Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

The official fields of Huangzhuang around the large sacrificial altar in the eastern suburbs are now full of life.

In addition to shepherd's purse, which takes three months to grow, other vegetables such as rapeseed, lettuce, amaranth, green garlic, etc. have been planted on a large scale during these two months, and after several large-scale fertilization and irrigation, they have become truly popular. fertile soil.

Now that the busy farming season has passed, although there are still some things to do, it is enough for the people to finish work at noon.

There were not many entertainment projects in the countryside at this time.

After eating and drinking, the men would sit on the edge of the fields and play Ma Diao (Ma Diao is a card game that became popular in the Ming Dynasty and originated from leaf cards in the Song Dynasty) or chat.

The women gathered at the pond in front of their home to wash clothes, put away shoe soles, and chat about the affairs of the East and West.

The children were playing and chasing each other in the courtyard surrounded by earthen walls, and from time to time they heard laughter as clear as silver bells.

"father!"

When a tenant who was also renting official land came back from outside, his children immediately gathered around him and asked in all directions: "Dad, why did you just come back from the town now? My sister thought you were there again. We went to town to make money! My sister said you were going to lose us!"

The child's mother also joined in and said, "That's right, head of the house, I haven't seen you back for a long time. You haven't forgotten our daughter, have you?"

After she finished speaking, the children burst out laughing.

The child's father's face turned red after being teased by everyone.

Then he glared at the children: "What are you talking about? When did I play with money again? When did I abandon you? If you continue to make up nonsense, don't blame me for being rude to you!"

When the children saw this, they quickly shut up and did not dare to continue teasing.

"Master, I heard Aunt Li from the south end of the village say that a lot of big ships came to the dock today! Everyone is spreading the word that they are official missionaries sent overseas by the emperor and have brought back materials for making fertilizer elixirs. ! From now on, everyone will be able to use the elixir of chemical fertilizer!"

The child's father then looked at his wife again: "Daughter-in-law, what did you just say? Didn't I misunderstand you?"

The child's mother rolled her eyes at her husband: "You are really deaf. It was me who was telling you just now that the ship sent by the emperor to find the elixir materials has returned!"

The child's father scratched his head and said honestly: "My child, what are you talking about? The fertilizer elixir can be obtained by ordinary people like us? Now only the Imperial Village can use it. The two ingredients for refining the fertilizer elixir. A Taoist master, I heard that he destroyed several furnaces!"

"Huh! I'm too lazy to pay attention to you! Believe it or not!" After the child's mother threw the washed clothes into the basin, she turned around and walked into the house to change clothes.

The children laughed and followed one after another, leaving the father standing alone, with only the eldest daughter still squatting beside him.

The child's father looked at his wife's leaving figure, shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "Oh, they all marry chickens and dogs and they marry dogs and they follow dogs. What can I do if I marry such a bad-tempered woman?"

"Who made you two have such a good relationship!"

The eldest daughter said with a smile.

The child's father was still doubtful and asked his eldest daughter for confirmation: "Aunt Li really said that? There is a ship coming back from overseas? Will everyone be able to use the elixir in the future?"

"That's true!" The eldest daughter nodded seriously, "Brother Li is working at the dock. There are rows of big boats. The river is covered. The one who leads the team must be called Sanbao. Eunuch!"

He really doesn't care about the eunuch's child's father, but if this is true, it would be great if everyone can use the elixir in the future!

The child's father made calculations in his mind.

Nowadays, the land in the official fields of Huangzhuang is very valuable, and there are often patrols by cavalry to prevent anyone from stealing the soil that has been treated with chemical fertilizers and elixirs.

Moreover, no one has doubted the effect of chemical fertilizer elixir. As long as it is used, at least the yield per mu of crops can be doubled or more.

If the elixir of chemical fertilizers can be popularized, then the family can work harder, tighten their belts and save money for two or three years.

That way, there would be no need to rent land from the government.

Even if your family can't buy good paddy fields, just ordinary dry fields, it still belongs to you!

Thinking of this, the child's father's eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of simple hope.

"Master, what are you thinking about? It's your birthday today."

Just when the man was lost in thought, his mother-in-law came out of the back room with a bowl of noodles and a group of followers like an old hen.

"Happy birthday, Dad!"

"Dad! I made this with my own hands!"

The children yelled at him one after another, while his mother-in-law put the bowl in his hand and urged him to eat it while it was hot, otherwise the noodles would become lumpy.

The man chuckled twice, picked up the chopsticks and put them into his mouth.

He swallowed it quickly, and his eyes suddenly narrowed into slits: "Yeah! It's so hot! Slow down! Slow down."

The children looked at his funny look of sticking out his tongue while eating, and couldn't help laughing.

After eating the noodles, the man loosened his belt and said to his wife.

"I want to pay homage to the statue of the Fertilizer Immortal."

"It's time to go, it's time to go, go and say goodbye quickly, and let the Fertilizer Immortal bless our family to have a smooth New Year this year."

"Then you stay at home with the children."

After the man gave the instructions, he carefully carried a few sticks of incense and went to the big sacrificial altar.

"Daddy, I'm waiting for you at home!"

"Daddy! Slow down!"

The children shouted blessings and waved their arms to cheer him on.

The man smiled and nodded, then walked towards the big altar.

At this time, it is the remaining power of the autumn tiger, and the sun is hanging high above the head.

The child's father was walking forward carrying a small bamboo basket filled with incense. Sweat flowed directly down his temples and slid across his dark cheeks. However, he was completely unaware and still moved forward firmly step by step.

The big sacrificial altar is not far away. At this time, everyone has been allowed to come to worship at the periphery of the big sacrificial altar.

However, ordinary people are still not allowed to enter the place used for imperial sacrifices.

A sapphire statue stands on the large altar.

The statue of the immortal is dressed in a feathered Taoist robe, holding a fly whisk in his hand, with clear eyebrows and elegant temperament.

The man knelt on the already damaged futon. After kowtowing three times, he chanted devoutly: "I respectfully ask the Fertilizer Immortal to protect us. We are willing to offer incense to you."

After the man said this, he took out three sticks of incense from the bamboo basket.

"Fertilizer Immortal, this is my sacrifice. Please don't take it too little and just keep it. In addition, if you are free on the land rented by my family, I hope you can take more care of it. After all, crops are only seeds. Watering, pest control, and plowing all cost money and effort. With your help, we can save a lot of things."

He placed three incense sticks on the table and lit them. Then he kowtowed respectfully at the statue of the Fertilizer Immortal. Then he stood up, but bumped into the person behind him.

"oops!"

The man looked back and saw a dark and skinny little girl with two braids staring at him nervously.

The man took two steps back and asked with a naive smile.

"Little girl, are you here to offer incense too?"

The little girl hesitated for a moment and nodded.

The man just asked casually, then picked up the bamboo basket and planned to go home. His wife and children were still waiting for him.

The man took a few steps, but was stopped by the little girl.

"Uncle, do you know the name of the immortal?"

The man scratched his head, which stopped him.

"The Fertilizer Immortal, everyone calls him that, but I really don't know what the Immortal's name is."

"Okay, thank you!"

A very polite little girl who knows etiquette, unlike the silly older girl in his family. The man thought to himself.

Looking at the back of this strange uncle who was walking away, and looking at the familiar statue on the altar, Jiang Xuan fell into deep doubts about life.

"Why, I think this statue looks like my brother?"

"It's not right or unreasonable. Maybe it's a coincidence. My brother is still in prison. How could the Fertilizer Immortal be him?"

Jiang Xuan stamped her feet: "But these facial features are obviously exactly the same as my brother's!"

This means that the last time Jiang Xuan went to visit Jiang Xinghuo in prison, she only talked about the Ming Dynasty's national debt and the fertilizer workshop, but did not mention the Fertilizer Immortal at all.

Therefore, Jiang Xinghuo had no idea that this title made him feel extremely social.

Chemical, fertile, immortal, human!

What a shame this is, how embarrassing it is!

Why are you humiliating me like this?

Why not just call him "Jin Ke La Immortal"!

Or if you want to be more fashionable, it's not impossible to call him "Stanley".

It will be easier to translate when selling to the West in the future. Our Ming Emperor Judy sent someone to bring a magical thing called Stanley. Why don't you quickly take out the valuable things and trade them?

Jiang Xuan's little head has not yet reached a conclusion.

suddenly--

The soldiers responsible for guarding the large altar began to drive people away.

"Avoid! Avoid!"

"There are noble people out on patrol. The idle people are waiting to get away quickly."

"Little girl, go quickly and don't get yourself into trouble."

The crowd retreated outside under the warning and expulsion of the soldiers.

Jiang Xuan raised her head and glanced at the immortal statue standing outside the large altar.

The immortal still looked familiar.

But for some reason, Jiang Xuan always felt a strange sense of uneasiness.

Without any time to think, the alert Jiang Xuan retreated, followed by villagers from several nearby villages and some people from Nanjing who came to visit.

The sound of horse hooves could be heard on the official road in the distance.

A group of gorgeous carriages came from the official road. Jiang Xuan secretly raised her eyes to look at the carriages among them.

The carriage was pulled by several horses, was made of luxurious materials, and was decorated with red paint.

On both sides of the carriage were sixteen guards wearing armor, riding horses and carrying swords.

Each guard has a calm aura and superb riding skills.

The guards on both sides of these carriages held ceremonial flags such as square flags, cyan and white flags, crimson flags, halberd cloaks, Ge cloaks, and ceremonial cloaks.

The guards further behind are holding ceremonial weapons such as ban swords, wuzhangs, standing melons, lying melons, ceremonial knives, stirrups, bone buds, and axes.

"Is this... a royal guard of honor?"

Jiang Xuan exclaimed in a low voice.

Although she had only lived in Nanjing for a few months, she had already engraved in her mind the power of these top figures in the Ming Empire.

Jiang Xuan saw with her own eyes on the streets of Nanjing how a lame beggar who could not escape was trampled to death by the horse hooves of the noble guard, and a big hole appeared in his chest.

Now is not an auspicious day for offering sacrifices. How could Jiang Xuan not be surprised when a royal figure came in person?

"Little sister, be careful what you say!"

The woman next to her quickly grabbed Jiang Xuan's arm and reminded her, "Your accent sounds like you are from the countryside? Don't you understand that royal affairs are not something we ordinary people can discuss?"

There were also some people around who heard the sound and listened attentively, with different expressions.

Apparently he was quite taboo about this and didn't even dare to say anything.

"oh."

Jiang Xuan nodded, but couldn't help but be curious.

She knew very well that she was from a humble background and was by no means a member of the powerful class, so she could not understand the thoughts of the royal family at all.

But she was still curious.

Which prince or princess will come to pay homage?

It’s so grand!

The thought just crossed my mind.

Jiang Xuan was frightened again.

Because she discovered that behind this team of royal guards, there were several Jin Yiwei wearing bright and eye-catching flying fish uniforms, riding tall and mighty horses at high speed on the official road.

Their goal seems to be

This carriage? !

"——Xu!"

Ji Gang slowed down, and the guard generals around the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi also turned around and rode their horses to negotiate with him.

The two talked for a while, and Ji Gang, who was holding the imperial edict, took off his Xiuchun knife and handed it to the guard general, and then came to Zhu Gaochi's carriage.

"Commander Ji?"

Zhu Gaochi opened the curtain of the carriage and looked at Ji Gang with some doubts.

"His Royal Highness, this is your Majesty's urgent decree!"

Zhu Gaochi took it.

Zhu Gaochi is busy today. He has just finished inspecting the output of the fertilizer workshop on behalf of the emperor, and now he is coming to Huangzhuang in the east suburbs to inspect the growth of crops.

Logically speaking, my father shouldn't be looking for him today.

Because he is working for his father.

But now that his father is looking for him, Zhu Gaochi knows that it is very likely that Mr. Jiang said something again when he thinks about today's day.

When Zhu Gaochi saw the imperial edict, he was a little hesitant. He only said: "I understand what my father means. I will go back later. Commander Ji will go back first."

Ji Gang nodded and rode away with several royal guards.

"Boss, why is the order so hasty? Can you tell me something after delivering the order?" Qianhu, a confidant next to him on the road asked.

Ji Gang turned around and glared at him on his horse.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask!"

Several confidants suddenly became solemn, but Ji Gang smiled instead.

"Today my little girl is one month old, you all come to my house to drink at night."

Several Jinyi guards burst into laughter. Ji Gang's family was not happy in his early years, but now he has no feelings about marrying a wife and taking concubines. Instead, he went to Jiangnan with the emperor, and the little girl he picked up recognized as his own daughter and doted on her very much.

Although I don't know if it was the emperor's intention, Ji Gang's manner and affection were really not fake.

The royal guards laughed and left, but Zhu Gaochi's fat face in the carriage was filled with dark clouds.

Xie Jin, who was riding in the same car as Zhu Gaochi, asked cautiously: "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Zhu Gaochi didn't say anything, he just threw the imperial edict in his hand to Xie Jin.

This is a very unusual behavior, indicating that Zhu Gaochi is in such a bad mood that he does not want to follow etiquette.

Jie Jin was startled, picked up the imperial edict, and browsed through it at a glance.

"Tax Guards, are you planning to let His Highness the Second Prince out of prison for training? First, observe the effectiveness of the literacy class in the prison?"

"How is this possible?"

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"