Su Mian was dumbfounded when he heard this, the thoughts of the people in the capital were really unpredictable, and they couldn't figure out this way of playing the signboard.

Su Song sighed a few times, and then said, "It's not good to make a fire on the ship, otherwise it will be too heavy." But hot air balloons are easy, they are originally the same as Kong Ming lanterns, which are filled with oil, lit on fire, and carried up to the sky with strips of silk, and can be suspended in the air for an hour or two. At night, the lights in the balloons are reflected, and it looks like a city of lights in the sky. ”

Su Mian listened leisurely and sighed repeatedly. His granddaughter was lying on the car window, looking up at the balloons dancing in the wind.

All the way to the door of the post house, Su Song and Su Mian got out of the car before and after. They leave their names in the post house, and they can go to Su Songfu to live.

As soon as I got out of the car, I saw an attendant guarding in front of the post house.

The chamberlain obviously knew Su Song, and when he saw someone, his eyes lit up, and he immediately trotted over. did not salute according to the rules, but after Su Xuan, Su Song's second uncle and nephew straightened their waists and asked loudly: "But Su Mian, the governor of Yongzhou and the jurisdiction of Guangxi and the imperial city, is Su Mian?" ”

As soon as he heard the title in the question, Su Song knew that this chamberlain must have the emperor's order.

Su Mian stepped forward: "It's Su Mian." ”

"According to the Son of Heaven, Zhao Su will enter the palace immediately after arriving in Beijing."

Su Mian is not surprised, since the beginning of this year, there have been more and more small actions in Jiaozhi Country. There are almost a dozen copies of the recitals he submitted, all of which remind the Son of Heaven to strengthen his vigilance, and ask the Son of Heaven to issue an edict to let Liu Yi, who is also the governor of Guangxi and Guizhou, stop doing stupid things. For that small southern country, the DPRK and China are very vigilant, and the Son of Heaven is also very concerned. Su Mian has been on the road for three years and four times, and almost one-third of his time is spent on the road every year.

He saluted at the gate of the inn: "The minister obeys the order." ”

After getting up, Su Mian looked down at the clothes on his body, and said to the waiter: "Huangmenquan will not be treated, and after Su Song bathes and changes clothes, he will go to the palace to meet him." ”

If you are not dressed properly, your body is not clean, and of course you can't see the Son of Heaven, which is a great disrespect. Although the word 'immediate' is in the message, it is not in a hurry to this place. After passing the message, the attitude of the inner servant became humble: "The imperial city, please, the villain is waiting at the door." ”

Su Song was about to send Su Mu in, but the chamberlain turned to him at this time and said, "Master Su, Your Majesty also has an edict to ask you to enter the palace for consultation." After a pause, he said in a low voice: "It's a matter of the ordnance prison." ”

Su Song nodded, signaling that he also understood. Summoned a Yuan Sui and told him to hurry back to the house to get the official clothes. Turning to Su Su, who was surprised, he smiled: "It's a little faster than going back to change clothes." ”

The uncle and nephew walked to the post house together. Hearing the movement outside, the alarmed Yicheng hurriedly greeted him. Nodding and bowing, the two of them—mainly Su Song, a scholar of Jixian Academy—prepared the room for changing their robes.

Su Mian heard the words of the chamberlain to Su Song, and he was a little surprised in his heart. Just now in the car, he heard that Su Song was about to be transferred to Yingtianfu, that is, Nanjing [now Shangqiu], and had nothing to do with the ordnance superintendent. Waiting for no outsiders to be around, he asked, "Didn't you say that you were going to Nanjing Yingtianfu?" Why does it have something to do with the ordnance prison again? ”

"It's for the water turbines." Su Song smiled bitterly, "My nephew is not good at studying, he has always been distracted, and he has learned a little bit of things, and I don't know when he has a reputation for erudition." So much so that even the court asked his nephew about the utensils he wanted to make. ”

"Hydro turbines?" Su Yanha laughed: "No wonder I want to ask you." For mechanical things, it's better to ask others than to ask for you. ”

Su Mian quickly changed his robe, and Yuan Sui, who Su Song sent home, also quickly returned with his clothes. Each wore Zhu Zi, and the Su uncle and nephew, under the guidance of the chamberlain, got on the horse and went to the palace.

All the way into the palace, the Son of Heaven was discussing in the palace. Su Mian and Su Song were led to the pavilion gate outside the Chongzheng Hall to wait for the summons. As soon as the two of them arrived, they saw a person turning from the corridor in front of them. He was a very young official, tall and straight, wearing a red robe and a fish bag hanging from his waist.

Su Mian was extremely surprised: "How can the clan go to the Chongzheng Hall at this hour?" ”

"It's not the clan, he's Han Gang of the Weapons Supervisor!" Su Song smiled, "It's only twenty-three, and I've already been given a five-grade uniform, and I'm a seven-grade living houser." It's no wonder that Uncle Twenty-Six will misunderstand. ”

"Oh...... He is Han Yukun! Su Mian's slightly elongated tone had an inexplicable taste, and he was amazed by Han Gang's youth from the bottom of his heart.

He has been in the officialdom for forty years, and he is also a jinshi, but now he has turned to a martial arts, and he is only an imperial envoy of the seventh grade, and he doesn't know when he can survive the horizontal class. However, Su Mian didn't have any jealousy, at his age, the competitive mood of his youth was long gone, and everything had already been seen. After this term, see that the Jiaozhi people are honest, and then go back to their hometown to care for the elderly.

Su Song looked at Su Mian's face carefully, and saw that he didn't have much trouble with Han Gang: "Twenty-sixth uncle, if you have any thoughts on the matter of Jiaozhi, if you can't do it on the right path, you can ask, he can speak in front of the Son of Heaven now." ”

Su Mian listened to Su Song's tone, and seemed to be somewhat familiar with Han Gang: "Zirong, are you very familiar with Han Gang?" ”

"The matter of the water turbine was brought up by Han Gang first, just to be able to drive the forging hammer. And the newly built forging hammers of the Ordnance Supervisor, the Son of Heaven also asked his nephew to evaluate them. I have met him a few times in the Chongzheng Hall this month, and two days ago, Han Gang also came to visit his nephew. ”

Zirong ...... How is Han Gang a person? Su Mian asked Su Song, with a slightly deep tone, as if he had some thoughts.

"Being a person can be regarded as integrity, at least he does not forget his roots, and he spares no effort to recommend his teacher Zhang Zai."

Heaven and earth are pro-teachers, respecting teachers can often be mentioned with loyalty and filial piety, Han Gang has always been against Wang Anshi, and he has to recommend Zhang Zai and Qixue's actions, which has actually won him a lot of praise. Su Song also praised Han Gang because of this matter.

"And he knows everything and has a high level of intelligence, which is indeed a rare talent. When I met him a few days ago, I talked about some things about arithmetic. Unexpectedly, he also has ingenious insights in arithmetic. ”

Su Mian was surprised: "He's only in his twenties, right, and he's even proficient in arithmetic?" ”

Su Song shook his head: "It's not very proficient, but he has simplified some of the algorithms in the Nine Chapters of Arithmetic, which is based on the 'Tianyuan Technique' [Note 1], but it is more complete." This set of simplified algorithms can be generalized, just like going out to chop wood, with a good axe in hand. Seriously, to come up with this set of algorithms, Han Gang is indeed superior, but unfortunately it was used improperly and was not studied deeply, it was completely a pearl secret investment...... If it is used properly, the nine chapters of the Sutra will be greatly changed."

Su Mian didn't know anything about arithmetic, and he hadn't read much of the nine chapters of arithmetic. Su Song, a nephew who knows astronomy and geography, is well-known for his erudition and is a well-known figure in arithmetic and machinery. Seeing him speak in amazement, although there were also whispers in it, it could also be seen that Han Gang had indeed received Su Song's sincere approval.

Su Song saw that Su Mu was thoughtful, so he asked, "I don't know what the twenty-sixth uncle has planned for today's court?" ”

Su Mian didn't hide it from him: "Guizhou Liu Yi forbids trading with Jiaozhi, which is absolutely impossible, which is tantamount to pushing all the tribes in the border area to Jiaozhi." However, the rectification of armaments should still be done, and it can no longer be delayed. ”

"Isn't Guizhou already training its troops?" Su Song asked strangely.

"It should be a Han soldier, not a Xidong native soldier!" Su Mian said two sentences fiercely, and turned the conversation, "The armor of the ordnance supervisor and the divine arm bow, it is best to send a batch to the arsenal of Yongzhou, in Guangxi, only the Han soldiers are the most credible, but it is a pity that the current Guangxi army is a military order is wasted, the armor is not fine, and it is unbearable to fight." The two successive commanders only thought of relying on native soldiers to fight. ”

While the two were talking, an attendant came over to inform them to line up outside the Chongzheng Palace. Su Mu and Su Song were a little surprised, they didn't meet the Son of Heaven for one thing, how could they get notified together. But it's not something to make a fuss about, get up and follow the inner servant to the Chongzheng Palace, and from a distance, I saw Han Gang standing at the door of the hall waiting for the summons.

As soon as he saw Su Song, Han Gang came over to salute first. Su Song is a jinshi in the second year of Qingli, and Han Gang does not dare to be rude when it comes to seniority and Wang Anshi's generation: "Han Gang has seen a bachelor." ”

Su Song bowed his hand in return, listening to the sound of dispute in the hall, he was a little puzzled, "What's the matter?" ”

"The doors were open when they were supposed to come out, but somehow they fought again." Han Gang sighed, turned his gaze, and turned to Su Mian's body.

Su Song introduced: "This is my uncle, and he is currently the governor of Yongzhou. ”

"Yongzhou?" As soon as Han Gang looked at Su Mian, he saluted him again.

When it was re-established, Su Song asked in a low voice: "Today, Yukun went to the palace, but for the sake of the plate armor bureau?" ”

Han Gang nodded and smiled: "The plate armor bureau is rough and rudimentary, and in a month and a half, two thousand sets of plate armor have been built. ”

Moreover, in the past month or so, the workshops in the plate armor bureau have already run in their habits, and it is the time to start work at full speed. In Xingguofang, the area where the Banjia Bureau is located is full of fireworks day and night, and the clanging sound has never stopped. We are almost on the verge of reaching the first target of 300 pieces a day.

"Can you give Yongzhou a batch of plate armor?" Su Mian has been in the south for a long time, and he has always been very straightforward in his words and deeds.

Han Gang's face suddenly turned embarrassed, this is not his responsibility, "This matter has to be asked to the East and West Mansions." However, as far as Han Gang knows, once the plate armor is lowered, it will take Jingying and Shaanxi first, followed by Hedong and Hebei. ”

How many forbidden troops are there in Guangxi? The number of forbidden troops on the southern roads combined was less than one-tenth of that of the north.

The forbidden army in the world, three points in Beijing, three points in Guanxi, Hebei Jiahedong also accounted for three points, and the remaining one point was scattered in the south. Moreover, these forbidden armies can only shake their heads when it comes to fighting, and when it comes to eating empty salaries, one is better than the other. It can't be a turn.

At least until the Northern Forbidden Army changes its clothes, there is no chance in the south, and even Han Gang can't control it. However, for Su Song, Han Gang has been trying to get along with him recently, and he can't refute his face, "In this way, Han Gang can try to squeeze out a batch of divine arm bows in the prison, as long as it is approved by the Chinese letter, he will send it directly to Yongzhou without delay." ”

Su Mian was overjoyed to hear this, and this was what he begged for. Hades is better than a little ghost, and in many cases, even if you get through the upper floors, there will be chaos below. It is easy to convince the Son of Heaven, and it is not difficult to get the nod of Zhongshu Zaisuke, but it is extremely difficult to make the supervisors below do things quickly. Now that he has Han Gang's promise, he can let go of half of his heart - at least Su Song also said that Han Gang's character is not bad, so he will not break his promise.

Several people waited outside the hall for a while, but they never saw the door of the hall open, only listening to the arguments in the hall getting louder and louder, but they couldn't hear clearly when they were far away from the temple door, Su Mian was a little puzzled: "What is being said inside?" ”

Han Gang shook his head lightly, his expression was a little disapproving, and he said softly: "It's Li Feng's rebellion!" ”

Note 1: Tian Yuan is a general method of using unknown equations in ancient China, which is basically the same as the method of column equations in modern algebra, but the way of writing is different. Its origin is about the Xining period.