Chapter 1693 Jia Heng: It’s really my destiny to live a long and prosperous life.
Shenjing City
Time flies by like water, and before we know it, it’s the spring of the second year of Qiande.
But I saw that the streets paved with bluestones were slightly covered with a layer of wet dew. At this moment, dozens of Mongolian cavalry wearing fur felt hats and black armor could be seen, surrounded by a The burly man with a rough face galloped towards the Prime Minister's Affairs Yamen.
Today is the day when Prince Chahar and Ezhe, the great Han and Mongolian king, return to Beijing to report on their duties.
Godly City, Prime Minister’s Affairs Office—
Jia Heng wore a black and red satin python robe with gold threads and a black gauze official hat. He sat on a pearwood chair in the hall. On the lacquered wooden table, there was a stack of memorials. , it is exactly the copy of the memorial copied by the Sixth Ministry of Beijing from the General Affairs Department.
At this moment, a Jinyi palace guard quickly entered the hall, bowed his hand to Jia Heng, and said: "Your Majesty, Prince Meng is asking for an audience outside the Yamen."
Jia Heng stood up and said, "Then I'll go and greet you."
After all, he is his father-in-law, so of course he still has to be respectful.
While talking, Jia Heng, accompanied by several generals from the Jinyi Mansion, hurried to the outside of the corridor and saw the bearded and burly King Meng in front of him.
While he was talking, he saw King Meng wearing a maroon armor with mountain characters, walking like a dragon and a tiger, followed by several guards from the Chahar tribe. His resolute and calm face said: "I have seen the guards in this humble position. King, a thousand years old, a thousand years old."
My son-in-law is now different from what he used to be. He has become the auxiliary king under one person and over ten thousand people.
Jia Heng raised his eyes to look at King Meng, extended his hands to support each other, and said: "King Meng, please get up quickly. Please take a seat here."
Then, King Meng Ezhe was invited to sit down again on the pearwood chair beside him. The servants served him tea, and then he slowly left.
King Ezhe of Mongolia said: "King Wei mentioned before that the imperial court wanted to use troops against the Heshuote tribe in Tibet?"
Jia Heng's voice was as exciting as gold and stone, and he said: "Since the beginning of this spring, the Junggars in the Western Regions have been making frequent moves. The leader of the Junggar tribe, Galdan, is sharpening his sword and is ready to invade the south at any time. Our dynasty is currently guarding the court, so we should take preemptive strikes to avoid future troubles. .”
King Meng praised him and said loudly: "King Wei is considerate and thoughtful, and I think this should be the case."
Jia Heng picked up the tea cup, took a sip of tea, and asked: "When does King Meng think we should send troops?"
King Meng frowned and said: "King Wei, it is late autumn now, and winter will come in a while. In such a hurry, we cannot send troops to Tibet."
Jia Heng nodded and said: "Then prepare for war first, and wait until next spring before sending troops to Tibet and marching into Qamdo."
King Meng nodded, and with piercing eyes under his thick eyebrows, he said: "Just follow the wishes of King Wei."
Jia Heng was silent for a moment and said: "King Meng has been tired from riding and riding all the way. You can go to the palace to bathe and change clothes first. I will prepare a light banquet for King Meng to catch the wind and wash away the dust. Yaruo will be there soon."
Meng Wang Ezhe stared at Jia Heng and said with emotion: "It's true that I haven't seen Ya Ruo for a long time."
Jia Heng nodded.
King Meng stood up, bowed his hands to Jia Heng, and said, "Then I'll take my leave first."
With that said, he quickly walked out of the Prime Minister's Affairs Yamen, escorted by a group of guards around him.
Just like that, after watching King Meng leave, Jia Heng didn't stay at the Prime Minister's Affairs Yamen for too long. He got up and walked outside.
Ningguo Mansion, back house——
Chen Xiao wore a blue dress, stared at the young man in a python suit who came from outside, put down the chess piece in his hand, and asked: "Zi Yu, you are back."
Jia Heng nodded, stared at Chen Xiao who had a big belly, and then looked at Gu Ruoqing aside and said, "Yeah, what are you and Ruoqing doing?"
After saying that, he walked closer, sat down nearby, gently took Chen Xiao's soft and white slender hand, and whispered: "Xiaoxiao, I just went to see King Meng."
Chen Xiao heard this and said curiously: "What did King Meng say?"
Jia Heng picked up the blue and white porcelain tea cup on the small table beside him, took a sip of tea, and said: "It is tentatively planned to start the spring next year, and the troops will go out."
Chen Xiao thought for a while and said: "It may be spring next year, but it's bitterly cold in the snow-capped mountains. Our soldiers in the Han Dynasty's capital camp may not be able to adapt to the snow-capped mountains climate."
Jia Heng nodded and said: "In this regard, I am also thinking about how to select soldiers who can go to Tibet."
I had actually considered altitude sickness before, so I needed to choose from the Beijing camps.
Chen Xiao asked: "Since the Beijing camp is sending troops together this time, who do you plan to send as general?"
"The Marquis of Shanhai, Cao Bianjiao, was implicated for his rebellion in the first year of Qiande." Jia Heng looked solemn and said, "This time, he will lead the troops from the capital to conquer Tibet."
Chen Xiao thought for a while and agreed: "The Marquis of Shanhai is good at conquering and fighting, so it is appropriate for him to lead the army."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "I'll have to clean up the dust for King Meng later. You and Ruo Qing will wait here first."
Chen Xiao's face, which was as bright as frost, was as bright as the clouds, and he whispered: "Go ahead."
As he spoke, he gently stroked his slightly bulging belly, then turned to look at Gu Ruoqing aside and said, "Senior sister, how are you feeling these days?"
Gu Ruo, whose face was as white as snow and blushed, also stretched out her hand to gently caress her swollen belly, and whispered: "Nothing else, but the fetal movement is very strong."
Chen Xiao said softly, "Yeah", and then didn't say anything else.
…
…
Shenjing City, Ningguo Mansion, front hall————
Jia Heng sat in the middle. Just after sitting for a while, he heard a very light voice, with a bit of innocence and lightness, asking: "Brother Heng, is the father here?"
While he was talking, he saw Yaruo crossing the threshold from outside, with a cute face with pigtails and a bright face full of joy, and said: "Brother Heng."
Jia Heng nodded under his sharp eyebrows, looked at Ya Ruo, and said: "Ya Ruo, then your father hasn't come here yet."
Yaruo said "hmm" and came forward and sat down next to Jia Heng. Her bright and moving eyes were as bright as the stars and said: "Brother Heng, I seem to have one."
Jia Heng: "..."
Jia Heng was in a daze when he took Ya Ruo's delicate hand, was surprised, and asked: "When did it happen?"
Yaruo's face turned red as bright as the clouds, and she said, "The day before yesterday, I found that Yue Xin didn't come, so I came over to ask Sister Baoqin."
Jia Heng was speechless for a moment and said: "It's not too late to wait for a while and take a look first."
Jia Heng looked at Yaruo and said, "That's a happy event. When your father comes over, you can talk to him about it."
Ya Ruo's charming and charming face turned as red as a blush, she responded softly and said: "Yes."
After a while, I saw a nanny from outside quickly entering the wing and said softly: "Your Majesty, Prince Meng is here."
Jia Heng turned to look at Ya Ruo who was standing aside, smiled, and whispered: "Yar Ruo, let's go over and take a look."
Yaruo didn't say much else, and just followed Jia Heng towards the outside of the corridor.
At this moment, King Meng, accompanied by Chahar's personal guards, came closer, turned to look at Yaruo, with a hearty smile on his face, and said: "Yaruo, long time no see."
"Father," Yaruo said softly. As he spoke, he almost flew into the arms of King Meng like a baby swallow in the forest.
King Meng gently put his arm around Yaruo's shoulders, smiled and joked: "Okay, how old are you, and you still cry, let others laugh at you."
With that said, he took Yaruo's delicate hand and sat down near the circular table.
Jia Heng also sat down and said with a smile: "It's a rare reunion today. King Meng, let me toast you."
As he spoke, he picked up a blue and white porcelain teapot, poured some wine into the teacup, and handed it over.
King Meng said: "King Wei is the king who assists the government. He really defeated me."
Jia Heng smiled and said: "There is no King Wei here, only Weng Xin."
When King Meng heard this, he felt extremely comforted. He picked up the blue and white porcelain wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
Ya Ruo, who was on the side, picked up the wine pot and helped Jia Heng pour wine into the wine cup, her eyes full of attachment.
Jia Heng asked: "King Meng, how is the situation with Heshuote?"
King Meng said: "Since the Gao family rebelled in Bashu in the first year of Jianxing, the Junggar and Heshuote tribes have been defeated in the face of our Han army. The Heshuote tribe has been hiding in the south of Qamdo.
Khan has also been fighting hard in the past two years, and the two sides have repeatedly had small-scale confrontations."
Jia Heng put down the teacup in his hand and asked, "What is the combat effectiveness of Heshuote's soldiers?"
Mongolian King Ezhe looked extremely proud and said: "We are no match for our warriors from the Chahar tribe and the elite troops from the Han Dynasty's capital camp."
Jia Heng flew sideways under the sword-shaped eyebrows on his temples, his eyes flickered, he stared at King Meng, and said warmly: "That's good."
King Meng said: "It's just that the soldiers and horses of the Heshuote tribe rely on the snow-capped mountains. It is really inconvenient for our army to feign an attack against them."
At this moment, Yaruo was quietly listening to the conversation between the two of them, with a look of concentration inevitably showing on her charming and bright face.
Jia Heng then ate the meal with King Meng until the afternoon, when the guests and host had a great time.
Yaruo said softly: "Brother Heng, I'm going to talk to daddy for a while."
Jia Heng said: "Then you go."
Yaruo then followed King Meng to the side hall to rest for a while.
Under his thick eyebrows, King Meng looked at his daughter kindly and said, "Yaruo, how are you in the capital? Is King Wei treating you well?"
Ya Ruo's face overflowed with joy and she said, "Father, Brother Heng was very kind to me before."
King Meng gave a warning and said: "King Wei has the appearance of an emperor, you must serve him well."
Yaruo said "hmm" and felt that her heart was full of embarrassment, and her face as white as snow turned red with shame.
King Meng Ezhe suddenly remembered something and asked again: "What happened to what I asked you in the previous letter?"
If his daughter can give birth to a child for King Wei, after he occupies Tibet in the future, he can even ask King Wei for the title of Qinghai, and even promote Ya Ruo to become the queen.
He had heard that King Wei's main concubine had never had a male child, so the position of the East Palace was open to anyone.
On both sides of Yaruo's bright and clear jade face were clouds of gorgeous red clouds floating on the sides, and she said: "Father, I haven't told you yet, but I seem... I seem to have it."
Hearing this, King Ezhe of Meng suddenly changed his expression and said, "What are you talking about? You have a child?"
Yaruo said "hmm", her face that was a bit charming and heroic was already blushing like a blush, and her beautiful eyes were full of joy.
Hearing this, King Ezhe of Meng laughed loudly and said: "Okay, okay, okay."
As he said that, he looked at Yaruo, whose face was already flushed, and said with a smile: "Yaruo, try to give birth to a fat boy for King Wei."
Hearing this, Ya Ruo's face, as white as snow, turned red with shame, and she didn't know what to say.
A look of emotion appeared on King Meng's face, and he said: "King Wei is a man with a destiny. The child in your belly in the future will at least be the prince of the vassal and guard one side."
Hearing this, Yaruo couldn't help but say "ah", raised her eyes to look at Ezhe, licked her pink lips, and said: "Father, I didn't think so much, I just hope that the child can grow up safely in the future.
That’ll be fine.”
Ezhe smiled, a little helpless, and said, "You silly boy."
You are still young now, but when you grow old and fade away, you will know that the only people you can rely on are your own children.
However, stupid people are blessed. It is not certain what will happen in the future.
…
…
The deceased is like a man who never gives up day and night.
The sun rises and the moon sets, the stars move, and in the blink of an eye, the second year of Qiande enters the summer and June months.
In the past six months, the Han court had renovated official roads and built water conservancy projects, while at the same time actively preparing for war and preparing to attack Tibet.
On this day, Jia Heng was working at the Prime Minister's Affairs Yamen. As time passed, the economic and organizational structure of the Prime Minister's Affairs Yamen gradually got on track.
At this moment, a royal guard general wearing a flying fish uniform came quickly from outside, raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty, over at the Imperial College, Xu Jijiu sent someone over to say that he has something important to ask you."
Jia Heng put down the memorial in his hand and asked, "Oh? Did you tell me what it was about?"
The inspector of the Jinyi Mansion looked respectful, raised his hands and said, "Reporting to the prince, the Imperial College said... that a steam engine has been developed."
"What?" When Jia Heng heard this, he was inevitably surprised and happy. He quickly put down the blue and white porcelain teacup in his hand and ordered the servants on his left and right, "Come here, quickly go to the Imperial College."
Then, Jia Heng, surrounded by Jinyi palace guards, walked quickly towards the Imperial Academy.
Shenjing City, Imperial College, Fengming Pavilion————
Xu Guangqi is wearing an official robe with a scarlet jade belt and a black gauze hat on his head. He stands under the eaves of the corridor, as straight as a pine tree, with a phoenix-like appearance.
With a group of disciples beside him, he surrounded the strange-looking machine in the courtyard paved with bluestone slabs.
It is the steam engine that Jia Heng mentioned. This steam engine, which will have epoch-making significance in later generations, has now been launched.
"Master, this steam engine goes back and forth on the railway track and can pull a lot of goods." Xu Guangqi's disciple Chen Long said.
At this moment, all the supervisors of the Imperial Academy who were studying martial arts under Xu Guangqi were also amazed.
Xu Guangqi twirled his three black and gray beards under his chin, with a look of accomplishment on his face. He smiled and said: "Yes, this thing is driven by coal and walks on the rails. Its ability to carry cargo is still better than that of horses." If you go up there, you can travel across all nine states and all the seas."
At this moment, a young and handsome officer quickly entered the Imperial Academy, bowed to Xu Guangqi, and said, "Sir, King Wei is here."
When Xu Guangqi heard this, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed. He looked away at the disciples aside and said, "Everyone, follow me out of the city gate to greet you."
Upon hearing this, all the disciples responded softly and headed outside one after another.
While he was talking, outside the towering Yimen, he saw the tall young man in python suit standing in the courtyard, staring at Xu Guangqi with complicated eyes, calling out and saying: " Mr. Xu."
Since the advent of the steam engine, he has been willing to call Xu Guangqi sir.
"I have met the prince." Xu Guangqi took a few steps quickly, bowed his hands to Jia Heng, and said.
Unlike the idle man in the mountains back then, Xu Guangqi is now a minister under Jia Heng.
With a smile on his face, Jia Heng walked closer, extended his hands to support each other and said, "Mr. Xu, there is no need to be polite."
As he said that, he turned his eyes and glanced at the steam engine not far away. Unavoidably, he felt a surge of excitement deep in his heart. He said softly: "Mr. Xu, let me go and take a look."
Immediately, Jia Heng came to the iron lump and stared at the steam engine that was emitting steam, and his mind was inevitably full of imagination.
With this thing in place, criss-crossing railway networks can be seen all over Kyushu in the future. At that time, we really entered the steampunk era.
It can be said that he pushed the history of the Han Dynasty forward for hundreds of years, and his independence on behalf of the Han Dynasty gained legitimacy in the eyes of later generations.
It is true that you have been ordained by heaven, and you will live forever.
Xu Guangqi also had a bit of joy on his face and said: "King Wei, the steam engine is driven by coal. If it is used nationwide, the coal mines required in the future will be huge. This needs to be prepared."
Jia Heng said: "The land of Jinzhong has abundant coal reserves. The Ministry of Industry recently sent people to Shanxi and other places to survey coal reserves. Recently, the imperial court will also set up a mining company to mine coal in batches."
Xu Guangqi was silent for a moment and whispered: "In addition, laying rail tracks on the road requires a large number of rails."
Jia Heng said in a low voice: "The Ministry of Industry has also been surveying iron ore and building railway tracks in the past two years. When the time comes, I, the big man, will first lay the railway from Shenjing to Luoyang and Nanjing. In another five years, it will be laid to Guangdong Sea, and we will build the railway from north to south."
smooth."
First, a cross-shaped railway artery will be laid in Kyushu.
Xu Guangqi said: "This is a long-term project and cannot be completed overnight."
Jia Heng nodded and said: "Nowadays, the country is still repairing the official system, and it is not suitable to carry out large-scale construction. However, the imperial court will issue a national bond to raise funds from the world's high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants."
Xu Guangqi looked puzzled and asked: "National debt?"
National debt is a term that has never existed before in this era.
Jia Heng said: "The Ministry of Household Affairs issued a national bond, which was guaranteed by the Royal Bank, and borrowed special funds for the railway from the gentry, gentry and common people all over the world, and then paid a certain amount of interest, agreeing to repay it in five years and ten years.
Railway profits are subject to commercial tax."
This is to tie the whole world to his chariot. Of course, the side effects are also obvious. Once he breaks the contract, he will be resented by the whole world.
But if it is exchanged as scheduled five years later and benefits the world's scholars, officials and gentry, the people of the world will definitely be in line with the people's will and become staunch supporters of King Wei.
At that time, changing dynasties was a matter of course.
Xu Guangqi thought about the key points and felt that there was something in it.
Jia Heng smiled and said: "However, there are still many imperfections in this steam engine. During this period, we will conduct a trial run first and improve some areas that need improvement."
Xu Guangqi recovered his thoughts and said: "The steam engine does need some improvement."
Afterwards, the two of them talked for a while, and then the servants prepared wine and food and sat down to enjoy the banquet.