Chapter 285 Wu Envoy Zhang Wen
At this moment, I saw a few people coming from a distance.
Zhuge Liang often lay on his desk and read documents. His eyes were a little blurry in the distance, but he didn't pay attention. But Jiang Wan had sharp eyes and saw that the person seemed to be coming this way, so he could see clearly from a distance.
“Prime Minister, that person seems to be Zhang Wen, the envoy of Wu.”
“Oh, aren’t Liu Weishuo and Qin Zicheng hosting a banquet for him? How did he get here?”
Zhuge Liang had some doubts in his heart.
“Then Liu Weishuo and Qin Zicheng are also accompanying them.”
Hearing that the person coming was Zhang Wen, Zhuge Liang went up to greet him.
“Foreign minister Zhang Wen met the prime minister.”
“Liu Yan (Qin Mi) met the prime minister.”
Several people came closer and saluted in unison.
"You don't have to be polite," Zhuge Liang said with a smile, "Isn't General Liu hosting a banquet for Ambassador Zhang Wu in his mansion today? The singing and dancing in General Liu's mansion are the best in Jincheng, why don't you appreciate them more? Instead of going out here?"
“The singing and dancing in General Liu’s Mansion are so beautiful that Wen is already addicted to it!”
Zhang Wen sighed with emotion.
Liu Yan, who was standing behind, looked pleased with himself.
“The singer in General Liu’s palace is one of the best in Jincheng. Who knows?”
Zhuge Liang smiled slightly. Although Liu Yan liked luxury, he was good at conversation, so it would be appropriate for him to entertain Zhang Wen.
“During the dinner, there was an eloquent elder like Captain Qin. He had a pleasant conversation with Wen Duo, and Wen Duo learned from his teachings.”
Zhuge Liang looked at the two people behind Zhang Wen with admiration and said, "Colonel Qin has already been a famous scholar in Shu in his early years. Even I am deeply impressed by him."
“Mi should not be praised by the Prime Minister like this.”
Qin Mi quickly said humbly.
At that time, Liu Bei wanted to attack Wu, but Qin Mi tried his best to dissuade him. He said that the time had not come yet and the attack on Wu would be unfavorable. This angered Liu Bei. If Zhuge Liang had not interceded, he would have been beheaded on the spot.
Even so, he was imprisoned by the late emperor.
Later, Liu Bei failed in his attack on Wu, and he was released.
This year Zhuge Liang began to lead Yizhou as a herdsman, and then he again recruited Qin Mi as a farewell commander. After Liao Li was exiled, he was promoted to Zuo Zhonglang General and Changshui Colonel, taking over Liao Li's previous positions.
For this, Qin Mi was very grateful to the prime minister.
“There are many talented people in Sichuan!”
Zhang Wen sighed again, "Last year Deng Bomiao was envoy to the King of Wu. Wen thought that Deng Bomiao could already be regarded as one of the most talented eloquent people in the world."
"I didn't expect that when Wen first entered Shu, he had to be taught by the elders of Qin. Even when he watched the singing and dancing in General Liu's mansion just now, Wen couldn't help himself. How can the land of Shu be favored by heaven?"
After listening to Zhang Wen's words, Zhuge Liang and others showed no signs of strangeness on their faces, but they each gave each other a few knowing glances.
Zhang Wen can be regarded as a man of great talent.
As a foreign minister, the seal he handed to His Majesty after entering Sichuan was well-chosen and won the hearts of the court in Sichuan. This shows that this person is quite talented in diplomacy.
Just appreciate him and appreciate him, but don't let him underestimate the big man.
“Messenger Zhang is overly praised. There are many talented people in Jiangdong, and this is a fact known to the world.”
Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "When I crossed the river to see the King of Wu, I saw many talented people from the east of the Yangtze River."
“Thank you for your good reputation as Prime Minister.”
“By the way, Messenger Zhang hasn’t said what’s the purpose of coming here?”
"This incident actually made the Prime Minister laugh. In General Liu's mansion, Wen heard a Yuefu song "The Road to Shu is Difficult" and felt that it was a rare and powerful poem in the world. He couldn't help himself at the moment, so he asked to come out and see this hero of Shu. .”
Think about it before I entered Shu, I thought that Shu had just been defeated last year, and that the morale of its subjects must be low.
I never thought that along the way, I would see strict laws and regulations in Shu and people working hard to cultivate the fields.
I wanted to follow suit and not let the Shu people underestimate Wu. Unexpectedly, as soon as I arrived here, I was silenced by Qin Zichi.
Then when I was invited to the Liu Mansion for a banquet, I heard the article "The Road to Shu is Difficult" for the first time, and I was so shocked that I lost my mind on the spot.
When I listened to it again, I couldn’t help but sing along.
When I listened to it for the third time, I was already filled with excitement and couldn’t control myself.
And when he heard that this article was actually written by a sixteen-year-old boy, he really couldn't believe it.
Zhang Wen looked at the boundless golden waves in front of him, and then thought about the heroic essays he heard in Liu's mansion. He couldn't help but said generously, "Sichuan has the rule of the prime minister, and there are worldly talents like Deng Bo, Miao and Qin Xiaowei. Coupled with the literary spirit that is not inferior to that of the north, the land of Shu is beautiful!"
Although he knew that Liu Yan and Qin Mi would not lie to him, Zhang Wen still couldn't help but ask, "Dare I ask the prime minister, I heard that "The Road to Shu is Difficult" was written by a sixteen-year-old boy. I don't know. But really?"
It was very impolite to ask this question, because it showed that he did not believe what Liu Yan and Qin Mi said, so after asking this question, Zhang Wen apologized to the two of them.
Liu Yan and Qin Mi seemed to have expected this situation, and they both had reserved smiles on their faces, indicating that they didn't care.
Obviously, after a series of events, the Soochow envoy was already a little confused.
And this look is exactly what the big man needs.
The former emperor failed in his attack on Wu, but many people in Wu were successful.
“Exactly.”
Zhuge Liang nodded, "This son's name is Feng Yong. His courtesy name is Mingwen. He is a disciple of an expert."
As he spoke, he pointed forward, "Just like the beautiful scenery that Ambassador Zhang saw in front of him, it was mostly given by him."
Zhang Wen asked in surprise, "What does the Prime Minister mean by this? As far as the foreign ministers know, the Prime Minister ordered people to repair Dujiangyan, and then reclaimed this precious land."
“I am not talking about the land, but the wheat.”
Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, can't you see how this wheat is different from other wheat?"
“Millet and rice are mostly grown in Jiangdong. Although wheat is also grown along the river, I heard that wheat rice is difficult to swallow, so Wen has never cared about it. I also asked the Prime Minister to clarify Wen’s doubts.”
Zhang Wen answered honestly.
"The wheat rice is hard to swallow, but when I watched the envoy Zhang eat the steamed buns, he said they were delicious."
"Steamed buns?" Zhang Wen was stunned and pointed to the wheat in front of him in disbelief, "Is it possible..."
Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "Yes, the steamed buns are made from wheat that has been shelled and then ground into powder."
“One acre of millet can yield two stones per year, and rice can yield more than one stone per acre. Does Mr. Zhang know how much wheat can be harvested per acre?”
Zhuge Liang gave up.
“I don’t know.”
"The wheat grown in the north can yield more than two stones per acre, which is more than the harvest of millet. But the wheat grown here," Zhuge Liang chuckled, but could no longer hide the smile on his face, "one acre is less." You can also get two and a half stones, and if you take more than half, you can get three stones."
Two and a half stones means a ripe year, three stones... means a bumper harvest, and a bumper harvest every year!
Thinking of what Jiang Wan said, the smile on Zhuge Liang's face could no longer go away.
Zhang Wen was stunned.
Although Jiangdong grows less wheat, it does not mean that he does not know what it means to get three stones of grain per acre.
And the most important thing is that wheat rice is unpalatable, but the steamed buns made by Shu people from wheat are soft and delicious.
Wouldn’t you be a fool not to plant more of this kind of high-yielding, delicious food?
So, if one acre of Shu land produces grain, it should be worth two acres of Jiangdong land?
Zhang Wen glanced at Zhuge Liang dully, pointed at the wheat with some trembling, and asked in disbelief, "Prime Minister...the yield per mu is three stones?"
Zhuge Liang nodded and said firmly to him, "Three stones."
Zhang Wen ignored his manners, rushed down to the ground, picked up the wheat ears, and looked at it somewhat dreamily.
Such a good thing, why doesn’t Jiangdong have it?
(End of this chapter)