Marquis Shen also stood up: "My country has lived in Jianghan for a long time and is familiar with the geography. I request you to lead your own troops as the vanguard to lead the way."

Ji Zheng faced Zhao Bohu and said: "What Shenhou said is true. We are new here and are not familiar with the route. It is not as good as Shenhou who knows the way. What's more, with the guidance of E Shizi, we will definitely get twice the result with half the effort."

Zhao Bohu waved his hand: "Then I will follow the request of Marquis Shen."

Ji Duoyou was about to say something, but Ji Zheng glared at him, scolded him back, and walked out angrily.

As night falls, bonfires are lit beside the Han River. Both soldiers and civilians gather around the flames, grilling food, or sitting and chatting, enjoying this moment of tranquility. Until dawn, it will be another difficult and dangerous journey.

.

I don't know where the sound of the xun came from, it was low, melodious, soft and melodious, just like a woman confiding in a quiet night. This song is soothing and sad, like flowing water, like a daughter, like lovesickness---but no matter what the artistic conception is,

It’s different in the Central Plains, but it’s so soul-stirring when you listen to it.

The moonlight was like water, the mist was filled, the sound of the xun had stopped, and the lingering sound was lingering. Everyone looked at the green and vast distant mountains, and their hearts were enveloped by lingering and sad feelings. The bonfire gradually extinguished, but no one went up to add more firewood, for fear of breaking the atmosphere.

Dreamlike silence. Ji Hu's young face was covered with tears. Somehow, he missed his mother so much at this moment. He had been away from the palace for a long time, but he didn't know if she was well? Will his father blame her?

?

"What's wrong? Are you crying so sadly?" Zhao Bohu asked in a low voice and quietly handed him a piece of handkerchief. Ji Hu refused to take it and wiped his face with his sleeve casually: "It's nothing, I just feel a little homesick."

E Shan put down the xun in her hand and said sadly: "After all, the young master still has a family, but my brother and I have lost our parents and are homeless."

"Girl, why are you so sad? When we drive the Chu people out of Hubei, you can regain your homeland." Ji Duoyou comforted.

"It's easier said than done?" Shi Yufang, the Prince of E, was not as optimistic as him at all: "You don't know how powerful Xiong Qu is. He has extraordinary bravery and is especially good at archery. It is said that he can shoot rocks without feathers, which even Hou Yi in ancient times couldn't.

In comparison, he has been plotting against our country of Hubei for more than a day, and now that he has finally conquered the city of Hubei, how can he be willing to spit out his words easily? Alas, I just hope that I can lead my countrymen to find another place to settle down and establish a country, so I have fulfilled my wish.

Anyway, this is not the first time I have moved to Hubei."

Ji Hu wanted to make up for his previous gaffe, so he changed the subject and asked: "Brother Shizi, why does Chu State have to destroy your E State? Is there any deep hatred?"

"Alas..." Ji Yufang sighed: "This is a long story to say. Our E country was originally a tribe that hunted crocodiles for a living here during the Xia and Shang Dynasties. The crocodile has always been a totem. In the Shang Dynasty, it ranked among the three nobles.

Oh, they have the same status as your ancestor King Wen. Later, the daughter of the Nine Lords committed a crime against King Zhou of Shang Dynasty, and both father and daughter were made into meat sauce. My ancestor spoke for them and was also executed. At that time, the country of E was still

In the land of Hefen.

Later, the Jin State continued to oppress us, and our country had to move to Jianghan. When King Xianzhao attacked Jingchu, our E State was a vanguard and followed three expeditions. Therefore, the Chu people hated our E State to the core. Of course, this is not the main reason.

.The reason why Chu State has been plotting against our country of Hubei for decades is just for the copper mines in the territory. With copper, they can make tripods, armor and chariots, and dominate Jianghan, and even the Central Plains of Northern China."

"if there is

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I, Ji Duoyou, am here and I will never let their plans succeed!" Duoyou said angrily while holding his sword. The faint moonlight shone on his face, making his outline as clear and deep as a distant mountain.

Zhao Bohu ordered in a firm and unquestionable voice: "I will go with Marquis Shen tomorrow and will be guided by Prince E. Zi Liang, you will follow behind!"

"I want to go with the young master - ah no, with my brother!" Ji Hu grabbed his sleeve and begged. Zhao Bohu was afraid that if he disagreed, the child would cause more trouble, so he had no choice but to nod.

The Yangtze River and Han River basins are said to be plains, but they are actually hilly areas. Although the mountains are not as steep as the mountains in the north, they can be continuously undulating and stretch for dozens of miles. If it were not for E Shizi leading the way,

The Wang division led by Zhao Bohu had no idea that this inconspicuous hill with a radius of only two kilometers in front of them was actually the famous Tonglu Mountain.

After crossing the Han River for more than ten days, Xiaoxing stayed overnight. The group was really exhausted and decided to rest at the foot of the mountain for a night before going up the mountain to explore the copper mines. Zhao Bohu knew very well that "reading thousands of books"

"It's better to travel thousands of miles." He took this opportunity to let Ji Hu get familiar with the mountains and landforms here, so as to prepare a good reserve of knowledge for future governance. During these days, he often gave Ji Hu practical lectures from time to time. Now he has arrived at Tonglu Mountain,

It even opened up the conversation.

The two men, called brothers but actually teachers and students, leaned beside the car and started asking questions.

"Brother, how much copper is there in this copper-green mountain?" Ji Hu asked curiously.

Zhao Bohu thought for a while and said: "Let's put it this way, all the ritual vessels made by my Zhou Dynasty for annual sacrifices, all the weapons needed by the Sixth Division of Xi and the Eighth Division of Chengzhou every year, and all the copper needed for repairing armored chariots.

, are all produced here. And all the arrowheads used by the army for training and fighting are all mined from the large mines in Tonglushan."

Ji Hu stuck out his tongue: "My dear, so many? No wonder the Chu people are so aggressive and insist on taking the Tonglu Mountain? But in this case, we must not let the Chu people get this mountain!"

"Yes! Remember, there are only two important things for a country, one is to sacrifice the ancestors of heaven and earth, and the other is to fight and protect the people. These two important things are inseparable from copper. A country does not have sufficient copper resources.

We won't be able to settle down and make a living, let alone expand our territory." Zhao Bohu looked serious.

"However, such an important mine is within the borders of the country of Hubei. Now that the Hubei people have lost their country, how can we rely on them to defend Tonglu Mountain? Master Wang cannot defend this place for a long time, and this is not a long-term solution!

"Ji Hu was a little anxious.

Zhao Bohu looked at him with more appreciation and surprise: "I didn't expect you to have such insight at such a young age. It's rare! It's rare!"

"What are you two brothers talking about?" Ji Yufang appeared out of nowhere and interrupted their conversation.

"We are talking about this bronze mountain! I just don't know why it is called this name. You are here and you can explain it!" Zhao Bohu deliberately changed the subject.

"Is this it?" Prince E cast his eyes on the grass beside him, as if searching for something. He suddenly pulled up a clump of plants that looked like foxtail grass: "It's because of this - the copper grass flower. Now it looks like an ordinary weed.

There is not much difference, but when it blooms in autumn and September, the mountain is full of this kind of lavender wildflower, which is so beautiful all over the mountain. Legend has it that the coppergrass flower only grows in places with copper mines underground.

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It grows everywhere, and wherever there are coppergrass flowers, there are copper mines. But it only blooms in autumn and September and bears fruit in October. It is only green in spring and summer, just like ordinary weeds. Therefore, this mountain is full of copper.

The grass mountain has become a bronze mountain."

"Really?" Ji Hu's eyes shone brightly, and he blurted out: "Are those flowers pretty? When I defeat the Chu soldiers and return in triumph, I will pick a few and put them in the sachet and give them to my mother------give them to me.

Mom, take it back and have a look."

Zhao Bohu touched his head and said, "By the time you get back to Haojing, your copper grass flowers will have already become dried flowers."

The three of them laughed loudly. Hubei Yufang had heard that Duke Zhao's first wife had passed away, but seeing Ji Hu's young age, he thought he was born from Duke Zhao's concubine, so he did not raise any suspicion.

After chatting for a while, they dispersed and went back to their tents to rest.

When the prestigious Tonglushan mining site appeared in front of them, both the well-informed Zhao Bohu and the fledgling Ji Hu were stunned. They were shocked by the scale of the copper mine and the complexity of mining.

.Who would have thought that a hill with a radius of four to five miles, which looks inconspicuous from the outside, is so vast inside that it can accommodate thousands of people working at the same time.

On the rock wall at the back of the valley, there are dozens of densely packed mine holes, which are only big enough for an adult to crawl in. There is a shaft connected to each mine hole, and from time to time there are shaft ropes to hoist the excavated ore baskets.

Then the miners outside hunched over the bamboo and wood scaffolding built simply between the rock walls and handed it out. The workers outside picked the collected ores one by one and poured the essence into a huge casting furnace.

Prepare to extract the copper from the stone.

At the bottom of the valley, there are two huge caves. Outside the cave, there are two casting furnaces standing side by side. E Yufang is like a commentator: "There are also two casting furnaces in the cave. Once it rains or snows outside, you can still cast inside."

, without missing work hours.”

"The furnace is on -", a long roar came from the bottom of the valley, and the trumpet of "Hey yo hey yo -" sounded. A dozen bare-chested miners stood on two sides above the furnace, bending down to lift a huge wooden pole.

. Just listening to the loud noise of "giggling", the casting oven was tilted and raised, and the hot copper fluid poured out of the furnace mouth, flowing along the special diamond groove into the copper model that has been prepared underneath.

"Is this a tripod?" Zhao Bohu asked.

"No. There is going to be a war soon. We must first cast copper cakes and then break them down and forge weapons to prepare for the war. The closer the war comes, the more urgent the work will be in Tonglushan." E Yufang explained.

This scene made Ji Hu very excited. He turned to E Yufang and said, "Brother Prince, I want to go down the shaft to see how they mine."

"This------" E Yufang glanced at Zhao Bohu: "The mine is narrow and low, and the mine slaves are crawling forward. Besides, there are collapse accidents in the shaft from time to time. Even I

I have never been in it." He pointed to the countless empty mines on the rock wall: "These mines were all abandoned because of landslides. Once a mine collapsed here, it will no longer be used, so it is left like this.

Lots of waste holes.”

Zhao Bohu understood the serious relationship between this and scolded: "You are only allowed to stand by the shaft and watch, and you are never allowed to go down. If you continue to be nagging, I will ask Shenhou to send you to the Kingdom of Shen to accompany you, Sister E and Shen."

lady."

(End of chapter)
Chapter completed!