On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the snow fell and covered the entire Guanzhong once again.
"Grandpa Emperor, Grandma Emperor!" Mo Sha was wearing a fur coat and looked very cute. She walked on the snowy track beside Empress Zhangsun and Li Shimin and called out sweetly.
"Greetings, Father and Mother!" Princess Changle bowed.
"Rise!" Empress Zhangsun looked at her daughter and granddaughter and said lovingly.
Empress Zhangsun's heart ached for Princess Changle and her daughter Mo Sha to spend the Spring Festival alone. On New Year's Eve, she dispatched people to bring them to the palace. As for the task of receiving the people from the Village of Mo, she naturally handed the task of receiving them to Wu Meiniang.
"What a good child! This is your New Year's money! "Empress Zhangsun took out six one-tael silver notes and handed them to Mo Sha.
Since some time ago, it had become popular in Chang 'an to give out New Year's money with silver notes. This was especially so for large families, so the amount of money they received every year was not small. In addition, most of the money was in the hands of the children. Every year, children would throw copper coins and silver coins everywhere. It was very unpleasant. A silver note was just a piece of paper. It was simple and convenient to carry around. It was much more convenient than hard silver coins and copper coins.
"Thank you, Grandma." Mo Sha accepted it sensibly and thanked her.
"Go! Go play with your Aunt Cuozi! "
After receiving the money, Mo Sha happily went to play with her Aunt Cuozi. Princess Changle looked at her daughter and sister playing in the snow. The worry between her brows did not dissipate.
Empress Zhangsun knew her daughter's thoughts. She stroked Princess Changle's hand and complained, "Changle, are you worried about Meton? His Majesty is really too much. There are only a few days left until the Lunar New Year, and he still wants Meton to go to war immediately."
Li Shimin couldn't help but say with a straight face, "Military law is merciless. Meton is already half a month later than the others. If he can't reach the frontlines on time, even We won't be able to protect him."
"Sin of missing a deadline?" Princess Changle couldn't help but jump in fright, and said, "Then what should we do? It's snowing heavily now, and the journey to Jade Gate Pass is a few thousand li. If we miss the deadline because of the wind and snow, what should we do?"
Li Shimin could not help but grunt, "Don't worry, Meton this brat is very crafty. He won't suffer a loss."
As the Emperor, he naturally knew more about the details. Meton, that brat, was very crafty. Along the way, he used the horses from the relay station to move around under the guise of escorting the goods. The road ahead was even handled by his younger brother, Mo Jiazi. In addition, there were many carriages, and the brick road was smooth. The speed of the march was actually as high as 200 miles in a day. At this speed, the Firearms Bureau would be able to reach Jade Gate Pass in less than a month. Even if they were delayed by a few days due to the wind and snow, it would not affect the imperial army's departure.
If there was a word to describe the Firearms Bureau's march, it would be "rich and overbearing." It meant that they did not care about money or the cost of marching with all their might.
"200 miles in a day! We've already passed Lan Province! " Empress Zhangsun only breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Meton's marching speed. In just a few days, they had already covered a third of the journey, and half of the brick road from Lan Province to Jade Gate Pass had been paved. As a result, even if the remaining journey was difficult, Meton would have enough time to reach Jade Gate Pass on time.
However, they did not know that the wind and snow in Chang 'an only added a bit of New Year's flavor to the spring festival. In the northwest, however, the wind and snow were much heavier, and it was extremely cold.
Ordinary people could hide in their houses and light stoves for warmth, but on the vast official road, a group of soldiers braved the wind and snow and marched in the snow.
"Lord Chancellor, we can't go any further. The wind and snow are too heavy, and the weather is too cold. If we rashly march, the soldiers might get frostbite," Xue Rengui said worriedly as he looked at the snow-filled sky.
"Frostbite?" Morton's heart sank. Looking at the soldiers around him, he couldn't help but frown. Although all the soldiers were wearing military overcoats, their hands and faces were still exposed. It wouldn't take long for their limbs to stiffen. If they forced their way through, the firearms division would suffer heavy losses before the battle even started.
"There's a village up ahead. Why don't we set up camp first and make plans later?" Xue Rengui suggested. According to the map, there was a village chief five miles up ahead, and the Firearms Bureau could still replenish their supplies.
Meton looked at the cold and hungry soldiers of the Firearms Bureau and could only nod.
"Let's speed up and set up camp in the small town five miles away." Following Xue Rengui's shout, the soldiers of the Firearms Bureau immediately became spirited. They worked together and soon arrived at the small town.
There weren't many people in the small town, only about a hundred families. After the Firearms Bureau finished setting up camp, Meton looked at the map and couldn't help but frown. Because of the wind and snow today, the Firearms Bureau had only traveled thirty miles. Compared to the previous two hundred miles, this marching speed was simply the speed of a turtle.
"Lord Chancellor, now that the wind and snow are obstructing us, why don't we wait for the wind and snow to stop before we set off?" Xue Rengui suggested.
Meton shook his head and said, "No, the Firearms Bureau has already delayed their departure. If the wind and snow continue to obstruct us, I'm afraid we will miss the deadline."
The northwest had very few people, and there was only one small town far away. There simply wasn't enough manpower to clear the snow along the road. They could only wait for the snow to slowly melt. As a result, it was unknown when the road could be used again.
"Go, find the local village chief!" Meton ordered.
Soon, Xue Rengui came with a white-bearded village chief.
"I pay my respects to Merton!" The old man said excitedly. The official channels were very well-informed. Naturally, he had heard of Meton's name like thunder. He had even heard of Mo Jiazi's stunning performance in the recent Mo Jiazi exhibition. However, he didn't expect that he would be summoned by the famous Mo Jiazi today.
"May I know the village chief's surname?" Meton asked.
"I'll have to trouble Marquis Mo to ask. This old man's surname is Ma!" The village chief replied.
Meton slightly nodded. The Ma family in the northwest was a big family. They didn't have any clan in the area, so they probably couldn't become a village chief with real power.
"This Marquis wants to ask you, is there any cotton planted here?" Meton stared at the cotton-padded jacket on the village chief's body and asked.
The village chief proudly said, "Of course. The northwest is bitterly cold, and we urgently need something to resist the cold. Since Merton promoted cotton in the Tang dynasty, our northwest is naturally eager to plant it. Nowadays, every family grows cotton and makes quilts and jackets to resist the cold. This old man's cotton-padded jacket was planted in my family's field and sewed by my wife herself. "
Meton heaved a sigh of relief. His previous plan had finally paid off. Now, cotton was everywhere in the Tang dynasty. With cotton, the problem of the Firearms Supervisor's cold could be solved. If there was no cotton planted in the area, then he could only dismantle the quilts of the soldiers in the Firearms Supervisor.
"Now, this Marquis needs your help. Gather all the women in the town. This Marquis needs them to sew two sets of cotton overnight, a thousand sets each." Meton said solemnly.
The village chief was shocked and couldn't help but frown, "A thousand sets a year. There aren't many families in the town. Even if we dismantle all the quilts, I'm afraid it won't be enough!"
Meton shook his head and said, "Don't worry. These things are very small and don't use much cotton and cloth. Moreover, this Marquis won't let them work for free. Each set is a hundred copper coins. This is a banknote worth a hundred copper coins. It can be redeemed on the spot."
"A set is a hundred copper coins!" The village chief's heart was moved. A hundred copper coins was not a small amount. If he could get money, then this matter might be easy to handle.
"Please instruct me, Merton. This old man will do his best." The village chief gritted his teeth and said.
Immediately, Meton picked up a pen and paper and quickly drew two very simple patterns on the paper and handed it to the village chief.
"This is a hat." The village chief looked at the pattern on the paper. It was a hat-shaped pattern. The only difference was that this hat had two long pieces of cloth.
"Not bad!" Meton nodded. The hat he prepared for the Firearms Supervisor was a famous magic tool for resisting the cold, the Nude Hat.
The Nude Hat was originally a winter hat from the Soviet Union. It was originally used to resist the cold. Later, China improved it and it became the famous Nude Hat and became the military's winter standard.
With the Nude Hat, he believed that the problem of the Firearms Supervisor's cold would be solved. Even if it was snowy outside, the Firearms Supervisor could still march normally.
"Forgive this Old Man's poor eyesight." The village chief could understand the Nude Hat, but he could not understand the other pattern. Meton's drawing was very similar to two cylinders with a line in the middle.
Meton could not help but say: "This is a pair of gloves. Because time is tight, we only need to make a cylinder and put it in. It will not affect the horse rope or the cart. In the middle, there is a string connecting the two gloves. It can be hung around the neck and is convenient to carry."
"Merton is wise!"
The village chief suddenly understood and could not help but praise. This way, not only could it keep the person warm, but the workmanship was also very simple. Even an ordinary village woman could easily make it. It had to be said that earning a hundred copper coins was really too easy.
After the village chief left, the whole town suddenly became excited. A hundred copper coins only cost a little cotton and cloth. Moreover, the workmanship was simple. This was probably a good business that only came once in a hundred years.
The heavy snow fell for an entire night. The whole town was sleepless. The lights were brightly lit, and every household was doing their best to make the hats and gloves.
However, in the end, they found out that the production of hats and gloves was not limited by manpower or public welfare, but the raw materials. After all, cotton had only been promoted for a few years, so there was not much cotton in the hands of the commoners.
"The villagers do not have any more cotton. We cannot make any more!" The village chief's wife said with a worried face.
"How many sets have been made?" The village chief asked.
"Only five hundred sets." The wife replied.
The village chief shook his head: "No, this is far from enough. If there is no other way, let the villagers take the quilts and make them into hats and gloves."
The wife said in surprise: "Those quilts were just made this year. Now that the snow is everywhere, how can the villagers survive the winter without quilts?"
"How can we survive the winter? It is just a matter of lighting more fires. However, these one thousand sets of hats and gloves must be completed. Firstly, Merton is on a western expedition. If we delay the military situation, we will not be able to finish eating. Secondly, Merton is very generous. He gave us enough money. A hundred copper coins for a set. This is a rare good price. If we miss this village, we will not have this shop again. "The village chief analyzed.
The wife helplessly nodded and said: "I will go and persuade the villagers."
"Is there a need to persuade them? Who is Merton? He is the God of Wealth who can turn stone into gold. Anything that passes through his hands is worth tens of thousands of gold. The hats now are just something that Merton casually uses. He naturally does not care for them. However, they can become our Ma Family Village's money tree. "The village chief said excitedly.
The wife's heart skipped a beat: "You are saying that we can continue making hats and gloves in the future?"
The village chief nodded without hesitation: "Of course. The weather is cold now. How can Merton need hats to keep warm? How can the other soldiers not need them? Ordinary traveling merchants don't need them. How can the herdsmen of the northern grassland not need them? Not to mention that this hat is made by Merton. It will definitely sell well in the Tang dynasty. "
The village chief was clear about Merton's ability and influence. Once this hat was sold, it would definitely become the first choice to keep warm in the north. If the Ma Family Village could seize this opportunity, it would benefit them for a lifetime.
Sure enough, when the village chief told them about the opportunity, the whole Ma Family Village was boiling again. They originally thought that this was a one-time deal, but they did not expect that it could become a livelihood. At that moment, the villagers of the Ma Family Village did not hesitate. They directly took off the newly made quilts and made them into hats and gloves.
The next day, the snow was boiling. Even though the sky was already bright, it was still very dark.
"Immediately organize the army and get ready to set off!" With Xue Rengui's shout, the whole Firearms Supervisor's camp was suddenly filled with grief.
"The weather is so cold. How can we march?"
"That's right! There is already snow on the road. Even if there is a brick road, it is not good for marching! "
Many soldiers of the Firearms Supervisor complained.
"What are you shouting about? Since the Libation Lord has given the order, there will naturally be a way to march! Quickly go and prepare. "Xue Rengui shouted.
"Yes!" All the soldiers received the order.
The Firearms Supervisor's military discipline was very strict. Although the weather was very cold, they still carried out the military order to the letter.
Soon, the entire Firearms Supervisor was ready. However, Meton did not give the order to set off. Instead, he seemed to be waiting for something.
Suddenly, there was a noise from the direction of the Ma Family Village. A group of villagers came walking in the snow. The leader was the village chief Ma.
"Reporting to Merton, the Ma Family Village did not disappoint you!" The village chief Ma said respectfully. He waved his hand and the villagers' bags revealed hats and gloves that were familiar to the later generations.
Meton picked one up and looked at it. He nodded with satisfaction. Although it was not as good as the ones in the later generations, its warmth retention was not inferior.
"Well done. This is a banknote of 100 strings of coins. Check it." Meton took out a banknote of 100 strings of coins and handed it to the village chief Ma.
The village chief Ma took it and said, "Merton is famous all over the world. Of course, I can trust him."
"Distribute it!" Meton waved his hand and ordered Xue Rengui.
Soon, the soldiers received their hats and gloves one by one. The soldiers put them on and immediately felt a warm feeling in their hearts. It was not as cold as before.
"It's really warm!"
"This hat is good. It can even protect the ears. Even the face is not cold."
"Although the gloves are a bit stupid, they are good enough."
The soldiers of the Firearms Supervisor were very happy to receive the new equipment. They immediately knew why they were ordered to continue marching.
"I heard that this hat was designed by Merton himself. It is specially prepared to keep out the cold." A soldier said.
"In my opinion, this hat should be called Merton hat!" A soldier suggested and immediately received a response from the whole army.
In a short time, the Merton hat spread in the Firearms Supervisor. It was believed that it would soon spread throughout the Tang dynasty.
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