The grain fields on the Hetao Plain were already green at this time, and various agricultural products such as sorghum, millet, and wheat grew inch by inch towards the scorching sun. In the field, many farmers are bending down to clear the weeds in the field. At this time, it was the beginning of August, and every farmer was sweating under the scorching sun.

Nonghan's face was full of smiles, and he didn't show any tiredness. Imagine that at the time of the autumn harvest, in addition to the high wages, there is also a lot of grain and meat subsidized by the monarch, and the farmers are even more hard. The fields are full of staggered irrigation canals, and after four or five years of operation, Ma Jun used his optimized and invented agricultural tools to make the Hetao Plain a self-contained system, and the yield of various crops was huge.

Xiang Ao has been in the Northern Regions for more than two months, in addition to the boring government affairs on weekdays, Xiang Ao and a group of generals to learn martial arts and discuss strategies. Occasionally, I will inspect various cities to learn about the livelihood of people in various places. The Southern Xiongnu people, who had been attached for several years, had become accustomed to calling themselves Han Chinese, speaking Han and performing Han rituals. Xiang Ao did not completely ban the customs of a small number of foreign ethnic groups, and there were still a few newly attached foreign people who practiced their customs on weekdays.

As long as his behavior did not have the intention of rebellion, Xiang Ao also turned a blind eye, but once it was verified that there was a sense of rebellion, Xiang Ao would not be soft, and he was suppressed with thunder and sentenced to death. Originally, Xiang Ao thought that the Wuyuan Yunzhong family, who forcibly took over the land, would leave the Northern Regions Protectorate, but he never thought that there would be several poor families from other regions of the state to vote. Not only Xiang Ao, but even Hu Zhao and Xu Fu were extremely surprised.

Although the Hanmen is called the Hanmen, after all, the ancestors were also brilliant and are also a member of the family. The struggle between the Hanmen and the scholars is only a struggle within the family. But Xiang Ao's life experience, which is not as good as the poor for the time being, how can there be a family to vote?

After understanding, it does prove that Xiang Ao thinks too much. The people who came to invest in the family were actually only emerging families in recent years, thanks to their businessman background, they learned to learn skills, and bought official positions in the hands of Liu Hong, so they already claimed to be in the family, so that Xiang Ao and others were in charge.

Even so, Xiang Ao is pleased, presumably the real family, Xiang Ao cares more about his identity as a businessman for generations. There are two people who especially make Xiang Ao pay attention, one is Zhang Chen, the word Ziyu; A Geng Shou, the word is immortal.

Although it is a family in the middle, no one recognizes its family identity. However, Zhang Chen was a hero of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, and Emperor Wen was the prime minister of Beiping after Zhang Cang. Emperor Wu was at the beginning of the world, and during the reign of Emperor Wen, most of the military generals who accompanied him were born, but Zhang Cang was committed to discussing the rhythm and revising the calendar. In his later years, he promoted his friends to the court, and his people were greedy and self-interested, which affected Zhang Cang. Zhang Cang's descendants committed the crime of disrespecting the throne after attending the funerals of the princes, so that the titles and fiefdoms were revoked.

To this day, no one remembers Zhang Cang's contributions. Fortunately, he inherited his mantle, learned some knowledge, and passed it on to Zhang Chen's generation.

As for Geng Shou, it was after Geng Shouchang in the Great Si Nong Zhong when Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty. Although Geng Shouchang's officialdom did not have Zhang Cang's high position, he was also a master of magic at that time. He is proficient in mathematics, and also revises the "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic" like Zhang Cang, and uses copper to cast an armillary sphere to observe the heavens, and is the author of 232 volumes such as "Moon Walking Silk Map", "Sun and Moon Silk Map", and two volumes of "Moon Walking Chart", which are passed on to future generations.

The two were proficient in arithmetic, astronomy and geography. If you are a member of a family, you may have been appreciated by the court and held an important position. However, the family was in the middle of the road, and the two had to learn from the family and do the things that the world did not pay much attention to.

When the two talked about the affairs of their families, they were all a little humble and felt inferior. But I don't want Xiang Ao to attach great importance to it.

"Jun Hou, Mr. Ziyu and Mr. Changsheng are great talents, and now they have won my General's Mansion, and Zhaojue can be used!" Hu Zhao stood up and bowed and said, and then raised his eyebrows to Xiang Ao.

"Mr. Ziyu and Mr. Changsheng are indeed talented." Xiang Ao saw that Hu Zhao's eyes were slightly difficult: "At this time, there is no one to pay attention to the business and measurement in the house, if Mr. Ru and the two of them are from such a trivial matter, it would be condescending." ”

The two of them had come to seek officials, and when they saw Xiang Ao like this at this time, they were a little disappointed in their hearts. Although the two are very good at business, the order of respect and humility of today's 'Shinong Industry and Commerce' has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

"The positions of Shang Cao and Fa Cao in the house have not yet been decided, if the king can approve it, he can order the two of them to watch it for the time being."

Before Xiang Ao could reply, the two of them couldn't wait to agree.

"Jun Hou, I am a good businessman, and I can lead Shang Cao to take a position!"

"Jun Hou, I am good at measuring, and I can lead Facao to take up a position!"

The two also understood that if Xiang Ao became a subordinate of the general of the expedition to the north, if he made meritorious service and was able to take charge of one side alone, there would be a way to restore the glory of his ancestors.

"Ziyu and Changsheng, I can attach great importance to the affairs of the merchants and Fa Cao in this mansion, if you two are willing to take this position, you can do your best!" Xiang Ao said solemnly.

"I will live up to the trust of the king!" The two bowed to each other.

Xiang Ao and Hu Zhao looked at each other and chuckled, then helped the two of them up, and invited them to sit down and talk in detail.

Shang Cao was in charge of the business in the General's Mansion, which was the most important business in the General's Mansion at this time, and for several years, if it were not for Xiang Ao's early business, let alone supporting Xiang Ao's troops, even the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees would not be able to bear it.

The position of Fa Cao was in charge of many busy affairs such as postal transmission, post station, and mileage measurement, which was also extremely important to the future protectorate of the northern region under Xiang Ao's jurisdiction, whether it was farming or baggage transportation. Xiang Ao has never been able to ask for such a talent, and he is even more anxious in his heart, never thinking that there will be two people today.

After Hu Zhao led the two to leave, Hu Zhao even talked about how Xiang Ao valued the positions of Shang Cao and Fa Cao, and after the two heard many reasons, they were even more grateful to Xiang Ao, and they would report their acquaintances.

Xiang Ao looked at the backs of the three of them leaving, and had some expectations in his heart: if this is the case, he will pick up the two talents, and then try to collect them for his own use. The family has such a monopoly on the art of pedantry, which is really not beneficial to the people!

Two months ago, when Xiang Ao returned to Wuyuan, he presented it to Luoyang in a book, and the court also replied very quickly unlike usual. Although he did not announce what he wanted to reward Xiang Ao, he ordered Xiang Ao to enter the court on September 15. Rushing from Wuyuan to Luoyang, riding 800 miles of fast horses without stopping, it will take ten days.

Xiang Ao planned to set off in mid-August and rushed to Luoyang without hurrying. When Xiang Ao had nothing to do to accompany Jiang Yao'er and Xiaoya to play, Wuyuan City ushered in two young people, one was about four out of ten teenagers, and the other was already a young man with a crown.

The boy looked around curiously, muttering incessantly. The boy was about six feet long, and his handsome face was slightly emaciated, and it was not known whether it was due to insufficient food or a hidden disease. The young man was dressed in a blue robe, biting a horsetail grass in his mouth, and his uncoiled hair fell slightly in front of his forehead, and his expression was slightly frivolous.

The young man with the crown is obviously a lot calmer, although he also looks around, but when he walks, he does raise his head and chest, and he is much more righteous than the young man. The young man was dressed in a white robe, and a longsword that seemed to be extremely ordinary hung from his waist, holding the hilt of the sword in one hand and carrying it behind his back with the other. The man's hair stood on end, and a black jade flute was inserted horizontally in the middle.

"Tsk... Brother Zhicai, this expedition to the north is really extraordinary, so many foreign races can coexist peacefully with the Han people. The young man was amazed, and he was very curious about Xiang Ao in his heart: "Look, Brother Zhicai, the man in that couple is actually a Xianbei person!" ”

"General Zhengbei is indeed amazing!" The young man known as Zhicai nodded and said, "Brother Jia, it seems that this trip may be very rewarding." ”

"It may not be seen, who knows whether it is fame and reputation, it is all an illusion!" The boy shook his head and said softly.

The young man is the young man of the Guo family recommended by Guo Hong before leaving, and his name is Jia. Guo Jianai is a member of the Taiwei Guo Xi clan during the Jianning period of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, and is a family member of the Guo family in Yingchuan, and Guo Xi is even more famous in the world.

As for the young man's surname opera, his name is Zhong, his character is Zhicai, and he is a person from Yingchuan. There are many families in Yingchuan, such as the Guo family, the Xun family, the Chen family, etc., but they have never heard of the family with the surname opera. However, many talented people in Yingchuan often have dealings with Xizhong, I don't know if it is because of their extraordinary knowledge or family background.

"But my uncle is really, and he told Jia Fei to come to such a remote place to meet Xiang Jun and wait for this person." Guo Jia was slightly dissatisfied.

Xi Zhong didn't answer, all kinds of thoughts wandered in his heart, and his eyebrows looked a little dignified. Before coming to Wuyuan to meet Xiang Ao, Xi Zhong took Guo Jia to Shuofang, Wuyuan and Yunzhong all over Shuofang, Wuyuan and Yunzhong under the pretext of having a difficult trip, and observed everywhere. The young and innocent Guo Jia didn't think much about it, and happily played around.

Whenever they saw that Shuofang and other places were different from other states and counties, they were amazed. Regarding Guo Jia's ignorance after being amazed, the older and calm Xi Zhong thought more. The name of Zhicai has also been famous in Yingchuan for a long time, even if people as famous as Pang Degong and Sima Hui are full of praise for Xi Zhong.

Compared with literary style and strategy, Xi Zhong may not be as good as many Yingchuan celebrities, but he has his own different views on the overall situation prediction of the whole world. However, although there are opinions, most of them cannot be shown in front of people, but the young Guo Jia next to Xi Zhong occasionally jokes coincides with Xi Zhong.

It is also strange to say that Guo Jia is so old, there are no other so-called prodigies, and there is no ignorance of innocent teenagers. It's more fearless about most things, and doesn't care. Whether it is the people or the family, it is worthless in his eyes.

"Brother Zhicai, why does Jia think that Brother Zhicai is a little weird recently!" Guo Jia looked at Xi Zhong with some puzzlement: "I always feel that Brother Zhicai has been preoccupied recently, but he is absent-minded when he says he is going to play." ”

"Oh?! It's a fool's fault to ignore Brother Jia! Xi Zhong smiled lightly and said: "After the two of us see the general of Zhengbei today, we will have a good life." ”

Thinking so much and doing so much, you still have to see everything before you decide! After Xi Zhong wanted to open up for a while, his heart was clear.

"Jun Hou, there are two gentlemen outside the mansion who ask to see them, claiming to be from the Guo family!"

"Order someone to make a pot of good tea!" Xiang Ao instructed the guards, Xiang Ao thought about it for a while, and then remembered the people mentioned in Guo Hong's letter before leaving. got up and went out, without letting the guards pass it on, and personally stepped forward to greet him. After all, the other party is also a member of the family, and he can't miss the courtesy.