Chapter 63: The Fearsome Student (Fourth Update, Seeking Recommendations)

  Song Jiu said in a low voice: "It's indeed my territory, but when the Emperor comes to take over my territory, can I just let him?"

  The two soldiers on duty burst out laughing, and Seventh Sister also laughed. Song Jiu said, "Never mind, when we get back home, I'll show you something else."

  Song Jiubao didn't get angry, the Song Dynasty took a rather relaxed attitude towards keeping technical secrets for civilian use, which wasn't all bad as it helped spread them, although they weren't particularly serious about spreading technology, still better than previous dynasties. But military technology was kept strictly confidential. Song Jiubao also hoped that this gunpowder formula would remain secret forever, and as for the fireworks used by civilians, just continue using those safe firecrackers.

  The three sisters still couldn't understand why they, as sisters, were not allowed to enter and take a look at the house built by their younger brother.

  Yu Ping said in a soft voice: "Eldest sister, fifth sister, seventh sister, Ninth Brother has created something that can blow down the city wall. Can the imperial court not keep it secret?"

  After this thing came out, it was spread very strangely. Song Jiu explained the principle that day, and it turned out that blowing up the city wall wasn't so easy after all, requiring precise operation. If not, I'm afraid the soldiers would sacrifice, more than 90% of the city walls are made of rammed earth, and even if you crash into them with a battering ram, they can still be knocked down. But none of these people said anything, at least I have this thing in my hand, Southern Tang, Southern Han, Northern Han, are you afraid? Therefore, many civilians discussed it, this is not easy to handle, having city walls is not safe either.

  Gunpowder has no eyes, it can hurt people and people can also use it to harm themselves.

  The three sisters finally fell silent and left the riverbank.

  It's a bit far from Nan Mountain, but actually it's just some small hills, not high, and the woods are not very dense. Since there aren't many big mountains around the capital city, it has become a great place for ordinary people to go on excursions.

  Song Jiuxian first offered the sacrificial items, then burned paper money, with a very respectful attitude. There's a good old man, who can't even be bothered to struggle, just like those second-generation rich kids who often hang out together, in twenty years, some of them will disappear. But having a good father and not having one is different, this cheap father of mine, seems like I didn't get any benefits from him, but if it wasn't for his past struggles, I would be different too, even the development of the river island, he wouldn't have dared to think about it. Zhao Kuangyin was the same, his father was a low-ranking official, and wasn't very good to him, otherwise he wouldn't have left home and wandered around for two years, enduring hardships outside, but without that father, he wouldn't have become one of Guo Wei's personal guards. Everyone has opportunities, it's just that smart people are good at grasping them, while foolish people don't know that opportunities are like pies in the sky and let them slip away...

  Yu Ping knelt down and muttered a prayer.

  He couldn't hear what she was saying, and he felt a little guilty towards Yu Ping Song Jiu, but he didn't know how to handle this relationship, not even clear what kind of emotion it was. If you say love, it's definitely not love. If you say familial affection, it's not like siblings either. But being with Yu Ping made him feel more at ease. Could it be that in the Song Dynasty, men and women could also develop friendships?

  After the ceremony, my elder sister said: "Yuping, go take a look at your mother's grave."

  "Thank you."

  "Silly girl, what's there to thank."

  Also in the South Mountain, it's a bit far away, and after walking for more than two miles, Yu Ping knelt down in front of her mother's tomb and cried. Her experience is even more pitiful, and since the Later Zhou Dynasty, she has been at odds with the Khitan people, and the two countries have not traded or communicated with each other. Even after her father was captured by the Khitan people, Yu Ping had no way of knowing whether he was dead or alive.

  Song Ji quietly brought new soil, Yu Ping was just a little girl, and her identity was not very good. The grave had been blown by the wind and rain, and it was about to be flattened. Three brothers-in-law also came to help, and soon a tall new earth mound appeared.

  In Chinese tradition, the deceased is revered, Yu Ping was so moved that she almost cried, but her elder sister supported her.

  The dead are forever dead, and the living must live on.

  After Qing Yu finished worshiping, Song Jiu spread out a felt mat on the ground, placed food and water pouches on it, and invited everyone to eat.

  It's the deep autumn season, everything is turning yellow, but today the wind isn't strong, the weather is clear and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky. The warm sunshine on people's skin makes them feel very cozy. It's also the golden season for traveling, everywhere can be heard the chatter of tourists and singing voices.

  A few little ones didn't care and started fighting over the fruit to eat.

  Seventh Sister took a bite of chrysanthemum cake and exclaimed: "Little Nine, your chrysanthemum cake is delicious!"

  "Seventh sister, even if you exaggerate, adding sugar, honey and eggs to steam it is also delicious. Chrysanthemum cake, everything is high, children eat it and will have a bright future, you should eat more too, in the future you will give birth to a child who will rise step by step."

  "We don't have such good fortune."

  "Never mind the kids, Jiuer, are you going to have children or not?" Big Sister asked.

  "Don't worry, when our nephew grows up, no matter which family doesn't welcome him, I will take him in."

  "Thanks so much, Uncle."

  "Big brother-in-law, you're being a bit too polite. When I was young, it wasn't just one or two sisters who raised me with hardship and bitterness."

  The elder brother-in-law hung his head in shame.

  Yu Ping's eyes flashed with autumn waves, and often came to hear some things. Zhao Kuangyi let Song Jiu haggle over prices, which made his head ache, but Yu Ping saw many golden glows on Song Jiu's body, such as this broad-mindedness... This is not good, as Zhao Kuangyi thought, he fell in love with Song Jiu more and more as they interacted.

  They ate and drank well, and the group headed back to the capital. When they arrived at Song Jiu's house, Song Jiu opened the door, and Zhao Shi brothers rewarded him with many bolts of cloth, most of which were unused, as well as some gold. Song Jiu didn't dare exchange it for copper coins, as it would be too conspicuous, so he exchanged everything for silver. Without a bank, like other common people, he dug a hole in the ground, made a sturdy wooden box, and buried it underground. This was actually one of the most backward practices of ancient times, where people constantly complained about lacking money to use. The imperial court, in order to have enough money circulating, even tacitly allowed Tang Dynasty copper coins to be traded on the market. Since the Sui Dynasty, how many copper coins had been cast? The main reason was that they were kept at home like Song Jiu's, without being circulated. But there wasn't a better way either - putting it in a money cabinet would require paying management fees, and who knows if the money cabinet would go bankrupt and not have a single coin left. Or lending it out with high interest rates, which required skill and wasn't something Song Jiu could do. Therefore, the Song Dynasty always lacked money to use, but later generations were able to dig up tens of thousands of strings of copper coins underground - the owner of this copper was just following Song Jiu's method...

  It's not money, it's a painting.

  Song Jiuzhong opened the last one, and several people were stunned at that time. Cui'er's eyes stared at it and couldn't move away, saying: "So beautiful."

  The older sister didn't say a word, thought for half a day, and said: "I know how you make money, but where is your capital?"

  It's not a small amount of money, one project is worth tens of thousands of yuan, and some can even reach hundreds of thousands of yuan. Even if several families are sold out, they cannot afford the cost of one project.

  It is the overall planning map of Future River State, including Zhengdian, dock, Double Rainbow Bridge, amusement park, luxury hotel, school, opera house, stadium, gold shop, high-end business district, ordinary business district, high-end residential area. With neat planning and strange luxurious buildings, once completed, it will become the Pudong of Tokyo's Pudong, and may even surpass the future Xiangguo Temple to become the Bund of Tokyo's Kaifeng!

  Song Jiuyi told a group of officials that it is the most beautiful and fun place in Tokyo, and the most prosperous place in the future will be around Xiangguo Temple. Unfortunately, they are located in the city center and have the advantage of location. But to bring beauty and fun on top of that, undoubtedly makes Hezhou the best place in the future.

  "Sister, don't worry, at that time there will be many people who will automatically send money into my hands."

  "Nonsense."

  "Now everyone can go up to heaven, what else can't be done?"

  Jade lotus covers mouth with great joy.

  But it's not that simple.

  The sky is darkening, and the sparrows are chirping wildly, they want to return to their nests.

  Song Jiu was about to cook, but his elder sister snatched it away: "What's a big man like you doing cooking?"

  Also wanted to mention Zhang's old woman, but didn't continue. After eating, Yubing reluctantly left. Song Jiu also had no good solution for this. Cui'er had told him before that our young lady doesn't receive guests anymore and will soon close the door. If it were a proper shop, she could come to the proper shop, have a face, dignity, and income, without being humiliated. However, the opening of the proper shop is still far away. Either let Yubing cancel that brothel contract and use some money to redeem herself. It doesn't even need to be his own money, it's estimated that Yubing would happily take out this money herself. But after redemption, where to settle? Does our family have an empty house that can accommodate her? What would that become?

  There is a solution, that is to drag it out. As the great man said, exchange time for space! So Song Jiubrings not only 21 students to develop, but also brings 20 officials sent by the imperial court to develop under his hand. This is even more beneficial to the imperial court, learning from development will make it easier to understand. At least it proves that one of Song Jiu's words is not empty: the technology that should be handed over, I won't keep it private, and I will definitely hand it over to the imperial court.

  Zhao Kuangyin was overjoyed and did something.

  A few days later, Liu Gonggong brought a group of people to the Song family. They were old acquaintances, but the leader was not him, rather a young man in yellow clothes, who looked like he was twelve or thirteen years old. Commoners could also wear yellow, but it wasn't that pure yellow, only royalty could wear that kind of pure yellow.

  Song Jiuzhong looked at the young man with suspicion.

  "This is the eldest prince."

  Song Jiuknows, took a glance, big fat face, to be honest, the Zhao family's current looks gene is not very good, they are all that kind of big fat face, and very dark, Zhao Dezhuo is no exception. Can't be called crown prince yet, just came out of the temple because he was only 12 or 13 years old, not yet capped, only sealed as a Guizhou defense envoy. Song Jiubowed: "Your humble servant has seen the imperial son."

  "Stay calm," Zhao Dezhuo said, the little guy had probably never been out before, his two eyes were excitedly looking at the school building.

  Song Jiu asked in a low voice: "Lord Liu, what brings the prince to my humble abode?"

  "It is Your Majesty's intention, let him come and observe for a few days."

  Song Jiuyi thought of a phrase from an empty book, saying that the Song Dynasty was originally not biased towards literature and light military, but Zhao Kuangyin used literary people to govern the country without abolishing martial arts. In fact, because he was a general who rose to power through his military exploits, he still looked down on literary people in his heart. This is the true Song Taizu court, not the one that has been altered by literary historians. Song Jiuyi had interacted with the Zhao brothers several times, but he couldn't grasp their personalities and didn't know the inner workings of the imperial court. He wasn't qualified enough! One thing seemed to verify the writer's words: the origin of high-ranking officials in the imperial court. Many were former military officers who had rendered meritorious service, such as Zhao Pu and Li Chuyi. They couldn't be simply described as literary people; many had personally fought on battlefields and killed people. There were few true Confucian scholars. Perhaps Zhao Kuangyin saw the benefits of Mohism and placed it above Confucianism in his heart, which is why he sent his sons to study it and further promoted Mohism through silent language. That would be a good thing... but Song Jiuyi hesitated for a moment before saying: "Your Excellency Liu, I am unworthy; this student dares not accept."

  Too scary!

  PS: To a certain writer, screw you! With my update speed and four complete books of fantasy and Song Dynasty fantasy, which is my strongest suit, this data is already very pitiful. Just focus on writing your book, quality updates are the key. If you have the ability, post directly in the book reviews, don't be a coward in front of my readers!