Chapter 91: Offspring

Morning roosters report the coming of dawn.

A rooster at the bedside gently pecks at Yao Lao Tou's hair.

Yao Lao Tou slowly opens his eyes, listening to the gentle sounds of flowing water and flowers from the courtyard. He puts on his jacket, hugs Hei Yun, and goes out the door.

In the courtyard, he sees Chen Ji rolling up his sleeves, carrying a shoulder pole, and heading outside.

Yao Lao Tou sneers, "It seems you weren't tired enough yesterday. If you're really not tired, first open a door on the courtyard wall. That way, it will also save Wang Zi and Bai Li from climbing over the wall every day."

Chen Ji explains with a smile, "We used too much water washing up last night, so I got up early to fill the water jar so we don't run out when we cook. Did I wake you up? Next time I'll be lighter."

"No need," Yao Lao Tou sighs.

He notices the changed appearance of the red apricot tree in the courtyard and laments, "Next spring, when the apricot tree blooms with white flowers, it should be very beautiful. It's really good to do some things with friends when you're young. At that time, you were probably covered in dirt. But decades later in your memories, those old friends are like they are glowing."

Chen Ji is surprised.

Yao Lao Tou looks at him. "Do you still have red cloth?"

Chen Ji is stunned for a moment, then hurriedly takes out the red cloth strip he didn't use last night. He goes to the main hall counter again, takes a pen, and hands it to his master.

In his impression, Yao Lao Tou always had an indifferent demeanor, never pretentious, and couldn't stand pretentiousness.

Today, the other party suddenly became sentimental.

Only to see Yao Lao Tou take the pen and gently write his wish on the red cloth: "Little rabbit rascals, don't harm the old person."

Chen Ji is expressionless, slowly turning his head to look at his master.

Yao Lao Tou slowly says, "Don't hang it on the apricot tree. Hang it on your forehead. You can help me fulfill this wish."

Chen Ji says grumpily, "Are you messing with me this early in the morning?"

Yao Lao Tou wraps the red cloth around the lowest branch of the apricot tree and says indifferently, "Last night, Jin Zhu came to the medical hall to find you, but you weren't there yet."

"What did he say?"

With his hands behind his back, Yao Lao Tou turns and walks towards the main hall of the medical hall. "He didn't say. How could the secret spy department casually tell an imperial physician about their affairs? But I know why he came looking for you."

Chen Ji follows behind his master with the shoulder pole. "Why?"

The secret spy department hasn't caught the Jing Chao thief who used firearms, so they plan to return to the Jin Fang and Gong Zuo Jian for clues. Yesterday, they went to the Yun Shu Gang and arrested many people. Perhaps they have new clues and need you to investigate. Did you run to Liu Jia Cun to hide from him?

Once you enter the secret spy department, there is no turning back. Where do you think you can hide?

Chen Ji says softly, "I suspect Yun Fei is planning to push Wang Zi and Bai Li into the vortex, so I simply took them away from trouble. Now that Jing Wang has returned, perhaps no one will dare to frame them casually anymore. But one more day is one more day."

Yao Lao Tou raises his eyebrows. "Yun Fei wants to harm her own children?"

Chen Ji hesitates for a moment, but still says his speculation. "Master, that day, the Jing Chao already knew in advance about the Jie Fan Wei surrounding the Hong Yi Xiang Jin Fang. The main person in charge of the Jin Fang escaped in advance, but someone deliberately led Wang Zi and Bai Li there. Besides Yun Fei, no one else would do this for the time being. I guess she is using her own children to inherit the position of Jing Wang."

However, Chen Ji is also a little doubtful. "But I can't understand. Yun Fei doesn't have a son under her knee. Why would she do this?"

"You ask me? I'm not a secret spy!"

Chen Ji thinks back and forth, always feeling that he is missing a key piece of information, just like building a pavilion before, the mortise and tenon structure is missing the most crucial wooden tenon.

"Master, has Yun Fei had any children die young over the years?"

"No, she only has one child, Bai Li."

"Does Jing Wang Fu have other children who died young?"

"Haven't heard of any."

Chen Ji is surprised. "Master, is Jing Wang sick? A powerful feudal king, only has three offspring?"

Yao Lao Tou says flatly, "More offspring are not necessarily a good thing. If this Wang Fu had another boy, I'm afraid it would stir up another bloody storm. Perhaps Jing Wang experienced the cruelty of seizing the heir, so he is unwilling for his children to kill each other and no longer has any more offspring."

"Indeed, this is possible!"

Chen Ji still has a doubt in his heart. "Yun Fei doesn't have any offspring who can inherit the position of Jing Wang now. Why would she be so cruel as to kill Wang Zi and Bai Li? If she were to make a move, it should be after she has offspring. Could it be that I judged wrong?"

Wait.

Chen Ji looks at Yao Lao Tou. "Master, how long has Jing Wang not stayed overnight in Fei Yun Yuan or Mu Xing Yuan? Ya Shu can communicate with birds, you must know about this."

Yao Lao Tou sneers, "What kind of person do you think I am? Would I do this kind of eavesdropping?"

Chen Ji says seriously, "Master, this is very important."

Yao Lao Tou strokes his beard. "I have been in Lu Cheng for three years. Jing Wang has never stayed overnight in Mu Xing Yuan or Fei Yun Yuan. He has always lived alone in Ming Zhen Lou."

Chen Ji is silent, the last wooden tenon is filled in.

He seems to understand why Yun Fei did this.

While thinking, there are rustling sounds from outside the wall.

Chen Ji and Yao Lao Tou walk back to the backyard suspiciously.

The next moment, they see Wang Zi's head sticking out from the eaves of the wall. "Chen Ji!"

Chen Ji is surprised. "Wang Zi, you came so early? Working so actively is not like you."

Wang Zi's face changes. "Look at what you're saying. Wasn't I diligent yesterday? Chen Ji, you must speak with a conscience."

"Diligent, very diligent."

Wang Zi's face eases. "Let's discuss something. Yesterday, you said you needed manpower to modify the kiln together. I found a few helpers for you."

Chen Ji responds with a smile. "It's good to have helpers."

Wang Zi hesitates slightly. "The identity of this helper is a bit special, but you don't need to feel pressured. He is mainly curious about what we are doing..."

The more Chen Ji listens, the more he feels something is wrong.

The next moment, someone sets up a ladder on the opposite courtyard wall, and a figure appears on the wall eaves.

Chen Ji's face changes. "Wang?"

Why did he invite Jing Wang when asking for help?

Only to see Jing Wang, still in patched clothes, flip into the medical hall and say with a laugh, "Flipping over your own home wall is quite exciting. No wonder Wang Zi and Bai Li don't walk through the main gate."

Wang Zi lies on the eaves of the wall and laughs happily. "Exactly."

Chen Ji hurriedly gives Wang Zi a look and says softly, "Wang is satirizing you, can't you hear?"

Wang Zi's smile gradually disappears.

Jing Wang slowly walks to the apricot tree, raises his hand, and picks up a red cloth strip, silently looking at the wish written on it. "Did you write all this? I haven't seen such a simple wish for a long time. Usually, I see more people asking for official positions and wealth."

Chen Ji puts down the shoulder pole and asks curiously, "Wang, are you going to help us?"

Wang says with a laugh, "With this body, I definitely can't do physical work, but I have called other helpers for you. They are on their way and should arrive soon."

As soon as he finishes speaking, there is a knock on the door outside the medical hall, and someone shouts through the door crack, "Wang, we have arrived."

Jing Wang raises his hand and points towards Feng Da Ban, who has just flipped into the courtyard. "Open the door for them."

Taking advantage of Feng Da Ban going to open the door, Chen Ji softly asks Wang Zi, "Wang Zi, what did you say to Wang?"

Jing Wang is an extremely practical person. It must be that Wang Zi said something that interested him, and then he would rush over this early in the morning.

Wang Zi also lowers his voice and says, "After the early class today, father asked me what I did yesterday. I boasted to him a bit using your words, saying that the earth kiln is not good, and we look down on the half-inverted flame kiln that the local snakes can modify. Today, we are going to build a full-inverted flame kiln."

Chen Ji is thoughtful. "What did Wang say?"

Wang Zi shrugs. "He asked me what a full-inverted flame kiln is, where the chimney should be placed, how to leave the air inlet and flame outlet, where the combustion chamber should be placed, how high the fire blocking wall should be... Where would I know all this? I said it's all a secret. I can't tell him."

Chen Ji is startled.

Jing Wang is actually so professional?

The essential difference between the so-called rising flame kiln, flat flame kiln, half-inverted flame kiln, and full-inverted flame kiln is how the flame flows inside the kiln.

Ordinary people's impression of burning a kiln is just an earthen mound. Very few people pay attention to the internal structure of a kiln.

A powerful feudal king actually understands this matter so well and even specially comes to join in the fun?

At this time, the gate of He An Tang opens, and more than ten strong men file in.

The strong men have dark skin, their entire bodies are muscular, strong, and powerful.

The leading strong man cups his fists and salutes Jing Wang. "Wang, I have brought the people. They are all good hands at building kilns."

Jing Wang nods, then turns his head to look at Chen Ji. "Shall we go there? The ox cart is already prepared at the door."

Chen Ji is stunned for a moment. "You also take an ox cart?"

Jing Wang laughs heartily. "We are going to work. What else would we take besides an ox cart?"

As they go out the door, Bai Li subconsciously wants to sit on Chen Ji and their ox cart, but is stopped by Jing Wang. "Where are you going? Come over and sit."

Bai Li lowers his head and slowly sits beside Jing Wang.

Three ox carts slowly set off, the wooden wheels emitting creaking sounds as they turn.

With Jing Wang by their side, everyone on Chen Ji and their ox cart is extremely restrained...

On Jing Wang's two ox carts, the sturdy men are all solemn, not speaking or laughing, lowering their heads and gnawing on biscuits.

When they arrive at the kiln factory, the men get off and start working.

First, they clean up the messy kiln factory.

Chen Ji takes a branch and draws the construction diagram on the ground. "First, dig out a foundation, leaving a combustion chamber position on each side."

While drawing, Jing Wang suddenly interrupts. "Is the inside wall straight up and down, or is there a vertical flame outlet? This way, the flame flow doesn't all spray up to the dome. Can the temperature at the bottom of the furnace go up?"

Chen Ji explains, "The cross-section of the flame outlet should be small. This way, the speed of the flame flow is extremely fast. As long as the dome is a reasonable round arch, the flame flow will roll back down in the furnace."

In addition, holes should be left in the fire blocking wall, which is also for more uniform temperature.

Another man doubts, "Why leave two combustion chambers?"

Chen Ji continues to explain, "It's also for the convection of the flame flow, changing the flame flow from a half-inverted flame state to a full-inverted flame, and the temperature can rise by another twenty percent."

Jing Wang is surprised. "Rise so much? Do you know what a twenty percent temperature increase means? So many craftsmen rack their brains to increase the temperature by one percent, but they can't do it. You say it will rise by twenty percent, and it will rise by twenty percent?"

Chen Ji thinks, "It should be no problem."

Jing Wang ponders for a moment, turns his head, and looks at the men he brought. "Do you all think this is feasible?"

The leading man hesitates. "Wang, allow us to discuss for a bit."

More than ten men surround each other and whisper.

Finally, one says, "Let's try it and see. We'll know after trying. As long as the diagram is drawn correctly, building such a small kiln will be enough for one day."

Feng Da Ban finds a barely usable chair from inside the kiln factory, wipes it clean, and pads a coarse cloth for Jing Wang. "Wang, sit down and rest. Your body can't stand for long."

Jing Wang raises his hand to stop him. "No harm, let me look first."

Chen Ji brings Wang Zi and others to build the kiln.

Unexpectedly, the leading man watches them build for a while and simply says, "Wang Zi, you all step back. You can just hand over bricks and yellow mud from the side. We'll do the rest."

Wang Zi softly mutters, "I've been disliked."

Liu Qu Xing says softly, "What should we do? Do we want to prove that we are no worse than them?"

Wang Zi looks at these men working so skillfully, thinks, and says, "No need. I'll let them dislike me."

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