Millet and sorghum have been harvested and farmers are now starting to plant winter wheat.
In order to promote winter wheat, Zhu Xiang took Lin Zhi to visit the nobles who had stone mills, secretly learned how to use them, and then made a water-powered mill that could be used by the people in the entire village.
Zhu Xiang originally wanted to make a stone mill driven by animal power, but at that time donkeys had not yet been introduced to the Central Plains, and the common people had no useful livestock, so he had to give up.
The village knights were often bored, so Zhu Xiang secretly asked their leader if he could pay them to grind the millstones.
The leader of the rangers was very easy to talk to and was willing to help Zhu Xiang select a ranger who was willing to help the civilians grind the mill.
Zhu Xiang carried his little nephew on his back to guide the wheat planting, and then took Ying Xiaozheng to a carpenter's house to make special tables and chairs for Ying Xiaozheng.
When the carpenter was making the chair according to the blueprint given by Zhu Xiang, Zhu Xiang was talking nonsense: "I heard that most of the famous knights-errant were taught by the Mohist school. The Mohist school is most sympathetic to the common people. Who knows, the knights-errant of the Mohist school might be the ones willing to grind the millstone!"
The carpenter almost cut his hand with the knife he was using to saw the wood.
He said helplessly: "Duke Zhu Xiang, what you are talking about is the Mohism of Dengling clan, which is in Chu. Those who claim to be Mohists in the east are just some boastful Mohists of Xiangfu clan. How many times have I told you this?"
Zhu Xiang argued speciously: "Thoughts are free. Just because there are many Mohist knights in Chu, no one in other countries agrees with Mohist knights' views and becomes a Mohist knight?"
The carpenter was even more helpless: "They can recognize Deng Ling's Mohism, but the Mohist School is a strict organization. Without the recognition of a great man, one cannot call oneself a Mohist."
Zhu Xiang said, "That's unreasonable of you. It's better for an academic group not to be too tightly organized. No monarch of any country will allow a tightly organized civilian group to exist that is more loyal to the leader than to the monarch. Maybe they can use you when the world is unified, but when the world is unified, you will be in danger."
The carpenter was silent for a moment, then said, "Duke Zhu Xiang, I am not a Mohist."
Zhu Xiang stroked the dozing Ying Xiaozheng in his arms and said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, if you say it's not true, then it's not true. I was just talking nonsense. Xianghe, don't tell anyone else about the tables and chairs I made this time."
The carpenters sighed and said, "Duke Zhu Xiang, are you being too cautious? It's just a piece of furniture. Even if it gets out, no one will criticize you."
Zhu Xiang shook his head: "That's not necessarily true. Kneeling is 'etiquette', and changing the seat is not in line with 'etiquette'. If someone uses my disrespect for etiquette as an excuse to kill me, even Lin Shangqing can't save me."
The carpenter frowned and said, "Who else but the corrupt scholars would want to kill for red tape? If you drive Xun Kuang away, no one will kill you for a piece of furniture."
Zhu Xiang looked at the carpenter quietly.
Listen to your comments on Confucianism. You even called Xunzi by his name. Even at this point, you still say you are not a Mohist
The carpenter Xianghe probably realized that he had said something wrong, so he started to work silently and pretended to be dumb, and stopped answering Zhu Xiang's nonsense. Ying Xiaozheng rubbed his eyes. He tried very hard to listen, but he didn't understand at all.
Ahaha~, so sleepy~.
"Go to sleep when you're tired." Zhu Xiang said.
Ying Xiaozheng nodded, and very skillfully crawled from Zhu Xiang's side to Zhu Xiang's arms, then buried his face in Zhu Xiang, like a little puppy, curled up and fell asleep.
The carpenter said, "The sound of sawing wood is very noisy. You don't need to stay here. Take your nephew home to sleep."
"Okay." Zhu Xiang picked up Ying Xiaozheng, "Xianghe, when you want to leave Zhao State to pursue your career, remember to leave me a fellow student who knows carpentry. I can't live without your craftsmanship."
Xianghe: "Zhu Xiang."
Zhu Xiang: “Hmm?”
Xianghe: "Get lost!"
Zhu Xiang found that the honest man was made angry by him, so he picked up Ying Xiaozheng and ran away very quickly.
The disciple who helped Xiang and measured the wood only looked up after Zhu Xiang left and asked, "Master, has Lord Zhu Xiang figured out your identity?"
Xiang He snorted coldly: "So what if he knows? Will he be more restrained in his words?"
The disciples couldn't help laughing.
After Zhu Xiang's reputation as a skilled farmer spread, not only did people from farming families sneak into Lin Xiangru's territory, pretending to be refugees and buying a few acres of land to impersonate farmers, but naturally some people from the Mohist school also got wind of the news.
Although after Mozi's death, the Mohist school was divided into three, and there were also three great masters, the Mohist school was, after all, a tightly organized social group. Although the three schools would certainly quarrel and fight when they met, they would still share news.
Qi Mo, also known as Xiang Fuzi's Mo, was a group of idealists who opposed any violence, including peasant uprisings, and tried to persuade monarchs of various countries to accept "universal love" and achieve world peace.
They are a group of pathetic dreamers, but they are also the people who love the people the most.
After Qi Mo got the news, he immediately sent a letter to Qin Mo and Chu Mo, asking these two branches of the Mohist School with stronger military power to send people to protect Zhu Xiang.
A great sage who can increase the productivity of civilians' fields by two to three times must not die!
Qin Mo was the most pragmatic branch of the Mohist school. He believed that the unification of the world was the only way to end the suffering of the common people. He was good at various inventions and creations, and he worked enthusiastically following the King of Qin.
Chu Mo originally opposed the annexation wars among the countries and acted as a chivalrous knight. However, after Wu Qi was killed, Chu Mo gradually recognized Qin Mo's views and his personnel gradually moved to Qin.
Chu Mo's old master had originally agreed with Xianghe that after his death, he would pass on Chu Mo's master's token to Xianghe. From then on, Chu Mo of Deng Lingzi and Qin Mo of Xiang Liqin became one family again.
However, after learning about Zhu Xiang's affairs, Xianghe personally led his men across thousands of miles from Qin to Zhao. Chu Mo's great son went from Chu to Qin and temporarily took over Xianghe's original position.
Xianghe only told the King of Qin that he had some private matters to attend to, and did not tell him about Zhu Xiang.
He knew the King of Qin very well. After the King of Qin learned of Zhu Xiang's ability, he was very likely to send someone to assassinate Zhu Xiang to prevent Zhu Xiang from being used by Zhao.
After Xianghe met Zhu Xiang, he admired him even more and called him "Duke Zhu Xiang" sincerely. But sometimes, he really wanted to give that playful young man a hard blow on the head.
When Zhu Xiang was unfamiliar with someone, he was very gentle and polite, but once he got familiar with them, he would often say things that made people angry. Xiang He thought that if Zhu Xiang was his disciple, he would definitely use a ruler to beat Zhu Xiang three times a day!
Of course Zhu Xiang didn't know that Xianghe was a great figure in the Mohist school. He just thought Xianghe was an ordinary disciple of the Mohist school.
He did not have a clear understanding of his own importance and did not know that both the Nong family and the Mohist family had sent people to protect him.
Xianghe even swore a blood oath with his disciples. When Zhu Xiang was in danger, except for a group of disciples who took Xianghe's Juzi Ling back to Qin for handover, the rest would die before Zhu Xiang.
Fortunately, Zhu Xiang didn't know. If he knew, he would have been so stressed that he would have run away overnight, lived in seclusion in the mountains, and would not come out until the Han Dynasty was established.
If he could live to see the establishment of the Han Dynasty.
Zhu Xiang first amused the great Mohist leader so much that he wanted to beat him up, and then he taught several farmers who came to him and pretended to be tenants of the Lin family some tips on how to grow seedlings, and then he returned home with the nephew of the First Emperor.
After Zhu Xiang wrapped Ying Xiaozheng in a quilt and settled him down, he went to find Xun Kuang to copy books.
Xun Kuang decided to live in seclusion in Zhu Xiang, and Lin Xiangru specially sent people to help Zhu Xiang expand a courtyard for Xun Kuang to live alone.
After the courtyard was expanded, people who claimed to be Xun Kuang's disciples but Xun Kuang refused to admit them would show up at Zhu Xiang's gate every day, driving horse and ox carts to bring books to Xun Kuang. Xun Kuang's books filled up two whole rooms.
Books were very precious in this era, so Zhu Xiang shamelessly copied books, under the pretext of helping Xunzi keep a backup of the books to prevent them from being lost.
Xunzi very generously agreed to let Zhu Xiang copy the book.
Afterwards, Cai Ze took the initiative to come and accompany Zhu Xiang to copy books, and Lin Zhi was soon also sent by his biological father to copy books.
Lin Zhi was so angry that he almost had a fight with Zhu Xiang. If Zhu Xiang was not so weak, Lin Zhi would have started fighting if he was worried about hurting Zhu Xiang.
"Have you been to the Mo family?" When Zhu Xiang came to copy a book with writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, Xun Kuang, who was reading a book, raised his eyelids lazily.
Zhu Xiang immediately said seriously: "Xunzi, Xianghe is just an ordinary carpenter and has nothing to do with Mohism!"
Although Xunzi claimed that he was not qualified to call himself "Xunzi", since he taught Zhu Xiang to read, Zhu Xiang could call him "Zi".
Xun Kuang sneered: "Why are you so anxious? I won't go and debate with him."
Zhu Xiang thought to himself, I am not afraid of you debating with Xianghe, but I am afraid that you will pick up the broad-backed iron sword and chop people.
Xun Kuang was already over fifty years old, which was quite old in that era. However, when he took off his shirt and swung his broadsword, he showed such strength that even young and middle-aged people might not be able to withstand a horizontal blow from his broadsword.
When Zhu Xiang saw Xunkuang practicing sword, he finally believed that those capable veteran generals in history really existed.
He was very curious and wondered whether General Lian, who always took advantage of his pigs, chickens and ducks and called him a useless and cowardly rat, could defeat Xunzi.
Seeing Zhu Xiang's constant smile, Xun Kuang snorted coldly, "Their skills are somewhat useful, but their speech is bizarre and vulgar, their clothes are not proper, their behavior is casual, they indulge in enjoyment, and they are disrespectful of etiquette. They are unwilling to undertake hard work. When they encounter danger, they only know how to live in comfort. When they encounter insults, they only know how to tolerate them. They have no sense of shame. They are the scourge of the world! You must never learn from them!"
Zhu Xiang's face turned redder as Xunzi scolded him.
If Xianghe is a Mohist, then let's not talk about other things. They definitely have nothing to do with not liking to work, indulging in enjoyment, living a life of mediocrity and having no shame, right? !
Why does Zhu Xiang feel that Xunzi is using the advanced version of "pointing at the mulberry tree and cursing the locust tree"? It sounds like he is pointing at the mulberry tree and cursing the locust tree, but is he actually cursing the mulberry tree
He was not well-dressed and showed no regard for etiquette; he behaved strangely and indulged in pleasure; when faced with insults, he would just be submissive and try to get by... Zhu Xiang felt that his kneecaps were about to be smashed by Xunzi's broadsword and windmill.
"Did you hear that? You must not learn it!" Xun Kuang said seriously with a stern face.
Zhu Xiang: “…” Xunzi, you are really scolding the Mohists, not me? !
While Zhu Xiang was trying to figure out whether Xunzi was scolding him, the sleeping Ying Xiaozheng entered the dream room again.
When entering the dream room, Ying Xiaozheng was stunned for a moment.
He used to count the days until he would enter the dream room, which was his safe haven from the painful reality.
After being adopted by his uncle, Ying Xiaozheng lived a very comfortable life, eating, drinking and having fun every day. He was carried around by his uncle on his neck, and he even forgot to count the days he entered the dream room.
Ying Xiaozheng was stunned for a while, and his IQ gradually increased. He was soft and cute, always with a curious and confused look in his eyes, but gradually became cold and rational.
Ying Xiaozheng walked to the shadow of his future self and sat down, thinking about what he had seen and heard in the past few days.
Although in reality he always "can't figure it out", "the more he thinks about it, the more confused he becomes", and "it's so difficult, I don't want to think about it anymore", he still tried hard to write down some things he thought he should remember.
Like bed-wetting...
Ying Xiaozheng slammed his head hard on the table in his dream.
There is no pain in dreams.
What on earth have I done during the ten days I have been at my uncle's house
Wetting the bed? Barking like a dog while playing with a wooden dog? Pulling the tail of a cloth tiger to imitate Xunzi's sword dance? Hiding a woven straw toy in your uncle's hair
"I am still a child, I am just a child. It is normal for me to do things that are appropriate for a child's age." Ying Xiaozheng clutched his trouser legs with both hands and kept muttering, trying to convince himself.
He read it for a long time, and when he felt a little better, he began to think about the real problem.
Ying Xiaozheng lowered his head, pulled the red string around his neck, and took out a jade ring.
This jade ring is hung on his neck in reality. In the dream, he can bring in the clothes he wears, and naturally he can also bring in the jade ring on his neck.
In reality, he only felt that the jade ring looked familiar. After entering the dream room, Ying Xiaozheng recognized the origin of this jade ring at a glance.
All six kingdoms valued white jade, but Qin alone valued black jade. The nobles’ jade ornaments were mainly blue-black, and they especially preferred Lantian jade.
This jade ring is made of the finest Lantian water jade.
The amulet from the Zhou-Zhua ceremony? The corners of Ying Xiaozheng's mouth twitched slightly, and he raised the jade ring to his eyes and examined it carefully.
His uncle said that the jade ring was carved with a strange-looking beast. Ying Xiaozheng took a closer look and recognized it immediately.
This is a Chilong pattern.
The dragon pattern symbolizes power and status, and is mostly used by the royal family. The dragon pattern of the Qin State is different from that of other countries. It is not carved like a dragon, but like a strange beast... Stop!
Ying Xiaozheng tapped his head lightly with the jade ring and said to himself, "Why am I imitating my uncle's tone?"
He corrected his errant train of thought and continued to think.
"The Lantian Shuicang jade ring with a dragon pattern could only be owned by the Qin royal family. Lin Xiangru was not born in a high family, so he didn't recognize it."
"Who else can the Qin royal family, who is in dire straits in Zhao State?! Who else can it be?!"
Ying Xiaozheng stood up suddenly, turned around a few times with his hands behind his back, and laughed angrily.
Xia Tong, Xia Tong, Xia Tong!
Father, you are so arrogant. Are you afraid that others won't associate you with this pseudonym
Ying Xiaozheng thought of the "close friend Xia Tong" mentioned by his uncle.
His uncle and aunt praised Xia Tong highly and even bought gold as a gift for Xia Tong when he left.
My uncle and aunt were so badly deceived by my father!
Ying Xiaozheng gritted his teeth and immediately figured out the key point.
When he observed his future self's memories, he wondered if he was born a few years earlier.
In his future self's memory, he should have been born after the Battle of Changping and before the Siege of Handan. Now the Battle of Changping has not yet happened, but he can already walk and talk.
Now, he understood why.
In my future memory, my father should have never met my uncle.
And now, my father concealed his identity and became friends with my uncle. Among the wives and concubines given by Lu Buwei happened to be my uncle's eldest sister, so my father took the opportunity to become a relative of my uncle.
Later, when he was sent back to his country by Zhao State, his uncle not only accompanied him back to Qin State to serve Qin State, but also found a great talent for Qin State. The presence of his uncle could also weaken Lu Buwei's influence on him.
The chain of plans is brilliant, really brilliant!
Ying Xiaozheng even wondered whether his good father was behind the abandonment of him at his uncle's doorstep.
"Doesn't father want mother to return to Qin?"
Ying Xiaozheng put his hands behind his back and frowned as he thought.
"My father has the ambition to rule the world, but his health is not good. In my future memories, when my father ascended the throne, he was ready to pave the way for me."
"Queen Dowager Xuan interfered in government affairs, and most of Qin's high-ranking officials were from Chu. If another noblewoman from one of the Six Kingdoms came to Qin, I'm afraid they would definitely become an obstacle to Qin's unification of the world."
"Father should be very willing for mother to go to Qin."
Ying Xiaozheng knew very well that the nobles of the six countries, such as the Queen Mother Xuan, could fight for hegemony for the Qin State, but they would never destroy their own countries for the Qin State.
Just like his future prime minister, Changping Jun Xiong Qi.
In order to prevent his future self from destroying Zhao, Changping Jun Xiong Qi rebelled against Qin in Chen Ying and was enthroned as King of Chu in Huainan, which greatly disrupted his future self's path to unifying the six kingdoms.
Only someone like his mother, who was of humble origin, stupid and short-sighted, would not become an obstacle to his unification of the six kingdoms.
Ying Xiaozheng took a few deep breaths and came to his own conclusion: "My father's plan was probably to let my mother take me to seek refuge with my uncle, but he never thought that my mother was even more short-sighted, stupid, and arrogant than he imagined."
My mother abandoned my uncle and aunt, but she did not feel any guilt towards them. So she would not follow my father's expectation and bring her child to beg for forgiveness and shelter from her uncle and aunt.
She just arrogantly abandoned herself outside her uncle's house and ordered her uncle to raise her in a condescending tone.
Ying Xiaozheng sat beside his future self again, his little face dark at first, then gradually turning red.
"What evil did my uncle do to deserve to meet my father, the king, and my mother, the queen?"
Ying Xiaozheng doesn't think he is a good person.
He will become emperor, and emperors cannot be good people.
But even though Ying Xiaozheng scoffed at the so-called moral cultivation, he was still amazed at the behavior of his father and mother.
It’s okay for the Queen Mother, that’s just the way she is.
Father, is it really okay for you to lie to your uncle like this? When your uncle learns the truth, will he still be kind to me without any grudges
Ying Xiaozheng realized that he seemed to have been deceived by his father.
"Fortunately, he died early." Ying Xiaozheng gritted his little teeth and said something very filial.
After only ten days together, Ying Xiaozheng had already seen that his uncle was a kind and honest person. He recalled his uncle's praise for "Xia Tong" and his kindness to him, and felt extremely embarrassed.
Ying Xiaozheng decided to keep this matter secret.
The later his uncle learned the truth, the angrier he would be. He would never tell his uncle the truth in advance.
Father, you should figure out how to explain this to your uncle!
Ying Xiaozheng took a deep breath and suppressed the depression and embarrassment in his heart.
The father is not a good father. He not only schemed against his best friend, but also schemed against his young child. Conspiracies and intrigues are not the way of the king!
"If my father had not met my uncle, where would my uncle be?" After Ying Xiaozheng calmed down, he began to think about his future memories and the differences between them and reality.
A man as powerful as my uncle should be able to get an official position even if I don't know I am related to him.
Where would my uncle be in my future in the dream room
I have never heard of such an amazing person.
Could it be that my uncle...
Was it the Battle of Changping? Or the war to wipe out the State of Zhao? Or... Or...
Ying Xiaozheng "remembered" that after defeating Zhao, he personally went to Handan and killed those who had insulted him when he was young.
But he was less than a teenager when he left Zhao State, and his memory of his childhood was not particularly clear. Therefore, most of the enemies he killed were names given by his mother.
A sense of panic suddenly arose in Ying Xiaozheng's heart.
The uncle in that time and space, could it be...
No, it can't be, it can't be like this!
Even after entering the dream room, Ying Xiaozheng's thinking became unusually clear, but his mind was still that of a young child.
The sudden panic made him lose his mind, and for the first time, he woke up early, before he had even stayed in the dream room for half an hour.
After waking up in shock, Ying Xiaozheng kicked the quilt away and stumbled out.
"Uncle! Uncle!"
"Uncle, where are you!"
"Woo, woo, woo, uncle!"
After copying half of the book, Zhu Xiang was taken to the front hall by Xunzi to teach him how to use the sword. He quickly threw the sword away, almost hitting the foot of Cai Ze who was standing next to him.
"Zheng'er? What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Zhu Xiang picked up his crying nephew and patted Ying Xiaozheng's back to comfort him, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. With your uncle here, you don't have to be afraid of anything."
“Uncle, don’t die, don’t die…” Ying Xiaozheng’s mind was a mess. He only remembered that his uncle was dead. In the future he saw, his uncle did not exist. “Wuwuwu, uncle must not die!”
"Ah? Okay, I won't die." Zhu Xiang was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and rubbed Ying Xiaozheng's bald head. "Uncle will not die. Uncle will always be with Zheng'er, so he won't die."
Ying Xiaozheng sniffed and said, "I'm going to look for the elixir of life. One pill for me and one for my uncle!"
Zhu Xiang exclaimed "Ah" again, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
My future First Emperor, have you been thinking about the elixir of life when you were still the First Emperor’s cub
[Ding, it is detected that the host is recognized by the Lord of Luck of this era. The space-time repulsion is decreasing, and the system activation progress is 99.1%, 99.5%, 99.9%, 100%. ]
[System activation successful.]
Zhu Xiang: “???!”
(End of this chapter)