Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 393 Pink makeup and jade

Jia Cong thought for a while and said: "Second uncle is well-informed. The ships used by foreigners today are iron-clad ships? Can they use sails? How are they better than our sea-going ships?"

Xue Wen laughed and said: "What kind of iron-clad ship? Since ancient times, ships have been made of wood. How can there be any use of iron? Wouldn't it sink when it enters the water?

Xiyi's boats are naturally made of wood. The navigation of sea ships depends entirely on the power of the wind, and naturally there are sails. Compared with the ships of the Western Yi Dynasty, each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

For example, our lucky ship is large and stable, while the barbarian ship is small and agile, but it does not carry much cargo. "

Jia Cong didn't know much about the development history of Western navigation. He thought that if everyone had wooden ships, then with the shipbuilding technology and heritage of the Chinese dynasty, they wouldn't be much different.

And everyone uses sails, which means that the steam engine has not yet come onto the ship or has not been invented at all. If there is any difference, it is only in the firearms.

Jia Cong was always a little worried. After all, he had watched movies in his previous life and still vividly remembered the sight of thousands of cannons firing from Western ships. He asked again: "Have you ever seen a barbarian warship?"

"Of course I've seen them before. They were called Galen ships. Most of them were more than ten feet long, with four masts and cannons on both sides.

However, they bully and bully small countries such as Nusantara, Luzon, Johor and Siam in Nanyang. Our Chinese fleet sails unimpeded on the sea, and no one dares to move it. "Xue Wen said.

Jia Cong was stunned, then stood up suddenly, with only one thought in his mind, damn, the Europeans are coming.

Although he didn't know where these small countries were, they were probably Diaosi countries in South and Southeast Asia.

"Brother Cong, what's the matter?" Xue Wen asked hurriedly when he saw him looking uneasy and pacing in the hall.

Jia Cong sat back down and pondered for a long time. If he put more effort, he should be able to catch up with the world trend.

"Second uncle, what do Xi Yi want?" Jia Cong said in a deep voice.

"Business." Xue Wen said without even thinking about it: "Of course, when encountering uncivilized small countries, they will directly burn, kill and loot."

Jia Cong nodded: "Cong doesn't know much about the methods of trade between countries and dynasties. Please ask my second uncle to explain it."

Xue Wen said with a smile: "Since the founding of our country, we have been afraid that the people's pursuit of profit will ruin the atmosphere of the country, and because the land is vast and rich in resources and the people are abundant, we do not need to exchange supplies with the barbarians, so we have adopted the policy of banning the sea.

And because the barbarians have quite a lot of ingenious things to look at, we are allowed to have the right of maritime trade with the royal merchant family, as well as the Wang family, the Zhen family and other aristocratic families. "

Jia Cong nodded and said: "Since the Western Yi want to do business, why don't we do it bigger? In this way, I ask my second uncle to contact several wealthy Western Yi nobles for me and say that I have big business with them.

If the second uncle is not interested in firearms and is engaged in other businesses, that would be fine. For example, steelmaking and shipbuilding are not taboo, right? "

Xue Wen smiled and said: "It's okay to make steel. The Xue family has been doing shipbuilding for nearly a hundred years. It doesn't matter whether it's a lucky ship, a sand ship, a Guangzhou ship or a treasure ship."

Jia Cong shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Second uncle, I'm talking about building Xiyi warships."

Xue Wen was quite dissatisfied with Jia Cong's statement that he would call the Western Barbarians, and frowned: "Our Chinese ships have their own style, why should we imitate the barbarians?"

Jia Cong couldn't explain clearly, so he had to say: "Have you ever been on a barbarian warship?"

"This... never."

"Then ask my second uncle to order the craftsmen to make an exact copy of the Western barbarian warship for me, and order the boatman to sail it out to sea. We will know the quality after a try. I will pay how much it will cost," Jia Cong said.

Xue Wen smiled and said: "What's the difficulty? I'm quite familiar with some barbarians. I bought a set of blueprints and asked a few barbarian shipwrights for advice. The ship materials are all ready-made, so just build according to the drawings."

It can be completed in March or May at most. It doesn't cost much, just treat it as a little naughty gift from your second uncle. "

Jia Cong said: "Okay. If you contact the Yi people, just send them to Shenjing to meet me."

"Okay. My second uncle will take care of this trivial matter for you."

"Thank you, uncle." Jia Cong cupped his hand.

Xue Wen thought for a while and asked tentatively: "I heard that Tiqi was arresting people everywhere in the city last night..."

Jia Cong said: "The Su family, the Yao family, the An family and other wealthy families colluded with bandits, looted places, disrupted Jinling, and killed countless people. It has been verified that there is no way to escape by confiscating the family and exterminating the clan."

Xue Wen was surprised. Is there a bachelor of the Su family who is still in the court?

"Brother Cong, this...is the court going to be serious this time?"

"In a few days, when the head falls on the ground, my second uncle will know whether it is true or false." Jia Cong said.

Xue Wen was frightened and did not dare to ask again.

Jia Cong smiled slightly and waved to Niao Su, who was waiting at the door dressed as a book boy, to come in.

"One more thing, please ask my second uncle to send someone to deliver a letter to Japan for me."

After finishing the business, Xue Biao suddenly came out to invite me.

Xue Wen said with a smile: "Brother Cong, let's go in and meet my wife and girl Baoqin. The family will have a light meal later."

Jia Cong happily obeyed his order, as he had admired Xue Baoqin for a long time.

He followed Xue Biao in to meet Xue Wen's wife, but Baochai and Baoqin were not there.

The wife smiled and said, "A few girls went to play naughty in the garden. Brother Tao, please take Brother Cong there."

"Yes, mother. Brother, please." Xue Biao respectfully invited Jia Cong into the inner garden.

After walking around in twists and turns in the garden for a long time, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter from a girl in front of me.

Turning around the rocks, I saw four or five girls swinging around on a piece of grass.

A girl was sitting on the swing, laughing and shouting, "Higher" repeatedly.

Baochai stood aside with a fan in hand, smiling. When he saw Jia Cong coming, he smiled and said, "Qin'er, come down quickly. I've seen brother Qin Cong."

Everyone hurriedly put away the swing and came together to see the ceremony. "I've met brother Cong." A girl in front smiled and gave a blessing.

Jia Cong saw that she was about fourteen or fifteen years old. Her skin was like gelatin, her eyebrows were like ink paintings, her eyes were like autumn water, her lips were like greased lips, and her makeup was pink and jade, making her very cute.

If you look closely, you will see that the proportions of the eyebrows, eyes, and facial features are perfect, and you can't find a single flaw. It seems that it is a perfect work created by God with all his heart and soul.

As for the other girls' greetings, Jia Cong turned a deaf ear and only knew that they were cousins ​​of the Xue family.

When Baochai saw this, she rolled her eyes at Jia Cong and coughed dryly.

"Oh, I have met you sisters, I am Jia Cong." Jia Cong came back to his senses, feeling a little embarrassed.

All the girls laughed coquettishly and said, "I have long admired the name of the most talented man in the world."

"A prize, a prize, a prize." Jia Cong cupped his hands and looked at Baochai with a guilty conscience.

Baochai glanced at him teasingly, as if she had expected such a reaction from him.

"You can go on your own, you don't have to accompany me."

Jia Cong waved his hands to dismiss a few people, walked to Baochai and whispered: "Sister Baochai, according to my careful observation, Qin girl's color is not bad. In two years she will be able to compete with her sister."

Baochai smiled and spat in a low voice: "I know I am ugly and far inferior to Qin'er, so you don't have to compliment me so unconscionably."

Jia Cong said anxiously: "The conscience of heaven and earth, although Baoqin is beautiful, she is a yellow-haired girl after all, how can she have the grace of an elder sister?

Even a fool like Baoyu knows that her sister is as beautiful as Concubine Yang. Who is Concubine Yang? That was one of the most beautiful women of all time. How does Bao Qin compare with her sister? "

Baochai frowned and said, "When did Baoyu say this? What a bastard. What does it have to do with Concubine Yang?"

Jia Cong was stunned. Didn't he say that? No matter, let's put it on his head first.

"I forgot, anyway, I heard what Baoyu said. Sister, there is no need to be angry. I just said that you are as beautiful as Concubine Yang, and there is no other intention."

"Bah, no more nonsense." Baochai spat.

"Okay, okay, don't say anything, as long as my sister knows that I am sincere."

Baochai pursed her lips and smiled: "I don't know how many people you have given your heart to. What do I know?"

"That's wrong. Sister, have you ever heard of infinite numbers?" Jia Cong said.

Baochai shook his head: "Cong'er is still proficient in numeracy?"

"I know a little bit about it." Jia Cong smiled and told Baochai about the concept of infinity.

He added: "According to the calculations of Xiyi numerology, even if an infinite number is divided into several parts, each part is still infinite, just like the love I have for my sister. This is a scientific theory."

Baochai heard this concept for the first time, pondered for a moment, and muttered: "You can argue skillfully. But there is one more thing that I must explain to you first, so as not to let you use your brain again."

"What's the matter?"

"Qin'er has already made an appointment with the young master of the Mei Hanlin family, and maybe he will go to Beijing next year." Baochai said softly.

Jia Cong smiled and said: "I already knew about this. The Mei family boy is lucky. A beauty comes to his door while he is sitting at home."

Baochai said with a half-smile but not a smile: "If you are tempted, let the second uncle and the second aunt withdraw from this marriage, and it will be settled with you. I will not dare to compete with you, the admiral in gilded clothes."

Jia Cong laughed, took Baochai's little hand, and said in a low voice: "I have already said that Sister Bao can be the eldest wife of the family, and I will never change my words whether I live or die."

Baochai hurriedly broke away, feeling ashamed and happy at the same time, and said angrily: "Why are you pulling and pulling? The sisters are seeing the joke."

Jia Cong put his hands behind his hands and looked at Bao Qin who was laughing and playing beside him. He hesitated for a moment and sighed: "I also asked about Mei Hanlin a few days ago.

This person has a habit of flattering the superior and dismissing the inferior. He is courting the Qin Dynasty and the late Chu Dynasty. His reputation in the officialdom is not good.

His son is nothing more than a dandy, he only talks and talks, sleeps in flowers and willows, his body and bones have long since decayed, and he is not even as good as precious jade. He is really not a good match. "

Baochai was startled and said, "Then... wouldn't it be bad if Qin girl came through?"

Jia Cong said: "Let's see, there is still some time left."

Baochai said anxiously: "Cong'er, you can't just die without saving me."

Jia Cong said: "Sister Bao, what can Cong do about this matter of marriage? What can Cong do if the matchmaker is ordered by her parents?"

Baochai frowned and said, "Even so, it affects Qin'er's life after all. You have to find a way to not violate etiquette and prevent Qin'er from being unkind to others."

Jia Cong reluctantly said: "Well, for the sake of Sister Bao, I will think of a way."

Baochai suddenly came back to his senses and stared at him: "Don't you want to benefit yourself at the expense of others?"

"If Cong has this intention, he will be destroyed by heaven and earth." Jia Cong said hurriedly.

Baochai snorted lightly and ignored him.

Jia Cong apologized guiltily. Although he was used to seeing beautiful women, when he first saw Bao Qin, he still had some despicable thoughts in his heart that his wealth should not be transferred to outsiders.

He hurriedly shook his head to dispel the random thoughts. There were so many beauties in the house that he couldn't cope with, so he felt uncomfortable.

All beauties look the same with the lamp blown on.

(End of this chapter)