Chapter 219 The King of a Lost Nation 19

"Thank you all." Nan Liujing returned the greetings to the four people.

Qi Mingxu smiled brightly: "Brother Nan, thanking you is a bit rude."

"I said something wrong." Nan Liujing quickly admitted his mistake, and then changed the subject, "But in this case, Brother Li, Brother Jiang, and Brother Qi have to admit their mistakes to me as well."

Jiang Ding was confused: "Why?"

He didn't do anything wrong.

Li Guanqi explained, "Brother Nan thinks that it is too unorthodox for us to call him Young Master Nan."

Jiang Ding scratched his head and said happily, "I thought something else was wrong. You smart people like to beat around the bush when you speak."

Qi Si said helplessly, "Okay. After I admit my mistake to Brother Nan, do I have to give you a gift as compensation?"

Jiang Ding waved his hand and said generously, "That's not necessary. Just remember to punish yourself with three cups tonight."

Qi Si was angry and amused.

Jiang Ding asked, "Brother Nan, do you have good wine in your villa? Today is a rare good day, I must take the opportunity to drink a few more cups. I am afraid of neglecting my work. I haven't had a drink for two months."

Guisheng pushed the door open and said with a smile, "Yes, yes, yes, we are so happy today, there is definitely enough good wine. Gentlemen, Lord Qu, it's getting late. If you have finished chatting, let's move to the main hall for dinner."

This dinner was prepared by Guisheng himself, and the dishes were very rich.

Nan Liujing had never drunk wine before, so this time he accompanied everyone to take a sip, and then replaced the wine with tea.

After eating and drinking, Nan Liujing also asked the servants to bring a box of golden cakes.

The golden cakes were neatly stacked together, each with a thick layer of flesh and frost, and the appearance made people salivate.

Nan Liujing pushed the food box in front of Qi Mingxu and the others: "There are no persimmons in this season, so I can only take a step back and ask the brothers to eat golden cakes."

Qi Mingxu reached out and took one: "Is there anything special about it?" Nan Liujing smiled and said, "There are indeed some special things." But he didn't say anything else.

Qi Mingxu considerately didn't ask any more questions, but just lowered his head and took a big bite, and his eyes lit up immediately. "I've heard of this thing. It first became popular in Kyoto, and then spread to Jinling last year, but I've never had it. I didn't expect it to taste so good." This kind of food, which is as sweet as honey and as soft as cotton, seems to melt in your mouth in an instant. For people who rarely eat sweets in this era, it has a fatal attraction. Li Guanqi, Jiang Ding and Qi Si also reached out. Soon, the golden biscuits in the food box were eaten up by them. Nan Liujing closed the empty food box and was about to speak- [Congratulations to Nan Liujing for unlocking the hidden main task five...] [Congratulations to Nan Liujing for unlocking the hidden main task six...] [Congratulations to Nan Liujing for completing the hidden main task five: gaining the loyalty of Qi Mingxu. Reward: a set of "Basics of Ancient Chemical Engineering" and 100 points. ] [Congratulations to Nan Liujing for completing the sixth hidden main mission: Obtaining the loyalty of Li Guanqi, Jiang Ding, and Qi Si. Reward: a set of "Ancient Agricultural Development" and 100 points. ] Nan Liujing narrowed his eyes consciously, and then changed his words: "Several brothers have drunk a lot of wine, why don't you go back and rest early. I asked the kitchen to cook a hangover soup, remember to drink it before going to bed." Seeing that Qi Mingxu and the others were walking a little unsteadily, Nan Liujing asked Guisheng to take them back. He handed the lantern brought by the servant to Qu Jianbai, saying "Mr. Qu, take care", and when Qu Jianbai's figure disappeared from his sight, Nan Liujing took a lantern, held the lantern himself and walked back to the house. A thin layer of snow fell on his shoulders and was melted by the room temperature. Nan Liujing untied his cloak, changed into light clothes, picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of warm water. He lowered his head and took two sips of water to moisten his throat. As soon as Nan Liujing put down the teacup, Yao Rong asked him if he wanted to check the reward. Nan Liujing's thoughts were interrupted. He thought about it and nodded. Yao Rong handed the book to him directly. Both sets of books used the printing methods of this era. The paper did not feel smooth enough, but many things recorded in the books were slightly ahead of the progress of the times. For example, in the set of "Basics of Ancient Chemical Engineering", Nan Liujing casually flipped through a few pages and saw the production methods of paper, soap, cement, glass and other things. However, what Nan Liujing valued more was the set of "Ancient Agricultural Development". It mentioned a lot of useful agricultural knowledge, and also included a lot of drawings for making agricultural tools. It even involved the management of the Yellow River and the construction of water conservancy projects... Even if Nan Liujing didn't know much about agriculture, he knew that in this era where people can starve to death at any time, the latter is too important. If you can thoroughly understand the contents of the book and transform them into practical results, the grain production in various places will surely increase rapidly. For every pound of grain grown, perhaps one less person will starve to death. He took a deep breath and closed the brick-thick book in front of him: "Teacher, why haven't I heard you mention these two sets of books before." [It was difficult for you to use them before.] You can't always ask Liang Guangyu to help you with everything. Liang Guangyu was the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, not a businessman, let alone the Minister of Works. [In fact, many things recorded in books have already been thought of by people in this era, but these things have not been popularized, let alone implemented.] When Nan Liujing thought of the poor administrative ability of the Daye court, the extremely chaotic administrative institutions, and the treasury that was completely in deficit, he was speechless. Let's not talk about the distant past, just talk about the management of the Yellow River. In recent years, the Yellow River has often burst into floods, and the people in the middle and lower reaches have suffered terribly, but the court has never thought of spending money to manage the Yellow River! Without money, no matter how perfect the management plan is, you can only stare blankly. "We still have to find a way to make money." Nan Liujing whispered. The inefficient administrative capacity and the chaotic administrative system are not something he can change at this stage, but he can still make money.

Thinking of this, Nan Liujing's eyes fell on the set of "Basics of Ancient Chemical Engineering".

Yao Rong reminded: [It's getting late, you should turn off the lights and rest quickly, be careful not to stay up late or you won't grow taller.]

Nan Liujing subconsciously put his hand in front of his forehead and gestured, emphasizing: "Teacher, I am already taller than my peers."

[Originally, I could be half a head taller than my peers, but after staying up late, I can only be a hand taller than my peers.]

[There are always things to do and books to read. As a politician, living a long life is very advantageous. If you come up with a particularly good policy but don't live to see it fully implemented, do you expect your successor to act completely according to your ideas for things you haven't finished yourself? ]

[Look at Ji Yushan, all his political enemies back then are dead, only he is still alive and well. ]

"An old man who is still alive is a thief, Ji Yushan should have died long ago."

Nan Liujing complained, but still cleaned up the things on the table obediently.

After washing up, Nan Liujing lay flat on the bed, closed his eyes and began to review his day.

Just when he reviewed the two main tasks, Nan Liujing suddenly opened his eyes. He forgot to ask the teacher something.

But thinking of Yao Rong's words, Nan Liujing suppressed these questions first, until the end of morning exercise the next day, Nan Liujing said: "I have a few questions for the teacher."

Yao Rong smiled: [You say. ]

Nan Liujing reread the specific introduction of the main mission five and six: "Why are these two missions hidden missions?"

[In my plan, there are actually no such two missions. But you completed them unexpectedly, so I think you should be rewarded.]

Nan Liujing considered the wording carefully before saying: "The main mission three issued by the teacher is to let Master Liang take the initiative to ask to accept me as a disciple; the main mission four is to let Mr. Qu be loyal to me..."

"Does this mean that in the teacher's mind, conquering Brother Qi is as important as conquering Mr. Qu?"

[Ouch——]

The system exclaimed.

It is indeed a little fox that can fool Qi Mingxu and others. It is going to become a spirit.

"Although it may be a bit impolite to use such a metaphor, if we use Mr. Qu as an analogy, the weight of a big brother Qi is equal to the

weight of a Mr. Qu." "The weight of the second brother Li, the third brother Jiang and the fourth brother Qi together is also equal to the weight of a Mr. Qu."

"But why?"

Nan Liujing frowned. He was right to draw this conclusion

. But he was puzzled by the conclusion he drew.

He recognized the talents of Qi Mingxu and others, and admired their character, but why did the teacher value Qi Mingxu and others so much?

Yao Rongrao asked with interest: [What do you think? Nan Liujing

shook his head: "I can only think of one reason - the teacher is very optimistic about the future of Brother Qi and his friends."

"The teacher thinks that Brother Qi's future achievements and influence may not be less than Mr. Qu's."

[I - go -]

The system was shocked.

It is worthy of being cultivated by its host. This sensitivity and observation ability are simply amazing.

Yao Rong did not refute, but only asked: [Besides these, what else did you see? ]

Nan Liujing tilted his head slightly, which was his usual posture when thinking: "One more thing."

"Teacher just said that you didn't plan to release these two tasks. And these two tasks are indeed hidden."

"Can I think that these two tasks are very beneficial to me, but not necessary?"

"I met Brother Qi and others, and let Brother Qi and others work for me, that would of course be the best. But if I don't meet them, or can't let them work for me, that is also within the teacher's expectations?"

The system was speechless.

Only Yao Rong continued to respond to Nan Liujing: [Your analysis is all right. ]

Nan Liujing let out a breath, and was finally able to give a final conclusion with certainty.

"It seems that in the teacher's prediction, Brother Qi and I were likely to be enemies. It's just that by chance, I became good friends and good brothers with them." As soon as

this sentence came out, even Yao Rong began to remain silent.

After a moment, Yao Rong chuckled: [If I tell you now that Qi Mingxu, Li Guanqi, Jiang Ding and Qi Si are not trustworthy, and they will become your biggest enemies in the future, what will you do? ]

Nan Liujing was stunned.

Yao Rong emphasized: [I want to know your first thought. ]

"I will ask the teacher why."

[I can't tell you the reason, I can only tell you the result. ]

[Don't you trust my judgment?

Nan Liujing pursed his lips: "Of course I believe in the teacher's judgment." "

Because I know the teacher will not make any judgment easily. I also know that the teacher will not make it so difficult for me."

Yao Rong laughed: [Cunning.]

Then asked: [Why is it difficult. ]

"Nothing in the future has happened. Can we judge a person's present by what he does in the future? Maybe when he takes that path in the future, he will have no choice."

"What's more, I believe in the character of Brother Qi and the others. As long as I don't let them down and regard them as friends and brothers, they will never abandon me."

"If they still stand against me in the future, I don't think it may be their fault. It is more likely that it is me, or that there is something wrong with this world."

After a pause, Nan Liujing raised three fingers: "The teacher asked me three questions, and I answered them all. Now can the teacher answer my three questions in the same way?"

[Yes. ]

Nan Liujing put away one finger: "Teacher, don't you trust my judgment?"

Yao Rong: "..."

Yao Rong knew that she had fallen into Nan Liujing's trap, but she could only answer truthfully: [Of course I trust. ]

Nan Liujing put away another finger: "Now my judgment is inconsistent with the teacher's judgment. I explained my judgment, but the teacher did not explain his judgment. So this time, whose judgment should we listen to?"

[...Listen to yours.]

"Then there is only one last question."

Nan Liujing shook his last finger in the air, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. Obviously very proud, but still tried to restrain himself and try to show a nonchalant attitude.

"Teacher, you say, Brother Qi and the others are so amazing. If I give them "Basics of Ancient Chemical Engineering" and "Development of Ancient Agriculture", in a few years, can they give me a big surprise?"

"I remember that Brother Li likes mathematics very much, and Brother Jiang is particularly good at carpentry."

Yao Rong affirmed: [Yes.]

[Congratulations, Liu Jing, you have fully acquired the mind of a king. Nan Liujing

's eyes curved slightly, and he smiled cunningly like a fox: "Thank you for the compliment, teacher."

"This evaluation is very important. So, teacher, I performed so well, can I get any more rewards?"

He rubbed his hands and said frantically: "Doing business requires capital, and I may still lack a little starting capital... Oh, it's really worrying."

Yao Rong looked at the boy in the mirror with lively eyes and clearly acting coquettishly with her, and smiled: [Then reward him with one hundred taels of gold.]

***

In the next few days, Nan Liujing went to chat with Qi Mingxu and the others whenever he had nothing to do, and successfully found out what Qi Mingxu and the others were good at, what they were interested in, and what general plans they had for the future.

That morning, when Qi Mingxu and his friends woke up, Nan Liujing had finished his morning exercises and was having breakfast in the main hall.

When Qi Mingxu and his friends washed up and came to the main hall, Nan Liujing was already preparing to leave to find Qu Jianbai for class. Nan

Liujing was busy until the evening, and finally stopped to rest.

This continued for several days.

Qi Mingxu and his friends saw it and admired him in their hearts.

Qi Mingxu said, "Brother Nan is younger than us, but he works harder than us."

Li Guanqi and Qi Si both agreed.

Even Jiang Ding, who was usually the most careless, felt ashamed: "We said we would stay to help Brother Nan, but so many days have passed, and Brother Nan has not been able to use us. Instead, we are eating his food, drinking his things, and using his things..."

Qi Mingxu agreed deeply.

He was not the type to take advantage of others without any shame. In his opinion, Nan Liujing provided them with such good treatment, so they had to make achievements and deserve such treatment, otherwise he would feel guilty.

Led by Qi Mingxu, the four of them came to Nan Liujing's study.

The first sentence Qi Mingxu said was: "Brother Nan, we all understand your intentions."

Nan Liujing:?

I don't seem to understand.

Qi Mingxu took the initiative to ask Nan Liujing to arrange work for them.

Simple and easy ones, none of them.

They must be arranged with complicated and difficult ones that can reflect their value.

Nan Liujing was very moved: "This... How can I be so embarrassed?"

Jiang Ding waved his hand and said unhappily: "Hey, Brother Nan, we don't like what you said."

Li Guanqi also shook his head and said disapprovingly: "Look, you are being so reserved again."

"That's right." Qi Si deliberately provoked, "Do you look down on us and think we are not competent for those jobs?"

Nan Liujing was very embarrassed: "No, I definitely don't mean to look down on you."

He was just too optimistic about Qi Mingxu and the others, so he was so surprised.

Qi Mingxu put his palm on the table, the sun fell on his side face, light and dark, and he was full of energy: Brother Nan, if you have any difficulties, just tell us. We will work hard to achieve results and prove to everyone that you did not make a mistake and did not trust the wrong person. "

Ten breaths later -

the high-spirited look on Qi Mingxu's face was replaced by a wolfish one.

Li Guanqi wanted to slap himself hard.

Jiang Dingning would rather listen to more words he didn't like.

Qi Si felt that he might really not be able to complete this task.

Because at the moment Qi Mingxu's voice fell, Nan Liujing pointed to four piles of books not far away and said to the four people happily: "These books are specially prepared by me for the brothers. Can the brothers read and remember the contents of the books within three months?"

Silence.

Still silence.

The silence of the poor student was deafening.

Nan Liujing showed curiosity in his eyes: "Are there any difficulties?"

He said concernedly: "If you have any difficulties, if you find anything difficult, just communicate with me. "

The four poor students: "..."

Can we tell you that we are not good at writing.

It's a pity that we said those lofty words too early, and it's a little late to take them back now.

"What kind of job is this?" Qi Mingxu squeezed out these words from between his teeth.

His shoulders trembled, his handsome face was ashen, he forced a smile, and repeated the classic saying again.

"Brother Nan, we understand your intentions."

After a pause, Qi Mingxu added: "But we are sorry that we cannot accept such intentions with peace of mind."

"That's right. "

Li Guanqi, Jiang Ding and Qi Si nodded frantically, they couldn't agree more.

Such a thought was really too heavy.

Nan Liujing let out an "ah", and subconsciously said: "These books are very important to me. The contents of the books cannot be revealed at will. They must be handed over to the most trusted people to study..."

Nan Liujing lowered his head, feeling a little lost, but still forced himself to be strong, not wanting to embarrass Qi Mingxu and the others: "I understand your intentions..."

Can't reveal... the most trusted person...

Seeing the boy's always energetic eyebrows and eyes, stained with a layer of dull color, Qi Mingxu and the others felt guilty.

They said the words themselves, and they slapped themselves in the face.

They raised Nan Xiaoxiong's expectations, and then disappointed him. It was really a sin.

Qi Mingxu turned around and asked Li Guanqi, Jiang Ding and Qi Si with his eyes: What should we do now?

Li Guanqi, Jiang Ding and Qi Si: ...

They don't know either.

Nan Liujing considerately changed the subject: "By the way, you came here at this time, you must not have had lunch yet, let's not talk about those unhappy things, I'll ask the kitchen to serve the dishes, and we will have a good meal."

At this time, just follow Nan Liujing's words to get rid of the embarrassment. But...but...

Qi Mingxu gritted his teeth and said something that sounded like he was willing to sacrifice his life for justice: "Who else can little brother Nan trust except us? I have read this book." Little

brother Nan did what his father had failed to do with five sticks.

Nan Liujing raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling a little touched and hesitant: "Brother Qi, you don't have to be so reluctant..."

Qi Mingxu didn't want to make Nan Liujing feel guilty, and immediately adjusted his expression: "No, not reluctant at all."

Qi Si wiped his face with his hand: "I have read this book, too."

He is the smartest one among the brothers. The eldest brother has read it, so it would be wrong for him not to read it.

Li Guanqi raised his hand silently.

He went to school for two years when he was a child, and he knew more words than the fourth brother. The fourth brother has gone to school, so how can he, as the second brother, be afraid?

Jiang Ding:?

No, you all have to change your words and become the most trusted person of Brother Nan.

If I don't change my words, then won't I be excluded from the ranks of "the most trusted person of Brother Nan"?

Jiang Ding glared at the three brothers who didn't care about their loyalty, and turned to look at Nan Liujing.

Nan Liujing said gently, "Third Brother Jiang is a craftsman, it's normal that he doesn't like reading. If you feel embarrassed..." "

No!" Jiang Ding clenched his right fist and smashed it on the table, gritting his teeth and said, "Brothers must advance and retreat together! I have nothing else but loyalty!"

At this point, Jiang Ding glanced at the three brothers meaningfully.

The three brothers looked left, right, and up, but didn't look at him anyway.

Jiang Ding was very angry and became more and more aggressive: "Brother Nan, just tell me, do you want us to learn that nonsense, or do you want us to learn that book or scripture?"

"No." Nan Liujing smiled and explained, "I tried my best to collect those four piles of books."

"Brother Qi has always admired Guo Ziyi of the Tang Dynasty and wanted to be a general like Guo Ziyi."

"So I prepared a set of military books for Brother Qi, many of which have been lost in the world. I hope Brother Qi will study hard and let the glory of these military books reappear."

Qi Mingxu:!

He only mentioned it casually once, but Brother Nan kept it in his heart.

"Brother Li likes mathematics and has his own business skills, but unfortunately, he doesn't have enough capital and no power to protect him."

"This set of books details the methods of making soap, the methods of burning glass, and even cement and other rare things that have never been heard of in the world."

"I thought that when Brother Li has mastered the methods in the books and can make those rare things, I will use all my savings to open a shop and let Brother Li take care of these businesses."

Li Guanqi: ! !

His ambitions and aspirations, it turns out that there are really people in this world who can understand.

Not only do they understand, but they have also quietly planned so many things.

If he hadn't come to ask today, if he hadn't changed his mind and agreed in the end, would he never know about this matter.

"Isn't Third Brother Jiang good at carpentry? It just so happens that these books I found contain many drawings of farm tools, weapons and equipment."

"If Third Brother Jiang can master the drawings above, maybe we can make the real objects, which will benefit the country and the people."

Jiang Ding:!!!

How come he, an ordinary carpenter, becomes like a hero in the opera in the mouth of Brother Nan?

"And Fourth Brother Qi."

"Those books were not chosen by me, but by Mr. Qu. He said that reading these books will help further develop your potential."

"I thought that after you and Big Brother Qi finish reading the books, I will send you to the Imperial Guard to serve. At that time, you will help Liang Guangyu, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard."

Qi Si:!!! ! !

Wait, the surprise came too suddenly.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

The more Qi Mingxu listened, the harder it was to restrain his joy.

Nan Liujing's arrangement was very comprehensive, taking their interests and abilities into account. As long as they followed what Nan Liujing said, it would not be difficult to stand out.

"If you had told us earlier, we wouldn't..."

Qi Mingxu quickly swallowed his words back and continued, "Forget it, it's all in the past. Three months, right? Brother Nan, don't worry, we will definitely read and remember the contents of the book within three months!"

Li Guanqi, Jiang Ding and Qi Si also said nothing.

Brother Nan has done this for them, there is nothing to say.

If they still don't work hard, they really don't know what's good for them.

Qi Mingxu/Li Guanqi/Jiang Ding/Qi Si: Anyway, I am not the only one who is suffering!

The sea of ​​learning is endless, and the pain is boundless, but when I think that there are people who are suffering with me, I suddenly feel cheerful.

In the blink of an eye, Qi Mingxu and the other three left with their books.

The study room was quiet again.

Nan Liujing walked to the window, pushed open the wooden window, and the bright sunshine hit him.

The withered sycamore trees in the yard are reborn in spring, and the birds that disappeared for a winter reappear.

The four birds circled in the air, chirping non-stop, as if they were communicating.

Finally, they all landed on the branches of the sycamore trees.

Nan Liujing turned back, holding a small plate of cakes and coming back to the window, intending to feed the four birds.

The system sighed: [Since ancient times, routines have won people's hearts.]

The way Qi Mingxu and the others rushed into the trap desperately, selling themselves out and still asking Nan Liujing to count the money, was really embarrassing to watch.

Perhaps it smelled the fragrance of the cakes, or perhaps it didn't sense the existence of danger, the bird in the first place raised its head first, looked around, and made a high-pitched cry.

It flew up, circled, and landed next to the cakes with its three companions.

Yao Rong smiled and said: [Qi Mingxu and the others are the four birds that fell into the trap. ]

In fact, according to Qi Mingxu and his friends' personalities, even if Nan Liujing gave them direct orders, they would definitely do as Nan Liujing said.

But that way of handling things is a bit blunt and hurtful.

Now this smooth approach is very appropriate.

The system deeply believes: [Lord Liang must have a lot in common with them. ]