Left Xiangzhou, passed through Tangyin County, and went to the Anli Army. Across the Yellow River from the Anli Army is Huazhou, and the attached county is Baima County, and there is a pontoon bridge on the Yellow River between the two places, that is, the Baima pontoon bridge, which is the main road to communicate the north and south of the Yellow River. Huazhou is a special place, surrounded by Hedong Road, Hebei Road, Jingdong Road and Kaifeng Mansion, but it belongs to Jingxi Road, an enclave of Jingxi Road. The reasons for the formation of this pattern are, first, historical factors, of course, more important is to facilitate the unified management and management of the Yellow River by Jingxi Road, and the unified organization of the defense of the Yellow River by the Marshal of Jingxi Road.

Hebei Road and Hedong Road enter Beijing, either take the Baima pontoon bridge, or take the Mengzhou pontoon bridge in the west, and transfer to the capital through Xijing Henan Mansion. Except for these two roads, they are all small paths. Du Zhongxiao returned to Beijing this time, because he was going to Luzhou to visit the transfer envoy, which was different from the last time, and took the White Horse Pontoon Bridge on the East Road.

When he arrived at the bank of the Yellow River, Shisanlang rode on his horse and stretched his neck to look at the rushing river, and said with emotion: "After crossing the river, it can be regarded as returning to the Central Plains." Since three years ago, I took up my post on Hedong Road with the officials, and a few years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I have almost forgotten what the Central Plains is like. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's a pity that it's winter, and the capital is as cold as the Volcano Army." ”

Thirteen Lang nodded again and again, feeling a little regretful, the so-called hometown timidity, to the bank of the Yellow River, the memory of the former Central Plains suddenly came to his heart, vividly. I can't wait to put my wings on my body and return home as soon as possible, but I am also a little afraid.

Just as he was about to fight his horse forward, Shisanlang suddenly asked: "Official, when you were in Xiangzhou before, why did you speak for Sun Lao'er and let him be exempted from distribution and only serve in this state?" That old man melted and cast bronze, and his sin was not small, wouldn't it be cheaper for him? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "He has the ability to cast bronze, and he may be able to use it in the future." ”

Thirteen Lang said: "Where is the coppersmith!" It's our hometown, and there are a few coppersmiths in the state city. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled: "Coppersmiths and coppersmiths are different. Ordinary coppersmiths only knock and beat, and do not know how to cast. Those who know how to cast tools can only make copper mirrors, and other utensils are not good. Sun Ran can cast hundreds of catties of bronze, which is not common. Even in the capital, most of those who have this craft are waiting for the edict to do things for the court. This time I returned to Beijing, if I didn't have to take up a foreign post for a while, and the imperial court agreed, I would like to try to cast a few large bronze cannons. Where will the edicts in the capital listen to my orders? To do this, perhaps such a person is needed. ”

Thirteen Lang said: "Now Tao Seventeen casts a lot of cannons in Xiangzhou, which are better than before, and the iron is cheaper, why cast bronze cannons?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The bigger the cannon, the more useful it is." Now there is too much iron residue to be used to cast cannons, so cannons have to be cast in copper. If you cast thousands of pounds of cannons, a few cannons can collapse the city wall, how can it be compared to the current iron cannons! ”

Thirteen Lang was so shocked that he stuck out his tongue: "The official said that it is terrifying, what can collapse the city wall in a few clicks!" With such sharp weapons, what is the use of the city! I have also heard people in the army say that the use of artillery is to knock out the defensive equipment of the city. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled: "If there is no basis for what you say, you naturally don't believe it." When will it be cast, let you see. ”

Shisanro just shook his head, no matter what, he couldn't imagine what a weapon that could collapse the city wall should look like.

At this moment, the entourage in front completed the formalities of crossing the pontoon bridge and came to report. Du Zhongxiao took Thirteen Lang to rush forward and prepare to cross the river.

When he arrived at the pontoon bridge, he was stopped by a city guard, pointed to an open box and said, "What is this?" They are all tortoiseshell animal bones, and there are words engraved on them, isn't it a thing like being tired of winning? After crossing the pontoon bridge near Gyeonggi, what do you bring? ”

Du Zhongxiao looked at the contents of the box and said, "This is collected from Xiangzhou, and it is indeed a tortoiseshell animal bone." In ancient times, the court had to do everything to divination, which is the record of the words. I received it by chance, and I will be useful when I return to Beijing. ”

Seeing that Du Zhongxiao brought a lot of things, he was not a high-ranking official, and he didn't get any benefits, so he felt uncomfortable. With a reason, he refused to let people go, and ordered to turn out all the contents of the box and wait for the official to check it.

Du Zhongxiao has been an official for several years, and he can see his thoughts at a glance, and sneered: "I am an official of the imperial court, and I am ordered to return to Beijing, how can I be entangled by your little head?" My box is placed here, and whoever dares to come up and check it will be played in the court. You can go and report to the person in charge here, and let him search for it. But you embarrass me, and when I cross the pontoon, I will find an opportunity to embarrass you. ”

Nadu squinted his eyes and said, "You are a big sesame official, and your tone is not small!" I've been guarding the bridge here for many years, who hasn't seen it? ”

Du Zhongxiao sneered: "You have seen a lot of nature, and every year you go to Khitan to hire officials, not to mention the officials who go to Hebei and Hedong Road." I read in the newspaper, the new Hebei Lutian sentence in the past two days will also cross the bridge, if you want to make it difficult, how many days will I wait on this side of the bridge? You don't look down on me as a retired intellectual, do you also have the courage to provoke the punishment? ”

Nadu was a little weak-hearted, looked at Du Zhongxiao and said, "Do you know the new Tian Tixing?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "When I was in the capital before, I had several encounters, and I could still talk about it. ”

I didn't believe it, I thought about it and thought about it, but I still didn't dare to bet on my future, and scolded and scolded in my mouth, so that Du Zhongxiao and his party went on the bridge. These civil officials in the court, what do they travel together, sing poems and harmonize, who knows how they got together? A little head, or don't take risks.

Tian Jing was sentenced by the Zhenrong army during the battle of Dingchuan Village a few years ago, although the battle was lost, Tian Jing and these people made meritorious contributions, and they were promoted to all the way to the prison in a few years. Du Zhongxiao didn't have any friendship with him, and the last time he returned to Beijing, he just went to a banquet together. When I happened to be in Xiangzhou, I read the newspaper of the imperial palace, and Tian Jing took over from Wang Yi to mention the Hebei Road Prison, which was temporarily used to scare this little capital.

Don't look at these officials who guard the bridge, they guard the important roads, they are used to receiving benefits, they have seen a lot of the world, geese have plucked their feathers, and they are uncomfortable without property in their hands. Du Zhongxiao is just a retired intellectual, these people don't pay much attention to it, they can make a little bit of money, Du Zhongxiao really can't do anything about them. Of course, they must not give it, and they can't help Du Zhongxiao.

The animal bones and tortoise shells in the box were specially collected by Du Zhongxiao in Xiangzhou. He knew how significant the oracle bone inscription was in history. Collect these things, return to Beijing this time, and prepare to give them to important officials of the court who like these things. The first purpose is to do what he likes, so that he can go smoothly when he enters the graduate school. Another one attracted the attention of the imperial court to protect this precious historical wealth thousands of years in advance.

At this time, there were quite a few people in the court who liked to study ancient characters, and Du Zhongxiao might be able to arouse their interest with a half-understanding in his memory. In this era, there are many studies of Zhong Dingwen, and no one has really studied the oracle bone inscription, which can be regarded as a loophole.

It is not difficult to say that it is difficult to test the academy, and it is not easy to say that it is simple. In addition to the requirement to make a basically qualified article, it is more important to be recognized by the chief minister. As long as it is in their eyes, the article is a little worse, and it can pass the test. When Empress Dowager Liu was in power, his relative Ma Jicai, even the essay was written by the examiner for him, and he also got a higher grade. Not to mention the current Hanlin bachelor Qian Mingyi, an outlier, just because of the support of Lu Yijian, from the system to the pavilion test, all the way unimpeded, and he has no talent to learn.

In the final analysis, Du Zhongxiao still has no confidence in his literary level, and tries to reduce the difficulty of passing. Entering the pavilion, this may be the last exam on Du Zhongxiao's career, as long as he passes, the future is immeasurable. Once it fails, it will seriously affect the future development, and it may lose the opportunity to enter Beijing as an official, and only be a magistrate for the rest of his life. In a sense, it is no less than the entrance examination, and it has to be taken seriously.

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