Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

After the boat passed the Golden Gorge, Shi Biao went to pay the tracker's wages.

Zhao Fengji looked at the distant mountains and said: "There are many historical sites in Yangzhou, and the younger generation also found the tomb of Mrs. Qi. Although the tombstone was broken, the inscription was vaguely identifiable, and it was undoubtedly Mrs. Qi. This is different from the records in "Historical Records", and the foreign There is no doubt that this side of the state is a cenotaph."

Zhu Guoxiang's expression was like water, and he only looked at the river in front of him. He actually wanted to ask, who is Mrs. Qi?

Influenced by his father Zhao Quan, Zhao Fengji knew a lot about water conservancy. He also liked to travel and visit various legendary and historic sites.

After talking about Mrs. Qi, we talked about Cai Lun, and then talked about Dajue Temple where Master Xuanzang became a monk.

Fortunately, he was not born in the Ming Dynasty, otherwise he would have walked around the Golden Gorge several times to study the location where Tang Monk's parents encountered water bandits.

After arriving in Yangzhou, Zhu Guoxiang went into the city to stay at the Zheng family, and Zhao Fengji actually followed him.

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "Aren't you going to return to Xingyuan Mansion to resume your life?"

Zhao Fengji said: "It's not an urgent matter, just go back before the exam. Duke Yuanzhang wants to go to Yuandang Valley, and I also want to go with him to visit Mr. Xiaoxiao's descendants."

This is a familiar person, Zhu Guoxiang no longer cares about him.

When he arrived at Zheng's house, he handed over his famous thorn.

Zheng Lan ordered the door to be opened and went out with his whole family on crutches, except for setting off firecrackers to celebrate.

"The grand visit of Duke Yuan Zhang really makes the humble house shine!" Zheng Lan bowed.

Zhu Guoxiang hurriedly helped him: "Others, you don't need to be polite."

Then he introduced Zhao Fengji and heard that he was the son of the Deputy Transport Envoy. Zheng Lan bowed again.

After staying at Zheng's house for a few days, there was an endless stream of visitors, and Zhu Guoxiang treated them all with courtesy.

No matter whether they were rich squires or poor scholars, they all praised him and thought that Duke Yuan Zhang had the demeanor of an ancient sage.

Zheng Lan was so proud of this spring breeze. The old man was stroking his beard and smiling all day long, as if he was ushering in the highlight moment of his life. Not to mention local wealthy people, even state officials came to visit him one after another and treated him with unprecedented affection and respect.

It’s worth marrying your granddaughter!

After the number of visitors subsided, Zhu Guoxiang finally set off, with Fatty Zheng leading someone as a guide.

Everyone took small boats and headed north along a tributary of the Han River.

Zheng Hong introduced: "Wenjiaping (Wentong Village) is just ten miles north of the city. It was originally a bamboo forest in a valley, and there were not many local people. Since the Wen family moved here, the population has gradually grown, and the place has been renamed Wenjiaping. "

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "Why doesn't the Wen family show off in Yangzhou?"

Zheng Hong said: "His family only has a few hundred acres of land. There is an Enyin officer and a Jinshi officer, but they are not in Yangzhou. They have separated and moved out many years ago. The Wen family who stayed in Yangzhou did not even have one Not even a single person can do it.”

Wen Tong is from Sichuan and Su Shi's cousin.

Although the author of "Golden

This man is very interesting. He has been an official for half his life and suddenly refuses to take office. He said that his family was too poor, the population was large, and it was too troublesome to move. He wanted to be an official somewhere close to home. To put it bluntly, he wanted to be the governor of Yangzhou again.

Because he likes the bamboo from Yangzhou very much.

After he got his wish, he moved his whole family to settle in Yangzhou, with a total of more than 40 people including servants. Even in the 21st century, descendants are still reproducing, and even the place name has become "Wentong Village". Unfortunately, the bamboo forest has disappeared.

It's only ten miles away, and the boat will arrive in a blink of an eye.

The entrance of Yuandang Valley can be seen in the distance. Yuandang bamboos are everywhere in the valley and mountains. The village was built outside the valley, and many crops were replanted, and the seedlings were lush and green.

The Wen family's house was only slightly more luxurious than that of Lao Bai's wife's house, and seemed a little too shabby for a descendant of a court official.

"Zhu Guoxiang of Xixiang, come here to visit!" Zhu Guoxiang handed over the famous assassination.

Not long after, an old couple and their families came out to greet them.

The old man is Wen Wuguang, the fourth son of Wen Tong, and the old woman is Su Zhe's eldest daughter, Su Shi.

Wen Wuguang was quite enthusiastic and said with a smile: "I have long admired Mr.'s name."

"Sorry to bother you." Zhu Guoxiang couldn't help but look at the old woman. After all, she was Su Che's daughter.

Zhu Guoxiang soon discovered that the Wen family was not prosperous.

This is because Wen Tong came here with his four sons and one daughter. After the couple died of illness, the eldest son and the second son moved away to work as officials. The third son moved back to his hometown in Sichuan. The daughter had already married elsewhere, and only the fourth son remained in Yangzhou.

Wen Wuguang first introduced his old wife and then said, "This is Quanzi Wenluan."

Zhu Guoxiang bowed and said, "I've met Brother Wen."

"I don't dare to call you brother, so I call you Mingfeng." Wen Luan returned the greeting.

Wen Wuguang said again: "This is my little girl Wen Xiaomei."

Zhu Guoxiang bowed again, and Miss Wen also said a long blessing.

Miss Wen is naturally tall and thin due to her nickname. She wears her hair in a married woman's bun, but lives in her parents' house. I'm afraid she is probably a widow, and there is a very small possibility that she is going home to visit relatives.

Zhu Guoxiang also introduced Zheng Hong and Zhao Fengji. After some pleasantries, he was invited into the house by Wen Wuguang.

The servants have gone to kill chickens and sheep, and the clerk has prepared some snacks and drinks.

"My family is poor, so I'm neglecting you." Mrs. Su said.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "The old lady is too polite."

Wen Wuguang pointed at the dried sweet potatoes and said with a smile: "This product is cheap and delicious. Speaking of which, it is still credited to Yuan Zhang."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I often eat it in Daming Village."

Wen Luan had a wife and a concubine. The concubine did not show up, and the main wife and Wen Xiaomei sat next to each other. Miss Wen said: "It's a pity that it's not the right time. If it were spring, I could treat you to some bamboo shoots."

As soon as these words came out, Zhao Fengji immediately recited a poem: "Bamboo cultivation in Hanchuan is as cheap as fluff, and a heavy ax has never forgiven a dragon. It is expected that the poor and greedy prefect has a thousand acres of Weibin in his chest."

"Hahahaha!" Everyone laughed immediately.

Fatty Zheng was left with a confused look on his face, not knowing what the people here were laughing at.

But it was the brothers Su Shi and Su Che who came to Yangzhou as guests, and Wen Tong treated them to bamboo shoots every day.

When Su Shi returned to Tokyo, he remembered eating bamboo shoots in Yuandang Valley, so he wrote this poem and sent it. It probably means that the bamboos in Hanzhong are as cheap as fluffy grass, and my cousin is not going to let them go. You are poor and greedy, and I am afraid you have eaten up a thousand acres of bamboo forest.

Wen Tong was eating bamboo shoots when he received this poem. He laughed so much that he sprayed the table full of rice, hence the term "spitting rice" was born.

"Be confident" also comes from Wen Tong, who is a master of bamboo painting.

Not only two allusions are left here, but also many poems are left behind. Wen Tong wrote thirty poems, and Su Shi wrote thirty poems. Both were mass-producers.

Zhu Guoxiang planned to make bamboo paper here because it was famous, and he could open up sales by relying on the name "Yundang Paper".

Even in the Qing Dynasty, countless literati traveled thousands of miles to visit Yuandang Valley. There was another idiot in the Qing Dynasty. After arriving in Wenjiaping, he found that there was no bamboo here. He insisted that he had found the wrong place and wandered around Yangzhou for more than two years.

After everyone chatted for a while, Zhu Guoxiang got down to business: "The government gave me some acres of land, but did not specify a place. There are many bamboos here, and I want to build a paper mill to make bamboo paper. Yuandang Valley is the favorite of Mr. Xiaoxiao, so naturally If we can’t take it away, where is the large bamboo forest near the river?”

Wen Wuguang pointed sideways: "A few miles to the northwest, there are many bamboo trees in the valley, and they are all Yuandang bamboos."

Yuandang bamboo is a pink single bamboo. Mature plants are 5 to 10 meters high, and the tallest ones can even reach 18 meters.

Miss Wen said: "Bamboo paper is brittle and easy to break, and it is not good for writing. Why don't you make leather paper?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I got the bamboo paper making technology in Tokyo. Although there are many flaws, it can be improved slowly. Two hundred years ago, leather paper was unusable, but now it has become popular all over the world. There are many bamboos in the south. If bamboo paper can be improved, It will definitely bring down the price of paper, and thousands of scholars will benefit from it."

Of course it is all nonsense to benefit thousands of scholars.

In addition to building a second base and making money on the way, Zhu Guoxiang also wants to lower the price of paper so that he can wipe his butt with paper every day.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, there were two kinds of paper that were very cheap, one was fire paper and the other was bamboo paper.

But these two kinds of paper are too brittle and can be broken if you don't pay attention. They must continue to improve.

But Miss Wen was interested: "Sir, are you sure?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "But I can't compare to Mr. Xiaoxiao. I don't have a plan in mind, so I can only try to do it."

"Little sister, here's a toast to you sir. I wish you success in making paper." Little sister Wen raised her glass.

Zhu Guoxiang also raised his wine cup: "I'd like to lend my sister some good words."

Wen Xiaomei added: "My little sister has read Mr.'s agricultural books and arithmetic scriptures. I still have some questions about arithmetic and want to ask for advice."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "It's not appropriate to ask for advice, just discuss it together."

Wen Xiaomei actually asked about mathematics, but no one else could interrupt. Only Zhao Fengji could join in the fun.

After lunch, we went to visit Yuandang Valley. Zhu Guoxiang had close friendship with Su Shi, Su Che and Wen Tong across time and space.

In the bamboo forest of that valley, the wild stove that Su Shi and Wen Tong built is still there. Although it was destroyed countless times by the sun and rain, the Wen family always rebuilt it and came to the valley to eat bamboo shoots when they were growing.

He stayed at Wen's house that night and went to the northwest to inspect the location the next day.

When setting out in the early morning, Miss Wen brought over a painting: "This is my humble work. Please correct me."

"I don't dare to take it seriously." Zhu Guoxiang's calligraphy is relatively weak, but his painting is a complete layman's.

Unfolding the drawing paper, it is a bamboo. Just by the posture of the bamboo, you can see the strong wind.

Wen Tong was the best in the world in painting bamboo. His daughter and grandson are both masters of bamboo painting. Unexpectedly, there is also a granddaughter who is good at bamboo painting.

Zhu Guoxiang commented: "There is no wind in the painting, but it seems that there is a strong wind howling. The old painting of the dog with a head fits the scene."

Wen Xiaomei asked with a smile: "But that song "Bamboo and Stone"?"

"Of course." Zhu Guoxiang complained a little to his son. It would be great if he didn't copy that poem. Now he can copy it to show off.

Facing a beautiful and talented woman, Dean Zhu suddenly wanted to show off.

Lao Sepi's spirit broke out again.

When I was a leader, I had too many concerns, but now there is no one to restrain me. Dean Zhu is becoming more and more wild.

Wen Xiaomei seemed to be interested in Zhu Guoxiang, and she even took the initiative to follow her brother and accompany him to select a location for the paper-making workshop. Along the way, I asked for advice on mathematics from time to time, and my attention was entirely on Dean Zhu.

If this continues, when father and son meet again, Ju Ming will probably have another baby mother.