Zhui Xu

On the eighth day of December, the sky on the Chengdu Plain was gloomy.

In front of the field of vision, the extended official road passes through the lead gray field. In a village on the side of the road, villagers in the slack season are crossing the country road in groups to go to the nearby school sheds for classes, or It is to practice the queue on the threshing flat.

Near the end of the field of vision, more than a dozen large vehicles are being repaired near the hillside next to the road. Someone knocked on the broken wheel. Ning Yi stood on the hillside, stretched his body, and watched the scene in the distant village for a while. Frowning and silent.

For him, it was indeed a wonderful feeling.

"This matter can be accomplished in the end, and the Huaxia Army can discuss merits with the Three Emperors and Five Emperors." Next to it, a Taoist priest with a horse face was walking over with a few newspapers, looking at Ning Yi's gaze, and said: "Mr. For emotion."

Although he has always considered himself easy-going, his fate has been ill-fated for more than ten years. When he was in the secret investigation department, he became the public enemy of the green forest people. top priority. Being able to easily approach Ning Yi and speak casually in such a camp is enough to prove that the horse-faced Taoist priest has a high status in the Huaxia Army. This is the veteran of the Huaxia Army Gewu Research Institute, Gongsun Sheng.

After the destruction of Liangshan that year, some of the people above were beaten up and surrendered. Gongsun Sheng is a Taoist priest who is not too indifferent. At first, he was half-threatening and half-soliciting, asking him to pass on the gunpowder technology on hand to a group of apprentices. Later, the cooperation between the two parties was not bad. Ning Yi has always treated the technicians generously. This kind of whimsy and design of objects also made Gongsun Sheng very happy when he saw Liexin, so he completely joined the team.

He had been in the society as a demon back then, he had a flexible mind, he could comprehend many ideas by analogy, he understood the spirit and practiced martial arts for many years, his body was excellent, he was 99-6 all the year round, and he was still energetic and radiant. He has always been the best tool man in the Huaxia Army. For this kind of good employee, Ning Yi has always been holding it like a father. Seeing that the newspaper he is holding at this time is mostly news about land reform, it is obvious that the old man in front of him is also thinking about this. Earth-shaking innovation is exhilarating, which is quite rare.

The land reform began at the end of October of this year, accompanied by uproarious voices. As for the first ten days of December, the first batch of farmers who had completed the lectures and passed the "examination" had been successfully assigned to the fields. Due to the different situations of wrangling in different places, there are not many such people at present, but the whole thing has been published in the newspapers, and it has been passed on from word to mouth.

"Mr. Gongsun also said that it must be successful in the end. In fact, in ancient times, relying on power to divide land, as long as anyone wants to do it, anyone can do it. Even Liangshan back then, for the sake of heaven, forced people to divide the land. No one dared to say a few words on the neck. But the problem is that after the land is divided, the means of production in the hands of people still have to be land, not violence." Ning Yi smiled complicatedly, "We are now Rely on violence to divide the land, and then we have to worry about real problems."

Gongsun Sheng has not been very interested in politics these years, and what he expressed just now was simple joy. At this time, he frowned slightly in thought. Ning Yi twisted his body with his hands on his hips: "Actually, I'm not just feeling that I'm thinking about a carriage."

"ah?"

"The carriage is not good enough, I'm about to fall apart." Ning Yi, who has been traveling around outside since the land reform, sighed and pointed forward, "In the future, the land will be collected, with Chengdu as the center. , The rail carriages are built along the official roads, and a big circle is drawn, which is the third ring road of Chengdu. The first batch of villages that have carried out land reform can be the first to get rich, and this is one of the serious things to do.”

He paused: "But for the rail carriage, the wooden rails are very weary. If it is not a place where commercial traffic is particularly dense, it may not be cost-effective to maintain, and it depends on the plain terrain. It will not be widely practical in the future. At present, only It can be regarded as a large-scale experiment of railcars. I mean, Mr. Gongsun, the manufacture of the prototype of the steam engine at Gewuyuan is the key point. The replacement of livestock by artificial power sources will really become the beginning of a new era in the future. The kind that can be compared to the three emperors and five emperors' merits. I have a lot of things here recently, and I don't go to Gewuyuan so often. You have to help me watch more, don't be like Lin Jingwei and let those people blow you up. "

Based on the boss's instinct, he gave Gongsun Sheng some chicken blood.

Gongsun Sheng nodded in agreement.

"On the other hand, shellac is a problem. This thing will be widely used in the future, not only on wires, but also on the shock absorption of carriages. The spring washers made in the past are one aspect. Next, if You can use something elastic like lac, and put a circle under the wheel. We call it a tire. The bump of the carriage is small, and the wear of the upper frame is less. No matter whether it is carrying people or goods, it can run smoothly. Faster. But the current output of this thing is too small, to increase, the Institute of Geology and the School of Chemistry must also pay special attention to talents in this area.”

The winter was gloomy, and the sky in the distance seemed to be raining, so Ning Yi talked about these things with Gongsun Sheng. Over the years, Gewuyuan has been regarded as an institution managed by Ning Yi as a whole. Under Ning Yi, only a few people such as Lin Jingwei and Gongsun Sheng can manage the overall situation. Now that Lin Jingwei is injured and recuperating, Ning Yi also has more things to do. When the time is approaching, he can only give a rough account of his plans for the future and others.

Of course, there are also some things that he can't say.

The prerequisite for the land reform to replace the local sages is that the central government has the ability to manage the local area, and the prerequisite for this management ability is the high-speed transmission of information. The high speed of information transmission requires the telegraph, and the telegraph needs electricity, and the development of electricity requires an insulating sheath, and the insulating sheath needs rubber.

Rubber is something that was introduced to Asia after the Age of Discovery. At present, there is probably no such thing in the entire Eurasian continent.

In principle, the manufacture of electricity is very simple. However, for rubber substitutes, Ning Yi searched for a long time and only found lac. At present, it is regarded as a kind of dye, and some are used as traditional Chinese medicine, but in general, the output is scarce.

Using worms to absorb resin and then secrete lac compared to the amount of rubber used in the entire industrial revolution level, driven by capital demand in the future, lac worms may become economic insects of the same weight as silkworms, including The entire south and even the whole of Southeast Asia, including Dali, may become colonies producing lac.

Thinking about the scene where lac insects will be everywhere in the future, Ning Yi feels that this future is a little scary.

If you fully support Junwu in the southeast to promote the great navigation technology, I don’t know if it is possible to complete the great voyage in the next 30 to 50 years and retrieve the rubber tree from South America

Of course, this kind of imagination is too advanced, and it only belongs to Ning Yi's personal happiness. While stretching his body, he chatted with Gongsun Sheng about the future. At a certain moment, a galloping horse suddenly crossed the official road with a small number of merchants, and came towards the convoy camp here.

It's urgent information from the secretariat.

When Ning Yi is away, this kind of information that needs to be sent separately is naturally important, but it is not a secret right now. After a while, in Ning Yi's laugh, the information was passed to Gongsun Sheng, and then to others. Some of the people who followed this day knew about the major events that happened in Bianliang not long ago.

"Zou Xu misunderstood me." Ning Yi smiled, "The slowness of the action caused me to pay Liu Guangshi two more goods, and now it belongs to this guy."

Gongsun Sheng, who was about to leave, leaned over again with a frown: "The current situation in the world has changed drastically, and I am afraid that there will be chaos in Chengdu in the future. Should Mr. Ning go back and sit in town?"

Ever since Ning Yi ran out from Chengdu and went on tour, similar advice has been repeated many times in the team, and Gongsun Sheng is repeating the story. In fact, he spent his early years in the rivers and lakes. At this time, when he talked about "the great changes in the world", there was still a feeling of "monster way" pointing the country between his brows. Ning Yi looked bright and laughed dumbly. Say this idea.

"There is no big change in the world. A few small things." He said, "Let's just do our own thing."

The clouds in the sky are still flowing, the field is gray, and in the villages in the distance, the lessons about land division are still going on. After a while, the team was repaired. When Ning Yi boarded the carriage and announced the departure, Hongti also came over. She also understood what happened in Bianliang far away, and smiled at this time: "They said you don't want to go back."

"Elopement should look like elopement." Ning Yi dragged her hand and smiled. After a while, he opened the curtain to look at the scenery outside, and whispered, "I always feel that sooner or later, we will be locked up In a small courtyard, for the sake of the overall situation, I can't come out again, so I will run more while I am free now."

"Isn't the matter between Zou Xu and Mrs. Dai really a big deal?"

"Everyone goes to where they should be, there is nothing unexpected. It's okay."

That's what it said, but after sitting in the car for a while, Ning Yi still took a pen and paper and wrote something down.

"Communication to the General Staff: The Huaxia Army defeated the Jurchens in the southwest, and gained a little reputation. Dai Mengwei backstabbed twice and betrayed his companions. He is called a sage today, and now he claims to have recovered Bianliang. Regarding this matter, what do the comrades in the army think? How to guide, please responsible comrades discuss as appropriate."

"Passed in to Qin Shaoqian and He Zhicheng: The end of the year is approaching, is the feeling of homesickness among the soldiers more serious? I think a new round of registration can be carried out in the army to find out where the hometowns of all soldiers are, and in light of the land reform situation, plan for the soldiers after they return to their hometowns. , very much looking forward to the division of land and land, and launched a round of research and discussion. In the past two years, Sichuan and Sichuan have been calm and developed rapidly.

"Submit to the Propaganda Department:"

The clouds outside are low and deep, giving people the feeling that it is about to snow.

Ning Yi wrote at his desk. The carriage crosses the plain.

"It's snowing."

December 11, Chengdu.

When Yu Hezhong woke up, he heard a woman's soft voice.

He rubbed his forehead: "What time is it?"

"Just arrived at Sishi." The woman said.

"Oh why don't you wake me up"

"What are you doing to wake you up, wake you up and you talk to me again." The woman said, "You said you came here at that time last night, talking to you, but you didn't listen, and fell asleep in a hurry. I originally thought you were sleeping with sister Gao's house, but when I saw you coming, I felt happy and wanted to say a few words to you, but you ignored me."

Amidst the rambling voice, the petite but sweet woman twisted the veil, extremely gentle. In the past, this trivial voice often made Yu Hezhong feel good, but now he was disturbed, but he felt noisy for no reason. He wiped his face and looked for his clothes. The woman took the clothes to the chair in the room, put away the handkerchief, and then slowly took it out for him: "What's the matter?"

"No."

"Stay with me without you. It was snowing outside just now. In the weather in Chengdu, it's hard to see snow all year round." The woman said a few words brokenly, and then remembered something, "Oh, you fell asleep when you came back last night. There is one thing I forgot to tell you. Mr. Yan came here last night. He seemed to come to you in a hurry and asked you to meet him today. I see his appearance Ah, it seems to be a big event, is it the killing of General Liu that everyone is talking about this morning?"

In the warmly furnished room, the woman's voice sounded casual, but Yu Hezhong, who was getting dressed, was suddenly startled, and looked at the petite woman with serious eyes.

During more than a year in Chengdu, his status has risen, so he made two "confidantes" in the entertainment field. The woman named Wei Rou in front of her looks petite and soft, and sometimes she even looks innocent, but in fact she is also a famous person in the court of romance. Known as so-and-so "everyone". The news of Liu Guangshi's death is so important. She mentioned it seemingly casually at this time, but what was she thinking in her heart?

In a year, I have slept many times. After the other party married a "big man" like himself, his daily performance became more easy-going and homely, but at this moment, doubts flashed in Yuhe Center.

The woman's gaze was still clear, and after asking casually, she wrung out the veil in her hands and hung it up on the wooden stand again. Turning around, she noticed his gaze and blinked: "Look at me like this." What are you doing?" Then his voice lowered slightly, revealing a little worry: "If you don't tell me, I can't ask, if General Liu is gone, are you okay?"

Yu Hezhong was soothed by such worries, thought for a while, and continued to put on his clothes.

"What's the matter with me, it's Lao Yan and the others, this time the trouble is really big."

His words and expression became calmer.

After a while, after getting dressed, Yu Hezhong ate some breakfast under the service of Wei Rou. During the meal, he tried to make himself calm. When he was about to finish eating, he heard the woman casually mentioning One sentence: "Then when something like this happened, Mr. Lang should find some time to meet Sister Li?"

"It depends on the situation. Go see Lao Yan first." Yu Hezhong said casually, "The Huaxia Army is busy with land reform, and Shishi is busy with a lot of affairs every day. I can't just say that I want to see her."

"It's such a big deal for General Liu"

"How big can it be for the Huaxia Army? Land reform is a matter of eternal life. I don't think they care much." Yu Hezhong said something that he knew very well about the Huaxia Army. In fact, this was also his social interaction. The consistent attitude on the field, "Of course, what should I do next, I have to ask someone."

After breakfast like this, when Yu Hezhong left the garden with a calm face, cold snow particles fell from the gloomy sky to the ground, and after melting, it seemed to have coated the road with a layer of oil. Newsboys in coir raincoats ran across the street.

"Sell newspapers and sell newspapers, the situation in the Central Plains War is clear, and General Liu Guangshi is betrayed by all parties"

"Extraordinary! Dai Mengwei's first mouse ends, continue to betray his comrades"

"Deciphering the so-called restoration of Bianliang, the three courts of the Wu Dynasty"

"Excerpts from Dai Mengwei's so-called call for rebellion against Liu Guangshi"

Nongovernmental information about the changing situation in the Central Plains has arrived in Chengdu since yesterday morning. In the afternoon, some newspapers published supplements. By now, all the news should have swept the entire city's large and small public opinion fields like a storm.

What Yu Hezhong failed to mention to Wei Rou was: after learning the specific news of Liu Guangshi's death yesterday afternoon, he went to find Li Shishi as soon as possible, but from the afternoon to the evening, there was no one from Shishi's side. I can find time to meet him. This was an extremely rare thing in the past, and I don't know if this represents the attitude of Shi Shi or the Huaxia Army.

In the end, he returned to the Bieyuan in a daze, not even paying attention to Wei Rou's words, and fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up at this time, the complicated emotions accumulated yesterday gradually turned into actual emotions: things are bad.

After the Huaxia Army's Southwest War ended, he came to Chengdu as a down-and-out official to seek employment, because the relationship between teachers and teachers reached the sky in one step. This kind of encounter was like a dream to him, but now, Liu Guangshi died suddenly, and the dream was about to wake up. .

Over the past year or so, he has experienced a lot of intoxicating enjoyment, and the people he has been in contact with all the time can be regarded as the top group of people in this era. There is an improvement. He knows that he can occupy such a high position in the transaction between Huaxia Army and Liu Guangshi. The main reason is naturally because of the care of Shishi and even Ning Yi, but on the other hand, it is also because in this transaction, he is needed. the appearance of people.

For a long time, he has been grateful for Shishi's love, but if one of the parties in this transaction is no longer there, the business is zero, whether it is Shishi or Ning Yi, he will still hold himself up for a little "love". Such a position to go up?

He didn't have much confidence in that.

Especially last night when he waited until late at night in the yard outside Shishi's office, Shishi didn't let him go there. This kind of thing made him extremely uneasy about the development of the situation.

Of course, now I can only try to calm down as much as possible.

He rode in the carriage and walked all the way through the city where light snow was falling, and arrived at the Sifang Tea House at the southern end of the city. Yu Hezhong entered through the back door in a low-key manner. This is one of the cores of the public opinion field in Chengdu today, and Liu Guangshi’s side’s funds are actually behind it. It used to be the place where he and Yan Daolun and others gathered. It was already very lively, he went upstairs from the rear, Yan Daolun was already waiting for him in the box on the third floor, and none of the members of the Liu family army who were with Yan Daolun were there at the moment.

"Wen Zhai and the others?"

"Let them go out to find out the news, I'll wait for you here." Yan Daolun looked calm.

"The news is confirmed? Has something really happened to Mr. Liu?"

"The announcement of Dai Mengwei's rebellion came earlier, so something must have happened. Now that the news has spread widely and the news from all parties is similar, there is probably no doubt about it."

"Dai Mengwei, old dog!"

"Dai Mengwei relied on betraying his comrade-in-arms to make a family, and this time he betrayed Liu Gong, which can be regarded as handy. It's a pity that Liu Gong doesn't know people well."

"I see that there are people out there saying that he is the sage of today, that he is Zhuge Liang."

"Small people, insufficiency and conspiracy!"

After exchanging accusations that were better than nothing, the two sat down at the tea table in the room. Yan Daolun poured the tea before looking at Yu Hezhong: "The news from the Central Plains should be faster than ours. In two or three days, has Brother Yu visited Miss Li recently?" This is the core of his appeal to find Yu Hezhong.

Yu Hezhong shook his head: "Their land reform started at the end of October, so it's hard to find someone, and I don't dare to bother her rashly. I only heard about the news from Zhongyuan last night. I originally planned to go today, but I heard that Wei Rou said that Brother Yan was looking for me, so he came here first."

In front of Yan Daolun, his expression was calm. In the past, Yan Daolun was the chief officer in charge of dealing with the Huaxia Army. Yu Hezhong had a high relationship with him, and he was always overwhelmed by the other party psychologically. But now that Liu Guangshi is gone, Yan Daolun is completely Without a backer, but on my own side, at least the relationship between Ning Yi and Li Shishi has not been severed, and it is the first time that I have the upper hand psychologically and calm down.

"Yeah." Yan Daolun nodded, and said, "I know Brother Yu's family members are all in Shishou, what does Brother Yu think about what happened to Dai Mengwei this time?"

"This will not kill my wife and children." Yu Hezhong frowned.

"It's hard to say, Brother Yu." Yan Daolun took a sip of tea, held the teacup in his hand and was silent for a while, then raised his head, "General Liu left suddenly, those of us who were left here by him are in an awkward position, now We are all grasshoppers on the same boat, so I will not cover it up, Brother Yu, our family members are all there, and we were sent to the Southwest. Originally, it was only because Liu Gong regarded him as his confidant and trusted him to get the job. , even if you want to vote for Dai Mengwei, I'm afraid it's impossible."

"Naturally, UU Reading www.uukanshu.com Dai Mengwei is scheming and vicious. I didn't like him at all."

"Then after this round, our family members, young and old, are probably in danger. Brother Yu here, you see, Dai Mengwei was founded in the name of anti-China Army, and Zou Xu is a general who defected from the China Army. With the combination of the two sides, there is no possibility of reconciliation between the Central Plains and the Huaxia Army. If Dai Mengwei stabilizes the situation after a while, he will chase down from our line, brother Yu, on your side."

Yan Daolun looked at him, hesitant to speak, Yu Hezhong opened his mouth, and suddenly froze. He suddenly realized that once Dai Mengwei and Zou Xu were united, among the group of people in the southwest, Yan Daolun and others might still reconcile with Dai and Zou, and be let go of their family by him, but only on his side, who knew Ning Yi also knew Li Shishi's name, so he became the only one who would be focused on.

Yan Daolun reached out and shook his palm.

"That's why, I was the first one to look for you last night." Yan Daolun said, "Right now, we have to make arrangements for the family that concerns all of us, no matter what."

Yu Hezhong's eyes flickered, and he was silent for a moment: "I, I will go to see Shishi."

He was about to get up as he said that, Yan Daolun patted his hand: "Brother Yu, you must be calm when you encounter a major event. There is no rush for this matter, and it is useless. Let's go after lunch. I still have something to do. Consult with your brother."

"but"

Waving his hands, Yan Daolun lowered his head to appease Yu Hezhong, who seemed to be in a hurry, and continued to make tea. After a while, he spoke calmly.

"By the way, Brother Yu and Miss Li have always been friends. In the past, have you ever heard her say that there is any big man named Long in the Huaxia Army?"

"dragon?"

Not knowing why the other party suddenly raised such a question, Yu Hezhong looked at Yan Daolun, thought for a while, and became confused.