Time is like an arrow, and in a blink of an eye, a full twelve years have passed, and it is the winter twelve years after the decisive battle of the main Han and Hungarian forces.

Liu Ji, the craftsman, devoured the knife-cut noodles, eating them so deliciously, sweetly and quickly, that he didn't even notice the juice on his gray beard. Five years ago, Liu Ji first ate knife-cut noodles when he was eating this appearance, five years later, the appearance of pancake steamed buns more than ten years ago, so that Liu Ji decisively abandoned the small rice he had eaten for more than 30 years, and changed to wheat noodles with a higher yield per mu as the staple food, after tasting the deliciousness of knife-cut noodles five years ago, Liu Ji became a loyal fan of knife-cut noodles again.

"Love, look at your eating appearance, people who don't know still think I haven't cooked for you for three days." His wife, who also had gray hair, came to Liu Ji, complaining angrily, wiping the juice from Liu Ji's beard with a handkerchief, and asked, "How is today's noodles?" I put sesame oil from the Western Regions, but I don't know if you are used to eating it, so I only put a little bit of it. ”

"Fragrant, more fragrant than lard." Liu Ji chewed the noodles and replied vaguely, and said, "Next time you make knife-cut noodles, you can put a little more." ”

"That's good." The wife showed a pleased smile and said: "Since you like this taste, then I will try to buy a little sesame paste in the future, make sesame paste knife cut noodles for you to try, I heard the chief say, His Majesty sent people to teach people to make sesame paste in the vegetable field in Chang'an, which is more fragrant than sesame oil, and many merchants in Chang'an City are making and selling it." ”

Liu Ji, who was a little greedy, nodded, and said casually: "In the future, every fifteenth day of the new year, as long as you are free, you will also go to the vegetable market in the city to learn those new things, Zhang Blacksmith's daughter-in-law learned to use an iron pot to fry vegetables there, and now his family eats stir-fried vegetables every day, I also want to give it a try." ”

"Got it, you old slander." The wife scolded with a smile, and said: "Go into the city today to sell goods and come back early, and I will make dumplings for you in the evening, cabbage filling." ”

The greedy Liu Ji nodded happily, and soon picked up the noodles in the bowl to the bottom, and was about to go out with a wipe of his mouth, and his wife quickly chased after him, stuffed a cloth bag to Liu Ji, and said: "Steamed buns, give you lunch to eat, if the business is good, buy a bowl of broth to eat, don't try to save money and chew dry." ”

"Still having lunch? You and I are the Marquis of Guan Nei, eating three meals a day? ”

Liu Ji was a little reluctant to accept the steamed buns, and his wife insisted on stuffing the steamed buns to him, saying: "Take it and eat it, the imperial court has already issued an edict, abolishing the ancient rites that civilians can only eat two meals a day, as long as our heads are able to get by at home, they don't care how many meals they eat a day, this year the world is ripe, and the grain is so cheap that the imperial court has to buy it at a high price, our family's grating business is good, you are also more than 50 people, you can eat more, don't starve." ”

Unable to resist his wife's kindness, Liu Ji finally took the steamed bun and put it well, then picked up the load full of baskets and went out, walked more than 20 miles and entered Chang'an City, first delivered the steamer customized by the restaurant in the city to the door, and then picked up the remaining baskets and dustpans to the West Market, looking for a suitable stall to sell goods.

The founding emperor of the Han Dynasty changed the beginning of the year to the first day of the first month since he ascended the throne, and the end of December was close to the end of the year, and the market was very lively, crowded with merchants and people who bought and sold goods, Liu Ji came late, and it took a long time to find a place in the corner to put down the contempt and sell it, but it was okay, because the business was good at the end of the year, Liu Ji's business was quite good, and it was just noon that he sold a seven seven eight eight, and the purse containing the copper money gradually became heavier.

Nothing makes a craftsman happier than good business, and because after the imperial court canceled the annoying rules of pricing the open coupons, Liu Ji also sold the basketware for a good price, and under the joy in his heart, Liu Ji couldn't help but remember his wife's advice when he went out, so he went to the nearby market to buy a bowl of mutton soup, and brought it back to the stall with steamed buns for lunch, but when Liu Ji was gnawing on the dry and hard steamed buns, someone suddenly said next to him: "Old man, why don't you try to crush the steamed buns and soak them in the mutton soup to eat?" It tastes better when eaten this way. ”

Liu Ji looked up strangely and saw that the person next to him was talking to him, a very handsome man, wearing a clean and simple Confucian robe, with a kind smile on his face, Liu Ji asked strangely: "Sir, are you talking to me?" ”

The handsome man nodded, smiled again and said, "Old man, it tastes better if you crush the steamed buns and eat them in mutton soup, you can give it a try." ”

"Can you eat like that?" Liu Ji asked curiously.

"This is called mutton steamed buns, and it is a way to eat it in the palace." The handsome man replied with a smile.

Seeing that the handsome man was serious and curious, Liu Ji really put down the bowl, smashed the steamed bun and put it in to soak and eat, not to mention, the dry and hard steamed bun did become much more delicious after absorbing the delicious mutton soup.

"It's delicious, it's really delicious, thank you sir for your advice, thank you sir for your advice." Liu Ji nodded happily, stood up again and let go of the little horse he brought, and said to the handsome man: "Is Mr. tired, sit down and rest for a while." ”

"How does this work?" The handsome man said modestly: "Old man, you are old, how can you let me sit down?" ”

"It's okay, it's okay, sir, please sit down, the little old man is strong." Liu Ji insisted on inviting the handsome man to sit down, and said, "Little Lao'er just ate, and he is also thinking about standing for a while. ”

The handsome man was indeed a little tired of shopping, and after a few words, he still sat down at Liu Ji's invitation, and asked curiously: "Old man, are you used to sitting in this kind of Mazha passed down from the imperial court to the people?" ”

"Habit, it's much more comfortable than sitting on your knees." Liu Ji replied honestly with a smile.

The handsome man nodded with a very pleased expression, and asked again, "What is the old man's surname?" ”

"The head of the countryside, what kind of noble surname do you dare to be?" Liu Ji was modest, and said: "The little old man's name is Liu Ji, sir, you can call me by my name directly." ”

"Liu Ji?" The handsome man's expression suddenly became extremely surprised, and he said in surprise: "Such a coincidence, the old man, you are also called Liu Ji?" ”

"Yes, the little old man is called Liu Ji." Liu Ji nodded, and asked curiously: "What, sir, listen to your tone, you know other people named Liu Ji." ”

"Do you know more than that?" The handsome man smiled very complicatedly, and seemed to sigh quietly, as if remembering something from the past. After shaking his head, the handsome man smiled at Liu Ji again: "Old man, since you are also called Liu Ji, can I ask you a few words, what do you think of His Majesty the Emperor now?" ”

"How is His Majesty the Emperor now?" Liu Ji was asked by the handsome man, and then said: "Of course, I have lived for more than fifty years, and I have experienced three emperors, and the current emperor is the best." ”

"Where is it?" The handsome man asked.

"Good to us." Liu Ji immediately replied: "The tax is low, and the conscription is small, even if the conscription is a good water conservancy for us, since the Huns were defeated twelve years ago, there has never been a war, so that we, the leaders of the Qian, have lived a peaceful life, compared with the previous two emperors who built the palace at two ends in the previous three days, our current emperor simply does not know how much better." ”

"Also, His Majesty the current Emperor has taught us a lot of good things." Liu Ji added: "Let's not talk about the plow, since our majesty taught us to use a new plow, in the past ten years, eight or nine years of the pass have been ripe, and each acre of land has at least half a minute's extra grain, and now even a little old man like me dares to eat three meals a day." I heard that Gaoling has also used the new wheat seeds cultivated by His Majesty himself this year, and one acre of land is almost one more kind of grain, which is equivalent to one acre of land being used as two acres of land. Sir, you say, if all the fields under heaven can harvest grain like this, will we still be able to eat it? ”

The handsome man smiled with satisfaction and corrected: "Old man, not only is one acre of land used as two acres of land, after using the field substitution method, the field over there in Gaoling is now equivalent to one acre of land being used as four acres of land." ”

"Mr. don't say it, the little old man really forgot about the Daitian method." Liu Ji patted his forehead in annoyance, and said hurriedly: "Yes, after using the field substitution method, our land in Guanzhong has long been used as one acre of land as two acres of land." ”

The handsome man smiled again and asked again, "Old man, what do you think of the governance of His Majesty the Emperor?" That is, after His Majesty the Emperor ascended the throne, what about the decrees issued? ”

"Okay, do you need to talk about that?" Liu Ji replied without thinking about it: "After Your Majesty ascended the throne, every decree issued was good to us, abolished a lot of troublesome laws, and abolished corporal punishment, even if you accidentally break the law occasionally, you don't have to worry about being cut off your hands and feet, and you have abolished the Zhulian Law, so that we no longer have to guard against our neighbors like thieves, and let people go to the Western Regions to bring us a lot of good things from the Hu people. ”

"Our emperor is really a good emperor." Liu Ji said sincerely: "It has only been more than ten years since I ascended the throne, and I have governed the world in a proper manner, everything is good, little old man, I can live a good life in the second half of my life, and this life is not in vain." ”

The handsome man smiled very pleased, and casually asked about the situation at Liu Ji's family, Liu Ji answered truthfully one by one, saying that his second son did not want to learn from him, and went to the workshop opened by the imperial court to learn to burn glass, and was already a glassmaker who was about to become a teacher, the younger son went to learn papermaking last year, and the daughter of a letterpress craftsman family made a marriage, and he was going to get married during the New Year, and his grandson entered the school opened by the government and had learned to write dozens of words.

I don't know why, when Liu Ji said these situations, the handsome man was extremely pleased and happy all the time, and then when he really couldn't find anything to talk about, the handsome man got up to say goodbye, and took out a jade pendant and said: "Old man, it's rare that we are so fateful, since your youngest son is going to get married after the New Year, this is a congratulatory gift from me, please be sure to accept it." ”

"How can this work?" Liu Ji was taken aback, and hurriedly pushed: "Sir, the little old man and you don't know each other, how can you accept such a valuable thing for no reason?" ”

"Old man, take it." The handsome man insisted on stuffing the jade pendant into Liu Ji's hand, and said with a smile: "Let's not say that since we know each other, we are fateful, just because of your name, old man, I should give you something." ”

It was really a concession, Liu Ji could only accept the jade pendant that the handsome man insisted on giving him, and then after a thousand thanks, Liu Ji remembered one thing and hurriedly asked: "Sir, I don't know your high surname and where you live?" ”

"In Xia Kangxiang, I live in this Chang'an City." The handsome man replied casually, and then arched his hand and said, "Old man, I have my leave, let's meet again if we have fate." ”

After that, the handsome man got up and left, but after walking a distance, the handsome man suddenly turned around, first looked at Liu Ji, who had the same name as his deceased, and then looked up at the sky, and muttered: "Liu Ji, did you see it?" This is the world I govern, you can rest assured, I will definitely make the people of the Han Dynasty live and work in peace and contentment, be more satisfied, and will definitely make the Han more prosperous, more prosperous, and stronger. ”

It was also a coincidence that after the handsome man muttered these words, the sky rose one after another, and a heavy snow fell again, as if another Liu Ji heard the handsome man's words and was answering him.

Ten years later, the Han Emperor Xiang Kang sent Ding Li, the younger brother of Ding Ji, a famous general of the Han Dynasty, and Feng Wen, the son of Feng Zhong, to lead an army of 100,000 to attack the Xiongnu in the north.

Eighteen years later, under the pretext of Loulan collusion with the Yueshi State to block the trade route, the Han Dynasty sent 50,000 troops out of Longxi, smashed the Qilian Mountain, swept away the seven countries of Hexi, including the Yueshi State and the Loulan State, and seized the Hexi Corridor.

End of book.