The eldest brother looked down impatiently, and then his whole body froze.
He stared at the pile of mirrors with a blank expression, and his mind was full of thoughts of a prosperous future, leading his family to the pinnacle of life. He
walked over to the unhappy stall owner and said, "Here...how much are these things? I want them all."
They actually put such treasures next to those ceramic jars casually. They are really a group of short-sighted idiots.
No wonder they live in Liang Province. They have a bad life because they are too stupid.
This is a good thing for him...
The stall owner frowned and said, "You want them all? Do you know how much these things cost? Shan, Yu. Yan, Xi..."
The stall owner stared at the clothes on the eldest brother and others: "You can't even afford a cotton coat, and you still want to buy mirrors? "
The eldest brother felt inexplicably mocked by this group of bastards, and said with humiliation: "Of course I have money, tell me, how much!"
The stall owner lowered his head and counted the number of mirrors, and said: "There are eighteen mirrors in total, and each mirror sells for fifteen cents, the total is..."
He paused for two seconds and said: "Two hundred and seventy cents."
The two brothers who were the only ones who knew how to count were stunned.
The younger brother used his fingers to count, and after a long time he said in surprise: "It's really two hundred and seventy cents! !"
The eldest brother also looked at the old man in front of him with a complicated expression. The old man with an old face and nothing special about him said: "You are good at math."
The stall owner said casually: "Oh, it's not bad, children of only a few years old can do it. "
This winter, the officials taught them a lot of knowledge for free. They were idle at home and learned a lot of useful things from their children.
The eldest brother was choked and speechless: "…………"
The abnormal sense of dislocation in his heart became more and more obvious. After all, the young man did not dare to delay. There was no time to ask any unnecessary words. He carefully wrapped the mirrors with cloth, and then threw enough coins to the stall owner.
The stall owner did not mind the rude behavior of this group of people. After counting the coins, he actively promoted: "You are so interested in mirrors, then take a look at these and see if you like them? "
The eldest brother wanted to leave quickly and return to the capital, so he turned around and wanted to go without saying a word.
But the younger brother, who found everything new, ran over to take a look, picked it up and played with it: "Uncle, what is this?"
"This is an arithmetic card." The uncle knew that this group of people had not even learned the most basic math, so he said kindly: "As long as you have this, arithmetic will be easy in the future. " The eldest
brother, who was about to leave, paused.
He had seen the old man's arithmetic skills with his own eyes, and it was indeed amazing.
If it was really as he said, it would be okay to take a look. When
his eyes fell on the small card in his younger brother's hand, the eldest brother's eyes widened, and he stretched out his hand to grab it.
The younger brothers who were robbed one after another: "…………"
The eldest brother didn't care what his younger brother felt. His fingers touched the smooth and flat paper surface, feeling its thickness. He flipped through the words printed on it again. The handwriting was clear and the size was the same. No matter which page you turned to, the shape was exactly the same. Looking at
the size of the card again, and the smooth and thick edges that were cut so smoothly that they would not cut your hands, the more you looked at it, the more you felt that this little thing was unusual everywhere. He couldn't help but complained: "Such good paper is cut into such a small shape casually. It's really a waste of resources! "
The old man didn't understand the flowery idioms and looked confused. He explained in a very simple way: "It's easier to remember if you cut it small."
The eldest brother then had the mind to look at the contents of the card, and found that there were regular lines of text written on it, such as seventy-seven is forty-nine, ninety-nine is eighty-one, etc.
This...
So the old man was able to calculate eighteen times fifteen in one go just now, and it was also the credit of this card?
By organizing the formula in this way, memorizing it silently, you don't need to take out the abacus when you encounter arithmetic in the future, you can just calculate it silently in your mind...
The young man who was born in a merchant family immediately saw the benefits behind this small card. Whether it is the paper, the font or the knowledge contained in it, it is enough for these cards to be sold at a high price in some wealthy homes.
"How much is this thing? I'll buy it all. "
The old man stared, never expecting that these guys who couldn't even afford cotton cloth would be so generous, and said, "Three cents a piece, wait for me to count how many there are for you."
The eldest brother waited patiently. While waiting, he actually had the mind to observe the other things on the stall. This time he was shocked. He almost choked by the saliva in his throat. He asked with a red face and thick neck, "What is this?"
The old man turned his head and took a look, and said casually, "Oh, it's a glass."
The eldest brother's breathing was rapid, and his neck became red and thick: "Glass? Isn't this colored glaze?" "
Colored glaze? Isn't that a very expensive thing? No, no, this is just a glass. "The old man explained seriously.
The eldest brother felt a little regretful after hearing this, and then he found that the so-called glass actually looked clearer and more transparent than the priceless colored glaze, and its color was bright and clean without any impurities. Except that it
was so cheap that people could casually sell it on stalls, it had no flaws.
He swallowed his saliva, and said what the old man was not surprised at all: "How many glasses are there? I want them all."
The old man nodded readily: "No problem!"
The passers-by who had been watching for a long time, thinking that they were thieves, looked at them with curious eyes.
"They don't look poor, how did they almost get stolen?"
"It looks like they are refugees...but how can refugees have so much money? "
Why did he buy so many cups and mirrors? Does he need them?"
The little boy who was following him had wanted to ask for a long time, and he couldn't help but say: "Why do you say we are refugees?"
This is the nth time he has said it!
The people around looked at each other, and after a moment they said: "Because you are wearing linen clothes."
"You are still wearing this kind of clothes, you must be refugees from outside."
The little boy felt a little ashamed for some reason, and he said: "My clothes are soft and very good!"
As the son of a merchant, he has been exposed to the quality of cloth on the market since he was a child. Except for some high-grade cloths, such as satin, which cannot be used casually, what he wears is already the best grade.
It’s better to say that this group of people are dressed too well rather than saying that he is poorly dressed!
The clothes not only look light, soft and not cumbersome, but the dyeing process is also exceptionally good. Not only are the colors varied, but the color is also exceptionally bright. This craftsmanship would definitely not be bad even if it is taken to the capital!
What’s more, there are also the precious glass mirrors and glass cups casually sold on the stalls...
Is this really the remote province where people are hungry and desolate as rumored? Were they the ones who were sacrificed and abandoned, not the people living in the capital?
It is said that the emperor and his ministers praised the glass mirror with all their might, and even the emperor was proud to use it, but any old man setting up a stall here could sell the mirror for a few coins...
The little boy thought more and more that it was absurd, and pinched his cheek hard, and found that it hurt. He was not dreaming.
But if it was not a dream, then what was it?
The people around him saw the strange expressions of the children, and saw that although they were not dressed well, they were all very strong and sturdy, and began to wonder.
"Where are you from?"
The eldest brother hesitated subconsciously, and the little boy said frankly: "We are from the North City! The North City is just below the capital! We are from the capital!"
The people around were instantly shocked.
This is the legendary person who came from the capital!
But there was another child who was just as frank: "But you are wearing linen clothes. Mother said that linen is used to wipe the table, not to sleep with."
The little boy blushed with shame and stammered: "Of course there are better clothes, but I don't wear them!"
The people around suddenly realized and whispered: "I thought so."
"How could people in the capital dress worse than us?"
"It must be like the officials wearing silk and satin."
The eldest brother standing aside had already seen that something was wrong.
At first, the glass mirror was brought to His Majesty by the tax collector from Liang Province, so it is normal for the glass mirror to appear in Liang Province again, but it is a bit too normal.
It is so cheap that everyone can get one.
In addition, everyone said that natural disasters occurred frequently in Liang Province and other places, and His Majesty had completely abandoned this place, leaving the people here to die, and there was no plan for disaster relief.
Everyone thought that under such circumstances, the people in Liang Province and other places would definitely starve to death, but in the end they did not die, but lived very well. Not only did they make glass mirrors, but they also solved the problem of food and found a better quality and cheaper cloth to replace linen.
Even the emperor didn't know about this, otherwise why would he be so fond of the mirror and why would the officials write so many articles praising it.
If they knew that any common people could buy this thing on the street, they would be ashamed to death.
The young man suddenly felt as if he had discovered a big secret, which might even lead to a huge turmoil between the court and Liang Province and other places.
The court would not allow these things that could bring huge profits to be sold among the people. They would become the property of the rich and powerful, and the common people would not be qualified to touch them.
This was true even if these things were originally made by the common people.
Thinking of this, the young man realized that he was in a very wonderful situation at the moment.
On the one hand, he could buy a large number of treasures and sell them to the capital, making a lot of wealth; on the other hand, he could pass the news to the court and make a great contribution.
The young man smiled happily and said to the old man in front of him: "What good things do you have here?"
The old man was confused: "Good things? There is nothing good, I am just a street stall."
The young man: "..."
The old man: "You are from the capital, you should have a lot of treasures, that's great!"
When the people around heard this, they all showed envy on their faces.
The little brother didn't understand what was going on. He proudly puffed out his chest and said in a clear and loud voice, "Of course, we brought many treasures from the capital! We are here to do business this time!"
The people of Liang Province exclaimed, "It's actually a caravan from the capital!"
"There must be a lot of good things in it that we can't even imagine..."
The little brother became more and more proud as he listened, and a proud look appeared on his face, "If you want to buy it, it's not impossible! It's just that the price is a bit high! Be prepared!"
Everyone said with a lack of confidence, "How expensive is it? How much silver does it cost?"
"Of course!" The little boy said, "That's something that only the nobles in the capital can use!"
Everyone immediately didn't even dare to ask to see it.
They didn't notice that while they were talking to the little boy, the young man stood aside and looked at the goods on the stall. It was as if their quality and appearance were a hundred times more exquisite than those used by the dignitaries in the capital.
If they really took out the things in their hands and asked for a few taels of silver, the people in the capital would lose face.
The servants who accompanied him had the same expression.
Everyone's cheeks were flushed, and they wanted to cover the mouth of the boy who was smacking his smug lips. After the young man took the goods from the old man, he pulled the boy to the carriage behind him.
"Brother, are we going to sell the things too? Set up a stall too? Or rent a store?" The little boy was praised to the sky, and his tone was particularly cheerful.
The young man was so angry that he slapped the child on the head, "Why rent a store? No one wants the things we brought even if we give them away for free!"
The child was confused: "Ah? But didn't you say--"
"Okay!" The young man felt his cheeks burning, and was so ashamed of his previous arrogance that he could hardly speak.
He actually thought that the people here were willing to be his slaves and servants for a piece of bread, and even sell their bodies. This, this, this...
The young man covered his face with his hands and couldn't calm down for a long time.
The servant next to him said: "Master, where should we put these things? The carriage is already full."
"Throw away all the things we brought, throw them farther away, don't let anyone see them." The young man ordered.
"What about the things you bought this time?"
"Just put them in the car."
"But this is a glass mirror..."
"Okay, it's worth a thousand gold if it's in the capital, who would want to grab it if it's here? You can grab a handful of it on the street stalls." When he said this, the young man felt even more angry. What was going on?
"Ask two people to stand by the car and guard it." The young man ordered.
"Okay, young master."
The little boy stared at his brother in disbelief.
The young man coughed lightly and said to his younger brother: "Okay, big brother was also deceived. I didn't know what this place looks like until I came here."
The boy asked: "What do you mean? Are we really poorer than the people in this remote place?"
The young man was embarrassed: "This... big brother doesn't know either."
To say poor, it seems that they are very poor. After all, except for the emperor, even the empress and the royal concubines can't afford the glass mirror.
To say not poor, it is indeed not poor. They can easily take out hundreds or thousands of taels of silver, but the people of Liang Province can't.
"This place is really weird..." The young man muttered to himself.
It seems that I still need to find someone to ask.
...
"A caravan from the capital is coming."
The county magistrate received the report from his subordinates and hurriedly found the Siyi.
"Caravan?" Si Yi raised his eyebrows slightly, "What did they do here?"
"They bought a lot of things here, but didn't sell any of their own goods." The county magistrate's expression was like hatred and pride: "When we asked them for help in times of crisis, they refused to spend a penny. Now that they found out that there are benefits, they spend money more than anyone else."
Si Yi was silent for a moment, and then said: "News will not spread so quickly. If they are really traveling merchants, they can't come so timely."
After the autumn harvest, colored glass and other products began to enter the market, and then it was severe winter. No one would rush to the capital at that time. There was no food or water on the road, but there were many jobs to do and many delicious foods to eat in the city.
If it were somewhere else, there might be a need to plant spies to pass on information, but in an abandoned land like Liang Province, no one wants to target it.
The county magistrate paused, remembering that Liang Province had not encountered a caravan from the capital for at least ten years.
The increasingly unaffordable taxes in the past few years have made the capital realize how difficult the situation here is. The people don’t even have food to eat, so who would buy good things from the capital. Merchants simply don’t want to take the risk of being robbed for the sake of that meager profit - it’s too difficult for people here to survive and have enough food.
Therefore, this group of so-called merchants did not actually come to buy things at the beginning, but came here... to buy people.
They didn't lend a helping hand when the people could still be saved, but waited until everyone was almost helpless before coming to add insult to injury and offering a so-called way out...
The county magistrate was so angry that his eyes turned red, "Beast, beast!"
Si Yi stood up and poured the county magistrate a cup of tea and placed it in front of him, "Sir, calm down."
The county magistrate picked up the tea bowl and took a few gulps, forcing himself to swallow the anger in his heart, "You just said they came on time..." "
The Qiu Dynasty still has luck, maybe they want to quickly remind the court that we have a lot of good things here, so the caravan discovered it so quickly." Si Yi said in a cold voice: "Otherwise, it will take at least a few more months for the goods to gradually flow from us to the capital." The county magistrate's
expression was distorted: "The Qiu Dynasty's luck... If the Qiu Dynasty's luck really wants to make life easier for the people, it should have protected us from being discovered by the dog emperor!"
"Luck is a knife. It can save people or kill people. It all depends on the intention of the person holding the knife." Si Yi said in a steady tone, "There is no point in saying more. If we want to develop, we will have to confront Qiu Chao one day. Let's prepare in advance."
The county magistrate let out a long breath and calmed down. "What should we do with this group of merchants?"
Si Yi said calmly, "It is better to open it than to block it. Since we can't stop the news from leaking, just show it openly."
In the season of spring, a store quietly opened on the prosperous avenue of the capital. As
soon as the store opened, the young masters and wives who came out to enjoy the scenery were inadvertently attracted by the sudden flash of light in the store. After a closer look, he found that it was a crystal clear cup on the shelf, emitting colorful light in the sun, and his feet could not help but step over.
After half an hour, passers-by noticed the crowded people in the store and were surprised at what this store sold and why it was so popular among the knowledgeable nobles in the capital.
Then, a young man from the Ministry of Revenue, who had finally bought a glass cup, couldn't let it go and stroked the slightly cool cup in his hand, shouting to the servant beside him: "I want to give this treasure to my father!"
Another woman with a rosy face walked out of the crowded shop under the protection of servants, holding a mirror wrapped in silver wire in her hand. She stared at her own face in the mirror like an obsession, her fingers lightly touching her cheeks.
The maids at the side enviously said, "Madam, this is a treasure that only His Majesty can enjoy!"
"Congratulations, Madam!"
Upon hearing this, the Madam looked quite pleased, but after looking at it for a while, she sighed, "I can't keep such a treasure. I'd better decorate it carefully and give it to the imperial concubine in the palace. She will definitely like it."
The maids said with interest, "Madam, you are right. The imperial concubine will definitely be very happy to receive your gift."
The crowd of onlookers were all amazed when they heard this.
There are even things that the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and the imperial concubine in the palace like. How many treasures are hidden in this store!
The news that the store has gathered countless treasures did not remain secret for long. In just one day, most of the capital had heard about it.
The treasure that was highly praised by countless officials and even the emperor appeared in a small shop in the capital.
In that shop, there were not only colored glaze mirrors, but also countless treasures that were as beautiful as colored glaze mirrors, or even more fascinating than them.
A minister wrote a letter to report the matter, and his words seemed to describe the shop as a palace moved down from the fairyland. The emperor was very curious about this and ordered the shop owner to bring the treasures to the palace for an audience. Everyone envied the shop owner for having such good luck.
Of course, there were also a small group of people who secretly envied the emperor.
As expected, only the most powerful person in the world can enjoy so many treasures.
Unlike them, if they want to buy something, they have to limit the quantity and compete with other guests. Even if they get it, they can't keep it, so they have to offer it sensibly.
The emperor and a group of ministers saw the rows of treasures carefully arranged on the tables and carefully covered with layers of soft blankets in the palace.
Even the emperor who was used to seeing all kinds of rare treasures was dazzled when he saw these rows of things.
The young man who was standing in front of the stall to select goods stood obediently aside, his nervous heart pounding, waiting to step forward and answer questions when His Majesty the Emperor needed him.
No one knew that these things, which were regarded as treasures and treated with great care by the emperor and his ministers, were casually placed on the roadside and sold for only a few coins not long ago by the ruffians they despised the most.
The young man lowered his head, and saw from the corner of his eye that the adults who held the power of the Qiu Dynasty showed such infatuated expressions. They kept praising the treasures in front of them, saying that only such treasures were worthy of their noble Majesty... Hearing this, he absolutely did not dare to take the initiative to tell the truth.
The emperor stepped forward and picked up a glass.
The body of the cup was smooth and delicate, and it felt extremely comfortable, as if it was white porcelain polished by the highest-level craftsmen, but more transparent than white porcelain. One can imagine how beautiful the cup would look when the clear wine is poured into it and the candlelight shines on it.
Gently putting down the glass cup, the emperor reached out and touched a pile of papers on the next table.
These papers were smoother and whiter than the existing rice paper, and felt thick and light, without the lingering smell of plants and trees. His fingertips rubbed the surface, as delicate as if he was touching a piece of satin, which was simply more perfect than the paper used in the palace.
It was even more luxurious to use this kind of paper to make books. There were two-finger-wide counting formulas, the most basic literacy tutorials, and various common sense to teach people about life enlightenment... The
Autumn Dynasty had never had such simple and easy-to-understand books. Students learned to recognize characters by reciting the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic. It was impossible to teach from one to ten, and it was impossible to use expensive paper to draw simple and easy-to-understand pictures to tell everyone to wash hands before and after meals, and to boil water before drinking.
Not to mention that the words on the book looked as if someone had written them and measured them with a ruler at the same time. The size and spacing were exactly the same. And the same word on different pages had exactly the same shape and details. Could this really be something that a person could write?
The more the emperor read, the more incredible it was.
He said to the young man, "Where did you get these things?"
The young man raised his head cautiously, and inadvertently caught a glimpse of the emperor's face, and was slightly startled.
This emperor, who has ruled the Autumn Dynasty for more than 20 years, is unexpectedly young and handsome, with no trace of old age at all.
With a strong body and a straight spine, he carries an indescribable sense of majesty, and his handsome godlike appearance makes people unconsciously feel awe. Only a pair of eyes, with old age, gloom, and inadvertent coldness, are incompatible with his appearance.
The young man felt a chill in his body, and dared not look again, and hurriedly bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, this is a treasure that I found and brought back from Liang Province and other places..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
