The car stopped.

Li Jie got out of the car, and as soon as his feet hit the ground, there was a sharp pain in his waist.

"Brother Ming Zhong, does your back hurt again?"

Seeing Li Jie's right hand supporting his waist and gasping for air, Zong Ze, who got out of the car one step earlier, immediately asked with concern.

"Much better. It was only the night before yesterday that it was painful. ”

"Then Zong Ze will go and invite Imperial Doctor Mei tonight and put a few more stitches?"

Li Jie's heart was in pain, his face was sallow, there was no trace of blood, and a layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. I only feel that my waist, which was just a little better because of acupuncture yesterday, hurts so much that I can't wait to beat it a few times with a hammer.

Hearing what Zong Ze said, he hurriedly said, "I've worked hard." ”

Zong Ze came over to help Li Jie: "Brother Ming Zhong, let's sit down and rest first." ”

"Don't!" Li Jie hurriedly stretched out his hand to stop Zong Ze, "It's good to stand for a while with this waist problem, and you can't sit still." ”

Zong Ze didn't let go of his hand, and helped Li Jie leaning against the carriage door, telling the coachman not to hurry away.

Leaning against the car door and standing for a while, Li Jie's face was no longer sallow, and he said with a smile: "Fortunately, it's a car, and it's a horseback ride, so I can really have this old life." ”

"If Brother Ming Zhong is not too troublesome, tomorrow you can go to the car shop on West Cross Street with Zong Ze to have a look, where all kinds of carriages are sold, the best ones are no worse than those made by the palace, and the bottom of the car is cushioned with soft steel, which is much stronger than this carriage, and it will not hurt the waist when it is used for transportation."

The hard work of the past few years has hurt Li Jie's waist. You can't ride a horse, so you can only travel by car. Fortunately, in the past two years, horse-drawn carriages have become common in the capital, and many officials use horse-drawn carriages to travel outside. Compared with the past, from the prime minister to the lowly officials, the vast majority of those who ride horses, even if they are old, will try to ride horses. No one wants to go out in a carriage or on their shoulders, and give the handle to the Yushitai for nothing.

But now, on the one hand, the carriage is becoming more and more comfortable, lying in the carriage is similar to lying in bed, on the other hand, the air in the capital is getting dirtier and dirtier, and the dust can be avoided in the carriage, and the most important thing is that the world is becoming more and more extravagant, and there is no good horse with good blood, tall and handsome, so that people have no shame to ride out. Riding a horse, the face is not enough to lose. In other words, it is much better to take a car, a carriage with a bright appearance, not more expensive than a good horse, but easier to maintain, and the horse does not need to be pulled by Hexi horse or big horse.

Because of this, the carriages and horses of the rental carriages have sprung up one after another, and the Kaifeng Mansion can have tens of thousands of dollars a year just to collect the license fees for the carriages. On the other hand, the horse renters who used to wait for guests at the street and bridgehead disappeared one by one, either changing jobs or joining the carriage and horse dealership.

This change made Li Jie, who had been sitting in the car since arriving in Beijing, less conspicuous.

However, Li Jie didn't plan to buy a car, "Don't bother, I'm going to leave Beijing in a few days, what's the use of buying a car?" ”

"Brother Ming Zhong's waist has to be well cared for. And the minister also said the day before yesterday, this time Brother Ming Zhong, when you come back, you should take care of yourself in the capital for a while. ”

"Is there such a thing?!" Li Jie's heart was pounding, is this crossing the river and demolishing the bridge, or is it another reuse? Then he shook his head and said tentatively: "Xianggong Yu Li Jie has the grace of knowing each other, how can this kindness be repaid if he stays in Jingshi to recuperate?" Rulin, you don't have to worry, back pain is not a disease, or you will die. ”

"Xianggong should want to see Brother Ming Zhong walking like flying." Zong Ze laughed and said clearly: "Xianggong has been sighing that no one is available before, and when Brother Ming Zhong comes back this time, Xianggong will not let him go." ”

"Those who are as talented as Ru Lin are rare in the world, and there is no one in ten thousand, but if they are like a commandment, they are a vehicle bucket, and there is no other place to help Xianggong except for selling coolies." After Li Jie's peace of mind calmed down, he said a few words modestly, and then looked back behind him, "Okay, let's go in quickly, don't let Xianggong wait for a long time." ”

That being said, the alley in front of the Prime Minister's House has always been full of traffic and pedestrians. The carriage had only stopped at the entrance of the alley for a short moment, and some people behind it were already starting to get impatient.

A man dressed as a servant came over and saluted the two of them: "Please also ask the two Xiucai to give way a little, my family officials have something to go in." ”

Zong Ze and Li Jie did not wear official uniforms, and they rented a carriage, but the dragons and snakes in the capital were mixed, and they were in front of the prime minister's house. Maybe it's just that he doesn't try and try, but he also has a deep background, and maintaining due politeness is the most basic common sense of an official eunuch.

Zong Ze looked to the place where the servants had come from, and a simple but well-made black carriage was parked behind it, waiting for this side to make way.

Seeing the carriage and the two horses in front of him, Zong Ze said in his heart, the owner of the car must have a good family background, and it is estimated that the official position will not be too low.

I was about to pull it, but I saw that the door of the carriage was pushed open, and a cloud of red popped out of it, and when I looked at it again, it was an official wearing a five-grade red robe.

The servant who was rushing was startled, but when he saw that the official didn't stand firmly, he laughed, "But the champion of the sect in the Zhongshu soldiers' ceremonial room?!" ”

The official was originally waiting in the car coldly, letting the servant deal with the road blocker in front, but as soon as he saw that it was Zong Ze, he immediately changed his expression and stepped forward.

Zong Ze recognized the person at a glance and greeted him: "Zong Ze has seen Wang Zhige. ”

Wang Tonglao hurriedly returned the salute.

The son of Wang Yaochen, the governor of Renzong Jiayou, Wang Tonglao is older than Zong Ze, with deeper qualifications and a higher status. But there is a father who has been the champion and has been a governor of political affairs, Wang Tonglao knows very well that a champion like Zong Ze, who jumped out of the Third Pavilion and the Hanlin Academy in a timely manner, will have a broader road in the future, not to mention Zong Ze's backstage.

After saluting, Wang Tonglao looked at Li Jie again: "This should be Li Mingzhong, who presided over the construction of the Beijing-Si Railway, right?" ”

Li Jie's serious salute to Wang Tonglao, but because the back pain has not disappeared, his waist is bent a little less when he salutes, but Wang Tonglao can't see any mustard, and his smile has not diminished at all. Not to mention Zong Ze, who won the champion, even Li Jie, who did not have the qualification of Jinshi, just valued by Han Gang, in a few years, he would definitely have the opportunity to participate in the court push.

The most important thing is that Han Gang is very satisfied with the work of Shen Kuo and Li Jie, otherwise he would not have personally gone out of the city two days ago to greet Shen Kuo and Li Jie.

Wang Tonglao heard that the gold medal expedited express mail sent the information to Beijing through the railway, and when he learned the time of Shen Kuo's arrival in Beijing, Han Gang did not hesitate to go out of the city to greet him.

That's the Prime Minister's outskirts!

In the past, this glory could only be enjoyed by the marshals who returned to the dynasty with great achievements, or it was the patent of the elders, where did ordinary officials have such treatment?

But Han Gang still insisted on going out of the city. He personally went out of the city to greet Shen Kuo and Li Jie, and he also wanted the world to understand how great the achievements of the two were.

A Beijing-Si railway, so that the country's lifeline is no longer controlled by the rise and fall of the water, presided over the successful construction, its merits under the defeat of the thief?

The significance of the opening of the Beijing-Si Railway no longer needs anyone to bother. Under the propaganda of newspapers and commentaries, the operation of Fangcheng Rail for many years, and Han Gang's "Travels in the Nine Domains", even a seven-year-old child in the capital knows the Tao, and from then on, the status of Bianshui is no longer so important.

Han Gang further greeted, in addition to raising the significance of the opening of the Beijing-Si Railway, but also to support Shen Kuo, which was about to support Shen Kuo into the two prefectures.

And Han Gang's attitude immediately spread throughout the capital, and it also made Li Jie enjoy the awe-inspiring feeling one step ahead.

Wang Tong greeted the elder with enthusiasm, and specially invited Zong Ze and Li Jie to a party a few days later, so that Zong and Li wasted a lot of effort to get out.

Then Wang Tonglao used envious eyes to see Zong Ze and Li Jie avoid the main gate of the Han Mansion and turn to the position of the side door.

In the gatehouse at the main entrance, there were too many officials waiting for Han Gang's reception, and most of the time the Han family entered and exited through the side door, including Han Gang's cronies.

When Zong Ze and Li Jie quietly entered through the side door, they were soon led to Han Gang's study.

"Li Jie, please see the prime minister."

"Zong Ze pays a visit to the prime minister."

As soon as they entered the study, the two of them saluted like Han Gang almost at the same time, but Han Gang was not humble, he stood up, arched his hand as a return salute, turned around and said, "Rulin, Ming Zhong, come with me." ”

"Xianggong ......" Zong Ze was taken aback, Han Gang's mind was not this one before.

"The big and small matters on the railway were all agreed upon in the political hall yesterday, Rulin, you don't need to work hard." Han Gang said skillfully.

Han Gang had already met Li Jie under the Zhongshu Gate yesterday, and he had said a lot about the affairs of the railway, so naturally, he didn't have to say it again today. As for the content of Gewu, such as the speed of the carriage and the convenience brought by the steam engine, Han Gang only talked about it in general terms yesterday and casually mentioned two sentences.

Han Gang didn't say much nonsense, turned around and found a drawing from the inner room, unfolded it and put it in front of Zong Ze and Li Jie.

"Have you ever seen a drawing like this?" He asked.

Li Jie only glanced at it, and his eyes were fixed on it.

"This is a drawing of a steam engine?"

He quickly distinguished.

Li Jie's talent is not only in the construction of railways, but also in industrial machinery. Li Jie drew a good picture, and the three views he painted, if it weren't for the paper drawings, would almost be like the design drawings of later generations. Of course, the difference in details is not something that Han Gang, a layman, can figure out.

"Has it already been made?!" Zong Ze was shocked, why didn't he even have any news before, and Li Jie also frowned, he hadn't heard of any reports in this regard.

"It's early, it's just a little eyebrow-raising." Han Gang looked down at the drawings, focused and attentive, "Since ancient times, agriculture has been the foundation of the country, and there is no food in the world. But the current situation is a mess and can't be sorted out. ”