95. Go or Stay
At the hour of Hai, people should return to their roots and sleep well.
However, no one was sleeping in a small and inconspicuous kiln factory. The military craftsmen were working all night to build the kiln. Chen Ji and Liang Maoer were pushing the huge stone mill. The prince, Liu Quxing and She Dengke were sifting the raw materials together.
Even the little monk rolled up his sleeves and worked, constantly bringing in new raw materials.
Only Liang Gou'er sat with his legs crossed and his straw hat covering his face, not loving anyone.
The prince squatted beside the millstone, covering his mouth and nose with a cloth, and asked in a muffled voice, "Chen Ji, if we succeed in this, will our names really go down in history?"
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Yes."
The prince asked again: "What kind of name should I leave behind?"
Chen Ji replied, "In the autumn of the 31st year of the Jianing reign, Zhu Yunxi, Zhu Baili, Chen Ji, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, the little monk, and Liang Maoer crafted cement that will last forever. Cement revolutionized the world. Within a hundred years, every household would no longer be using yellow mud and glutinous rice mortar to build their houses, but our cement. Even if future history books forget Prince Fu, Prince An, and Prince Qi, they won't forget us."
The prince's eyes sparkled: "Get to work!"
Just at this moment, a carriage stopped at the door of the kiln factory.
Everyone looked over and saw Old Man Yao being supported by the driver and slowly getting off the car, holding two bamboo sticks in his hands...
Liu Quxing and She Dengke's expressions changed: "Oh no! We didn't tell Master that we wouldn't be back home tonight. Master is here to beat us up!"
The two of them looked at the prince together: "Prince, help me! Master will not kill me for your sake!"
The prince said bitterly, "I don't have any face in front of Doctor Yao."
Old Man Yao sneered from a distance, "The prince does have some self-awareness."
Liu Quxing took the initiative to approach Old Man Yao and said with a wry smile, "Master, you must be tired of carrying two bamboo sticks. Let me help you carry them for a while."
But as soon as he stretched out his hand, he was hit on the back of his hand by a bamboo stick.
Old Man Yao said in a dull tone, "I remember the last time I beat you up for staying out all night was a few days ago. I'm old now, and my strength is diminished. Even a spanking won't teach you a lesson."
Liu Quxing's eyes rolled, and he quickly changed the subject: "Master, Chen Ji's father came to the kiln factory today and said that he had discussed with you and wanted to send him to Donglin Academy. He no longer needs to be an apprentice in our clinic."
"Oh?" Old Man Yao slowly looked at the traces beside the stone mill. "That's a good thing. Why didn't you go with your father? Instead, why are you doing the hard work of pushing the stone mill here?"
"Master, I want to stay at Taiping Medical Clinic."
Old Man Yao was amused: "You don't even want the Chen family's luxurious living, are you still willing to endure hardship? I've already promised Master Chen, so please return to the Chen Mansion."
Chen Ji said calmly, "I don't believe you promised him."
Old Man Yao raised his eyebrows. "Your father came to the clinic today and presented eight gifts with great courtesy, including ten silver ingots and a silver ruler. Why shouldn't I accept them? Don't treat you like a treasure. I wish you could go home soon and stop annoying me in the clinic."
Liu Quxing took the opportunity to bring a chair for Old Man Yao and helped his master sit down. "Master, when Master Chen came today, Chen Ji had already righteously rejected him. Please calm down. He didn't want to return to the Chen Mansion, isn't it because of the friendship between you and him as a master and disciple?"
Old Man Yao was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Liu Quxing. "There's some food in the carriage, including donkey meat and pickled garlic. Go get some and share them. Young people don't know the importance of going hungry. When you get older, you'll understand that good health is the most important thing."
Liu Quxing's eyes lit up, and tears of emotion almost flowed from his mouth: "Master really cares about us!"
In the evening, they rushed back to the kiln factory without even having a meal. If the military craftsmen hadn't distributed some bread to them, they would probably still be hungry now!
Everyone rushed towards the carriage, but Chen Ji stopped and did not move.
Under the night sky, the young man and the old man looked at each other from afar, tigers and tigers, just like the gaze of the old era and the new era.
This master was mean-spirited, but he brought a cart full of food.
Old Man Yao was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Let's go back, back to the Chen Mansion."
Chen Ji was surprised: "Why?"
Old Man Yao looked up at the night sky and said slowly, "The Chen family's status is beyond the reach of many others, even after several lifetimes. Returning will be beneficial for you. Whether you continue to study medicine or go to Donglin Academy to prepare for the imperial examination, it's better than staying in my small Taiping Medical Clinic. I have nothing more to teach you about the ways of the tiger, so you don't need to stay with me."
Chen Ji was stunned. He didn't expect that his master would think hard for a whole day and finally rush over overnight not to keep him, but to persuade him to leave.
He knew that Old Man Yao would definitely refuse at first.
Chen Liqin's.
But Old Man Yao thought about it for a whole day, and after going through so many changes of mind, he finally chose a smoother path for Chen Ji.
Just because this road is better for Chenji.
Old Man Yao said calmly, "The Mountain Jun Sect burns money like water. If you stay at the Taiping Clinic, even if you learn my medical skills, you'll only earn a few taels of silver per patient and slowly save up. You'll end up wasting your life and never reach the threshold of the Divine Dao Realm. If you return to the Chen family, as long as you pass the imperial examinations, even if you're a bastard, you'll have plenty of money to spend."
Chen Ji hummed.
Old Man Yao was particularly talkative tonight. He continued, "Golden Pig came to the clinic again today, but still couldn't find you. His patience is wearing thin. If you return to the Chen family, he'll be too cautious to do anything to you."
"Go back, the Chen family is more suitable for you."
Chen Ji said, "But Master, people can't always choose what suits them. They have to choose what they want."
He looked at the Crown Prince and the others wolfing down their food at the kiln gate and suddenly asked, "Master, you've already predicted the catastrophe that will befall the palace, so you don't want to see me dragged into this vortex and chose to send me away, right? If I return to the Chen family, away from the Taiping Clinic, away from Prince Jing's Mansion, away from the Crown Prince, and away from the Princess, I can stay out of this and escape this catastrophe."
Old Man Yao was silent for a moment: "Yes."
Chen Ji said seriously: "Master, since my own fate can be changed, can the fate of Prince Jing's Mansion be changed?"
Old Man Yao stared at Chen Ji. "The fate of Prince Jing's Mansion is complex and intricate. It cannot be changed by one person or one word. Their fate is predetermined, but yours holds infinite possibilities. If you don't leave, you'll be like a moth to a flame, swept into the unknown."
At this moment, the prince, who had been hungry for most of the day, stuffed his mouth with donkey meat hot bread and grinned foolishly. Liu Quxing leaned against the carriage and teased She Dengke about his eating habits.
Chen Ji looked at these people and suddenly said, "Master, they are very good friends. I can't leave. Even if my fate is determined, I want to try to change it."
The young monk once said that Chen Ji had cut off the words greed and anger in his life, leaving only the word stupidity which was incomprehensible.
Stupidity is stubbornness and persistence.
Old man Yao looked at his apprentice for a long time without saying a word.
After a long time, he stood up and said, "You can pretend that I didn't say these words tonight. Just wait until you see your fate, don't regret it."
“No regrets.”
But Chen Ji smiled and waved to the prince and others: "Are you full?"
“I’m full!”
“Get to work!”
Liu Quxing laughed and said, "Chen Ji, you should eat one too. I'll save the one with the most donkey meat for you!"
Old man Yao turned around and got on the carriage. Halfway up, he looked back at the kiln factory. The young men had already stuffed the donkey meat bacon in their hands into their mouths and started pushing the stone mill again, as if pushing a heavy fate.
…
…
The next afternoon, the sun was shining brightly.
A carriage was driving slowly on the official road.
Princess Baili opened the curtains a little, letting the cold wind play with her light hair. "Dad, my brother and the others didn't come home yesterday."
Prince Jing sat at the end of the carriage, closed his eyes and rested, and only hummed softly.
Bai Li exclaimed, "Dad, in the past, if my brother didn't come home at night, you would hang him up and beat him. Why are you so tolerant now?"
Prince Jing didn't even open his eyes. "I was so strict with him before because he'll eventually become Prince Jing. Sitting in that position, his every word and action affects the livelihoods of countless people. Naturally, I can't let him do whatever he wants."
"What about today? Why didn't you get angry?"
“Because he’s doing his job.”
Bai Li looked out the window and nonchalantly asked, "Dad, you've been resting your eyes for a long time. Are you thinking about how to plot against Chen Ji?"
Prince Jing slowly opened his eyes: "In your heart, is Dad such a petty person?"
Bai Li closed the curtains, sat up straight, and said seriously, "Dad, you know how cunning you are. Just tell me straight up. I suffered a loss yesterday. How are you going to plot against him?"
Prince Jing was amused. "Why are you asking this? If I tell you, won't you turn around and tell on me? Okay, Baili, you're playing tricks on your father now."
"Don't plot against him anymore. I'll make you some braised pork when I get home!"
"Dad doesn't like eating braised pork anymore. It's too greasy."
"Then I'll give you a back massage!"
Prince Jing exclaimed: "Why are you so supportive of this kid?
Did you drink some magic potion?"
Bai Li said solemnly, "He has no family to rely on, so we, as his friends, naturally have to consider him. He is not one of those gentry, so you are not allowed to use the same methods to deal with gentry to deal with him."
Prince Jing was silent for a moment. "Okay, but some of these matters involve military strategy, and I won't let those secrets leak out to the public. And you have to understand that keeping some things to himself is like keeping a treasure to a child; it will only lead to disaster."
Baili held up his pinky finger: "You promised me anyway, pinky promise."
"Okay, okay, pinky promise."
The carriage slowly stopped in front of the kiln factory. Before Feng Daban could put the footstool in place, Bai Li had already lifted the curtain and jumped out.
Feng Daban hurriedly said from behind: "Hey, Princess, slow down, the muddy road is slippery!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Baili ran into the gate and disappeared.
Prince Jing coughed softly from inside the car. Feng Daban turned around and asked, "Prince, how are you feeling?"
Prince Jing smiled and said, "I feel better after drinking Doctor Yao's medicine... Why is it so warm here? Let's go in and take a look!"
At this time, a solid downdraft kiln was located in the middle of the kiln factory, and coal was being thrown into the combustion chamber one shovel at a time by Chen Ji and others.
A raging fire ignited and swept through the closed downdraft kiln, and the raw materials were swallowed, melted and sintered by the flames bit by bit.
Prince Jing stood silently in front of the kiln. He could not see what was happening inside the kiln, but could only feel the heat waves coming towards him through the kiln walls.
He looked at Wang Kezhi: "How is it?"
Wang Kezhi said with difficulty: "Your Majesty, the flame is almost white, and the temperature is higher than we imagined."
"What are they burning now?"
"cement."
"How long?"
"This is the third batch. They finished the first batch before daybreak this morning and used the clinker from that batch to build a brick wall."
It was not until then that Prince Jing noticed that a brick wall had appeared in the corner of the kiln factory, with mud and mortar sticking between the bricks.
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ji stopped shoveling coal, looked at Prince Jing with a smile, and handed over a hammer: "Your Highness, please use the hammer to hit the brick wall and see if my cement can replace the glutinous rice mortar."
Feng Daban said from the side: "Your Highness, you just drank the medicine, let me knock on your door."
Prince Jing looked at the brick wall and shook his head: "No need, I can do it myself."
After saying that, he dragged the hammer to the brick wall and swung it vigorously. He saw that some of the stone skin of the blue bricks was knocked off, but the brick wall was extremely firmly attached and did not move at all!
Prince Jing hammered a few more times and finally knocked off a few blue bricks.
When the prince saw the wall being broken by the hammer, he looked at Chen Ji worriedly: "What should we do? This is not strong enough."
But the next moment, Prince Jing asked, "Was this wall built this morning?!"
Wang Kezhi explained, "Your Majesty, I watched them build it this morning."
Prince Jing continued to ask, "If it were glutinous rice mortar, how long would it take to reach this strength?"
"Your Highness, the glutinous rice mortar will take a full ten days to make. If this cement were used to repair the city walls in the border towns, it would be very effective."
Prince Jing then asked, "How long does it take them to make this cement?"
"Reporting to the prince, it takes less than an incense stick. If you want to change to glutinous rice mortar, you need to boil it on the spot for four hours and then let it sit for another two hours before you can use it."
Prince Jing then asked, "How much do you think this item costs?"
"Your Highness, the raw materials for this are nothing more than clay and chalk, and the cost is less than one-fifth of the glutinous rice mortar. If we can source the materials locally, excluding the cost of transportation, the cost would probably be less than one-tenth..."
The prince was silent. As the saying goes, the layman sees the excitement while the expert sees the details. Only a military craftsman like Wang Kezhi could understand the significance of cement to this era.
Prince Jing looked at Feng Daban and said, "Go and invite Master Zhang Zhuo and Master Chen Liqin over."
Feng Daban was puzzled. "Your Highness, Lord Zhang has to preside over the Imperial Examination today, and Lord Chen has to deal with river affairs. I'm afraid they can't come."
Prince Jing smiled and said, "Then tell Master Zhang that he was just worried about how to build houses to house the refugees from Yuzhou. Now his problem has been solved. With this, the refugees will have some temporary shelter. If no one dies in Luocheng this winter, it will be a great achievement for Zhang Zhuo. Compared to this, the Autumn Examination is nothing. He knows what is more important."
"What about Master Chen?"
"Tell him that his levee can be saved."
The prince suddenly cheered. Bai Li smiled as he watched him, Liu Quxing, and She Dengke lift Chen Ji up together: "It's done! It's done!"
(End of this chapter)
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