The next day, Dugu Xiude led a team of troops to escort Wang Defa to Chang'an. Dugu Huaien stayed on to help Li Zhiyun settle the affairs of Shannan Province.
It was quite different from Dugu Huaien's prediction. When Wang Defa informed him of the location of the iron mine, Li Zhiyun, as expected, hurriedly led people to check it out. Based on this, Dugu Huaien's original vigilance was unknowingly relaxed.
He was originally worried that Li Zhiyun would severely interrogate Wang Defa and get to the bottom of it, but now it seems that Li Zhiyun is just a kid, with a narrow structure and a narrow mind.
After all, he was overthinking.
To the north of Hanzhong is the Qinling Mountains. There is not much here but there are many mountains. The iron mines of the former Sui Dynasty are in the Qinling Mountains. For three days in a row, Li Zhiyun was running around in the mountains.
What makes Du Ruhui and Xue Yuanjing curious is that they have clearly found the iron mines developed by the former Sui Dynasty, so why did the King of Chu still linger here?
"Your Highness, isn't this an iron ore?" Xue Yuanjing held the iron ore and looked at the red color on it, completely confused.
The sun fell in the forest, and mottled light and shadow clung to Li Zhiyun's body. Under his feet was a clear creek. In his ears, he could hear the chirping of birds in the forest.
"I know."
Know?
Know you're still hanging out here?
Du Ruhui felt that he was using money to do things and should give him some advice.
"Your Highness, although Liangzhou is peaceful, there are still many areas in Shannan Road that have not yet been surrendered. You cannot stay here for a long time. Otherwise, the saint may blame Your Highness."
"What's to blame, wasting time?" Li Zhiyun smiled, squatted on the ground, pulled at the stone, looking for something.
Du Ruhui said: "That's exactly it."
"Keming, you are really direct." Li Zhiyun said: "It was not me, Li Zhiyun, who delayed the time, but someone else. I think my father will understand me. Furthermore, Hanzhong is the hinterland of Shannan Road, so we must not be uneasy.
It must be determined. Hanzhong is determined, and Pingshan South Road is easy."
You have said so, what else can I say, Du Ruhui chose to remain silent.
Xue Yuanjing whispered: "Your Highness, is it really appropriate for Dugu Xiude to escort Wang Defa?"
Du Ruhui raised his eyes, took a deep look at Xue Yuanjing, and then said: "Your Highness, I would like to take advantage of my humble position."
"It's not convenient now." Li Zhiyun glanced at him and continued: "No matter how urgent you are, just hold it in until we finish talking."
What do you mean, you can't even pee, right?
"I humble my position and obey my orders." Du Ruhui gave in.
Li Zhiyun said: "No one is more suitable than Dugu Xiude to escort him."
"But what if something happens?" Xue Yuanjing said in a solemn tone, "By then, wouldn't His Highness be wasting your time here in vain?"
"It's just a little time, it's better than offending my cousin." Li Zhiyun chuckled.
I don’t want to listen. I don’t want to listen. Du Ruhui wants to plug his ears and burrow underground.
But Li Zhiyun did not let him go and asked: "Keming, do you think it is appropriate for me to handle it this way?"
Brother, can you let me go? I am a part-time worker. Du Ruhui thought to himself: "Your Highness's move is extremely appropriate."
"Oh, tell me what's appropriate, and explain it to Yuan Jing by the way."
grass!
Boss, you just give me one salary, why do you want me to work two jobs? Do you think you are my master?
Oh, King Chu is my master, so that’s okay.
"Your Highness's eyes are like lightning, and there is no way for demons and monsters to escape."
"Hahaha." Li Zhiyun laughed loudly, causing birds to fly in the forest.
What a joke, why am I so unlucky to meet such a mean-spirited boss? Du Ruhui felt uncomfortable, so tired, and felt like he would never love again.
After laughing, Li Zhiyun walked up to Du Ruhui, patted his shoulder, looked at the vicissitudes of old Du's face, and said with emotion: "Having Ke Ming as a friend is like having Xiao He."
Everyone is young, but there were no cosmetics for skin care in the early Tang Dynasty. Men in their twenties and thirties looked to be in their forties.
Xue Yuanjing thought for a moment, and his smart little head understood immediately, and nodded suddenly.
"I am the Qingdu Shanshui Lang, born in Heaven and Shu Kuang." Li Zhiyun raised the white ore in his hand, "A sparrow will not fight with a snake."
Du Ruhui and Xue Yuanjing were silent at the same time, keeping secrets.
"Here comes someone."
"exist."
"Bring your stuff up."
"As commanded."
Not long after, Li Zhen and Li Qiang took the copper basin they were carrying and placed it on the ground. Inside the copper basin, there was a small copper basin.
"Inject water."
Li Zhen followed her instructions and poured water into the two copper basins.
Li Zhiyun called Du Ruhui and Xue Yuanjing over, "Let me show you what the real treasure is."
As he spoke, he put the white ore in his hand into the large copper basin.
Of course, he didn't put one piece, but a dozen pieces of white ore.
Immediately afterwards, a magical scene appeared. The water in the small copper basin actually began to show traces of white air, then a crystal clear film appeared on the surface, and finally turned into crystal clear ice cubes!
Du Ruhui and Xue Yuanjing were stunned, and their previous conversation was instantly forgotten.
"This...this, this, is frozen?"
"Yes, it's frozen." Li Zhiyun took out the ice cubes from the small basin and handed them to Du Ruhui and Xue Yuanjing for viewing.
"Your Majesty, how did you do this?" The coolness of the ice in his hand told Du Ruhui that this was not a lie, let alone a dream.
Li Zhiyun smiled, took out the white stone and handed it to him.
"The secret is in this stone."
Making ice from saltpeter is simple and crude.
The Tang Dynasty version of Haagen-Dazs is about to be born!
Hanzhong, the place where saltpeter mines gather!
If Li Zhiyun knew that Dugu Huaien thought he was coveting iron ore, he would definitely laugh his head off.
Iron ore, what's the use of that thing?
Even if a charge of treason is stuck in his head, he can't get rid of it.
This saltpeter mine is Li Zhiyun's goal.
Making Haagen-Dazs is secondary, TNT is his toy.
"Remember to keep it secret, this is the treasure for our Prince Chu's palace to make money." Li Zhiyun asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Du Ruhui and Xue Yuanjing nodded quickly.
Making ice, this is outrageous!
When summer comes, won't they want to send it out?
Du Ruhui felt that his salary might be raised again.
Li Zhiyun did not hand over Liangzhou's new governor to anyone else, but directly asked Lao Li to let him serve. The excuse he used was very simple to prevent diehards like Wang Defa from resurrecting.
Lao Li felt that there was no problem. Liangzhou had just been captured and needed to be guarded, so he agreed to Li Zhiyun's request.
Immediately afterwards, Li Zhiyun appointed Xue Yuanjing as the chief historian, making him fully responsible for many matters in Liangzhou.
Of course, including saltpeter mines.
No one else knew the purpose of this thing, so no one cared that Li Zhiyun was encircling land everywhere in Liangzhou.
Your Highness, the King of Chu, can't you seize some land by force?
Even Li Xiaogong, an honest man, secretly bought a lot of land in Hanzhong, but he only used it to hang on his younger brothers Li Huan and Li Yao.
After staying in Hanzhong until August, Li Zhiyun slowly set off and led his troops southward from the plank road into Bazhou and other places.
This time, Dugu Huaien did not continue to lose his temper. He and Dou Jing had the courage of Nanyang farmers to attack Sun Shiwan in Jiangdong, and helped Li Zhiyun win Guozhou, Lizhou, Bazhou, Tongzhou and other places in succession.
The territory of the Tang Dynasty was rapidly expanding to the south.