Zhong Feng sat on the ground in a daze, and only managed to avoid fainting by biting his tongue.
He never expected that the plot would take such a dramatic turn!
Speaking of which, as the son of the Zhong family in Wei State, he never thought of himself as a stupid person.
At that time, his elder brother got into an accident, broke his leg, and was abandoned by the family. At that time, the elders of the family did not choose Zhong Feng, but Zhong Feng made a quick decision to draw a clear line with his brother, and even had this "useless man" sent back to his hometown. At the same time, he managed his shop well and made good profits.
In this way, he relied on his ruthlessness and shrewdness to successfully stand out from several young men and became the candidate for the next head of the Zhong family.
It can be said that Zhong Feng was aware that he had earned his position through his own abilities, which also made his self-confidence unprecedentedly high.
Going to Fenghe County to do business was a common thing, and trying to steal the Dongpo pork recipe from the restaurant for money was just a routine operation in his eyes.
I never expected that I would fail.
Fenghe County not only made its recipes public, but also started a cooking training class, teaching everything!
You have obtained so many good things, shouldn't you hide them and try your best to make money?
Why shake it out!
How come there are still people who have a grudge against silver!
What’s even more infuriating is that even famous chefs from Qi State went to Fenghe County to become apprentices…
Could it be that after believing in Langyun’s immortals, people will become otherworldly and detached from the mundane world?
But whether he understood the reason why Fenghe County did this or not, the result was the same.
The gold was gone, and so was the restaurant that he had invested in.
In the end, Zhong Feng had made all the plans but gained nothing. He was afraid that his little scheme would be exposed, so he had to leave Fenghe County quickly.
But he knew that if he returned to Wei State like this, he would definitely be disliked by the elders of his family, so he thought of staying in Yuanluo County for a while, regrouping and fighting again.
But who could have thought?
Ideals are beautiful, but reality is a hammer.
It's over again.
Not only will the money be lost, but I'm afraid the person will also be lost.
If a Wei person were to cause trouble in Qi, it would be fine if he was not discovered, but if he was discovered, he would probably be in trouble.
So Zhong Feng gritted his teeth, trying to stay awake, raised his face which had already started to turn red, winked at his men, and then wanted to quietly leave before others wanted to go and see the rare rail car.
But he never expected that a pair of eyes were staring at him.
Wan Dong had seen rail cars before, so he was not scared at all. He also knew that the car was heading towards Fenghe County. In this case, even if he chased it now, it would not stop.
Even though everyone around was looking in that direction, Wan Dong just took a glance and then looked away.
Instead, he turned all his attention to Zhong Feng.
He remembered clearly that this person had just said bad things about the immortal!
Wan Dong thought to himself that he was not a person who liked to meddle in other people's affairs. He couldn't control what this guy wanted to do, but he could say anything about the world except Lang Yun!
So, just when Zhong Feng wanted to get up, Wan Dong walked over and kicked him in the back!
Perhaps it was because he came too suddenly that many people didn't react.
The people from the Zhong family caravan were also stunned for a moment before they wanted to come over to protect them.
But before that, Wan Dong had already yelled at the top of his lungs, "This man isn't from Qi, yet he's controlling the chariot and horse business. I'm afraid he's a spy from another country."
As soon as these words were spoken, they attracted a lot of attention.
Compared with the people of other countries, the people of Qi, who were used to a stable life, were particularly docile. They would not easily cause trouble and were only concerned about living a peaceful life.
But once the word "spy" was mentioned, it was equivalent to shaking their peace.
That’s too much?
Someone immediately reacted, "That's right! A place as important as the Carriage and Horse Trading Company actually allowed foreigners to get involved?"
"This is a big deal. Weren't they trying to cheat those people out of their money just now?"
"Don't waste any more time, take them to see the officials!"
Zhong Feng was kicked and already felt dizzy after falling headfirst onto the ground. Now he was even more confused after hearing these words.
It was wrong of me to cheat people out of money, but what else is going on?
He really wanted to say that he was from Wei, and that Wei and Qi were on good terms, so where did the spy come from?
But before he could say anything, he was picked up, his mouth was stuffed with a cloth, and his arms were tied.
Although Zhong Feng was the leader of the caravan, he was just a young man in his twenties. He usually dealt with account books and abacus. When had he ever seen such a scene?
He hurriedly wanted to turn around to call for help, but he found that the people he brought with him had been isolated by the people of Yuanluo County. He didn't dare to take any action, for fear that he would also be taken to see the officials, and then his master would really have no one to save him. He could only look anxious but helpless.
So Zhong Feng had to struggle hard, hoping to get the cloth out of his mouth and figure things out for himself.
Unexpectedly, the tone of people's discussions had changed at this time.
"Since they dare to interfere with the carriage and horse business, what about other places? Will they cause trouble as well?"
"I was wondering why the vegetable prices have gone up recently!"
"The wall in my backyard collapsed yesterday. I'm afraid it was because of them!"
"Yes, yes, my copper basin is also missing. I must ask the officials to investigate!"
Zhong Feng: ...
Although he was unlucky this time and lost all his face, reputation and money, how could these people slander him!
Is he crazy, a man from such a big family, how could he steal a copper basin!
You can hit me and scold me, but you can't insult me!
But Zhong Feng didn't have the chance to say these words for the time being.
He was carried all the way, unable to struggle, and was forced to go towards the Yuanluo County government office.
This operation also shocked Wan Dong.
He was just afraid that this person would run away, and he was also afraid that since he was a foreigner, the people of Yuanluo County would not listen to him, so he thought of a way to attract attention.
It turned out to be quite effective, but perhaps too effective.
It actually caused such a big scene!
Wan Dong watched in bewilderment as several burly men carried Zhong Feng away, and subconsciously wondered, "Did I... go a little too far?"
Wang An said softly, "It's not too much."
Wan Dong was a little surprised: "I thought you would think I was too unreasonable."
After all, those scholars all value kindness and tolerance, and he thought Wang An was the same.
Then Wang An smiled and said, "After I became Master Mo's disciple, he taught me that in dealing with people, one should be lenient towards others and strict with oneself, but this does not mean that there is no limit to it."
As he spoke, he looked at the Zhong family caravan that had already gone away, and thought about the disturbance that these people almost caused in Fenghe County.
He said: "Those who advise others to be tolerant and generous without distinguishing right from wrong are either stupid or evil."
At this moment, perhaps because of the commotion caused by the Zhong family caravan, many people in Yuanluo County came back to their senses and they quickly responded.
It's not about Zhong Feng, just send that man to the government office.
What really attracted everyone's attention was undoubtedly the rail car.
Their attitudes toward rail cars were mixed.
Some were frightened, some were curious, and some were clever enough to quickly connect it with the legend of the immortal mount that had been circulating before.
The mayor of Yuanluo County, who had heard the news, hurriedly sent people out, carrying a gong, and while beating it, he told the people in the county that this was a fairy object from the immortals and they should not panic.
After the news was confirmed, many people began to make devout wishes.
Today, the State of Qi has no state religion. Most people believe in their ancestors, and some occasionally believe in gods and Buddhas in order to seek blessings.
Now that there is such a bright and dazzling Langyun Fairyland in Fengwei Mountain, and the immortals seem to be omnipotent, they are naturally willing to worship more, which is why the fairy temple is so popular.
Wan Dong, who came from Fenghe County New Village, was not surprised by these reactions.
What really surprised him was that many people spontaneously moved forward before they even knew what the iron thing was, and some even started to move in groups, dragging others along.
Even though the rail car has already left, they are prepared to drive after it.
Those who are so resolute are basically dressed like businessmen.
This made Wan Dong a little confused: "Why aren't they afraid?"
Although Wang An was young, he had worked in the charcoal factory for quite a while and had come into contact with many businessmen, so he had a good understanding of their psychology. He said, "No matter which country they are from, businessmen are all profit-driven. Now they must have seen this..." Hesitantly, he thought of a name, "The benefits this iron cart can bring to them."
"What's the benefit?"
"Nowadays, most goods are pulled by animals or carried on people's backs. If the distance is short, it's fine, but if it's far away, the transportation costs alone are more valuable than the goods themselves. For things like charcoal, it's fine, but for things like wood and stone, which are heavy and can't be sold at a high price, using the old methods would probably result in huge losses. But with this cart, it's a different story."
Wan Dong glanced over there and asked, "Are they going to check on the car?"
Wang An guessed, "They're probably asking for the price." Thinking that the first place the railway tracks appeared was Xincun, Wang An asked, "Do you know?"
Wan Dong shook his head honestly.
He has only learned some basic driving methods and is not yet clear about the operating principles of this second-generation car.
According to the Immortal Lord, he needs to lay a solid foundation before he can study these things.
Therefore, Wan Dong still didn't know how much the rail car would cost, he only knew that it consumed coal.
So now he just said: "As for the price, I'm afraid I need to ask the Immortal Lord and the County Magistrate before I can decide."
Wang An also felt that this matter was not his responsibility, so he stopped asking and just said: "No matter what, it is beneficial to Qi. In this case, we should get down to business."
"What's the matter?"
"Give this to Yuanluo County and have them make charcoal pencils based on it to sell."
As he spoke, Wang An took out a cloth bag from his arms.
He opened it and pulled out a pen.
This one seems a little different.
Ordinary charcoal pencils are mostly wooden with a black core in the middle.
But this one is painted red, and there is a poem engraved on it:
"The mountain peach blossoms are all over the top, and the spring water of the Shu River flows against the mountain."
In today's Qi State, engraving poems on cultural and educational supplies was not a rare thing. People used to do this with brushes.
What really makes Wan Dong feel rare is the core of the pen.
It’s also red!
Wan Dong took a look at the other pen holders in the cloth bag and found that they were also full of colorful flowers.
So he asked, "What kind of pen is this?"
Wang An smiled and said, "It's a new invention. By adding color, the refills can have different colors."
This is obviously an innovative move, but for someone like Wan Dong who knows nothing about art, he cannot perceive the benefits of this thing.
When writing, it doesn’t matter what you use to write.
A charcoal pencil is usually very cheap, and the words on paper are clear in black and white, so these colorful ones seem unnecessary.
However, Wan Dong still asked, "How much silver will it cost?"
Wang An smiled and said, "One colored one can buy three regular ones."
As soon as these words came out, Wan Dong said softly: "I'm afraid the sales will not be good..."
Wang An said slowly: "Speaking of which, it was the immortal's idea to do this."
After hearing this, Wan Dong immediately changed his tone without thinking: "Sales... Needless to say, it must be excellent."
Wang An: …
This double standard is really justified.
So I asked, "What do you think is good about this thing?"
Wan Dong said without hesitation: "I don't know either. But this is not the Immortal Lord's problem, but my problem. It must be because I am a mortal and cannot see as deeply as the Immortal."
Wang An: ...You are really amazing. You can even work this out.
Wang An then curiously asked, "Do you believe everything the immortals say?"
Wan Dong nodded without hesitation.
Because unlike the Manager Wang in front of him, although Fenghe County had suffered an earthquake disaster before and it looked extremely tragic, it was only the houses in the county town that collapsed, and had nothing to do with Wang An who was in a foreign land at the time. Moreover, most of the houses in Wangjia Village were bungalows, and they were made of mud bricks and straw. Even if they collapsed, there was no damage, so the feeling was not deep.
But Wan Dong was different. He was a refugee who had wandered all the way to Fenghe County. After being taken in by the people there, he went to the new village that Langyun hoped to build.
The school was opened under the influence of immortals.
The scientific research was changed by the immortals.
Not to mention the various differences seen in Fenghe County, which had a huge impact on the refugees led by Wan Dong.
Especially when he first saw the fairy temple that looked like a teaching building, the architectural style that had never been seen in Qi State was almost shocking to Wan Dong.
This deepened his belief in the Langyun Fairyland over and over again. It could be said that it was like an 800-meter filter that could not be removed.
However, the two did not waste any more time and soon dispersed to do their own things.
At this time, the rail car was running smoothly, causing quite a stir in several county towns along its way.
Because the railway would pass through these county towns, the county magistrate Zhuang of Fenghe County wrote a letter to their county magistrate early on, hoping that they would not panic when the time came.
However, when County Magistrate Zhuang wrote this, he had never seen what the rail car looked like with his own eyes, so he could only roughly write that "its body was as hard as iron, and its sound was like a bell" based on the description of the officials who were watching at the time.
When they actually saw it, the county governors realized that County Governor Zhuang’s description was far too conservative.
How can this be described as "a body as hard as iron"? It's clearly just a lump of iron!
Also, “its sound is like a bell”, whose bell makes a “clang-clang-clang-woo-woo-du-du-du” sound?
However, most of these county magistrates have been in their respective county cities for many years. Even if they do not have reputation, they still have official authority. In addition, in the few months after the New Year, the teachers and students of Langyun have a goal to pursue. They have accumulated enough knowledge and experience, so they began to go out and look for tasks to do. Therefore, these counties have all heard of the efficacy of the immortal Langyun.
So although I was shocked, I was quickly calmed down.
However, County Magistrate Zhuang, who had sent the letter, knew nothing about this.
At this time, the county magistrate was taking a nap.
Normally, County Magistrate Zhuang does not take naps. He has always devoted himself to Fenghe County, especially after the reconstruction of his own county seat, he has received special attention from the King of Qi. From the previous factory construction to the current educational reforms, it can be said that the capital's eyes have never left here. County Magistrate Zhuang even has to write a memorial every few days.
It's not that he wants to take credit for himself, but there are too many variables and changes in the county city, which forces him to constantly refresh his worldview and explain each and every issue to his king.
This is like writing a report for your leader, but the content of the report is in the form of a well-reasoned essay.
Although it is not known whether this memorial was read by the King of Qi himself or was shared by his ministers, in short, there would be a reply every once in a while. The questions raised in it were all kinds of strange, so County Magistrate Zhuang had to continue writing memorials.
Once or twice, that’s fine.
However, there were too many variables and changes, and many times even the prefect of Lianzhuang County himself was a step behind, feeling that plans could not keep up with the speed of change. Basically, the memorials had to be enriched every day.
Writing papers every day, showing them directly to your immediate supervisor, and being in a state of possible defense at any time, who wouldn't be tired?
And just last night, County Magistrate Zhuang stayed up all night writing to analyze the results of educational reforms in Fenghe County and discuss the prospects and future of compulsory education.
Today, after dinner, I went to take a nap. When I lay down, I was still thinking that I would find a few more clerks for the yamen and choose them from Mr. Mo's academy.
After all, I'm old now. If I keep writing papers every day, I'm afraid not only will my hair turn gray, but I'll also become bald...
As a result, I had just fallen asleep for a while when I was awakened by a noise.
“Woo woo woo!”
County Magistrate Zhuang suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, reached out from under his pillow and took out a dagger. Without even bothering to put on his shoes, he walked out barefoot and shouted, "Who's blowing the horn outside? Is there an enemy attack?"
Perhaps because I was too anxious, I stumbled and almost fell when walking down the stairs.
The person who supported him was Ji Liang from Langyun Agricultural College.
When Zhuang Jun saw him, he was slightly startled: "Immortal Lord...why are you here?"
Ji Liang smiled and said, "I want you to coordinate with a few other factories. The foundation of the new village has been completed, and they are about to start the second phase of construction. They need help."
County Magistrate Zhuang said without hesitation, "Don't worry, Immortal Lord. The new village is a model village. The success of Fenghe County's village transformation in the future will depend on its results. I will certainly do my best. Whether it's labor or supplies, as long as you need them, I will send them."
Ji Liang smiled and nodded, his face showing approval.
At this moment, a "wooooo" sound was heard outside again.
Only then did County Magistrate Zhuang remember the reason why he jumped out of the room.
He immediately looked nervous: "This is..."
Ji Liang casually said, "The rail car I told you about before."
"...Is it the vehicle that looks very much like the Immortal Lord's mount that we got from Jiangyi County?"
"right."
The county magistrate's office was located deep inside the county city and had no view of what was happening outside the city.
So County Magistrate Zhuang climbed up to the attic and looked out, holding the telescope given by the immortal in his hand.
As a result, I saw the true appearance of the rail car.
And the pile of stuff dragged behind...
County Magistrate Zhuang was startled. After a long moment, he turned to Ji Liang, who had also boarded the bus, and asked, "You call this a taxi?"
Ji Liang nodded naturally.
This is of course a car. Although it is much uglier than the train we imagine, no matter how ugly it is, it is the crystallization of wisdom and a symbol of progress.
A small step for Langyun, a big step for Qi!
However, County Magistrate Zhuang held the railing tightly with both hands and took several deep breaths before he calmed himself down.
The first thing he thought of was his own people. He asked the official below in the attic, "Have you warned the people?"
The official immediately replied, "Your Excellency, we have just sent people out to appease the people in the county according to your instructions."
County Magistrate Zhuang was stunned: "When did I give you any instructions?"
The official said respectfully, "When the tracks were laid, your Excellency prepared for a rainy day and told us to proceed with caution."
County Magistrate Zhuang then remembered that this had happened, but at that time he had imagined a mythical beast pulling the carriage frame. He was wondering why the mythical beast had no brain and could only crawl along the rails.
Who could have imagined it was such a big guy???
But he had to maintain some authority in front of his subordinates and not lose face, so County Magistrate Zhuang nodded solemnly, waved him off, and then exclaimed to Ji Liang, "This thing is truly extraordinary. The wonder of Langyun is truly breathtaking."
Ji Liang was very calm: "This is nothing."
County Magistrate Zhuang thought that the other party was being modest, but he didn't know that Ji Liang was really calm.
After all, his recent contact with the mechanical engineering department resulted in him fully understanding the other party's goals.
To sum up, the sea of stars.
If it weren't for the fact that he was still in the early stages, I'm afraid Bian Yuhang would really live up to his name and go into aerospace...
However, County Magistrate Zhuang obviously didn't think of these things, and he was more concerned about people's livelihood.
So, when he finally calmed down his excitement, he picked up the telescope again to observe the rail car, and then he saw a lot of things.
For example, there were several flatbed carriages towing behind, which were full of stones and wood brought from the mountains.
For example, the speed of this car is actually not very fast. If there is a brave businessman driving a carriage next to it, he can catch up with it or even overtake it.
For another example, the rail car is smoking.
So, the Zhuang County Magistrate asked, "Excuse me, Immortal, what kind of food does this rail car usually eat?"
Ji Liang did not find this question funny. He had communicated with the indigenous people a lot, so he knew that the people here could only find reasons from their own knowledge reserves when they were faced with new things that they had never encountered before, so their understanding was so strange.
He also did not give a perfunctory answer and replied seriously: "He doesn't eat food, he eats coal."
"The coal from those mountains over there?"
"right."
After all, County Magistrate Zhuang had been an official for many years, and he quickly realized the benefits of this.
He had always been worried that there would always be a shortage of raw materials for large-scale construction in Fenghe County. Whether it was the stones to be placed at the bottom of the pool or the wood for the greenhouse, they had to be found in the nearby mountains.
As the usage increases, difficult problems will arise.
The bandits are one thing, but the most important thing is that these things are heavy, and it takes a lot of manpower and resources to transport them back.
Even if it is not worth much in itself, just hiring a car is a sky-high price.
Now, look what happened. We’ve brought in so much at once. I’m afraid it will take until the second half of the year, right?
And what if the car is not as fast as the horse at the moment?
The key is that it can be installed and it’s cheap!
Having written numerous papers, County Magistrate Zhuang already possessed the qualities of an excellent grassroots official. He quickly began to calculate the expenses: "This only requires the cost of coal, which doesn't cost much in total. We can just assign people to the mountains. Besides mining wood and stone, there's also coal there. Our county already gets its coal from there. Now that the railcars need it, the County Magistrate can simply give the order and provide as much as they need."
Ji Liang clapped his hands and said, "In this way, rounding up will be free. County Magistrate Zhuang's calculations are correct."
County Magistrate Zhuang was also very moved: "It is worthy of the work of an immortal, it is really amazing."
"You're welcome."
“No, no.”
After some business exclamation, County Magistrate Zhuang looked outside again and said softly, "It seems that many people outside the county town have also set their sights on the rail car."
Ji Liang turned to look at him: "What are you going to do?"
County Magistrate Zhuang thought for a moment and said, "After all, we are all in Qi, working for the king. Besides, many counties and cities want to strengthen their construction to boost public morale. If they have requests, we can probably help them."
Ji Liang blinked.
Is this a transportation business?
Do we need to repair the site?
So he quickly took out his phone and started sending messages to the relevant departments, asking them to actively apply for the tasks. At the same time, he sent a message to Bian Yuhang, asking, "How much are you going to charge?"
County Magistrate Zhuang opened his mouth, but quickly closed it. After a moment's thought, he said, "It doesn't need to be too high, just keep it running."
This surprised Ji Liang. Although he didn't understand business, he knew that people should not have a grudge against money. It was obvious that this county leader would make money, but he didn't do it?
But before he could ask, County Magistrate Zhuang took the initiative to speak frankly, "Construction is a top priority for Fenghe County right now. Furthermore, the population of the county is limited. Sooner or later, the factory will need to build branches. If transportation is convenient, branches can be built elsewhere. The sooner they are built, the better for Fenghe County. Furthermore, convenient transportation is essential for selling goods. Once they learn of the wonders of this immortal's method, I'm afraid they'll proactively request the laying of railroad tracks. Then, as the hub of Fenghe County, it will naturally benefit the most, and everyone in the county will benefit. It's a win-win situation, benefiting the people."
The words were very literary and long, and they poured into Ji Liang's ears all at once, making it difficult for him to understand.
It happened that Ji Liang recorded this conversation and sent it to Bian Yuhang.
Student Bian, who was listening in, typed in the dialog box: "This Mr. Zhuang has mastered the essence of the transportation industry. His county deserves to make money. I really want to know how he taught himself."
Ji Liang looked up and asked, "How does the prefect know so much?"
Zhuang Jun Shou said modestly: "After writing many memorials, I can understand some of the tricks."
"What memorial?"
"As long as there are changes in the county, I will write to the capital."
"Write it yourself?"
"yes."
This is the rule of Qi State and also the ethics of officials.
All memorials to the king must be produced by the county governor himself and cannot be delegated to others. At most, he can let others give more suggestions.
This has never been questioned, because for the officials of Qi, big and small, this is an opportunity to show their presence in front of the King of Qi. They all rushed to it. Who would be willing to miss it?
But at this moment, County Magistrate Zhuang was thinking about——
The reason why he was so persistent was that no previous officials had ever encountered such a drastic situation as his.
What if they hand in homework every day and let them try?
But County Magistrate Zhuang was not in a hurry, because he knew that sooner or later other county magistrates would also experience the same thing.
Once their factory is built and all the roads are connected, we can all write memorials together!
No one can escape!
At this time, Ji Liang pointed to the rail car outside and asked, "Will you write about this one?"
County Magistrate Zhuang paused.
He looked at the rail car in the distance, his eyelids twitching.
It made sense to the people, but for him, it meant the beginning of a new round of essays...
Before he became an official, no one told him that he should keep learning throughout his life??!
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