Sishi, Lantian County, Qin Mansion
Qingwan opened the study door, saluted Qin Ming behind the desk and said:
"Young Master, Cheng Wu from Duke Lu's Mansion asked to see you outside the small courtyard. He said he was here to deliver an invitation to the Young Master."
Upon hearing this, Qin Ming put down the brush in his hand and said:
"Invite him in."
"Yes, sir."
After Xiao Qingwan finished speaking, she walked out of the study room. After a while, she led Cheng Wu into the study room.
After Cheng Wu entered the door, he saluted Qin Ming respectfully and said:
"Cheng Wu, I have met Mr. Qin."
After saying that, he took out an invitation from his arms and handed it to Qin Ming with both hands and said
"This is the invitation from the Duke to the Young Master. Please take a look at it."
Qin Ming nodded upon hearing this, took the invitation and said with a smile:
"Vice Captain Cheng, you are now considered a member of my Qin Mansion. You don't have to be so polite when you come here from now on. Please take a seat."
"Wan'er, serve tea to Vice Captain Cheng."
When Cheng Wu heard this, he waved his hands quickly and said with a naive smile:
"Thank you so much for your kindness. Today I was ordered to deliver a letter. I don't dare to delay. The Duke is still waiting for news about you."
Qin Ming nodded upon hearing this, then unfolded the invitation and quickly browsed its contents.
The invitation contained only a few words, and the general meaning was to invite Qin Ming to have lunch at the mansion.
Qin Ming put down the invitation, thought about it and said to Cheng Wu:
"Cheng Wu, I've read the invitation. You go back first and return your orders. I'll arrange things in the house and I'll rush to Cheng's house to see you later."
Cheng Wu was overjoyed when he heard this. He saluted Qin Ming and said:
"Okay, then a certain family will retire first."
After saying that, Cheng Wu left the study under the leadership of the maid.
Seeing Cheng Wu leaving, Xiao Qingwan walked up to Qin Ming with a smile, pulled Qin Ming's clothes and asked:
"Sir, are you going to Chang'an City? Can you take Wan'er with you this time?"
Qin Ming looked at Wan'er's expectant eyes, pursed his lips, and after a while, said with a slightly apologetic tone:
"I'm afraid it won't work this time. Duke Lu invited me over for lunch. It's already time. If we go there by carriage, we won't have enough time, so we have to ride a horse."
The light in Xiao Qingwan's eyes dimmed instantly when she heard this, but soon she said with a smile:
"Sir, do you need to bring anything to visit Duke Lu's mansion this time? Wan'er is going to prepare it."
Qin Ming couldn't help but be moved when he saw Xiao Qingwan not forgetting to help him pack his luggage at this time.
He took Qingwan into his arms with pity, gently stroked Qingwan's green hair and said:
"Young master, I heard that there is no curfew in Chang'an City on the Lantern Festival. Then, will you please go to Chang'an City to see the lanterns?"
Xiao Qingwan's eyes lit up when she heard this, she blinked her watery peach blossom eyes and asked:
"Really?"
Qin Ming smiled and raised his right hand, scratched the bridge of Xiao Qingwan's nose with his index finger and said:
"certainly."
Xiao Qingwan blushed at Qin Ming's intimate gesture. She quickly glanced around the study room and found that there was no one else there, so she stood up on tiptoes and kissed Qin Ming on the face.
Then before she could escape, the innocent little white rabbit fell into the hands of the big tiger and wolf.
.....
At noon, Chang'an City, Huaidefang, Duke Lu's Mansion.
Qin Ming took Qin Da and several other guards and rode into Chang'an City from Chunming Gate. He first went to Ximeng Tower in Dongshi.
Qin Ming remembered that when he came to Chang'an a few years ago, Xiao Changxi once told him that he liked shopping in Xingdaofang. At that time, Qin Ming said that he wanted to buy a mansion in Xingdaofang.
And today Qin Ming promised Xiao Qingwan that he would bring them to Chang'an to watch the lanterns during the Lantern Festival. When so many people come, it will definitely be inconvenient for them all to stay in hotels.
So Qin Ming decided to explain the matter of choosing a residence first. It happened that the shopkeeper Guo of Ximenglou had worked in Yahang before, so it was most appropriate to leave this matter to him.
So after Qin Ming came to Chang'an City, he first went to Ximeng Tower to find Shopkeeper Guo and told him not to care about money and to buy a suitable mansion in Xingdaofang as soon as possible.
....
It was already noon when Qin Ming and his party arrived at Lu Guogong's mansion.
Because Lu Guogong had already made an explanation, as soon as Qin Ming handed over the invitation, the concierge respectfully led Qin Ming to the front hall of Cheng Mansion.
As soon as he stepped through the door of the front hall, Cheng Yaojin's heroic voice came from the hall.
"My dear nephew, you are just making it easy for uncle to wait."
Qin Ming glanced around the front hall, then quickly walked to the center of the hall, bowed and said:
"My nephew met Uncle Cheng and Aunt Cheng. He arranged some things on the way and was delayed for some time. Please forgive me."
When Cui heard this, she rolled her eyes at her husband. She turned around and saw Qin Ming wearing the black bird jade pendant she had given him last time. Now she looked at Qin Ming more favorably, so she said with a smile:
"My dear nephew, there is no need to be polite. Sit down quickly."
Qin Ming looked around the room and finally sat opposite the Cheng Chumo brothers.
As soon as he sat down, he saw Cheng Chumo and Cheng Chuliang winking at him. Seeing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but smile and nod at the two of them as a greeting.
Mrs. Cui knew that her husband came to Qin Ming today and had something serious to discuss, so she chatted with Qin Ming for a while, then left the front hall on the pretext of looking at the food for the lunch.
After Mrs. Cui left, Cheng Yaojin coughed, then looked at Qin Ming with a smile and asked:
"My dear nephew, I called you here today because I want to confirm with you in person that you really have a way to remove the poisonous gas from the poisonous carbon?"
Qin Ming had long expected that Guild Lu would ask this question, so he put away his playful expression and said seriously:
"Uncle Cheng, please rest assured. My nephew does have a way to remove the poisonous gas from the poisonous carbon."
Cheng Yaojin was so happy when he heard this that he couldn't help but jump off his chair, rubbed his hands excitedly, and paced back and forth in the hall.
Cheng Yaojin can be said to have a very good understanding of the characteristics of poisonous carbon.
I remember that it was the winter of the second year of Wude, when he accompanied His Majesty to attack Wang Shichang.
Because many soldiers were wearing thin clothing and the weather was cold, many people were really freezing, so they used poisonous carbon to heat themselves in the camp. As a result, several people in the military camp were poisoned to death by the poisonous gas produced by the poisonous carbon.
Since then, Cheng Yaojin has strictly ordered the soldiers not to burn poisonous carbon in the military tents.
After the order was issued, Cheng Yaojin thought that if this happened, the soldiers would stop using poisonous charcoal. However, not long after, he discovered that in the military camp, soldiers gradually began to burn poisonous charcoal for warmth outside the military tents.
Later, after a period of observation, he discovered that burning charcoal outdoors not only provided warmth but was also nontoxic, so he ignored the matter.
But this incident also taught him that toxic carbon burns longer and generates more heat than charcoal.
The reason why people in Chang'an City burn charcoal instead of poisonous carbon is because poisonous carbon produces poisonous gas. But if poisonous carbon no longer produces poisonous gas and hurts people, then there will definitely be more people using poisonous carbon for heating than charcoal.
So now that Qin Ming clearly said that he could solve the poisonous gas in the poisonous carbon, Cheng Yaojin was extremely excited, because this also meant that his old Cheng family was going to make a fortune.
