Xiao Chong, who was wearing bright clothes and angry horses, took several domestic slaves, one man and two horses, galloping on the official road, obviously planning to take the more difficult and fast route.
Kunlun slave Ali squatted by the pavilion. When the sound of their horses' hooves just appeared, he stood up and looked far into the distance. After realizing that the person who came was Xiao Chong, he said to Lin Wanwan in the broken Luan County dialect he had learned: "Xiao is here.
"
Then he opened his arms and ran towards the official road.
Xiao Chong soon discovered this Kunlun slave who usually followed Xiao Qingyu. He pulled the reins of the horse and slowly slowed down.
At this time, Sun Chuiyao also ran over, bowed his head in salute and said loudly: "Xiao Ming Mansion, my wife has invited me."
Xiao Chong sat on his horse and looked condescendingly at the two people blocking the road, then looked at the curtained pavilion, pondered for a moment, got off his horse and walked towards the pavilion.
Lin Wanwan had already lifted a corner of the curtain, waiting for Xiao Chong.
After entering the pavilion and greeting each other, Xiao Chong looked at the hot wine on the stone table and said: "My cousin has been waiting here specially to see Xiao off. I am extremely grateful. Thank you for your service."
There was no intimacy in his words, but a feeling of alienation. Lin Wanwan's doubts about him yesterday still hurt his heart.
Lin Wanwan lowered her eyes and stretched out her hand: "Cousin, please sit down, this wine is my treasured wine."
The Liangzhu rice wine bought in modern times is drunk hot when the weather is cold. It should be one of the favorites of wine lovers.
"Okay, I'm being disrespectful."
Xiao Chong loved wine and had already smelled the aroma of wine. She sat down on the stone bench and Lin Wanwan picked up the warm wine and filled the glass in front of Xiao Chong: "Cousin, please."
Xiao Chong raised the glass and took a sip, then drank it all and praised: "It's really a good wine."
After drinking three glasses in a row, Xiao Chong put down his wine glass, stood up and said, "I've had my drink, and my mind has been made. The journey is long, and Xiao still has to hurry, so I won't delay any more. Cousin, see you later."
"Cousin, there's still half a bottle of wine left. Why don't you leave before you finish eating?"
Xiao Chong said: "No need. It's good luck to have these three drinks. Drinking too much will cause trouble."
"Well, drinking and driving is dangerous. My cousin won't drink if he doesn't want to."
Lin Wanwan took out a bag of tips from the bag hanging on her waist and handed it to Xiao Chong: "Cousin, I prepared this specially for you. I wish my cousin a safe journey."
Xiao Chong glanced at Lin Wanwan with an unpredictable look, and took it with a smile: "Thank you, cousin. Farewell."
After saying that, he turned around casually, opened the curtain without any sloppiness, and strode away.
Lin Wanwan stood by the curtain and raised a corner, watching Xiao Chong get on his horse and gallop away without looking back.
Her heart was filled with loss. It wasn't until Xiao Chong's back in bright clothes and angry horse could no longer be seen that she lowered the curtain, sighed, sat alone in the pavilion, picked up the jug, poured herself a glass, and drank it all.
, but ended up choking, coughing so hard that tears almost came out.
After finally stopping her coughing, Lin Wanwan said to the servants around her: "Close the stall and return to the city."
"Here."
Xiao Chong on the other side galloped all the way and entered Luoyang City before the city gate closed.
As the capital built by Yang Guang with huge investment, Luoyang City is the middle station of the North-South Grand Canal, with 109 square miles and three markets. Its prosperity is not inferior to Chang'an at all.
Xiao Chong, who had just driven all the way, had no intention of admiring it. After entering the inn, he entered his room.
This big foodie has no interest in going to a restaurant for a big meal today, which shows that his mood is so bad that it is hard to describe.
Shuqi was the one who couldn't understand Xiao Chong's change the most. He had obviously asked for a betrothal marriage and got what he wanted. Today, Mr. Le'an Township also specially came to see him off with affection. Why is his husband still not happy at all?
"You go out, let someone be quiet, and tell them to come in and make a hot pot."
"Here."
When Xiao Chong was the only one left in the room, he took out the gift bag given by Lin Wanwan from his body, but for a moment he didn't dare to open it.
But after all, he was not a timid person. After a moment, he opened the kit without hesitation and saw a folded piece of paper as he expected.
He unfolded it and saw inside it a design drawing with a horse, an iron bar in the shape of a horseshoe, and text descriptions.
Horseshoes, also known as horseshoes, are iron hoof-shaped objects nailed to the horseshoes. Horseshoes are nailed mainly to delay the wear and tear of the horseshoes. They are a must-have for horses running long distances and are high-quality shoes for horses.
Xiao Chong, whose first wish was to become a general, soon after seeing this drawing, suddenly thought of marching and fighting.
At present, the most important factor limiting the development of the Tang Dynasty's cavalry, apart from money, is the horse. He almost instantly realized what it would mean if the statement in the drawing was true.
Every year, the Ministry of War loses more than 10,000 horses due to hoof wear. When they go to the battlefield, the loss of money is only a small matter, but the delay of fighter planes is a big deal.
Horse hooves are the horse's toenails. Put iron shoes on the horse and replace them with a new pair of iron shoes as soon as they are worn. Is it really that simple?
If this statement is true, it will solve the eternal problem that has troubled the cavalry. The significance of this matter is not as simple as saving tens of thousands of military expenditures for the Ministry of War every year.
"Cousin, cousin, with your talents, you really gave birth to a daughter by mistake." Xiao Chong sighed secretly. If Lin Wanwan is a person who likes to pursue power, then based on this alone, maybe she can be replaced by a noble concubine.
, but now we have to hide our capabilities and bide our time.
At that moment, Xiao Chong wanted to verify the authenticity. He didn't even bother to eat dinner and immediately opened the door and went out.
Xiao Chong remembered that there was a blacksmith shop to the west of the same lane as the inn.
Iron smelting has been strictly controlled since the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. In the early Tang Dynasty, the iron mines were not completely monopolized by the government. There were also some sects who had private iron mines passed down from their ancestors.
Regarding this part of private iron ore, the imperial court imposes a 20% iron tax every year, and the iron ore produced must be sold to the government first, and the excess can be sold to the private sector.
The imperial court used this to control the flow of steel, and ordinary people who wanted to buy ironware privately had to go to the village chief and get a certificate from Fang Zheng.
Xiao Chong went to the blacksmith shop and asked the blacksmith to make a horseshoe according to the shape of a horseshoe. He also had to put his county magistrate's seal on it.
After a busy night, six pairs of horseshoes were formed. Xiao Chong ordered the blacksmith to shoe the three horses he brought, and then without hesitation, after the city gate opened at dawn, he rode the horses to the official road and whipped his whip.
There is a distance of 700 miles between Luoyang and Chang'an. Yesterday Xiao Chong had been rushing for a whole day, and today he continued to attack with two slaves without fear of hardship or fatigue.
The sound of horseshoes hitting the official road made a different crisp sound than before, making Xiao Chong on horseback look particularly majestic and heroic.