Originally, the king did not believe that there was really a unicorn, it is said that the unicorn and the phoenix, turtle, and dragon are called the "four spirits", which is the mount of the gods, and there is no god in this world is a question, where is the mount from, the world, the regions are different, the species are different, maybe what is the wild animal that grows in Cochin, was sent to the Great Song Dynasty as a unicorn, and it is normal for the water and soil to die if they are not satisfied,

"Since Brother Shen has seen it, you might as well tell me what that thing looks like." Although I haven't seen a real unicorn, I have watched the animal world since I was a child, and I have not gone to the zoo less, maybe I can really say the name of that thing.

Shen Kuo thought for a while, and said while gesturing: "They look like buffaloes, but their bodies are covered with fleshy scale armor; There is a single horn at the end of the nose, which eats grass and melons and fruits; They must be hit with a stick before they can eat. ”

This seems to be a rhinoceros, but the rhinoceros has rough skin and thick flesh, but it is not any scale armor, and the king couldn't help but ask curiously: "What does that scale armor look like?" ”

Shen Kuo stretched out his hand and gestured: "That strange beast, with long hair on its neck, and the scale armor on its body is as big as the palm of your hand, this is not Tianlu, what is it, but the official position was humble at that time, who listens to me, this horned beast is called Tianlu, if it is two horns, it is called evil spirit." ”

Just denied a unicorn, and let Shen Kuo come out with a Tianlu, Wang next to know that there are 75 species extinct every day in the world, 3 species are extinct every hour, it may not be surprising that ancient species can't say their names, but when I think of the name Tianlu, how does it sound so familiar, Tianlu is not something called Pixiu in modern times, Wang Bi remembers that he also specially studied it in order to invite a Pixiu, that is, in ancient times, this kind of Rui beast was divided into one horn and two horns, one horn is called "Tianlu", and the two horns are called "evil spirits", Now the king is really interested in going to Jiaozhi, he may not believe what others say, but this is said from Shen Kuo's mouth,

The king, who was not impressed just now, jumped up now, this is the legendary fortune god who does not eat and pull: "It will not be the person responsible for raising this strange beast, I don't know how to raise this strange beast, otherwise how can I beat them with a wooden stick before they are willing to eat, this animal will not starve to death but also be killed." ”

"Oh, I don't bother to fight them at all, Sima Guang once sent an edict to the Chongzheng Palace, these beasts are useless to govern this country well, they are completely wasteful; It is better to use the money for serving them to do something useful for the country, and also wrote a book entitled "Into the Jiaozhi Offering Strange Beasts Fu" Table, and also said that the envoys should be summoned, and they should be given gold silks and edicts to reward their kindness, but the "Qilin" should be returned to them and let them be transported back to their homeland......"

This Sima Guang is really pedantic enough, how much financial resources does it cost to eat grass beasts, and this Sima Guang doesn't seem to understand diplomacy, if we Chinese giant pandas say which country to send to, the other party will not only be far away, but also a little bit of loss, a little disrespectful to the national treasure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to protest, not to mention the legendary beast in this matter,

"It seems that Jiaozhi is unhappy about this matter, and it is also the credit of Dr. Sima." The king couldn't help but sigh,

"But why don't you ask me?" Shen Kuo muttered dissatisfiedly, looking at it like that, Shen Kuo was more regretful than the person next to the king who had never seen a strange beast,

"You don't have to be awkward, don't worry, you can say a lot of things in the future, not only the saint will listen, but also spread through the ages." The king looked at Shen Kuo like that, smiled and comforted him,

"How do you know, you know how to make my brother happy."

"Don't you like to write a diary, write well, and many future generations will read your diary to understand the Song Dynasty."

Shen Kuo was first surprised and then panicked when he heard this: "You kid, don't you suspect that you want to change the dynasty when others hear what you say?" ”

At this point, Wang Bi didn't expect that the ancients were so taboo about changing dynasties, and his words were really unintentional to listen to them, but fortunately, Shen Kuo didn't care, and then asked: "However, how do you know that I have a habit of writing notes." ”

"Alas, every time I went to you before, when you were experimenting with the compass, didn't you just write and draw while experimenting, I see that you have this hobby, so why don't you call that book a pen talk." The king was secretly wiping his sweat, if Shen Kuo asked about something, he would not be finished.

"By the way, Brother Shen, when are you going to take office."

"As an official, I can't participate in the New Year's court meeting at all, but I must participate in the winter solstice festival."

"Oh, congratulations to Brother Shen."

"What's so gratifying about that."

"Isn't it worth congratulating you for participating in such a big royal event, haha"

"Still laughing, you don't have to participate, I can see it if I haven't participated, it looks lively, but there are a lot of questions here."

Could it be that Shen Kuo and Wang Fang thought of going together, although the officials had to go through various etiquette from the Ministry of Rites, but when they thought of the sacrifice activities of the winter solstice, Wang Fang took the lead, this is one of the most important festivals in the Song Dynasty, and Wang Bi also participated in the sacrifice, and even in the Song Dynasty, this kind of ceremony of the emperor personally sacrificing to the sky was more lively than the New Year's court meeting,

Every day on this day, the altar of worship will be set up in the southern suburbs, the altar of heaven is outside the Nanxun Gate, the emperor will set up a table in Qingcheng in the suburbs, and will start training the car elephant two months ago,

Speaking of the sacrificial process is more complicated, there are many ceremonies, according to the "Tokyo Menghualu" record, the emperor went to the Daqing Hall before the sacrifice, three days before the winter solstice, the Daqing Palace, the slaughter of the hundred officials are all in legal clothes, and their heads and crowns have their own qualities. The ceremonial chariot is called the letter flag, the dragon flag, the wind bird, the guide car, the wooden chariot, the elephant chariot, the leather chariot, the gold chariot, the jade chariot and so on. Lined up inside and outside the palace gate and the royal street, tens of thousands of guards and gold-armed iron horses surrounded the pass. The next day, the five watches, by the chief ceremonial officer to announce the warning, the holy drive to set off, the iron horse to lead the fangon, all kinds of ceremonial guards continue to line, there are also three watches, such as elephants, like seven heads, each with brocade by its body, the golden lotus seat on its back, the golden bridle around its brain, the brocade man across its neck. The second high flag fan, painting halberd spear, five-color intermediary, across the horse of the people wearing various styles, various colors of clothing, some dozens of people singing, holding the big flag and passing, there are holding the big axe, carrying the sword, holding the sharp card, holding the stirrup stick, there are holding the leopard tail rod, there are holding the short pestle, the flag fan is painted with a dragon, or tiger or clouds, or mountains and rivers, and there is a flag five zhang high, called the second yellow dragon, if the holy drive to the Taimiao, Qingcheng, the banner first set up in front of the palace, more than 100 people who protect the flag, and more than 100 people like the four direct messengers can not be described one by one, Thousands of rides out of the Xuande Gate, from Jingling Palace to Taimiao,

After the emperor lived in the Taimiao, the three watches went out of the Nanxun Gate according to the gods, the emperor wore a red robe, wore a crown of heaven, and held Yuangui,

Its roof is carved gold lotus leaves cluster four pillars, the fence carved jade plate flower dragon and phoenix, the emperor to Qingcheng Zhai Palace, at this time there are purple scarves and scarlet clothes team about more than 1,000 Luo Bu suburbs, to the winter solstice, the emperor on the three more to control the suburban altar salute, first to the time to change clothes, sacrifice to change the sacrificial clothes, that is, the flat crown, twenty-four, Qinggon dragon clothes, single, Zhu shoes, jade pendant, supported by the two eunuchs under the altar, the altar of the platform is three layers high, seventy-two altar faces three zhang Xu, the altar is set up two yellow mattress north facing south is Haotian God, northeast to south is Song Taizu position, The bell in front of the altar, the jade chime and all kinds of musical instruments, there are long shapes such as the zither and larger than the zither, cut the bamboo such as the pipe and the two ends have knots and blow horizontally, there is a hole with the soil to burn into a circle and open the hole, there is a sheng and bigger than the sheng, there are more like the flute and more than the pipe, there are singers whose voice is clear, the music is terminated, the ceremonial officer invites the emperor to ascend the altar, the lead officer bows to the side to the altar, in the sound of the music to offer the heavens and the wine, the emperor leads the hundred officials to kneel together, hundreds of thousands of people inside and outside are solemn, but hear the sound of the light breeze ringing. After the ceremony, the emperor changed his clothes and drove back, the teaching workshop entered the hymn, and the army preached and moved, and the sound shook the world. Returning to Qingcheng before the sky is known, hundreds of officials often serve to congratulate, give tea and wine, and the law drives, honor guards, iron horses, and advocates into the Nanxun Gate. Dozens of miles on the royal road, people all bowed to the emperor,

Such a big pomp is spectacular enough, this set of activities is down, looking lively but the hundred officials are tossing one enough, and it looks like it is definitely a waste of money and labor next to the king.

Thinking that Wang Bian has now resigned, it is not convenient to say more about the affairs of the court, Shen Kuo saw that it was not early, and the two made an appointment to see Yangzhou goodbye and then said goodbye and returned home, after Shen Kuo left, Wang Bian thought of the strange beast of Jiaozhi, this time he must go south to Jiaozhi, before just thinking about finding the lost volume, how can he investigate in detail without going to Jiaozhi, and it is good, by going to Jiaozhi for the reason to find the prime minister to do a customs clearance document for himself, of course, the reason can not be written to Jiaozhi, the farther away the better, so that there is a reason to go to Dali, not only can you go to see the Dali Duan in the Tianlong Babu, You can also take a detour to Tubo and visit it in person, so you can naturally calculate the distance and foot strength, so that you can also make a budget for Shu tea to open the ancient road.

With this idea, Wang Bian knew what to do, and it was not too early to see the sky, Wang Bian returned to the inner house, although this house is much bigger, but Tong Guan still has a house with himself, but he is only accompanied by the family, and no longer has the same room with Wang Bian,

Tong Guan's room was still lit, Wang pushed open the door, Tong Guan threw it and read the set of "Wujing General Essentials" while waiting, this kid is really going to be a general in the future, the family in Tong Guan's room, seeing that it was Wang next to him who came in, hurriedly responded: "Childe." ”

Wang Guan waved his hand at him, signaling not to interrupt Tong Guan, but Tong Guan had already seen Wang next to him, and he also put down the book and came over to greet him, and asked: "Daddy hasn't rested yet, I don't know when Daddy will leave, do you want to take Guan'er this time." ”

Wang Fang thought to himself, put this child in the capital, if the teenage child is greedy for play, he will not be able to watch it; It just so happens that Rou'er hasn't been back to the house for a while, although she is still just a nominal concubine, but after all, Rou'er has been following her wife, so it's better to take Tong Guan Rou'er to set off together.

On the second day, the king came to Zeng Xiang's house, this matter was entrusted by Prime Minister Zeng Gongliang, and the matter of passing the document naturally had to be done by him, Zeng Xiang saw that the king was about to leave, although he also felt that he was a little sorry for the king, but he had to do extraordinary things in extraordinary times, so he happily promised the king to do a good job of the document within three days, and then send someone to the king's house.

Wang Fang traveled far this time, but it is also an interesting thing to go back to Jiangning to see Wang Anshi's hometown, what will his physical hometown look like in the Song Dynasty, and what will happen in the middle, so that after Shenzong ascended the throne, Wang Anshi was once again crowned official, but he must carry out Xining reforms.