When the princes in various places had their own arrangements, there was only one month left in the first year of the first peace. Just after November, on the first day of December, heavy snow fell under Shangdang and Hanoi, and the people were both hopeful and fearful.

The hope is that the heavy snow can stop the princes and horses, so that the people can avoid the scourge of war. Can the people be afraid, without food or clothing? Maybe when you wake up the next day, your loved ones will be asleep. I don't know when I will follow in the footsteps of my relatives and sleep in the snow.

Compared with the bare mountains in the northern region, the steep mountains of Shangdang are densely forested. In less than two days, the goose-feathered snow covered all the mountains around Shangdang, and the pine branches and leaves in the mountains and forests were crunched by the heavy snow. Occasionally, there was the sound of crackling branches in the mountains and forests, like the miserable screams of the people before they froze to death.

Xiang Ao was dressed in mink clothes at this time, accompanied by Dian Wei, standing on top of the Hukou Pass, looking at the surrounding mountains, nostalgic for traveling to the world with the old Taoist master, and also sighing at the ruthlessness of the world.

"Awe, are you homesick?"

Dian Wei was stunned when he heard this, and then smirked: "The place where the lord is is home is home!" ”

"Huh!" Xiang Ao knocked on Dian Wei's head with a chuckle, turned his head and continued to gaze at the mountains, and sighed: "Ah Wei has also learned to pat on the back!" I miss home, I miss the people of the Northern Regions, I miss Ah Yan and them, and I also miss Yan'er and Ping'er. ”

Speaking of his family members Cai Yan, Xiang Ping, Xiang Ao was full of happiness and longing. Dian Wei looked at his father-in-law, and also thought of the tiger-headed boy who was born not long ago, smirking hehe, and Xiang Ao was as happy as he was.

"Lord, it's cold." Xi Zhong climbed the pass, saw that Xiang Ao was only wearing a thin mink robe, took the cloak from Xiang Ao's personal guard, came to Xiang Ao's back and draped it on Xiang Ao's back with a little worry, and said: "With such a heavy snowfall, it is estimated that all the princes in the world will temporarily settle down, and the lord does not have to worry too much." ”

As soon as Xi Zhong reminded him, Xiang Ao found that his legs, which had been standing for a long time, were a little stiff. Xiang Ao pulled the cloak on his back, shook his legs, turned around and saw the thickly wrapped Xi Zhong and said: "Zhicai still needs to practice his body!" ”

Xi Zhong looked down at the thick cotton clothes on his body, and then looked at Xiang Ao and Dian Wei, who were much thinner than him, rubbed his nose awkwardly and said, "It's okay, it's not a lot of cold winter." Besides, Zhong's health is fine, but he is afraid of the cold. When Xiang Ao heard this, he looked up and down at Xi Zhong again, raised his eyebrows, and asked with a chuckle: "Is that really the case?" ”

Xi Zhong was a little embarrassed by Xiang Ao's smell, and hurriedly changed the topic and said, "I'll talk about it in the future." However, the people of Shangdang and Hanoi counties spent the winter, and I am afraid that the lord had to spend some time on it. ”

"Hey..."Xiang Ao sighed and said, "I'm just worried about this!" If Taiyuan is not blocked, you only need to ask the General's Mansion to send coal balls and grain and grass, but it's a pity..."

"Don't be in a hurry. Kong Ming had already written in August, saying that Zhang Chen and Cao Peng had observed many celestial phenomena and had already reminded Kong Ming. Xi Zhong looked at Xiang Ao with some envy and said: "The lord may not have thought that although the prince is still young, with the help of Ma Gongcheng, he has created many incredible objects. ”

Xi Zhong opened the slightly bloated coat on his body, revealed a kick and said: "Lord, look, this shirt is the jacket used by Gongzi to invent warmth, called a down jacket!" ”

Xiang Ao stepped forward, stretched out his hand curiously, rubbed Xi Zhong's coat, and asked in surprise: "The clothes say that they are full of bird feathers?" ”

"Yes!" Xi Zhong chuckled and said, "Childe is curious about why in such a cold winter, the poultry are not afraid of the cold wind to go out to forage. He ordered someone to find a lot of poultry feathers, and after knowing the reason, he informed Kong Ming. Kong Ming saw such a miraculous thing, so he immediately rushed to Dingxiang with his son, studied with Ma Gongcheng for a few days, and made such clothes. ”

Hearing that this thing was invented by his own children, Xiang Ao was even more surprised. Ignoring whether Xi Zhong was cold or not, he scraped his clothes off Xi Zhong's body, took off his mink clothes, and put them on himself. After putting it on, Xiang Ao was stunned, he didn't expect it to be so warm. Xi Zhong looked at Xiang Ao with a confused expression, and then a cold wind hit, and Xi Zhong shivered.

"Lord... The lord, such as... How is it? ”

"Well, it's really warm!" Xiang Ao replied in surprise, turned his head and saw Xi Zhong's lips that had begun to turn black, smiled speechlessly, took off his clothes, and handed it back to Xi Zhong: "Zhicai's body should really be exercised." ”

"How much does it cost?" Xiang Ao suddenly remembered the cost, if ordinary people can't afford it, what's the use?

Put on a down jacket, Xi Zhong, who was immersed in the warmth, was awakened by Xiang Ao, and coughed embarrassedly a few times: "This one on Zhong's body is the best, and it is made of the most intimate goose down, and the cost is really high." However, Kong Ming said in his letter that if you use the fluff of ordinary poultry, the cost will be a lot, and the people with a little surplus can buy two or three pieces with some savings. ”

Xiang Ao nodded a little excitedly, said no more, and left in a hurry with the two of them, returned to the eldest son, and prepared to start the down jacket.

Shangdang is a county managed by Xiang Ao himself, even if the time is not long, but the efficiency is not low, gathering the strength of the whole county of Shangdang County, less than ten days, tens of thousands of pieces have been made. Although the workmanship is rough and not as meticulous as the one sent from the Northern Regions, the time is pressing, and it is enough to keep warm. The party, which failed to restore the people's livelihood, of course, could not support Xiang Ao's production of down jackets with financial revenues. However, things are tight, and the difference between high and low is not.

Xiang Ao ordered the best down and fabrics to be slightly modified according to the style sent by Kong Ming, and changed them into several clothes with different styles and extremely luxurious looks. Then find a craftsman to create some gold and silver devices, as an embellishment, and the grade will be instantly improved. In this way, the Shangdang and Hanoi families have become Xiang Ao's fat sheep, slaughtering them with luxurious down jackets.

Then through Hanoi and spread outward, even the wealthy families in the Yingchuan and Henan Yin areas were not spared. The opinion of tight down is often sold to the major families at a price ten times or even dozens of times the cost. Xiang Ao is even more based on the principle of scarcity is precious, manufacturing multiple versions, each version is sold in limited quantities, so that the Central Plains, which was originally made miserable by the cold winter, is lively because of the appearance of down jackets.

As for imitations? Hehe! Xiang Ao is not worried. The poultry down filled with the down jacket is not just pulled off and stuffed in. It also needs to go through several cleanings and soak in special potions before it can be filled, otherwise it will not take long to collapse and lose most of its warmth.

As for the slightly inferior down jackets purchased by the people, the quality is still guaranteed, and it is much thicker at the time, and it is not as luxurious as the down jackets sold to the family, and they are just bright. If the people did not have enough money, Xiang Ao moved the current loan decree in the northern regions, or joined the army to deduct military salaries, or advanced the conscription for the coming year. Anyway, the money is earned from the family, and Xiang Ao doesn't feel a loss.

With such a life-saving grace, the people of Shangdang and Hanoi became more and more grateful to Xiang Ao. As for the Maison, it was not found that there was anything wrong at first. But when the trend of comparing down jackets appeared, and their own money flowed out too much unconsciously, the family found out where the benefits of down jackets were. The families of Hanoi and Shangdang complained about Xiang Ao and expressed their dissatisfaction with Xiang Ao's letter.

However, the down jacket has not appeared for a long time, and after the winter, it is difficult to become popular, and the unexpected family of Shangdang and Hanoi is only red for a moment, and there is no way to take Xiang Ao's tens of thousands of elite troops, but he secretly tries to instigate the princes from all walks of life. But when the princes from all walks of life were flourishing, no princes were willing to offend Xiang Ao for the time being, and in the end, they had to give up.

As for the families of Hanoi and Shangdang counties, although they did not make Xiang Ao jealous, they were surging undercurrents, which gave Xiang Ao a little headache.

Huai County, Hanoi.

"General, don't these families have a shame?" Han Hao roared angrily in front of Zhao Yun: "How many people have survived such a cold winter with the down made by the lord?" What a merit! But the people of the family actually tried to expose the interests of the down jacket, and even asked the lord to teach the method of making down jackets to the people of the family, which is really shameful! ”

Zhao Yun is indeed a lot calmer, such a scene, how can he ever know each other in the northern region in the past, Zhao Yun is no longer surprised. Zhao Yun patted Han Hao on the shoulder and comforted Han Hao: "Aren't shameless people in the family often like this? Yuan Hei doesn't have to be angry, he is angry with his body. ”

"But..."

Zhao Yun waved his hand, interrupting the angry Han Hao, his eyes were firm, and he said solemnly: "The heir doesn't have to worry, the lord has his own decision." Even if the big clan intervenes, the lord will not back down! ”

Han Hao was stunned, a little puzzled, a little sudden.

Zhao Yun saw Yuan Hei's expression, so he remembered the previous incident of his own family's main bus generation, and found the right time to mention Han Hao and let him return to his heart. Zhao Yun felt that it was the right time at this time: "Before the lord left, he confessed to Yun, and he had more heart-to-heart than the heir. ”

"Yun also thought the same as the heir of the Yuan before, hoping that the world can be peaceful, so that the people can live in peace, and let the Han Dynasty survive forever." Zhao Yun said, led Han Hao to the front of the government office, pointed to the down jacket on the street that looked a little ugly, and said: "But please take a look, the lord has managed to make a down jacket, even if the county government finances are empty, it will also be credited to the people, so that the people can survive the cold winter." ”

"But what about the family? On weekdays, he is high up and sage, but secretly he has been swallowing up the land on which the people depend, not to mention, as long as there is something profitable in the world, he will show his ugly face. Zhao Yun turned his head and asked Han Hao with a puzzled face: "Yuan Hei thinks that no matter whether the dynasty changes or not, if a family of such character still exists, what should the people do?" ”

Han Hao's face was painful, as if he was struggling, as if he was preventing the belief in his heart that he had insisted on in the past from collapsing. But with Zhao Yun's last question, Han Hao's mind roared, and with a bang, his admiration for the family and his insistence on the imperial court collapsed suddenly.

"The lord said that the people of my Han Dynasty are the most simple, and no one's heart can be cold, but it can't chill the hearts of the people of the Han Dynasty!"