Playing intrigue is worse than engaging in infrastructure

Emperor Hongde's guard of honor will return to Beijing from Tonghua Gate tomorrow.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites sent people to clean up the streets several days in advance, and sprinkled water on the roads to prevent the horseshoes from stepping on and raising dust and staining the emperor's eyes.The peddlers carrying poles on the street were also driven away.The imperial guards lined up in the city early, waiting for the emperor's guard of honor to pass by.

In an alley not far from where the imperial guards were stationed, there lived Mrs. Zheng's family.Madam Zheng was originally a Taoist in Guannei. When she was seven or eight years old, both her parents died in the war, so she fled to Huijing with her neighbors.

People like them who were forced to leave their homes and fled to other places were considered refugees. Because there was no way to guide them, they couldn't enter the city. Mrs. Zheng and the others could only sleep in the ruined temple wasteland in the outskirts along the way.Sometimes a single downpour can kill many people.

Fortunately, they finally met a caring official in Huijing who organized them to reclaim wasteland.

After a sufficient number of years, the fields they planted can be owned by themselves.

When Zheng Niangzi was 16 years old, she married Liu Sanlang who fled with her.Saburo works neatly, and Mrs. Zheng is also a diligent person with a clever mind. Every day, she finds some spinning and weaving to make a living to supplement some household expenses.

After all these years, although they are not considered well-to-do, they still have a prosperous life.

It's just that the sky didn't fulfill people's wishes, and Liu Sanlang, who was always strong and strong, just caught a cold and passed away.Mrs. Zheng and her two young children were left behind, living a difficult life as an orphan and widow.

Madam Zheng looked at the two children in the room who were getting thinner day by day, and almost went blind from crying.

After the neighbors knew about the difficult life of Mrs. Zheng's family, they often kindly sent some food and persuaded Mrs. Zheng to remarry.

Whenever encountering such a situation, Mrs. Zheng would remain silent.But the next day, he still went out to find a living, spinning thread day and night to earn food for the children and rent for the house.

Seeing her like this, the neighbors stopped persuading her.But if he encounters any suitable job, he will follow her first.

"Madam Zheng, are you at home?" The sister-in-law of Zhao's family walked into the courtyard quickly and knocked on the door of Madam Zheng's room.

"Yes. What's the matter, auntie?" Mrs. Zheng opened the door for Zhao's sister-in-law from the inside, still holding a spinning spindle in her hand.

"I heard people say that the monks at Daxiangguo Temple will give out porridge and food tomorrow. Take your two children there tomorrow." The sister-in-law of the Zhao family had a happy look on her brows, and said: "It must be early. If you go late, I'm afraid it will be gone!"

After hearing this, Mrs. Zheng was also very happy, and thanked Mrs. Zhao's sister-in-law again and again.

If the Zhao family sister-in-law hadn't told her, she really wouldn't have known about such a good thing.

It's hard to find a living these past few days, and the food tank at home is almost bottoming out.If they could get some food, it would really solve the family's urgent need.

Zhao's sister-in-law waved her hand, "You don't need to thank me, it's really not easy for you to bring two children to live."

She glanced at the two children with thin arms and thin legs on the couch, sighed, and didn't say any more words to persuade Mrs. Zheng to remarry.

After Mrs. Zheng sent off Zhao's sister-in-law, she touched the heads of the two children with some joy, "Tomorrow, I will go to Daxiangguo Temple with my mother. There are eminent monks in the temple to give porridge!"

"Really? You can eat porridge!" The two children raised their heads and looked at Madam Zheng in surprise.

"Yes, but you must get up early and go on your way. Can you two do it?"

"Yes." "We can do it." Both children nodded emphatically.

Early the next morning, Mrs. Zheng took her two children to Daxiangguo Temple.

The gruel shed has just been set up, and several young monks are busy preparing for it.

Madam Zheng asked the people next to her to look after the two children, then she walked up to her and asked aloud, "Do any mages need my concubine's help?"

Several young novice monks looked up, and the person in front of them was wearing some old white clothes with a few patches on them.Although simple, but clean, people feel good.

The head novice quickly took a step forward, clasped his hands together, "Thank you for your kindness, madam, we brothers and sisters can still be busy."

Madam Zheng nodded, saluted, and was about to turn around and leave when she heard someone behind her calling her.

She looked at the people coming, and saw an old monk with a kind face and a smile on his face, "Although there is no place in the gruel shed that needs the help of a lady, I have a job that requires a lady. I wonder if the lady is willing? Two children Just eat and live with the monks in the monastery."

After hearing this, Mrs. Zheng saw that the little novice behind her was silent, and guessed that the old monk in front of her should be the steward of Xiangguo Temple.

She showed hesitation on her face, "It's not that I don't know how to praise, but I'm a widow with an unlucky background, and working in Xiangguo Temple, I'm afraid it's disrespecting the Buddha and violating the taboo in the temple."

"Amitabha Buddha." Hearing this, the old monk shook his head and said, "The Buddha said that all living beings are equal, so why did he say that ominously. "

Madam Zheng was still hesitant, and it was too risky to follow the monk in front of her rashly, but her life was really unsustainable, and she couldn't just watch her two children starve to death.

Finally, Madam Zheng gritted her teeth and complied.The two children were taken into Xiangguo Temple by the novice behind them.

"The old monk's Dharma name is "Nianci", and he is the abbot of this Xiangguo Temple. "On the way, Mrs. Zheng heard the old monk beside her say so.

"You are Master Nianci!" Madam Zheng's voice was raised in shock.

She has long heard that Master Nianci of Xiangguo Temple is a real eminent monk.But I didn't expect that the poorly dressed old monk in front of me turned out to be Master Nianci, who is well-known in Huijing.

Master Nianci smiled without saying a word, and led her into an inconspicuous courtyard.

I saw several piles of bark piled up in the yard, and many things she had never seen before.

"This is?" Mrs. Zheng was a little puzzled.

A young monk came out of the room and explained to her with a smile: "Master Nianci plans to set up a paper-making workshop here. The lady will learn from us when the time comes, and she will go to work when she learns. The lady eats and sleeps here. , the wages are paid one hundred Wen per month."

One hundred Wen is enough for their family, not to mention that she and her two children live in the temple.

Madam Zheng was very grateful, "Master, don't worry, I will definitely work hard."

She knew that the paper-making workshop took good care of her skills, so she hurriedly added: "I must keep my mouth shut, and I will not reveal the skills I have learned."

Hearing this, the little novice said with a smile: "We don't need the lady to abide by those rules here. If the lady learns well, she can open a paper-making workshop by herself in the future."

"This..." Mrs. Zheng froze in place, she never thought that the paper workshop of Xiangguo Temple would have such an idea.

If everyone learns this method of papermaking, wouldn't the papermaking workshop of Xiangguo Temple not be able to make money?

"Didn't we pass on the paper-making method, so we won't be able to make paper?" Seeing her surprised face, the little monk said loudly, "Besides, if everyone knows how to make paper, don't we worry about people not being able to use paper?" ?”

"The tung oil paper that was used to paste the windows that appeared in the East Market a few days ago can be used by everyone. At that time, every household will install tung oil paper windows, and the house will be bright. I don't know how good it will be!"

Madam Zheng's heart was pounding.She glanced at Master Nianci next to him, saw him smiling, and nodded excitedly to accept the job.

At the same time, Song Qingyuan, who secretly planned this incident, also returned to Huijing.

As soon as he returned to the palace, Jiang Duo hurriedly carried the little lion to Song Qingyuan.

"Your Highness, this little bastard has been making noise all the time. There is really nothing I can do about it."

Song Qingyuan took the little lion that Jiang Duo handed over, and held it in his arms.

But in a few days, this little thing gained a lot of weight.When Song Qingyuan lifted the back of his neck, he already felt a bit of difficulty.

As soon as the little lion came into Song Qingyuan's arms, he wrinkled his nose and sniffed a few times, then leaned against him safely.It looks like the years are quiet and harmless to humans and animals.

Jiang Duo looked at it with some surprise, "Hey, this little thing! When he was with me, he barked his teeth and claws. Why is he so cute when he is next to His Highness?"

This is also really strange.Obviously it was Jiang Duo who was taking care of the little lion's daily life, and it was especially clinging to Song Qingyuan.Every day when I wake up, if I can't see anyone, I will make a fuss.

Song Qingyuan smiled helplessly, got up and took out the Buddhist altar that had become a toolbox from the bookcase.

"Have you found the carpenter you were looking for?"

"I was waiting at the mansion yesterday." Jiang Duo nodded, "Do you want me to call him over here?"

Song Qingyuan thought for a while, and ordered: "Let him go to the flower hall."

The flower hall Song Qingyuan mentioned was the place he went to when measuring the altitude of the sun at noon.From this point of view, it is obvious that there is a tendency to become a craft room.

Jiang Duo complied, consciously helped His Highness pick up the toolbox, touched the soft wood grain, and couldn't help feeling a pain in his heart.

This is a rosewood altar!How can it be used to hold a bunch of wooden rulers, twine, and dirty-looking charcoal pencils?

Song Qingyuan couldn't hear the cry in Jiang Duo's heart, he rubbed two handfuls of the little lion's belly in a good mood, got up and walked to the flower hall.

When we arrived at the flower hall, the carpenter was already standing in the yard. Seeing him approaching, he hurriedly bowed to salute.

Song Qingyuan waved his hand, signaled him to get up, handed him a blueprint, and said gently, "Maybe you understand?"

The carpenter took the drawings.Song Qingyuan saw him scratching his head and scratching his head for a long time, and was about to explain his background when he heard the carpenter's hesitant voice.

"This pattern is quite novel, and the villain has never seen it before. However," the carpenter paused, and said with some hesitation, "it is very simple. The villain seems to understand that what His Highness is going to do is a wavy wooden pattern." pier?"

Song Qingyuan nodded approvingly.

What he wants to do is a cat scratching post for every family with cats in future generations!

In the past few days, he discovered that the little lion has learned the basic survival skill of sharpening its claws without a teacher.It was okay in the hunting ground, at least there were tree trunks for it to toss about.

But in the tent, the furniture and bed curtains were often attacked by it.

For this matter, Jiang Duo often covered his heart, feeling sorry for Yinzi.

Song Qingyuan thought, make a cat scratching board for this little wrecking king.Otherwise, no matter how rich his assets are, he might not be able to withstand such destruction.

If the cat scratching board is made one day late, there will be one more piece of innocent and injured furniture in the palace.So as soon as he returned to the mansion, Song Qingyuan called the carpenter and discussed how to make the cat's claw board in this way.

"The king of wood has already prepared it for you, are you sure you can do it well?"

Hearing this, the carpenter scratched his head and thought for a while, "It is possible, but the arc on the wooden pier is a bit difficult to make. It may take some work."

Song Qingyuan nodded to express his understanding, and asked Jiang Duo to hand over his toolbox.

There are many small tools he has figured out, which are commonly used by woodworkers in later generations. I think it can save him a lot of effort and improve a lot of efficiency.

The author says:

I don't know if everyone can empathize with Song Qingyuan's troubles...

The author glanced at the dilapidated curtains in his home, and sighed sadly: (By the way, do you prefer more emotional lines or more career lines?