In the study room outside the Sheng family, Wang Zhong and Chang Bai, who was no more than thirteen years old, bowed their hands to each other.
"Wang Zhong has met Yanei!"
"Brother Zihou, why do you need to be so open-minded? My cursive character means sincerity. Brother Zihou can just call me my cousin."
Although there are many similarities between Changbai in the TV series and Changbai in the original work, their temperaments are also slightly different in subtle ways.
"Brother Zihou, please!" Although Changbai is young, he is very mature in his manner.
The two men were kneeling on either side of the long eucalyptus. They were fourteen or five years old and only qualified for the job. They watched the rather honest female envoy serve fragrant tea to the two of them.
After a few polite words, Wang Zhong got straight to the point: "Suwen Zecheng is talented and intelligent, has a strong memory of extensive knowledge, and has a photographic memory. He has learned a lot and is rich before he even ties up his hair, and he has the ambition to become a successful person!"
Changbai smiled slightly, with a bit of pride flashing in his eyes, but when he looked at Wang Zhong, he couldn't help but be curious: "I heard from my father that Brother Zihou is the real scholar who has learned from ancient and modern times, and has learned a lot from others. If it weren't for the child born in the family, Something unexpected happened, I’m afraid I’ve already passed the exam now!”
It's just that in addition to curiosity, there is also some passion and unwillingness to be outdone that are unique to young people.
Yes, no matter how old and stable he is, his age is there, and his body is only thirteen years old. The handsome young man who grew up in fine clothes and fine food, what he sees and hears is only the things in the inner house. How much experience can you have?
"Passed the exam!" Wang Zhong shook his head and said with emotion: "It can't be that easy! In ancient times, many people who have learned a lot have been stuck before the examination. If they want to be a high school scholar, in addition to talent and learning, luck, Tao, Mentality is indispensable!"
Seeing that Wang Zhong's expression didn't seem to be hypocritical, and seeing that he was so humble, and remembering his father's night talk with him while holding a candle, and remembering Wang Zhong's performance at the Louzhou Wenhui that day, his evaluation of Wang Zhong in his heart couldn't help but be higher. points, and my favorability has also improved a lot.
"Zi Hou's words are absolutely correct!" It is precisely because of entering the imperial examination that we can understand how correct Wang Zhong's words are.
Throughout history, there are many people who have learned a lot, left countless famous articles, and whose names have been passed down through the ages, but have repeatedly failed in the imperial examination.
Let’s not talk about it from afar, let’s just say that Yang Wuduan of our dynasty wrote “Forbearance for false reputations, instead of pouring wine and singing lightly!”, his talent and learning are recognized by scholars all over the world, and few people in the world can match him, but precisely because of this. This sentence angered the officials, and Yang Wuduan said, "Let's go and sing quietly, why do we need to be famous."
Later, he wrote a comment on Yang Wuduan's test paper: "Go and write the lyrics!".
He also told Yang Wuduan to take the scientific examination after he was fifty years old.
People are rare in ancient times when they reach seventy. If you take the scientific examination at fifty, even if you win, how many years can you float in the officialdom? Besides, if you take the science test after you turn 50, will you really succeed?
Those examiners, if they see Yang Wuzuan's paper again, will they let him go to high school? I'm just afraid that when I try it out, I'll be kicked out.
After chatting for a while, Chang Bai suddenly remembered what his uncle Sheng Wei had said to his father when he came to his home a few days ago before going north. He couldn't help but curiously asked: "I heard from my uncle that Zihou was not only talented in martial arts, but also very proficient in martial arts. ?」
"It's just some exercises to strengthen the body. It's not proficient at all. It's just Uncle Sheng's love." Wang Zhong was still modest.
Changbai is not so easy to deal with: "Although my uncle is just a businessman, he has traveled all over the country for many years. Although he is not proficient in martial arts, he still has good eyesight."
Wang Zhong said: "It's just for physical fitness, so that I can protect myself in critical moments!"
Changbai obviously didn't expect that Wang Zhong's reason for practicing martial arts would be like this.
"Did Zihou practice martial arts in order to attack the Khitan in the north and regain the sixteen states of Yanyun?"
"If you want to regain the Yanyun Sixteen Provinces, how can you rely solely on your own bravery!" Wang Zhong said.
Changbai's heart trembled, and he couldn't wait to ask: "What is Zihou's advice?"
"The war between the two countries is a contest of comprehensive national strength between two major powers, rather than the result of a single battle."
"The Khitan is powerful and lords over Mobei. Their national power is no weaker than ours, and their armor is strong, so they can still win. If they want to regain the sixteen states of Yanyun, they need to train strong soldiers, increase their national strength, and work together, both in the government and the public. , civil and military ministers, work together, otherwise
If so, regaining Yanyun is just empty talk. "
"Let's not talk about strengthening the army. I wonder how Zihou thinks we should strengthen our national power now?" Teenagers are in their prime of life.
"What is Ze Cheng's advice?" Wang Zhong did not answer, but asked Chang Bai with a smile.
Changbai thought for a while, shook his head and said, "I have never thought about it, but come to think of it, the so-called national power is nothing more than wealth and people. If you want to increase wealth, it is nothing more than increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, and then doing less corvee and less wealth to absorb the mountain people. , escape from household, encourage people to have more children..."
The meaning of Changbai is very simple. National strength refers to two aspects, one is money and the other is population. The source of money for the national treasury is nothing more than various taxes, and population is the basis of national strength. Only when the population increases can taxes be collected. Increase.
Wang Zhong nodded with a smile and said, "What Zicheng said is true of two people. The so-called national strength is nothing more than the amount of national wealth and the size of the population."
"If you want to build a strong army, you must first have adequate logistical support. If the soldiers don't even have enough to eat, how will they have the strength to fight the enemy during the war? The champion once said that leading troops in war is nothing more than The rewards and punishments are clear, regardless of the punishment, the reward is nothing more than money and official position. As the saying goes, under heavy rewards, there must be brave men."
"So war cannot be separated from money!" Changbai concluded: "It cannot be separated from population."
"That's right!" Wang Zhongdao said, "Zicai Zecheng said just now that if you want to increase your wealth, there is nothing more than increasing revenue and reducing expenditure."
"Have you ever thought about how to increase revenue and reduce expenditure?"
"Can you please enlighten me?" Changbai cupped his hands.
"Today's officials are benevolent, practice benevolent policies, and are deeply loved by their subjects. This is the royal way. However, in addition to gentlemen, there are villains in the world. For gentlemen, they practice the royal way, but for villains, only domineering can control them."
………
The two of them discussed like this. In today's imperial court, officials are kind and generous and will not be punished for their words. In Bianliang, Tokyo, even if they are fighting against the common people, they often discuss national affairs.
What the two of them said at first was not very organized, and they just said whatever came to mind. But as they chatted, their ideas gradually became clearer. When it came to the current situation of the court, the three redundant views put forward by Wang Zhong aroused Chang Bai's interest.
The so-called three redundancies are "redundant officials", "redundant soldiers" and "redundant expenses".
Although this Zhao and Song dynasty was slightly different from the one in history that Wang Zhong knew, the problems it faced were generally similar.
In addition to the covetous foreign races, internal problems within the country are also becoming increasingly serious.
At first, Chang Bai just thought it was a casual discussion with Wang Zhong, but as he spoke, Chang Bai's expression gradually changed, and his expression showed a bit of solemnity.
It's just that this discussion is destined to have no results, unless the current official family is replaced by the beggar emperor who started with a bowl and finally conquered the entire world and became the ninth emperor.
From that day on, Changbai often sent people to invite Wang Zhong to visit him. Unfortunately, Changbai had a heavy workload, and reading and practicing calligraphy took up most of his time, so he didn't have much free time.
[An app that has been running stably for many years, comparable to the old book-chasing tool, used by all old bookworms.
superior.
Although Sheng Wei was not in Yangzhou, the people under him were not idle and sent the soybeans and rapeseed that Wang Zhong needed to Yangzhou one after another.
With Shengwei's supply and sales, Wang Zhong's oil pressing workshop and breeding farm can finally break the bottleneck and expand in scale.
As the scale expands, the number of workers will increase accordingly, but many villagers still have land to look after at home and crops to plant, so it is impossible to focus all their attention on work.
Problems also arise.
Wang Zhong once again found the three elders of Baishui Village and persuaded them. With just a few words, they got the job done.
Land is indeed the lifeblood of the villagers, but if you can earn more money by working than farming, who wouldn’t want to work? As for your own land, you can rent it to neighboring villages, relatives and friends, and the left and right land is still your own, every year You can also get a lot of food, and you can also earn money from working in oil mills and breeding farms.
After some comparison, life is much better than when I was just farming, because those who work in oil mills and breeding farms receive benefits during holidays, either from the oil produced by the oil mills themselves, or from the farms. Side portion of meat.
Seeing that it was the New Year's Eve, Wang Zhong prepared a lot of gifts and went to Sheng's house in person to pay homage to Sheng Hong.
Wang Zhong and Sheng Wei's business was in full swing. To be honest, if Sheng Hong hadn't been shining in the officialdom, they would have been targeted long ago.
After all, Sheng Hong was the Tongpan of Yangzhou. Although his rank was not as good as that of Zhizhou, he was still a lower official of Zhizhou. But Tongpan was different from other state officials. If we talk about it in detail, Tongpan was the emperor's local official. The ears and eyes supervise local officials for the imperial court and have the power to report directly.
Even the governor of Yangzhou had to give Sheng Hong some face. Although the local gentry and wealthy families were powerful, they would not openly oppose Sheng Hong.
Now, in the eyes of outsiders, Wang Zhong and the Wang family's properties have long been labeled as the Sheng family.
As the new year is approaching, it is natural for Wang Zhong to visit the Sheng family with gifts.
There were a lot of things going on in the Yamen years ago. Sheng Hong was the second in command and held great power, so it was natural that he would not be around. The person who received Wang Zhong was naturally Changbai.
When Wang Zhong was led by Khan Niu to the outer study room where Chang Bai was, he happened to see a girl wearing a goose-yellow armor, leading several female envoys, disappearing at the corner of the corridor.
"Master, please come this way!" Khan Niu smiled and held his hand sideways, bowing slightly.
Wang Zhong didn't ask any questions and just followed Khan Niu away.
After Wang Zhong left, the girl in the goose-yellow armor showed her figure again.
"Is that the Prince Hou that my father talks about every day?"
This girl is none other than Hua Lan, the eldest daughter of the Sheng family. She is fourteen years old and will be in her prime next year.
The first-class female envoy beside Hua Lan is called Cai Hairpin, which was given to Hua Lan by Hua Lan's mother Wang.
Caihan said: "He looks gentle and gentle, but his figure is too burly. He looks like a baby in front of him."
Khan Niu is now only a boy of fourteen or fifteen years old, while Wang Zhong is eight feet tall and his ape-like arms are even more eye-catching.
Seeing Wang Zhong disappear from sight, Hua Lan also turned around and walked away: "I heard from my eldest uncle that this prince Hou has been practicing martial arts with strangers since he was a child. His martial arts are quite strong, so his stature is different from ordinary people. "
Wang Zhong's height is indeed considered outstanding in this era, but it is not that exaggerated. After all, among the wealthy families, there are many rich clothes, fine food, all kinds of delicacies, and there is no shortage of nutrients needed for childhood growth. .
"A good scholar should learn martial arts without having to go into battle to kill the enemy!" Caihan said with some disdain. The Sheng family is a scholarly family and often regards itself as an official. Wang Ruofu was born in the Wang family and Hualan's maternal ancestor. Mr. Wang is a model among civil servants. After his death, he will enjoy the imperial temple and his reputation will be passed down for eternity. Caihan's parents are both Wang Ruofu's dowry and come from the Wang family. Naturally, they have developed some arrogance. I dare not show it in front of my family, but it is difficult to tell outsiders.
After all, it is just a film about a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl. She is unexperienced and her ideas are inevitably a bit childish.
Hualan glared at Caihan, who immediately admitted her mistake.
: "This slave made a mistake, please punish me!"
After all, Hua Lan is still a little girl with a kind heart: "I won't do this again!"
"Thank you, girl!" Caihan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked her.
"Look for a chance to inquire later and see what the second brother and this prince Hou are doing."
"This slave knows!"
Wang Zhong naturally didn't know about this episode. Now Wang Zhong was playing chess with Chang Bai in the outer study.
Using the method of Go to evolve the world's momentum and change the situation, although it is just an idea on paper, it has a different flavor.
It's a pity that since the two got acquainted, they have played dozens of games, and Changbai has lost every battle without exception. Fortunately, Changbai is an indomitable character. Although he has been defeated repeatedly, he never gives up and fights again and again. , and every time I have some enlightenment, I have gradually gained some atmosphere.
Go is nothing more than layout and calculation.
This time Changbai insisted on two cups of tea.
"Huh!" After exhaling a breath, Changbai gave up his chess piece and resigned, and said helplessly: "Zi Hou's chess skills are really terrifying, Chang Bai is willing to be defeated!"
"Chess is like life. The competition is just to see who can see far and calculate accurately. Cheng, who is only thirteen years old, has such calculation power. Although I am a few years older than you, at your age, I can't It may not be as good as you!"
What Wang Zhong said was true. Changbai was that kind of child from other people's families. He was not only talented, but also extremely self-disciplined and highly motivated. When Wang Zhong was thirteen years old, he was just entering junior high school and he only knew how to go crazy. What a wild monkey!
"Zihou, there's no need to comfort me!" Changbai naturally didn't know Wang Zhong's past and thought Wang Zhong was comforting him.
Wang Zhong did not explain, but put the chess pieces in his hands back into the chess box. He changed the topic and asked with a smile: "Last time I taught Zecheng's boxing skills, how is Zecheng's practice going?"
"There are still some things that don't make sense, and I still need Zihou's guidance!"
As his friendship with Wang Zhong deepened, Changbai gradually came under Wang Zhong's influence and accepted Wang Zhong's view that "a strong body is the foundation of everything". He learned boxing from Wang Zhong and did not ask for help. People are set against each other to fight, just to strengthen their health and reduce their pain.
What Wang Zhong taught Chang Bai was none other than Tai Chi, which seemed slow but was actually fast, and seemed soft but was actually hard.
The two of them walked into the courtyard. Changbai opened his stance and performed Tai Chi from beginning to end. Chang Bai's talent was indeed very good. He could perform a set of Tai Chi very smoothly, but in certain places where he was exerting force. In terms of technique, I still know a little about it. After all, I have only been learning boxing from Wang Zhong for more than a month. It is already very good to be able to learn from scratch to where I am now.
He explained it in detail to Chang Bai who was puzzled, and demonstrated it himself. He broke the knowledge points into pieces and fed them to Chang Bai. The sweat cow next to him acted as a temporary scribe, helping Chang Bai record Wang Zhong's instructions. , so that Changbai can think about it again and again in his spare time.
After Sheng Hong came back, paid a visit to Sheng Hong, and was stayed by Sheng Hong for dinner, Wang Zhong left the Sheng family.
In a blink of an eye, it is the end of the new year. On the 27th of the twelfth lunar month, Wangjiang Tower, which has been doing very well, has finally closed its doors for several days.
Wangjiang Tower was closed, but Xiaozhu Village was bustling with activity.
Wang Zhong deliberately postponed the time to kill the New Year pig, and today is also the day to distribute welfare to the villagers who work in oil mills and breeding farms.
Barrels of newly squeezed oil from the oil mill were placed on the stage next to the grain drying field. A shed was set up under the stage. Fireworks filled the sky above the grain drying field. Under the shed was a temporary stove with large iron pots. The women gathered around the stove, heating hot water. In the open space next to it, there were several eucalyptus sheets. On the eucalyptus sheets were big fat pigs with their hands and feet tied, and several young and strong men worked together to hold them down.
The fat pigs were fat and strong, one weighed at least 200 kilograms, five big fat pigs, and it took twenty or thirty men to work together to hold them down, a butcher with a beard, a face full of flesh, a big belly and a round waist. Sharpening the knife next to him.
The dolls waited happily nearby, and soon the villagers lined up in a long line to receive the meat from the butcher one by one according to the list.
After the meat from the pig's head, pig's trotters, neck and other parts was divided, it was put into the big pot. Wang Zhong was directing from the side, first blanch the water, then add the seasonings to marinate and stew for a long time.
Minutes and seconds passed, the pork and seasonings gradually collided and fused under the stimulation of the fire, emitting an alluring fragrance. The dolls who were still having fun around the grain-drying field had quietly gathered around at some point. In front of the cauldron, he stared straight at the steaming cauldron and kept swallowing his saliva.
Tables have been set up one after another, and the tables, chairs and benches have been put together by the villagers. The villagers gathered around the table with their families, and the children all looked straight in the direction of the kitchen, where there were fireworks. The steam is steaming, and the women wear aprons, holding trays, and bring plates of chopped braised pork and stewed meat to the table.
The dishes are very simple, each table has a large pot of pork stewed with radish and cabbage, two plates of braised pork, and one plate of pickles.
Wang Zhong stood on the stage, poured some chicken soup for the villagers, and briefly talked about Baishui Village's development plan for the next three years. The three elders spoke one after another to encourage everyone, and then Wang Zhong stood up again, waved his hand, and said loudly : "Have a banquet!"
Suddenly everyone moved quickly.
Wang Zhong's prestige in the hearts of everyone in Baishui Village now even vaguely exceeds that of the three elders in the village.
On New Year's Eve, the lights were all bright in the small bamboo villa. In the kitchen, Wang Zhong was wearing an apron and rolling up his sleeves, standing beside the eucalyptus board. The dough was constantly changing its shape in his hands.
Next to her, Wang Qier, who was stepping on a small dough stick, was also tinkering with a small dough ball in her hand, but there was a lot of flour on her nose, cheeks, forehead and clothes, and it almost turned into dough.
In the past, Mrs. Wang Li would have slapped her with fried meat when she saw this situation. Now, although she feels distressed, she can't help but blame her when she sees the smile from the heart on her daughter's face.
Especially when she saw her brother-in-law next to Wang Qianer patiently giving instructions to her daughter Wang Qianer, Mrs. Li could not help but picture the scene of the two of them interlocking their fingers, sandwiching their daughter in the middle, having fun...
Mrs. Li quickly put away the dangerous thoughts in her mind and recovered her mind, but she didn't dare to look at her brother-in-law who was tinkering with the dough.
Pastries in the shape of small animals were gradually taking shape in Wang Zhong's slender hands. The little niece next to her was exclaiming in surprise, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't squeeze out the pastries that Wang Zhong had pinched out. look.
But the little girl enjoyed it tirelessly, as if she was enjoying herself rather than thinking about Shu.
Seeing the uncle and nephew enjoying each other happily, no smile appeared on Mrs. Wang Li's face.
She became more and more curious about her brother-in-law, who was far different from the lofty and pedantic scholars that Wang Li was familiar with. Doujiao Wang Li was extremely curious about her brother-in-law's various behaviors.
It was just a matter of going out to do business before. After all, it was a helpless move. But now the family is out of trouble and has established such a big business that Wang Li did not even dare to have in the past. However, his brother-in-law's various behaviors , but still the same as before.
Free and easy, domineering, decisive, calm, sophisticated...
Wang Li is a little short of words and doesn't know how to describe it.
But once the curiosity in my heart arises, it is like the surging river, which is out of control.
Wang Qian'er was making a lot of noise when she was playing. The various steamed buns were not yet steamed, but she was in Wang Zhong's arms. Listening to the stories Wang Zhong told her, her eyelids gradually opened up. She didn't know when. , had already fallen into a deep sleep, and followed Wang Zhong to carry her daughter back to the room and put her on the bed. Watching her brother-in-law tuck her daughter into the quilt gently and carefully, Wang Li's heart suddenly had unexpected thoughts. Come.
