In the early morning mist, Lin Jue walked out of the Jiangnan Grand Theater with a tired face. In order to guide and supervise the work of the painters and craftsmen, Lin Jue hardly slept last night, and went to Yongjinmen in the middle of the night to watch the progress of the stage, and when he turned around, he had to stare at the painters and craftsmen in the Grand Theater. From time to time, I have to rush to Wanhualou until the rehearsal, and I am really busy like a dog.

I only stayed up in the early hours of the morning for half an hour, because I was so tired. In addition, I actually stayed up all night last night, and I was dizzy and dizzy at the moment, and my steps were vain.

After turning his sore neck and stretching his muscles and bones, and taking a few breaths of the cool air of early morning and autumn, Lin Jue felt much better. He wanted to sleep comfortably for a while, but he still had a lot of things to do, and until everything was ready, he didn't have time to rest, and he couldn't rest in peace.

"Uncle, where are we going now?" Xiaohu also didn't sleep all night, but he was still in good spirits, after all, he was half a child, and it was nothing to stay up all night.

"Go to the palace." Lin Jue climbed into the car.

Lin Hu handed in a crockpot and a few hot cakes from the car window. Lin Jue was surprised: "Where did it come from?" ”

Lin Hu said: "Miss Xie came to give it to me just now, and she said that you don't have time to eat breakfast, so I stewed this broth and made a few pancakes and asked me to give them to my son to eat in the car." ”

Lin Jue's heart warmed, Xie Yingying was very good to herself, she served tea and water all night last night, and she almost didn't sleep all night. In the wee hours of the morning, she stared for a moment, she must have gone to get these.

She was thoughtful. Xiaohu, come, one and a half, eat and drink. ”

"Childe, eat it, I already nibbled on a few flatbreads when I set up the car just now. Childe drank while it was hot, and my car drove slower, so as not to spill it. The little tiger jumped onto the wheels, pulled the reins and drove the carriage.

Lin Jue sat in the carriage, stretched out his hand to open the crockpot, a fragrance came to his nose, and he screamed in his stomach when he smelled the fragrance. At that moment, I ate cakes, drank soup, and snorted, and soon half a can of stewed broth and a few pieces of bread were in my stomach. I burped and felt very comfortable.

Before the carriage arrived at the gate of the palace, the little county lord had already ordered people to wait here. Lin Jue got out of the car and entered the palace, and the little county lord also came from his residence, and was startled when he saw Lin Jue's unkempt appearance.

"What's the matter? Come to my yard and I'll put your hair in a bun. ”

"How can I get this time, how is it going on on your side? Take me to see it. Lin Jue waved his hand.

"As you instructed, I worked overnight last night. But there are some of the things you mentioned that I don't have in the treasury of the palace. I have sent people to go to every shop and collect them. The little county lord walked as he walked.

"What's missing?" Lin Jue strode forward along the corridor.

The little county lord trotted beside him with his skirt and said, "It's the transparent glass you want." The glass of our Dazhou is small, you want a large piece, these are only state-owned, expensive, and most of them are difficult to preserve when transported back from the sea, so few merchants buy goods. I think there should be. If it doesn't work, it will be spliced with small glass, what do you think? ”

"No, after the small glass is spliced, the light will magnify the traces. In this way, you order someone to look for it, and I will let Xiaohu go back to my Lin family's treasury to find it later, this thing is very important. ”

"Okay, you go slowly, why are you walking so fast? I can't even catch up. The little county lord said angrily.

Lin Jue smiled bitterly and stopped, waiting for the little county lord to catch up. The little county lord looked at his bloodshot eyes and said, "You are going to work hard, if you lose, you will lose, don't work so hard." ”

"What words? That's what to say at this time. Hurry up and take it and see. Lin Jue said with disgust.

The little county lord sighed, and led Lin Jue through a few courtyards to a large courtyard, where hundreds of craftsmen were busy with hammers, chisels, axes and saws. Lin Jue turned around, looked at these things that were close to forming, and nodded: "It's not bad, it should be completed before noon, and a comprehensive installation and commissioning will be officially carried out in the afternoon, and it must not be delayed." ”

The little county lord said: "I didn't sleep much last night, and I kept staring at it here." If only you were satisfied. ”

Lin Jue smiled: "It's hard work." But the matter is not over yet, we are now going to Yongjinmen at once, the craftsmen stayed up all night last night, and the stage is basically finished. We're going to see. Some large things and mechanisms can be installed and debugged. ”

The little lord said, "My brother wants you to see him when you come." ”

Lin Jue said: "What's the matter?" ”

"It's not about asking about the situation, he's not at ease."

Lin Jue waved his hand and said, "Where is the time to talk to him, if you want to see me come to me by yourself." Let's go, time is tight. ”

The little county lord was speechless, so he had to follow Lin Jue out. The two also avoided suspicion, and got into a carriage in front of the doorman, and the carriage rushed to Yongjinmen.

"I still haven't figured it out, how does this stuff work? And how can the mechanism of the stage you mentioned be raised and lowered and still unfolded? Also, how do people walk on water? Is it really possible to have a Limbo microstep? How do you change these lights, how do you change the scenery, can you really produce the kind of effect you said? The little lord in the carriage frowned and asked a series of questions, his eyes staring at the rapidly receding scenery outside the car window.

"......" Lin Jue didn't say anything.

"What are you thinking?" The main road of the small county.

“……”

The little county lord looked at the bow of the boat in surprise, and saw Lin Jue leaning back on the saddle, his eyes closed, and a slight snoring sound came out of his mouth.

The little county lord was stunned, and then his face showed pity, reached out to pull down the curtains of the car window, and reached out to wrap his arms around Lin Jue's head and neck and move gently, until Lin Jue's head was pillowed on his knees. Looking at Lin Jue's sleeping face in the dim light, the little county lord sighed and lowered his head to kiss Lin Jue's forehead lightly, hugging him tightly.

……

On the east shore of the lake, there is a busy area within a radius of hundreds of steps. Boats shuttled back and forth, pulling the logs on the shore into the water one by one, and headed for the place where they were built. Along the way, there are various wooden corners floating on the water, which looks extremely messy and dirty. However, there are special boats to clean up the garbage on the surface of the water, and the people on board hold long poles and wooden forks to collect and load the garbage one by one and transport it to the shore for disposal. By tonight, the water will be clean, so there's no need to worry.

Two of the three pontoons 100 steps away from the shore have been almost completed, and the pontoons in Jiangning Mansion to the south have even begun to be decorated with colorful curtains and a scarlet carpet. Screens and compartments at the rear have also begun to be arranged, and the rudiments of its splendor are already faintly visible. The pontoons in Yangzhou Mansion to the north are progressing a little slower, but the overall structure has been completed. All that remained was the floating dock at the bow of the side for the ships to dock, and a dozen craftsmen were hurrying to finish it in an hour or two.

However, the floating platform of Hangzhou Mansion in the middle of these two floating platforms is interlaced with wood and bamboo at the moment, like a fish skeleton. More than 100 craftsmen who climbed up and down the pontoon platform were shirtless, wielding axes and chisels, sweating like rain. Looking at this stance, I don't know when it will be completed.

What's even more strange is that after the removal of the pontoon platform yesterday, this newly built pontoon platform is no longer what it used to be. Not only is the area much larger, but the increased height does not look like a floating platform, but like a pavilion on the water.

"What is this about? It's just a floating platform for a competition, why is it so complicated? Is it impossible to build a building on the water? It's really a big move to take off your pants and fart. ”

"It's just that yesterday these people were busy all night, and they even drove deep piles to the bottom of the lake, and it was not too troublesome. I heard that Wanhualou and Qunfang Pavilion invited Lin Jue, the Lin family, to be in charge, and it was Lin Jue who ordered this, and said that they would build a three-story building. Isn't it funny? ”

"This Lin Gongzi is not bad, but this time he is a little confused. What's the use of a good floating platform? The Oiran contest is not stronger than anyone's floating platform. Isn't that nonsense? I don't think they'll be able to finish their work by tonight. ”

“……”

The craftsmen on the left were chatting while working, and they were very puzzled by this matter. However, they soon saw the object of their discussion, Lin Jue of the Lin family was sitting on a boat with the little lord of the palace and sailing towards the magnificent water stage.

Lin Jue and the little county lord stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the busy scene around them, and they were a little excited. The water surface in a radius of hundreds of paces has changed in a matter of days, not to mention the three stages, and the water docks where dozens of red boats are moored on the north and south sides have also been built. On the water surface directly in front of the three pontoons, instead of allowing large and small boats to gather together, a huge pontoon with a length and width of about 100 paces was built out of driftwood. And the top of the log has been nailed with flat planks, forming a huge flat water platform.

Seven or eight small boats approached the platform with tables, chairs, screens, and other things. Dozens of handymen on the platform are busy carrying tables and chairs for arrangement. Needless to say, this platform, which is more than 100 steps long and wide, is a water seat for watching the Oiran competition. Of course, it was not for the common people, but for the officials who were said to be quite numerous, as well as high-ranking officials and celebrities who came from the capital. The rest are the officials and gentry in Hangzhou, and the figures with heads and faces are eligible to sit here and watch.

In addition to this, driftwood has been used to pull up a water cordon further afield. More than a dozen warships patrolled the lake in the distance, and the Oiran Contest had entered the countdown.

"It's a really big scene, bigger than all previous Oiran Contests." The little county lord said excitedly.

Lin Jue said with a smile: "Of course, the three cities are competing for hegemony, celebrities from all over the world are gathered, and there is a gimmick to compete for the first capital in the southeast, so naturally the scene is grand." ”

Lin Jue slept in the car for a while, and when he arrived outside the Yongjin Gate, the little county lord felt sorry for Lin Jue, and specially ordered the carriage to stay for half an hour, so that Lin Jue could sleep for half an hour. Although Lin Jue complained after waking up, it was obvious that Lin Jue looked as if he was full of electricity now.

"Our stage doesn't look good yet, and the other two are almost finished." The little county lord pointed to the huge water stage in front of him, which was still a skeleton, and frowned.

Lin Jue also frowned, but he didn't seem to be worried.

"Hmm...... The main structure has been completed, do you see the thick cylinder in the middle? When the pillars are erected, the main body is completed, which is the central axis that controls the stage. Mo looks at the ugly ones that are all wood and bamboo, as long as the main body is completed, other things are actually very fast. Let's test it, and if everything is correct, we can add other bits and pieces. ”

The boat on which the two were riding was close to the front of the stage, and more than 100 craftsmen who were busy stopped one after another, some stood on the floating platform and saluted, and some simply rode on the wooden beams to salute Lin Jue and the little county lord.

"Hard work, Daddy Zhou, it looks like the spindle shaft has been installed, right?" Lin Jue smiled and arched his hand.

An old craftsman rolled up his sleeves, and with an axe in his hand, he crossed a pile of scraps to the bow of the ship, and arched his hand: "It's done, exactly according to the instructions of the son last night, and it is all in order." My old Zhou is doing things, and the county lord and Lin Gongzi put a hundred hearts. ”

Lin Jue pulled the little county lord to jump onto the floating platform, and said with a smile: "Daddy Zhou is hard, everyone is hard. I'm going to do some debugging, and if everything is working as usual, I can reinforce for the final touches and install some other small bits and pieces. Daddy Zhou, do you have confidence? It's about your well-being. ”

"Of course there is, I'm afraid I'm going to break the bank." The old man laughed.

The little county lord was surprised: "What are you talking about?" ”

Lin Jue said with a smile: "Last night, in order to cheer up Father Zhou and a group of artisan brothers. I made a promise that if the main shaft was installed and the commissioning went smoothly, I would double their wages. ”

The little county lord was stunned and said, "Such a promise? Why didn't you tell me? ”

The surrounding craftsmen were suddenly a little worried, this Lin Gongzi was working for the palace, and this little county lord was the main master, Lin Gongzi's words were afraid that they would not work. Lin Gongzi can't pay out of his own pocket?

However, I heard the little county lord complain: "They work so hard, stay up late to catch up with the work, if they can meet your requirements again, they can ensure that the completion will be completed in time." With such a powerful group of brothers, you only give double the salary, which is also stingy. ”

"Huh?" The bosses of a group of craftsmen with their mouths open, their eyes jumping on the ground.

Lin Jue smiled dumbly and said, "Then how much do you say to add?" ”

The little county lord crossed his hands on his hips, proud, and nodded at the many expectant faces up and down, left and right, and said, "On the basis of Lin Gongzi's promise to double it, I will be twice annoyed." A total of four times the salary. In the evening, the work was completed on time, and another copy was added, which was five times the salary. ”

"Wow! Amazing! Get rich! ”

"The little county lord is really generous, and he is grateful."

"A heroic person like the little county lord will be a heroine among women in the future, and everyone will admire him."

"Phew, what's the future? The county lord is now a heroine among women. Let me say that the little lord will be rich and noble in the future, and marry the best husband in the world. ”

"Hahaha, exactly."

Everyone shouted like a frying pot, all smiling, and stretched out a large thumb up and down, left and right.

Lin Jue said softly: "You are generous, five times the salary, that is a lot of silver." ”

The little county lord glanced at him and said, "It doesn't cost you money." Lin Jue was speechless, and the little county lord added: "Anyway, it won't cost me money." ”

Lin Jue laughed and said: "Yes, yes, it is your father's silver that is spent, and it is very generous to others." ”

The little county lord sneered, triumphant. Lin Jue turned his head to Daddy Zhou, who was smiling, and said, "Daddy Zhou, don't be happy, you haven't tested it yet." Whether you can get these five times the salary depends on the test results. Come on, come on, listen to my command, it's a mule or a horse, let's see the real chapter. ”

……

The hall of the Hangzhou Mansion was full of friends, Wu Chunlai, the head of the government hall from the capital, and Li Shiqing, the head of the southeast house of the Privy Council, Shen Fang, the prefect of Jiangning, and Liu Sheng, the prefect of Yangzhou, were all present.

In the early hours of last night, Wu Chunlai and Li Shiqing arrived at the pier outside the Beiguan Gate with a bachelor from the Hanlin Academy and a group of famous people in the capital, and Shen Fang and Liu Sheng waited at the wharf outside the city gate for two hours, and finally greeted this group of important people from the capital.

Wu Chunlai is the head of the government affairs hall, although it is only a four-grade official position, but everyone knows Wu Chunlai's status in the government affairs hall. In addition to Prime Minister Lu Zhongtian and several deputy ministers in the political hall, the heads of each house are the backbone of it. There are five rooms under the political hall, including Confucius, officials, households, criminals, and military rites, and the Confucius room is actually just a department for file management and arrangement, so in fact, the other four rooms are the ones who really have real power. Wu Chunlai is the head of this office, and his authority is almost equivalent to the position of the official department of other dynasties, which shows the importance of his status.

By the way, among the five rooms under the political hall, it is said that the military room should be an extremely important room, but it is a military salute combined into one room, which shows that the control of military affairs in the political hall is insufficient. The juxtaposition of the two governments and the separation of military and political affairs are the greatest characteristics of this dynasty. The Privy Council is the highest military institution in the Great Zhou, and no matter how powerful the political hall is, even now even the three divisions and yamen have actually been controlled by the political affairs hall, but the military power of the Privy Council is still unattainable. It is meaningless to set up a separate barracks, and it is not possible to set it up without it, after all, there is still the right to supervise. Therefore, the relatively unimportant department of the ceremonial room and the military room were merged into the military ceremonial room.

This is somewhat of a death to save face, and it is a bit nondescript. The affairs of the military and the Ministry of Rites are actually unrelated. The most important duty of the ceremonial room is to be in charge of the national imperial examination, preside over the national imperial examination, and select talents. Thinking about it, linking military affairs with the imperial examination gives a sense of absurdity that a talent meets a soldier.

As for Wu Chunlai, he is quite legendary. Wu Chunlai was a native of Gyeonggi, and when he was young, he was quite talented, and it is said that he could write poems and lyrics when he was more than ten years old, which caused a sensation. When he was fifteen years old, Wu Chun came to worship Fang Dunru, who was still a speech official in the Yushitai at that time, as a teacher, and he was attracted to the beautiful talk. Although Fang Dunru was only a spokesman of the Imperial History Observatory at that time, he was already famous all over the world at that time. Poetry and other body literary circles are secondary, what makes Fang Dunru famous is his style of acting that dares to speak and admonish.