After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Shao Xun summoned Liu Runzhong at Chongming Temple in Jianshi Hall and comforted him a lot.
Liu Ye did not come forward because she was pregnant and was not feeling well.
The daughter she gave birth to in the twelfth month of the 10th year of Yongjia died of illness in November last year.
This is Shao Xun's second child who died in infancy.
We have been fighting wars, patrolling, training troops, and managing politics all year round, but we have never met him a few times. The result is that the yin and yang are separated, which is a pity.
After meeting Liu Runzhong, he gave a lot of property from Ningshuo Palace because he heard that Liu Runzhong had bled a lot for this marriage.
The groom's name is Sun Jue. Although he is not a relative of the Sun family in Zhongdu, his family situation is not very good. I heard that he has been working as a farmer.
Sun Jue was still a concubine, and wanted to marry into a wealthy family, but there was no way to do so. People also didn't think much of the Sun family in Zhongdu, which was declining. The entire family only had three to four hundred villagers, so it was extremely poor.
Therefore, when he was twenty-two years old, he still failed to marry a wife despite being unable to achieve high or low results.
The daughter Liu Runzhong married was his legitimate daughter. She was fifteen years old this year, seven years younger than Sun Jue. She also had a fortune of tens of millions and lived a prosperous life.
Although Shao Xun was happy to see this kind of thing, he was still shocked when he heard all the details.
Some things are not impressive enough if you don’t experience them yourself.
The crazy pursuit of old money by the new rich reminded him of the obsession of the new rich capitalists with aristocratic women during the Industrial Revolution. They were so wealthy and powerful that they would not hesitate to spend a lot of money to marry into aristocratic families whose financial situation was deteriorating.
Forget it, the eldest brother doesn’t talk about the second brother.
Although he doesn't lick now, he paid great attention to pleasing women when he started.
Liu Runzhong loves him as much as he likes.
This is the trend of the times. From top to bottom, the whole people is enthusiastic about it. It cannot be changed by one person in a short time.
Overall, it's probably progress.
The corrupted old gentry themselves were shuffled and replaced to a certain extent.
The land in the hands of the gentry had a smaller population and more resources directly under the imperial court.
The number of noble clans has increased, they have become more diverse, and their average strength has declined.
It is not easy to make any progress.
After Liu Runzhong left Chongming Temple, he immediately sent people on flying horses back to Shangdang to convey the message.
Liu Quan, the general of Heqing Town who was celebrating the New Year at home, took the decision on behalf of his father. He counted his family wealth and chose 200 slaves, 300 horses, 2,000 cattle, and 50,000 sheep as dowry.
After the news spread back to Pingyang, it caused a huge sensation.
Especially when I heard that the betrothal gift promised by the Sun family was only more than a hundred volumes of books, the disparity between the two made the marriage even more popular.
For a time, there were those who ridiculed, those who admired, those who reviled, and those who thought deeply.
On the whole, most people laughed at the Sun family in Zhongdu, saying that they were crazy about money. Didn't this ruin Sun Jue's life?
He works hard in Taiyuan and earns his own living. Others still praise him as a benevolent man in ancient times. What does it mean to marry a Hu girl for money now?
If it were not for the strong background of the Shangdang Liu family and the support of the King of Liang, the prospects of the Sun family in the officialdom of Zhongdu would definitely be affected - those who break hundreds of years of stereotypes will inevitably be criticized. Compared with the marriage between Sun and Liu, If there is a second or third marriage later, the pressure may be much less.
But no matter what, as a big news in the first month of the fifth year of the Divine Turtle, this matter was excerpted by someone who wrote "Pingyang Supplements".
****
After not seeing each other for a year, my parents are getting older, but they are still in good spirits.
However, they are not used to living in Ningshuo Palace because there is no place to grow vegetables here.
There was no way around it. In early February, Shao Xun personally carried a rake and plowed away part of the valuable flowers and plants collected by Liu Cong, clearing out a vegetable patch for his mother.
For older people, sudden changes to the way they have lived for decades may not be a good thing.
Furthermore, my parents only grew a few fruits and vegetables as a source of sustenance. The labor intensity was greatly reduced compared to that of growing food in the past, and it was actually not that tiring.
"After February, are you going out again?" Mother Liu asked as she took out the salted water from several water tanks under the eaves and washed it.
"Yes." Shao Xun kept turning over the ground and said.
"You are good at farming." Ms. Liu glanced at her and said, "If there was no chaos in the world, with your body and your skills in farming, marrying a good and well-raised girl in the countryside of Donghai would not be a problem."
Shao Xun looked at Yang Xianrong, who was making tea at the side, and the two looked at each other and smiled.
Farming on the shores of the East China Sea? How can there be true peace in this world? In the end, a locust plague will make you so hungry that your chest is pressed against your back. I dare not think about what will happen in the end.
After Yang Xianrong made the tea, he hesitated for a moment.
Shao Xun gave her an encouraging look.
Yang Xianrong's eyes were red. He gritted his teeth, walked up to Mr. Liu with a tea bowl, and said softly: "Madam, please have some tea."
Ms. Liu was stunned for a moment.
Shao Xun signaled to his mother with his eyes.
Mrs. Liu reacted, took the tea with both hands, and said: "Changqiu, sit down quickly."
Yang Xianrong bowed and sat down gracefully.
Shao Xun smiled at her.
Yang Xianrong had never made tea or served tea to his mother before. Today was the first time.
Her identity is "Queen Hui", and the title of her mother Liu is "Mrs. Liang Guotai". Which one is older and which one is younger is self-evident - to be honest, there is no systematic system of married women in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and it is not even as good as Liu Hanhui in this regard. Institutional innovation.
In addition, Yang Xianrong's family background is top-notch, and the pride she has developed since childhood does not allow her to be condescending. Being able to do this today is simply unprecedented, and it also reflects Shao Xun's continuous improvement in status.
"Bang!" Shao Xun raked with his backhand, breaking the hardened mud balls, and continued to loosen the ground.
The spring weather is just right today and there is a slight warmth.
Eating the food cooked by my mother at home, flirting with my lovely wife and beautiful family for a while, and listening to the sounds of children playing, such peace is indeed not common.
But this is his back house, just a corner of the world.
The tranquility here means nothing.
While the troops are busy, you can take a break here, release your desires, cultivate your sentiments, and change your mind, but after all, you can't be too nostalgic.
"Auntie, what are you going to plant in this vegetable field this year?" Shao Xun asked casually after loosening the soil, sitting behind a special tea table, washing his hands first, and then pouring himself a bowl of tea.
Yang Xianrong chatted happily with Mr. Liu.
In fact, as long as you put down your airs and think things through, with Yangyang's emotional intelligence and knowledge, it won't be a problem to please Ms. Liu.
"Of course we plant leeks in early spring, but it's a pity that you don't come back to eat them." Ms. Liu complained.
"What did you sow when you harvested spring leeks?" Shao Xun asked, sipping tea comfortably and bathing in the cool spring breeze.
"Grow whatever you want." Mrs. Liu said, "Maybe let Cai Shangshu help me build some bamboo frames and plant courgettes."
Shao Xun almost spit out his tea.
The dignified Cao Shangshu is here to set up a cucumber stand for you?
Yang Xianrong's eyes turned around, and his eyes were full of smiles.
"Plant some okra in autumn, and some turnips in late autumn..." Ms. Liu counted them one by one.
"I brought over some evening seeds from Guangcheng Palace. These seeds were cultivated in the green garden at the foot of Kongtong Mountain." Yang Xianrong said softly: "While the king was in Lishi Mountain, I sent several carts.
It’s very sweet and refreshing.”
"It's really delicious." Shao Xun said.
Crossing turnips and cabbages can produce many strange things.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a saying of "picking and collecting 葑, east of Shouyang", and 葑 was the predecessor of water spinach. The ancestors planted various vegetables without knowing it, and the vegetables were naturally hybridized, and then they were selected by accident.
Come out and continue planting.
During the Han and Wei dynasties, people continued to plant cabbage and turnips. Under the long-term natural hybridization, cabbage continued to mutate. By the Western Jin Dynasty, cabbage was a leafy vegetable very similar to rapeseed and green vegetables.
Historically, during the Northern Wei Dynasty, a kind of wok that could withstand severe frosts suddenly appeared in Luoyang.
Compared with traditional Chinese cabbage, this plant is much larger and is called "big Chinese cabbage". Its color has also changed, no longer pure green, but a little white.
Emperor Xuanwu of the Wei Dynasty sent a boat to Nanliang. After the prince Xiao Tong ate it, he was full of praise and wrote "Xie Chilai Henan Cuisine Qi" and "Xie Chilai Da Songqi" to express his gratitude. From then on, it suddenly became popular.
Look up - there is a big difference in style between Da Siong and later generations of cabbage. Rather than looking like cabbage, it is more like rapeseed, or baby cabbage.
Shao Xun has always wanted to create cabbage.
In ancient times, it was slowly discovered through the process of long-term natural hybridization. Sometimes new species even appeared, but they were ignored. You must know that seeds will degenerate. In history, some people in the Tang Dynasty brought big cabbage from the south to the north.
Planted, and two years later they all turned into turnips...
Cuiyuan has been artificially growing turnips and cabbage for nearly 20 years, and finally developed a large cabbage that can withstand severe winter frosts, and its properties are stable and will not deteriorate.
In this way, people will have another fresh dish on their winter tables.
"This thing is called 'little cabbage' or 'big rice'. Whichever you think is better, call it." Shao Xun put down the tea bowl and said: "Winning a few battles will not be remembered for thousands of years, but little cabbage will make everyone
I all remember you."
Yang Xianrong covered his mouth and smiled.
She was just playing along with the man. She could do whatever he liked and play with him. But she didn't expect to actually play something new, and she was very happy.
"Forget it, just plant some big sativa this year, put it away after the frost, and wait for you to come back to eat." When he said this, Mrs. Liu looked at Shao Xun with earnest eyes.
"Okay." Shao Xun nodded.
Ms. Liu smiled happily.
"In a few days-" Yang Xianrong said.
"In a few days, I'll be plowing with the Huangtou Army men to get some exercise." Shao Xun said, "After the spring plowing in Pingyang, I'll go to Lishi. It'll be a little later over there. Kelan, the two counties of Taiyuan planted winter wheat last year. I want to
Let's go and have a look. Maybe we'll patrol the river and see if we can find an opportunity to give Liu Yang and Shi Le a try so that they can attack Shuofang without any worries."
"Can the army come back after crossing the river?" Yang Xianrong was not an ignorant person. She understood military and political affairs, so she asked.
"The big army can't come back, but it's not difficult for a small group of men and horses. I will transfer the capture army and the mule army over, and slowly play with Shi Le." Shao Xun said.
"Shi Le is really unlucky for eight lifetimes when he meets you." Yang Xianrong said with a smile.
"When the spring plowing comes, you accompany me." Shao Xun said.
Yang Xianrong was surprised at first, then hummed slightly, his face blushing a little.
"And Wenjun." Shao Xun said again.
Yang Xianrong's face suddenly changed.
Shao Xun pretended not to notice and drank tea leisurely.
The spring sun is melting, the breeze is blowing, and the lazy atmosphere almost makes people think that we are still in a peaceful and prosperous age.
On the fifth day of the second lunar month, the troops capturing the dead marched westward from Heyang and headed towards Pingyang.
The Mule Army also began to inspect equipment and sent scouts north to explore several ferries in advance in order to formulate a battle plan.
Shao Xun came to the southern suburbs of Pingyang and started spring plowing.
Chapter completed!