After the death of Uncle Jinxiang, the title in their mansion came to an end. Although renewing the title was cheaper than buying a new one, and the Han family could afford the money, they did not give money to the Empress Dowager. The eldest son of the Han family, Han
Qi Ye has served in the Jin State for many years, and is now the second-rank and third-level envoy, commonly known as "Ji Xiang", and is in charge of the Jin State's finances.
At the beginning of March of that year, the Han family hired the Taiping Escort Bureau as a bodyguard, and the whole family moved from the capital to Taiyuan Prefecture. Although several members of the Han family had already served as officials in the Jin Dynasty, this loyalty really pleased the king of Jin, who immediately rewarded Han Qi.
A big house. That place was originally the residence of the King of Jin and his second brother. The owner had an affair with the general and asked the King of Jin to drive him out of the country. Now the whole family is in Japan. Han Qi thought that the reward was too heavy and repeatedly refused, but Jin
The king insisted on a reward, so he had to express his gratitude respectfully.
It was Mrs. Han's seventieth birthday at the beginning of June, and the whole Han family had just settled down and was busy with the birthday party. Fortunately, the ladies and grandmothers of the Han family were all smart and neat, and everything was in order.
In May, Han Qi received a letter from the capital, saying that the Rongguo Mansion would send its eldest grandson Jia Meng to celebrate, and that he wanted to discuss something with the Jin Kingdom. Han Qi hurriedly took the letter to the Jin Palace to ask for an audience.
King Jin read the letter over and over a dozen times. He really didn't see anything interesting in it, so he said, "Han Aiqing, what do you think?"
Han Qi said: "I can't see anything from the humble minister. Jia Lian has lived in Taiwan for a long time. It was not until Jia Cong became the regent of Yan that he returned to Beijing occasionally, just to celebrate Jia She's birthday. Until now, where is the place?
He is the root of the Jia family. And he is the only one with this son. However, Jia Cong had a close friendship with Wei Chen when he was young. This person is very affectionate. Wei Chen thought, it is probably not a bad thing. "
King Jin picked up the letter and read it again, and said, "Has Rongguo Mansion ever told you anything?"
"Never."
King Jin thought for a long time: "Anyway, the day is approaching, let's see what he says." Han Qi responded "yes".
In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of May, and people congratulating Mrs. Han on her birthday were arriving one after another. On May 27th, the Han family received a famous invitation, and Mr. Xiaomeng from Rongguo Mansion arrived. Han Qi’s eldest son, Han Fei, hurriedly went out to greet Mrs. Han in person.
After greeting him, he sent someone to the Yamen to invite him. Not long after, Han Qi arrived with a few people and was stunned when he entered the lobby.
I saw a young man standing up in the guest seat. He was twenty-four or five years old. He had peach-blossom eyes and a handsome appearance with willow-leaf eyebrows. If you look closely, he looked exactly like Jia Lian twenty years ago. His face was dark and his expression was wild, and his demeanor was completely different from that of his father. This is
Wearing bright orange brocade clothes, she looked at Han Qi and smiled: "Hello, Uncle Han!"
Han Qi said happily: "Isn't he the eldest nephew of the Jia family?"
"Yes. My nephew Jia Meng." Jia Meng smiled and saluted.
Han Qi said with emotion: "I still remember the bustle in the capital when you were just born. In the blink of an eye, you have grown so big." Then he chatted a few words and asked him what else he wanted to do here.
Jia Meng winked: "Uncle Han, I live in our Taiyuan branch of Ma Xing, do you have time to come and take a look?"
Han Qi's heart moved. Han Fei hurriedly said: "Since Brother Jia invited me, let me go and have a look."
Jia Meng smiled and said: "My nephew has brought you something interesting. You and Prince Jin will definitely like it after seeing it. Is Prince Jin free? Why don't you invite him to come with us?"
Han Qi thought for a while: "I'll ask later."
"Uncle Feng is here too." Han Qi was stunned. Jia Meng said, "Yes, it's Uncle Feng himself, not his brother nor his son." He stood up and cupped his hands and said, "Uncle Han, think about it.
You two haven't seen each other for a few years, so we just want to catch up. My nephew is waiting at Ma Xing." He actually said goodbye directly!
Han Qi frowned slightly, and Han Fei stood up to see him out. Han Qi thought for a while and asked a customer behind him: "Mr. Ke, look..."
Mr. Ke stroked his beard and said, "I can't guess what kind of medicine Mr. Jia is selling in his gourd. I'm afraid this matter is not a trivial matter. You'd better meet the prince first before making a decision."
Han Qi nodded and thought for a while before going out to Prince Jin's Mansion.
When he met the King of Jin, he explained this in detail. After hearing this, the King of Jin thought about it for a long time and said, "King Rong Gu will think about it." Han Qi said goodbye and left.
Two days later, the King of Jin sent someone to tell Han Qi: "The King is free this afternoon. Han Aiqing can accompany the King to Jia's Horse Racing Walk." Han Qi hurriedly asked his son to go to the Horse Walk to report the news.
In the afternoon, the King of Jin led a eunuch, two attendants and several guards to the Han Mansion incognito. Han Qi had been waiting for a long time. After seeing the courtesy, the king and his ministers invited the King of Jin to get into a four-wheeled carriage with a green cover and rubber tires and went straight to the Jia family.
Horse travel.
The horse shop is on Dadongmen Street, with a huge front door. There is a waiter standing at the door with a smile on his face to greet the guests. The Qingke surnamed Ke next to Han Qi came up to greet the waiter, saying that Mr. Han wanted to see the Jia family's daughter.
Mr. Meng, the waiter hurriedly turned around and went in. After a while, a young man with an upright body came out and asked Mr. Han to follow him.
Han Qi then led King Jin and others to follow him in, walked through the lobby of the horse shop and walked around to a secluded courtyard at the back. The person leading the way opened the courtyard door and heard someone inside laughing: "But that old guy Han Qi is here?
"
Even though they hadn't seen each other for many years, Han Qi still recognized Feng Ziying's voice and responded, "Isn't that old guy Feng Ziying in there?"
As he was talking, he walked into the courtyard and saw Feng Ziying sitting under an old pomegranate tree, drinking tea. Feng Ziying sat and looked at him for a while, then said with her tongue: "He is much older."
Han Qi snorted: "You are old, too." He walked to Feng Ziying in a few steps.
The two brothers had not seen each other for many years, and looked at each other arm in arm. They were thinking a lot when suddenly someone shouted above their heads: "I'm coming down!" Feng Ziying hurriedly pulled Han Qi. Hearing a "pop" sound, a child
He jumped down from the tree and landed firmly on the ground. The child was about five or six years old. He wore two buns, a green and brown camouflage military uniform, and small leather boots with thick tendon soles. His eyes were shining.
Liang, I grabbed two pomegranate flowers in my hand, but I couldn’t tell whether they were male or female.
Feng Ziying scolded: "You are so reckless. Can't you climb down easily? What should you do if you scare the guests?"
The child innocently said: "I shouted~~" The voice was clear and clear, and it was obvious that she was a little girl.
"Go and call me out!" Feng Ziying waved her hand.
The little girl ran away, shouting: "I, Uncle Feng is calling you——"
Han Qi smiled and said, "Is this your granddaughter?"
"What the hell, my granddaughter is much more sensible than her." Feng Ziying said, "This is Jia Dingbang from Jia Cong's shop, her nickname is Miao Miao."
Han Qi, King Jin and his entourage were all stunned: "Who is it?!" "Whose child is it?"
"Jia Dingbang," Feng Ziying said, "the little devil in the capital."
Han Qi hurriedly asked: "Is this the regent princess appointed by Jia Cong?"
"Yes, that's her."
Just as he was talking, Jia Cong was seen pulling his daughter out of the house. Jia Cong was also wearing camouflage uniforms, with a scarf on his head and a musket on his waist. As he stepped out of the threshold, he shouted:
"Brother Han, I haven't seen you for many years, but you are still as handsome as before."
Han Qi smiled unconsciously and said: "You are still as sweet-tongued as before." King Jin stood silently behind Han Qi.
Jia Cong stepped forward and stretched out his arms to hug Han Qi: "I miss you so much!"
Han Qi's eyes reddened quietly: "You've made a difference, boy. I knew you would make a difference, but I never thought you would make a difference like this."
The two hugged each other hard for a long time before letting go. Jia Cong then bent down to hold his daughter's shoulders and pointed at Han Qi and said: "This is Uncle Han Qi. Say hello to Uncle Han." Jia Dingbang shouted. Han Qi hurriedly untied the hanging hanging on his body.
He was wearing a jade pendant as a greeting gift. Jia Dingbang thanked him readily and put the jade pendant into his coat pocket, thinking that he often received gifts.
Han Qi saw that the King of Jin did not say anything, so he simply did not introduce him, and several people walked into the hall together. He heard the large Western clock "dang dang dang" struck three times. Jia Dingbang tugged Jia Cong's hand: "Dad, after one o'clock
The big clock has been running for one hundred and sixty minutes, how many times has it struck in total?"
Jia Cong casually calculated: "One hundred and sixty minutes, that is three forty. Two points plus three points, five times. Three and a half points, three times. A total of eight times."
Jia Dingbang was immediately disappointed: "Yes, you got the answer right."
Jia Cong said proudly: "Do you think I will include a little bit of that sound? I am an authentic science student with very strong logical ability." Jia Dingbang wrinkled his nose.
Then the guests and the host sat down. Han Qi did not dare to be the chief of the Jin Dynasty and was very hesitant. The Jin King simply sat on the top of the table himself. Only then did Jia Cong and Feng Ziying notice the Jin King. Han Qi said from the side: "This is our prince."
Jia and Feng looked at each other and hurriedly came forward to bow. King Jin smiled and cupped his hands and said, "I don't want the Regent and Lord Feng to come to Taiyuan Mansion in person."
Jia Cong hurriedly said: "It's our fault that we didn't say hello in advance." He then called his daughter to see the King of Jin.
Jia Dingbang bowed and said: "Hello, King Jin, thousand years old." King Jin asked the eunuch beside him to make up for Mrs. Jia's meeting gift. Jia Dingbang bowed to the eunuch again, and Jia Cong sent her in.
The guards brought by the King of Jin were all standing, but he and Han Qi were sitting. Han Qi then asked Jia Cong what he was doing. Feng Ziying waved, and someone held a scroll over. Feng Ziying spread out the scroll, and it was a picture of Qin and Jin
Zhao Luyan's map of the Five Kingdoms and Ping'an Prefecture. There is a thick black ink line on the map, which runs from Qin State through the other four countries and finally to Ping'an Prefecture. Jia Cong pointed out: "I want to discuss with all the princes to build a railway that runs through all countries.
, convenient for transportation.”
King Jin was stunned: "Railway?"
A follower in his fifties behind him said: "Your Majesty, the railway was reported in the Yanjing Weekly. I will show it to you."
The king of Jin said: "The lonely king can't remember it for a moment."
"It doesn't matter." Jia Cong said with a smile, "We have Zhao Pian!"
Feng Ziying had already brought a bunch of zhao pian over: "Come on, look here!"
Jia Cong rolled up his sleeves and opened the Zhao Pian, introducing each piece to the King of Jin. "This is the railway. This is the locomotive, this is the carriage, this is the track..." He talked for a long time.
Feng Ziying held up another box and said with a smile: "The Zhao Pian is a flat surface. I have a train model here for you to take a look at. After the model is combined with the Zhao Pian, the prince and Brother Han will understand." Then he opened the lid of the box and took it out from inside.
Something comes.
Han Qi stretched out his head and asked, "What is this made of?"
"It's made of paper," Feng Ziying said. "It was specially made by architecture students. The degree of restoration is very high."
With this model and the pile of zhao pian, King Jin and others quickly understood what the train looked like. King Jin was surprised and said: "Is there really such a thing?"
Jia Cong said: "If you are curious, Your Majesty, you can come to Yan State and have a look. The railway from Beijing to Tianjin has been put into trial operation and will be opened soon."
Han Qi thought: "Is this thing reliable? A carriage is more reliable."
Feng Ziying said: "You will know if it is reliable after one ride. The transportation capacity of the train is not comparable to that of a horse-drawn carriage."
Han Qi looked around the train model for a long time, still frowning. Instead, he followed another of King Jin's followers and said, "Look at it, little man, this thing is of great use."
Jia Cong immediately said: "This gentleman still has vision!"
The King of Jin and others looked at the zhao pian and the model countless times, and finally said: "Such a big matter, the lonely king must consider it slowly."
Jia Cong cupped his hands and said: "It should be true. The prince and the adults of the Jin Kingdom have a good discussion. The benefits are really great. If you follow the trend of the times, you will surely lead the world!"
He then gave the Zhao pian and the model to the King of Jin, and sent them out personally with Feng Ziying. At the gate of the horse store, Han Qi asked, "Where is your eldest nephew?"
Jia Cong said: "Meng'er came back to Taiyuan for the first time and visited Jinci Temple."
Han Qidao: "If I had known, I would have sent my son to accompany him so that I could show my friendship as a landlord."
Jia Cong pawed: "No! You are the host. I'll ask a young man to accompany him for a walk tomorrow, lest he doesn't know the way and gets lost." Han Qi smiled and nodded.
When the King of Jin and others returned to the palace, they immediately summoned more than a dozen ministers to discuss matters, and they did not disperse until the middle of the night.
All the ministers left from the gate of Prince Jin's Mansion. Only the entourage of King Qin who was about fifty years old and often read "Yanjing Weekly" went out from the east corner gate. This man was wearing gray cloth and led a few people.
The subordinate walked into the small street behind Prince Jin's Mansion like a ghost. After turning two corners, he stepped into a large house.
At the fifth watch of the clock, the door of the house opened, and the entourage in gray clothes came out. He did not ride a horse, but walked with his hands behind his back. There were only three people behind him. After passing through a narrow and short alley, they came to a house.
In front of the small house, a follower held up an oil lamp. The old follower unlocked the door with the key on his waist and pushed it open with a "squeak" sound.
At this moment, everything was completely silent. Suddenly, several "bang bang bang" sounds were heard, and the old follower fell to the ground after being shot several times. The two men following him immediately jumped up and chased towards the opposite roof, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The man who stayed outside the door hurriedly moved the old attendant into the house to check, but he was found dead. After a long time, the sound of muskets was heard in the distance again, and the two pursuers never came back.
On the other side, Liu Xiaoqi and Liu Zhuang's uncle and nephew returned to the horse shop. Jia Cong didn't get up at all. Feng Ziying didn't dare to sleep and kept waiting. Liu Xiaoqi told what happened. They had disposed of the body and used chemicals.
Destroyed, there was no trace. He also took out the waistband found from the corpse, and sure enough it was known to the Jin Imperial City Director. He patted his chest and said: "Those two are so fast. If it weren't for the range of our muskets, which is better than theirs."
It’s too far away, and it’s hard to say whether we will win or lose today. Mr. Feng, how do you know that there will be a detailed leader from the Jin Kingdom coming today?”
Feng Ziying was slightly proud: "Anyone who works in this industry can't help but think about it when they hear that Feng Ziying is here."
Liu Xiaoqi held up his hand: "I'm sorry to have such a big hook like Mr. Feng! Thank you very much."