Chapter 104: Qian Shou: This must be the magic of the immortal!
The Zhangtai Palace discussed for a long time and decided on several examination subjects for the imperial examination system.
"I believe that each level of the examination should be spaced several months apart, especially the imperial examination. The distances between the thirty-six counties vary greatly. If sufficient time is not given, I'm afraid the candidates won't even be able to reach Xianyang."
Although roads have been paved in various counties, the fastest means of transportation is here, and the fastest horse is the one that can be ridden. Moreover, not everyone can afford to keep a horse, and not everyone knows how to ride a horse.
For the vast majority of people, the main way to travel is still on foot.
There is now public transportation consisting of donkey carts around Xianyang City, but it is currently limited to the vicinity of Xianyang City, and the farthest distance is no more than two days' journey.
Therefore, sufficient time must be left for the candidates to arrive in Xianyang to take part in the imperial examination.
The reason for this request was very sufficient, and the focus of the court discussion was only on how long the interval should be.
The top priority of the discussion, apart from the content of the exam, is the treatment of candidates at all levels.
What kind of treatment and power can one get after passing the academy examination? Can one become an official? What is the upper limit of the official position one can become?
Each of these items needs to be determined in advance and clearly stipulated, otherwise it will be very troublesome to remedy the situation when something goes wrong.
Wei Shengxue did not participate in their discussion. She sat in her seat with her eyes closed, but in fact she had already released her spiritual consciousness and was wandering in Xianyang City.
After not seeing each other for a few months, Xianyang City has become more and more lively.
The vendors setting up stalls on both sides of the road now have more smiles on their faces, and customers are more generous in paying than before.
There are also some autumn-specific products on each stall.
Wei Shengxue's spiritual sense passed by the small stalls and headed towards the tallest building in the downtown area.
The style of the building is completely different from other wooden buildings. It is a two-story building made of cement and red bricks.
Yes, high-rise buildings.
The building is only two stories high, plus a roof, with a total height of no more than twelve meters. It is already a striking and unique high-rise building standing out from the crowd.
The spiritual consciousness continued to move forward and soon entered a high-rise building. There were layers of shelves built against the wall. Each layer of shelves was filled to the brim with some commonly used items. People who came here to purchase were almost crowded at the door.
This is the department store that Weishengxue requested to be built at the end of last year.
After half a year of development, he has already established his own market positioning and a clear customer base.
The first floor is aimed at ordinary families, and mainly sells daily necessities such as needles and thread, fabrics, salt, oil, sauce, vinegar, etc.
The second floor is considered the VIP area, separate from the first floor. Even the passage is on the other side. The things sold there are more diverse, including jewelry and gems, as well as swords, guns, and furs. The main item may not be useful, but it will definitely look good.
Wei Shengxue's spiritual consciousness circled around here, and she was basically satisfied with the current operation of the department store.
Except for one thing.
It's really dark here.
Although there were lighting beads she had gathered at a distance, ensuring basic lighting needs, these beads were only green. Under the green light, many things were distorted to a certain extent.
She looked at the windows on the wall. They were covered with thin silk, which was breathable and translucent, but still very different from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows she was used to.
I wonder what the progress of the glass factory is like now? Have they produced glass that can be used as windows?
When she withdrew her consciousness, the topic of discussion in Zhangtai Palace had changed.
Celebrating the autumn harvest?
When she heard the discussion about this matter, she wondered what she was doing at this time last year?
It seems that there was no such thing as autumn harvest celebration last year.
“There have been many changes this year, and it deserves a celebration for everyone to cheer together.”
This explanation makes perfect sense, but it sounds very un-Qin.
Aren't you all ruthless people who don't talk much, and work hard without opening your mouth?
According to her observation, Daqin seems to be very opposed to folk entertainment activities. Is it going to be relaxed this time?
But in her opinion, it is also a good thing. Long-term suppression is not conducive to the development of Daqin.
We are now in a post-war period of peace. If we continue to maintain the state of emergency we experienced during wartime, it will eventually break like a bowstring.
So when they asked for her advice, she said, "If we do it, it would be best if we could get the people involved too. Make it a regular practice and celebrate with the people."
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After the autumn harvest, time slowly entered the end of August.
It is time to plant winter wheat again. The high-quality seeds that have been stored for more than half a year are finally ready to be planted.
…
The village should select farmers who are good at taking care of wheat to farm the land.
As soon as this news came out, it caused a shock in all the villages.
It’s finally here!
Since last year, there has been news that wheat can be planted again after the autumn harvest. At that time, the best farmers in the counties around Xianyang were selected to go to the imperial farm. They stayed there for the entire autumn and winter and did not return until the beginning of spring.
"That wheat is this tall! There are five or six ears of wheat hanging on one plant, and there are almost no empty husks. One acre of land can produce hundreds of kilograms!"
"Someone else wanted to steal the seeds, but we fought hard to save them. Because of this, we even got an extra shi (100g) of seeds here! One shi (100g)!"
"I heard from the agricultural officials that those of us who have made contributions will be able to pick the best crops first when the grain and seeds are distributed."
The words of those who had returned from Hualin Garden a few months ago still rang in my ears. They'd planted immortal seeds for His Majesty before, but some of them had secretly hidden away, only to regret it bitterly when the news got back. This time, there was no way I could miss out.
Shuanzi was from a village near Xianyang City. He had been very strong since he was a child and was fast and good at farming. But the last time they came to recruit people, he and his family thought they were recruiting people to do hard labor. They were afraid that he might not come back if he was not careful, so they did not dare to let him go. He secretly went up the mountain and pretended to fall and hurt his hand to avoid going.
But this time he was determined to go no matter what. "Those who are not as good as me are all showing off. Once they get the immortal seeds, they will definitely grow more food than us. Then they will be prosperous and we will just have to follow behind and eat shit."
He added, "Not long ago, an immortal used his magic to increase the amount of grain in the fields. Now one acre of land produces as much grain as two or three acres before. After we pay our taxes, we still have a lot left. We can sell some of it to the government warehouse and earn enough copper coins to go to the city."
Go into the city.
There was anticipation in their eyes.
There are few opportunities to leave the village all year round, and the farthest place they have been is to the town. This is the norm for most people at that time.
But now it's different.
Now we have that... public transportation. You can take a donkey cart from here to the city for just one copper coin, and it only takes two days to go back and forth.
The money from selling the grain was placed on the table, and the whole family gathered in the yard, waiting for distribution from the head of the family.
The old man counted out six copper coins, and the meaning was obvious: there would be six places to enter the city this time.
"Four men and two women, go to the city and buy more things. Old woman, this time you take the third girl to the city. She's about to go out, buy her some cloth to make her some new clothes." He looked at his youngest daughter, who was about to come of age. "Your weaving skills are the best in the village. I heard there's a great weaving factory in Xianyang City. Ask your second brother to take you to have a look. If you can get in, your life will be comfortable in the future."
The second brother, Dadou, scratched his head and questioned, "Father, I heard from the peddlers who come to the village that the factory belongs to an immortal. It's an immortal, and those noble lords have to send their daughters there, so how can we, the peasants, get a chance?"
The old man lashed out with his cane, spat, and cursed, "You ignorant thing! Those young ladies from noble families have long been apprenticed to immortals, serving tea and water in front of them to show off their appearance. They definitely don't want to go to places where they can't even see their faces. Just take your sister to have a look, you don't have to let her in!"
If they really get a bargain, they will make a lot of money.
"Also," the old man tapped the table, his face etched with solemnity, "go ask around in the city to find out where there's a temple dedicated to the immortal. You can all go and pay your respects there. Bring a handful of the grain you harvested this time as an offering to the immortal."
He signaled his wife to pick out some honey from the locked cabinet. Under everyone's suddenly bright eyes, he put a little honey into each bowl, poured water on it, and the sweet honey water melted in the bowl.
"Is it sweet?" he asked, tapping the table.
"sweet!"
Everyone held the bowl in front of them tightly, sipping it with great care, taking small sips.
"It's sweet! This is the honey brought by the immortals!"
The naive second son spoke the truth again: "Dad, I brought some of my nephews to dig this honey up from the mountains. It can't be called fairy honey."
His father tried to hold back, but couldn't help it and hit him with the stick again, "You idiot! How can you get so much honey if it's not fairy honey?! Those beekeeping cages and beekeeping methods were all taught by immortals, so of course this is fairy honey!"
Idiot, what am I doing this for?
How could I not know that these honeys are grown at home?
Isn’t it just to get more fairy spirit!
After drinking the honey water and driving his stupid son out, the old man put on the gloves and mask sewn by his wife, carried the wooden bucket and went to the fields himself.
His family's beehives are there. The honey that has been accumulated for half a year is now ready to be harvested. Let's sell this batch. The jar in front is enough for consumption, and it can be sold for a lot of money. If the family saves enough money, they can buy a cow.
Behind him, his son, who had just been kicked out, clattered along. It took three people to collect honey; the old father couldn't do it alone.
"Father, are we going to keep the honey for ourselves this time?" Dadou smacked his lips, as if the sweet taste of honey was still lingering in it, making him drool.
The old man rolled his eyes and said, "What are you eating? Let your mother take it to sell this time. We have enough money to buy a cow."
ox!
Just hearing these words was enough to move their hearts. The two sons took a few quick steps and exclaimed in surprise, "Dad! We're going to have a cow?!"
As the eldest son, Shuanzi was more familiar with the family's financial situation and was even more surprised when he heard this: "We saved for seven or eight years and only managed to save enough for half a cow. How long has it been? Can we afford the remaining half a cow?!"
The old man raised his head proudly and said, "Thanks to your father's good vision, I knew there was a lot of potential in honey farming as soon as I heard about it. At that time, you were reluctant to do more. Now you know how powerful I am."
When the agricultural official came to teach the method of beekeeping, all families went to learn it. However, the more important purpose at that time was to assist in the pollination of crops and increase the yield. Many families just caught enough honeycombs for the crops and did not go into the mountains again. However, he still took his son to find several more beehives.
Now, the benefits are here.
Thank you, Immortal.
Only an immortal would teach everyone such a method that can be used as a family heirloom to ensure wealth for generations. It really is... worthy of being a true immortal!
The old man led his two sons to collect honey. The thick honey was scraped off the wooden board and mixed with the honeycomb into the wooden barrel. The unique sweetness of the honey lingered at the tip of their noses, making the three of them swallow their saliva constantly.
"Dad, let's lick the honey off the scraper later." Dadou picked out the remaining bees, staring straight at the scraper that scraped off the honeycomb, as if he couldn't wait to pounce on it.
Bang!
The old man fiercely slapped away the claw that had reached out to him unconsciously, "You are so greedy."
He then instructed, "Clean it up and put it in two jars when we get back, one large and one small."
"Ah? Dad, are you going to sell both houses?"
"What are you selling? I'll offer this little one to the immortal's temple. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be living the good life we have today."
"Dad, I remember that the longevity tablets at home always have three sticks of incense burned every day."
"embolus."
"father."
The old man shook the scraper and scraped it back and forth beside the barrel, scraping all the honey stuck on it into the barrel. His movements were rigorous and slow, and his words were serious and solemn:
"The village chief knows your abilities. If anyone in our village is to be elected, you will definitely not be left out. When you go to plant wheat, you must work hard and take good care of the crops. You must not let the immortal down."
Shuanzi replied, "Dad, don't worry. Being able to grow another season of wheat is the lifeblood of us farmers. We would rather it get into trouble than anything else, even if something happens to us."
"Besides, there must be agricultural officials taking care of these crops. I will do whatever they say and bring back as many immortal seeds as possible to our village."
…
The next day, the six people prepared all their luggage and waited at the intersection with their bags.
There was a sign next to it with the name of their village written on it, and there were not many people around.
"We are so lucky. No one is fighting for a seat today. When there are too many people, we can't even squeeze in. We can only put our things on the car and run behind." The old mother smiled happily. She patted the basket hanging on her arm. Under the coarse cloth was a basket full of agricultural and sideline products. She took this opportunity to sell them all together.
"Aunt Dazhuang." The little daughter standing next to her called out in one direction.
"Second sister-in-law is here." Shuanzi's mother handed the basket to her daughter and went up to help her take some of the weight.
"Oh, please take us to the city this time."
Aunt Dazhuang is a short, middle-aged woman who carries a lot of bags on her back. At a glance, they are all vegetables commonly found in farmers' homes.
Shuanzi's mother was surprised when she took it, "These vegetables are sold at high prices in the city? I should take some back with me."
"What? This is for my cousin from the next room." Aunt Dazhuang nodded in the direction of the next village. "That family is so cruel that they kicked out a woman who just gave birth. My poor cousin was still bleeding from her lower body and almost died on the roadside."
Shuanzi's mother raised her eyebrows and cursed, "Why are they so disrespectful? They can kick her out right after she gives birth. Even if it's a girl, she will bloom first and then bear fruit, and the son will come later! Who would dare to marry their daughter to them after doing such a dirty and rotten thing?"
"Who said she wasn't?" Aunt Dazhuang also had a look of disgust on her face, but then she smiled again. "But it's a blessing in disguise. Now, she's a weaver in that textile factory! She can earn hundreds of dollars a month! And food and accommodation are provided. These are also because she heard her want to eat the vegetables she grew last time, so I just picked them and sent them to her."
As they were talking, the driver came over with a public donkey cart. There were only two people on the cart, and they could all sit.
After most of the day, the tall city walls of the pass finally came into view in the distance.
"Oh, why are there so many people today?" Aunt Dazhuang couldn't help but exclaimed when she saw the queue of people crossing the border that was almost three miles long.
Coming to a big city for the first time, Shuanzi's mother and the others couldn't help but show their timidity. They even lowered their voices and dared only to tug at her sleeves and whispered, "This is where the emperor and nobles live. It's normal for there to be a lot of people here."
Aunt Dazhuang had been here a few times and was pretty familiar with the route. She peered ahead at the seemingly endless line, a hint of worry in her eyes. "There are usually more people, but never this many. Oh, are we going to be out in the city by sunset? Then we'll have to freeze outside all night."
Shuanzi's mother speculated based on her own experience: "Is there a market today?"
In the countryside, there are always a lot of people on market days.
"The Autumn Harvest Festival is coming." Someone nearby heard it and answered her question.
Harvest celebration?
Seeing that the team couldn't move, they had to find something to do to kill time. The people around them had always treated this as a pastime, and seeing that they knew nothing, they wanted to teach them some scientific knowledge.
Aunt Dazhuang politely grabbed a handful of roasted beans from her pocket and said, "Have a snack. Tell us about the Autumn Harvest Festival."
There were other people nearby who didn't know the situation. They all took out some snacks and fruits, and eventually they put together a not-so-small stall. They added a few pots of water, and it looked like a tea party.
"This Autumn Harvest Festival was suggested by our immortal." The man picked up a few roasted beans, put them in his mouth, chewed them, and began to speak. "This year, the harvest is so good, and everyone's life is getting better. So we thought of holding a festival so that everyone can have fun together."
When it comes to the harvest, everyone has something to say.
"Not only are the crops growing well this year, but all kinds of fruits and vegetables are growing exceptionally large. Even my health has improved significantly," the speaker patted his arm. "It used to hurt so much when it rained that I almost wanted to chop my arm off. Hey, what do you think? This year, the pain isn't there anymore, and I have extra strength to work."
"Don't tell me, I feel the same way. I had a difficult labor when I gave birth to my youngest son, and it left me with a persistent stomachache. This year, not only am I suffering from stomach pain, I'm even having trouble breathing."
Then several more people said that they were feeling noticeably better.
If it happened to one or two people, it would be a pleasant surprise, but when so many people had this reaction at the same time, and they compared the time, they found that the time when their bodies got better was about the same.
What else could this be?
Of course it was the immortal who used his magic to heal them!
"Oh, the immortal is such a kind person. Do you know where there is an immortal temple? I will offer some things from my home to the immortal."
"I haven't heard of it."
"I haven't heard of it either."
"The immortal doesn't like others to build a temple for her." Someone interrupted, sounding like an insider.
"How could a deity not like temples? Deities need incense and offerings?" No one wanted to hear what this person said, and they looked at him with suspicion, "Do you believe in another god and deliberately prevent our deity from receiving incense and offerings?"
No one expected that just one sentence could deviate the topic to this point. He denied it repeatedly and brought the topic back to where it had strayed, "Let's continue talking about the Autumn Harvest Festival."
…
A caravan slowly entered the city, and the two leaders looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar city in front of them.
"Brother Shen, this trip was really not easy for us. We almost lost our lives several times." A man with a square scarf wrapped around his head straightened his wrinkled clothes and couldn't help but sigh.
"Brother Si, only those who have endured the most hardships can become the best. Our journey is difficult, but if we succeed, rapid advancement will be a piece of cake." The man called Brother Shen subconsciously raised his hand and touched his right arm, where there was a very deep scar left from that time.
Thinking of this incident, he couldn't help but curse: "Damn the Huns, they were so cruel."
This time, it was Brother Si who came to comfort him. "At least you saved your life, and brought back a whole caravan of wool. When we sell it to the textile factory, we'll make a lot of money just from the silver. What's more..."
What's more, the wool is only superficial. What they brought back is really valuable -
A trade route, a trade route connecting with the Huns.
This fleet of wool was just a token of their loyalty to establish a relationship.
If I can't see the immortal or His Majesty, I can at least see the person in charge of wool purchasing.
As merchants oppressed by the Qin, their ability to sustain this business demonstrates their keen sense of purpose. The two men, venturing into Xiongnu territory at a time when the future was uncertain, were truly daring in their business ventures. Their ability to discern a hidden agenda based on a passing tip and to act boldly demonstrates their meticulousness.
Bold and careful, with extraordinary abilities, they were the first to try something new.
You will also get the greatest benefits from being the “first”.
…
When the two stepped into the Xianyang Palace, it felt like a dream.
Your Majesty actually wants to meet them?
The two looked at each other, their hearts beating violently.
Who was the last businessman to step into the Xianyang Palace?
All businessmen in the world can say that name immediately.
Lu Buwei.
The prime minister of the Qin State once had the final say and was second only to the emperor. Even the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who had not yet taken power at the time, had to respectfully address him as "Zhongfu".
He is the benchmark for businessmen.
Doing business to this point is the pinnacle.
They did not seek to be compared with Lu Buwei, but it was not too much to exchange their unique business skills for an official position.
It would be best if it was an official position responsible for trading with the Huns, so that one can play his role for a long time and hope to make further progress.
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