect this. Please forgive me, two angels!" Zhang Ping and Chamberlain Liu looked at each other and both pursed their lips and smiled. It was the first time for them to receive heaven's grace like this, and they were so shocked that they said They are speechless, they have seen too much!
Zhao Chongbi somewhat guessed what Li Dan was thinking. He took a step forward and lowered his head and said, "Master Li will accept the order first and entertain the two angels. We will slowly take care of the rest."
The smile on his face also had a bit of bitterness, and Li Dan suddenly understood that there must have been a will given to him at the same time, and then the angel was brought here.
As his thoughts changed, he fell to the ground again, but he no longer had the initial panic. "Your Majesty, Li Dan, has been blessed by the Holy Spirit. I am filled with gratitude. I will obey the decree and work hard to repay Your Majesty!" After saying this, he stood up and raised his hands with the palms of his hands upward.
Zhang Ping grinned happily and held the will in both hands, placing it squarely in Li Dan's hand. Before he could take a closer look, Li Dan stood up and turned around. Zhao Jingzi cleverly stepped forward and took over the imperial edict.
Zhang Ping took a step back, bowed down, and said loudly: "Congratulations to Mr. Li, congratulations to Mr. Li!"
Xuanwei's experience was from the seventh grade, and Li Dan was promoted three levels in a row. He was already two levels higher than this Huangmensheren who was from the eighth grade, so it was time for him to bow down.
Chamberlain Liu also handed over his official seal and official uniform and congratulated Li Dan. Li Dan returned the gift and looked at Liu Xi attentively. Seeing that he was about the same age as himself, he smiled and nodded at him.
The courtyard was full of joy. Who wouldn’t want to follow the right person and have a good future in the future?
At this time, the magistrate of Zhou County who came with him also came up to congratulate Li Dan. Only then did Li Dan find out that because he refused to be a thief and actively helped to calm people down after the recovery, the imperial court not only exempted him from the crime of losing the city, but also gave him a credit, so he also Congratulations to him.
Zhao Chongbi originally wanted to find a restaurant to entertain the angels, but Li Dan smiled and said it would be better to just stay at the Yingxian Pavilion. The reason was that the best cook in the city was there, and there were three empty courtyards there, so it would not be a problem for the angels to stay temporarily. The furniture, The bedding is all new.
Zhou Xin was very discerning and immediately sent his servant to go home first, and asked the housekeeper to take twelve maids and six nuns to the Yingxian Hall to take care of him.
Here Li Dan introduced the two angels to several backbones of the team training, Zhao Jingzi, Tan Zhongxiao (who came after hearing the news), Shen Jie, Feng Shen, and Chen Sanwen and Zhu Erye who happened to be present.
When they heard that the Jinjiang Bridge was built under the leadership of Mr. Zhu, both of them were very surprised and gave some words of encouragement.
Zhu Erye modestly said that it was the design work of Mr. Li and Director Chen (Chen Sanlang), and told them that the construction of the bridge took a total of eighteen days, which attracted praise from the two.
"While I was waiting on the boat, I saw from a distance that the bridge was like a rainbow spanning the clouds. It was so majestic. It only took eighteen days and nights to build the bridge. It was truly a miracle! When I get back, I will report your majesty's benevolent policies. I will definitely be very happy! "Zhang Ping said.
Li Dan's heart was moved. He had just heard that Zhang Sheren's father was Zhang Meishan, the ambassador of the Baojiantang (Imperial Painting Academy) and the enshrined official of the Imperial Household. Zhang Meishan had an uncle, the late great painter Bian Jingzhao (Bian Jingzhao). Zhang Kexin, the son-in-law of Wenjin.
Is it possible that Zhang Sheren can also draw because of his influence? "If you want to view the bridge, the best view is from Guanlan Gate! It's too early at this time, how about we accompany the two angels and go to the west wall to view it?" Li Dan suggested with a smile.
These words aroused Zhang Ping's scholarly elegance, so he turned around and asked with a smile: "What do you think of Liu Neiguan? But Zhang is really embarrassed to mobilize troops and mobilize people like this. Why don't I go by myself tomorrow morning?"
"In this case, it will take some time to prepare for the banquet. How about asking Mr. Zhao, Mr. Zhou and Mr. Liu to rest in the hotel first, and then accompany Mr. Zhang to the city wall for a walk?"
"Okay!" Zhao Chongbi knew that he had some intentions. Seeing that Liu Xi had no objection, he nodded with a smile. Zhou Zhixian naturally agreed. So everyone divided into two groups, and Li Dan led a squad of guards and rode up to the city wall with Zhang Ping.
At this time, there were thousands of migrant workers in Anren City working on repairing the city wall. The west city wall was the first to start construction, and Xie Guiting has been responsible for supervising it.
In the past ten days, the northern section has been basically completed, and the migrant workers have moved to the southern section, repairing a building near Guanlan Gate.
New, there are militia teams patrolling back and forth.
The height of the wall here has increased to two feet. New enemy towers were built with stones and rammed earth along the river. There is one every 150 steps. The crenels are also new. The cement on the top of the city is quite smooth. It soon caused a stir. caught Zhang Ping’s attention:
"Hey, what is this made of? It's not sand or mud. It's good for walking!"
"This thing is called cement. If you look out from the crenels, you can see that the outer surface of our city wall has been plastered with a layer of cement. Even if the enemy comes to attack, their bows and arrows will not be able to penetrate the wall and shoot into it!
"As he said this, Li Dan took the knife from a guard and knocked it hard on the ground twice with the back of the knife, but there was only a bluish-white scratch.
"Wonderful!" Zhang Ping exclaimed with his eyes wide open.
"We use this stuff to build houses and bridges. The common people only need to spend 45 pence to buy one stone (which was close to 60 kilograms in the previous life). They take it back and mix it with plaster, sand and water. It is easier to use than triple soil and has a good bonding effect. It has good sex, dries quickly, and is not afraid of being washed away by rain.
It can also be used to make stone slabs, floor tiles, or larger building components using bamboo or steel as reinforcement. "
At this time, they came to the nearest horse. Li Dan said hello to Zhengge Sibao, the militia squadron who came after hearing the news, and then pointed to the south:
"Mr. Zhang, you see, that is the Jinjiang New Bridge. The arch ribs between its two arches are made of cement components."
The position of Guanlan Gate is slightly protruding, so you can have an unobstructed view without any obstruction in front. The entire Jinjiang Bridge appeared in front of them. On the left was Mengjin Gate and the Tang Pagoda on the mountain, and on the right was the open Tazhou Island under the setting sun.
Navigation on the river has been completely restored, and various ships are plying on the sparkling water. It has become the same scene as the water and land throats of the past. Zhang Ping looked at it and shook his head in admiration:
"Wonderful, wonderful! I really didn't expect this scene to be seen in a city that has only been recovered for less than a month. The description below of the rainbow spanning the clouds is so apt now!"
"Your Majesty has come from the capital. He is close to the Emperor, so he has a good vision." Li Dan smiled and held up his hands:
"If this is not the case, let's call it the 'Crossing the Clouds Bridge'. Please ask Mr. Zhang to go to the city tower and make a stroke. When you turn around, I will order someone to carve a stone tablet and erect it at the head of the bridge so that future generations can see the grace of your handiwork. How about that?"
"Oh, how can a lower official deserve to be like this?" Zhang Ping's eyes narrowed with joy when he heard this, but he couldn't help but be humble. However, Li Dan seriously invited him to come to the Guanlan Gate Tower and ordered people to lay out paper and pens.
Zhang Ping wrote the three characters "Crossing the Cloud Bridge" as "respect is worse than obeying orders". Li Dan flattered him again and half-jokingly said that the county should give him a lot of polish.
Afterwards, the two of them went down to the city hand in hand. Li Dan supported each other warmly and asked casually, "How many more days do you want to rest and stay in this county?"
"No, I will rest tomorrow and return to Yuqian the day after tomorrow." Zhang Ping waved his hand: "Master Zhao has prepared a birthday gift for the Queen Mother, the Empress Dowager. I heard he said it is a carriage.
I want to rush back to Yugan, and then take the carriage back to the capital before a good day. "
"Oh, that's it!" Li Dan was surprised, and quickly said: "In that case, I ordered Yu Qian to prepare two good boats (vessels built with official styles and dimensions) to send them off, and then send orders along the way. Mr. Water Village Guard.
When adults come, they must get on and off the ship by land. It takes a lot of energy to travel by car and horse land. If you go back and take the waterway, you can go all the way to Yangzhou! "
"Hey, when I came here I heard that the lake bandits were causing a lot of trouble. Although you defeated one of the three bandits, there are still two bandits. Is this waterway safe?" Zhang Ping was a little worried.
"Don't worry, sir! One of the three bandits has been defeated, and one was recruited by Master Zhao. The remaining one dare not move around. In addition, all the villages in Huxi are loyal to the imperial court. He can't make a big splash by himself.
Nowadays, as long as the mines in the mountains in eastern Jiangxi are safe, there will be no serious problems. The trouble is Shangrao. If the corruption of Guangxin Mansion spreads to the east and south of Raozhou, the situation we have worked so hard to maintain will not be safe! "
"What a pity. Peace has just been restored here... I seem to be worried about the south?" Zhang Ping heard some words and asked tentatively.
"The Yintuo gang that took over Geyang won't do that.
So honest. Li Dan frowned and said:
"The emperor also said that we should pay attention to Shangrao, but we have limited troops. More than half of the soldiers have just arrived and have no combat experience. It is really difficult to fight on both sides. How to fight, I have to fight with my subordinates and Zhao Inspector, please discuss this carefully."
Zhang Ping nodded, turned around to look, then pulled Li Dan away a few steps and said softly:
"I treat you with sincerity based on my experience, and I am willing to make you a lifelong friend. To be honest, Your Majesty is determined to solve this cancer in central Jiangxi, so he has formulated a six-way strategy to aid Jiangxi."
"Oh?" Li Dan's eyes lit up and he asked him if he knew the details?
Zhang Ping told Li Dan in detail what he knew in a low voice, saying: "The cabinet has instructed the Ministry of War and the Fifth Army Governor's Office to prioritize implementation, and the order to replace Yang Tao should have arrived in Hongdu.
The new chief envoy in Nanchang is said to be a military general, so Li Qingcheng does not need to worry too much. Armies from all walks of life will gather within a month, and the Yang family and his son will definitely be crowned! "
Only then did Li Dan understand why the imperial court suddenly sent thousands of people to reinforce Poyang. There was such a big game behind the feelings! "Thank you, Sir Zhang, for your advice. I feel much more at ease now! Sir and Chamberlain Liu will board the ship the day after tomorrow, and I will definitely see you off!"
"Hey, no need, no need." Zhang Ping waved his hand: "Your Excellency is busy with military affairs, so I don't need to do anything to show you off. Besides, I'm just leaving, so I'm afraid that Liu will have to leave a little later."
"Ah?" Li Dan was stunned, why did the two of them come together but go back to different places?
"Haha, in fact, the person who came to announce the decree was just a low-ranking official, and Liu Shiwen was traveling with him, but His Majesty gave him another decree. According to him, he may stay here for a few months and then come back."
Li Dan was puzzled, but he could only keep asking if he was not sure. Moreover, Zhang Ping didn't seem to be particularly clear about what Liu Xi was here to do.
When he returned to Yingxian Hall, he saw that the food and wine had already been served, so Li Dan asked everyone to wait a moment on a whim. He ran to the kitchen and found the chef who told him that the guests were coming from the north and the dishes should not be too bland.
After looking at the vegetables and seasonings, he asked the chef to help him and made a dish of pepper fish fillets in sour soup using mullet slices;
Use a casserole and minced garlic to make a garlic-flavored sour stew; use shrimp, eggs and tofu to make a steamed egg with bean curd and hibiscus.
The chef's eyesightened after one operation. "Have you seen it? You won't have a second chance to see it in the future." Li Dan joked with him before leaving. The cook kowtowed on the ground and thanked you for teaching him.
Back at the table, everyone was puzzled because the three dishes just served were completely different from the previous ones. "What's going on? Has the cook changed?" Zhao Chongbi asked.
"No, it's just a humble job. I cooked three dishes for the distinguished guests to show my appreciation." Li Dan replied with a smile.
Everyone was shocked. Zhang Ping and Liu Xi couldn't sit still and quickly stood up to salute and thank them. Everyone regards the kitchen as a place for servants to do their business. As a scholar and a son of an official, it is unusual for Li Dan to cook himself.
Li Dan's actions can be understood as a sign of kindness and respect for the angel, which is quite acceptable. If it were someone with the same status or a lower status, I don't know why a seventh-grade martial arts captain would do this, he would be so frightened that he wouldn't be able to sleep well all night.
After everyone tasted it, they were naturally surprised by Li Dan's craftsmanship. Zhao Chongbi smiled and said: "I have known Sanlang for a long time, but this is the first time I know that you have such elegance.
Ha, it seems that I will have to come to your house to bother you more in the future! ” Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere was very lively and friendly.
At this time, Liu Xi suddenly smiled and pointed to the steamed egg with bean curd and hibiscus, and said: "The Queen Mother's birthday is coming, and I think this dish is very auspicious, and it is delicious and tender. The Queen Mother will definitely like it."
Why don't Mr. Li write down the recipe and present it to Mr. Zhang, who will take it back to the capital? If you get a compliment from the Queen Mother, of your rank, you won't be able to remove that word tomorrow.
It turned out that Liu Xi was a chamberlain and could not sit at the same table as Zhao Chongbi, but he was an angel, so Li Dan asked someone to set up another table nearby, accompanied by Yang Shijie, the county magistrate and secretary, Zhu Erye and Zhou Xin.
Hearing him say such vulgar words, Zhao Chongbi was a little unhappy but did not speak, and Zhou Zhixian also frowned slightly. Li Dan knew it in his heart, he laughed softly and replied:
"It's not that difficult, but I'm afraid it's just a small skill that doesn't make sense. Liu Jun, think about it, there are so many masters in the imperial dining hall in the palace, who can take a fancy to me?"
Liu Xi was overjoyed when he heard him call himself "Liu Jun". They, the eunuchs, were afraid that others would look down upon him, but he was moved by Li Dan's lack of prejudice. "Master Li, just write it, it still depends on your thoughts whether you use it or not, right?" After he finished speaking, he smiled and raised his glass to Li Dan.
Zhao Chongbi then turned away to talk to Zhou Zhixian and Zhang Ping. Li Dan picked up the cup without politeness and said, "Please." Before he finished speaking, Liu Xi drank it all in one gulp. Li Dan was startled for a moment and drank too. He drank wine in a toast, and then said kindly:
"Although this wine is refreshing, its stamina is not small. The waiter (a polite name for an eunuch) needs to be careful."
"We saw that the water and wine were clear and lovely, soft and sweet, so we drank two more glasses."
"This wine is called Yuqingliu, and it is produced by us." Li Dan said with a smile, "If your servant likes it, I can ask someone to bring it. I happen to still have some there."
"Homemade?" Liu Xi was surprised: "Sir, what do you mean...?"
"I figured this out together with the brothers in the team who are familiar with brewing." Li Dan said with a smile:
"Unlike ordinary soju, rice wine, and rice wine, this cold wine must be brewed in a cave. The special koji will die in the sun, so you must find a cool place without exposure to light.
This time Fu Anren found a place on the Yungai Peak behind the Golden Port that was protected from light and had good water. What the waiter drank was the finished product sent by Qin Liquor five days ago, so there is very little of it on the market. The price is high for no reason! "
"Oh, so this wine is so different? Then let's drink a few more glasses, we can't live up to it!" Liu Xi pointed with the orchid.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will provide you with a day's worth of wine for every day you stay in this county. However, this wine is refreshing to drink. After all, it is a cold thing. Your Majesty, you should be careful not to catch a cold. I will have someone bring it to you in the evening. I brought ginger tea to the room and drank it to warm my stomach."
"Hey, thank you so much, sir, you really don't express your feelings!"
Li Dan smiled and said nothing. The eunuchs and officials, especially the civil servants, disdained to interact with him, so he relied on his young age to say "innocent" to brush it off. If it had been anyone else, his colleagues would have looked at him coldly tomorrow.
But from the bottom of his heart, Li Dan didn't think there was anything lowly about these eunuchs, and he needed to be wary of them. But if there was a chance to make a connection in the palace, it might be good for the future?
Li Dan thought about approaching the emperor and begging him to pardon the Chen family, but he never expected that the emperor would pay attention to him so quickly. Now, he is full of hope: maybe he can rise all the way and quickly become a political star?
