Chapter eight hundred and sixty-one small break in Pengcheng
The pottery merchant has withdrawn his troops and returned to Pengcheng.
Although the fighting on the front lines was fierce, things were quiet and peaceful in Pengcheng, the rear area of Xuzhou.
While waiting for Cao Cao to leave the Central Plains for Luoyang, Tao Shang and his family lived a quiet and peaceful life.
As Liu Xi and Tao Ji grow up, the relationship between the two children gradually becomes better. The children are enjoying a happy and happy childhood life under the aura of the potter.
The weather was hot and people could not keep their eyes open under the scorching sun. On this day, a potter was making popsicles for two children in the yard.
In this era, the method of making ice in summer was to take out the ice in winter, store it in an ice cellar, and then take it out in summer for cooling off.
With his current status as a pottery merchant, he can naturally enjoy it like this, but in these troubled times, he is naturally unwilling to do anything that wastes people and money because he is content with enjoying himself. And once he sets an example, the people below may also
He would imitate him and act like this. He didn't want his reputation as a gentleman to be criticized among the people because of this trivial matter.
But when it’s hot in the summer, it’s really hard to live without ice.
There is no other way but to make enough food and clothing by ourselves.
The pottery merchant asked Yu Ji for some saltpeter that he usually used to make elixirs. He ordered two copper basins, one large and one small. He filled the small copper basin with cold well water, put it in the big copper basin, and then put the saltpeter in it.
He put it into a large copper basin and gradually added water to make ice. However, because the ratio was wrong, he failed several times before finally making a small piece of ice.
Even a child stood beside the pottery out of curiosity, blinking his big eyes and watching him at work.
At first, the potter thought that using the principle that saltpeter dissolves in water and absorbs heat, he could easily create a lot of ice floes. However, after the actual operation that day, he discovered that although the method of using saltpeter to make ice was indeed feasible, the effect did not seem to be effective.
His imagination was so good, of course, mainly because he did not master the most appropriate mixing ratio and method.
However, a small piece of floating ice finally appeared in the basin, which was a good start for the pottery maker.
Watching helplessly as a small ice floe appeared in the copper basin, the two children were so surprised that they couldn't close their mouths from ear to ear.
"Father, how did you make ice so magically?" Tao Ji blinked her big eyes and looked at the potter in disbelief.
The potter smiled and pinched his face: "This is a magic spell."
Liu Xi said from the side: "Uncle can also do magic?"
"Want to learn?"
The two children nodded vigorously.
"I won't teach you."
The faces of the two children fell instantly.
Such elders really have no integrity.
Tao Ji pouted: "Father is so stingy... But it's okay. I'll just go find Weng Weng and teach me the magic later."
The "Weng Weng" in Tao Ji's mouth naturally refers to Tao Qian.
The potter smiled and teased him: "You can also make popsicles?"
Tao Ji nodded vigorously and said: "I don't know if I can make popsicles, but Weng Weng said that he is an immortal... he knows how to use immortal swords and refine weapons. He recently sold talisman water with his grandfather outside the Taoist temple!"
After saying this sentence, the potter's head ached with pain.
What is this?
The old man really has no progress at all. If he is a Taoist priest, he should be a Taoist priest. What kind of talisman water should he sell?
Zhang Jiao started his business by selling talisman water. Is this old bastard Tao Qian going back to inciting people to rebel and holding high the flag of righteousness as he gets older?
When the prime minister's biological father organized a rebellion among the people, what kind of crime was this?
"Oh, what a worry-free person." The potter shook his head and continued to call for people to bring him new water and study the proportion of saltpeter to make ice.
At this moment, Pei Qian walked in quickly.
Liu Xi waved at Pei Qian vigorously and said, "Uncle Pei, come and see, uncle is making bachelors for us!"
The pottery merchant broke out in sweat on his forehead and corrected: "It's a popsicle."
When Pei Qian saw Liu Xi, he hurriedly knelt down on one knee, held his fists and shouted loudly: "General Pei Qian, please see your Majesty!"
Liu Xi was startled by Pei Qian's appearance, and hurriedly trembled and hid behind the pottery merchant, stuck out his little head, and looked at Pei Qian in horror.
"What are you talking about in such a fuss? If you scare His Majesty out of his sight, you are committing a grave sin!"
Pei Qian originally thought about showing off in front of the emperor, but he almost made the emperor cry. He was very embarrassed for a moment, neither kneeling on the spot nor standing up.
Tao Ji looked at the potter in confusion: "Dad, why do everyone call Xiao Xi your majesty?"
Tao Shang lovingly touched Tao Ji's head and said, "Because Xiao Xi is the emperor. He is the emperor and will govern our entire Han Dynasty from now on."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Xi stood up hurriedly and shouted to the pottery merchant: "I don't want to be the emperor, I don't want to be your majesty."
Tao Shang was stunned when he heard this and looked at him in surprise: "You brat, don't you want to be a Taoist priest even if you are not an emperor?"
Liu Xi pouted, pointed at the ice floes in the basin and said, "I want to learn to make popsicles from my uncle."
The pottery merchant couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.
Little calf, you don’t want to be an emperor, do you want to be a scientist?
Throwing the basin for making popsicles to the two boys to play with, the potter wiped his hands with a towel, walked aside with Pei Qian, and asked: "How are the situations in all aspects?"
Pei Qian hurriedly said: "The Prime Minister's brilliant plan is unparalleled by others. As soon as the Prime Minister's troops arrived at Pengcheng State, Cao Cao's army and those of the princes in Guanzhong turned to Guanzhong and went straight to Luoyang... As for the south, Sun Ce's troops
The horses have entered the territory of Jinling City, and Zhou Yu also led 20,000 troops and horses towards Nanchang City!"
Tao Shang sneered: "I mobilized all the soldiers and horses to the front line, and they were so unrestrained. It seems that Sun Ce is determined to oppose me to the end this time."
Pei Qian said nervously: "The generals are all sweating now. Although the Prime Minister has made arrangements in the rear, Jinling City and Nanchang are our base and the capital of the Han Dynasty. They are really indispensable...
...How about the Prime Minister send more troops and generals back?"
Tao Shang shook his head and said: "It is not easy to gather my troops and horses together once. I have said that no matter what, I will take this opportunity to win the Central Plains! I believe that Lu Su and the others will definitely be able to defeat Sun Ce and Zhou Yu.
Even when the number of soldiers in our rear is currently small."
Pei Qian swallowed lightly and said, "According to the Prime Minister, are you planning to raise troops to Xuchang now?"
Tao Shang nodded and said: "Yes, I will raise troops to Xuchang now and quickly send people to contact the two brothers Bao Zhong and Bao Tao. I want to capture Xuchang while Cao Cao is fighting fiercely in Guanzhong."
Pei Qian hurriedly said: "Although Cao Cao went to Luoyang, he also set up troops and generals in Xuchang. The governor of the entire army was Cao Cao's first general, Cao Ren, and Xun Yu was also in the city and guarding it.
There are many soldiers in the city, and Xuchang has been reinforced by Cao Cao over the years. I'm afraid it won't be able to attack it in a matter of seconds."
Upon hearing this, Tao Shang put a smile on his lips and said, "This depends on the abilities of brothers Bao Zhong and Bao Tao."