Chapter 95: Going or Staying

The Hai hour (9-11 PM). People settled down and returned home, going to sleep early.

However, inside a certain inconspicuous small kiln factory, no one was sleeping. Military craftsmen continuously piled kilns at night. Chen Ji and Liang Mao'er were pushing a huge stone mill, while Shizi, Liu Quxing, and She Dengke sifted fine raw materials together.

Even the little monk rolled up his sleeves and worked, constantly carrying in new raw materials.

Only Liang Dog'er was sitting with his legs crossed, his straw hat pulled down, looking completely unlike the others.

Shizi squatted beside the stone mill, using a strip of cloth to cover his mouth and nose. He asked in a muffled voice: "Chen Ji, by doing this, can we really leave our names in history?"

Chen Ji laughed: "Yes."

Shizi asked again: "Leave what kind of name?"

Chen Ji answered: "In the autumn of the 31st year of Jianing, Zhu Yunxi, Zhu Baili, Chen Ji, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, the little monk, and Liang Mao'er made cement which benefited ten thousand generations. Cement is a thing that will subvert the era. Not a hundred years from now, every household that builds houses and rooms will no longer use yellow mud and glutinous rice mortar, but will use our cement. Even if later history books forget King Fu, King An, and King Qi, they will not forget us."

Shizi's eyes shone brightly: "Let's work, let's work!"

Just at this moment, a carriage stopped at the kiln factory door.

Everyone looked and saw Old Man Yao slowly getting off the carriage supported by the coachman, his hands still carrying two bamboo strips...

Liu Quxing and She Dengke's faces changed: "Bad, we didn't tell master that we wouldn't go back tonight, master has come to beat us!"

The two of them looked towards Shizi together: "Shizi, save us! Master will definitely not beat us to death if he sees your face!"

Shizi said bitterly: "At Yao Taiyi's place, how could I have any face?"

Old Man Yao sneered from afar: "Shizi still has some self-knowledge."

Liu Quxing took the initiative to go to Old Man Yao, saying with a fawning smile: "Master, you must be tired carrying two bamboo strips, let me help you carry them for a while."

But as soon as he stretched out his hand, the back of his hand received a blow from a bamboo strip.

Old Man Yao said in an indifferent tone: "I remember the last time I hit you all for not returning at night, it was just a few days ago. I truly am old and my strength is small, but hitting you all once still doesn't make you remember."

Liu Quxing's eyes darted around and he quickly changed the subject: "Master, Chen Ji's father came to the kiln factory today and said he had already discussed it with you. He wants to send him to Donglin Academy and he no longer needs to be an apprentice at our medical hall."

"Oh?" Old Man Yao slowly looked towards Chen Ji by the stone mill: "This is a good thing, ah, why didn't you go with your father? Instead, you're here pushing a stone mill doing rough work?"

"Master, I want to stay at Taiping Medical Hall."

Old Man Yao laughed: "You don't want that life of silk and jade at the Chen family? You don't want to avoid hardship? I have already promised Lord Chen, you should quickly go back to the Chen residence."

Chen Ji said calmly: "I don't believe you promised him."

Old Man Yao raised his eyebrows: "Your father came to the medical hall today and politely brought eight kinds of gifts, including ten silver ingots and a silver ruler. Why wouldn't I promise? Don't act like you're some kind of treasure, I wish you would go home early and stop annoying me at the medical hall."

Liu Quxing took the opportunity to move a chair for Old Man Yao and supported his master to sit down: "Master, when Lord Chen came today, Chen Ji had already righteously refused him. Calm down, he doesn't want to go back to the Chen residence, it's still because of his master-disciple affection for you, isn't it?"

Old Man Yao was silent for a moment, then turned his head to look at Liu Quxing: "There's some food in the carriage, there's donkey meat fire-baked bread and sweet garlic. Go get it and share it. Young people who are hungry one meal and full the next don't understand its importance. Wait until you're old, then you'll understand that having a good body is the most important thing."

Liu Quxing's eyes lit up, and tears of gratitude almost flowed from his mouth: "Master still cares about us!"

In the evening, they had rushed back to the kiln factory in a rush of excitement without even eating a meal. If the military craftsmen hadn't shared some flatbread, they would probably still be hungry now!

Everyone ran towards the carriage, but Chen Ji stopped and didn't move.

Under the night sky, the young man and the old man looked at each other from a distance, like the King of the Mountain and the King of the Mountain, like the old era and the new era gazing at each other.

This master's words were harsh, but he had brought a carriage full of food.

Old Man Yao was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Go back, go back to the Chen residence."

Chen Ji was surprised: "Why?"

Old Man Yao looked up at the night sky and slowly said: "The status of the Chen residence's door is something others can't reach even in several lifetimes. It will benefit you to go back. Whether you continue to study medicine or go to Donglin Academy to prepare for the imperial examination, it's all better than staying at my small Taiping Medical Hall. I have nothing more to teach about the ways of the King of the Mountain, you don't need to stay by my side."

Chen Ji was startled, he didn't expect that his master, who had thought about it all day, would finally rush over overnight not to keep him, but to advise him to leave.

He knew that Old Man Yao had definitely refused Chen Liqin at first.

But Old Man Yao had thought about it all day and night, and after who knows how many changes of heart, he still chose a smoother path for Chen Ji.

Simply because this path was better for Chen Ji.

Old Man Yao said calmly: "The path of the King of the Mountain burns money like flowing water. If you stay at Taiping Medical Hall, even if you learn my medical skills, you'll only slowly save money one or two silver at a time per patient. In the end, you'll waste your life and never touch the threshold of the divine path. If you go back to the Chen family, as long as you pass the imperial examination, even as an illegitimate son, you will have plenty of money to spend."

Chen Ji said "En".

Old Man Yao had an unusually large number of words tonight and continued: "Today that golden pig came to the medical hall again, but still didn't find you. His patience will eventually run out. If you go back to the Chen residence, he's afraid of rats and probably wouldn't dare to do anything to you.

"Go back, the Chen family is more suitable for you."

Chen Ji said: "But master, people cannot always choose what is suitable for themselves, they must choose what they want."

He looked at Shizi and the others who were eating ravenously at the kiln factory door and suddenly asked: "Master, did you actually calculate that the Jing Wangfu would face a great disaster early on? So now you don't want to see me involved in this vortex and have chosen to send me away, right? Is it that as long as I go back to the Chen residence, far from Taiping Medical Hall, far from Jing Wangfu, far from Shizi, far from Junzhu, then I can stand aside and avoid this disaster?"

Old Man Yao was silent for a moment: "Yes."

Chen Ji said seriously: "Master, since my fate can change, can the fate of Jing Wangfu change?"

Old Man Yao gazed at Chen Ji: "The fate of Jing Wangfu is complicated and intertwined, it can no longer be changed by one person's words. Their fate is already destined, but your fate still has infinite possibilities. If you don't go, you will just be a moth to a flame, involved in an unknown fire."

At this time, Shizi, who had been hungry for half a day, stuffed his mouth full of donkey meat fire-baked bread while laughing foolishly. Liu Quxing leaned against the carriage, teasing She Dengke's eating habits.

Chen Ji looked at these people's figures and suddenly said: "Master, they are very good friends, I cannot go. Even if fate is already destined, I still want to try and change it a bit."

The little monk once said that Chen Ji had already cut off the words "greed" and "anger" in this life, leaving only the word "obsession" which could not be solved.

Obsession is stubborn, but also persistent.

Old Man Yao looked at his disciple, silent for a long time.

After a long time, he stood up: "You can consider that I didn't say these words tonight. Just wait until you see fate, don't regret it."

"No regrets."

Chen Ji smiled and waved to Shizi and the others: "Are you full?"

"Full!"

"Let's work!"

Liu Quxing laughed "Hee hee ha ha": "Chen Ji, you eat one too, I saved the biggest piece of donkey meat for you!"

Old Man Yao turned and got into the carriage. Halfway there, he turned his head to look at the inside of the kiln factory. The young men had already stuffed the donkey meat fire-baked bread into their mouths and were pushing the stone mill again, as if pushing a heavy fate.

The next afternoon, the sunlight was just right.

A carriage slowly drove on the official road.

Baili Junzhu opened a crack in the window curtain, letting the cold wind brush against the light hairs on her temples: "Dad, my brothers didn't come back to the residence yesterday, ah."

Jing Wang sat at the back of the carriage with his eyes closed, resting, and only lightly said "En".

Baili let out a light "Eh": "Dad, in the past if my brother didn't return at night, you would hang him up and beat him. Why are you so tolerant now?"

Jing Wang's eyes were not open: "Before I was strict with him because he would become Jing Wang sooner or later. Sitting in that position, every word and action affects the livelihood of countless people, so he naturally couldn't mess around according to his temper."

"Then what about today, why don't I see you angry?"

"Because he is doing a proper matter."

Baili looked towards the window and casually probed: "Dad, you've been resting with your eyes closed for half a day, aren't you considering how to scheme against Chen Ji?"

Jing Wang slowly opened his eyes: "In your heart, is Dad such a petty person?"

Baili closed the window curtain, sat up straight, and said seriously: "Dad, you know how big your own heart is. Just be direct, ah. You suffered a setback yesterday, how do you plan to scheme against him?"

Jing Wang laughed: "Why are you asking this? If I tell you, won't you turn around and inform him? Okay, ah, Baili, starting to play mind games with your old father.

"If you don't scheme against him, I'll make braised pork for you when we get back!"

"Dad doesn't like to eat braised pork now, it's too greasy."

"Then I'll give you a pounding!"

Jing Wang said "Eh": "Why are you like this towards this boy? Did he give you a potion?"

Baili said solemnly: "He has no family to rely on. We, as friends, naturally want to consider him. He may not be like those gentry, you are not allowed to use the methods you use to deal with gentry to deal with him."

Jing Wang was silent for a moment: "Good, but some matters involve military strategy, I will not let those secrets flow to common people. Moreover, you must understand that letting him enjoy some things alone, like a child holding a treasure, will invite disaster."

Baili stretched out her little finger: "Anyway, you promise me, pinky promise."

"Good, good, good, pinky promise."

The carriage slowly stopped in front of the kiln factory door. Before Feng Daban could even put down the footstool, Baili had already lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down.

Feng Daban said urgently from behind: "Eh, Junzhu slow down, the muddy road is slippery!"

As soon as the words fell, Baili had already run into the gate and disappeared.

Jing Wang's light cough was heard from inside the carriage. Feng Daban turned his head to look: "Wangye, how is your body?"

Jing Wang smiled: "Drank Yao Taiyi's medicine, better... Why is this place so warm? Let's go in and take a look!"

At this time, inside the kiln factory, a solid inverted flame kiln stood in the middle. Coal was being shoveled into the combustion chamber by Chen Ji and the others, shovel by shovel.

A raging fire burned, sweeping inside the sealed inverted flame kiln. The raw materials were being devoured, melted, and sintered little by little by the flame.

Jing Wang stood silently in front of the kiln. He couldn't see everything happening inside the kiln, only felt the heat wave rushing towards his face through the kiln wall.

He looked towards Wang Kezhi: "How is it?"

Wang Kezhi said with difficulty: "Wangye, the flame is approaching white, the temperature is even higher than we imagined."

"What are they burning now?"

"Cement."

"How much longer?"

"This is already the third furnace. Before the sky was bright this morning, they had already burned out the first furnace and used the clinker from that furnace to build a wall."

Only at this point did Jing Wang notice that a wall had appeared in the corner of the kiln factory at some point, with mud and ash holding the bricks together.

As soon as the words fell, Chen Ji stopped shoveling coal, smiled at Jing Wang, and handed over a hammer: "Wangye, take a hammer and knock on that wall to see if my cement can replace glutinous rice mortar."

Feng Daban said from the side: "Wangye, you just drank medicine, let this minister knock on it."

Jing Wang looked at the wall and shook his head: "No need, I will do it myself."

Saying this, he dragged the hammer to the front of the wall and swung it with force. Some stone skin was smashed off the green brick, but the wall was stuck together extremely firmly and did not move at all!

Jing Wang smashed several more hammers, finally knocking off several green bricks.

Shizi saw the wall being hammered and looked at Chen Ji worriedly: "What should we do, it's not sturdy enough, ah."

However, the next moment, he heard Jing Wang ask: "Was this wall built this morning?"

Wang Kezhi explained: "Reporting to Wangye, I watched them build it this morning."

Jing Wang continued to ask: "If it were glutinous rice mortar, how long would it take to reach this kind of strength?"

"Reporting to Wangye, glutinous rice mortar needs a full ten days."

If this cement thing were used to repair the city walls in the border towns, it might have miraculous effects.

Jing Wang asked again: "How long did it take them to boil this cement?"

"Reporting to Wangye, less than the time it takes to burn one stick of incense. If it were glutinous rice mortar, it would need to be boiled on site for four hours, then left to rest for two hours before it could be used."

Jing Wang asked again: "How much do you all think this thing costs?"

"Reporting to Wangye, the raw materials for this thing are just clay and lime ash, the cost is less than one-fifth of glutinous rice mortar. If materials can be sourced locally, subtracting the transportation costs, I fear the cost will be even less than one-tenth..."

Shizi was silent. As the saying goes, outsiders watch the show, insiders watch the way. Only military craftsmen like Wang Kezhi could understand the meaning of cement to this era.

Jing Wang looked towards Feng Daban: "Go and invite Master Zhang Zhuo and Master Chen Liqin over."

Feng Daban doubted: "Wangye, Master Zhang still needs to host the autumn examination at the Gongyuan today, and Master Chen still needs to handle river dike matters. I fear they cannot come."

Jing Wang laughed: "Then you tell Master Zhang that he was worried about how to build houses to solve the problem of the Yuzhou refugees, right? Now his problem is solved. With this thing, the refugees can have some temporary residences. If no one dies in Luocheng this winter, then that will be his, Zhang Zhuo's, biggest political achievement. Compared to this matter, the autumn examination is nothing. He knows which is more important."

"What about Master Chen?"

"Tell him that his river dike is also saved."

Shizi suddenly cheered. Baili smiled as she watched him, Liu Quxing, and She Dengke lift Chen Ji up together: "Success! Success, ah!"

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