Spoiling History: Starting from the Three Kingdoms

The first fine snow fell in Chang'an in November.

A young man wrapped his clothes tightly and walked into the gate of Taixue. He watched a gust of cold wind swirling and rolling up some snow powder on the ground.

This sight made him hesitate for a moment, and he chose to take the corridor instead to avoid the wind and snow.

Today, Taixue is no longer as empty as when Duke Xuande first came to Chang'an.

The renovated Imperial College was packed with craftsmen, students, and ordinary people who came to inquire about new methods of farming or keeping out the cold during the off-season.

Young people walked through it, looking at those who didn't care about the snow falling around them and talked calmly in the cold wind - most of them were locals in Yongliang Pass.

Opposite of them is another group of people, either holding out their hands to catch the snow in the corridor, or walking around in the yard listening to the squeaking sound of the snow compacted by the soles of their shoes - most of them are from Yizhou like him. Someone comes.

However...according to friends I've met in Guanzhong, the snow will be several times heavier in December, and I don't know what the scenery will be like.

And I wonder how many coal cakes Changan can store before the heavy snow falls?

With all kinds of calculations running in his head, he walked through two corridors and finally turned into a side hall, where the cold wind was blocked out.

However, the dark room made him frown slightly. After putting down the letter in his hand, the first thing he did was to trim the wick, and the darkness in the room was instantly dispelled.

The change in lighting also woke up Lu Su, who was concentrating on the calculations and deductions in his hands. He looked up and said with a smile:

Hu Du, you came at the right time. Please help me understand this idea of ​​a chicken and a rabbit in the same cage. Is this right or wrong?

Hu Du turned around and smiled:

Dr. Lu, this calculation is not advanced, and now it is supplemented by an abacus. How can it be wrong?

Oh, by the way, a certain eldest father has made the decision to rename me Ma and give me a loyal name. I will not forget the kindness of Duke Xuande. The name of Dexin is the foundation of my life.

Speaking of Hu Du... Ma Zhong placed the letter he brought in front of Lu Su:

Dr. Lu, the reply from Shangjun should mean that there is finally news about the matter that I asked about half a year ago.

Lu Su looked happy and said while opening the letter:

Ma Zhong and Ma Dexin are indeed a good name. Your father's concern must be because of the imperial examination.

Ma Zhong nodded and confirmed:

Participating in the imperial examination is my wish and my father's wish. If Xuande Gong is used, it will be quite troublesome to change my name at that time, so I will change my name at this time.

Lu Su understood, but he still felt like he heard this name from Pang Tong...

With a tremor of his hand, he unfolded the letter he took out and read it under the light while sighing:

If only there were electric lights...wait...

The mountain fruits in Qiyi County also produce coal!

Shangjun is also called Shangjun, where open-air coal is spread over ten miles and is easily accessible?

Ma Zhong was still thinking about what Dr. Lu meant by the electric light, when he was startled by the suddenly rising tone of his voice.

The face of Dr. Lu in front of him was ecstatic, not at all like the gentleman from Jiangzuo in the past.

Ma Zhong can also understand this.

Today, most of the coal cakes used in Chang'an are collected from Jiangzhou, made in Chengdu, and transported to Hanzhong, while the rest are scattered from Yongliang, Hanzhong.

This material was used in Yizhou to light fires, smelt iron, boil sugar or boil paper pulp.

After Xuande's military victory in the Wei River Valley, the use of coal cakes to dispel the cold became more prominent than ever.

As far as Ma Zhong knew, Duke Xuande had been sending people to find places to mine coal in Guanzhong since he entered Chang'an.

According to Mr. Zhuge, before Dong Zhuo took the emperor and moved west to Chang'an, coal was used in Luoyang's official affairs, but it was all produced in Shanyang and other places, and Guanzhong could not count on it.

Where is Qiyi County? Ma Zhong was curious.

Lu Su looked excited:

It's only a hundred and fifty miles north of Chang'an!

So Ma Zhong also became happy together. One hundred and fifty miles meant that as long as this winter passed, Chang'an would be self-sufficient in coal consumption from next year.

Can Chang'an be as prosperous as Chengdu?

Then go to the county...? Ma Zhong asked.

The joy on Lu Su's face paused for a moment and he said:

Chang'an is a thousand miles away to the north.

That means we can't count on it for the time being, maybe we can leave it to our descendants.

Lu Su pondered for a moment and said:

Trouble with Dexin.

Send this letter to Military Advisor Zhuge.

Ma Zhong took the order and left.

Although he has not been crowned, he is quick-thinking and comes from the Little Imperial College in Chengdu, which can be considered as coming from the disciples of Mr. Kong Ming. In addition, his family is poor, so he took advantage of the shortage of manpower in the Imperial College in Chang'an to make a living. Now he is highly regarded by Lu Su. .

As for the exploration of coal, it was because someone from Taixue had followed him earlier, so now there will be a reply.

A wisp of cold wind slipped in through the crack in the door while Ma Zhong was leaving. It collided with the light in a panic, causing a wave of light and shadow to sway, leaving Lu Su stunned for a moment.

He still remembered that at this time last year, he was still anxious because of Sun Hou's sudden behavior.

Now that the new year is approaching, the thoughts in my heart and my heart are completely different from those of the past forty years.

As for Jiangdong's affairs, they have long been out of consideration.

The first official imperial examination in the Han Dynasty's four hundred years will be officially implemented by his hands.

Duke Xuande hoped to use this system as a powerful counterattack against Cao Cao's order to recruit talents.

Kong Ming hoped to use the imperial examination to test his sword, suppress the powerful and promote the poor, and try a method that was completely different from the history of later generations.

As for himself... Lu Su shook his head and laughed in his heart that he thought too much.

He stretched and picked the wick again to adjust the brightness.

Holding the Sutra in one hand and using the beaded abacus in the other hand, with the annotations on the Sutra given by Kong Ming next to him, Lu Su was immersed in learning again.

From July to now, Lu Su has almost always been in a bad state.

Particular attention was paid to arithmetic, which was revered as the king of science by later generations.

Although there are only a few people in the world who specialize in arithmetic, no matter it is Xuande Gong, Kong Ming or Lu Su, they are all determined to teach arithmetic.

In this case, how to formulate test questions has become a problem. Fortunately, Lu Su has gradually gained an idea.

Ma Zhong carried the letter returned by Dr. Lu and walked through several corridors to the east side of Taixue. It was guarded by guards and difficult for ordinary students to approach.

After checking the talisman with the guard, he was released. As soon as Ma Zhong got into the yard, he saw a strange lantern slowly floating from the yard in front, rising into the air without any drag, and it was still going on. rise.

Ma Zhong could hear the discussion in the courtyard next to him and was very surprised. Even the guard who had just verified his talisman couldn't help but stop and take a few more glances.

However, Ma Zhong still remembers what Mr. Kong Ming said before: distinguish the object, analyze the reason, and follow the reason to draw parallels.

Therefore, he immediately suppressed the conjecture related to gods and ghosts in his mind, but was curious about the principle of this thing?

Entering the yard in front, you are not surprised to see Mr. Kong Ming standing there with his hands behind his back, and Mr. Pang Tong next to him, raising his head to look at the strange lanterns flying farther and farther in the sky.

Mr. Kong Ming was easy-going by nature, so Ma Zhong was curious and asked directly:

Sir, what is the principle of this Kongming Lantern?

What puzzled Ma Zhong was that a simple question made the two gentlemen look different.

Mr. Kong Ming looked helpless, and Mr. Pang smiled narrowly:

How come Fox Du thinks this lantern is called Kongming Lantern?

Ma Zhong looked at Pang Tong and said:

Since it was made by Mr. Kong Ming, it is naturally called Kong Ming Lantern.

Pang Tong's smiling face suddenly froze, and he shook his sleeves slightly angrily:

Why do you think something cannot be produced?

Ma Zhong didn't care so much, and immediately explained the name change to the two of them.

Kong Ming's expression softened a lot, and he also gave some words of encouragement.

However, when asked by Ma Zhong on how the Kong Ming Lantern was launched into the sky, Kong Ming also said that he did not know the details and could only briefly talk about thermodynamics, a knowledge only known by its name.

After a short break in the chat, Ma Zhong finally remembered when he saw that the strange lantern that had flown high into the sky was blown over by a strong wind and spun around.

Sir, Dr. Lu sent me...

But there is news about coal coming out of the mountains in Qiyi County?

Kong Ming nodded and said:

Mr. Xuande is also aware of this matter. Starting from February next year, the matter of the Qiqi Coal Plant will be discussed.

Ma Zhong blinked and said he would go back immediately to tell Dr. Lu not to worry.

Watching the young man who had not yet been crowned leave, Pang Tong said quietly:

Is this Ma Zhong, one of the fourteenth civil servant?

Kong Ming nodded, a smile reappearing on his face:

Looking at his place of origin, his age, and his talents, he is probably Zhenma Zhongye. This boy will definitely stand out in the imperial examination.

I wonder what will happen when this son meets Duke Xuande?

The smile on Pang Tong's face was quite joyful:

This scene must be breathtaking. I wish I could see it with my own eyes right now.

It is no secret that Xuande Gong's men are short of good talents.

The casual remarks of younger generations may contain the essence of subtle insights.

Therefore, in their spare time, Kong Ming and others would often choose to read the Light Curtain Notes again, observing its details, seeking the reputation of talented people, or looking for subtle words and great meanings.

As a result, the person who was dug out first was not a matter of small talk, but Ma Zhong himself.

According to what later generations said, he was praised by Xuande Gong for his talent, and he was able to assist Zhuge Liang in managing Nanzhong. He even participated in the decision-making of national policies by himself, and was responsible for the internal and external troubles in Chengdu, and finally gained a reputation as a virtuous person.

But what about Ma Zhong from Jiangdong?

He moved to Nanzhong and attacked bravely, supporting the Nanjun formation to kill Pan Zhang. He was outstanding in martial arts and literary talent...

Xuande Gong once ordered him to write an article, but he managed to hold back six words in seven days, and there were five typos. No matter how you look at it, it is difficult to associate with Xian.

Moreover, later generations also recorded that after General Yunchang defeated Maicheng, the general who captured and killed his father and son was also named Ma Zhong. At that time, Kong Ming and Pang Tong speculated that they might have the same name.

Now this speculation is completely confirmed.

Kong Ming looked at Pang Tong's expression and didn't comment too much, because he didn't intend to inform Duke Xuande of the matter.

Let’s see if this son becomes famous in the imperial examination!

The two of them stood in the soft snow, putting aside the interesting story of Ma Zhong for the time being, and began to discuss how to perfect the use of coal in Qiyi County.

At this time, the two of them couldn't help but start to envy the Er Phoenix Majesty.

It is clear from the millennium climate change map that they are completely opposite to those in the early Tang Dynasty.

The hundred years of the prosperous Tang Dynasty were warm enough for rice to be grown in Zhuozhou, but in a few years of these troubled times, I am afraid that the rice grown in Jiangdong will not yield much.

As the cold days get longer and longer, if you want to avoid resisting the Hu people from going south, you must first solve the heating problem of soldiers and people, that is, the use of coal.

It's only a hundred and fifty miles from Chang'an to Xue. The road between the two places can be paved with cement and supplemented by rail transportation. How about using this as the lifeline of Chang'an?

Can.

As for Shangjun...

Pang Tong was quite hesitant when he said this. After all, this place is thousands of miles away from Chang'an. This distance cannot be solved by cement or rails:

It is too early to talk about taking the mines from Shangjun at this time. We must first take the east of the river and restore the two counties of Xihe in Taiyuan. From this point, we can look to the north to determine Xiangyunzhong, and we may be able to restore the town of Wuyuan in Shuofang...

As he talked, Pang Tong felt that he couldn't go on.

If you are familiar with the history of the Han Dynasty, you will be familiar with Shangjun, because to the north of this county are the famous Shuofang County and Wuyuan County.

Both counties were established by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in order to secure the Hetao to the Han Dynasty. However, the distance between the two counties to the Han Dynasty eventually brought down Emperor Wu. The guard of the Hetao did not achieve what Emperor Wu had envisioned at that time. state.

The reason why the two counties spent a lot of money is also very simple. Although this place is located due north of Chang'an, it is blocked by mountains. So far, it is necessary to go around the east of the river and pass through Yanmen and Dingxiang to get there.

But fortunately, Emperor Wu's efforts were not completely fruitless. At least the Han'er here were really good at fighting, such as Lu Bu and Zhang Liao...

For a moment, Pang Tong thought of a lot, but in the end the only response he received was Kong Ming's simple word:

good.

Seeing Pang Tong's surprised expression, Kong Ming said softly:

According to the reply, the coal mines in Shangjun are vast and immeasurable. If the Cao thieves can be eliminated and Emperor Wu's plan is restored, the coal from Shangjun can be transported to Hedong nearby, thereby protecting Hebei from the severe cold.

Pang Tong nodded, this was also the truth, but deep down he also understood that it was simple for Kong Ming to say it, but the final execution may require countless plans, and finally he linked up a huge plan to reverse the climate and end the troubled times.

But isn't this what they want to do?

Just at this moment, a cry came from the next room:

Steam the garlic, distill the vinegar, and it's done!

Kong Ming and Pang Tong immediately cheered up and hurried over to greet him.

When Ma Zhong saw the Kong Ming Lantern being released by the two of them, it was actually something he did casually when he was bored and waiting.

The real purpose is to get a glimpse of the magical effects of allicin.

I had previously communicated with the young master of the Tang Dynasty on the light screen. Although the other party did not know the specific method of distillation, he still put forward many useful insights.

In the end, Kong Ming, Pang Tong and Zhang Zhongjing worked all day and night to draft a simple distillation device.

Then the craftsmen were asked to bake it according to the drawings. It was not until yesterday that the distillation device was finally completed.

Then the two of them rushed here early in the morning and saw Doctor Zhang who had already been busy with his disciples.

Unable to intervene, the two simply set up a Kongming lantern on the spot and talked about the upcoming events.

Fortunately, after waiting until this time, the results finally came.

Zhang Zhongjing couldn't hide the tiredness on his face when he pushed the door open.

But the old miracle doctor had no time to think about it. He carefully raised a transparent glass bottle in his hand and stared at the light yellow object inside, dazzled.

The miracle medicine of future generations will finally be achieved.