Liu Ze pretended to be careless, and said to Zhuge Liang: "There is a little discomfort in the abdomen, how about bothering Kong Ming to lead the way?" Huang Chengyan urged: "Go, go." Zhuge Liang and Liu Ze came outside, Liu Ze saw the hanging swing, and couldn't help but steal fun, he really wanted to come to something.

After convenience, Liu Ze came to the swing frame, pointed to the swing and said: "This board flies up and down, dancing in the air, it is really pleasant." Zhuge Liang was still thinking about Huang Yueying's question, and replied casually: "Yes, yes." Liu Ze angrily wanted to slap Zhuge in the face, "Why don't Kong Ming try it?" How could Zhuge Liang have such idle time, and hurriedly said: "Huang Chengcheng is waiting." Liu Ze stepped on the swing and swayed at will, "Kong Ming, this board is shaking up and down, why don't you feel bumpy?" Xiao Liangliang's eyes lit up, stared at the swing for a long time, suddenly jumped up, and said loudly: "I thought of it, I thought of it." Like the wind, he ran into Huang Chengyan's room. Liu Ze got off the swing board and said with a wry smile: I have ignited you for a long time, and I am finally breathable.

Liu Ze returned to the room, saw Huang Yueying with a little star on her face, looked at Zhuge Liang with admiration, saw Liu Ze, ran over, pulled Liu Ze's sleeve and said, "Brother Liang has thought of a way." Liu Ze pretended to be surprised and said, "Kong Ming is really smart, he thought of a way so quickly." Zhuge Liang had already come back to his senses at this time, walked to Liu Ze's side, and whispered: "Thank you for the guidance of the state pastor." Liu Ze said: "I just feel that the swing board is stable, how can I say more?" Huang Chengyan said with a smile: "Kong Ming is really clever, and he thought of hanging the carriage board in the wooden frame around him, so that there will be no bumpy." ”

Liu Ze saw that Huang Chengyan was happy, so he said: "Huang Gong's demeanor is better than in the past, Ze is very relieved." Huang Chengyan said with a smile: "It's not because of the blessing of the state pastor, so that I don't have to worry about food and clothing, and second, I have all my needs." The development of clever things every day makes me feel very relieved and happy. Liu Ze said with a smile: "Sister Yueying has seen that she has become a big girl, the so-called fair lady, the gentleman is good, is Huang Gong unintentional?" Huang Chengyan looked at Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Liang's eyes were hot, and Huang Chengyan said: "Kong Ming is a young talent, and there are dragons and phoenixes among people." However, his heart is uncertain, he relies on his intelligence, and he looks down on the heroes of the world, so he is afraid that he is not a good son-in-law? Huang Yueying pursed her lips, seeing her father looking at the beloved in her heart like this, she sulked suddenly, and said angrily: "Kong Mingzhi is slightly superhuman, and his appearance is dignified, how can he be so unbearable?" Zhuge Liang's face turned red when Lao Huang said it, and he pulled Huang Yueying's sleeve to make her silent.

Liu Ze said with a smile: "Huang Gong, Kong is young next year, and the coming day will be long." As the saying goes: If there is a change, if there is none, it will be encouraged. Zeng Ziyun: I have three provinces and my body. With Kong Ming's intelligence, he should be a generation of great sages. Zhuge Liang saw that Liu Ze was working hard to speak for him, and said to Huang Chengyan: "Liang should study hard and save himself every day." Liu Ze said: "Huang Gong, I see that Yueying and Kong Ming are in love, they are really a good couple, why not do it?" Huang Chengyan actually likes Zhuge Liang very much, but he compares Liu Ze everywhere, but he just took the opportunity to knock Zhuge up, seeing Liu Ze speak, he borrowed the donkey from the slope and nodded slowly. Liu Ze said with a smile: "Kong Mingle is stupid, why don't you come to see your father-in-law soon." Zhuge Liang and Huang Yueying glanced at each other, walked quickly to Huang Chengyan and knelt down, "Liang Bai Xie father-in-law Chengcheng." ”

Liu Ze saw that he had contributed to the happy event between Zhuge and Huang Yueying, and said secretly: "Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Liang, look at how you ran out of my palm." He turned his head to Huang Chengyan and said, "Huang Gong, the joy of Xiangping, you must have heard of it?" Huang Chengyan smiled and said, "I've heard of it for a long time." Liu Ze said: "Ze occasionally gets ancient books, which record the method of gunpowder. "Gunpowder?" Huang Chengyan frowned and said, "Where are the ancient books?" Liu Ze said: "I got it by chance, I met a strongman on the road, took away the book, and made it a thing to roast the fire." Liu Ze sneered, if you don't say that, Mr. Huang may have to force me to take out the book. Sure enough, when Huang Chengyan heard it, he patted the case and said: "The strongman who kills the heavens, the tyrannical things, the tyrannical things." Liu Ze said: "The method of gunpowder, it is clearly stated in the book, one nitrate, two yellow, and three charcoal." I think it's a mixture of one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, and three parts charcoal. "When Liu Ze was a child, there was a local method in the village to make gunpowder, which was further processed into firecrackers, and I remember the gunpowder formula that was handed down at that time, which is what I said.

Huang Chengyan said: "I don't know what gunpowder is? What does it do? Liu Ze said secretly, anyway, the ancient book is gone, brother can say it casually, Liu Ze frowned, pretending to be thinking, and said slowly: "It seems to be said in the book that after the gunpowder is prepared, it is wrapped in bamboo or paper, rolled, and led with a fire rope, and after it is ignited, it can make a loud noise, and the sound can be transmitted for several miles." Lao Huang's interest was aroused, "What does Rundong remember?" Liu Ze shook his head with a wry smile and said, "That's all, nothing more to remember." Huang Chengyan shook his head in frustration, ignored Liu Ze, Zhuge Liang, and Huang Yueying, walked out of the house with his hands behind his back.

Liu Ze was taken aback when he saw Xu Chu, and said, "Zhongkang, there are still more than three months before Zhengdan, why is it early?" Xu Chu smiled and said, "Isn't this missing Ming Gong?" Liu Ze gave Xu Chu a punch with a smile and said, "Say it quickly." Xu Chu said: "Chu returned to the rearmed army, and then guarded the Ming Duke." Liu Ze shouted: "Xu Zhongkang is guilty? Frightened, Xu Chu hurriedly knelt down, "Lord, I came back on the order of Lord Xi Zhicai, and I didn't leave my post without permission." Liu Ze pulled Xu Chu up and said, "What's the matter?" Speak quickly. Xu Chu said: "Master Xi ordered me to receive an order, hand over the defense, rush back to Xiangping, and be the main guard." The people around Liu Ze called Liu Ze simply messy, Xu Chu was in a hurry, and he shouted for a while. In fact, it's no wonder that his subordinates, with Liu Ze's foundation, most people regard Liu Ze as the lord in their hearts, the princess, and the head of the family.

Liu Ze asked people to call Xi Zhicai, and when Xi Zhicai saw Xu Chu, he immediately understood what was going on, and took out Jia Xu's letter and the silk cloth that recorded Liu Ze's words. Xi Zhicai said: "Zhong Kang and Shi A both returned to Xiangping. Ming Gong is in danger, I am personally responsible, please don't blame Ming Gong. Liu Ze smiled bitterly: "Zhicai's intention was originally Xiangping, how can Ze blame." ”

Xi Zhicai recruited Dian Wei and Shi A, and told the three people about Liu Ze's distress in Luoyang and being attacked by Yuan Jun in Baitan, Shi Ah as a personal witness, but when it comes to the tongue, it is still Xi Zhicai who came, Dian Wei and Xu Chu heard it, and blew up their lungs, and the three of them have been staying by Liu Ze's side, and their feelings are very deep, plus Liu Ze is not informal, and the three of them call themselves brothers, and when they heard that Yuan Shao treated Liu Ze like this, they couldn't wait to immediately wave the army in Luoyang City and behead Yuan Shao's dog. Xi Zhicai said to the three of them: "No matter where Ming Gong is, Shi A is responsible for the personal guards, and Dian Wei and Xu Chu are in charge of the periphery. If Ming Gong wants to transfer any of you out, you can disobey the order, and I will bear it. ”

Liu Ze's suffering came, no matter where he went, he was followed by a large group of people, Liu Ze found Xi Zhicai to complain, "Zhicai, this is not a way." I am really majestic, and wherever I go, a large group of people follow me, and the common people see it and hide far away. "Xi Zhicai saw that Liu Ze was troubled, and he also felt that he had done it, but what should Ming Gong's safety do? Liu Ze saw that Xi Zhicai was dead-headed, and nodded: "Zhicai, it's good to be like this, I will arrange a few people around me when I go out in the future," Xi Zhicai didn't finish listening, and flatly refused, Liu Ze said: "The words are not finished yet, you see that you have a quick temper." Let Shi A, Dian Wei, and Xu Chu lead the guards, make up as ordinary people, and scatter around, isn't the effect the same? Besides, the three of them always have some personal matters to deal with, so the three of them should take turns separately. Xi Zhi thought about it, it really made sense, so he had to nod, and finally said: "This matter is limited to Xiangping City, Ming Gong is out of the city, everything is the same." ”

Liu Ze went to the research institute every once in a while to see Huang Chengyan, or went to the medical school to occasionally make a cameo appearance as a professor, or stayed at home to teach his wife and children. The cold winter is coming, the snowflakes are flying, the New Year's Day is gradually approaching, and the city of Xiangping is lively.

In the lobby of Xiangping Prefecture, the fire is blazing, and the scorching lobby is as warm as spring. Guo Jia, Liu Ye, Le Jin, Zhang Fei, Yu Ban, Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, Xu Rong, Kong Rong, Tai Shici, Xu Shu, Zhang Xiu, Jia Xu, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Guan Yu, Zang Ba, Xu Sheng, Gan Ning, plus Xi Zhicai, Xun Yu, Lu Su, Wei Yan, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Shi A, Wang Cang, Xiahou Lan also arrived from the Qi family, and Zhang He and Gao Ran were also called by Liu Ze. Everyone gathered together, the cold asked for warmth, you said a word to me, and the intimacy arose spontaneously.

Liu Ze asked people to bring up the dishes that had been prepared, and the wine in the big altar was warm and hot, and poured it into the big bowl, Liu Ze got up and toasted loudly: "You are tired of Jizhou, running hard, today is the New Year's Day, gather in Xiangping, to comfort the thoughts of longing." Today, the sages are all over, and they should not be drunk and do not return. Come, first dry the bowl of wine, Ze thanked you for your hard work for Jizhou. And the people were overjoyed, and drank the wine. Liu Ze let everyone go casually, walked down the hall by himself, and gossiped with a few people who came from afar.

Midnight approached, Liu Ze led everyone out of the lobby, the soldiers outside the door lit the firecrackers, although the gunpowder firecrackers were much worse than the sound of later generations, but compared with the single burning bamboo poles, the movement created was still much bigger. Liu Ze waited for the firecrackers to stop, and the air was filled with the smell of gunsmoke, and said: "The gunpowder newly developed by the Xiangping Research and Development Institute has made firecrackers to increase the atmosphere of Zhengdan. This is a new thing, everyone couldn't help but discuss it warmly, Liu Ze smiled: "There are still some firecrackers, those who come today, all have a copy, go home early, reunite with your family, don't let your family blame me for detaining you." The crowd dispersed.

After the New Year, Liu Ze discussed with Xi Zhicai, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Lu Su, Xu Shu, Liu Ye, and Le Jin for several days in a row, and set a date for sending troops to Youji.