The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 235 Xichun: Third sister, who do you think this fool is?

Jia Cong's words were also a promise to Yan Min that if Yan Min wanted to join the cabinet, he would never say anything against it in front of the emperor.

Of course, Yan Min also knew that if he wanted to join the cabinet, Jia Cong, a military general, could not help him much, but it would be easy to ruin his affairs.

Now, with Jia Cong's guarantee, Yan Min is satisfied.

Of course, if something happens to Jia She during his exile in the future, and if rumors attack Jia Cong, it will be Yan Min who will help him speak out.

After the two of them finished talking about the business, Jia Cong stood up and left. The officer on duty from the Ministry of Punishment came out and saw Jiang Xiang talking with Kong An. He couldn't help but curiously stepped forward and asked, "Why, has your research and development made progress?"

Jiang Xiang was so happy that he danced and said, "Master Hou, that's why I couldn't wait to invite Master Hou to come and take a look. Taoist Zhang and Li Tian tried it and said that if the iron was of this level, it wouldn't be afraid of exploding. .”

Shenji Battalion belongs to four divisions, each division has one chief officer. Jiang Xiang is one of them. He specializes in the research and development of iron smelting to provide high-quality steel for guns and cannons. He currently holds the position of fifth-grade Qianhu.

Jia Congnong's Shenji Battalion focuses on developing guns and cannons, but this is really a systematic project. It does not mean that once gunpowder is developed, it can be used directly, loaded into the gun or the barrel of the gun, and fired. Just make sure it doesn't explode when you go out.

In this way, iron smelting technology needs to be improved. If you want good iron, iron ore is one aspect, and iron smelting equipment must also be improved accordingly.

Although Jia Cong gave a direction, however, the whole body is affected by one trigger. Improving guns and ammunition cannot be achieved overnight. In the process, there may even be detours and backtracking. No matter how much investment is made, there may not be success. Reciprocal returns.

This is also the reason why in later generations, the bosses of many companies are focused on making knock-off products rather than investing in research and development expenses.

Jia Cong cannot be so short-sighted. Whether from a national or personal perspective, leadership in military technology is the foundation for life-saving.

Jia Cong was very happy and said, "Let's go and have a look!"

Shenjiying has built a relatively large base on the outskirts of the city. According to Jia Cong's vision, it has begun to take shape of the layout of future factories. In the distance, a tall chimney is billowing thick smoke.

In future generations, such heavily polluting enterprises would definitely not be placed near the city, but right now, Dashun as a whole is not as good as the chimney-lined scene of later generations. In order to be nearby, there is no need to worry about so much.

The Shenji Camp was divided into four large areas, located on the southeast side of Shenjing City. A large area of ​​land was enclosed. In a short period of time, many skilled craftsmen were recruited. In addition to the money allocated by Emperor Taiqi, Jia Jia Cong raised the majority.

There are two channels for raising funds. One is the return from investment in the name of Shenjiying, and the other is Jia Cong's income from confiscating properties in Jiangnan.

When Jia Cong arrived, Yu Xinhai, Zhang Ding and Wu Weizhong were already waiting at the gate of the camp. Logically speaking, when Jia Cong came over, everyone from the Shenji camp should come to greet him, but Jia Cong did not allow them to engage in this formality. Doctrine, Shenji Camp creates a pragmatic atmosphere of seeking truth from facts, being down-to-earth, and focusing on scientific research and production.

"Go in and have a look!" Jia Cong waved his hand and walked inside without waiting for the three of them to salute.

The four people originally came out of the military camp, but now that they have been in the Shenji Camp for a long time, everyone has a bit of a scholar's temperament. Jiang Xiang walked in front, and the other three people hugged Jia Cong and walked inside.

There were two cannons placed in the camp, and they looked like they were newly made. Seeing Jia Cong walking towards the cannons, Wu Weizhong hurriedly introduced, "A month ago, three cannons were shipped to Liaodong. These were recently driven out. Our scale is still too small, and our energy is mainly spent on research and development, while the manufacturing speed is very slow."

Jia Cong patted the cannon body. Compared with the cannons of later generations, this earthen cannon was like a child's play, but it was enough to deal with the slaves in Jianzhou.

There were only a few of them around, and there was no one else around. Jia Cong said honestly, "It is enough to produce artillery at the normal speed. We also need to stock up on it ourselves. Liaodong has enough main ammunition."

After all, it is his master Xia Jin who is on the front line in Liaodong right now. A few days ago, Xia Jin wrote to him saying that he was seriously ill. Even so, Nurhaci attacked Fushun in order to destroy Dashun in Liaodong. This fang was completely pulled out, and he had to climb the tower in person to calm the morale of the army.

After this, Jia Cong became more and more worried when Xia Jin did not write again, but he did not dare to send anyone there for fear of arousing unnecessary suspicion of Emperor Tai Qi.

Seeing Jiang Xiang and others' confusion, Jia Cong said, "The current situation in Liaodong cannot be completely solved by guns, artillery and ammunition."

"It is said that the corruption of the Liao Dynasty was caused by Ning Yuanbo Li Haopu. In my opinion, although Li Haopu made Jianzhou a serious crime that cannot be pardoned, he has been in charge of Liaodong for so many years and managed to maintain it, so that the Jurchens and Mongols did not fail. This contribution "Yes, it's really hard to tell." Jiang Xiang said.

Jia Cong admired Jiang Xiang very much. He was young, probably because of his studies, and he had quite a lot of insights.

Jia Cong said, "That's it for now!"

After saying that, Jia Cong was no longer in the mood to talk anymore. Accompanied by Jiang Xiang and others, he went to see the newly smelted steel. It did look much better than the previous steel. But what exactly was it? At present, they had nothing but experience. , there is no good way to detect it, and we can only rely on the experience of blacksmiths to judge.

In later generations, there are a series of standards for evaluating the performance of steel, but they all require equipment to detect. This is a no-brainer for the current technical level.

After that, Jiang Xiang led a small team of people to send Jia Cong back. On the way, the two of them drove together. Jiang Xiang asked, "Master Marquis, what is the situation in Liaodong?"

Jia Cong took one look at him and knew that he was from the Liao Dynasty. Although he later moved to the pass, the ancients had a strong local sentiment, so Jiang Xiang was very concerned about the situation in Liaodong.

"After Li Haopu's death, Nurhachi proclaimed himself khan and founded the country in Hetuala. The imperial court used troops to attack Jianzhou, and was defeated again and again. Even if it wants to defend now, it is difficult to defend it. If we hadn't repeatedly transported firearms to Liaodong, the situation would have been even more difficult."

In fact, in Xia Jin's memorials and letters to Jia Cong, he bluntly stated the situation in Liaodong, "... As soon as I heard the news of the establishment of the state, countless people fled from each camp, day after day.

If only one or two battalions or dozens of people escape, I can still apply military law. However, today's 6 to [-] people are all eager to escape. Even with Sun Wu's military order, it is difficult to stop them.

Liaodong is full of spies, and the thieves have a clear understanding of the situation. The generals who were captured in the past are helping Zhou to do evil, and I am weak on the left and right, and it is difficult to support me.

If we want to hold on to Liaodong, I conservatively estimate that we will need 20 troops. The Liao people dare not use them. I ask for troops and generals. Year after year, it is still rare. I try my best to support Liaodong, and I can only die to serve the country. "

For Emperor Taiqi, the death of one or two people like Xia Jin was nothing more than a posthumous honor, and it was not a big deal. But for Jia Cong, Xia Jin gave him a bouquet of flowers in the coldest winter. People with torches are of great significance, second only to Zhong.

However, one was in the middle of the court and the other was at the border. Jia Cong really did not dare to have much contact with them, so he could only spare no effort in supplying materials.

According to Jia Cong's analysis, since Xia Jin was stationed in Fushun, as long as the city of Fushun was not broken, Nurhachi would never be able to move forward.Although Xia Jin lacked major generals, he still wanted to defend Liaodong to the point of being impregnable. At the moment, this was simply a luxury hope for the court.

Although the imperial court received a lot of money from confiscating houses, Emperor Taiqi had many things to do. One was ocean trade, which required a large amount of start-up capital, and the other was river disasters, disaster relief, and border affairs. money.

Only going out but not getting in, the little money that was confiscated from the house was almost all spent before it was even put into the treasury.

Jiang Xiang sent Jia Cong to the door of his house. He was just in time to go to Rongguo Mansion in Sanchun. He had just arrived, taking a car and walking to Dongjiao Gate, and met Jia Cong.

Sanchun got into a car and heard Jia Cong and Jiang Xiang talking. Tanchun opened the car curtain and Yingchun stepped forward. When he looked out, he met a pair of dark eyes.

Yingchun was a little dazed, and he was in front of his own house, so he didn't think much about it. He just thought that this person was so dark, so he took a second look.

Jia Cong glanced at the car, then looked at Jiang Xiang, and saw that he and his second sister were looking at each other, blankly at first, but when he realized what he was doing, he quickly moved his eyes away and cleared his throat, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Calm and calm.

"I still have something to tell you. Come with me to the study." Jia Cong walked in, and Jiang Xiang hurriedly followed. Jia Cong ordered Kong An again, "Go to the kitchen and order a table. Leave Jiang here." Thousand households eat.”

Jiang Xiang was overjoyed when he heard this. When he entered the door, he accidentally tripped over the high threshold. He heard a few cute laughs coming from behind him and knew it must be the woman in the car. He was smiling, feeling as curious as a cat's claws in his heart, but he didn't dare to look past it.

"Third sister, who do you think this fool is? This is the first time I've seen someone trip over the threshold." Xichun couldn't stop laughing.Tan Chun only glanced at the man's back and guessed from his clothes that he must be a military attaché of the fifth rank. He said, "I don't know. He must have come to see my second brother for something."

Yingchun's cheeks felt a little hot. Just now, she accidentally bumped into her husband, and even glanced at the man twice, which really made her feel particularly uncomfortable.

Seeing Yingchun's silence, Xichun took Yingchun's hand and said, "Second sister, what are you thinking about? Do you know that person just now?"

Yingchun shook her head in panic, "No, no, I don't know him!"

The more she acted like this, the more suspicious she became. This was obviously very different from her usual indifferent temperament. Xichun was still young, so she didn't think much about it, but Tanchun saw it and thought that when she opened the curtain just now, it was just the right time to welcome spring. I don't know why I came closer, maybe I saw that person.

She couldn't help but think a little.

Jia Cong also happened to think of this. Yingchun is not young anymore, reaching the age of hairpin.

Girls in Shenjing City start preparing for dowry at home when they land. After they are ten years old, they are taken out by their elders to see the world, and secondly, they show their girls to others for marriage proposals. choice.

In the Rongguo Mansion, although Jia's mother raised the girls under her knees, she never cared about these things and did not plan for the girls. She was purely a tool for Baoyu's entertainment. So much so that when the Spring Festival came to the age of hairpins, there was no discussion yet. relative.

This also led to the ending in the original work where Jia She sold Yingchun to Sun Shaozu for 5000 taels of silver, but in the end he could not survive more than a year.

At lunch time, Kong An ordered someone to set up a table in the West Flower Hall in the front yard. This flattered Jiang Xiang. He didn't think much about it. He just thought that Jia Cong was rewarding him for making good steel. .

"Before, when I was preparing the Shenji Camp, I was short of manpower. As you know, the work in the Shenji Camp cannot be done by just looking for people. In the past two years, you have run the Shenji Camp very well."

Jia Cong picked up the wine glass, clinked it with Jiang Xiang, and drank it down in one gulp.

The four Jiang and Xiang people were the first to follow Jia Cong, and it can be said that they were deeply trusted by Jia Cong.

In the past, several people often drank together and were very familiar with each other. Now, in Shenjing City, Jiang Xiang and the four of them are extremely busy every day, and Jia Cong can't even rest. There are few opportunities to get together to drink. too much.

As expected, it was because of the Shenji Camp that he invited himself to drink. Jiang Xiang was very proud. When he talked about the Shenji Camp, he was very happy. After a meal of wine, Jia Cong listened to him.

Jiang Xiang was a scholar and spoke more elegantly. Jia Cong felt comfortable listening to him while drinking. Talking about Yu Xinhai, he asked, "I heard that Xinhai's wife gave birth to another baby boy for him. How come?" You didn't send me a letter, are you afraid that I can't afford to send you a gift?"

Jiang Xiang laughed and said, "Master Hou, please don't ever talk about having a son in front of Brother Xinhai. This is the fifth son he has given birth to. He really expected it to be a daughter, but who knows, he is also a member of the father's family." , we asked Brother Xinhai to buy us a drink, but he scolded us!"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Sister-in-law Yu is a capable person!"

Jiang Xiang said "yes" and picked up the wine glass, his eyes full of envy. Jia Cong saw it and asked, "What about you? I remember that you are not young anymore. Have you decided to get married?"

Jiang Xiang trembled all over, woke up suddenly, and looked at Jia Cong blankly. Jia Cong smiled and said, "Why are you looking at me? I'll just ask! If you get married, I have to give you a generous gift!"

Jiang Xiang stood up and knelt down again, "Master Hou, I am still single. I am 22 this year. My parents died early and they didn't even help me find a child bride. Can I leave my marriage to Master Hou?" Help with organizing?"

Jia Cong was furious. Was he treating him like a father?

However, Jia Cong was still very satisfied with Jiang Xiang's performance. With Dao'er's energy and fame, he knew how to read and digit, he was extremely brave in fighting, and he was also very organized in doing things in Shenji Camp. , often understand Jia Cong’s intentions most thoroughly, and Jia Cong relies heavily on him.

Its future is also unlimited.

"Okay, get up, how do I know what you like?"

Jiang Xiang felt a chill in his heart after hearing this. What do you mean? Could it be that he understood it wrong? When he got here, he had to say, "Master Marquis, we don't choose, as long as she is a mother!"

Jia Cong could only smile and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll ask my wife later and ask her to help you build a bridge."

Jiang Xiang almost jumped up with joy, banging her head on the ground and kowtowing to Jia Cong three times, "Master Marquis, from now on, I can take this life of my subordinates at any time!"

For Jiang Xiang, Jia Cong's willingness to worry about his marriage is not just a matter of marriage. It means that Jia Cong binds him to himself. From now on, he will be a person in a chain of interests. This is what Jiang Xiang is most interested in. Valued.

Next, Jia Cong talked about the establishment of the academy and asked him to go back and tell Yu Xinhai and others that everyone should prepare lesson plans and work as a substitute teacher at Jia's Academy in the future, and then sent Jiang Xiang away.

Just after Jiang Xiang left, Liu Xianglian came. Jia Cong hurriedly asked people to come in. After tea and greetings, Jia Cong asked, "How is Xue Pan? Is he still alive?"

Liu Xianglian said, "How could someone's life be ruined? When I came back just now, I had already brought him back and sent him to Rongguo Mansion. Last time, I was going to invite the Marquis to have a drink, but unexpectedly, I didn't succeed in doing that thing."

Liu Xianglian came here to find a way out with Jia Cong. This time, if it weren't for Jia Cong, if the Liu family was killed by the Nine Clan, Liu Xianglian would have to go with Liu Fang. When the news came out, Liu Xianglian I was scared to death, and I kept hiding in the village without daring to come out.

Otherwise, he originally planned to come look for Jia Cong the next day.

Jia Cong said, "There will be plenty of opportunities for drinking in the future! Last time I saw Brother Liu, I thought of Brother Liu's martial arts skills, his riding and shooting skills, but somehow he never thought of serving his family and country?"

Liu Xianglian said, "When the Marquis asks, I shouldn't hide it. It's not that I have never thought about going to the army to seek fame. Unfortunately, Liu Fang was in the army before. Although I and Liu Fang are from the same family, I had offended him in the early years. I passed him. Fortunately, I was not implicated in his death this time. I really relied on the grace of the Marquis to survive.

From now on, Xianglian will be sent by the Marquis. "

After saying that, Liu Xianglian stood up and bowed down. Jia Cong helped him stand up and said, "Serious words! Although the emperor was angry for a moment, he had no intention of killing anyone. He was able to show mercy to the Liu family only because of the emperor's grace!

If you say that you will be sent by me, I really don't dare to accept it. When the country is in danger, people with lofty ideals should rise up and serve the country.If Brother Liu is interested, I have established a new academy, divided into two colleges: Chongwen and Shangwu. For the time being, I would like to ask Brother Liu to educate people in Shangwu.

If Brother Liu has the heart to serve in the frontier, as long as Brother Liu can teach in Shangwu Academy for half a year, I will recommend one or two for Brother Liu. "

Liu Xianglian was overjoyed when he heard this, and naturally he refused. He had mastered the Mandarin Duck Sword well, and it was a martial art passed down from his family. It would be a good thing if he could choose one or two disciples in the Shangwu Academy to teach him, pass it on, and carry it forward in the future.

In fact, it was Jia Cong who made her perfect, and Liu Xianglian was extremely grateful to Jia Cong.

At this time, there was another burst of excitement in Rongguo Mansion.

Almost when Liu Xianglian entered Ningguohou's Mansion, Xue Pan was delivered to the gate of Rongguo Mansion by a carriage. The gatekeepers gave instructions and the carriage went to Lixiangyuan Street Gate. The mother and daughter of the Xue family were in fear. After worrying day and night, Xue Pan finally came back.

However, at this time, Xue Pan had already lost most of his life. The door at the back was wide open, and his intestines were about to fall out. He was forced to indulge in excessive sexual activities. His face was as white as paper, with two big dark circles under his eyes. The little boy from the Xue family was calling for help, and he finally woke up and turned around. When he saw a familiar face, he couldn't help but feel sore eyes and burst into tears.

This face, which was no different from that of a dead person, frightened the servants of the Xue family to death. No one could guess what Xue Pan had gone through in the days and nights he had been there. After he was lifted down and laid flat, While lying on the spring bench, Xue Pan's back was pressed in pain, and he felt worse than death. A wailing cry shocked the entire Rongguo Mansion.

　The previous chapter, about Xue Pan, was a bug. I have already overhauled it. If you have already ordered it, you don’t need to spend any money to read it again.Sorry, I will take notes later to avoid such low-level mistakes.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)