Looking west from the Hexi Corridor, there is a piece of loess in the distance, and further on, is the desolate Gobi. In the millennium of successive dynasties, the Central Plains recovered the Hexi Corridor several times and lost the Hexi Corridor several times.

Di Renjie said again: "Father, there is something that children don't understand. Dickinson looked ahead,

"Just say it."

"Under the erosion of wind and sand, no matter how strong the city wall is, it will turn into gravel, and if my father built Jiayuguan in the court, it will still be a ruin in a hundred years." Listening to the words, Dickinson looked at his wise son,

"Xu Shilang of Chang'an City said that he should maintain a long-term relationship with Chang'an City when he holds a position here, and the old man will know them about the things here, and there are so many resourceful people in Chang'an City, they will definitely have a way." Di Renjie said in a low voice: "Can it be changed again?" Seeing that his face was full of unconvincing, Di Zhisuna smiled.

In Lishan, after the crown ceremony, Li Tai began to be busy again, it was late autumn, he was sweating profusely by the stove, and he moved out a basket of precipitated sugar.

"His Royal Highness King Wei, let's just come." The guard took the basket of sugar and preached. Li Tai wiped the sweat from his forehead, and a cold wind blew through it, so that his sweat was collected.

And the guards came to report,

"His Royal Highness King Wei, Shangguan Yi has arrived." Li Tai poured a sip of water, put on his coat again, and when he walked out of the workshop, the cold wind blew in his face, and then he felt that the whole person was much more energetic.

Shangguan Yi hurriedly stepped forward and talked about the construction of the factory this time.

"His Royal Highness King Wei, work will start as soon as winter this year."

"The start of construction is the top priority in the village, you must pay attention to it."

"One more thing." Shangguan Yi hurriedly followed the footsteps,

"The Ministry of War has sent someone to ask about the compass again, and Yan Liben from the Ministry of Industry has also sent someone to inquire." Li Tai walked to the door of the new blacksmith's workshop, which was now nearly five times larger, and among the iron shelves hung huge stone plates, and the iron was taken under these boulders just after calcination.

With the downward pressure of the boulder, the naked eye saw a layer of black impurities peeled off the iron. This is followed by another furnace, where it is re-calcined, and the boulder is pressed repeatedly.

It is not until it is pressed into thin sheets that it is considered a real usable iron. The efficiency is faster and more convenient than quenching with borax.

The boulders are tied with iron chains, and for safety, these boulders are equipped with two layers of insurance, and there is an iron pillar connected to them, even if the iron chain is broken, the boulder will not fall, and it is fixed by the iron pillar that melts together.

The distance between these large stones is too far for people to approach, and the person pulling the chain is one foot apart, and the rules of the blacksmith's workshop are the strictest to ensure that no one will be injured even if the stone falls.

This is a technique designed by my brother-in-law, and there are thirty people in the blacksmith's workshop, each working in shifts for an hour. Standing outside the blacksmith's workshop, Li Tai could feel the heat rushing to his face, and the pressed iron pieces would be collected for the next stage of forging, shaping and grinding.

There is no problem with Lishan continuing to make a compass, and the current Lishan is not impossible. Li Tai hesitated and said: "The Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War want a compass to find the brother-in-law of this king, don't come to Lishan for this kind of thing, Lishan is not in charge." Shangguan Yi nodded and said,

"Then reply to them like that." The cotton grown by the Western Turks and Gaochang also arrived, and around the winter of each year, which is the busiest time in Lishan, a truckload of goods was transported into Lishan, mobilizing the manpower of the entire village for production.

Under the adjustment of Niu Chuang and others, the new Lishan textile flow test was completed, a newly made cotton cloth was brought out, and the villagers cheered again.

When the cold wave in the north went straight into the Central Plains, the first snow fell in the winter of the Central Plains. Li Tai watched as more than a dozen carriages left Lishan and headed towards Luoyang.

Li Xiaogong happened to pass by and saw this scene,

"Is this the agreement between His Majesty and Zhang Yang?" He stood in the snow and made a loud noise. Li Tai stood on the slope of Lishan Mountain and replied, "Uncle Wang will find out soon." The voice in response to Lee Hyo-gong was also very loud, and Lee Tae almost shouted out.

In Chang'an City, by the Qujiang Pond, Zhang Yang and Li Shimin were drinking tea.

"The Uighurs have sent news that the envoys of your diplomatic court have indeed met with the Uighur Khan, but they are not willing to return the Khan of Xueyanta Domi, and I think you have a great manpower." Li Shimin spoke, with a smile in his words.

Zhang Yang said entangledly: "Please also ask Your Majesty to give our envoy more time." The queen was holding her granddaughter Xiao Qingqing and whispering to Li Yue.

Snowflakes fell and melted. This heavy snowfall came early and foreshadowed good weather in the coming year. The good weather in the coming year is favorable to Sheji, and the emperor is very happy and in a beautiful mood.

The prince carried the stove and asked people to put the hot pot, and the cut mutton was put on the side. Zhang Yang sighed,

"It's still Your Majesty's luxury, and it is actually cooked in a copper pot." The way to eat hot pot in Chang'an City became popular very quickly, which made Zhang Yang feel a sense of guilt, and his mood was suddenly bad.

"There is good wine and good meat, what are you doing with a bitter face."

"If it weren't for His Majesty's salt and iron order, I should have made money by selling iron pots, maybe I could get rid of poverty and become rich as soon as possible." Li Shimin is full of indifference,

"You're rich now, too." Zhang Yang held a new teacup made by himself,

"The Uighur affairs cannot be rushed, and General Li Ji does not know whether he can keep out the cold except for the troops." Li Shimin quickly scooped up the mutton, and said while eating: "I have already asked people to send you cotton clothes from Lishan, you don't have to worry about them." Li Yue and the queen are teasing Xiao Qingqing, and the little son seems to have fallen out of favor, she is playing with blocks alone and building the house.

Snowflakes fell on this big family. I was still worried about the situation in Luoyang, and the court asked Yushitai and Dali Temple to send people to Luoyang to investigate the eucalyptus, and even sent Dali Temple Shaoqing and Yushi Ma Zhou.

Set off in autumn, according to the current schedule, it is time to arrive in Luoyang to start the investigation. I don't know what the situation is, at the moment when the transportation conditions are backward, I can only wait for the people in Luoyang to send the news, and it will be another month to come back and forth.

Li Shimin eats deliciously,

"Aren't you going to eat?" Zhang Yangnai said: "Back to Your Majesty, it is not suitable for the minister to eat mutton when he has been on fire recently." ”

"Hehehe...... You've never shared a pot with me, and you've never eaten with me. "The emperor is the boss of the Manchu Dynasty's civil and military affairs, who dares to eat in the same pot with the emperor.

Zhang Yang is still holding his teacup,

"Your Majesty's words are wrong, how warm the reception was when my family used to eat." The food at home is not in one pot, but on the same table, and everyone eats the food on the plate, and they can get by in their hearts.

"I asked Cen Wenwen to look at Shangshu's accounts, and your bookkeeping method is very useful."

"Zhao Guogong has the wisdom of knowing people, and his vision knows at a glance that I am not suitable for governing and managing accounts." Zhang Yang exhaled, and the cold air turned into a cloud of fog,

"When did Your Majesty send someone to Shangshu Province to check the accounts?" The emperor was silent for a moment, and the prince was silent.

"I just asked people to take a look at the accounts to see if there was a mistake, and now the accounts are all right, and I am very relieved! Do you think I don't trust you? Zhang Yang smiled dryly, smiling very reluctantly,

"How so?"

"I also heard that the factory in Lishan has already started?"

"Well, the production efficiency is very good, a few days ago, His Royal Highness King Wei sent a message that production has officially begun." Outside Chang'an City, Changsun Ji was waiting for the city gate, this time he came to pick up people, and it was a group of old gentlemen from Luoyang who greeted him.

One after another, the carriages approached, and all the old men with white beards walked down. These old gentlemen were also very knowledgeable and talented in those years.

But it's a pity that the court didn't recruit them, and these people were finally raised by the family and became the mouthpiece of the family.

It was a great sorrow that they had come to worship at a young age. and was arranged to get married, and in just one year, his net worth and life were controlled by others.

And now, as long as the family says a word, these old people who have lived for more than a few children will go to Chang'an City to lobby for the imperial examination.

What the court and China have to face is a war of words with the family, and these people as lobbyists want to lobby the court, and they are coming for the imperial examination.

Among them, there are the descendants of the Jin generation of college graduates, as well as the famous people who have continued to this day in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the young people who were famous all over the world in the former Sui Dynasty.

These people had a good reputation back then, and they usually did not appear in front of people, and they would only come forward when the family arranged matters.

The eldest grandson Ji told the subordinates on the side: "Welcome these old gentlemen into Chang'an City, arrange them in the courtyard, and remember to take good care of them." In a low voice, he had to force a smile to stand aside respectfully, facing these old guys with a playful smile, showing courtesy and bearing.

It snowed heavily for two days and two nights, and the snow was heavy in the middle of winter. Zhang Yang watched his daughter play with a stroller and learn to walk.

Her learning ability is very poor, and Li Yue guides her over and over again. She can only call Yiyi, not people.

The two aunts came quickly,

"The county marquis, the prince is here." Zhang Yang's eyes were still looking at his daughter,

"Bring people in." Aunt Wang said in a low voice: "It's a matter of the court, and the county marquis needs to wear a good official uniform and an official hat and go to the palace." Putting down his Erlang leg and putting down the teacup again, Zhang Yang stretched his waist and stood up,

"It's really hateful that he said that he would leave the Xiu Dynasty and want me to enter the palace!" After the husband put on the official uniform, Li Yue hurriedly chased out the door with the coat,

"Don't catch a cold if it's cold." Zhang Yang took his coat and put it on, stepped on the snow on the ground, and nodded with a lazy expression.

Wang Gonggong stood outside the door and said with a smile: "County Marquis, this coat looks so good." ”

"The bear hair in our family was made from the bear's hair, and I originally wanted to make a blanket, but my daughter-in-law took the initiative and made me a coat, and in the summer, the bear lost a lot of hair and collected it to make some fabrics." Zhang Yang followed him,

"If Lao Wang likes it, he will also arrange one for you and make a shawl for you."

"No, no." The prince waved his hand again and again. Zhang Yang complained,

"The bear at home is getting bigger and bigger, and his hair can fall off the ground every summer, and when the house is cleaned, he can always sweep out a lot." When I walked out of the alley, I saw Cen Wenwen standing here.

Zhang Yang arched his hand and said, "Have you seen Brother Wen?" Cen Wenwen was wearing a thin official uniform, looking at Zhang Yang's coat with envy,

"Zhang Shilang's coat is really good."

"yes, made of my bear's hair." The weather was very cold, and when the cold wind blew, Cen Wenwen was still a little shivering,

"Everyone is in the Taiji Palace." There were a lot of pedestrians on the street, and Zhang Yang walked all the way next to Cen Wenwen.

"What kind of person is the Taiji Palace?"

"Well, that's right." Cen Wenwen explained: "Two days ago, more than a dozen old gentlemen were sent from Hedong, Qinghe, Fanyang and other places, they were all famous people of the year, as for the purpose...... Zhang Shilang must also be clear about what happened in Luoyang. ”

"Your Majesty issued a decree last autumn to open the imperial examination, and these old gentlemen are here to lobby, and even more so to discuss the imperial examination policy on behalf of the scholars." Zhang Yang bought three hot naan cakes on the side of the road, gave him one, and gave Lao Wang another one.

Cen Wenwen nodded and took it,

"Thank you." The three of them ate as they walked, and continued to talk about the old gentlemen.

"Zhao Guogong is also helpless, the court and the central government want to open the imperial examination, but also to appease the scholars, even if it is to appease, they can't be repeated again and again, and they won't always be accommodating."

"This is the strategy of entering Chang'an to discuss the imperial examination, they asked to see Your Majesty on the first day they came, but they were all stopped by Zhao Guogong, and appeased them to stay for a day, but it was only a day." Zhang Yang ate the cake and said curiously: "Zhao Guogong is also in a dilemma." ”

"That's natural, they want to see Your Majesty, Your Majesty naturally can't easily meet these people, let alone talk to them verbally, even if there is a verbal promise, the lower official recommended Zhao Guogong to let Zhang Shilang preside over this negotiation." Seeing that the footsteps stopped, Cen Wenwen was puzzled: "Zhang Shilang? What's wrong with you? Zhang Yang shook his hands and looked difficult,

"Brother Wen, why did you harm me?"

"I didn't harm you, and I told those old gentlemen that Zhang Shilang was the one who wrote the diary of a book madman, and those old gentlemen were even more happy, and said that if they didn't see Zhang Shilang this time, they wouldn't go back, and they would rather die in Chang'an City." Standing in place, Zhang Yang couldn't move his footsteps,

"Brother Wen, dare to ask how I offended you, hurt me twice with one sentence?" Cen Wenwen's face was full of smiles,

"It's funny, it's funny, how can the lower officials harm you."

"You've hurt me! It's a lot of harm! Cen Wenwen pulled Zhang Yang forward and instructed all the way,

"At that time, we must remember that we must not be wild and rude in our words, and we must not say that the imperial examination system will be used to ban the recommendation system in today's court."

"Why?"

"Alas......" Cen Wenwen sighed: "The old guys are old, if the words are not in harmony with the anger, what should I do if I am killed, and besides, this is Zhao Guobus, the court first conceals, coaxes first, and let these old gentlemen go back is the most important thing." Walking to the Suzaku Gate, Cen Wenwen was still chattering,

"Remember! Remember! ”