40. Chapter 40
"none"
Surveying and mapping is a very professional subject. Even though surveying and mapping technology is backward now, one still needs to understand geometry, mathematics and astronomy.
For the children in Huangzhuang, even if they overcame the language barrier, this knowledge would be like listening to incomprehensible books to them.
Zhang Cheng's Manchu-Chinese communication made it difficult for him to communicate. Xu Risheng could speak both Chinese and Manchu, though not very standard. Sometimes, when encountering specialized terms, his expressions became even less precise, forcing him to resort to Latin.
Qi You followed them and acted as an interpreter. Even though he translated it in simple terms, they were still confused.
Qi You was extremely patient and kept encouraging them, saying, "It's okay. I don't really understand much either. Like you, I have to start from scratch."
Despite Qi You's encouragement, the team gradually shrank from more than 20 people at the beginning to about 10 people.
Qi You recruited new people to keep the team at around twenty people.
If there were more, the team would be too large, affecting Xu Risheng and Zhang Cheng's work. They couldn't teach classes right now, so they could only offer a few explanations when they encountered something unclear.
Considering the elimination rate, if there are too few people, the talent pool will not be sufficient.
This task was more difficult than imagined, but Qi You was mentally prepared and did not feel discouraged.
To his relief, Zhang Song had always been there. He didn't know how she had convinced her parents, but she had finally come with Zhang Bai.
Zhang Song was older and more calm and attentive than the other children. Besides focusing on her own studies, she also always took care of the younger children.
Zhang Bai is diligent and hardworking, but her brain is not as flexible as her sister Zhang Song's, so she has some difficulty in learning.
Sometimes Zhang Song would have already understood a question, but Zhang Bai would still be struggling with it. Qi You would not be impatient and would patiently explain it to him again.
What impressed Qi You even more was the five-year-old girl He Ye.
The lotus leaves are round, with round faces and eyes, and look cute and honest. As winter approaches, the mountains become colder, and you can't go up the mountain when it snows.
They went to the mountains to survey before it snowed.
For safety reasons, Qi You called all the guards to help move the quadrant and other instruments to ensure their safety.
The road up the mountain is difficult. He Ye is small, with a round face, and walks in the middle with great effort. He never complains about the hardship or tiredness, which makes people worry.
She was the fastest learner of languages and had a good memory. Within a few days, she understood the Latin names of various instruments and could even say a few daily Latin greetings.
Seeing that this group of people did not end up losing everything, Qi You felt that it was worth it even if it was hard work.
In fact, Qi You was the most tired among all the people. In addition to going up and down the mountain, he also had to serve as a translator. At the end of the day, his lips were worn out.
Especially since his legs and feet were not convenient after all, it was very difficult for him to go up and down the mountain. In order not to affect the team, he finally used crutches.
At the end of the day, Qi You could barely lift his legs. After a hot bath, De Gao and Gui He massaged his legs and feet, and a good night's sleep, he was able to move again the next day.
But after persisting for a while, Qi You got used to it.
When everything was on track, the crown prince and the eldest prince came to Shunyi.
Qi You was on the mountain. When he heard the prince's guards coming up the mountain to report, he thought he had misheard: "What?"
The guard repeated the change again. Qi You thought that the imperial envoy sent by Kangxi had arrived. Looking at the sun in the sky, he said, "The wind is a bit strong today. Let's finish our work and go down the mountain early."
When we reached the foot of the mountain, the Crown Prince and the eldest prince were climbing up the mountain with their guards.
The eldest prince saw the group of people, then looked at Qi You, and his eyes widened immediately, "Seventh Brother, what are you doing..."
Qi You was wrapped in a dusty and dirty leather coat and trousers, leaning on a cane, with hay crumbs hanging on his hat. The eldest prince had a hard time swallowing back the words "where did you beg from?"
The prince was also surprised and stared at Qi You for a long time without recognizing him.
If you stay in the mountains all day, you can also wear gorgeous brocade clothes like the prince and the eldest prince. But after one day, they will look shabby and inappropriate. Not only will it be inappropriate, it will also be a waste.
Qi You knew his image, but he didn't care. He looked calm and walked forward to greet him with a smile, "Brother Crown Prince, Big Brother."
When the others saw the Crown Prince and the eldest prince, Xu Risheng and Zhang Cheng were fine, but the children looked nervous and confused.
Zhang Song was the first to come to his senses. He quickly pulled the lotus leaf beside him, looked at Zhang Bai, and knelt down on the mountain path.
When the other children saw them kneeling, they hurriedly followed suit and knelt down, kowtowed and paid their respects.
Qi You turned around and saw a group of people kneeling on the narrow mountain path. He sighed inwardly. He quickly stepped forward and said with a smile: "Brother Crown Prince, Brother, it's cold outside. Let's go back quickly."
The prince raised his hand and called out, looking at the crutch in Qi You's hand, his eyes passing over his legs: "Your legs are not convenient, why don't you let the guards carry you? The mountain path is steep, be careful not to fall."
Qi You smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Prince. I'm fine."
The prince had a complicated expression, and without saying anything more, he turned and walked forward. The eldest prince smiled and walked forward, walking side by side with Qi You. He pulled at his sheepskin coat and said with a smile: "Seventh brother, if I didn't know you, I would have thought you were a shepherd boy from some family."
Qi You looked down at his sheepskin coat, which had been polished to a shine, and said with a smile, "Brother, don't think my coat doesn't look good, but it can keep out the wind and even a few blows from branches. It's very windy and cold in the mountains, and a cotton coat won't do."
The eldest prince laughed and said, "And your face, the wind has made the two red spots on your cheeks almost chapped. When I go back and see you, Khan Ama won't recognize you. Khan Ama will say, 'Oh, where is the handsome seventh brother who loved to show off since childhood?'"
Qi You touched his face and smiled: "Actually, he is still quite handsome, a different kind of handsome."
The eldest prince was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. The crown prince couldn't help laughing, saying, "Seventh Prince has grown a lot taller and looks very energetic. This is a different kind of handsomeness, it's true."
"It's true." The eldest brother smiled and gestured at Qi You's head, "It's taller than the third brother."
Qi You smiled triumphantly, making the eldest prince laugh again.
The brothers returned to the farm with smiles on their faces. After washing up and changing their clothes, Qi You came out and saw the eldest prince and the crown prince sitting at opposite ends drinking tea. The room was quiet.
After a pause, Qi You walked into the house, sat down below the eldest prince, and said, "Why didn't you tell me when you came? I wouldn't have gone up the mountain if I had known. It's really my fault for neglecting my brothers."
The prince said, "Khan Ama heard that you have been surveying and mapping recently and have even written less. He was really worried, so he asked me and my elder brother to come and see you."
Qi You knew that Kangxi asked the Crown Prince and the eldest prince to come not just to look at the survey and mapping, but also to look at other things.
As expected, the eldest prince said, "Khan Ama said that it's almost the winter solstice, and you haven't returned to the capital yet. How long do you want to hang around outside? Also, don't you want the cow you asked Second Uncle to get?"
After Fuquan returned to Shunyi, he reported everything to Kangxi, no matter how big or small.
When Kangxi learned that Qi You wanted the cow, he didn't say much. However, he withheld the cow that Fuquan brought back and had not given it to Qi You yet.
The prince pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Khan Ama said that you should go back and explain in person whether you only want the cow or something else as well."
The eldest prince was unaware of this and upon hearing this, he looked at Qi You suspiciously and asked, "Seventh Brother, are you going to sell beef?"
Qi You almost choked on his tea. He turned his head and coughed for a while. After wiping his mouth, he looked at the eldest brother and said speechlessly, "Brother, what are you talking about? I asked my second uncle to get the cows, of course, for plowing the land."
It seems that with Kangxi's intelligence, he must have guessed his plan when he heard that he had gone to the horse farm.
Qi You was frank and had a clear conscience, so he was not afraid. If Kangxi did not give him the horse farm, he would first occupy a small part of it, raise his own horses there, and then gradually encroach on and expand.
The eldest prince chuckled and said, "I told you, you don't have the guts. There's no beef to eat in the palace, and you still dare to kill oxen and sell them."
Qi You smiled and said, "Even if I were short of money, I wouldn't have thought of this. Brother Crown Prince, big brother, where are you living? In the palace or in the manor?"
The prince said, "I'll live in the manor. It's convenient here. Where my eldest brother wants to live is up to him."
The eldest prince, like the crown prince, would live in the manor. "I heard that your place is very lively. When the time comes, you must take me to walk around and take a good look."
It was winter, and everywhere was bare and freezing. How could there be anything lively to see? Qi You thought about it and thought that Emperor Kangxi had given them an order to come and see the changes in Shunyi, especially the construction of the water canals and roads.
"Okay, you guys must be tired from traveling, so take a rest first. I'll accompany you around tomorrow." Qi You finished speaking, and called De Gao to arrange for the yard to be tidied. He instructed: "Go and tell them that I won't go up the mountain tomorrow, let them go on their own... If they don't understand, ask Mr. Xu more and beg him to explain it more times, and speak more slowly."
The prince hesitated for a moment, then stopped Degao and said to Qi You, "We're just here for a walk, but we can't delay your work. It just so happens that I've never seen surveying before, so I'll go up the mountain with you tomorrow."
The eldest prince lagged behind and said, "I'll go too. It's a good opportunity to broaden my horizons."
Qi You could only smile and agree, and earnestly reminded them of the things to keep in mind when going up the mountain: "It's a little cold on the mountain, and it will be hot when you climb. You'd better wear shorts. Shorts are convenient and easy to take off when it's hot. But in this kind of weather, it will get cold in a short time, and you will have to put them on again. It's best to make it easy to put on and take off. Also, make sure your shoes fit well. Don't wear slippery shoes. Always pay attention to safety."
The eldest prince smiled indifferently and said, "Seventh Brother, you really love to worry. Look at you, you can even go up and down the mountain like this. Am I not better than you?"
Qi You looked at the eldest prince's sturdy body and said helplessly: "Okay, but it's better to be careful."
The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne, and the eldest prince is a bit reckless. If he slips and falls, and twists his body, it will be troublesome. In fact, Qi You did not want to take this risk and asked them to go up the mountain.
There are a group of children around Qi You. If they accidentally bump into him, they are not Qi You.
The most important thing is that the two are of noble status, and the children are timid in front of them. There are a lot of rules and etiquette...
But if you stop the prince, with his sensitive and suspicious personality, he will probably think that Qi You is hiding something extraordinary and will not want him to learn.
The more the eldest prince tried to stop him, the more excited he became. Qi You was sure he couldn't stop him. When he saw the prince going, he would definitely follow him.
The two of them were secretly competing with each other, and Qi You had already witnessed it in the palace.
Qi You secretly criticized Kangxi, saying that he was really looking for trouble with him.
After dinner, everyone went to rest, and the next morning, after the sun came out, they set off.
Qi You had already gone out for a walk and came back. The eldest prince listened to Qi You and changed into a traveling robe, wearing a fur coat inside and a long cloak outside.
The Crown Prince was also dressed like the eldest prince. Qi You looked at their gorgeous brocade clothes and could only pretend not to see anything.
It is estimated that the two of them could not afford to wear clothes like the ones Qi You wore at the moment. However, Kangxi could still afford to give him a few sets of brocade clothes.
The eldest prince looked at Qi You and asked, "Where have you been? Why did you come back from outside?"
Qi You pointed at the group of people building the road behind him and said, "I went to see them building the road. Building roads and bridges also requires surveying. The same goes for river management. Dayu used surveying to control floods, measuring distances and heights."
The prince's eyes widened immediately, and he looked over curiously. Xu Risheng and Zhang Cheng, followed by a group of bondservants he had seen yesterday, walked back together.
On the roadside, a group of men in shorts were busy carrying soil and digging ditches.
"Seventh Brother, that man..." The prince was sharp-eyed and careful. He saw a ragged man carrying a basket of soil. He walked unsteadily and fell down after a few steps.
The boy who was following him, carrying a basket of dirt on his back, fell headfirst. The two of them were buried in the dirt and couldn't get up for a long time.
The people behind were stopped and waited in a long line. A man who looked like a manager waved his arms at the two people lying on the ground, stepped forward and kicked each of them, cursing loudly.
Qi You looked where he was pointing and said, "Oh, that's Dachun and his son Elu. They're working on the construction site, getting paid every day and eating mixed-wheat buns. It's not as good as the luxurious life we had before, but it's definitely better than being exiled to Ningguta."
The prince knew about Dachun's situation and looked at him for a few times, feeling complicated. He knew Qi You was kind and caring for these bondservants.
But he has his own principles and is not blindly kind. He treats Dachun in the same way he treats him.
Dachun's other sons were handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for punishment, and his youngest son, Elu, who had followed Dachun in committing many evil deeds, was punished along with him.
Compared to being beheaded, it is hard to say which is more tragic: to suffer the hardship of building a road with a group of former beggars and never be able to make a breakthrough.
He was just a servant, so the eldest prince didn't take it seriously at all. He smiled and said, "Seventh Brother, if we don't leave now, the sun will set soon."
Qi You smiled and asked the prince to go ahead, explaining, "It's colder on the mountain. Thin ice will form at night, which is not only cold but also slippery. It will be better to go up after the sun rises."
The eldest prince laughed awkwardly and said, "I thought you were staying late on purpose for us."
The prince glanced at the eldest prince and said with a smile, "Brother, don't be so sentimental. How could the Seventh Prince delay his work for you?"
They chatted and laughed all the way up the mountain. Qi You looked at the silent group of people following far behind, and walked behind the Crown Prince and the eldest prince as a buffer. From time to time, he spoke a few words to Zhang Song and the others to calm their emotions.
The Crown Prince and the eldest prince were both diligent in their horseback riding and archery practice, so they were in good physical condition and had no problem climbing the mountain. After walking a short distance, they both felt hot and took off their cloaks.
The eldest prince's movements were a little too big, and his cloak scraped against a slanting branch. With a snap, a long cut was torn in the green brocade.
Qi You looked over and saw that the eldest prince didn't even blink. He threw the cloak to his personal eunuch Jingli, dodging the wind with his hands and muttered, "It's really hot climbing the mountain."
The prince was so hot that sweat broke out on his back. He turned around and looked at Qi You, who was walking up slowly and steadily with a cane. He panted and said, "Seventh Brother, I didn't expect you to be so amazing. You don't look tired at all."
Qi You smiled at the prince, then stopped and leaned on his crutches for support. "It's tiring at first, but you'll get used to it after climbing more. Brother Prince, if you're really tired, just stop and rest, drink some water, and don't try to force yourself. It's easier to go up the mountain than down, so you have to save some energy for going down."
The prince thought about it and saw a spacious place ahead where they could rest, so he said, "Let's stop there for a while."
Qi You agreed, thinking that he wouldn't have to do much today, so he just went up the mountain for fun. He turned around and said, "You go up first, we'll follow."
After two consecutive breaks, they finally arrived at the surveying point. Seeing them coming, the children surrounding Xu Risheng and Zhang Cheng immediately stepped aside and greeted them.
The prince waved his hand casually and walked forward to examine the telescopes in Xu Risheng and Zhang Cheng's hands, as well as the quadrant, the "standard and rule", and the Hou clock with great interest. He asked about their usage and purpose one by one.
The prince was confused after listening to Xu Risheng's introduction. He subconsciously looked at Qi You, and Qi You started to translate beside him.
The eldest prince felt dizzy after listening to a few sentences and was completely uninterested. He listened to Qi You speaking Chinese to the crown prince, and then mumbling Latin to Xu Risheng and Zhang Cheng, his eyes darting back and forth between them.
After hearing the last part, the eldest prince stepped forward and, like the third prince, put his arms around Qi You's neck and said with a smile, "Good for you, Seventh Prince! You're the only one who can understand this bird talk. And geometry and mathematics, I really hate them, but you just love to learn them. Even if you don't study in the upper study room, you can still surpass us. No wonder Khan Ama said that we should come and learn more from you."
Whether it was the cold on the mountain or something else, the prince's face was stiff and his smile was very forced. He looked at the eldest prince and Qi You playing around and said, "Brother, please let go of the seventh brother. He still needs to work."
The eldest prince let go of Qi You in dismay, looked at the sky, and said, "How about we have some dry food first? I'm hungry."
Seeing that they had not done any serious work and had to eat after climbing up the mountain, Qi You smiled bitterly and asked everyone to take a rest.
Since it was dry food, Qi You certainly couldn't treat these two masters badly, so he ordered the kitchen to prepare mutton buns and boiled milk tea and carry them up the mountain.
They found a flat place to rest. Zhang Bai and his companions were smart. When they saw the guards collecting firewood to build a stove, they hurriedly called their companions to help.
Soon, they helped to collect a pile of firewood, and the guards lit the fire, set up a pot to heat milk tea, and roasted mutton buns.
After a while, the aroma of milk tea filled the air, the skin of the mutton buns was baked golden, and the aroma of mutton filled the air.
The eldest prince took a deep breath, not caring about the heat, and bit into the bun. The heat made his mouth hiss and inhale, but he couldn't bear to spit it out. He finished the bun in a few bites and drank a sip of hot and fragrant milk tea.
The eldest prince exhaled with satisfaction and praised: "Seventh Brother, this baked bun is delicious!"
The prince also praised the food highly. When he traveled with Kangxi in the past, he often ate dry food during breaks on the road, usually dry steamed buns, barbecued meat, and hot tea.
Although Qi You only prepared buns and milk tea, which were not very varied, they tasted fragrant and warm.
The prince ate three steamed buns and drank a bowl of milk tea, and his whole body was warm. The fatigue from the climb was gone.
Except for Xu Risheng and Zhang Cheng who were eating buns and drinking milk tea together, everyone else could only gnaw on dry buns and drink a few sips of cold water from the leather bag.
In the past, Qi You always ate with them. At noon, they would find a place to light a fire, bake steamed buns, and cook a pot of hot soup, and then have a warm meal.
Today was different from the past. With the Crown Prince here, there was a distinction between the ruler and his subjects. Furthermore, these bondservants had to bow their heads even when approaching the Crown Prince, unable to lift their heads.
In the afternoon, even though the sun was still high in the sky, the weather was getting colder. Qi You realized that he couldn't do anything else and was worried about the slippery road when going down the mountain. After eating and resting for a while, he simply asked everyone to go down the mountain.
The prince looked at the sky, hesitated for a moment and asked, "Seventh Brother, coming down the mountain so early, have we delayed your important work?"
Qi You answered frankly: "Usually we would be late. But since this is your first time here and you and your elder brother are not used to it, it will be difficult to go down the mountain. We have to go down early."
The eldest prince refused to listen and glared at Qi You and said, "Seventh Brother, who are you looking down on?"
Qi You smiled and said, "Brother, I started this early too. By the time I finally got down the mountain, it was almost dark. I'm not looking down on you."
When the eldest prince heard this, his anger instantly disappeared and he smiled and said, "Okay, since you have experience, I will listen to you."
Degao, as usual, led his guards to put out the fire. Qi You personally checked and, after everything was out, told everyone to pack up and leave the mountain.
The prince watched silently from the side and said with a smile: "Seventh Brother, you still have to ask about such a small matter. You are really worried."
Qi You said solemnly: "Brother Crown Prince, this is not a trivial matter. If the spark is not extinguished, it might cause a forest fire, and the whole mountain will be affected."
The prince laughed dryly, "Yes, I hadn't thought of that. You've thought it through."
"I just understand these little things." Qi You didn't say anything more, and everyone went down the mountain together.
According to the rules, the prince walked in front, followed by the eldest prince, and Qi You walked behind the eldest prince.
The way down the mountain was even harder than going up. After walking for a while, the eldest prince knew that what Qi You said was true. Not only did his legs begin to feel weak, but sometimes his feet would slip, and he would be so frightened that cold sweats would break out, and his whole body would become weak.
The prince was not much better off, and he walked very carefully and slowly. Fortunately, the group escaped danger, and when they reached the foot of the mountain, Qi You finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, Qi You saw the eldest prince, who was walking in front of him, with his cloak caught on a sharp rock.
The eldest prince paused slightly, and after hearing the sound of cloth tearing, he fell forward, rolling down with the prince in front of him.
Qi You held his breath, listened to the prince and the eldest prince shouting, and looked up at the sky in silence.
This is the last stretch of the road, just this last stretch of the road!
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2022-10-10 20:23:18 and 2022-10-11 20:01:09~
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mine: 56820503 1;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
