Red Mansion Soldiers

Chapter 267 Tiqi appears in all directions

"You start joking right away after people leave? That's not a big problem."

The emperor, who had been waiting anxiously in the palace for Jia Hui and Yun Yu's reaction after receiving the news, was relieved.

Huh, since the two of them are still in the mood to find a way out for Junggar, it means that this is not a big deal.

"No big deal!" Hearing this, the emperor frowned and was about to slap the emperor, but when he thought that the emperor was already in his forties and almost fifty, he could only snort coldly and put down his raised right hand.

Due to the incident in Junggar, the emperor rarely came to the palace. The result was unexpected. As soon as he entered the door, he heard the emperor talking nonsense.

"But the two great governors are not anxious about this matter!" The emperor shrank back reflexively and said a little aggrievedly.

"Fart! Didn't you hear their reaction before? They were furious, furious! Isn't this considered anxious?" For this third son who has never made any progress in his understanding of people's hearts over the years, the emperor has already He was desperate and gave up, but he couldn't help but get angry when he heard the emperor say this.

The emperor frowned, obviously not agreeing: "But isn't that aimed at the outflow of artillery? They relaxed after the other people in the hall left."

The emperor was speechless for a moment and rubbed his forehead in pain.

He felt that sooner or later he would be pissed to death by the emperor.

The fourth grandson no longer paid attention to the emperor, but stood respectfully in the corner with the information on the embroidered clothes. His face finally showed kindness again: "Come on, my dear grandson, come and explain to your incompetent father."

Six years later, Chen Si, who had the same short beard as Jia Hui, slowly raised his head, glanced at the dissatisfied old father, and sighed slightly.

"Father, how can we not be frightened when the Junggars obtained artillery and defeated the Turks who had been restraining them? It's just that Yun Gong and Jinyu are commanders in chief, so the method of quickly adjusting their emotions has already been integrated into their bones. Besides, It's useless to be anxious, Junggar won't be able to do anything he wants for a while, but he has to figure out the theft of the artillery first, right?" Chen Si tried his best to explain in terms that the emperor could understand immediately.

"Then it's better not to worry!" The emperor still insisted on his opinion.

As Jia Hui spoke, his hands were not idle as he carefully untied the seals and straps of the wooden box placed on the table between the two of them.

"Since the cost of the cannons cast by the imperial court has increased to forty taels, how much do you think it will cost if you smuggle it out and sell it?" After untying his ties, Jia Hui raised his head and looked at Jia Hui. Zhu asked.

Xiu Yi, who had been silent and low-key since the East Palace case, finally woke up after more than ten years, and pulled out the butcher knife with a ferocious look on his face.

A large number of Tiqi were dispatched, broke into an official's home, and arbitrarily arrested the official without explanation. Only then did the courtiers realize that the spy yamen that had made all officials tremble in fear in the past hundred years had always been around!

Officials from the six ministries, especially the Ministry of Industry, were almost all rounded up and thrown into prison. Even Wan Chengxun, who was dedicated to repairing the river, was respectfully invited to the Yamen for questioning by Tiqi from the Xiuyi Guards. .

But this matter has nothing to do with the Jia family. Even the cowardly father and son of Ning Guofu were threatened by Jia Hui with a knife. He told them clearly what business they could and could not do. .

In the pavilion in the middle of the small lake in the backyard of the county government, Jia Hun, who was lazily wearing a long-sleeved gown, was drinking tea and playing the piano with Jia Zhu, who was also wearing the same clothes.

"This" Jia Zhu suddenly understood, "it depends on how much money the sellers want."

If he made a mistake that he shouldn't have made, then don't blame him, Jia Hui, for being so ruthless as to make his sister-in-law and niece-in-law widowed!

"So, who on earth would risk beheading to resell artillery to the Junggar people? You must know that the court's control over artillery is even stricter than that of armor. Armor still has a chance to make a few excuses, but artillery will seize it. You can kill him on the spot!"

After leaving his opinions, the emperor left without looking back.

. . . . . .

Whoever can make this thing is not afraid of buyers at all, and has no competitors at all. He will set whatever price he likes. What, think it is too expensive? If you want to buy it or not, get out!

Does it have to be a major event that scares the two commanders who remain unfazed when their mountains collapse?

At this moment, Chen Si finally realized how difficult it was for the Emperor to

"Forget it, father, do what you want." Chen Si gave up.

After all, this thing is not salt and iron. There are too many competitors. If you want to sell it, you even need to scheming or even physically destroying your opponents.

"That's right," the emperor muttered. Seeing his old father staring and raising his hand, the emperor quickly changed the subject: "Did Xiu Yi ask anything?"

In the end, the emperor lost his temper and got out of bed. He had promised the queen yesterday that they would go to Shui Che's place to see the peonies together, so he couldn't break his promise and get fat. Zi Tong's body and bones are really getting worse year by year, and he often gets sick. Taking advantage of the fact that his body and bones are feeling refreshed these days, Zi Tong wants to take him out for a walk.

However, despite being beaten, Jia Zhu never gave up his hobby of music.

In the early years, when Jia Hui was studying music, Jia Zhu was also interested, so he took his younger sister Yuan Chun to secretly listen to the class for a period of time. However, Jia Zheng found out that Jia Zhu was not doing his job properly and did not study hard, so he punished her severely. .

The opinions of the emperor, the emperor, and the almost certain crown prince were instantly unanimous, and the courtiers had no right to object.

"The largest and most powerful artillery in the country at present, the general bronze cannon costs 36 taels and 1 cent each. The large copper cannon costs 14 taels and 6 cents each, and the small copper cannon costs 1 taels and 6 cent each. These are still The lowest cost price of the two capitals' war bureau, if you want to truly build a strong and durable general cannon, you will need to add four taels of silver at least."

But cannons are different. Only the Luoyang Military War Bureau and the Linzi Military War Bureau in Daqi are qualified and have the skills to make such things. They are the only two companies that supply the army. If they want to get this thing out, It's not something you can do easily.

"Kill without mercy, it belongs to the clan."

The three generations of ancestors and grandson fell silent, and the atmosphere in the hall gradually became depressed.

"Just because this thing is hard to do, it's valuable." Jia Hui said disapprovingly.

Chen Si looked through some of the information that Xiu Yi had frightened out when he was escorting the officials of the Military and War Bureau to the imperial edict: "Wei Zeng, to be honest, they are just some low-level officials of the ninth rank and the ninth rank. They are just responsible for the people below. Even if the person who brought the artillery out knew something, it would be better than nothing.”

"monopoly"

"But it won't be too expensive. If the cannon is too expensive, the buyer will feel that it is not worth buying it. If it is better to kill a few more people, it will definitely not be sold."

Moreover, the demand for this thing is really not large. The buyers are either from neighboring countries or rebels who are preparing to rebel.

There is no need to worry about countries facing each other across the sea. Xiuyi has set up large scales at every berth of the shipping department. If there is any abnormality, the box or bag will be opened and inspected strictly.

Even if you are lucky enough to be brought on board, that's just the beginning. Once you encounter Daqi's navy on the sea, you will have to stop the ship, lower the sails and anchor, and let the navy inspect it. Even after everything has been taken care of, you can't relax after you return home, because you might know who on the dock, in the army, or in the palace is the informant who developed Daqi Xiuyi, or even Xiuyi himself. Once the information is sent out, Daqi's fleet will come to send warmth.

In the past few years, the surrounding countries have long remembered. When Da Qi was first founded, many small countries died because of smuggled artillery.

"So, it's smuggling on the road?" Jia Zhu reacted immediately, "That means it's not necessarily a problem with the War Bureau, Jiubian is also highly suspected!"

"It's not that the suspicion is high, but someone from Jiubian was involved." Jia Hui opened the lid of the wooden box and took out the musical instrument wrapped in a brocade bag from the box.

If you want to go from Han to Junggar, you must pass through a town in Jiubian. You can't transport it out by sea, then unload it from the ports in India, Lao Ba, Lao A, or even Persia and then transport it north, right?

At that cost, we might as well let the people below charge in person!

"Currently, Gansu Town, Yulin Town and Ningxia Town are the most suspected, but I am familiar with the chief officials of these places. Although they are all engaged in the smuggling of salt and iron business, and they are not good things, they are not selling cannons at all. The courage."

The smuggling of salt and iron can also be blamed on the subordinates, saying that the servants took advantage of the lax management of the house and fooled them. But the cannon is different. The mere slaves cannot take the blame. They have to die on their own to finish the matter.

"Who else would be so brave?" Jia Zhu frowned, not expecting anyone else to be able to do such a thing.

"If you don't think about it, don't think about it yet. You, a minister of Honglu Temple, do you want to care about the embroidered clothes and guards?" Jia Hui interrupted Jia Zhu's thoughts and did not continue.

Anyway, this matter is easy to investigate. After all, there are only a few places that are qualified to have guns and can easily leak out. It doesn't take much time for Xiu Yi to ask everyone one by one.

Jia Hui has always had a guess in his mind, but now he has found no conclusive evidence.

Forget it, I have already written to the couple to check it out. I think we will have the results in a few days.

The thing that worries Jia Hui the most is how many guns and what kind of guns were smuggled out?

It is definitely impossible to have a large general cannon. Since this thing is a heavy cannon that was successfully developed the year before last, each one is numbered. It would be crazy to smuggle this thing.

"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore, there's no point in thinking about it. It's still a waste of time. Come on, open the bag!"

After talking about the serious business, it’s time to play with our own things.

"Hehe, the pipa customized by a certain family from the master craftsman of Chang'an Sect five years ago is finally ready!"

Jia Hui put his hand into the brocade bag, fumbled a little with his left hand and grabbed the main rod, held it firmly, and pulled it sharply with his right hand.

Wow!

In Jia Hui's hands, brocade bags that were usually worth a lot of money were no different from those rag sacks. Even Jia Zhu didn't even pay attention to the brocade bags with exquisite and complicated patterns.

The two brothers' eyes are now all fixed on this pipa.

One word, absolutely!

Two words, beautiful!

Three words, priceless treasure!

(The mother-of-pearl and red sandalwood five-string pipa in the Shoso-in collection in Japan was brought to Japan from the mainland by the envoys sent to the Tang Dynasty. The pipa customized by the protagonist is decorated with this decoration, but the style is a four-string pipa. I am limited in writing and cannot describe it, so let’s look at the picture)

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, it's all bells and whistles, but that's it!" Jia Zhu only glanced at it, then turned away with disdain, but the sour taste in his mouth was a bit irritating to his eyes.

Jia Hui's smile almost reached her ears. She held the pipa and waved it in front of Jia Zhu with a sullen look on her face. Jia Zhu gritted her teeth and wanted to punch Jia Hui in the face.

"Hehehe, if you want it, just tell me, brother."

"Just give it to me?" The jealousy on Jia Zhu's face dissipated instantly, and she turned to look at Jia Hui expectantly.

"You really know how to think about it!" Jia Hui sneered, watching Jia Zhu's face fall again.

"But I can give you the address of Master Zong. After a few years, you will also be able to own a pipa like this!" After all, they are cousins ​​who grew up together and have the same hobbies. Although Jia Hui does not I wanted to give it to Jia Zhu, but it didn't matter if I gave him an address.

"Ah? Forget it. I know how much I have, so I am just playing for fun. How can I get a pipa from Master Zong?" Jia Zhu immediately backed down.

"Let's try it. What if it works?"

Master Zong from Chang'an can be said to be the top musical instrument master in Daqi. When it comes to making pipa, Taishan Beidou is unparalleled. For Master Zong, no one in the world can do it. of.

It is said that even before the Yanlai Tower in Pingkangfang was established, the old family had already established a foothold in Chang'an by relying on the craft of making pipa. The many natural and man-made disasters they encountered over the past six to seven hundred years were all relying on this craft. He survived by relying on carpentry, a side skill of making musical instruments.

Therefore, compared with other piano makers, the Lao Zong family has an advantage that they can never surpass, that is, they have many ancient crafts passed down from their ancestors, whether it is piano making or decoration.

As a result, Yu, Liang, and now all the nobles of Daqi are proud to get an instrument made by the head of the clan.

With this kind of treatment, the Zong family is inevitably in a state of disgrace, and the conditions for making pipa are becoming more and more stringent. The current generation of family heads are more temperamental, and because they are very good at playing, they are not allowed to do it unless they are close friends!

It stands to reason that a normal person would turn around and go find other masters to do it, starving him to death.

But, hey, those Pipa players and all the elegant nobles still do this!

As a result, the Zong family's reputation became even greater.

Jia Hui is also one of this group of nobles who pursue elegance, but unlike most people, they pursue elegance, while Jia Hui has real skills.

Zong Dajiang was in a trance while playing the literary song "The Moon Is High", and there was also a purely handwritten handwritten music score of the excerpt "Gaixia Fighting" from the martial arts song "The Overlord Disarms". After reading it, Zong Dajiang was disappointed Give Jia Hui a shout.

Although the pipa was not finished because it was slipped by Jia Hui's hand, Master Zong still patted his chest and promised to use the best materials and the best craftsmanship to tailor-make a good pipa for Jia's family that can be passed down to his family. , and they didn’t take any money, and they said, “We can’t let a mere idiot ruin the feeling of being a close friend.”

Jia Hui couldn't resist him, so he let it go and got a good pipa for nothing that could be passed down to his family.

(End of this chapter)