As the chief consul of Huaxia, such a leisurely time is always short-lived.

After spending three days with his family, Wang Qi began to be busy again.

If Wang Qi doesn't come out to preside over the overall situation, Sun Chengzong will personally come to the door to kidnap people.

"Old Sun has worked hard these days," Wang Qi walked into Sun Chengzong's public house with an apologetic smile.

"Lord Ruling Lord, if you don't come again, the old man will take leave," Sun Chengzong raised his head from the mountain of cases when he heard the voice, and after seeing Wang Qi, he showed a wry smile.

"In order to apologize, I brought a box of mushrooms and roasted duck to Sun Lao, and a few dishes of side dishes," Wang Qi lifted the food box in his hand: "There is also a pot of high-grade soju from the winery, and at noon today, accompany Sun Lao to drink two cups." ”

His eyes turned on the food box, and Sun Chengzong smiled: "Smelling the taste, it must be Zhen Baozhai's craftsmanship, right?" ”

"Sun Lao really knows the goods!" Wang Qi put the food box away, and then sat on the side by himself, and someone served tea.

"Tomorrow is the day when Ye Xianggao and Lu Yu return to Beijing, it seems that the ruling lord is in a good mood," Sun Chengzong stood up, moved his muscles and bones a little, and then walked out from behind the table full of copywriting, sat opposite Wang Qi, and took a sip of tea.

"Horqin can agree to strike the army, then naturally Yue Shan can recognize the situation," Wang Qi nodded: "Five months, it is really hard for Ye Xiang and Lu Yu." ”

"But it took five months to sign the contract, what is Horqin's mind, the old man thinks that it should be beaten!" Sun Chengzong felt that the mission headed by Ye Xianggao spent nearly five months in Horqin before the two sides formally signed a treaty, and Horqin officially called off the army and ceased war.

What was Korqin thinking about for such a long time?

In other words, after a long truce, is there a backbone in Horqin?

"No need for swords, there are dozens of big trading towns on the long border, and a few of them are enough to make Korqin break his muscles and bones." Wang Qi didn't have any temper, but continued to explain: "And although Ergansu and Lin Dan Khan's Chahar Department are secretly in contact, it is normal for Horqin's Yueshan to get any news, and if I want to stabilize the border in China, I need both Horqin and Chahar to have a close relationship, and everything is based on stability." ”

Listening to Wang Qi's words, Sun Chengzong nodded silently, which can be regarded as admitting.

"By the way, I heard that the Science Society is preparing to lay railroad tracks between the capital and Tongzhou Mansion?" Sun Chengzong suddenly remembered the planning outline he saw in the report of the society two days ago, and frowned: "The distance of more than 70 miles is all laid by railroad tracks, and the iron ore and sleepers consumed in the middle, as well as the stone and earthwork used in the foundation, it is difficult to count Can the current technology be completed?" ”

The railroad track from Shuntianfu to Tongzhou Mansion was inspected many times by Xu Guangqi, and after half a year of preparation, everything was already ready to go, and when Wang Qi returned to Beijing, it had been submitted to the parliamentary committee for approval.

Now Sun Chengzong mentioned this matter again, which made Wang Qi a little surprised, but Wang Qi didn't mind explaining again: "Sun Lao, it is imperative to lay railroad tracks, now it is Tongzhou, and it will be the entire Gyeonggi in the future. ”

"But." Sun Chengzong sighed: "The fields occupied by laying the railroad tracks, as well as the people's houses, and even the foundation of the ancestral tombs, have caused many people to resent. ”

"This matter, the scientific society will come forward to solve it," Wang Qi naturally knows about this matter, but in the process of social development, there will inevitably be conflicts with the old order, if you encounter contradictions and conflicts, you will retreat or take a detour, then the society will not develop.

Not to mention the laying of railroad tracks, it is the three steel-making furnaces newly built by the Science Society in 30 miles outside the capital a few years ago, and black smoke rolls at every turn, covering the sky and the sun, and people are shocked, thinking that the devil has descended from the sky and the demon has come out of the mountains.

Sun Chengzong, who was sitting opposite Wang Qi, heard this, and also knew that Wang Qi's mind had been decided, so he did not continue, but changed the topic and said: "Zheng Yiguanjin presented the shuttle, after the experiment in the textile factory, the response was excellent, the operator calculated, the use of the shuttle textile machine, than the general loom efficiency increased by more than ten times, not only manual, but also reduced the number of spinning, greatly reducing the number of hanging cloth. ”

"Well, I have signed a warrant to promote this thing throughout the country," Wang Qi immediately smiled when he heard that Sun Chengzong also praised the shuttle, "Moreover, for the businessman who presented this thing, as well as Zheng Yiguan himself, the parliament also has corresponding financial and official rewards, so as to stimulate the enthusiasm of the people to develop technology." ”

After speaking, Wang Qi clapped his hands: "It's not early, let's talk while eating?" ”

"Okay, with the ruling lord as a companion today, there is no reason not to eat."

After the meal was arranged, Wang Qi and Sun Chengzong sat opposite each other.

In the long run, the science and technology mentioned by the ruling lord can indeed play a great role in social progress, but the old man has a worry, "Between pushing the glass and changing the lamp, both of them are slightly drunk."

"But it doesn't hurt to say it."

"The people are studying how to make money, and the parliament is advocating for this, and the status of the merchants is also raised accordingly, so is there a danger that the world will become worse?" Sun Chengzong put the wine glass back on the table and looked at Wang Qi.

"The world is going down?" Wang Qi stared at Sun Chengzong with a smile on his face.

"Isn't it?" Sun Chengzong also asked.

"You know, I've always disliked Confucius," Wang Qi explained casually, adding: "It's not because a certain person is not from a Jinshi background, but because what Confucius teaches and learns is beneficial to the upper class, that is, the ruling class of your generation and mine, and it is not beneficial to the people!" It is also not beneficial to social development. ”

Ignoring Sun Chengzong's dissatisfied, Wang Qi continued: "If Sun Lao doesn't believe it, you can take a look, what is the source of social progress for thousands of years? Isn't it the people? Is it the ruler of your and my generation? Or those three emperors and five emperors? ”

"The people are the source of social progress!"

Wang Qi got up, poured wine for Sun Chengzong, and said in a low voice at the same time: "Old Sun, you should have discovered it a long time ago, why is there no three-hundred-year-old dynasty?" ”

Without waiting for Sun Chengzong to answer, Wang Qi asked himself: "Land annexation? The people have no means of making a living? Warlord scuffle? Or is it a foreign invasion? ”

"In the final analysis, two words, food!" Wang Qi took a deep breath and said: "The population is getting more and more, but there is only so much land, how to do it?" What to rely on? Four Books and Five Classics, or a subset of the classics? Neither! It's science, it's progress, it's steel, it's seeds, it's steam, it's the distant starry sky! ”

"These are the fundamental ways to solve the problem!"

Wang Qi's words were categorical, and there was no room for refutation.

Holding the wine in the air, Sun Chengzong could only drink it all. (End of chapter)