Montenegro made a special detour to Nanyang, and after two and a half years, he returned to Tongbai County again. He gave the guards from Nanyang a ten-day holiday and let them return to their hometowns. I came to the teacher's Kaimeng Academy.

"You guys find your own place to go outside, don't worry about me!" Black Mountain said to the guards beside him. I went up the stairs and patted the door.

After a while, the door opened, and it was Uncle Chen who opened the door. Black Mountain greeted with a smile: "Uncle Chen, you have more white hair!" Can teachers be at home? ”

Uncle Chen looked at Montenegro, Xiao Hei had already picked up Uncle Chen, and he was very affectionate. "Young master, are you back? Xiao Hei is also so strong! My eyes were so dizzy that I didn't recognize it! Uncle Chen said happily. Then he shouted to those inside: "The young master is back!" ”

Montenegro walked quickly to the study, and saw that the teacher Meng Zhao was still sitting in that position, and hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects: "Student Montenegro, meet the teacher!" ”

"You kid still know to come back! Now the officials are bigger, and the people are stronger! Come and sit down and talk to the teacher! Meng Zhao said with a smile, "When I saw you for the first time a few years ago, I knew that you were definitely not a person!" Let me pick up a cheap student. ”

Montenegro stayed at the teacher's house for five days and discussed a lot of astronomy, geography, mathematics and other knowledge. Montenegro asked curiously: "Teacher, how do you know so many things about me, many things that my mother doesn't know?" ”

"Haha, your friend Zhang Cang and I have a relationship, and he wrote to tell me!" Meng Zhao said, "I know you're lazy, every time you write to the teacher, it's those few words of greeting, I wrote so many poems in Xianyang and didn't copy a copy for the teacher to see, or Zhang Cang is good, you see, that one is all the letters he wrote to me and the books he copied to the teacher." ”

"Teacher, since you like to read so much, why don't you come to Xianyang, Xianyang has the largest collection of books in the world, with millions of volumes. Your student's home is also your home. If you like quiet, I'll buy you another mansion to be your academy! You recruit another 3,000 disciples and carry Confucianism forward. How is it? Montenegro said.

"I've heard that the Qin State values Legalism and soldiers, and they don't like Confucianism." Meng Zhao said.

"Why did the teacher say this? Prime Minister Wang Juan is a Confucian, and Li Si, Han Fei, and Zhang Cang are protégés of Confucian Xunzi. Yao Jia and Dun Weak are also half Confucian. They were all reused by the King of Qin. The state of Qin did not reject Confucianism at all. It's just that there are some pedantic people who memorize the Four Books and Five Classics, and they claim to be students of Confucius and Mencius, so they go around, but in fact, the essence of Confucius and Mencius has not been comprehended at all. As soon as he opened his mouth, he said that he was a poet and a cloud. Don't say that King Qin is annoyed when he sees it, the students want to go over and rub their feet when they see it! Montenegro said.

"Hahaha! Interestingly, my Confucian scholars account for seventy or eighty percent of the world's scholars, and it is difficult to mix the good and the bad. It's time for me to live in Xianyang for a while! But it has to be winter. When the time comes, the teacher will let you know! Meng Zhao said.

The teacher and student chatted happily. Chen Bolai reported: "The old master, the young master, the county commander, the county lieutenant, and the county lord came to visit the young master." ”

"Ask them to come to the living room and wait, we'll be right there!" Meng Zhao said, "Since you have become more and more official, they have become more and more diligent in my mansion!" The thick moss at the entrance of the division has been trampled clean! ”

"Of the more than 1,200 soldiers you brought out from Nanyang, except for more than 50 who died on the battlefield. The rest are all doctors and above, and two hundred of them are from Tongbai County, you don't know. But in Nanyang County, you don't know who the county guard is, but the name of Montenegro is unknown to everyone! Meng Zhao said.

"I really haven't thought about this, I didn't expect to leave my hometown for three years, and I will become a little celebrity!" Montenegro smiled and walked with the teacher to the living room in the front yard.

"Tongbai County Commander, County Lieutenant, and County Cheng meet General Montenegro and meet Meng Fuzi!" The three of them bowed to the Black Mountain teachers and students.

"A few hometown parents, you don't have to be like this, Montenegro is polite!" Montenegro also saluted the trio. Meng Zhao just nodded.

"The general returned to his hometown, I wanted to come to visit a few days earlier, but I was afraid that I would sweep away the Yaxing of your teachers and students. That's why I'm here today, so don't be surprised. The prefectural order said.

Montenegro was most annoyed by this kind of boring entertainment, so he had to make a fuss and reluctantly cope: "I just came back to visit the teacher, and I didn't go to Nanyang on official business!" So I didn't bother a few parents! Don't be surprised! ”

"The Montenegrin general returned home, and the three of us, on behalf of the hometown fathers, prepared some special products for the general and the old lady, hoping that the general will not dislike it." As he spoke, the county magistrate asked several officials to come in with several boxes of gifts, and handed a piece of wooden slip to Black Mountain with both hands.

Montenegro took a look, there were dried fruits, dried bamboo shoots and dried wild mountain mushrooms, as well as a few precious furs and a few pieces of jade. After reading it, Montenegro handed the wooden slip to Uncle Chen and instructed: "Uncle Chen, help me calculate, how much are these dried fruits, dried bamboo shoots and dried mountain mushrooms worth, pay a few adults, and you should take those jade and furs back!" ”

"General, what do you mean by that? It's just a little bit of the folks' heart! The prefectural order said.

"On the 60th birthday of King Zhaoxiang, some people sacrificed cattle to celebrate his birthday, and later these people were convicted, and the magistrates where they were were sentenced to prison, have you heard? It was a felony for Qin officials to give congratulatory gifts to each other, and the current Qin kings valued the Qin laws more than the Zhaoxiang kings. As long as you are faithful to your duties and abide by the law, you will do what you want to do to make the people rich. That's it! In this way, the king of Qin will be happy, and we can also have peace of mind. Why do these thankless things? Montenegro said.

"What the general taught is that we are really ashamed!" Shi Li, the three county officials, said.

After sending the three away, Montenegro immediately called a few of his subordinates and ordered: "Quickly notify all those who have returned to their hometowns separately that they cannot accept any property from the local officials and people, and if they can't be returned, pay according to the price!" Whoever dares to violate, engage in military law! ”

"No!" A few of his subordinates immediately went to do it.

Meng Zhao was very satisfied with Montenegro's approach, and said: "You can be in a high position and not forget your roots, the teacher is very pleased. I heard that King Qin's chicken-breasted concave nose crane sound, born disabled, is Lü Buwei's adulterous son. Cruel by nature, murderous like a mustard, and recently it has been rumored that he forced his biological mother to death and did not mourn. It is completely different from what you said about being wise and powerful, being eloquent and strategic, and cherishing talents. Can you tell me more about him? ”

Montenegro sighed and said, "This is all Shandong rumors!" There is no trace of truth. Montenegro told the teacher in detail the true side of King Qin that he knew. Finally, he said: "The Qin royal family is prosperous, will they choose a disabled person to be the king of Qin?" The queen mother's life experience, King Qin also only learned about it when he was dying. Not mourning is also the edict of the Queen Mother. Shandong scholars, in addition to exploiting the people, drunk and dreaming of death, now have another skill, which is to spread rumors and make trouble! In fact, the teacher just looked at Tongbai County, South Korea has ruled Tongbai County for more than 100 years, and the people have ever been rich now? Has a man ever been killed in vain? How many people have starved to death in Zhao Kingdom in recent years, you can go and see, have there ever been people who have starved to death now? ”

"As soon as I heard you, my doubts about being a teacher disappeared! Happy, I will definitely go to Xianyang in winter. Meng Zhao said.

Hearing the teacher's rumors about the King of Qin, Montenegro felt uneasy and walked around the streets, wanting to hear the comments of the people. Tongbai County used to be a lot more prosperous, and the streets used to be full of people wearing black kudzu clothes, but now they are colorful and colorful! Many new houses were built on the vacant land in the city. After walking a few streets, I didn't hear the comments of the people who were dissatisfied with the court. When he arrived at the door of Lu Cao, he saw many young people lining up, and Montenegro felt strange, so he went inside and listened carefully.

At this time, the last one had just left, and it was the turn of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old young man, who sat down in front of the judge and asked, "I am seventeen years old this year, and I have signed up for the army many times, why has my name not been on the list published in the township?" ”

The judge, taking out two wooden calves, asked as he took notes, "Are you from that village?" Please show your test. ”

"Dahe Township, Li Zhuang people." The young man took out a piece of wood engraved with his name and the features of his portrait and handed it to the judge.

"How many dings do you have? But someone has not returned from the army? The judge asked as he registered.

"There are three dings, my father is forty-eight years old, my eldest brother is twenty-two years old, and I have a thirteen-year-old brother. The eldest brother is a thousand commanders in Shangjun, and he is an official doctor! ”

"Second Ding, Third Ding draw one, since your eldest brother has joined the army, you can't go! The township is right! ”

"But I also want to join the army, can't they be accommodating?

"No, if you are allowed to go, Xiangqiangfu and Li Zheng will violate Article 7 of the Great Qin Conscription Order, and each person will be fined the second class, and the punishment of dismissal."

"How much is the second grade? What if I don't have the money to pay the fine? The young man asked a little biased.

The judge was not impatient, and still patiently replied: "According to the price at the beginning of this year, the first class is 1,600 yuan, and the second class is 3,200 yuan." If there is no money to pay the fine, it should be replaced by hard labor, and the dry food brought by oneself can be worth eighteen dollars a day, and it will take one hundred and seventy-eight days to pay it all. If you don't bring dry food, you can only pay 13 yuan a day, and it will take 246 days to get it full. ”

"What can I do if I am in a situation like this to join the army?"

"When your brother comes back, you can go. Or, when your brother turns seventeen, you can go to your family. Or if your son is seventeen years old, you can go as long as you are not yet fifty-five years old. The judge replied in detail.

"Hey, then I'd better wait until my brother is seventeen years old, and I'll go again!" The young man said helplessly.

"Do you have any more questions?" The judge asked.

"No more! I'm done asking, I'll go back first! The young man replied.

"You can't go yet, wait a little longer. When the scribe finishes copying the wooden slip, you sign it, and you can only leave with a piece! The military judge replied.

The judge has the next one! After a while, the scribe copied it, put the two pieces of wood with the same contents side by side, and after the young man had read them, he signed them in the middle of the two wooden sheets, and asked the judge to stamp the fire seal, and took out one of them and solemnly handed it to the young man.

The young man asked, "What's the use of giving me this piece of wood?" ”

"If in a few years, your brother grows up and still doesn't let you join the army, you can tell Xiangqiang and Li Zheng with the wooden card that you won't be embarrassed!" The scribe replied.

"What if you make a mistake?" The young man asked curiously.

"Then we will be punished with the same penalty as the wrong interpretation of the law." The scribe replied.

"This piece of wood is so easy to use, I have to put it away and go back to show the other partners in the township, so that they don't have to come and run!" The young man said, taking the pieces of wood, and went home happy.

In Nanyang County, although Montenegro had a great reputation, but few people knew others, Montenegro asked the scribe curiously, "Are there so many people who come to consult the law every day?" ”

"Usually few people come to ask, but when it comes to conscription, or when many soldiers return to their hometowns to visit relatives, many people come to ask! You think, I went out with General Montenegro three years ago, and now all of them have come back with more than doctors, and all the good land, slaves, and houses are all there! Who doesn't want to be impressed! The scribe replied.

After going around the county, there were no rumors about the Empress Dowager Zhao in the market, and Montenegro was relieved!

After bidding farewell to the teacher, Montenegro galloped back to his hometown Zhangzhuang with the guards. Zhangzhuang has changed greatly, and the spacious official road can be reached directly, and there are ox carts constantly coming and going on the road. The rice below the mountain began to turn yellow, and the mountain land on the mountain was full of corn. The straw houses by the river are long gone, and the rows of green brick and black tile courtyard houses are rich and healthy.

There are two big houses in the village, one is the one in Montenegro and the other in Zhang Jin's house, and neither of them has a master to live in, only a servant is at home. Montenegro actually went straight home, and when the housekeeper Liu Cheng saw Montenegro coming back, he hurriedly beckoned the others to salute.

The courtyard was very lively, and there were seven or eight toddlers, having a good time!

"These kids are your little minions! More than three years ago, you let everyone get married freely, and all of a sudden it became nine couples, and in the blink of an eye, the children were crawling on the ground, and a few were breastfeeding! Liu Cheng said.

"Wait a minute, I'll let Li Zheng go through the redemption procedures for you, and you will be a civil citizen, so you don't have to be an official slave anymore! What do you think? Montenegro said.

"Farewell, we are all willing to be servants of the young master's family. There is no need to serve as a servant, and the income is not lower than that of the people in the village. Live more freely than the people in the village. Everyone else envies us! Liu Cheng said.

"But these children have grown up in a blink of an eye, do you want them to continue to be official slaves?" Montenegro asked.

"We have all discussed, in a few years, we will invite two gentlemen to teach them martial arts and literacy, and then send them to you when they grow up, so that they can redeem themselves for meritorious service. Now people come to me every day, and I want to send my children to you to serve the country! Liu Cheng said.

"You go and prepare, and invite Li Zheng and the three elders of the township to have dinner in the evening! I'm going to look at the pottery kiln. Black Mountain commanded and came to the ceramics workshop next to him.

The pottery workshop is now in charge of the main text, and the eldest brother Guang only came back once after a while, and now he has long stopped burning the chimney. Today just out of the kiln, the kiln mouth is full of teacups, teapots and wine glasses, wine jugs and other products. Montenegro greeted everyone and picked up the product and looked at it carefully. Due to the high firing temperature of the eldest brother's pottery, it was also glazed. It looks very simple and beautiful.

"How are these products selling?" Montenegro asked.

"It's selling very well now, and it's all shipped to Xianyang after it's burned, and your eldest brother will sell it himself. The last time the ground came back and said that now a cup could be sold for fifty dollars. This kiln is hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's just that the yield rate is too low, and many merchants come to the door to sell our products, but they are rejected by your big brother! Wen introduced.

"Starting today, you will first fire a batch of clay pots, put the pots and cups into the clay pots and then fire them, and the finished product will be much higher. In addition, in the future, each cup will be stamped with the word 'light'. Our pottery workshop was renamed 'South Sunshine Kiln'. All finished products were shipped to Xianyang. No one will sell it. Fifty dollars for a cup is too cheap, and it is about the same to sell hardware at least. Montenegro said.

"Can this thing be sold for more than gold?" Wen was surprised.

"In my opinion, such a beautiful thing should be more expensive than gold!" Montenegro replied.

At dinner, Montenegro said to Li Zhenghe and the three elders of the township: "Three years ago, you handed over twelve children of Dahe Township to me, except for one dead and one wounded, the other ten people were all officials and doctors and above, and two of them went to other places to serve as county lieutenants. There is no shortcut to meritorious service on the battlefield! Wang Ben, the son of General Wang Qian, also started from a pawn, fought more than 40 battles, and was seriously injured several times before fighting to become the main general of the Heavy Infantry Army, but there are those who want to enlist in the army in the future, I hope that the children of the township party usually study and practice martial arts, so that the battlefield can make more meritorious contributions and less bloodshed, this is the right way! ”