Most of the patrolling officers and soldiers in Chang 'an patrolled on foot inside the city. Most of them rode bicycles outside the city. For the sake of sanitation inside and outside Chang' an, as well as to save costs, horses were gradually eliminated. More and more parts of the imperial court were equipped with bicycles. Even the common people preferred to ride bicycles instead of horses. After all, the cost was there. No one was willing to give up cheap bicycles for expensive horses.
In Chang 'an of the Tang dynasty, the current price of an ordinary horse was about five times that of a bicycle. The price of a good horse was sky-high. Ordinary people couldn't afford it. The one in ten thousand horses was even more unattainable. Therefore, ordinary people were forced to choose bicycles to travel.
As for the maintenance cost, it was very complicated to maintain a horse. Not only did it need to be washed, but it also needed to be prepared with water and food. It also needed to be equipped with saddles and other supporting facilities. If the horse was disobedient, it was simply a helpless situation. It was common for horses to be frightened and run into passers-by.
Bicycles were different. The cost of maintenance was much simpler than that of horses. As long as more attention was paid to the chain and tires, the other parts would generally be less damaged. The cost of maintenance was also not high. At least, it was much cheaper than maintaining a horse.
It was precisely because the price and maintenance of horses were relatively high that since ancient times, only the wealthier families could afford to buy horses. Ordinary poor families could not afford to buy or use horses. No matter how far they went, they had to rely on two legs to get there.
Now that there were these bicycles, there were more and more people who had transportation. The pressure on the commoners to travel had decreased a lot. Those who could use horses to travel before had even less pressure. Selling a horse could buy several bicycles. It was convenient for the whole family to travel. Why not?
The working people were still very creative. Since the introduction of bicycles, various bicycle-powered carriages also appeared. The original horse of the carriage was replaced with a bicycle. In the past, the coachman sat at the front of the carriage to drive the horse. Now, the coachman directly rode on the bicycle and pedaled with his own feet.
Of course, the strength of a person was not as good as that of a horse. The pressure of a horse carriage was very small, but the pressure of a person using his legs to pull the carriage was very great. Therefore, the carriage had to be smaller, and there had to be fewer passengers. Otherwise, it really couldn't be ridden.
Therefore, after the horses were removed, the carriage was also modified. The originally very long carriage was changed into a very small carriage. As for the shape of the carriage, it was really strange. There were all kinds of shapes. The front wheels basically didn't change much, but the rear wheels had many different styles. There were even three wheels.
No matter how the shape of the carriage was changed, it could only fit two people, one on the left and one on the right. Some luggage could also be placed at the foot of the carriage, and a curtain could be placed at the top to block the wind and rain. In this way, a human-powered bicycle was made.
This kind of vehicle had been popular in a large number in later generations. It was still very practical. But later, with the improvement of power technology, these human-powered vehicles were gradually eliminated and then never seen again.
Judging from the current situation of the Tang dynasty, this kind of low-cost bicycle was undoubtedly the most suitable means of transportation for ordinary people. Basically, it was affordable, and it didn't take up too much space. It could be passed on very narrow roads. Its practicality was really high. Otherwise, the imperial court would not have equipped all parts with this kind of means of transportation.
However, compared with riding a horse, riding a bicycle was slightly funny and not so mighty. If one wore heavy armor, it was impossible to ride a bicycle at all. Then, one could only choose to walk or ride a horse. Therefore, patrols on horses had always existed and had never been completely eliminated. But the proportion had been greatly reduced. Only the most elite soldiers and horses could patrol on horses.
Riding a horse had become the standard of the rich. In today's Chang 'an City, as long as one saw a person riding a horse, he must be a big shot, an influential person, or someone who served the influential people.
Ordinary patrolling yamen runners only had bicycles, but some high-ranking officials naturally had better equipment. Motorcycles were a very suitable means of transportation for patrolling. There was nothing more suitable than driving on the left and riding on the right. This kind of means of transportation was very popular in later generations. Later, it was replaced by better cars.
But Ang Lee felt that this kind of motorcycles with seats was the best means of transportation. It came and went like the wind, did not have high requirements for roads, and could pass through very narrow fields. It was a means of transportation that should be provided in large numbers to replace horses.
The Crown Prince soon arrived at the Tenth Lord's Mansion. Although he was the last to arrive, the Crown Prince was, after all, the most honorable, so there was nothing wrong with him being the last to arrive. Wasn't this the standard of etiquette?
"Your Highness."
All the kings bowed and saluted their brother, the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince waved his hand and looked at the kings. He said, "Don't be sad. Big Brother has passed away. Restrain your grief!"
"Your Highness, we have discussed it. We will go to the palace early tomorrow morning to pay respects to our father."
"Your Highness, King Feng and the other three went to the palace early this morning to pay respects to our father. We found that our father did not eat breakfast. If this goes on, it will be terrible. So we made this decision."
Hearing this, the Crown Prince glanced at King Feng and the others. He nodded and said, "Okay. After entering the palace tomorrow, come to the side yard and find me. We will go together."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince nodded and walked to Li Qiu and Li Yan, who were kneeling in front of the coffin. He bent down and held their hands. He said, "Dalang, Silang, rest for a while! If you keep crying, your body will not be able to take it. "
"Boohoo … Your Highness."
Li Qiu was young, but he could not help crying.
The sad atmosphere in the Residence of the Ten Lords would probably last for a long time. During this period, no one dared to laugh. Only people dared to cry.
Ang Lee had already left the R&D Center and went to his manor. This place was not far from the R&D Center. It used to be a wasteland outside the city. But now, with the expansion of Chang 'an, this manor was no longer outside the city. Buildings began to appear around it, and there was even a slum.
There was not much land here, but it was not a small amount. Unlike other large-scale plantations, Ang Lee's manor was like a research institute. It had all kinds of plants and all kinds of facilities. It was very advanced.
There were all kinds of fruit trees, grains, and vegetables. There was only a small amount of each kind, and the largest amount of each kind was no more than ten mu. This was to ensure that the variety was complete. In addition, although there was not much land here, there were many greenhouses. Basically, everything was planted in greenhouses. In this way, the temperature could be adjusted according to the needs. Especially when the weather was cold, ordinary people could only plant a few kinds of crops. But Ang Lee's manor could plant anything. Vegetables and grains from spring, summer, autumn, and winter could all be planted in one place.
This time, the late spring cold had caused the fruit trees in Li An's mansion to suffer heavy losses. However, in the manor, a large number of vegetables and some short fruit trees didn't suffer any losses. This was because the servants here had made preparations in advance. The moment the temperature dropped, they covered the greenhouse with straw to block the wind. They had also heated the greenhouse to a certain extent to ensure that the delicate vegetables wouldn't be frozen by the cold air.
In the greenhouses of Ang Lee's manor, the most valuable vegetables and fruits that should only be grown in summer were of course the most valuable. This kind of out-of-season thing was not available on the market, so the price was naturally not low.
In order to eat watermelons all year round, Ang Lee deliberately cultivated more than a dozen varieties of watermelons. Each variety could mature in a specific month. One variety matured in a month, and the maturity period could be maintained for one or two months. In this way, watermelons could really be eaten all year round.
In other words, no matter when Ang Lee came to his manor, he could eat cool and delicious watermelons, so that he could have a good time.
Although the more than a dozen varieties of watermelons did not occupy a large area, because of the different requirements, each watermelon was divided into separate greenhouses. No two varieties of watermelons were together.
The area of a greenhouse was one mu. In order to grow watermelons, it was obviously impossible to use twelve mu of land. Therefore, in the greenhouses of each variety of watermelon, there were other vegetables and fruits. The vegetables and fruits in each greenhouse were mixed. In this way, they could promote each other and avoid the large-scale occurrence of some diseases and pests.
Walking into a greenhouse, looking at the ripe green watermelons, cucumbers hanging on the shelf, loofahs, and various kinds of climbing beans, Ang Lee was in a very good mood.
Different from the research of machines, the research of agriculture was the most pleasing thing. The machines were made of blunt steel and dirty engine oil, while the vegetables and grains were much more pleasing to the eye, especially the green field, which was really beautiful.
However, if an empire wanted to be strong, it could not rely on growing vegetables. Only cold machines could save an empire. Agriculture was only the foundation and guarantee.
When Ang Lee was tired in the research and development center, he would go to his manor to look at the fruits and vegetables, taste the newly ripe watermelons, and eat some fresh cucumbers.
When he was angry, eating watermelons could reduce the heat. Cucumbers and muskmelons were all provided all year round. The quantity was not much, but it was enough to meet his needs.
The air outside was still very cold, and he needed to wear cotton-padded clothes to maintain it. After entering the greenhouses, the temperature and humidity inside were very good, and the cotton-padded clothes could be taken off. The feeling of wearing very little clothes was really cool.
"Go, bring the rocking chair here. Put it here."
Ang Lee said.
A servant immediately brought the rocking chair over.
Ang Lee lay on it and said, "Go, pick a big and sweet watermelon, and bring a small tea table. The watermelon needs to be washed and cut."
"Yes, Alang."
The servant hurried away.
The feeling of lying on the rocking chair was already very cool, and he could smell the fragrance of the plants, which made the feeling even better. The fresh watermelon that was about to be delivered would make Ang Lee's mood even better.
Although eating watermelon in cold weather would hurt the stomach, it was not cold in the greenhouses. The watermelon grew in such an environment, so naturally, it would not be very cold. The temperature of the watermelon was equal to the temperature in the greenhouses.
"Alang, the watermelon you wanted."
The servant quickly cut the watermelon and put it on the small tea table next to him.
Ang Lee picked up a piece of watermelon, sat up, and took a bite. Suddenly, he felt comfortable all over.
"Good, go pick some strawberries, the biggest, reddest, and sweetest ones, and a few cucumbers."
Ang Lee said while eating the watermelon.
"Assistant Minister Li is really comfortable! I can even eat watermelon. "
Li Yu came over at some point, picked up a watermelon, and ate it.
"Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon, what are you doing here instead of going to the Tenth Lord's Residence?"
Ang Lee said.
"Assistant Minister Li is also having fun here. The Tenth Lord's Residence is full of crying now. It's really uncomfortable. It's okay to stay there for a while, but even an immortal can't stand to stay there all day!"
Li Yu said helplessly.
There was nothing wrong with this statement. No one was willing to listen to the sound of others crying all day. This kind of sad sound was very annoying. Noise pollution itself was very troublesome, not to mention this kind of resentful crying. Who could stand listening to it?
"Can Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon compare with me? You are the imperial grandson of His Majesty, and King Qing is your uncle. You should go and accompany him more. "
Ang Lee said.
Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon said unhappily, "Assistant Minister Li, you are also a relative of the imperial family. Shouldn't you also go and accompany him?"
Ang Lee said, "How can it be the same? You are closer, but I am much farther away."
Ang Lee was about to have five blessings, so he couldn't compare with them.
"I don't care, I don't care. Anyway, my father is there. No one notices me. What's more, I came out in the name of inspecting the underground passage. This is a major project of Chang 'an. No one can say anything about it. "
Li Yu said.
Hearing this, Ang Lee asked, "Gwangbyeong Of Gojoseon, how is it? How is the construction of the underground passage going? Have you encountered any difficulties?"
Ang Lee was very concerned about this major project. The prosperity of the capital had a lot to do with the transportation. Without good transportation, the development of the capital would inevitably be greatly limited. It could even cause the development of the capital to stop and decline.
"Naturally, we encounter difficulties every day. It is not that easy to dig a passage underground. However, the people trained by Assistant Minister Li are also very good. When they encounter difficulties, they can always find a way to solve them. At present, there are no obstacles that they can't overcome. If they really encounter a problem that they can't solve, they will naturally ask Assistant Minister Li to help solve it."
Li Yu said.
In fact, after the construction of the underground parking lot of Ping Kang Fang last time, these technical craftsmen had learned a lot of skills. They had already experienced the problems encountered during the excavation and knew how to deal with them. Therefore, there wouldn't be too much of a problem when they excavated the underground passage this time.
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