The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 60 This is it
No one gave Wen Gu a formal introduction, but the various details about Yang Xunwei's journey had already proved his identity as his "cousin".

Seeing Wen Gu saluting, Tietou next to him also shouted, "Cousin."

Although the relationship is more distant, Tietou himself does not have that awareness. Wen Gu also said, just follow the shouting and don't care about anything else.

So, in front of everyone, Tietou called "cousin" very naturally, as if there was nothing wrong with it.

The young man in gorgeous clothes was steady and dignified when he got off the carriage, but when he walked over and looked at Wen Gu and the others, he became friendly and humble.

"I've been waiting for you guys!"

Hearing Tietou shouting, he didn't show any strange expression. He already knew Tietou's situation, so he just treated him as a big kid.

Young Master Zhao looked at Wen Gu.

Compared with Tietou, Wen Gu does look a little weak.

He glanced at the 500-man team behind Wen Gu and patted him on the shoulder:

"Okay! That's great!"

Young Master Zhao grabbed Wen Gu's arm and called Tietou:
"Let's get in the carriage first. It's warm inside."

Wen Gu took two steps forward with the force, then paused for a moment and looked back.

Young Master Zhao said, "Don't worry, the team has been accommodated."

Wen Gu nodded to Lin Biaotou and Zhou Xianwei and indicated that they should just follow him.

Watching Wen Gu and Tietou get on the big carriage, the cavalry on both sides also mounted their horses again and escorted the carriage back to the city.

Here, the team was hesitant to move.

"Do we... do we have to kneel?" a villager asked nervously and tremblingly.

"There's no need for that. Young Master doesn't care about these empty formalities," said Captain Yang.

At this time, the other people in the team were daydreaming for a while and finally came back to their senses.

The north wind was biting and the tip of my nose was frozen red, but at this moment my heart was burning and my breathing was rapid.

Zhao family, young master!

What is this? This is the prince of the local tycoon's family!

Our Boss Wen and the Prince are cousins!

Cousins!

Xiao Liu was so excited that he was shaking even more violently than when he saw the corpse driver. But at that time he was just scared, but now he was just excited.

He Da and the others also had shining eyes.

My He family is going to become rich!
I'm Boss Wen's lackey! No one can compete with me!

They looked at the carriage leaving in front of them, stretched their necks and wanted to shout, but they didn't dare. They could only shout silently in their hearts:

Don't forget we're still here!
At this time, in the gorgeous carriage.

The medicinal incense has smoke, but it is not pungent or choking.

There is also a heater next to it.

An attendant placed a small table with two plates of snacks and a pot of tea.

After Tietou got on the car, he sat on the side and ate and drank. His cousin said it was up to him, so he really was up to him, as there was nothing else to do anyway.

Reviewing the past makes me very clear-headed.

Cousin Zhao made such a big fuss and it was so grand, but it might not be just because of his group.

It's not enough yet.

Wen Gu didn't hold it in. It was already this time. Facing this powerful young man from a noble family and his own cousin, he shouldn't act like he was scheming.

So, Wen Gu asked the reason as if he was saying something to his relatives.

Cousin Zhao smiled and talked about today's coincidence.

There is a sacrificial ceremony outside the city today, a day that has been long awaited.

Several important defensive fortifications in the outer city will be officially launched today, with an auspicious day chosen for the groundbreaking ceremony.

Respecting the mountains, rivers, sun and moon, offering sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth. In this era, people attach great importance to these sacrifices.

Just after the sacrifice was over, he heard that his cousin Wen Gu had arrived with five hundred people, so he went out of the city to welcome him.

This ceremony was not for the purpose of revisiting the past, but since it was such an auspicious day, Young Master Zhao was willing to display the ceremonial guard and personally welcome the guests.

Wen Gu and his group are the first team of 500 people to arrive this year!

The soldiers defending the city went out for patrols several times, but the number of people they brought back was not as much as what they had expected.

Everything has a meaning.

Before they met, Young Master Zhao's first and most profound impression of Wen Gu was that this cousin was quite cheerful.

When the carriage returned to the city, Cousin Zhao told Wen Gu that except for a few people with special identities who could enter the city early, most of the people in the team who came from afar would need to stay in the outer city area for one or two days.

All the teams migrating north received the same treatment.

Reviewing the past shows understanding.

Understand, isolation.

In addition to the evil plague, in case of other diseases, direct isolation is the simplest and most labor-saving method.

Cousin Zhao said, "There are soups and porridge in the outer city. You can exchange them for anything you need. You don't have to worry."

Seeing that Wen Gu was curious about Xinzhou City, he introduced the current management model of the city.

The outer city area of Xinzhou City is being expanded. In addition to building defensive fortifications, it will also demarcate districts, most of which are military districts.

The inner city is also divided into fang and shi. Fang is the residential area and shi is the commercial area.

They can be seen as closed-management communities.

Each block is surrounded by walls and has gates that open and close at regular intervals, effectively integrating the security concept of the fort with urban management.

The carriage went into the city and went straight back to the residence.

The place where the Zhao family lives now was formed by merging and renovating several large houses.

After the Zhao family gained power, they built many new small courtyards here. Relatives kept coming here to seek refuge and needed a place to stay.

For example, this time, when the Wen brothers arrived, the Zhao family prepared a yard in advance.

Even though the facilities are not as good as those of the wealthy families in the past, this yard is very precious and rare in today's time of material scarcity.

Not everyone can be assigned a yard directly.

The servants were busy under the command of the steward. The house had been fumigated once in advance, and would be fumigated again today when they moved in.

Wen Gu's aunt, Mrs. Shen, specially sent someone over and placed some precious items on the table.

Wen Gu and Tietou were brought to this yard.

Although the buildings in the courtyard are not exquisitely built due to current conditions, they are spacious and bright, and are planted with flowers and trees.

These ornamental flowers and trees can only be seen in the yards of wealthy families. Outside, they have long been burned as firewood.

After changing clothes, I was taken to meet my aunt and uncle and attend a small family dinner.

My cousin's wife was there too, with her five-year-old nephew.

Having arrived in such a hurry, Wen Gu didn't have any gifts to prepare, so he said he would make up for it next time. However, he himself had received quite a few gifts.

As for what he said and his sincere emphasis on making up for the gift, no one took it seriously.

In today's world, it is already very difficult to reach Xinzhou alive, so how can one have the extra conditions to prepare gifts?

My aunt looked distressed and asked someone to give him some more clothes and other supplies.

This aunt's status is different now. She is more dignified and graceful, but she does look very similar to the mother in Wen Gu's memory.

Wen Gu expressed his true feelings during this family dinner, and reminisced about old times with his aunt.

The sense of alienation that existed originally disappeared as we chatted.

My uncle, the head of the Zhao family, has a leg injury. He was injured when the troubled times just started. He has been receiving treatment and the results are pretty good. Now he can walk for a short while every day, but overall, he has difficulty walking.

He was in a good mental state, with a clear mind and a strong spirit. When he saw Wen Gu, he smiled warmly and brightly.

No one dares to underestimate the leader of the Zhao family.

Nowadays, most of the affairs are handled by my cousin, but it is still my uncle who controls the overall situation behind the scenes.

Because of the inconvenience of walking, the craftsman made a spacious "wheelchair" that looked like a carriage. Strictly speaking, it was more like a cart.

Craftsmen serve the nobles, and usually try to make their work as gorgeous and grand as possible.

Wen Gu saw that his uncle was not ashamed of his leg disease, so he said:
"When I was studying abroad, I saw a wheelchair made by a craftsman. Although it's not grand or comfortable, it's small, flexible, and easy to control. I'll draw the blueprint for my cousin when I get back."

Patriarch Zhao had originally intended to decline, but upon hearing that it was convenient for him to control the situation, he didn't refuse. He smiled kindly and said, "You brought five hundred people with you this time, which is a great achievement. If you want to exchange it for something, go find your cousin tomorrow."

It was a small family dinner, and without any other members of the Zhao family, the meal went by quickly. Everyone was busy with their work, and after the meal they went about their own business.

Wen Gu also returned to the courtyard, took out a pen and started working.

The wheelchair issue was simple; he just drew the diagram, and the rest would be carefully crafted by the Zhao family's craftsmen.

After drawing the wheelchair picture, I reviewed it and thought about my next plan.

The six major clans probably all have mines, and the Zhao clan should have coal mines.

According to his observation, people at that time had already come into contact with coal, which was used for heating and iron smelting.

But nowadays, most wealthy families still use charcoal, the best smokeless charcoal, which is also elegant.

Most others, after wood felling became more difficult, turned to coal.

Well, honeycomb coal stove is included in the plan.

When it comes to coal mines, it’s not easy to get involved at the beginning. You have to make some achievements first before you can start talking.

This small courtyard is quite comfortable to live in, but it is too restrictive for us to explore.

Still have to move out.

The next day, Wen Gu first went to his aunt's house to show his presence, and then went to find his cousin.

I made an appointment yesterday and went there directly to review the situation.

The young master of the Zhao family was indeed very busy with affairs, with people coming and going constantly. When he finally had some free time, he saw two scholars in his study copying and organizing something.

When Wen Gu entered the room, his cousin didn't let them leave.

This person was obviously a confidant, so Wen Gu didn't care. Anyway, he wouldn't tell anyone the confidential information now. When it came to it in the future, he wouldn't need to say anything, and this cousin would naturally send his attendants away.

First, he handed over the wheelchair blueprint and Wen Gu said, "This is the one I was talking about yesterday. Cousin, please see if it works."

How to use it and in what situations to use it are all up to my cousin and uncle to judge, and Wen Gu only provides drawings.

Cousin Zhao took the blueprint and looked at it, praising it: "It is indeed ingenious and flexible. You have put a lot of thought into it!"

But that's not what we're going to talk about today.

After handing the blueprint to a scholar, Young Master Zhao looked at Wen Gu again and spoke in a casual manner:
"Gathering refugees and bringing in new people will be rewarded. Have you thought about it? Just tell your cousin if you need anything."

As soon as he agreed, Wen Gu came over and sat on a nearby chair, leaning over and asking, "Would you like to be an official?"

Young Master Zhao smiled naturally: "Okay! There is a shortage of talent nowadays..."

As he spoke, he picked up a book beside him, which listed various new and old official positions. He turned to the blank page and was about to hand it to Wen Gu.

Wen Gu said, "I want to be a neighborhood leader."

The book in my cousin's hand fell onto the desk with a "click".

The room suddenly became quiet.

The scholar who was writing next to him tilted his pen and couldn't help but look up.

Cousin Zhao withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with confusion: "The ward head you're talking about, is it the ward in the neighborhood?"

The person who manages a village is the village chief, or the village chief.

The person who manages a ward is called the ward head, or ward chief.

I originally thought that Wen Gu would ask for a huge sum of money, but unexpectedly, this cousin's pursuit seemed a little different.

Is the head of a neighborhood also worthy of being called an “official”?
Wen Gu sat up straight, looking serious.
"I brought five hundred people with me this time. Now that we're here, we have to settle them down. I've brought them here, so I have to settle them down. This is what I promised them."

Cousin Zhao looked like he was looking at some strange species.

"How about you reconsider it?"

He had so many relatives who asked him for official positions that he couldn’t count them with both hands. Some of them had little ability but were very ambitious.

But why did this cousin do the opposite?
Even if you want to say it, I can't help you. I don't have the nerve to do that!

Cousin Zhao weighed his words carefully and said, "Being the ward head may not be as easy as you think."

He raised his hand to the side.

A scholar nearby immediately handed over a scroll of painting without saying anything.

Wen Gu was envious. Thinking about giving Secretary Cheng Zhi a good lesson in the future.

In front of him, Cousin Zhao had already unfolded the scroll, which was a picture of the market town in Xinzhou City.

Square unit structures distributed on the drawing constitute the inner city of Xinzhou City.

The square structures were of varying sizes, labeled with text and various patterns that were incomprehensible to outsiders. However, some were unlabeled.

Cousin Zhao pointed to the blocks near the Zhao family residence.

"This area is inhabited by wealthy nobles."

Then move out.

"Most of those here are merchants and civilians. The refugees we gather will also be dispersed and resettled in the neighborhoods here."

"What about this side? This part near the city wall."

Wen Gu pointed to the boxes that had no labels.

"There's no one there, it's vacant," said Cousin Zhao.

"That's what I want."

Wen Gu pointed his finger at a monotonous square, his face clear and upright, his eyes full of the determination of a young man describing his ambitions and aspirations.

“Starting from a vacant space allows me to showcase my strengths!”

(End of this chapter)