The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 193: Write this down for the future

When the monarch and his ministers get along well with each other, it can be passed down as a good story in history.

Emperor Taiqi seemed to be in a good mood. He ordered someone to serve tea to Jia Cong and asked Jia Cong in detail about the Ningxia Wei. , Emperor Taiqi seemed to see a vast expanse of clouds, herds of cattle and sheep, and tents dotted with stars in front of his eyes, and the joy flowed through his chest.

"After this calamity in Ningxia, the people lived in poverty. Moreover, at that time, the Feixiong Guards also lost their troops, and few of the three thousand battalions survived. I wanted to recruit troops locally, but I had no silver in my hands. I was puzzled. Who knows, several Mongolian tribes I actually want to take advantage of the situation..."

Emperor Tai Qi laughed heartily, and his originally sad face now overflowed with smiles. He took over Jia Cong's words, "Yuanze just followed their old ways and robbed a lot?"

Jia Cong didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He wrinkled his handsome face and said, "Your Majesty, I am not robbing you, I am just responding to the challenge. Since these gangsters have the courage to come and I have the ability to save their lives, I will naturally not let them leave. They wanted to escape, so I had no choice but to chase them, but who knew that they would cover half of the desert?"

"Hahaha!" Emperor Taiqi was so amused that he clapped his hands on his thighs, feeling very happy, "What Yuanze said is absolutely true. Who would have thought that those pedantic civil servants in the court would actually say that Yuanze, you are making decisions on your own and wantonly?" Start a fight!”

Jia Cong knelt on the ground, sweat beading on his forehead, "Your Majesty, I don't dare to do that. I... I'm just impulsive. The other party came to the door of my house. How could I stop those vicious dogs?" They deceived the Lord. If we only defend Ningxia Town and prevent the other party from invading, how will the originally fierce Mongolian people treat me, Dashun? They will think that our country is not strong and will humiliate them wantonly in the future. If I are a civil servant, I might be able to swallow my anger. Second, as a military general, I am shouldering the responsibility of protecting my family and my country. How can I tolerate this?"

Emperor Taiqi hurriedly leaned over and helped him up, "How could I not know that Yuanze was full of thoughts? If I didn't know, how could I say these words to Yuanze today? I also had the youthful spirit to scold Fang Qiu. When you were young, it was just as you said. You were a military commander, protecting the people and preserving the territory. It was your duty. I also gave you the right to do things expediently. What you did was in line with my wishes!"

"I would like to thank Your Majesty for your kindness. Your Majesty loves and protects me. I can only live up to your kindness with my life!" Although Jia Cong knew that Emperor Taiqi's words were trying to win over him, the more so, the more He didn't dare to show any pride, but became more and more frightened and humble. Emperor Taiqi was very satisfied.

With that said, Jia Cong followed Emperor Tai Qi's strength and stood up, bowing to the ground, not daring to sit down.

"Yuanze, please sit down. There are no outsiders at the moment. Yuanze doesn't need to be restrained when I'm here."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After Jia Cong sat down, Emperor Taiqi asked about the situation of Anju in Ningxia Town.

"I led the troops to travel half of the desert and made some gains. Some of them were used to pacify the people and some were used to recruit soldiers. However, these frivolous wealth were limited and could not be used. The soldiers were paid by the imperial court, but how the people would live in the future, I wondered. Some methods were found and local materials were used to give the people a way to survive.

I am a general sent by the emperor to quell the rebellion and guard the border. The people have hope for life, so they are grateful for the emperor's favor. Before I left, the local elders specially organized three carts of gifts and ordered me to help present them to the emperor! "

"Come on, come with me to see the gifts!"

The gifts had been brought in and piled under the eaves of the corridor. Several guards in royal robes were guarding them. When they saw the emperor approaching, they hurriedly asked for permission to get out of the way.

Jia Cong first opened a pile of gifts. When he saw a briquette stove and briquettes, he introduced it to the emperor, "This is used for cooking. The coal is taken from the open air, mixed with yellow mud in a certain proportion, and used with a special The tools are pressed into such a perforated form that, after drying, they can be used with the stove.”

The reason why honeycomb briquettes are used can avoid cutting firewood, damaging the environment, and causing soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Secondly, the combustion efficiency of coal will be much higher, which is more cost-effective than using wood. Coal-producing areas can also form an industry through this. chain.

"I remember that coal was used directly for burning before, but the gas was easily poisoned. Due to several incidents, people were no longer allowed to take coal privately."

"Your Majesty, I have also thought about it. If coal is burned directly, the lumps of coal will easily produce toxic gases and lead to tragedies. However, when it is made into this form of briquettes, a lot of yellow mud is added to it. The combustion will be much more complete and the toxic gases produced will be reduced. However, it still cannot be used in a closed space."

Among them, Jia Cong also ordered people to add charcoal powder, sawdust, lime, etc. in order to promote combustion and reduce the emission of toxic gases.

Emperor Taiqi heard the improvement. It can be said that this is an innovation. He was very interested. He hurriedly ordered Song Hong to set up a coal stove and put a tea basket on it. After a while, he heard the tea basket. There was a cooing sound in the house.

"This coal stove is really easy to use. Just put one under the eaves and you can use hot water at any time. Your Majesty, this is so convenient." Song Hong saw how favored Marquis Ning Guo was. At this time, he raised the stake like this, and he did not express his gratitude. Jia Cong showed his good intentions.

"Your Majesty, this briquette can be burned for two hours. After twelve hours, a family of five can use four or five briquettes. I think that the Ministry of Internal Affairs can handle this business. The entire Shenjing, Over the course of a year, the amount of briquettes used is extremely considerable.”

Jia Cong only talked about interests and did not talk about protecting trees and preventing soil erosion because it was not necessary at this time, and Emperor Taiqi might not be able to understand the significance of soil erosion.

Shenjing has a population of over one million. On average, based on 15 households, nearly one million briquettes are used in a day. If the Ministry of Internal Affairs does this business, even if one briquette only earns half a penny, how much money will it cost in a day? ?

Emperor Taiqi took a breath. He was very clear about Jia Cong's intention. For a moment, he was distracted. He nodded and said, "Before, Yuanze said that he wanted to do a shipping business. I also plan to do it." Discuss this matter with Yuanze in detail."

"Your Majesty inquires, and I will tell you everything I know." Jia Cong said hurriedly.

"Look at the other gifts first!"

"This is a set of sweaters and trousers, woven by the most skillful weaver in Ningxia Town, and presented to the emperor!" Jia Cong held a set of sweaters and trousers in his hand. They were made of the softest wool and felt as soft as silk to the touch. , the color is dyed ginger, which makes it look mature and stable. Although it uses the most common flat stitch, the stitches are well-proportioned and look very fine.

Emperor Tai Qi had never seen this kind of material before, and he felt it was novel for a while. He took it in his hand, kneaded it gently, and liked it very much.

"It's a pity that it's the hot summer season now. If it's autumn and winter, I can try it on." Emperor Taiqi told Song Hong, "Please remember it for me and remind me to put it on after the weather cools down."

"Yes, I obey the order!" Song Hong also felt hot in his eyes. These so-called sweaters and woolen pants looked very warm. If he wore one in winter, his old cold legs would not get sick.

"What is this?" Emperor Tai Qi pointed at the can and asked in confusion.

"Your Majesty, these are canned beef and canned mutton." Jia Cong was worried that the emperor would have eating problems if he ate them. This was no joke, so he hurriedly said, "This is a kind of food insurance that Ningxia has figured out. I don’t know if this method is feasible or not. To protect the emperor’s dragon body, I will give it a try first.”

This is something that cannot be neglected. Jia Cong offered this gift to Ningxia not for the sake of food for the emperor, but for the sake of reputation. He wanted to open up the sales of canned beef and mutton in Ningxia in the future.Song Hong ordered someone to bring a pot and bowls and chopsticks. Just under the eaves of the corridor, Jia Cong sat the pot on the coal stove and poured a can of mutton into it. After a while, a fragrance filled the air, not far away. The little eunuchs who were waiting all started to salivate.

When the pot began to gurgling and it simmered for a while, Jia Cong picked up the mutton with his bowl and chopsticks, dipped it in the soup, and ate it. The taste did not change, which proved that the quality of the can's sterilization and sealing had passed the test.

Seeing that Emperor Taiqi also wanted to eat, Song Hong was worried, "Your Majesty, I want to have a taste for you."

After all, if more people try it, the safety factor will be much higher.

But when the emperor saw that Jia Cong was fine after eating it, he felt that the mutton was fine, so he waved his hand and said, "I can just taste it myself."

Jia Cong hurriedly grabbed two pieces and ate a few more bites. After making sure that everything was fine, the emperor took matters into his own hands. He stood next to the coal stove, picked up the meat and started eating.

Zhao Song and others asked to see the emperor. When they came in, they saw Jia Cong accompanying Emperor Tai Qi. On a hot day, they were standing next to a strange cylinder with a pot sitting on it, eating.

This...how decent!
"Your Majesty, I think this can can be sold from Ningxia Town to Shenjing. In fact, summer is not the season for eating beef and mutton. Since the production method of this can can ensure that the beef and mutton will not spoil for ten days in summer, It should last longer in winter, and this deal can provide a way for people in Ningxia to make a living."

Emperor Taiqi ate a few chopsticks, and Jia Cong advised him not to eat more. After all, eating too much of such fresh food would not be a good thing if the emperor had diarrhea.

Emperor Taiqi knew the reason very well, so he put down his chopsticks and bowl, and said sincerely, "Yuanze cares about the world, and it is Qiancheng's credit to be able to come up with such a way to benefit the people!"

"emperor!"

A sudden voice interrupted the tacit understanding between the monarch and his ministers. They both followed the sound and saw that it was Zhao Song who was leading the ministers of the cabinet. Emperor Taiqi hurriedly said, "My dear friends, you are here at the right time. Ningxia people I like all the gifts you gave me, come and take a look!"

Zhao Song took a deep look at Jia Cong, and only two words came to his mind: sycophant!
This is not a gift from the people of Ningxia to the emperor. It is clearly Jia Cong, a treacherous villain, who is giving gifts to the emperor in the name of the people of Ningxia.

"Song Hong, please bring us some more sets of bowls and chopsticks, stew more of this can, and let some old gentlemen have a taste of Ningxia mutton."

Who eats mutton in the summer?
But the emperor had spoken, even if the pot was shit, Zhao Song and others had to eat it.

"This is a coal stove, and these are sweaters and trousers. I have heard time and again that Ningxia is a place where materials are scarce and people live a difficult life. It has always been a bitter and cold place, but it also depends on who lives there. The Marquis of Ning has only been there for two years. In just a few months, you can figure out such a way to save the people from the sea of ​​misery and bring benefits to the people. Since ancient times, the blessings of generals have only been like this!"

The emperor even said the word "Fujiang"!
At this time, Zhao Song was only focused on Emperor Taiqi's favor to Jia Cong and had no time to care about anything else. When the mutton entered his mouth, he marveled at the delicious taste, but ignored the briquettes and stove, and did not think about it for the time being. , it is necessary to attribute this industry to the Ministry of Household Affairs.

Emperor Taiqi is going to banquet the military generals who returned to the court after victory in the palace today. With the arrival of the cabinet ministers, some civil servants and military generals who are qualified to participate in the palace banquet also arrive one after another.

There is a coal stove under the eaves of the corridor, with glowing red briquettes inside. There is a tea basket sitting on the stove. The fragrance of tea is lingering, and the fragrance is dense, which attracts many courtiers to watch. They all point out and ask what is this?
A new dish of beef and mutton was added to the palace banquet. After opening the can, I carefully tested it and found that it did not change the taste before stewing it into a dish. At this time of year, eating beef and mutton is not in season, but it is also a luxury.

The emperor ordered the sweaters and trousers to be put on hangers and displayed at the palace banquet.

The three gifts sent by the people of Ningxia were displayed in this way, which aroused a strong response from the government. Naturally, many people saw business opportunities in them.

Not to mention anything else, the material used in these sweaters and woolen pants is unprecedented. Not to mention keeping warm, at least it can be sold freshly by seizing the opportunity.

"These three items are all feats of Ning Guohou!" At the banquet, Emperor Taiqi introduced these three gifts. He held up the wine glass and his eyes fell on Jia Cong. The emperor's trust was well known to the whole court. , who would have thought that in addition to being able to fight, Ning Guohou also knew the art of herdsmen.

"I believe that with these three pillars in Ningxia Town, the people will be able to live a good life this year. In my opinion, this move is comparable to suppressing rebellion. The merits of Ning Guohou can be discussed by the ministers. The court has a reward system. I cannot treat my meritorious officials badly."

Return reward?

How old is Jia Congcai? He is already a marquis. Why should he still be rewarded?How to reward?
Zhao Song was the first to stand up and said, "Your Majesty, Marquis Ning Guo has been promoted from a fourth-grade general to a super-grade marquis in one and a half years, which is a great favor from the emperor. Ning Guohou is still young, and he always wants to be loyal to the emperor and repay his kindness. Protecting the homeland and the country, and seeking welfare for the people, I think it is because of the importance of the king's kindness, so I ask the emperor to fulfill my thoughts!"

As soon as Zhao Song spoke up, the prince of Nan'an County and others, who had long been overwhelmed by Jia Cong's gift-giving operation, also agreed. The civil servants and military generals united again and dissuaded the emperor, and the matter of awarding Jia Cong should be postponed. .

Jia Zheng's table was outside the palace. Although he was far away, he could still hear what was going on inside. He did not expect that in addition to suppressing the rebellion, Jia Cong also produced so many rare things. Hearing that the emperor If you want a reward, you will naturally think that the title will be raised one level.

Unexpectedly, it would actually arouse opposition from the whole court, and it was inevitable that they would be extremely angry.

King Zhongshun's seat was second only to that of the Emperor. Looking at Jia Cong, who was sitting next to him, there was no trace of resentment on the young man's cold and elegant face. It seemed that he was not aware at all that he might have lost an opportunity to be promoted to a noble title. .

After all, when the merits of both sides are added up, the merits are not small.

Emperor Taiqi was very angry when he saw the opposition from the whole court. How could he not know that most of these people were jealous of Jia Cong's achievements and were about to make arbitrary decisions. Jia Cong left the table and knelt down, "Your Majesty, I dare not accept my meager achievements." Your Majesty, I would like to remember this contribution for the time being, and when I make great contributions in the future, please reward it to Your Majesty!"

No one thought that Jia Cong really wanted to do this. They thought that Jia Cong was forced to do this because of the situation in the Manchu Dynasty.

Only King Zhongshun was thoughtful when he heard these words. He had to say that if Jia Cong only wanted to be promoted to a noble title today, King Zhongshun would definitely be disappointed with him. But now, he is willing to record this contribution for future generations. In the future, it may not be for the purpose of granting marriage.

Emperor Taiqi asked curiously, "You want to be rewarded for your great achievements, but you don't know what reward you want?"

(End of this chapter)