As the saying goes, one billion people have nine hundred million, and one hundred million are still under observation.

This statement must be a bit exaggerated, but it can show that mahjong is so popular in China.

Mahjong does originate in China, commonly known as sparrows in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and southern Fujian.

It is a game game and entertainment tool invented by ancient Chinese people.

When making, small rectangles made of bamboo, bones or plastic are usually engraved with patterns or words.

The most common deck of mahjong plaques is usually one hundred and thirty-six.

There are three door cards in total, all four, from one to nine, a total of one hundred and eight.

In addition, the 4728 pictures are white in the southeast, northwest, and middle, and the total is 136 pictures.

Of course, there are also one hundred and fifty-four pictures.

It is no longer possible to test the specific year of mahjong, but it is basically believed that it evolved from horse hang cards and cards in the late Ming Dynasty.

Horse hang tags and cards are closely related to ancient Chinese betting.

All popular chess, cards and other chess and entertainment activities in China have developed, derived and evolved on the basis of chess and games.

It is difficult to explain when the ancient Boxi Festival began, and the exact age. However, according to "Records of the Grand Historian" and other related written records, the Boxi Festival was created at least before King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty.

The earliest Chinese drama called "Liubo", which has six chopsticks and twelve chess pieces. Chops are a long bamboo product, equivalent to the dice used when playing mahjong today.

It can be said that the production of mahjong roughly follows the following trajectory:

Chords → dice → dice grid → domino (leaves play) → horse hang tag (spoke cards) → silent cards → mahjong cards (bone making).

In ancient times, most mahjong was made of bone-faced bamboo backs, and it can actually be regarded as a combination of cards and dominoes.

However, compared with other domino forms, the gameplay of mahjong is ever-changing and much more interesting. Moreover, its basic playing style is simple and easy to use, and the combinations vary from person to person.

Therefore, mahjong has become one of the most attractive forms of play in Chinese history.

This is also the reason why Zhu Yili, whose soul comes from the 21st century, looks down on the Ye Zi Horse Playing Tag at all.

He likes mahjong.

He also believed that as long as it was made, it would definitely be popular.

There were no machines in this era, but there were many excellent handcrafters.

Mahjong is actually very simple. Just carve patterns or characters on the back of the bone-side bamboo, which is even simpler than making soap.

Zhu Yili even believed that it was not an invention, after all, there was already a horse hang tag game in this era.

It is just to turn the paper into bone and bamboo, then engrave different characters and patterns on it, and then apply them in different colors.

That's all.

The only thing that is difficult is unexpected, and this is exactly what Zhu Yiliu has.

Zhu Yiliong's specifications, number of door cards, number of cards, pattern requirements, etc., are reported to the Production Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The prince of the dignified prince Lu came forward, of course, this little thing is no problem.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, three mahjong with bone-faced and bamboo-backed sides was delivered to him.

It's really pretty.

Of course, it cannot be compared with the mahjong material in later generations, but Zhu Yiliu believes that it is enough, and it is many times better than a horse hang tag.

The horse hang tag of this era... Well, in Zhu Yili's eyes, it is as low-level as a small cartoon game played by a three or five-year-old child.

In the evening of that day, he took Fu Dahai and Yang Kang to the Qianqing Palace.

I have to do what I promised to Emperor Wanli.

Do you want to be secretive about this?

Not so, I just haven't told Empress Li yet.

Why do you need to make three pairs?

Of course I have to keep one, one for Emperor Wanli, and one for Queen Mother Chen.

Zhu Yiliu met Empress Dowager Chen.

I had a good impression of Empress Dowager Chen, and Empress Dowager Li respected her so much.

Indeed, Empress Dowager Chen is a good woman, kind and kind, neither fighting nor robbing, nor caring, and worthy of her honorific title "Empress Dowager Rensheng".

It’s a pity that perhaps because he has no children, lives in the palace and lives a monotonous life, and does not have any hobbies, Zhu Yili suspected that Empress Chen was suffering from depression.

I just happened to give her a pair of mahjong, so I might have some more fun in my daily life.

Emperor Wanli is now in Donghunting Pavilion again.

Zhu Yili knew that this guy didn't like to be intimate with the queen, that is, Sister Wang Xi.

I don’t know if the queen is too dignified and tends to be cold in nature or because she has no children. Anyway, Emperor Wanli just doesn’t like to be intimate with her.

Otherwise, when he was young, he was in full force and would not often go to the East Nuan Pavilion to make fun of the eunuchs without accompanying his wife at night.

Because I always think about Zhang Juzheng, who is seriously ill, the lights in the East Warehouse are as bright as the daylight.

When Zhu Yili arrived at the Donghunting Pavilion, Emperor Wanli and Zhou Zuo and others were playing cards.

When he saw Zhu Yili coming in, he no longer immersed himself in it like he did last time without realizing it.

He quickly put down the card in his hand and asked happily: "Brother Emperor, are you here? Are you sending mahjong to the brother?"

Zhu Yili nodded and placed the mahjong plaque he brought on the table.

All three-year-old children know mahjong, just count the tubes and strips, but Wanzi one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, but still don’t know it? It turns white in the southeast, west, north, middle, and seven, just seven simple words.

First, I met everyone, and then how to play.

Mahjong is easy to get started.

Although there are different ways of playing in different places in later generations, basically each province has its own playing style and set rules, there are only a few basic playing styles.

Eat, touch, rob, hu, and fire.

Hu is the big one, then lever, then touch, and then eat.

Of course, some places, such as Guangdong mahjong, are not allowed to be eaten.

There are also some places where "Laizi" is added, such as Wuhan mahjong; or "huner", such as Hebei mahjong.

Zhu Yili taught them the simplest Guangdong mahjong first, which can only be touched, not eaten, and whoever orders the cannon will lose. If you bring the lottery, then whoever orders the cannon will pay.

It's simple. If you can't do it after a while, then you're not sure.

The reason why mahjong can eliminate horse hang tags and eventually become a popular international game in the world is definitely something that attracts people.

Sure enough, Emperor Wanli could learn it and was very addictive.

It took two hours that night to fight, and Zhu Yiliu and others refused to leave. It was not until Queen Wang sent someone to greet him that she retreated in a bad mood.

Before leaving, he held Zhu Yili's hand and told with great energy: "Brother, come tomorrow night. Mahjong is indeed more exciting than horse hang tags!"

Then, Zhou Zuo threw away the horse tag.

Zhu Yili refused and said, "Brother, I will accompany my mother tomorrow night. You can play by yourself, but don't be addicted, otherwise your mother will scold me again."

Emperor Wanli nodded repeatedly, "I know, I know, I'm afraid of my mother."

"Oh, brother, Xiao Whale has to lend me a few days."

"Little Whale?" Emperor Wanli was stunned.

"It's Zhang Jing and Eunuch Zhang."

"Emperor Brother, whatever you want." Emperor Wanli was having fun and waved his hand without thinking.

"Brother, I have another thing I want to ask you: A few days ago, didn't you ask Mr. Shen to instruct the Ministry of Revenue to dispatch Taicang silver to meet domestic demand? Mother doesn't agree, are you still planning to ask for this money?"

Emperor Wanli said angrily: "I have been stopped by my mother, why do you want it?"

Zhu Yili winked and smiled, "Since the emperor's sake is so good to me, I might as well teach you a trick. You will definitely get the money. Not to mention 200,000, it should be fine if you have 100,000 yuan. I don't know if the emperor is willing to cooperate?"

"What trick? Tell me quickly." Emperor Wanli's eyes suddenly looked like torches and light flashed.

...

Happy New Year’s Day to everyone!
Chapter completed!