Goose Three Kingdoms

Chapter 612: Taking Turns to Be Unlucky
The next day, people gathered in the western suburbs of Chang'an from dawn.

On the high platform, under the green umbrella.

Black Bear sat in the main seat, while Cai Zhaoji, Zhang Song, Yuan Huan, Du Ji, Huang Chengyan and other great scholars sat on his right.

Cai Zhaoji sat alone at the top, she was dressed in a luxurious brocade robe and a square crown on her head, and she looked calm and composed.

She didn't care about steam engines or flying lanterns at all. Even Zhang Lu's ascension to heaven seemed ridiculous to her.

Zhang Lu had so many wives, concubines, and children, but after he died and ascended to heaven, he never showed his power in public. It was as if he were dead.

What is the difference between a god who has no influence on the human world and a clay doll or wooden statue?
Having gone through so much suffering and seen hell on earth, the talk of gods and immortals saving the world seemed like a joke to her.

She doesn't even care about Cai Xue's development now, she just wants to finalize her sister's marriage.

If we delay any longer, my eighteen-year-old sister will become an old maid.

Before, Caixue was flourishing and its momentum was getting stronger day by day.

As Lu Cui was tortured to death in public, a number of Caixue officials were dismissed and demoted, and Caixue suffered a heavy blow.

This woke her up from her dream and she realized that the world was still the same and power dominated everything.

Her father's legacy can't save anyone.

The etiquette issues of the previous wedding had already made Black Bear unhappy, so it was just dragged on. When Lu Cui was around, the Cai school members added fuel to the fire and even wanted to push Cai Zhenji to compete with Dongxiang and Xixiang for the throne.

As a result, Cai Zhenji was now taken to Dongxiang by Zhen Mi from time to time for travel and short stay, and she had no way of finding out what happened during that time.

Now we can no longer demand a grand wedding. Only if she can marry him safely can the whole Cai school feel at ease.

With this mentality, she behaved very appropriately today and said everything in accordance with Black Bear's wishes.

While they were chatting, Lu Bu, dressed in a white robe, slowly ascended into the sky in a hot air balloon.

No cowhide ropes were used this time. As tens of thousands of people looked up, the hot air balloon continued to rise into the sky, getting farther and farther away.

While Black Bear was chatting, he distracted himself by controlling Lu Bu to close the air inlet of the combustion furnace. The hot air balloon began to descend, but drifted towards the north bank of the Wei River.

Black Bear suddenly asked Zuoyou: "The problem of Feitian has been solved, but if Feilan is about to be damaged, how can we save ourselves?"

Zhang Song asked: "Can I bring a flying kite?"

Seeing the black bear looking at him, Zhang Song straightened his back and said in a loud voice: "I have seen the flying kite made by the weaving house. After it takes off, it can adjust its wings according to the wind force. In the future, it can be improved so that it can land in the water or in the forest to save itself."

“That’s one idea, but I have a better one.”

As Black Bear spoke, he took out a parachute with stones hanging on it from a wooden box on the table and handed it to Dian Wei behind him.

Dian Wei caught it and threw it into the sky. The rough silk umbrella bag quickly shook open. The stone fell, pulling the umbrella bag with it. The umbrella bag swelled and the speed of descent slowed down. It was blown by the wind and fell to the north of the wooden platform.

Everyone turned their gaze to look at the black bear.

Black Bear smiled and said, "Tai Shi Wengong has always been very brave. This is the self-rescue parachute he designed and improved."

As he spoke, he turned sideways to look to the north. The hot air balloon in the sky was only the size of a broad bean. Many scholars had chased to the bank of the Wei River to watch.

Almost immediately, Lu Bu jumped down with a parachute on his back. The parachute opened in mid-air and slowly floated down, forming a sharp contrast with the hot air balloon that was getting farther and farther away.

Zhang Fei, who was sitting on the other side, couldn't help but be secretly shocked, but Zhao Yun looked calm and didn't think it was strange.

Huang Yueying, who was sitting below the stage, quickly understood the principles behind all this, and a few days ago the hot air balloon she built successfully launched with people on board.

But for something like this, only the first person to fly would get the honor, and she got nothing here.

I don't think Hei Xiong is exaggerating. The ideas came from Hei Xiong, and she also got a lot of key ideas from Zhen Mi.

Without Black Bear's support and Zhen Mi's endorsement, she wouldn't have reached where she is now.

By now, she had also realized that there might be spies around her, and her interest in improving technology had faded.

She was even a little afraid that the technology would be leaked from her research institute and lead to severe punishment from the shogunate.

She was smarter than Cai Zhaoji, and had basically concluded that the Grand Marshal in front of her had a plan to continuously quarrel with groups of people and deal with them.

This kind of coldness and cunningness is not what one should be like at this age.

The more people realize this, the more careful they will be in their words and actions, and they will even pay special attention to their circle of friends to avoid being affected by the disaster.

Zhang Fei observed the scholars near and far, and could not help but sigh, and whispered to Zhao Yun beside him: "The school has a strong aspiration, and many outstanding people will emerge in the future. It is really enviable."

Zhao Yun also looked around and nodded seriously.

This is really hard to learn. Under the official land law, officials are responsible for cultivating land.

Even the Qinghua guards who were in closed camp training had to participate in labor during spring ploughing and harvesting, which could only be considered part-time work.

The garrisons in various places were no exception. They either worked in the hundred-household units and communes, or in military settlements in the garrisons.

Only Chang'an University supplies food according to population and is almost completely off-campus.

Any scholar, as long as you are not so particular, can squeeze into a large dormitory, eat porridge and vegetable balls, and study hard; if you can do some copying work, you can also earn a meager income. If you are not good at copying, even if you can weave bamboo slips, you can find a job moving and helping to sort them.

The paper production in Guanzhong continued to increase. Sorting and copying the various types of bamboo slips was a huge project and there was always a shortage of manpower.

The only restriction is age. Even young people from the four counties of Hexi can come to Guanzhong to study. As long as they arrive alive, they will have food to eat, find a job within their ability, and earn extra subsidies.

Even this only restriction does not limit gender.

In troubled times, women marry early, and those of appropriate age are basically married... How could the husband's family allow such a thing?
Of course, if you want to study here, you must pass the verification of this county and confirm that your identity is legal.

Then the counties and counties organized and sent them in batches.

Therefore, there are two circles of newly built fortresses outside Chang'an University. The inner circle is various schools and state-level township party halls, and the outer circle is the county-level guild hall fortresses.

Even if you travel a long distance to come here and get sick, there will be Taoist priests to treat you, and you can eat meat every now and then.

Even the evil officials of the Jian'an court who had sneaked in earlier, Chang'an University did not investigate or expel them, allowing them to hang around.

However, the transportation channels in Kanto were cut off, and these people lost their external economic income. Officials and old friends within the shogunate did not dare to interact with them.

Even if they provide aid, it is done secretly.

Even someone like Chen Qun now has to rely on copying to earn income. Without this income, it would be difficult for him to survive the winter.

As for leaving Chang'an University and returning to your hometown to live a comfortable and well-fed life?

He had hesitated at first, but after seeing steam engines and hot air balloons carrying people into space, Chen Qun gave up the idea of ​​returning home.

Given his position, experience and knowledge, he naturally noticed the characteristics of Black Bear's rule.

It is strict but also extremely fair...there will never be such a thing as one side being the only one to enjoy the benefits.

When Chief Secretary Cui Zhouping was at the peak of his power, Yuan Shang's envoys could visit him, but it depended on Cui Zhouping's availability.

Cui Zhouping has fallen, and now it depends on who will be the next.

There are only so many official positions, and someone has to do the work.

As time went by, the situation improved and Chen Qun was not without opportunities.

Chen Qun was standing on the south bank of the Wei River, surrounded by his fellow men from the Jian'an court, discussing the possibilities for the future development of hot air balloons.

People originally lived by following water and grass, relying on gathering and hunting for survival.

Then Xuanyuan invented the wheel, and now Sima Qian invented the steam engine. The times and situation have changed.

From the initial driftwood wading, to small boats and warships; and although the Kongming flying lanterns in front of us are just beginning, the prospects are very grand.

A new era has thus begun. Chen Qun would rather die here than return home.

Even if you stay here and suffer from the same disease, there are Taoist priests of the Taiping period to provide medical treatment.

But in my hometown, where can I find good doctors now?
In the two states of Yan and Yu now, especially in the two counties of Ru and Ying as well as Chenliu where literary style flourished, three-quarters of the scholars either came to Guanzhong early or were forced to move eastward when Cao's army moved eastward. Some of them also ran away quickly and sought refuge in Jiangdong and served in the pseudo-dynasty.

If you want to be a doctor in this era, you must first be a scholar.

If scholars have the cultural background in this area and are interested in learning and practicing medicine, it is only a matter of time before they become doctors.

Even if you are a doctor inherited from your ancestors, practicing medicine for generations and accumulating wealth and good reputation... you must be a famous person in the area, not an ordinary scholar.

Only by mastering medical skills can a family become strong; if a strong family does not master medical skills, it will not be able to prosper for long.

Medical resources are extremely scarce in the two states of the Central Plains today.

On the contrary, the heritage of Guanzhong lies in the Taiping Dao, which is the batches of wounded enemy and friendly soldiers who were rescued on the battlefield.

The extremely high rate of healing of wounded soldiers made the Guanzhong army a strong one that was fearless, brave and good at fighting.

The secret of healing wounded soldiers must be very big, and it was not promoted or called upon to be learned by scholars.

It is only through the internal study and teaching of the Taiping Dao that if a family masters these medical skills, it will be difficult for them not to become powerful.

Considering all aspects, Chen Qun can be said to be determined.

He really wanted to express his true feelings through Zhong Yao, but Zhong Yao had already treated him as a plague and was afraid of being implicated.

Chen Qun did not dare to leave the university town too far. In case he was caught by patrolling soldiers from the surrounding counties, they would treat him like a vagrant and force him into the mountains to chop wood and mine. He would be doomed.

How to obtain a legal identity is Chen Qun’s biggest headache recently.

Fortunately, he is not the only one who has a headache. There are many black people like him hanging around in the university town.

These people did not dare to leave the university town, and the surrounding counties and centurions were very enthusiastic about capturing them.

All that’s left is to recruit a few volunteers to conduct a sting operation.

Especially for the centurions nearby, if they caught a Guandong scholar with a black identity, they would have something to write about during the three routine letters to the Grand Marshal every month.

(End of this chapter)