47. People walk between heaven and earth
There are some things you may never be able to understand no matter how hard you try if no one reveals them to you. But once they are revealed, they are nothing special: for example, the formula for gunpowder.
Take the simplest formula "one saltpeter, two sulfur, three charcoal, add a little sugar and big Ivan". Saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal, when mixed with the copper scale of that era which was sixteen taels per catty, is a ratio of 16:2:3.
The purpose of adding sugar is to increase the gas production during combustion. This gunpowder ratio explodes in a confined space, which is comparable to a miniature nuclear bomb indoors. I'm afraid that officials like Yun Yang and Si Cao can't withstand it.
Sulfur is available in medical clinics.
Charcoal is also easy to make.
The so-called saltpeter, scientifically known as potassium nitrate, is actually the frost on the wall of an earthen wall. When ancient people made fireworks and firecrackers, they obtained the saltpeter by "digging from the roots of the wall".
There are still many brick and earth houses in Los Angeles today, and the walls are covered with frost in my memory.
The Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department has been searching for the secret recipe of firearms with great difficulty. Instead of looking for the Liu family, it would be better to look for Chen Ji!
Even the blueprints for various muzzle-loading rifles were no problem for Chen Ji. A muzzle-loading rifle consists of a muzzle, a chamber, and a butt. From small hand cannons to large city gate cannons, Chen Ji knew a thing or two about them...
But the most crucial thing is that after Chen Ji came here, every time he met people like Yun Yang, Jiao Tu, and Sicao, he was controlled by them, simply because he had no ability to resist.
But now he has it.
The next moment, someone interrupted Chen Ji's thoughts: "Excuse me, do you three have any works? Why are you silent?"
Liu Quxing and She Dengke looked at each other, not knowing what to do. After all, this was a literary gathering, and it was not appropriate for them to come and eat and drink for free without any works.
However, Chen Ji suddenly smiled and said, "We're just here to get some free food and drinks with the palace's invitation to the clinic. We're not very good at this, so enjoy yourself and we'll take our leave. Senior Brother She, Senior Brother Liu, I heard from Xiao Zhang, the waiter at the restaurant across from the clinic, that there's a restaurant called Mu Xin Zhai on Zhenghe Street next door that makes excellent knife-cut noodles. I'll treat you all."
After saying that, he turned and left without any embarrassment on his face. If he could do it, he could do it. If he couldn't do it, he couldn't do it. There was no need to try to be stubborn just to save face.
Everyone has their own expertise. You understand art, and I understand art... My art may even be able to help you gain art.
Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao looked at Chen Ji's back, looking calm and contented. He chatted and laughed with his friends, seemingly not affected by Wen at all, and did not take what had just happened to heart.
He suddenly felt that Chen Ji was not just speaking in anger, but really had no intention of returning to the Chen family.
But isn’t the Chen family’s tall and shiny door lintel what everyone desires? How could anyone voluntarily give it up?
During the banquet, Princess Baili looked at the prince and said, "Brother, did you invite him?"
"No," the prince shook his head: "I don't remember sending an invitation to the clinic...but it doesn't matter!"
Princess Baili pondered for a moment, then suddenly stood up and said, "It's boring here. I'm going out for a walk!"
The prince looked at his sister's back and hesitated to speak: "You..."
…
…
go back
On the way.
"Senior Brother She, why are you standing up for me?" Chen Ji asked curiously.
She Dengke walked down the street, his tall figure looking less imposing because he lowered his head. He whispered, "I almost hurt you yesterday. I'm sorry, I lost my mind. I ruined our two-year friendship. I deserve to die."
Chen Ji asked again: "Were you just trying to save Chunhua's life at that time?"
"I also have selfish motives. Chunhua said that if this thing is accomplished, she will ask Concubine Jing to marry her to me, and we can live a peaceful life in the future."
Liu Quxing sarcastically said, "You believe everything Chunhua says. Your family is so poor, how could she give up the splendor and wealth of the palace to be with you?"
She Dengke retorted, "She's not that kind of person... Chen Ji, please don't tell my brother and my father about this. They'll definitely beat me to death if they find out."
"Don't worry, it won't happen," Chen Ji said with a smile.
Liu Quxing, standing by, was a little annoyed. "I don't know what my dad was thinking when he gave me this name. I'm such a loser! I'm the God of Literature, but how come I can't understand the meaning of the scriptures? Now when I go out and introduce myself, I'm a little embarrassed to mention my name."
To be a farmer in the morning and to ascend to the emperor's palace in the evening, this is the biggest dream of scholars in the Ning Dynasty.
But this is not Chen Ji's dream.
What was his dream? His dream was to be a diplomatic attaché, but neither Ning Dynasty nor Jing Dynasty was worth his life, so he no longer had any dreams.
There is no one I want to protect, no place I want to protect, I can only barely protect myself, being pushed by the torrent of this era.
Today, the words gunpowder and sword types have a fatal attraction to him.
When these two things are put on the scale, perhaps the scale representing fate will tilt towards him.
As he was thinking, someone behind him called out, "Chen Ji!"
Chen Ji looked back and saw Princess Baili catching up with him. She was still dressed in a heroic manner, with the only thing unchanged being the white clothes and the red pendant.
However, today she had a silver bun on her head, and underneath the bun was a circle of pearl necklaces, which swayed when she walked.
Chen Ji asked doubtfully, "Is there something wrong, Princess?"
Bai Li didn't explain the reason, but just waved his hand and said, "Come on, I'll treat you all to a meal at Zhenghe Street. Let's have those knife-cut noodles you mentioned!"
After saying that, Bai Li led the way with his hands behind his back, tiptoeing proudly. Chen Ji looked at him and felt that he was like a free antelope.
The three brothers looked at each other, and Chen Ji suddenly said, "You go first, I'll go back to the clinic and call Liang Maoer..."
A quarter of an hour later, in the knife-cut noodle restaurant, Princess Baili rested her arm on the table, supporting her chin, staring in amazement at the pile of bowls and plates in front of Liang Maoer: "Five bowls, six bowls, seven bowls... Chen Ji, you are such a piece of shit!"
Chen Ji smiled and looked at Liang Maoer: "I'm full tonight, so don't eat so much tomorrow morning."
Liang Maoer looked at Bai Li cautiously: "Princess... am I eating too much?"
Chen Ji said seriously: "The princess has a chivalrous heart, we are all children of the rivers and lakes, how can
Do you think you eat too much?"
"It's okay, it's okay. A bowl of noodles only costs a few bucks!" Bai Li said with a bitter face as he took out his purse. "But you're such a big eater... No wonder everyone was drinking last night while you were the only one eating like crazy."
Liang Maoer explained awkwardly, "I don't know why, I've been able to eat since I was a kid. When my brother was ten, I was three, but I ended up eating more than him."
Bai Li no longer cared about this matter. Since he was treating her, he would just do it openly.
After paying for the meal, she turned to look at Chen Ji curiously and asked, "Why weren't you angry when they said that about you at the literary gathering?"
"There's nothing to be angry about."
"Then I'll speak for you. Can you not charge me tolls in the future?"
"no."
Bai Li was angry: "I will never speak up for you again, just let them scold you!"
Chen Ji smiled and said, "They can say whatever they want, but time will tell."
Liu Quxing, who was standing aside, suddenly said, "Chen Ji, you can actually write poetry. I've seen it before."
"Huh?" Chen Ji was stunned for a moment.
Liu Quxing whispered, "I saw you taking notes on the back of the prescription while you were secretly studying in the middle of the night. So I took it and looked at what you had written while you were sleeping. I found half a line of poetry."
Bai Li was puzzled: "What is written?"
“When one walks between heaven and earth, he is suddenly like a traveler on a long journey.”
Bai Li only felt that when she recited this half sentence of the poem, she felt as if she was walking alone in the snow-capped mountains, shrouded in dusk, and felt extremely lonely.
That day, Chen Ji woke up at dusk. People were coming and going on the street, but his family was nowhere to be seen. He casually wrote a sloppy poem at night, but it was seen by Liu Quxing.
Bai Li slowly looked at Chen Ji: "This is you..."
Before she could say anything, a head popped out from behind her and asked in surprise, "Chen Ji, is this your poem? If you can write, why didn't you tell us about it at the literary meeting just now?"
Chen Ji was also stunned, but he saw the prince and the little monk right behind him. He didn't know when the protagonist of the literary gathering had sneaked out. How could he be so careless!?
And it's a bit strange, isn't there a poem like this in the world? Obviously, the Double Ninth Festival allusions are exactly the same.
He replied with a thick face, calm and composed, "This half sentence came to me by chance, but I don't have the whole poem. Besides, I have no interest in this field. Poetry and literature are not my aspirations."
The prince held it in for a long time, then suddenly rubbed his hands with embarrassment and said with a smile: "Um... don't you want to make money? Can you sell me this half sentence of poetry?"
Chen Ji: Ah?
The prince explained, "These past three years at Donglin Academy have been suffocating me. Those scholars write a poem a day, one when they see lotus flowers, another when they see the moonlight, but I haven't written a single word. I know many scholars call me a fool behind my back, so I've always wanted to write a poem to shock them, but I just can't... How about this, if you think your half sentence is really good, sell it to me for ten taels of silver. I'll get face, and you'll get money. How about that?"
"make a deal!"
There is no need to write poetry, but if you can sell half a poem... you can.
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