A spring breeze blows, and a new year begins again.
A painting depicting Luoyang's new style was now in Liu Yu's hands.
Liu Yu held the painting book in his hand and looked at the scene above carefully.
I couldn't help but feel very happy.
He was not only happy about the new look of Luoyang in the picture book; he was also happy because of the picture book.
The painting is not the usual freehand ink painting, but a vivid picture drawn with charcoal black pen.
Although it still seems very immature in some details, it basically has the appearance of later sketches and portraits.
"Not bad!"
Liu Yu praised it twice.
"Did you draw all of this picture book?"
Liu Yu asked a woman in the hall.
"Your Majesty, these paintings were all painted by my concubine!"
Upon hearing the emperor's question, the woman immediately answered.
"Haha, I never expected that the Xi family of Gaoping is not only a family of Confucian classics, but will now produce another generation of originators of the painting school!"
After Liu Yu said this, he walked forward and hugged the woman affectionately and returned to her seat.
This girl is no one else
It was Xi Xuan, the daughter of Xi Jian, the minister whom Liu Yu relied on.
As a scholar of Confucian classics, Xi Jian himself had extremely high attainments in calligraphy.
His daughter Xi Xuan's level is also not low.
Not only calligraphy, but also extremely talented in painting.
Therefore, after Xi Xuan entered the palace, Liu Yu quickly discovered her talent.
Liu Yu immediately told Xi Xuan that there was a kind of picture carefully drawn with charcoal that could perfectly reproduce the scene.
Xi Xuan, a genius, quickly understood everything.
In order to test her skill, Liu Yu ordered people to escort Xi Xuan to Luoyang to replace the original drawing official.
Now that the results are in hand, they far exceed Liu Yu's expectations.
"I'm just following His Majesty's instructions and trying to figure it out. I can't be considered the originator."
Xi Xuan half leaned in Liu Yu's arms and twisted uncomfortably.
"Haha, I just said a few words casually. You are the one who truly understands it. You are naturally the originator of this painting school."
As Liu Yu spoke, he exerted a little more force on his hands.
Xi Xuan noticed Liu Yu's intention, and her pretty face suddenly turned red.
She was scared to death in the hall in broad daylight.
Xi Xuan quickly changed the topic.
"Your Majesty, drawing and painting are just elementary skills. Why should we pay so much attention to them?"
This time she went to Luoyang to draw, not just by herself.
Together with the guards, maids and officials, there were over a thousand people.
What puzzled Xi Xuan even more was that there were dozens of children from Yecheng School accompanying him.
No matter where Xi Xuan went, these children followed him.
Along the way, I studied her painting skills with great concentration.
"This is not a new skill."
Liu Yu smiled softly and then continued.
"These drawings are extremely precise. They not only replicate the scenery on them, but also paint the customs and customs of a place on the paper."
“With such a detailed picture, one can know from thousands of miles away what seeing is believing.”
Xi Xuan was still a little confused when he heard this.
"Then what's the use?"
"What's the use? It's very useful!"
"Your Majesty, can you tell me something?" Xi Xuan, a young academic master, is full of curiosity.
"Not only can you draw mountains and terrain, but you can also draw local customs and products, and you can also draw shadows and graphics for people."
Liu Yu talked about a lot of benefits one after another.
Finally, Xi Xuan finally understood.
With this painting technique that I have figured out myself, painting landscapes and architecture is secondary.
According to Liu Yu's intention, the most important thing was to map all the mountains and rivers that the Han army passed by.
"Now all the tribes of Hulu and Yidi have been sent by me to fight in all directions."
"Now that our military is at its peak, they dare not make mistakes, but they cannot guarantee whether they will be capricious if there is another chaos in the Central Plains in the future."
"So, while our army can control them now, we must grasp the reality and reality in their territory."
"Among them, the various terrains and mountains are the top priority!"
Liu Yu had been holding these words in his heart for a long time.
Limited by production and supply issues, the Central Plains dynasty's direct control over the outside world will inevitably decline.
Once it falls, the barbarians in the frontier areas will rebel.
And because of lack of understanding, reaction time is often greatly increased, and it is easy to miss the best opportunity to counterinsurgency.
Liu Yu had seen the mountain and river maps that were "treasured" by the imperial government.
For the situation in Zhongyuan prefectures and counties, these freehand maps are somewhat useful.
Once you get to the place where Ji Su rules, everything is completely blank.
There is no map information left at all about the places where the battles were fought.
"As long as you have such a detailed map, it is like having clairvoyance, and you can plan your march and formation in advance."
Liu Yu said again.
These rudimentary sketches in Xi Xuan's hands have already used detailed scales.
As long as there are slight changes, you can make military maps one by one.
Coupled with the iconic sketch scenery, the accuracy of the orientation can be completely achieved.
In the late Qing Dynasty, a large number of European, American, Japanese and Russian travelers and explorers went deep into the mainland of China one by one on expeditions. The military drawings they made were basket after basket.
Especially the people sent by the Japanese pirates, even as small as a river or a temple, will be drawn exactly on the map.
When the Japanese pirates invaded, some national troops fighting in other places did not even know the local terrain as well as the Japanese pirates.
Liu Yu's act of driving the barbarians away at this time was also a helpless move.
He couldn't guarantee that this move would be a permanent one.
Therefore, he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to leave some useful reserves for future generations.
"Your Majesty has foresight and plans for his descendants. I am truly lucky."
When Xi Xuan heard this, he realized that the children he had taught simply would be of such great use in the future.
She couldn't help but feel proud in her heart.
"Haha, this kind of thing is of course a blessing!"
"Perhaps the real reputation will last forever through these fine charcoal drawings."
As Liu Yu spoke, he ordered the chamberlain next to him to guard these picture books carefully.
Xi Xuan also took this opportunity to sneak out of Liu Yu's arms and sat next to him obediently.
She comes from a family of ethics and is very strict about her identity.
However, Liu Yu just liked the serious look of this girl.
Having been tortured by feudalism, what he likes most now is to see these serious girls look embarrassed.
However, Liu Yu is still not in a hurry now.
Because he still has business to do.
Things that need a talented woman like Xi Xuan to handle.
"Axuan, I have one more thing. I have been waiting for you to come back and leave it to you to handle personally." Liu Yu said.
"Your Majesty, despite your orders, I dare not refuse." Xi Xuan replied seriously.
Liu Yu then ordered someone to bring up a wooden box.
Xi Xuan saw that although the wooden box was not big, it seemed quite heavy.
The two strong chamberlains had to work together to lift it up with great difficulty.
Liu Yu pulled Xi Xuan to the box.
He opened the box.
I saw that the box was filled with gold and silver!
A whole box of gold and silver.
Only then did Xi Xuan understand. valley
No wonder the two chamberlains were working so hard just now.
The gold and silver in this box probably weighs more than a hundred kilograms.
"Your Majesty, these gold and silver don't seem to be in ordinary shapes?"
Xi Xuan soon discovered the difference between this box of gold and silver.
The gold and silver here are not ordinary gold or silver ingots, nor are they special shapes of gold ingots.
Instead, they are oddly shaped round cakes.
No.
To be more precise, it should be gold and silver coins one by one.
"That's right, these are not ordinary gold and silver, but gold and silver coins of almost all styles that can be seen in the world collected by my people." Liu Yu said.
"What is your Majesty planning to do?" Xi Xuan asked.
"I plan to mint gold and silver coins!"
"Gold and silver coins?"
"Yes, they are gold and silver coins!"
As soon as Liu Yu said this, his eyes were already shining.
"Two months ago, Dongping Prefecture's naval forces crossed the sea and successfully established a foothold on the Japanese island."
"Those Japanese people who tie strings to remember things are just a bunch of rabble."
"It was completely vulnerable. It only took Zhang Tong, Murong Ren and the others half a month to discover a silver mine with huge reserves."
"With these silver mines, I will naturally mint silver coins."
When Xi Xuan heard this, he already understood.
Once there is enough gold and silver, it is much more profitable to mint gold and silver coins and issue them than copper coins.
Even if the copper coins are worth ten or a hundred, the total amount will not make much, and it is an act that is cursed by the people.
As for gold and silver coins, that's different.
Not only can you make more money, but you can also have a smooth journey. Hu people traveling as far as the Western Regions only use gold and silver coins.
"I found a lot of painters, but they couldn't get the effect I wanted."
"It seems that this matter can only be decided by you."
Liu Yu looked at Xi Xuan expectantly.
When Xi Xuan saw this, he suddenly felt a little proud.
In this way, her status in the harem is completely different from that of ordinary concubines.
Not only does it reflect the emperor's preference everywhere, but it also reflects his superior abilities.
"I can give it a try."
Xi Xuan still answered safely.
In fact, Liu Yu had no choice but to find Xi Xuan.
After all, only Xi Xuan, who has been with her every day for more than half a year, has the ability to draw and paint in fine detail.
Other painters either use freehand brushwork as they wish or create with unconstrained imagination.
This situation does not apply to the entire Central Plains.
But this is true across the entire Eurasian continent.
Among the gold and silver coins in front of Liu Yuan, there were many currencies from ancient Rome, Persia, ancient Greece, and even ancient Egypt.
The portraits of kings on these currencies are called abstractions.
If Liu Yu hadn't known that it was the king, he would have thought he was the ugly champion of each country.
Therefore, Liu Yu's ambition in issuing gold and silver coins must be a perfect version.
These gold and silver coins painted in the style of the Han Dynasty will be used as a weapon of cultural conquest as they march westward.
Until beyond the boundaries of Han civilization.
With these gold and silver coins opening the way, the subsequent cultural conquest would be much easier.
The hot summer day is scorching the earth.
A group of cavalry galloped past, kicking up the loess in the sky.
Nashi Pantuo was leaning on the bamboo mat of the carriage with beads of sweat on his face.
This is the west side of Monan Grassland north of Liangzhou.
It was originally an area where Xianbei tribes and barbarians from all walks of life such as Qiang Hu, Lu Shuihu, Baiyang Hu, etc. lived together.
As a businessman from the Western Regions, Nashi Pantuo had never dared to step into this grassland before.
The nomadic barbarians on the grasslands are each more ferocious than the last.
Looting the passing strange caravans was as common as drinking water.
Especially the curly-haired and blue-eyed barbarians from the Western Regions like Na Shipantuo, were even more unscrupulous.
Merchants from various countries in the Western Regions only dared to take the trade routes of Liangzhou and Longxi.
Governor Zhang of Liangzhou there was strong enough to ensure the safety of passing business travelers.
but.
Today, Nashi Pantuo stepped into this wild grassland very relaxedly.
Because at this time, Nashi Pantuo was no longer a simple Hu merchant from the Western Regions.
Just when Nashi Pantuo was exhausted in the carriage, a cavalryman next to him rushed over and shouted loudly.
"Protector Kang, the main camp of Murong's tribe is ahead."
Upon hearing this, Nashi Pantuo immediately sat up straight and looked forward.
I saw a large group of gray tents at the foot of the mountain ahead.
Looking from a distance, it looks like white clouds scattered on the green grassland.
"Quick, send someone to report first!"
Nashi Pantuo immediately ordered.
The two cavalrymen received the order and immediately rode forward.
This so-called notification naturally requires Murong Bu to come out to greet him.
Now Nashi Pantuo is no longer a small businessman.
Not only did he have the title of Governor of the Kingdom of Kang in the Western Regions personally conferred by the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, but he also had a Han surname and a given name by the Emperor himself.
Today's Nashipantuo is officially called 'Kang Zhongyi'.
A loyal man of Kang State.
Moreover, Kang Zhongyi, also known as Nashi Pantuo, also found his true ancestor.
The younger brother of King Wu of Zhou, Uncle Kang, the monarch of Wei!
That's right.
He, a barbarian thousands of miles away from the Western Regions, finally found his true ancestor in the Central Plains after a thousand years.
Ji's surname is Kang, which is why Nashi Pantuo was mentioned to everyone.
After the two accompanying cavalry were sent out, there was a quick recovery.
A group of cavalry holding high the flag of Murong's tribe soon followed.
The leading people were all wearing gorgeous silk robes.
At first glance, he is the leader of Murong's tribe.
"I am Murong Han from the Murong Division, and I am here to greet Governor Kang!"
The strong young man at the head shouted loudly.
Nashi Pantuo saw that although this man was young, he had a fierce look on his face.
Especially those eyes, as sharp as an eagle.
If it were before, Nashi Pantuo would never dare to look at him.
However, Nashi Pantuo was full of confidence at this time.
"It turns out he is General Murong's eldest son, and Kang is polite."
Nashipantuo-Kang Zhongyi got off the carriage and cupped his hands.
This time when he came to Murong's tribe, he followed the order of the Han Emperor and recruited hundreds of guides and translators from the Western Regions to lead the way for these Xianbei and Qiang Hu people.
That's right.
Kang Zhongyi is a traitor from the Western Regions.
He recruited a group of guide parties from the Western Regions to introduce these nomadic tribes to various countries in the Western Regions to do evil.
Oh no.
According to Kang Zhongyi’s understanding.
It should be to go to the Western Regions to educate various barbarian states and small countries.
Although all Xianbei tribes are also a group of barbarians, they respect the will of the Han emperor.
"Everyone in Murong's department has been waiting for me for a long time. They also asked Governor Kang to escort me into the camp."
