"I'm sorry, I've been a little tired lately!" Zhang Qian supported himself with his arms and raised his hand to wipe the saliva from his face.

In just 20 minutes of driving, I was able to sleep by myself, and I was really ugly today. Fortunately, I don't have the habit of talking in my dreams, otherwise......

"It seems that I made a poem in my dream just now!" Zhang Jiuling's voice sounded again, followed by him, pushed open the door of the carriage, and jumped down. "It sounds very tasteful, when you wait for the pilgrimage for a while, you might as well write it down and let my brother read it carefully."

"Poetry, no, certainly not! Brother Zishou heard it wrong, heard it wrong! In an instant, Zhang Qian was so embarrassed that he was hot, and he quickly jumped under the car while waving his hand vigorously. I'm not good at it at all, and even if I do talk in my dreams, I certainly don't write my own poems. Brother Zishou, don't be embarrassed for me! ”

"You didn't write it, so who wrote it?" Zhang Jiuling was skeptical when he heard this, and asked rhetorically with a frown, "I've never heard of similar words and phrases before. "In vain, I don't know where to use the general? Yes, yes, it complements the high argument you said at the banquet. But I don't know ......"

"I really don't know who wrote it, Brother Zishou, go faster. It's a little hot inside the carriage, and the autumn breeze on the bridge is a bit bone-chilling! When Zhang Qian heard this, he was so embarrassed that he left, and he quickened his pace as if he fled, leaving Zhang Jiuling behind.

Finally, I couldn't keep it late, and I copied other people's poems in my dreams. Fortunately, the original author has a lot of poems that have been handed down, so he will not be "stolen" by himself and removed from the Tang Dynasty poets.

"With Zhao, slower, slower. Do you know the way, scurrying around the palace, be careful of the board! Zhang Jiuling's words came from behind, faintly with a bit of ridicule.

......The guilt in his heart was quickly replaced by helplessness, Zhang Qian stopped and shook his head.

In the 21st century, Daming Palace has long become the site of Daming Palace. How could he possibly know the way inside? And the room in front of him was lined up one after another, and the forks in the road were also one after another, bumping down like a fly without a head, and when it was dark, he might not be able to find where the court was.

"Follow the path under your feet, go straight ahead, and on both sides are the cane courtyards that hold Jingo on the left and right. Further on, there are the East View and the West View. It was rare to grasp Zhang Qian's shortcomings, Zhang Jiuling caught up with a proud face, and pointed out the maze for him with a smile. After the east and west views, it is the east and west courtroom, which is the place where the four grades or more are waiting to enter the court in the morning. After the east and west courts, you can't mess around, we are both civil officials now, we have to go through the Tongqian Gate on the east side of the Hanyuan Palace, and then go to the Rihua Gate......"

After some introduction, before he finished speaking, Zhang Qian was already said to be dizzy. I had to follow him honestly, and I followed him step by step.

Fortunately, Zhang Jiuling is now a celebrity in the ministry, and he is familiar with the guards everywhere along the way. took out the relevant diploma and explained that he was ordered to summon Zhang Qian to participate in the pursuit of the dynasty, and the latter did not make any difficulties, so that the two brothers walked all the way to the outside of the Zichen Palace.

Because it is not the day of synodism, today's court meeting will be held in the front hall of the Zichen Palace. One is for the emperor to return to the apse to rest during the break in the deliberations. Second, the etiquette requirements for the courtiers can also be relaxed, and they don't have to be as serious as when they meet in the Hanyuan Hall or the Xuanzheng Palace.

Zhang Jiuling and Zhang Qian arrived a little early, and the formal court meeting was not over yet. Therefore, the two brothers, under the leadership of an inner palace steward, first settled down in a wing room on the right side of the Zichen Palace. According to Zhang Jiuling's taste, he originally wanted to pull Zhang Qian and help him recall the two poems chanted in his dream, whether there is still context. However, the latter covered his head and resolutely refused to admit that he had dreamed. In desperation, the former had no choice but to give up.

It is not allowed to discuss the poems and texts, and it is not allowed to laugh out loud, and the time to wait for the "chasing dynasty" seems to be a bit long. Fortunately, other low-level officials who had been ordered to come to "chase the DPRK" arrived one after another, and they did not have much contact with each other before. A few words of greeting each other, each reporting their names and departments, is not too boring.

"Brother Zishou, I heard that today someone offered a Rui beast to the saint. Up to more than two zhang, the head of the dragon and the neck of the snake, colorful. In the lower loneliness, rummaging through the books at hand, I have never seen such a strange beast. I wonder if Brother Zishou can tell me in detail about the appearance of the Rui beast, so that I can wait to open my eyes? Between a bunch of dark blue and light green robes, Zhang Jiuling's six-grade official robe was particularly eye-catching, and soon, someone came forward and got close to this "upstart in the ministry" in the name of asking for advice.

The rest of the people, either interested in the Rui Beast or Zhang Jiuling himself, also immediately looked at him and echoed with a smile: "Yes, yes, I am lonely and unheard, and I also ask Brother Zishou to describe the appearance of the Rui Beast, so that I can open my eyes!" ”

"Brother Zishou, it's still early anyway, you might as well say a thing or two for me."

"Wai Lang, I came from Luoyang, and I can't see ...... at all."

……

However, Zhang Jiuling was unwilling to set himself on fire, and decisively turned the topic to others, "Don't hide it from you, I haven't seen what the Rui beast looks like today." Today is not the day of the next day to attend the court meeting, but I heard the temporary arrangements from above, so I am waiting here with you. ”

"Oh!" Everyone was regretful and envious, and their eyes looking at Zhang Jiuling were complicated.

Officials of the eighth and ninth grades have no more than two opportunities to meet the emperor every year. Occasionally, he was called to chase the dynasty, and it was a blessing that he couldn't ask for by burning incense. And Zhang Jiuling, a six-grade member of the foreign lang, can usually participate in every five rounds of formal court meetings. was also so valued by his boss, and showed his face again when chasing the court.

You don't underestimate the opportunity to show your face in the pursuit of the dynasty twice, maybe because that sentence was said appropriately, the emperor remembered it in his heart. And the officials of the ministry are known for their rapid promotion. Perhaps, the next time everyone sees Zhang Jiuling again, the robe on this person will turn crimson, and a gold belt will be placed on his waist. (Crimson, the robe of a fourth-rank official.) ）

"The matter of auspiciousness has not yet been decided. Everyone has the time to inquire about this, it is better to think about whether there are any omissions in the things they have been responsible for recently. lest the Holy Inquiry be inquired for a while, and answer what is not asked. Zhang Jiuling has served as a county lieutenant for several years and knows very well the difficulties of low-level officials. Seeing that everyone couldn't put it in an important place, he couldn't help but remind in a low voice.

"Thank you for reminding me, I'm waiting for Meng Lang before!" Everyone felt a sudden shock in their hearts, and hurriedly thanked Zhang Jiuling. Immediately, they whispered again.

"Si Tianjian's side, I have seen the crape myrtle dark recently, this winter, I'm afraid there won't be too many sunny days." An eight-grade master bookkeeper sighed and shook his head again and again.

"Still use your Si Tian to watch? Since the beginning of autumn, the rain has not stopped. When it comes to winter, of course, it will be windy and snowy! A supervisor who went to the pastoral prison immediately took over the conversation and sighed with emotion.

Before the words fell, the director of the water supervisor next to him had already clapped his thighs, "That's bitter, little brother, I'm the water supervisor." It's raining or snowing, so you can hide in the house and have a fire. The little brother has to wear a coat and patrol around, and he is tired and half dead every day! ”

"I'm tired and half dead, but I won't really die after all. Zhou and his brothers were on the Shuofang side, and whenever the river froze, the Turks would take the opportunity to go south to plunder. If there is a lot of wind and snow this winter, it can stop everyone for a while. Otherwise, every time you go out on patrol, you can't guarantee that it will be the last! At the door, a man dressed as a military general suddenly opened the curtain and entered, and the urn interjected angrily.

The discussion stopped abruptly, and everyone turned their heads to look the man up and down. I saw that this person was born with broad shoulders and a broad back, and he had a majestic appearance. It's a pity that the face was spent, and there was an ugly scar, from the corner of the left eye to the right lip, and when he spoke, the scar beat like a worm, and his face was particularly hideous.

"The Turks have invaded the border again?" Zhang Jiuling didn't care about this person's good-looking appearance, took a step forward, and asked in a low voice, "Didn't you say that as soon as Manager Zhang arrived in Shuofang, the Turks retreated without a fight?" ”

"That's a large Turkic force, of course I don't dare to confront Mr. Zhang. But the Turks made their home on horseback and came and went. The large group of soldiers and horses is gone, but the small ones are like gadfly, and they will pounce on you and bite you when they see an opportunity. This time, Mr. Zhang heard that there was a new kind of gunpowder on the imperial court, which could be used to burn the enemy soldiers to death and clean up wounds. Therefore, he specially sent a lowly post to rush back and asked the military department to transfer a batch of people to Shuofang for trial. In the next surname Zhou, the name is Jianliang, and he is a pawn in the Shuofang army. Ladies and gentlemen, who is in the position of the ordnance superintendent, please make it convenient and introduce it below, what is the gunpowder?! ”

"Then you're really asking the right person today." When the officials saw that Na Wufu was wearing a seven-rank general uniform, they knew that he must be a close confidant of Zhang Renyuan, the chief manager of Shuofang, and they all turned their eyes to Zhang Qian, and introduced him with a smile. "This is the master of Zhou of the Gunpowder Administration of the Ordnance Administration, and the secret recipe for refining gunpowder and the method of using it are all from him."

"There is Lao Zhang's master book to solve Zhou's doubts!" Although Zhou Jianliang is a martial artist, he speaks quite politely. Immediately bowed down and saluted Zhang Qian.

"General Zhou doesn't have to be polite!" admired that Zhou Jianliang who had been injured for the country, Zhang Qian did not push back, stood up, and introduced to the other party with a smile, "Gunpowder, also known as alcohol, as the name suggests, is the essence extracted from wine. The Ordnance Superintendent made two kinds of gunpowder, one for setting fires and the other for cleaning wounds. If you want to make the killing effect better, you can also ......"

"Stop it, stop it, the beast is gone!"

"Don't move your weapons, how can the beast be killed with a weapon, and catch it with your hands!"

"Oops-"

"Oh no, the Wangjianmen is dead, and the Wangjianmen was kicked to death by the Rui Beast."

"Be careful, the beast is coming this way. Plug him, block him......"

The words had just begun, and suddenly there were several exclamations outside the room. Immediately after, screams, shouts, and cries for help rang out.

Everyone turned their heads one after another, nervously looking out of the window, only to see that under the sunset, between the carved beams and paintings, there was a height of more than two feet, a horse's head python neck, cowhide leopard print, and a pair of short-horned beasts, rushing left and right, as if entering a no-man's land.

Everywhere they passed, the guards and eunuchs who couldn't dodge were knocked into the air, kicked over, and lay on the ground screaming.