Chu Ji and his entourage, in the evening, arrived at Pingcheng in Bingzhou.

Although the state is already in the northwest, because Heisei is in the easternmost part of the state, it can barely be considered rich.

The carriage passed the city gate and drove on the main street in Pingcheng, and Ji An couldn't help but lift the curtains and look out.

The streets are lined with restaurants, restaurants and shops, and are bustling with pedestrians.

"Young master, it's so lively." Ji An exclaimed, "Eh, there is a kind of flower at the door of their shop here, I have never seen it before, and it is strangely beautiful." ”

"Since Xiao Ji'an likes it, I will buy two pots tomorrow, and let's take them to Cangzhou." Chu Ji replied casually, while lying on the desk, writing and drawing.

Although it was already evening, the walls of the carriage were embedded with night pearls, so it did not look dim.

At noon, he watched Qin Zong riding a horse, which was the one he brought back, and named it "Treading Snow". This horse is very spiritual, and when others touch it, they exhale out of their noses and drive people away.

Qin Zong was the only one who touched it, looking obedient and obedient. Although it didn't appear in the original book, but come to think of it, this is an opportunity that only belongs to the male protagonist?

Qin Zong rode on this majestic horse, black horse, black clothes, silver halberd, a young general of a graceful family.

It's just that Chu Ji thinks it's a little weird no matter how he looks at it.

He stared at Qin Zong directly through the car window, with a pair of beautiful eyes, frowning slightly, leaning against the car window to think, which made Qin Zong frequently look sideways. Finally, when Qin Zong's face became colder and colder, and he couldn't help but speak, he thought it through.

It's saddle and stirrups! There were no saddles and stirrups in this era.

You must know that an important reason for the great increase in the combat effectiveness of cavalry is the appearance of saddles and stirrups. Since there were no saddles and stirrups in this era, why wasn't this his chance?

He hurriedly lowered the curtains, took out bamboo paper, and drew on the paper.

In this way, I have been busy until now.

Chu Ji put down the pen and pinched his sore fingertips.

He had not learned to ride a horse, and naturally he had not observed the saddle and stirrups up close. Based on the artifacts he occasionally saw in museums, he could only remember a general shape, but it was not clear what was more specific, such as how it was easier to pedal and more suitable for riding.

He was ready to have time to discuss with Qin Zong. Fuzhou, where Qin Zong was born, borders the Eastern Barbarians, and also raises horses and trains cavalry. The Qin family army is famous for its cavalry that is not inferior to the Eastern Barbarians. Then, Qin Zong must be more thoughtful than himself.

"No need, young master, I just look at that kind of flower is magical. The flowers on the same plant have three different colors. Ji An hurriedly shook his head. The young master went to Cangzhou to take office, not to play, where can he bring two pots of flowers all the way over.

When Chu Ji heard Ji An say this, he was a little interested. He casually lifted the curtain on his side and looked lazily at the shop outside. But when he saw this, Chu Ji was stunned.

"Cotton?"

"What did you say, young master?" Ji An heard Chu Ji muttering something in a low voice, so he lowered half of his curtain and came to Chu Ji's side.

"Young master, I said, tomorrow, I want all the cotton in Pingcheng!" Chu Ji's gaze swept over the shops outside, and a pair of peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly.

Because he remembered that cotton was an alien variety, he always thought that cotton had not yet appeared in Dayong. He also specially told his eldest brother that he should pay special attention to collecting these crops that Dayong did not have when going to sea this time.

Unexpectedly, in Pingcheng, Bingzhou, which is only a thousand miles away from Shengjing, there is cotton planting.

It's really hard to find a place to break through the iron shoes, and it takes no effort to get it.

He had just heard Ji An say that the plants placed at the door of the shop outside had three colors on one flower.

The petals of cotton before the formation of cotton contain a large amount of anthocyanins, which are milky white at first, but after being exposed to sunlight and the breathing of plants, they will gradually turn pink, until finally turn purple-red.

"Huh?" Ji An's head was full of question marks, he almost understood, the cotton in the young master's mouth was the flower at the door of the shop. It's just that the young master spoils me so much, is it really good?

Chu Ji took out the seal letter of the money village from his sleeve, handed it to Ji An's hand, and said hatefully: "Do you see that money bank?" Start moving for me from there! If you don't have enough money, you can take it from there. ”

I have been looking for something for three years, and I have been using it as a decoration outside the money bank I opened for three years.

Ji An looked at it, and the money village outside was clearly written with the four big characters "Jiyue Money Village", which was opened by the young master!

"By the way," Chu Ji said as if he suddenly remembered something: "This thing may be called Jibei, when the time comes, you can ask clearly, is it in September, the flowers on it will turn back into white balls like clouds." ”

No wonder he obviously gave an order to find cotton, but the steward of Jiyue Qianzhuang in Pingcheng did not come to report.

He had just looked at the cotton that was used as an ornament outside, and when the cotton first came from overseas, it was called "Jibei", because of the name of this kind head, it was regarded as a decorative bonsai.

*

The group found the largest inn in the city and settled down.

Early the next morning, after finishing breakfast in the lobby, Ji An went out with a dozen guards to buy cotton, and everyone was ready to go back to their rooms.

At the staircase on the second floor, Chu Ji suddenly stopped Qin Zong.

Qin Zong, who was originally walking with his head down, was thinking about why Chu Ji spent money early in the morning and ordered Ji An to buy cotton from Quanping City.

He had never heard of cotton. It's just that when you hear the name, it looks like an ornamental plant such as a chrysanthemum or an orchid.

Hearing Chu Ji call him, he followed Chu Ji back to the room in silence.

As soon as he entered the door, when Qin Zong sat down, Chu Ji took out a stack of papers and put it in front of Qin Zong.

His slender fingers tapped lightly at the paper on the table, and he asked bluntly, "Have you ever heard of a saddle and stirrups?" ”

Qin Zong's gaze followed Chu Ji's fingers, and on the stack of snow-white bamboo paper, several patterns were drawn, some looked like a cushion, and some looked like hollow gourds, with a long line attached to it.

"No, I didn't." Qin Zong looked at the pattern on the paper, and something seemed to flash in his mind, but he didn't catch it, so he could only answer Chu Ji's question first.

Chu Ji was not discouraged when he heard Qin Zong's answer, he sat down on the stool next to Qin Zong, supported his chin with one hand, and said, "I saw you riding on the snow yesterday, and you grabbed the reins and clamped the horse's belly tightly, so that you could control yourself well from falling off the horse. I thought that if I did this for a long time, I would be very tired and fall easily. ”

Qin Zong didn't expect Chu Ji to keep staring at him because of this. He was so careful about his own affairs......

"Wouldn't it be much more convenient to attach a mat to the horse's back and one of these pedals to each end of the mat?" Chu Ji said as he picked up a brush and drew in circles on the paper.

The green silk like a waterfall poured on his shoulders with his movements, the bright sunlight, sprinkled on his long hair with stars, accompanied by Chu Ji's calm and leisurely voice, and the elegant and indifferent medicinal fragrance on his body, indescribably quiet and beautiful.

Qin Zong seemed to be a little stupid for a while.

"Huh? Do you have any ideas? Chu Ji saw that Qin Zong didn't answer for a long time, so he turned his head to look at him.

Qin Zong hurriedly came back to his senses, stretched out his hand and picked up the bamboo paper on the table, calmed down, and looked at the objects on it carefully.

Gradually, that fleeting feeling seemed to return. This time, Qin Zong caught it with unmistakable accuracy.

Qin Zong took the brush from Chu Ji's hand and modified it on the original pattern.

Obviously, he is much more professional than Chu Ji, and while drawing, he explained to Chu Ji: "If this mat is made to be convex from front to back, it will be more suitable for the rider's buttocks and more conducive to fixation." This pedal ...... You see, the upper part of the arc is good, but the bottom part of the foot, if it can be made into a wider plane, it should be easier to control. ”

Qin Zong's voice still has the youthfulness of a teenager, but there is a sense of calm and confidence, which inexplicably makes people feel at ease and reliable.

Chu Ji nodded again and again with Qin Zong's explanation, this is probably the aura of the male protagonist, the ugly things he drawn, he can understand and expand so quickly.

Qin Zong was talking, suddenly his phoenix eyes glared slightly, he looked at Chu Ji, and the corners of his mouth hooked up a beautiful arc: "You want to use it for cavalry." ”

It's not a question, it's a full affirmation.

There is nothing to deny, Chu Ji raised his eyebrows, staring at the curvature of the corners of Qin Zong's mouth, and the smile on his face deepened.

Seeing that Chu Ji admitted it with his usual straightforward attitude, Qin Zong was relieved.

If so, if Chu Ji was really all for him, he really didn't know how to react......

Forcing himself to hold down the inexplicable faint loss in his heart, Qin Zong said slowly: "Your stirrup is made of iron. ”

Hearing this, Chu Ji understood, he took a sip of tea slowly, and said: "A certain talent, once served as the Taicang Order of the Great Si Nong's subordinate official, in charge of the world's granary, and at the same time governed the matter of iron smelting. Under his hands, there are also two iron mines, one in Yizhou and the other in ......."

He put down the teacup, and the bottom of the cup was with the tabletop, making a slight "bang",

"Cangzhou."

"How will you stay after the new Taicang Order takes office?" Qin Zong grasped the key point more keenly.

"A month ago, I wrote a book detailing the benefits of iron smelting being managed by the state government. In less than three days, the Divine Decree will be made known to the sixteen continents of the world. ”

"Before the chaos in the world, presumably Yizhou Mu was still willing to give me the Chu family, a little thin noodles."

Chu Ji's tone was light and light, not like he had manipulated the lifeblood of a country's military, as if he was just talking about today's skylight, Yun Shu was natural.

It's just that the fierce color that flashed in his eyes was accurately captured by Qin Zong.

For the first time, Qin Zong knew that words like strategizing and winning thousands of miles were far more than just used on generals.

Iron ore is scarce, there are sixteen states in the world, but there are far from sixteen iron mines, but Chu Ji alone can occupy the second, why worry about the lack of armor.

It's just that if you want this world, there are only soldiers and horses, but it's far from enough.

Maybe after arriving in Cangzhou, he can gradually see clearly the soul that shocks people's hearts under the beautiful skin of Ji's outside.

At this time, Qin Zong didn't notice that he followed Chu Ji, initially because he was forced by the situation, and later in order to keep his promise, but at this moment, he completely forgot all this, and couldn't help but explore the secret of Chu Ji's body, wanting to solve his overly amazing mystery.

After the two discussed the matter of the saddle stirrups, Qin Zong was ready to leave.

Chu Ji's heart suddenly moved, raised his hand, and gently stroked the top of his head in Qin Zong's surprised gaze. Then, his fingertips ran down Qin Zong's hair and stroked it all the way to his shoulder.

"You look good with a smile today."

"I've never seen Xiao Langjun who laughs more handsomely than you. The white clouds smiled, and the flowers bloomed for thousands of miles. ”

When the slightly cool fingertips with the medicinal fragrance crossed his shoulder, Qin Zong froze in place.

He felt as if something had melted in his heart, and the melting snow nourished something to take root.

All of a sudden, it was like a spring breeze and rain.

Just like that day, under the locust tree, the wind rose on the flat ground, and it was not only Chu Ji's hair that was blowing.