The Xifu naval forces were concentrated in the Jingxiang area. There were only 3,000 naval forces in Gushu, and about 200 large and small warships. Among them, Huan Wen's ship was a new-style building ship, four stories high, 200 feet long, and could carry hundreds of people.
, three masts, five sails, and one hundred and twenty oars, the speed was very fast, but according to Chen Caozhi's understanding, the shipbuilding industry at this time had not yet adopted watertight cabin technology, and the ability of large ships to withstand wind, waves and attacks was poor, but Chen Caozhi learned
He had no intention of suggesting that Huan Wen use new watertight cabin technology in future shipbuilding, and he had to have some reservations about Huan Wen. He could not reveal all his little and practical knowledge about future generations. He presented "Strength of the Army" to deal with the Northern Dynasty and the navy.
Then don't be in a hurry.
Chen Caozhi didn't know much about navy tactics. He followed Huan Wen on the forecastle of the ship and watched the ships coming and going. Flags were fluttering and shouts were heard. The Xifu Navy had all kinds of warships equipped with large shooting poles that could be thrown at enemy warships.
Warships built with huge stones and nail boards, as well as fire ships used for fire attacks, have a very grand military appearance.
At noon, after the navy exercise was completed, Huan Wen returned to the city and came to the east gate in plain clothes to mourn for Emperor Sima Pi.
Because the emperor died, Huan Wen must have been concerned about it, so Chen Caozhi and Xie Xuan did not submit the "Strategy for Strengthening the Country", and it was not too late to submit it in two days.
Every half a day, Xi Chao would send a fast horse to report the latest news about Jiankang to Huan Wen. On the evening of Dragon Boat Festival, the news came that Queen Wang died in the West Hall on the same day because Queen Wang and Emperor Sima Pi took the elixir of immortality together.
Early on the next morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, Jiankang's messenger came again to report that because Emperor Sima Pi had no heir, the Empress Dowager Chu Suanzi issued an edict to appoint Langya King Sima Yi to inherit the throne. On the Dragon Boat Festival, hundreds of officials headed by Situ Sima Yu welcomed Sima Yi.
In the reign of King Langya, on that day, Sima Yi ascended the throne as emperor and granted a general amnesty.
Two emperors died in two years. The emperor died before he had time to support his cronies. The decline of imperial power in the Eastern Jin Dynasty was not caused by this. Naturally, Huan Wen would not miss this opportunity. Shangshu petitioned Xi Chao to join the Western Army.
Zhongshu Shilang, Jingzhou Governor Huan Huo supervises the military affairs of Jing, Yang, and Yong, Jiangzhou Governor Huan Chong supervises the military affairs of the eight counties of Jiangzhou, and on holidays——
When the new emperor was first established, Huan Wen was very powerful, so this memorial had no reason to fail. Huan Wen was worried about his younger brother Huan Mi, thinking that Huan Mi was too rough, so he sent Xi Chao to take charge of Taicheng. Although the Minister of Zhongshu was from Zhongshu Province
He was a fifth-rank adjutant, but because Xi Chao was Huan Wen's spokesperson and Xi Chao was extremely talented, it can be said that the government was in the hands of Huan Wen from now on.
On the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, Xie Xuan and Chen Caozhi presented the "Strategy for a Strong Army" to Huan Wen. Huan Wen was overjoyed after reading it. If he could make sharper and more durable weapons, he would have a better chance of winning the next Northern Expedition, but the iron ore
Mainly produced in the north, there are no good iron ores in Jianghuai——
Chen Cao said: "In his early years, my teacher, Mr. Zhichuan, collected medicine and made elixirs. He traveled all over the Jianghuai prefectures and found good iron ore in the Mufu Mountain area, a hundred miles east of Wuchang. The great Sima Keduo sect was good at it.
Those who choose mines will surely find something if they search in that area."
Huan Wen ordered his secretary Yuan Hong to write down the incident and sent a letter to Huan Huo, the governor of Jingzhou, asking him to send more people to check for iron ore a hundred miles east of Wuchang. If there is any, the army and civilians should mine it as soon as possible. He also asked Chen Caozhi to send people
Go to the Tang Dynasty to recruit Lai De for his service, and let Lai De make bellows for the military government. He will grant Lai De a military position and not serve as a craftsman——
Huan Wen rewarded Xie Xuan and Chen Caozhi with five hundred pieces of silk each, and they would be promoted separately after they had mastered new weapons.
As for the heavy cavalry with "armored riding equipment", Huan Wen found it difficult to form because the Eastern Jin Dynasty lacked horses and the heavy armor would make the horses overwhelmed. Furthermore, Huan Wen believed that the Xianbei cavalry was not that powerful and his infantry could completely defeat them. Three years ago
When Murong Chui's brother-in-law Duan Si came to surrender, Huan Wen gave him the post of captain of the Yue Cavalry School, specializing in training cavalry for the Xifu. Duan Si also believed that the Eastern Jin Dynasty could not equip armor and cavalry equipment because the main reason was the lack of horses.
Chen Cao's way: "When the new ordnance is trained, keep the best ones for your own use, and use the inferior ones in exchange for horses from Fu Qin. Fu Qin also needs sophisticated ordnance to fight against Murong Yan."
Huan Wen laughed loudly: "Keep the best ones for your own use - Chen Yu's words are a great kindness, and we will wait for the first batch of new ordnance to be built before we can discuss it."
Huan Wen was in a good mood that day, so he stayed to have a dinner with Xie Xuan and Chen Cao. Since it was a period of national mourning, they were not allowed to eat meat or fish and only sparing food. During the dinner, Huan Wen suddenly said: "Chen Yu's wonderful interpretation of music, King Huan Ye also highly praised it."
, I have a concubine who heard your recorder music at Xi’s residence the day before yesterday and wants to learn the flute from Chen Yu. What does Chen Yu want?"
Xie Xuan looked at Chen Caozhi and frowned slightly.
Chen Caozhi said calmly: "Da Sima Mingjian, Cao Zhi played the flute, painted, and played chess in Jiankang. He was good at everything. Once he entered the Xifu, he put all these aside for the time being. He gave advice and suggestions and devoted himself to serving the country. I am not a musician.
How can I teach the melody to the female family members of the Great Sima? I hope the Great Sima will not treat me like a entertainer!"
Huan Wen changed his face solemnly and said: "You are a great scholar of the country. How dare Wen despise him? This matter will never be mentioned again."
Coming out of the General's Mansion, Xie Xuandao said: "Zizhong refused very much. If this one comes here to listen to music, and the other one comes here to become a teacher, who are you? And Li Jingshu is extremely beautiful. If she learns flute from you, what will happen to her?"
The effort of re-cultivating the mind and character is also a big test, it’s not necessary, right, just avoid it if you can.”
Chen Caozhi smiled slightly and said, "You can't afford to provoke him, but you can afford to hide from him."
…
During the national mourning period, everything was kept simple. Chen Caozhi, Xie Xuan and other ministers had no official duties and were very leisurely. After the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather was sunny and hot. Chen Caozhi and Xie Xuan rode out of Gushu City every evening at dusk, along the Gushu River.
Go upstream to a remote place and swim in the water. Chen Cao had excellent water skills in his previous life. Now after a little practice, he is as good as a fish in water.
Ran Sheng was bold in everything else, but he just didn't dare to get into the water, which made Xie Xuan laugh.
The water of Gushu Stream is clear and gentle. There are dense willow walls on both sides of this section of the river. The deepest point of the river is only six feet, which is a good place for swimming. Chen Caozhi swam in the cool stream for half an hour. After landing, he sat on Wanniu
Playing a recorder on the stone, and then riding back to the city under the thin dusk, the days in the military mansion are also so leisurely.
On the evening of May 12th, Chen Caozhi rode the big maroon horse "Zidian" and Ran Sheng rode the big white horse. They invited Xie Xuan to go out of the city to swim in Gushu River. When he went to Xie Xuan's apartment and asked, his subordinates said Xie Xuan
Before returning from Zicheng on business, Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng went there first.
The weather was extremely hot that day, and the air seemed to be filled with thick moisture, making people feel wet and uncomfortable. It was already dusk, and the red sun that was about to set on the top of the mountain was still shining brightly and it was so hot.
Abnormal.
Ran Sheng said: "There were colorful clouds this morning. I heard Uncle Jing say before that the morning glow doesn't go out, but the sunset glow travels thousands of miles. I'm afraid it's going to rain heavily tonight."
Chen Caozhi laughed and thought to himself: "'The morning glow will travel thousands of miles if you don't leave the house.' Did this proverb exist in the Jin Dynasty?"
Opposite the south gate of the city, the section of Gushu River is quite narrow, less than ten feet wide. There is a floating bridge connecting the two banks. On the south bank of the stream, there are more than a hundred wine shops and prostitutes, all living near the water. Generals and soldiers often come here to have fun.
Huan Wen also did not forbid it.
When Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng were riding upstream along the north bank, the singing and dancing prostitutes on the other side were leaning against the window, waving their sleeves, and calling sweetly to attract customers. They liked the soldiers. The soldiers liked to go straight, so the language of these prostitutes was very vulgar. Ran Sheng
He didn't quite understand it, but Chen Caozhi understood it. He couldn't help but blush because of his calmness in his two lifetimes. The obscene words and obscene words were too explicit.
Chen Cao said: "Xiao Sheng, let's compete with each other to see whose horse is faster." Before he finished speaking, he set off his horse and galloped, and Ran Sheng shouted to catch up.
The horse was galloping, and the blowing wind made Chen Caozhi feel refreshed. When he got off the horse by the dense willow forest, he realized that his whole body was covered with sweat.
Chen Caozhi sat on the lying cow stone and rested for a while to let his sweat stop. Then he took off his clothes and got into the water. He suddenly felt cool and refreshing, and kept shouting: "Wonderful!"
When Ran Sheng heard the young man calling him "wonderful", he felt even more uncomfortable because of the sweat on his body. He took off his shirt and put on his calf-nose pants to test the water by the stream. When the water was waist-deep, he felt that his steps were a little frivolous and he didn't dare to move anymore.
.
Chen Caozhi looked at Ran Sheng's trembling look and said with a smile: "Xiao Sheng, the deepest point of this water is only your chest, what are you afraid of!"
Ran Sheng still didn't dare to move, he just squatted on the spot and shouted: "Wonderful!"
Chen Caozhi swam to the other side and swam back. He lay on his back on the water and floated down the stream for more than ten feet. When Ran Sheng screamed, he turned over and swam back hard——
As dusk fell, Chen Cao's master and servant went ashore to change their clothes and return to the city. Only then did they realize that the clothes and shoes placed on the Wo Niu Stone were missing.
Chen Caozhi asked Ran Sheng, but Ran Sheng was also confused. The two horses tied under the willow tree on the bank grazed as if nothing had happened.
Ran Sheng also had a pair of wet calf-nose trousers on him. Chen Caozhi, just to be cool, only wore a cloth towel to get into the water. Now he was embarrassed.
Chen Cao said: "Could it be that the shepherd boy stole the clothes? Xiao Sheng, go outside the willow forest and have a look."
Ran Sheng agreed and strode out of Liulin to look for the clothes thief.
Just as Ran Sheng left, a person appeared from behind the willow tree ten feet away in front. He was dressed in white and had a graceful figure. He walked in the misty twilight, seemingly not touching the ground on the green grass bank, like a graceful mountain ghost or a graceful mountain ghost in the Songs of Chu.
Elf——
Chen Caozhi was a little distracted for a moment. Who is this woman? She is so beautiful that it is indescribable. She is exquisite to the extreme. She is like a jewel. Even the bank of Gushu River in the dusk became brighter. But when the woman opened her mouth, Chen Caozhi
He calmed down immediately.
The elf-like woman said: "Chen Caozhi, I took your clothes, and if you promise me something, I will return it to you." This voice was low and delicate, a little deliberate, a little artificial, but undoubtedly very charming.
Chen Cao said: "You can take whatever you want. It doesn't matter if I go back to the city naked."
The woman stood two feet in front of Chen Caozhi. After hearing Chen Caozhi's calm words, her surprise flashed away and she asked, "Do you know who I am?"
Chen Cao said: "I know, you are the daughter of the Duke of Huanjun."
The woman smiled sweetly and said, "To be more clear, she is the concubine of Huan County."
In the dusk, Chen Caozhi felt that the woman's words and smiles were a bit weird, and she felt creepy for no reason. Well, it must be that her naked body was a little cold.
