When Lin Xuan returned home, Lin Dongyang and Zhang Qing were waiting for him to eat.
"Mom and Dad, I'm back, I kept you waiting for a long time!" Lin Xuan said apologetically.
"It's okay, the meal has just been prepared. Come sit down and eat." Zhang Qing said with a smile.
Lin Duoduo said angrily: "I can finally eat. I have been hungry for a long time and my mother has not let me eat!"
"You little greedy cat, hurry up and eat." Zhang Qing smiled and gave Lin Duoduo some of her favorite dishes.
"Xuan'er, eat more. It's hard in the military camp, isn't it? I see you've lost weight." Zhang Qing said with some distress.
"Mom, I'm a general, I'm not suffering at all. You see, I'm thin because the weather is getting warmer and I've lost some clothes." Lin Xuan said with a smile.
He cooks a small stove every day in the military camp. Although it is not as good as at home, it is not difficult.
However, he still enjoyed Zhang Qing's concern, which was something he wanted but couldn't get in his previous life.
After the meal, Lin Xuan took out the drawings of the Quyuan plow and gave it to Lin Dongyang and said, "Dad, this is a new plow I designed. You can ask someone to make some for the tenants in Zhouzhuang."
Lin Dongyang took the drawing, looked at it, and asked, "Is this plow better than a straight-shaft plow?"
Lin Xuan said confidently: "It's many times better than the curved-wheel plow. Not only does it plow the ground faster, but it can be pulled by only one cow. It's very trouble-free."
The curved shaft plow was used for more than a thousand years, and it was not until the rise of machinery that it was replaced.
"Okay, I'll ask someone to do it tomorrow!" Lin Dongyang nodded and said.
"Dad, didn't you say you wanted to invite a husband to Duoduo? Have you invited him?" Lin Xuan asked.
Speaking of this, Lin Dongyang got angry and said: "Why didn't I invite you? But she didn't study hard at all. She complained that the words were too difficult to read."
"Dad, Duoduo is still young, I will think of a solution later." Lin Xuan said with a smile.
In ancient times, there was no pinyin, and the characters were in traditional Chinese, so it was indeed difficult to recognize. After all, Duoduo was only five years old, so it was normal for her to find it difficult.
Lin Xuan plans to figure out the pinyin when he has free time, so that it will be much easier for his sister to learn.
…
Early the next morning, Lin Xuan wrapped the soaked pepper seeds in gauze, told Chun Yue Yuhe to take care of the stove in the house, and went to Zhouzhuang with his soldiers.
Along the road, you can see the fields and many people are already busy working.
Lin Dongyang told Xu Guangfu yesterday that Lin Xuan was coming today, so Xu Guangfu was waiting at the entrance of Zhouzhuang Village early.
Seeing Lin Xuan coming, he hurriedly greeted him and said, "Young man, I have met the Duke!"
Lin Xuan dismounted and said with a smile: "Without courtesy, my father said that you have managed the construction site in an orderly manner. You have been lucky during this time."
"It's a small honor to serve Sir Alex," Xu Guangfu said.
"Let's go, take me to the construction site first." Lin Xuan said.
He did not ride a horse, but walked with Xu Guangfu.
"By the way, how's the glass burning going?" Lin Xuan asked.
The windows he designed all need to be installed with glass, and there is no way to install window paper. If the house is built and the glass has not been taken out, then it will be a lot of fun.
"Returning to Sir, the glazed pottery has been burnt out, but there are too many impurities, making it useless. The younger brother has asked them to test it quickly, and it should be ready soon," Xu Guangfu said.
When Lin Xuan asked him to burn colored glaze with sand, he did not believe that colored glaze worth thousands of gold could be made from sand.
Unexpectedly, the colored glaze was actually made by burning it, although it was still far behind the colored glaze sold in the Western Regions to the Tang Dynasty.
But there is no doubt that colored glaze is made from sand.
"Ask them to raise the temperature a little and burn it for a longer time," Lin Xuan said.
He only knew that glass was made from sand. How much temperature it needed and how long it took to burn it made him blind.
"Yes, I will send someone to notify you soon." Xu Guangfu responded.
Not long after, we arrived at the construction site.
Compared with the last time Lin Xuan came, this land has been leveled.
Many ordinary craftsmen are busy working in full swing.
"How many people are working here?" Lin Xuan asked.
Xu Guangfu said: "Back to Sir, the Ministry of Industry sent more than a hundred craftsmen. The small one hired more than 800 young men from Zhouzhuang and several other villages. Now there are about a thousand people here."
"Did you encounter any difficulties during the construction of the house?" Lin Xuan asked.
"We have encountered some difficulties. They are all minor problems. The minor ones have been dealt with. Spring plowing is about to start. These young people are the main labor force in the family. In a few days, most people will go back to spring plowing. By then, the construction site will be open.
There is no one available." Xu Guangfu said.
He has no way to solve this problem. The construction site requires a lot of young people to do physical work.
We can't let the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works do these tasks.
"Don't worry about this, I have already thought of a way." Lin Xuan said with a smile.
When the curved shaft plow became popular, ordinary women and old people could plow the land very quickly.
Seeing that the farming season could not be delayed, these young men would naturally go to the construction site to continue working.
After all, his salary is very high.
Lin Xuan walked around the construction site and saw that Xu Guangfu was doing exactly what he asked for and there were no problems. He praised him and told him to make sure those who were working were safe, and then left.
…
royal palace
After Li Shimin went to court, Li Mu reported: "What your Majesty ordered yesterday has been done."
Li Shimin said excitedly: "Hurry and send someone to the palace, and bring a cow over. Send someone to call Lin Xuan into the palace!"
"Yes!" Li Mu took the order and left.
Lin Xuan walked halfway when he saw a group of cavalry coming from a distance, heading straight for him.
"Your Majesty has summoned me and asked the Jingyang County uncle to follow me into the palace as soon as possible!"
Lin Xuan was delighted when he saw it, wasn't this Li Junxian?
"General Li, I wonder why your Majesty summoned me?" Lin Xuan asked with a smile.
"I don't know, either. Uncle Jingyang County should come with me as soon as possible. Don't keep His Majesty waiting." Li Junxian said coldly.
"Then let's go!" Lin Xuan said lightly.
He really wanted to be on good terms with Li Junxian, but since he didn't appreciate it, there was no need for him to put his warm face on his cold butt.
…
"Your Majesty, sir!" Lin Xuan saluted respectfully.
Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "Let's go, come with me to the Royal Garden."
Lin Xuan was confused, why did he go to the Royal Garden?
Flower viewing?
There were no flowers to appreciate now, and he remembered that all the flowers in the palace should have been chopped down by Li Shimin's order.
Seeing that Li Shimin had already taken the lead and left, Lin Xuan quickly followed.
Lin Xuan didn't understand until he came to the Imperial Garden and saw the plows on the ground and the tethered oxen.
"After you make this plow, I want to try it myself." Li Shimin said.
"yes!"
Lin Xuan untied the cow rope, led it to the plow, hung the plow's yoke around the cow's neck, clapped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is ready!"
"How to use this plow?" Li Shimin asked.
"Your Majesty, you can lift up the plow and lift the handrail slightly," Lin Xuan said.
Lin Xuan saw that Li Shimin was ready as he said, and said: "Your Majesty, pay attention, I am going to drive the cattle."
Lin Xuan drove the cattle and walked forward.
As soon as it started, Li Shimin was surprised. He had helped the plow before, and the plow was very difficult, and the person behind had to push forward harder.
The feeling of Quyuanli is very different. He doesn't need to exert any force at all. He only needs to hold on to the plow so that it doesn't fall over and keep walking forward.
"Okay! Very good! With this plow here, I no longer have to worry about the people missing the farming season!" Li Shimin said loudly with a look of joy on his face.
"Your Majesty, there is a turn ahead. Your Majesty, be careful to turn to the left." Lin Xuan said.
Li Shimin followed Lin Xuan's instructions and moved the handrail to the left, and he turned the corner naturally.
"Okay! Good! Good!" Li Shimin shouted three times in a row, which showed how satisfied he was with Qu Yuanli.
In the past, the straight-shaft plow was long and heavy, and it was very difficult to turn. There was no curved-shaft plow that was so light and flexible.
After plowing a few more times, Li Shimin shouted: "Okay, stop."
After hearing this, Lin Xuan listened, taught Niu to the imperial guards on the side, walked up to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, what do you think of this Quyuanli designed by me?"