Chapter 179 Overseas Visitors
Du Qingtang rode his horse to the research institute, where a group of researchers were testing the newly built train.
The steel behemoth, like a long dragon, coiled on the dark track, was as swift as the wind. In the blink of an eye, it had traveled dozens of miles.
Beside the tracks, two researchers were calculating the time with a clepsydra. Out of the corner of their eyes, they caught a glimpse of a man and a horse approaching on the wind. Their eyes lit up immediately: "Master!"
Du Qingtang dismounted and tied Zhuifeng to the hitching post: "Which one is this?"
The institute suppressed his excitement and replied loudly: "Since you... This is the third train. The first two have been successfully tested and sent to Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces."
Of course, it wasn't just a dozen or twenty days that the three trains were built.
In fact, long before Emperor Qingyuan was "poisoned", most of these three trains had already been built.
As the year was coming to an end, the researchers did not rest and worked all night to build the train. After it passed the trial run, it was sent to various places urgently.
Du Qingtang nodded in understanding. "Thank you all for your hard work. Your salaries will be tripled for the fortnight before and after New Year's Eve. You can visit your families on the fifth day of the first lunar month and spend time with them."
The researcher said modestly, "Your Excellency is too kind. This is what we should do."
Every time a train is built, the people of a province benefit from it and the national treasury also increases revenue.
The national treasury is taken from the people and used for the people. As long as they think that part of the money is created by them, all the hard work and fatigue are worth it.
They willingly sacrificed time to reunite with their families and contributed their own strength to the construction of Daxia. Although they did not ask for anything in return, they were undoubtedly particularly happy when the head of the academy took the initiative to offer triple salary and family visits.
This means someone sees their efforts.
Du Qingtang asked the researcher to notify everyone that those who wanted to visit their relatives should go to register with Vice Dean Feng, and that they would be picked up on the fifth day of the first lunar month. They left for the laboratory without waiting for the train trial to be over.
Because of the trouble between Prince Rui and Cao Yuan, Du Qingtang had not come to the research institute for half a month, so the research on the purification of tungsten powder was naturally put on hold.
Du Qingtang took the tungsten ore, prepared all the equipment, rubbed his hands, and started the eighteenth purification.
Perhaps because he had accumulated enough experience with failures from the previous seventeen times, he actually succeeded this time, and the purity of the tungsten powder was obviously higher than before.
Du Qingtang was very happy and planned to use this batch of tungsten powder to try forging tungsten wire.
Du Qingtang summoned two researchers who were blacksmiths and asked them to press the tungsten powder into tungsten billets.
The researcher had never seen this kind of light grey powder before and couldn't help but wonder, "Excuse me, sir, what is this powder?"
Du Qingtang said frankly: "Tungsten powder is obtained by processing tungsten ore after purification."
Tungsten ore?
The researcher had been a blacksmith for twenty or thirty years and had never heard of tungsten ore. However, the dean had her reasons for doing this, and they were already looking forward to the finished product.
"Don't worry, sir. I will make these into tungsten blanks as soon as possible and send them to you." The researcher patted his chest to make the promise and left carefully holding the tungsten powder.
Du Qingtang glanced at the sky and was afraid that he would not be able to see the finished product today, so he simply called it a day and went home.
When they returned to Duke Wen's mansion, Zhou Cheng and the other two had already returned home. Mr. Qu had just finished teaching the girls and was preparing to leave with his schoolbag on his back.
Seeing Du Qingtang, Mr. Qu stopped and saluted: "I greet you, sir."
"Sir, there's no need to be so polite." Du Qingtang gave them a light support and casually asked about the girls' and boys' studies.
Mr. Qu told the truth, and his praise was evident in his words.
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "The younger generation in my family is young and ignorant, and has not yet established their character. Please discipline them strictly, sir, and do not show mercy."
Mr. Qu was startled and quickly turned aside to avoid the greeting. "Your Excellency is too kind. I will teach you everything I know and teach you strictly."
Du Qingtang showed a look of satisfaction and said, "I heard that your grandson has already started to learn. Why not let him come with you to study in the future so that we can look after each other."
Mr. Qu was flattered and bowed deeply. "Thank you very much, sir. I will respectfully obey your command."
There are many books in Duke Wen’s Mansion, all of which are owned by Duke Wen, and there are many handwritten annotations by Duke Wen on them.
The young masters and ladies of the Duke's Mansion could borrow the books at will, and Mr. Qu also benefited from them and could enter and leave the library at will.
But one should not be greedy. Mr. Qu usually only reads books in the library and never takes them home.
A few days ago, he regretted that his children and grandchildren did not have the opportunity to read those books, otherwise they would have benefited greatly from them.
Who would have thought that Duke Wen would offer to let his grandchildren study in the Duke's Mansion.
Mr. Qu couldn't help but bowed repeatedly with joy.
Du Qingtang accepted it calmly.
She was willing to give Mr. Qu this opportunity because of his careful teaching and his generosity.
Whether he can grasp it or not depends on whether his grandchildren are willing to live up to his expectations.
If you dare to cause trouble in the government office, just throw you out and Mr. Qu won't have to keep you any longer.
Although this person is very talented, he is not irreplaceable.
Du Qingtang nodded and went straight to the main courtyard.
Mr. Qu stood by the roadside, watching her go away. Thinking of the young masters and young ladies of the Duke's Mansion, he couldn't help but feel emotional.
The three young masters are outstanding, and with their aunt Duke Wen as their guardian, their future is bound to be limitless.
The four young ladies were equally talented and clever, and were no less intelligent than the men in both intelligence and vision.
It’s a pity that they are women and cannot serve as officials in the court. It’s such a pity.
Du Qingtang was unaware of Mr. Qu's feelings. He returned to the main courtyard, changed into casual clothes, and went to the family school to test the academic performance of the four girls.
Mr. Qu is undoubtedly a very responsible teacher. The four girls have finished reading the Four Books and Five Classics and are currently studying the Twenty-Four Histories.
However, the Twenty-Four Histories cover a wide range of topics, and they only learned the basics, which were all superficial.
Ruan Ran smiled and said, "Xiu Jie'er and I have been teaching the members what we learned at home. They are learning very quickly, and many of them have already finished reading the Four Books."
"Very good." Du Qingtang advised, "Practice more questions when you have free time, especially the common types of questions in the imperial examination."
The girls agreed, and after Du Qingtang left, Qian Quan's sister Qian Ran scratched her head, a little puzzled: "Women can't take the imperial examination, so why does my aunt always make us do the imperial examination questions?"
Ruan Ran had a vague guess in her heart, but she didn't dare to say it out loud. She just patted her niece's bun and said in a grown-up tone, "We just have to follow Ninth Sister's instructions. It never hurts to see more and do more."
Qian Ran puffed up his cheeks and said bitterly, "I know, but those questions are too brain-intensive. It feels like every time I solve one, I lose ten hairs. If this continues, won't I become completely bald?"
The girls burst out laughing and competed with each other to tease each other.
"It's not as exaggerated as you say. It's just a little sparse at best."
"Next time, Sister Ran, before you do your homework, talk to your hair and stop it from falling off."
Qian Ran was both embarrassed and annoyed. He screamed and rushed forward, pretending to tear Ruan Ran and Feng Xiu's mouths. The three of them rolled into a ball with laughter.
Gu Yajun sat behind the long table with her face in her hands, her embroidered shoes swaying under her skirt. She looked at her childish aunt and cousins and sighed in a mature manner.
Forget it, she should just do the questions first.
It will take who knows when they will be done with their quarrel.
-
Because of the palace coup on the first day of the first lunar month, the half-month annual leave that usually lasted for years was cancelled. All officials only had two days off and returned to work on the fourth day of the first lunar month.
At the grand court meeting, Emperor Qingyuan discussed how to deal with Prince Rui, Cao Yuan and their supporters.
"Although Prince Rui was killed by Cao Yuan, his conspiracy to murder his brothers was proven true, so he was stripped of his princely title and demoted to a commoner."
"Considering that his descendants are unaware of the true situation, the eldest son will be granted the title of Duke. After three generations, the title will be passed down, and the eldest daughter will be granted the title of County Lady."
"After investigation, it was found that the deaths of Prince Shen and Prince Ning had nothing to do with the Sixth Prince. Therefore, their status as princes was restored and they were posthumously named Prince Dun. The throne was inherited by Prince Dun's eldest son, who was demoted one rank to Prince Dun. He was specially allowed to remain in the capital and enjoy the treatment of a prince, with the title hereditary."
"Cao Yuan was charged with multiple crimes, including regicide, treason, collaborating with the enemy, and raising private soldiers. He was sentenced to death by being torn apart by chariots."
"The Cao family should have been implicated along with all nine generations of their clan. However, Cao Xingcan, the second-born son of the Cao family, and others were commended for their reporting, and were pardoned. The rest of the clan should have been exiled three thousand miles away, but after an investigation revealed their accumulated evil deeds, they were sentenced to beheading."
"Also, Lu Shicheng, Zhang Tonghai, and others have aided and abetted the tyrant, and several ministers have impeached and denounced them. We will wait for the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple to investigate their crimes and then make a decision."
When Fu Rui finished reading, all the officials said in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"
After the morning court session ended, all officials filed out of the Golden Palace.
Looking at the clean and new road ahead, everyone felt dazed.
"If I hadn't attended Mr. Zhu's funeral yesterday, I would have thought everything was an illusion."
"Who says it's not true? I still can't believe it. The Cao family, which has been so glorious for a hundred years, is gone just like that."
"Greed is insatiable, like a snake swallowing an elephant. The downfall of the Cao family and the consequences for the entire clan are all their own fault."
Desire is an endless abyss. Throughout history, how many heroes have been trapped in it.
After entering the cabinet, he wanted to be appointed as the Prime Minister. After being appointed as the Prime Minister, he wanted to undermine the emperor or even replace him.
One wrong step leads to another, and ultimately to a bad ending.
“Who makes the taste of power too good? Once you have tasted it, no one can escape it.”
"You should take this as a lesson, reflect on yourselves, and avoid repeating the same mistakes."
"That's right! That's right!"
Du Qingtang walked down the stairs holding a tablet, leaving behind the discussions of the officials, and went straight to the cabinet.
At the morning court session that day, Du Qingtang was suspended from his post by Xia Qixuan, and all his official duties were handed over to Lu Shicheng.
Lu Shicheng was certain that Xia Qixuan would ascend the throne, so he became complacent and did things perfunctorily.
Du Qingtang reviewed the documents from the previous period and found that they were a mess. Even if a young man who had just entered the officialdom reviewed them, it would not be so bad.
Not only that, after Lu Shicheng finished reviewing it, he threw it directly into the duty room and left it there without any further care.
Just as I was looking through a few documents, a clerk came over and said, "Sir, I haven't received the document from half a month ago. I have been urged several times by various departments. Please see..."
Du Qingtang's eyebrows were twitching wildly and he took a deep breath.
Forget it, the man is about to die, she can't go to the Ministry of Justice prison and stab him to vent her anger.
Du Qingtang patiently reprocessed the documents from the past half month and did not finish reviewing them until the end of the Xu hour. He was almost imprisoned in the palace again.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Looking at the dark night sky, the palace gate behind him slammed shut, and Du Qingtang wondered, why not go to the Ministry of Justice prison and stab someone?
......
The next day, the death row prisoner dressed as Cao Yuan, Cao's family members, and supporters such as Lu Shicheng were sent to the execution ground.
Before the execution, there was a routine parade through the streets.
The streets were crowded with onlookers. They glared at the people in the prison van, cursing and throwing stones at them.
"Go to hell, you bastard!"
"How dare you poison His Majesty? I'll kill you with this!"
"You guys are not good people either. You have so many lives on your hands. Aren't you afraid that they will come to you to take your lives at night?"
The prisoner's head was covered with bruises, and the yamen runners on both sides of the prison van also suffered an unexpected disaster. They were hit several times and cried out in pain.
"You hit the wrong person!"
"Why are you hitting me? Go hit him!"
"Why throw stones at people? Can't you use rotten vegetable leaves?"
The common people who hit the yamen runners withdrew their hands in embarrassment, saying, "Why not just feed the chickens with the rotten leaves? There are stones everywhere, and they don't charge any money."
Yamen runner: “…”
I was speechless.
When the prison van arrived at Caishikou, the surrounding teahouses and taverns were crowded with people watching the fun.
In addition to ordinary people, there are also many officials.
It happened to be noon, and the officials had an hour's break, so they agreed to come to Caishikou to watch the execution.
Du Qingtang finished his official business in the morning and prepared to go to the research institute to see how the tungsten blank was progressing.
When passing by Caishikou, he tied Zhuifeng at the door of the teahouse and went straight to the second floor.
In recent years, Du Qingtang has shown her brilliance and has been promoted step by step. Those members of the Cao Party have made things difficult for her and impeached her every other day.
If Princess Zhaoyang hadn't caused a scene in the Golden Palace, those people would still be chasing her and biting her, which was really annoying.
It is natural to watch the excitement of former political enemies to the fullest.
Coincidentally, there was only one private room left on the second floor of the teahouse, which was occupied by Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang symbolically ordered a pot of Biluochun tea and a plate of pastries, then stood in front of the window and looked down.
It was not even three o'clock in the afternoon, but the area around Caishikou was already crowded with people and bustling with activity.
The prisoners wept bitterly and trembled like sieves, with cries and pleas for mercy rising one after another.
Du Qingtang folded his arms and leaned against the window frame. He heard a knock on the door behind him. He thought it was the waiter coming to bring tea. He thought it was quite fast, so he said without turning his head, "Come in."
With a creaking sound, someone pushed the door open and walked in.
"Offer jade."
Du Qingtang subconsciously stood up straight and looked back.
If that man in a plain robe with handsome features is not Cao Xingcan, then who else could he be?
Cao Xingcan bowed and said with a smile, "Just now, Xianyu, you dismounted at the teahouse door. I called you, but you didn't hear me, so I had to follow you."
Du Qingtang returned the greeting and raised his hand to signal Cao Xingcan to sit down and talk. "I was originally planning to go to the research institute, but I happened to encounter the parade, so I came here to join in the fun."
Cao Xingcan couldn't help but laugh as he sat opposite Du Qingtang: "It's been many years since we last met, and you're still so straightforward, never bothering to hide anything."
"I've always had a bad relationship with them, so saying something like farewell would seem hypocritical." The waiter brought Biluochun tea and pastries, poured tea for the two, and then left. Du Qingtang continued, "How about you? How have you been lately?"
Cao Xingcan took a sip of tea, which was fresh, sweet, delicate and soft. "The Cheng'en Mansion was confiscated, so my wife, our two children and I moved to the south of the city."
"I've saved some money over the years, which is more than enough to buy a two-story house."
"My colleagues in the Ministry of Justice are quite kind to me, and the Minister of Justice is also very supportive. I believe I will be able to gain a firm foothold soon."
Where there is good intention, there must be bad intention.
Some people say that he reported his own grandfather and climbed up the social ladder by stepping on the flesh and blood of his relatives. He is as beautiful as a jade, but has a black heart.
Some people say that even if he kills his own relatives for the sake of justice, he cannot hide his ungrateful nature. Cao carefully trained him and helped him to enter the officialdom through the imperial examination, but he repaid kindness with enmity and was truly mean and ungrateful.
In short, there are all kinds of unpleasant words, which are unbearable to hear.
Du Qingtang saw through his unfinished words, took a bite of the cake, and said calmly: "Yuan Zhong, you are not a saint."
Cao Xingcan was stunned.
"You can be selfish and sacrifice others to preserve yourself."
"Besides, you are not alone. You have a wife and children."
"If you die, these three will be left alone in this world."
"People don't delve into the inner workings of the matter. They only know that Ling Zheng had a husband who was executed for treason and collaborating with the enemy, and that your son and daughter had a father who was also executed for their crimes."
"Wherever they go, they are looked down upon and despised."
"Although Lingzheng is a carefree person, if this continues for a long time, there's no guarantee he won't become depressed and sick."
"Your son is not allowed to take the imperial examinations and become an official at court, destined for a life of mediocrity. Your daughter will also not be able to marry a man of her dreams, and can only marry an ordinary man, worrying about her livelihood all day long."
Du Qingtang finished her cake and twirled her fingertips gently. Her tone was calm, but it made Cao Xingcan's heart tremble. "Cao Yuanzhong, you can't have your cake and eat it too. The moment you chose to put those letters in Cao Yuan's study, you had no way out."
"Between your grandfather and your wife and children, you have chosen the latter and assumed the responsibilities of a husband and a father. Never regret it."
"At least you're still alive. Your wife is a third-rank lady, and your son and daughter are both officials' sons and daughters." Du Qingtang looked directly at Cao Xingcan. "If you feel guilty about this, it would make my efforts to fight for you in front of His Majesty seem like a joke."
"No, Xianyu, you misunderstood." Cao Xingcan shook his head and said seriously, "I have never regretted what I did. I just feel a little sad. If they had stopped in time, perhaps the ending would have been different."
His grandfather and father only had eyes for his eldest brother. They allowed him to bully and plot against him, and wantonly destroyed his reputation in the capital. Even his eldest sister-in-law, relying on her power as the housekeeper, repeatedly made things difficult for his pregnant wife, whom he had married in a formal ceremony.
He wanted to fight back, but his grandfather warned him not to air his dirty laundry in public.
He admitted defeat, gave in, and took the initiative to move away, going to Shanxi with his wife.
But they still didn't let him go.
He tried to make his eldest brother the scapegoat for the crime he committed.
If Xianyu had not intervened, he would have died long ago and would not have been able to return to Xiajing alive and be promoted to the third rank.
Cao Xingcan is not a person who cannot distinguish between good and evil. Du Qingtang has been running around for him and trying her best to protect their family. How could he repay kindness with evil?
They are too careless and deserve to die.
Cao Xingcan thought indifferently, then stood up and bowed deeply: "Actually, I came to you to say thank you."
"If you hadn't sent someone to escort Liu Dun to the capital, I would have been charged with embezzling disaster relief silver and grain."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows imperceptibly.
"And this time." Cao Xingcan bowed again. "Now that my six-year term is over, I thought I could maintain my fifth rank even if I didn't get promoted after returning to the capital. Who would have thought... I would cause such a disaster that would implicate my entire clan. Fortunately, Xianyu sent me a letter in time, saving me from death."
"It seems I misunderstood." Du Qingtang took a sip of tea. "Someone always likes to dwell on trivial matters. If he dares to say the word 'regret', don't blame me for slapping him awake like I did back then."
Cao Xingcan: "...There's no need to talk about the past. I've completely changed my ways."
Du Qingtang smiled and changed the subject: "How do you know that I helped you back then?"
Cao Xingcan told Du Qingtang how he and his wife had deduced this, and concluded by saying, "My wife is deeply grateful to Xianyu for helping me back then, and I am even more grateful to you for saving me this time. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will host a banquet at my home, and I hope Xianyu will do me the honor of coming."
He paused and added, "The thank-you banquet will be held in the evening, so no one will discover our friendship."
Du Qingtang didn't care, but since Cao Xingcan asked for it, she agreed: "You decide the time."
Cao Xingcan nodded and said, "I will send an invitation to Duke Wen's mansion."
"It's three quarters past noon, execution!"
The executioner's voice drifted in from outside the window. Du Qingtang immediately put down his teacup and went to the window to watch the execution.
Cao Xingcan also came forward.
The executioner raised his knife and slashed, and heads rolled to the ground.
The screams and pleas for mercy were endless and shrill for no reason.
Du Qingtang propped up his chin and stared at the bloody scene below with an indifferent expression: "Yuan Zhong, you must be a good official."
"I will remember Lord Du's admonition." Cao Xingcan bowed and said sarcastically, "If I say something wrong, Lord Du can slap me to wake me up."
Du Qingtang glanced at him unhappily and said seriously, "I'll remember this."
Cao Xingcan smiled and said, "Yeah, okay."
......
In the tavern east of Caishikou, Lu Jianshan held his wine glass and watched his father-in-law being beheaded coldly, feeling extremely happy.
His father-in-law favored his concubine over his wife, and he loved Concubine Su, who gave birth to Cao Xuanjiao, the most.
Over the years, Cao Xuanjiao has been domineering in the Wenyuan Marquis's mansion, suppressing his parents to the point of not being able to speak a word, and even killing his son, but no one dared to pursue the matter. This is because she relied on the support of the prince of Cheng'en Marquis's mansion and concubine Su.
Things have changed, and now that the Cao family has been destroyed, it is his turn to seek revenge.
Lu Jianshan drank the wine in the cup, left a grain of silver, and turned to leave.
When he returned to the Wenyuan Marquis's mansion, Qingfeng Courtyard where he lived, before he even entered the door, he heard a shrill scream mixed with vulgar insults.
Lu Jianshan's eyes turned cold, he kicked the door open and strode in.
In the yard, a maid was pressed on a bench, and a mean-looking nanny picked up a stick and hit her again and again.
The maidservant was crying and screaming, with large stains of blood on the hem of her blue skirt.
Normal injuries wouldn't bleed so much, so it could only be...
Lu Jianshan's eyes went dark. He rushed forward and kicked the executioner out. "How dare you! Who gave you the right to abuse the power of private punishment in this prince's courtyard?"
The nanny rolled a few times and lay motionless on the ground.
When the maid saw Lu Jianshan coming, she burst into tears: "Master, please save me, the princess wants to kill me and your child!"
The veins on Lu Jianshan's forehead throbbed, and he took a deep breath: "Send the court doctor over."
The servant took the order and left.
The maid seemed to have reached her limit. After ensuring her safety, her eyes rolled back and she fainted.
Lu Jianshan looked around the yard and went straight to the study.
In the study, Cao Xuanjiao sat on the armchair that Lu Jianshan usually sat on, with two graceful maids kneeling in front of her.
The maid's cheeks were swollen and the corners of her mouth were cracked. When she saw Lu Jianshan coming back, she was like seeing a savior. She sobbed but could not utter a complete sentence.
Lu Jianshan's face turned even colder: "What do you want to do?"
Cao Xuanjiao stiffened her neck, as arrogant as ever: "These slaves seduced you, and the one outside dared to secretly get pregnant. As your legal wife, I naturally have to clean up the mess for you."
Lu Jianshan sneered, his eyes no longer filled with the tenderness of the past. "Cao Xuanjiao, the Cheng'en Mansion has collapsed, the Queen is dead, and you are now the daughter of a criminal. You don't even have a family. Who gave you the courage to act so wildly in front of this prince? And to stir up trouble in the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion?"
Cao Xuanjiao clutched her handkerchief tightly, demanding in a timid tone, "So? You want to divorce me? Lu Jianshan, don't forget that you are where you are today thanks to my father's support. Without the Cao family, you are nothing!"
After more than ten years of marriage, Lu Jianshan was already tired of hearing these words, his ears were calloused, and his face did not show any fluctuation: "There is no divorce in the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion, only widowhood."
After hearing the first half of the sentence, Cao Xuanjiao breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Jianshan is still the same coward. He didn't dare to ask Emperor Qingyuan to marry Princess Zhaoyang back then, and now he doesn't dare to divorce her.
Just as I was feeling relieved, I heard the second half of the sentence.
Cao Xuanjiao's pupils contracted, and her heartbeat accelerated, almost jumping out of her chest: "What did you say?"
Lu Jianshan stood with his hands behind his back, "If it weren't for Cao's interference, I would have become a prince consort and lived in harmony with His Highness."
"The Cao family is overbearing, and you are unreasonable. For the past fourteen years, you have caused unrest in the Wenyuan Marquis's mansion, and you have even wantonly harmed the descendants of my Lu family."
"Today I will enforce justice and allocate funds accordingly."
After Lu Jianshan finished speaking, two servants came in, one grabbed Cao Xuanjiao, and the other took out a white silk.
Cao Xuanjiao struggled and cursed hysterically.
"Get out of here!"
"Don't touch me with your dirty hands!"
The servant turned a deaf ear and clamped Cao Xuanjiao's arms tightly, making her unable to move.
The white silk wrapped around the neck and suddenly tightened.
Feeling suffocated, Cao Xuanjiao opened her mouth and gasped for breath, her eyeballs bulged as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
Cao Xuanjiao's maid screamed, but ignored her master and ran away.
However, before he could even step out of the door, he was tied up by the servant guarding outside and thrown into the study.
The two maids serving in the study did not expect that Lu Jianshan would dare to kill his wife. They were so frightened that they became incontinent on the spot and collapsed on the ground like mud.
The white silk tightened inch by inch. Cao Xuanjiao stared with her eyes wide open and stuck out her tongue, staring at Lu Jianshan and took her last breath.
Lu Jianshan turned and left without looking at the three maids: "It's dealt with."
"yes."
Lu Jianshan came to the bedroom, took out a glass bead hairpin, held it in his hand and looked at it carefully, his eyes were distant, as if he was recalling something.
Half an hour later, the servant came to report: "Master, everything has been dealt with."
Lu Jianshan placed the glass bead hairpin into a wooden box and handed it to the servant: "Send it to the princess's mansion."
In the past, His Highness kept him at a distance because he was still married.
Now that he has lost his wife, Your Highness will certainly agree to reconcile with him and resume their old relationship.
-
After Lu Shicheng, Zhang Tonghai and others were executed, Du Qingtang bid farewell to Cao Xingcan and rode his horse to the research institute.
As soon as I entered the laboratory, a researcher came over with a wooden box. "Sir, we have already made the tungsten blank you requested. Please take a look and see if it meets your requirements."
Du Qingtang opened it and looked at it. After a moment, he nodded: "Yes, this is it."
The researcher felt relieved.
They had never pressed tungsten blanks before and were worried that they would make a mistake and waste the tungsten powder that the head of the dean had worked so hard to make. When they heard the affirmative answer, their hearts finally settled down.
Du Qingtang put the tungsten blank back into the wooden box and said, "Next, I'll have to trouble you to process this tungsten blank again."
The tungsten blank is first swaged to become a slender tungsten rod, and then the tungsten rod is drawn into a thinner tungsten wire.
"The tungsten wire must be as thin as possible, as thin as it can be." Du Qingtang handed the researcher a piece of paper with detailed instructions for the swaging and wire drawing processes and promised, "Once the tungsten wire is completed, I will commend His Majesty on your behalf."
The two of them were so happy that they took the tungsten blank again and went back in a hurry.
......
Sixty ships cut through the waves and stopped at the only port in Hangzhou.
The waves hit the beach, making loud rumbling sounds.
The sound startled the craftsmen standing in the shipyard by the sea. They all put down their work and looked towards the source of the sound.
Sixty huge monsters covered the sky and the sun, forming a dark mass. From a distance, they looked majestic and terrifying.
Someone recognized it immediately and shouted, "The one parked in the front is the boat we built!"
"The fleet is back!"
"The fleet is back!"
"Zhang Tiesheng, Yang Dengyun, the two of you quickly go and inform the Supervisor and the Prefect!"
"Okay!"
The craftsman who was named rushed out like a gust of wind, not even bothering to pick up his shoes that had fallen off, and ran away as fast as he could.
"Sir, the deputy governor is back! The fleet is returning to the capital!"
On the first ship, Fu Ci used his fingers as a comb to straighten his hair that was messed up by the wind, and pursed his lips nervously.
After wandering overseas for many years, she felt a sense of homesickness when she returned to her hometown.
"Sir, we are all packed!"
Fu Ci took a deep breath, and the salty sea breeze rushed into her nostrils. She coughed lightly and said loudly, "Get off the boat!"
"yes!"
As the leader of the fifty Great Xia ships, Fu Ci was the first to walk down the gangway.
Visitors from various overseas countries followed closely behind, looking around curiously as they got off the ship.
"Is this Daxia?"
"It looks pretty much the same as where we are, except for the houses and the roads. There's not much difference."
"But Daxia has a lot of beautiful clothes and jewelry, amazing cosmetics, and even crystal-clear glass cups and bottles. This time when I come to Daxia, I must buy lots and lots of beautiful things, and buy lots and lots of beautiful things for Sister Ali and the others, too!"
"We're here in Daxia for serious business. Changxia, don't run around. If you get lost, I'll leave you alone in Daxia. You'll be homeless, eating mud and leaves every day, crying miserably. Dad and Mom won't see you, and we won't feel bad for you."
The young girl with a round baby face and wheat-colored skin looked lively and agile. She jumped up and punched the tall man next to her: "Brother, you are so bad! I will never talk to you again!"
Chang Xia wrinkled his nose, stomped on his brother Chang Xiao fiercely, and ran towards Fu Ci, who was in the front, taking two steps at a time. "Master Fu, if I get lost in Da Xia, His Majesty will definitely send me back, right?"
Fu Ci tilted his head when he heard this, looking quite helpless.
The girl in front of him was the princess of the Nanzhao Kingdom. She was lively and active by nature, and had endless energy every day. She was either learning the official language of Daxia from her, or sparring with the guards on the ships or people from other countries. She hardly had a moment to rest from morning to night.
Fu Ci liked this girl very much. With her chattering in his ear, the boring life at sea became interesting.
"Changxia is a distinguished guest of Daxia. His Majesty will naturally send someone to take you home."
Chang Xia raised the corner of his mouth, turned his head and said to Chang Xiao: "Brother, did you hear that? I'm not afraid of you!"
Chang Xiao: “…”
Upon seeing this, the envoys from various countries laughed out loud and started talking in various languages.
"From what Lord Fu has said along the way, I've learned that His Majesty of Daxia is a very good man. I'm looking forward to meeting him even more."
"The people of Daxia are very kind. They shared food with us and taught us to speak Daxia's official language. His Majesty should be even better."
"If Daxia is really as good as Lord Fu said, perhaps we can establish long-term relations with Daxia. Their glass is very exquisite and their food is also very unique."
Fu Ci listened to the heated discussions behind him, a smile flashing across his eyes.
They will definitely not be disappointed.
......
Fu Ci and envoys from various countries disembarked, and people from the other fifty-nine ships also disembarked one after another.
A huge crowd gathered at the beach, stretching as far as the eye could see.
When Zhang Tijiu received the news that the fleet had returned, he hurried over and was shocked when he saw the men and women of different skin colors.
"Master Zhang."
Zhang Tiju finally came back to his senses and bowed to Fu Ci: "Master Fu has returned safely, and I can finally put my mind at ease."
Fu Ci curled his lips and said, "Everything went well, but unfortunately ten ships were lost along the way."
Zhang Tiju waved his hands repeatedly: "It's okay, it's okay, the most important thing is that the person is safe."
Fu Ci turned slightly to allow Zhang Tiju to see the envoys from various countries behind him. "These are all guests who have come here because of my reputation. They will accompany me to Xiajing to pay their respects to His Majesty."
Zhang Tiju immediately understood the importance of these people and called his entourage, saying, "Distinguished guests from overseas will be staying at the inn later. Send someone to clean it thoroughly."
The guards took their orders and left. Zhang Tiju bowed to the envoys from various countries and said, "Everyone, please follow me to the posthouse to rest."
The prefect has not arrived yet, so he and Lord Fu have to be responsible for receiving them.
The translator arranged by Fu Ci for the envoys from various countries conveyed Zhang Tiju's words to them. The chattering sounded a bit strange, which made Zhang Tiju and others look sideways.
After the envoys from various countries understood the meaning, they all paid their respects to Zhang Ti.
The etiquette varied, but from their expressions one could see that they were all very sincere and friendly.
Zhang Tiju was beaming with confidence, expressing his confidence in establishing exchanges between Daxia and the countries represented by these people.
......
Zhang Tiju and Fu Ci led the way, with envoys from various countries following behind. The group marched from the seaside to the post station in a mighty procession.
After leaving the beach, there are houses in front.
The moment everyone stepped onto the street, the noise stopped abruptly.
"What kind of road is this? Why is it so hard?"
"In my country, there are cobblestone and gravel roads, but I have never seen a road this grey."
"It looks clean and tidy, and I don't have to worry about getting my boots and robes dirty when I go out in the rain or snow."
Chang Xia stamped his foot, then squatted down to touch it, his eyes widening in surprise. "It feels rough to the touch, but it feels very flat when you walk on it, without any potholes. I wish all the roads in Nanzhao could be like this."
Chang Xia didn't understand and asked, "Master Fu, what is this?"
Fu Ci said she didn't know either. She was immersed in the shock of the drastic changes in the streets and couldn't recover for a long time.
Zhang Tiju smiled and said, "This was created by Marquis Wen'an—Master Du Qingtang. Nowadays, all the official roads in Daxia and the streets and alleys in various provinces are paved with cement, making travel more convenient and no longer a problem for bumpy rides."
Marquis Wen'an...Lord Du.
Fu Ci's eyes were dazed for a moment. She hadn't heard anyone mention this name for a long time.
But this name is always in her mind and her heart.
He is the most important person to her.
Fu Ci asked nonchalantly, "Marquis Wen'an? It seems that Lord Du is very powerful now?"
Zhang Tiju nodded cheerfully, "Yes, last month news came from Xiajing that Marquis Wen'an had ascended the altar and entered the cabinet, becoming a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Palace, a first-rank official, the highest position among officials."
Fu Ci's mouth corners were infinitely raised, and joy and pride were like a naughty little deer, jumping around in her heart.
Zhang Tiju rambled on, "Besides cement, Marquis Wen'an also created many other good things that benefited the country and the people. For example—here, that was created by Marquis Wen'an."
Fu Ci followed Zhang Tiju's hand and looked forward.
The translator was explaining cement to envoys from various countries when he suddenly heard a low and rhythmic humming sound. He stopped talking and looked towards the source of the sound at the same time as the envoys from various countries.
At the end of the street, a huge machine about one story high was moving steadily and swiftly along the dark track.
Exclamations rang out one after another, and envoys from various countries were dumbfounded, looking at the behemoth in shock.
"What is that?"
"Is it a house?"
"How can it move on its own when there is no horse or donkey?"
"It runs so fast that even our BMW luxury cars might not be able to catch up with it."
Fu Ci watched the huge ship filled with civilians approaching, his heart pounding like a drum, about to jump out of his chest: "Master Zhang, what is this?"
Zhang Tiju, noticing the envoys' inexperienced voices, held his head high and said in a loud voice, "This is a public coach, specially developed by Marquis Wen'an for the common people. It only costs four cents and can travel throughout Hangzhou Prefecture."
Chang Xia looked up and met the gazes of the people in the carriage, their eyes filled with curiosity: "Master Fu, can we take this carriage?"
"Four coins? We don't have Daxia's currency. Can we use something else instead?"
"I have ridden in Her Majesty's carriage before, and was once proud of it, but compared to this carriage, Her Majesty's carriage is nothing - please forgive my offense, Her Majesty."
"You are all distinguished guests of Daxia, and you can ride for free!" said the prefect who had hurried over. "But it's getting late today, so you can go to the posthouse to rest first. You can take the train tomorrow and reach Xiajing in one day. It won't be too late to take a public bus from there."
The translator conveyed the prefect's words to envoys from various countries.
"What's a train? How is it different from this bus?"
"Are there public buses in Xiajing?"
"It's more important to see His Majesty. It won't be too late to get in the carriage after finishing the business."
After discussion, the envoys from various countries reached a consensus and decided to go to Xiajing first, and then experience the customs and culture of Daxia.
The posthouse is not far from the port, and it only takes half an incense stick of time to walk there.
By then, the posthouse had been cleaned and envoys from various countries could just move in with their bags.
Before entering, the prefect said to Fu Ci, "There's a freight train heading to Xiajing at twilight hour. I'll immediately send word of the fleet's return to Xiajing. It's expected to arrive in the latter half of the night."
"The second half of the night?" Fu Ci was a little surprised. "It's here so soon?"
The prefect twirled his beard and smiled, deliberately keeping the question in suspense: "Master Fu, you will understand after experiencing it yourself tomorrow."
After washing up, Fu Ci lay on the bunk bed with soft bedding underneath him. There was no bumping or shaking as when sailing on the sea, and he couldn't help but sigh.
She thought of what Zhang Tiju and the prefect of Hangzhou had said and smiled silently.
It seems that during the years she was at sea, Xianyu was doing very well in the court and did many good things to benefit the people.
Fu Ci closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink infinitely.
When she meets Xianyu again, she will definitely ask Xianyu to tell her about his experiences over the past few years.
She would also tell Xianyu about her experiences overseas.
Exchange stories with each other.
No loss, no loss.
......
The next day, Fu Ci and envoys from various countries, led by the prefect, went to the train station in high spirits.
Zhejiang Province's railway station is located in Hangzhou Prefecture, and is fully equipped with passenger and freight trains.
Due to the arrival of overseas guests, the prefect ordered that the passenger train be closed to the public and only receive envoys from various countries today.
When they arrived at the train station not far from the post house, they immediately saw the cold steel behemoth.
The unknown danger was looming, causing everyone's breathing to stop and their heartbeats to accelerate.
The prefect stood in front of the train and said in a loud voice, "Everyone, this is the train built by Marquis Wen'an of our dynasty."
"This thing can travel a thousand miles a day. If we take it, we can reach Xiajing today."
The prefect said, raising his hand and gesturing, "Everyone, please get in the car."
The envoys from various countries boarded the train with shaky feet and dazed expressions.
As soon as they sat down, everyone woke up as if from a dream and immediately exploded.
"Is this the dragon that Master Fu was talking about?"
"It looked so scary, I broke out in a sweat."
But this is just the beginning.
White smoke filled the air, a familiar humming sound was heard, and the train slowly began to move.
Like lightning, the scenery on both sides quickly receded, like a grand and magnificent watercolor painting.
There were endless exclamations, full of excitement and passion.
"This must be a dragon, a divine dragon!"
"It's so exciting! It looks faster than a public bus!"
Changxia sat next to Fu Ci, chattering non-stop in the slightly broken Daxia Mandarin.
"Was this train also built by Marquis Wen'an?"
"From the concrete roads to the public buses to this train, they're all truly remarkable. She's truly amazing! She's truly capable!"
"Master Fu, Daxia is even more powerful than Nanzhao. My brother and I made the right choice this time."
Fu Ci couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth as he listened to Chang Xia's words full of longing.
Yes, Marquis Wen'an is indeed very powerful.
Now, she's off to meet her awesome best friend.
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