Shen Shuren has been in a high position for a long time in the past few years, and has become extremely calm and stable.
Therefore, when faced with Fang Ziling's aggression, he would not react immediately. Instead, he would listen to Li Xiangjun's ears and whisper comfort first: "Don't take it personally, you don't have to see it like an outsider."
This is like a person calling Jack Ma poor. Of course he won't be angry, because everyone on earth knows that he is not poor, so why do you need to defend yourself? Only by calling Jack Ma ugly can the other person have mood swings, because this is true.
Li Xiangjun was a little worried at first, but after listening to his master's comfort, he immediately felt warm. However, Fang Ziling smiled indifferently and didn't explain anything.
Fortunately, Shen Shu people can be generous, but others don't have the courage.
Fang Yizhi on the side saw that his sister was speaking rashly. Even though he was a straight man and rarely thought about women's thoughts, he had to stop him immediately:
"Ziling! Don't be rude! What is there to say about Brother Shen Nian's family affairs? Don't forget that you are willing to admit defeat today!"
Fang Ziling was poured cold water on her brother, and she calmed down a little. What she said just now was indeed a bit explosive, but she felt that she was not evil-hearted and felt aggrieved.
"I...I am also here as a friend, and I want to remind you, for Brother Shen's own good!" She quibbled with her brother for a while, then turned to Shen Shuren,
"Brother Shen, do you know how much people gossip about your grievances with Zuo Liangyu and the Hou family? Don't you care about your reputation for personal ethics?"
Chen Shuren's face turned cold and he sat down calmly: "I know everything, what next?"
Fang Ziling was shocked. She always thought that Shen Shuren was deceived by Li Xiangjun's charm and did not fully understand the gossip in the public.
The other party admitted it so frankly, but she was left speechless: "You...you know everything, and you still insist on protecting her like this? Is there some unspeakable reason?"
Chen Shuren smiled: "You have already said that if you have any difficulties, it is hard to tell, so what else is there to ask?"
Fang Ziling's expression darkened: "Then there are indeed difficulties..."
Chen Shuren said sternly: "Don't make assumptions, and don't say anything out there. You were tight-lipped about the last bet, and I treat you as a friend - I only make friends with people who are tight-lipped."
Fang Ziling is also a smart person. After being squeezed like this, he has roughly guessed that Shen Shuren deliberately set a trap for Zuo Liangyu, and maybe there are more other conspiracies.
Shen Shuren said it so solemnly, and she was disheartened. She stopped trying to persuade him, and the matter was finally revealed.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not tense, Fang Yizhi breathed a sigh of relief: "It's all your fault, Zi Ling! You originally agreed to come here today to discuss the general trend of the world and gauge the rise and fall of the world. Isn't it good that we only talk about knowledge and not the rest?"
Fang Ziling also hurriedly borrowed the donkey to go down the slope and asked Shen Shuren for some opinions on "The Theory of Flooding Thieves" and "Theory of Flooding Thieves". He was puzzled.
Of course, Shen Shuren would not shy away from these academic discussions. As long as they did not involve secrets or plans for the future, he could talk eloquently. The atmosphere finally became harmonious, and the admiration for him in the eyes of Fang Ziling and Bian Yujing gradually deepened.
.
Shen Shuren also did not hesitate to review the issues that Bian Yujing discussed with him just now and see what unique insights Fang Ziling had.
But Fang Ziling was completely impressed this time: "Brother Shen is so unpredictable that no one in the world can match him. Even Miss Bian's knowledge is not inferior to mine. I'm really ashamed."
My younger sister has been reading books by saints since she was a child, and her first choice in reading history is Zhu Xi's "Tongjian Gangmu". Her vision is not as good as Miss Bian's, who is unconventional and unconventional."
Obviously her last two sentences were lamenting that even Bian Yujing was not afraid of authority and was not disturbed by the aura of the winner. When analyzing the "thieves and bandits" of the past dynasties, even Liu Bang and Xiang Yu dared to compare them with Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong.
.
Not to mention whether Bian Yujing's comparison conclusion is correct, at least Fang Ziling asked herself that a lady like herself who received traditional education would not dare to have such shocking ideas even if she was familiar with history books.
So simply in terms of the breadth of her horizons and the openness of her mind, she is even inferior to Bian Yukyo.
How dare she compare the founder of the orthodox dynasty with thieves and bandits? Those are all people with "Ben Ji" in "Historical Records".
Fang Ziling has been a lady of the family who has read poetry and books since she was a child. After more than ten years of psychological suggestion, she has already formed a kind of three views, that is, she feels that women should also read books, understand reason, and distinguish right from wrong.
In this way, it is difficult for her to have a bad feeling towards Bian Yujing. She can only sincerely admire and sympathize with each other. After all, denying Bian Yujing is like implying denying herself.
Bian Yujing saw that her attitude had become kinder and she was willing to build a good relationship. She came from a poor background and had been trained in the Qinhuai River for many years. She had already experienced the pain of observing words and expressions.
Even though she is a few months younger than Fang Ziling, in terms of emotional intelligence, she is already much higher than a young lady like Fang Ziling who lives at home.
Seeing that Fang Ziling was subdued, Bian Yujing also complimented each other generously: "Miss Fang is overrated. She is knowledgeable and has a solid foundation. How can I dare to compare with you? My sister is just better at reading a variety of books and not sticking to one pattern. A fool may think a lot, but he will get something."
."
She was telling the truth. The two of them had more solid basic skills than Fang Ziling. Fang Ziling was definitely the one who beat her. Fang Ziling just had a relatively conservative mind and limited vision, and he was not as bold and daring as Bian Yujing.
Fang Ziling: "Then when I have the opportunity, I will ask Miss Bian for more advice. Brother Shen is busy with people, so we don't dare to come here often."
The few of them chatted about politics, history and knowledge for a while, inspiring each other, and occasionally pulled Fang Yizhi to chat for a few words.
But Fang Yizhi did not have this ambition. Although he was well-read and had extraordinary knowledge, apart from the studies of saints, his interests were more in natural science. Regarding political philosophy and historical calculations, he only felt that they were hypocritical and not free enough.
Fang Ziling wanted to discuss it with her brother several times in order to be brave and relieve the embarrassment. After being denied face by her brother, she couldn't help but complain a few words:
"It's really a waste of time for you to take the scholarship to get a Jinshi background! You are not good at history, so you just work around every day. You would rather study 'whether there are worms in the rotten meat'."
Bian Yujing and Li Xiangjun on the side were not familiar with the official business outside, so they were a little curious when they heard this, so they quietly asked Mr. Zijia. But Shen Shuren knew about it, so he helped explain:
"Miss Fang, don't underestimate the big things your brother has done with Mr. Song recently. It is beneficial to the country and the people, and it is also a practical lesson. 'Buddha sees eighty-four thousand insects in a bowl of water.' Our daily diet is basically
There are countless microscopic insects, but we can’t see them.
But things that are boiled and sealed are not easy to rot, but things that are sealed directly without boiling will rot. This is circumstantial evidence that there are insects in the rice, meat, and drinking water. If there is a breakthrough in the observer in the future, it will be visible one day."
Fang Ziling knew that he was completely outclassed in terms of knowledge, so he did not dare to refute, but just muttered:
"But I heard that the 'canned food' was made half a month ago, and he is still thinking about those 'invisible bugs' every day. Isn't it a waste of energy? It's better to do more practical things."
Chen Shuren smiled: "Practical techniques and theoretical ideas are both important, but outlines are superficial. Once you have made something practical, you should continue to study the reasons behind it, so that you can draw inferences from one example.
I have been paying close attention to your brother's research recently and have made considerable progress. Let me give you an example.
The 'canned food' they made was initially able to extend the shelf life of peas that could only be stored for half a month to several months. The latest time, they were able to extend the shelf life of milk that could only be stored for two to three days before going rancid.
If it can be left alone for several months, wouldn’t this benefit the country and the people?
I once discussed some laws of growth of all things with Brother Fang, and came to a conclusion: for every level of vegetation, birds, animals, fish and insects eaten, at least 80-90% of the 'nutrients' will be lost, so that higher-level species can grow.
For example, if a sheep eats grass and eats the same nutritional value of ten pounds of mutton, it may only grow one pound of mutton. If a wolf eats sheep, it will also need to eat the same nutritional value of ten pounds of wolf meat to grow one pound of wolf meat.
However, some are not the growth of the livestock's own organs, but the utilization efficiency of nutrients is much higher. For example, chickens and ducks produce eggs, and cows and sheep produce milk. The nutrients in the eggs produced by eating the same insect grains and fodder may be
Two or three times that of chicken. The milk produced can also be two or three times as nutritious as beef.
Therefore, if there is a technique that can make eggs and milk easy to store for a long time, this will allow the people in the world to raise chickens and cows to benefit by tens of thousands out of thin air.
In contemporary times.”
What Shen Shuren said casually was obviously borrowed from Darwin's "Energy Transfer Efficiency of Food Chain" theory, but he expressed it in his own language in a way suitable for Ming Dynasty people to understand.
Raising chickens and cows for eating eggs and drinking milk is definitely more efficient than killing chickens and beef directly for eating.
Fang Ziling, Bian Yujing and the others were also smart people, and they immediately understood the significance of this matter. They also gained a bit more admiration and respect for Yizhi's recent work.
After this incident, Chen Shuren also saw that Fang Yizhi was an arrogant person. Others did not understand the work he did, and he was too lazy to explain it to outsiders. Chen Shuren couldn't help but shake his head:
"Brother Fang, it seems that your sister's arrogance is the same as yours. You should change your temper of being so immersed in doing things and disdainful of explaining to ignorant people.
If it were me, whenever I made some achievements, I wouldn't brag about it so that everyone around me would know about it. I'm too crazy, and you're too humble to show off."
Fang Yizhi also knew that his friend was right, but some tempers are innate. So he just scratched his head and joked: "Isn't it a gentleman if you don't know something but don't get angry?"
Fang Ziling was so angry that she hit her brother, knowing that her brother was not going to change.
Shen Shuren also laughed: "Okay, Brother Fang humbly retires, then let's help Brother Fang brag - Guys, are you curious about what methods Brother Fang has used these days to make milk that can be stored for several months?
?If you are curious, I will give you a jar to try."
At first, the girls thought they were going to learn some complicated natural science principles, so they grimaced. But when they found out that they were just being asked to eat, they immediately lost their depression and expressed their willingness to try.
Who doesn’t know how to eat?
Chen Shuren whispered to Li Xiangjun, and after a while, several more women came to the backyard, including Dong Xiaowan, who was holding his half-year-old daughter, and several maids.
In the hands of the maids, there were several porcelain jars that had just been opened and sealed. The girls quickly moved forward curiously. As soon as the lids of the porcelain jars were opened, a strong scent of frankincense immediately wafted out.
In the late Ming Dynasty, due to the lack of preservation technology, even if the sourness of freshly squeezed milk was not obvious, after it took several days to transport and store it, it would definitely be a little sour when it was drunk in the mouth. This was the result of bacterial fermentation.
However, the few jars of food in front of them were kept fresh properly, so there was almost no sour smell, but a pure milk fragrance. This kind of smell had never been smelled by the women before, and they immediately felt refreshed.
“The reason why milk goes rancid easily is that it lacks cooking to kill insects, and it is too thin and has too much water. Even after it is cooked, once microscopic insects fall in, it will inevitably multiply rapidly again.
This is called condensed milk. It is boiled and evaporated for a long time without boiling. Finally, four or even five kilograms are concentrated into one kilogram, which is almost water-free. You can also add sugar or honey during refining to make the sweetness more and more.
After improvement, not even microscopic insects can survive, and it can be stored for several months after sealing. It is just like pickling and preservative, except that it is pickled with sugar instead of salt."
Shen Shuren originally wanted to see if he could make milk powder, but later found that it was too difficult. It was unrealistic to dry it completely. The scorch lake had long been solidified. In this era, there was no way to pump low-pressure vacuum to lower the boiling point and promote fresh milk.
Dusting.
Therefore, condensed milk finally appeared. This thing is really not that difficult. If you figure out the principle, you can easily make it in the future. The concentration rate of milk powder is generally seven times, that is, seven pounds of milk are dried into one pound of powder. The most condensed milk can be made
When it reaches five times, one kilogram is left after five kilograms are burned, and there is still a little moisture left, but the concentration is no longer able to support the survival of bacteria.
Shen Shuren proudly introduced Fang Yizhi's latest achievements, which also demonstrated the value of his scientific research investment - it does not mean that after making the earliest canned military rations, he can stop moving forward. Only by understanding the principle can we
Draw inferences from one example, keep making progress, and innovate to create more good things.
Make a variety of things that were originally unsuitable for large-scale storage easy to store on a large scale.
In the future, when he leads his troops into Sichuan to fight Zhang Xianzhong, the terrain in Shu is complex and it will be difficult to transport military rations. Only these high-energy-density, light-weight foods will facilitate the army's continued operations.
Transporting military supplies from Shu to Shu has always been a long-standing problem that has plagued the country for thousands of years.
Of course, condensed milk is definitely a high-end product now. Even if this kind of thing is produced, it will not be used as military rations. At most, it is used as a nutritional supplement for senior officers or as a welfare for the wounded during the recovery period. Historically, the Americans invented it during the Civil War.
Condensed milk was also used as a nutritional supplement for wounded soldiers to recuperate from their injuries, not for ordinary healthy soldiers.
After Shen Shuren’s introduction, Dong Xiaowan who was on the side also smiled and said: Shen Shuren’s daughter is now more than half a year old and can barely sit up and crawl. In addition to drinking breast milk, she can also supplement some milk without honey.
Empty the condensed milk and reheat the water to dilute it before drinking.
While Dong Xiaowan was talking, he was about to demonstrate the mixing for everyone. But Bian Yujing couldn't hold it back and secretly picked his finger on a jar and put it in his mouth.
"Be careful, I'll kill you! It's not like I don't have to feed you! Heat some water and mix it up before eating!" Shen Shuren looked at it, annoyed and amused, and scolded him with concern.
Bian Yujing was frightened, but in a moment he realized that it was nothing. He just stuck out his tongue and licked his fingers clean: "Wow, it tastes delicious! It's not very sweet. Fang Futai, you are really a man of great merit. You can actually do this with your skills."
Delicious food. Sister, do you want to try it too?"
Bian Yujing thrust the jar in front of the girls, but Fang Ziling and Li Xiangjun couldn't help it. They also tentatively picked out a piece, put their index fingers into their mouths, and all of them showed expressions of shock and joy: "Is it so delicious?"
Chen Shuren felt a lack of insulin when he saw it. He shook his head and sighed: "Aren't you afraid of sweet things? This is made by adding honey and concentrating it!"
"I didn't expect that Brother Shen, who is so bold, open-minded and fearless, would be afraid of sweets." Fang Ziling saw that he was rarely embarrassed, but she didn't expect that he was afraid of sweets. It was really unexpected.
Chen Shuren sighed: "It's not that I'm afraid of sweets, it's just that eating too much sugar is unhealthy."
After all, his outlook on health is that of a modern person, and he cannot do such a thing as taking insulin and eating condensed milk puree at the same time.
But then I thought about how many sweets these poor people in the late Ming Dynasty had eaten. Those from poor families really didn’t have to worry about getting sick from eating too much sweets.
Since everyone was invited to taste the condensed milk, Shen Shuren simply asked the chef to prepare the banquet first, and just entertained the Fang family to have a drink and talk, which was just a formality.
During the preparations for the banquet, Fang Yizhi actually knew what his sister was thinking. His parents had hinted it to him before, so he would leave with just the right excuse to give his sister a chance to chat with the Shen family alone.
Fang Ziling is thin-skinned. She now admires Shen Shuren more and has a little admiration, but the lady herself is also hazy and uncertain. After getting the opportunity, she couldn't help standing in the position of a friend and quietly asked
A few unrelated questions.
Of course, Fang Ziling always felt that she was doing good for her friends.
"Brother Shen... there is a saying that my little sister has always been quite puzzled by."
Chen Shuren also noticed that the other party's expression and tone were strange, but he still said calmly: "Let's talk about it."
"What happened to Miss Li back then... even if there was something really unspeakable about it, for example, I mean, if you took advantage of her. But afterwards, you still have other ways to deal with it. For example, pretend that you were also deceived by women in the first place.
Change your past mistakes, even if your political opponents won't hate you any less because of it, it can improve your reputation in the world..."
Chen Shuren smiled nonchalantly and lowered his voice so that Li Xiangjun and the others would not hear: "Then I have become Zhou You of Shang Dynasty and put the blame on Daji and Baosi?
Regardless of whether I am taking advantage of someone or not, as long as it is my woman, regardless of her birth status, I will naturally protect her! Shen does not despise pushing women out to share the reputation."
Fang Ziling was shocked. This was something she had never imagined.
This person is lustful, but he is also really responsible, and he deserves the name of being compassionate and caring.
Although he is only responsible for Li Xiangjun today and strongly supports and protects her, as long as this nature remains unchanged, he will definitely treat his other women equally if they suffer in the future.
I really can’t tell whether it’s good or bad.
…
After a while, Fang Yizhi also came back. Seeing his sister's leisurely and fascinated expression, he couldn't help but sigh.
After a banquet, Fang Yizhi also found an opportunity to go to the study room with Shen Shuren to talk about some topics between men.
Fang Yizhi was not polite anymore and directly hinted to Shen Shuren what he thought of his sister. He also said that his parents had communicated with Shen Shuren several times last year and felt that he was worthy of being a leader of the younger generation of the Ming Dynasty.
Speaking of this, Shen Shuren would not continue to shirk the blame. He also said bluntly: "Brother Fang, I can see that your sister is both talented and beautiful, has a strong temperament, is upright and outspoken, and can be said to be a woman who cannot be outdone by men. At most.
He just likes to think that he is well-intentioned and meddlesome, but in the end he is occasionally unhelpful, which is considered a flaw in a beautiful gem.
In fact, last winter, if the two of us had reached an agreement, this matter would have been a matter of course. But now it is... With all due respect, now I am also a party to Futai. We are not clinging to it based on the future of official positions, but just as a feudal lord.
Officer, in this troubled time for the court, you really shouldn't do anything that will only increase the court's suspicion.
Now His Majesty wants Yang Ge Lao to mobilize me to go north to help fight against the intruders, but I have to delay it for several months because the armaments are not ready. This is ultimately disobedience. If there are rumors of a marriage between Wanfu and Huguang Governor, Your Majesty will not think so.
Is there any suspicion of a connection between vassals and towns?
No matter what happened to this matter, I had to go north this time to help Mr. Yang Ge fight against the intruders. After proving that I was not suspected of being in Huguang and south to seize the territory and unwilling to contribute to the imperial court, we could discuss it later.
."
Fang Yizhi frowned: "Isn't that just a matter of waiting for a few more months? It sounds like my sister is worried about getting married. It's not like she can't afford to wait for a few more months."
Chen Shuren shook his head: "The war is dangerous and the war is dangerous. How can we talk about it unreasonably? I hate people saying, 'After this battle, we will go back to our hometown to get married.' It's so unlucky. When it comes to us
In such a high position, some things depend on God's will. If you can't do it, you can't promise it in advance."
Fang Yizhi was stupefied by these words and found it difficult to speak.
Of course, he had never heard of the idea of "returning to your hometown to get married after fighting this battle." But Fang Yizhi had seen with his own eyes that after his three aunts married local officials, their uncles failed to defend the city and were killed by bandits.
.
Even he vaguely felt that it was unlucky for their Fang family's daughter to be engaged to someone else too early and not be able to consummate the marriage...
"Forget it, let's wait until the boat reaches the bridge and let it straighten out. Let's settle down with our destiny. Let's get over the hurdle in front of us first." Fang Yizhi decided to wait until Shen Shuren and Li Zicheng finished the battle before talking.
…
The half-day visit to pay for the dress ended quickly. On the way back to the prefect's Yamen, Fang Ziling finally couldn't hold it back and asked her brother about it.
"Brother...you didn't say anything nonsense to Brother Shen, right? My parents are really..."
"Tell me, he said that you are both talented and beautiful, you are old-fashioned and warm-hearted, and you can distinguish right from wrong, but sometimes you are too confident and do not understand the situation clearly, so you will do bad things with good intentions." Fang Yizhi also felt uncomfortable and confided in one breath.
"He...he really said that? How could he say that! How could I..." Fang Ziling didn't expect her brother to be so straightforward. She was at a loss and wanted to lift up the seat cushion in the carriage and cover her head.
Fang Yizhi sneered: "What are you in a hurry for, but -"
Fang Ziling immediately poured some cold water on her and grabbed her brother's sleeve: "But what? Bah, I... I'm just curious about what others think of me."
Fang Yizhi: "However, he said that it is too cold to be in high places. Now that the war is fierce and dangerous, he cannot fully carry out the chaos and orders. He always has to avoid the suspicion of the feudal marriage - don't worry! He didn't say there is no chance, he just said that he has to wait for him.
Only after a battle with the intruder proves that he has no ambition to dominate the world can we talk about the rest!"
Fang Ziling breathed a sigh of relief: "That means he is willing in his heart? Does he like me? That's fine. I'll just wait."
Fang Yizhi shook his head helplessly: "Don't say such things as soon as possible! I feel like it's unlucky! You've been through too many hardships! Maybe it's just God's destiny that didn't come to you.
The third aunt was like this at the beginning! She said she was waiting, but in the end, she was left alone before she even got married! My uncle died at the hands of Zhang Xianzhong's rebels even before he came to the church! Don't say such things in the future!"
Fang Ziling was robbed one by one, and thinking of the unlucky fate of so many aunts and sisters in her family, she had to swallow her words:
"If you don't say it, don't say it! As long as Shen Shuren comes back, the matter will be settled. No matter what other worldly obstacles there are, you can ignore it! Although he is a bit lecherous, he really cherishes her...
If he can protect Li Xiangjun like this today, if he can protect him like this in the future..."
——
PS: It’s so messed up that I can’t break it into chapters… Six to seven thousand words have been piled up at once. That’s it for today. In fact, it was also nine thousand words yesterday. Recently, the number of words has actually been quite high, but the number of chapters is small.
Let’s sort out our thoughts and return to the battle preparation scene tomorrow.