Auspicious snow heralds a good year. On the first day of the lunar new year, heavy snow spreads all over Guanzhong again.
"Grandpa Huang, grandma Huang!" Martha, dressed in fur and extremely cute, shouted sweetly beside empress Chang sun and Li Shimin on the snow track.
"See your father and your mother!" Princess Changle saluted.
"Get up!" the eldest granddaughter looked at her granddaughter and said lovingly.
Empress changsun loved Princess Changle and mother and daughter Mosha for the Spring Festival alone. The new year sent someone to approach them to the palace, and the task of receiving people from the Mojia village was naturally handed over to Wu Meiniang.
"What a good boy! Here's your lucky money!" the eldest grandson took out six silver or two and handed them to Martha.
I don't know since when, it has become popular in Chang'an city to issue lucky money with silver tickets, especially in large families. The annual lucky money is not a small amount. In addition, the lucky money is in the hands of children. Every year, children lose copper and silver everywhere, which makes a lot of trouble. While the silver ticket is just a piece of paper, which is simple, convenient and easy to carry, It's much more convenient than hard silver and copper money.
"Thank you, granny." Martha took over and thanked.
"Go! Go and play with your aunt Naoko!"
When Martha got the lucky money, she went to play with aunt Yuzi happily. Princess Changle watched her daughter and sister play in the snow, and the sadness between her eyebrows could not dissipate.
Empress changsun, who didn't know her daughter's mind, stroked the hand of Princess Changle and complained, "is Changle worried about Merton? Your majesty is really worried. At present, the Chinese New Year is coming in a few days, and Merton has to go out immediately."
Li Shimin couldn't help but say, "the military law is ruthless. Merton is half a month later than others. If he can't arrive at the front line on time, he will be guilty of missing the time. Even I can't protect him."
"The crime of losing time?" Princess Changle was startled and said, "what should I do? Now there is heavy snow. I'm going to Yumen pass thousands of miles. What should I do if I lose time because of the wind and snow?"
Li Shimin could not help humming: "don't worry, Merton is a thief and can't afford to lose."
As an emperor, he naturally knew to be more detailed. Merton was a thief. He used the flag of escorting materials all the way and used the horses in the post station. There were more Mohist children on the way. In addition, there were many carriages and smooth brick roads, and the marching speed was as high as 200 miles a day. At this speed, the firearm supervisor can reach Yumen pass in less than a month. Even if it is delayed for a few days due to wind and snow, it will not affect the departure of the imperial army.
One word is used to describe the march of the firearms prison, that is, the march with all strength regardless of money and cost.
"Two hundred miles a day! It's past Lanzhou!" empress Chang sun was relieved when she heard Merton's marching speed. She had traveled one-third of the way in just a few days, and half of the brick road from Lanzhou to Yumen had been paved. In this way, even if the rest of the way was difficult, Merton had enough time to reach Yumen pass on schedule.
However, they do not know that the wind and snow in Chang'an city is just a little more flavor for the Spring Festival, while in the northwest, the wind and snow here is much heavier and extremely cold.
For ordinary people, they can hide in their houses and light a stove for heating. On the vast official roads, the team has been marching against the wind and snow.
"Worship Lord, you can't go any further. It's too snowy and cold. If you march rashly, the soldiers may be frostbitten." Xue Rengui said with worry as he looked at the snowy sky.
"Frostbite?" Merton's heart sank and looked around at the soldiers. His eyebrows wrinkled. Although the soldiers had military coats, their hands and faces were still exposed. After a while, their limbs became stiff. If they marched forcibly, I'm afraid the firearms prison would have suffered heavy losses before the war.
"There is a village ahead. Why don't we set up camp first and then make plans." Xue Rengui suggested. According to the map, there is a village head five miles ahead, and the firearm supervisor can replenish it.
Merton looked at the firearm warden, cold and hungry, and could only nod.
"Speed up and set up camp in a small town five miles away." with Xue Rengui's loud drink, the whole firearms officers and men immediately strengthened their spirit and made concerted efforts to reach the small town soon.
There aren't many people in the town, but there are only hundreds of families. After the firearm supervisor was stationed, Merton looked at the map and couldn't help frowning. Today, due to the obstruction of wind and snow, the firearm supervisor only walked 30 miles. Compared with the previous 200 miles a day, the marching speed is almost turtle speed.
"Worship Lord, now the wind and snow block, or I'll start when the wind and snow stop." Xue Rengui suggested.
Merton shook his head and said, "no, the firearms supervisor has postponed his departure. If it is blocked by wind and snow, I'm afraid he will really miss the time."
The population in the northwest is very small. There is only a small town far away. There is not much manpower to clean the snow along the road. We can only wait until the snow melts slowly. In this way, when the road can go is still unknown.
"Go and get the local village head!" Merton ordered,
Soon, Xue Rengui arrived with a gray bearded village head,
"Meet the Mohist Marquis!" the old man said excitedly. The official news was very well-informed. He was naturally thunderous about Merton's name. He even heard about the amazing performance of Mohist in the recent Mohist art exhibition, but he didn't expect to be summoned by the famous Mohist now.
"I don't know the name of the village head!" Merton asked.
"Excuse me, Mr. mohou asked. I don't need a horse!" the village head replied.
Merton nodded slightly. The Ma family in the northwest is a big surname. There is no clan there. I'm afraid he can't be the village head of the real power faction.
"Ben Hou asked you, can there be cotton planting here?" Merton asked, staring at the cotton padded jacket on village head ma.
Village head Ma said proudly, "that's nature. The northwest is bitter and cold and urgently needs something to keep out the cold. Mohou promotes cotton in Datang, and we naturally plant it enthusiastically in Northwest China. Now every family grows cotton and makes quilts and cotton padded jackets to keep out the cold. The cotton padded jacket on Lao Zao's body is planted in his own field and sewn by himself."
Merton breathed a sigh of relief. His previous layout finally paid off. Now cotton is blooming everywhere in the Tang Dynasty. With cotton, the problem of freezing the firearm supervisor can be solved. If there is no cotton planted locally, he can only dismantle the quilt of the firearm supervisor.
"Now Ben Hou needs your help. You will find the women in the whole town. Ben Hou needs them to sew two pieces of cotton overnight, one thousand sets each." Merton solemnly said.
Village head Ma was startled and frowned: "there are not many families in the town every year, even if the quilts are removed, I'm afraid it's not enough!"
Merton shook his head and said, "don't worry, it's very small. It won't use much cotton and cloth, and I won't let them work in vain. Each set of hundred Wen is a hundred yuan silver note, which can be cashed on the spot."
"A set of hundred Wen money!" village head Ma thought. Hundred Wen money is not a small amount. If you have money, it may be easy to do it.
"Please tell me, I will try my best to do it." village head Ma said with a clenching of his teeth.
At that moment, Merton picked up the paper and pen, drew two very simple patterns on the fast paper and handed them to village head ma.
"This is a hat." village head Ma looked at the pattern of a hat shape on the drawing. The only difference was that there were two long pieces of cloth.
"Yes!" Merton nodded. What he prepared for the firearm prison was the famous cold proof artifact of later generations, * * hat.
**The hat was originally a winter hat of the Soviet Union. It was originally used to keep out the cold. Later, after improvement, China became a famous * * hat and became the military's winter standard.
If you have a * * hat, he believes that the cold problem of the firearms prison will be solved. Even if it is windy and snowy outside, the whole firearms prison can still March normally.
"I'm sorry for my awkwardness." village head Ma can understand the * * hat, but he can't understand another pattern. What Merton painted is very like two round tubes, with a line connected in the middle.
Merton couldn't help but Hao Ran said, "this is a glove. Due to the urgency of time, just make a cylinder and put it in. It doesn't affect the horse rope and cart. In the middle is a rope to connect the two gloves, which can be hung around the neck and easy to carry."
"See you, Mo Hou!"
Village head Ma suddenly praised it. In this way, it can keep warm and the work is very simple. Even ordinary village women can make it easily. I have to say, it's too easy to earn this hundred Wen money.
With the departure of village head Ma, the whole town suddenly boils. A hundred Wen money costs only a little cotton and cotton cloth, and the work is simple. I'm afraid it's a good business once in a century.
It snowed all night, and the whole town was sleepless all night. The lights were bright. Every family was trying their best to make hats and gloves.
However, it was finally found that it was not manpower and public welfare that restricted the production of hats and gloves, but raw materials. After all, cotton has only been promoted for a few years, and there is not much cotton in the hands of the people.
"The villagers have no cotton and can't do it anymore!" said the wife of village head Ma with a sad face.
"How many sets have been made?" village head Ma asked.
"Only five hundred sets," the wife replied.
Village head Ma shook his head and said, "no, it's not enough. It's really not enough. Let the villagers dismantle the beaten quilt and make it into hats and gloves."
The wife was surprised and said, "those are quilts just made this year. Now it's snowy. How can villagers spend the winter without quilts?"
"How to spend the winter? It's just that you can light a fire for more than one thousand years, and these 1000 sets of hats and gloves must be completed. First, marquis Mo is on the western expedition. If you delay the military information, you and we can't eat and walk around. Second, Marquis Mo is very generous, but he gave us enough money and a set of 100 Wen. This is a rare good price. After this village, there won't be this shop." Village head Ma analyzed.
The wife nodded helplessly and said, "I'll persuade the villagers."
"Who is Marquis Mo? But the God of wealth turns stone into gold. Whatever has been handed by him is not worth thousands of gold. Today's hat is just a trusted thing of marquis mo. naturally, he doesn't like it, but it can become a cash cow in our Majia village." village head Ma said excitedly.
The wife said, "you mean, I'll continue to make this hat and gloves in the future."
Village head Ma nodded without hesitation and said, "it's natural. Now it's cold, how can mohou need a hat to keep warm? Other soldiers don't need it? Ordinary business trips don't need it, and herdsmen on the northern grassland don't need it? Not to mention that mohou made this hat, which must sell well in the Tang Dynasty."
Village head Ma is aware of Merton's ability and influence. Once this hat is issued, it will certainly become the first choice to keep out the cold in the north. If Majia village can seize the opportunity in this opportunity, it will be of great use all his life.
Sure enough, when village head Ma said the opportunity, the whole Majia village was boiling again. They thought it was a one-time business, but they didn't think it could become a livelihood. At present, without any hesitation, the villagers of Majia village directly removed the new dozen cotton and made them all into hats and gloves.
The next day, snowflakes were boiling. Even when it was bright, the sky was still very dark.
"Complete the army immediately and get ready to go!" with Xue Rengui's loud drink, the whole firearms prison camp was filled with grief.
"The weather is so cold, how can we march!"
"Yes! There is snow on the road. Even if there is a brick road, it is not conducive to the march!"
Many firearm officers complained.
"What are you yelling about? There will be a way to March if the sacrificial Lord orders! Don't prepare quickly." Xue Rengui shouted.
"Yes!" the soldiers took orders.
The firearms prison is extremely strict in military discipline on weekdays. Although the weather is cold, the military order is strictly implemented in accordance with the military order.
Soon, the whole firearms prison was ready, but Merton didn't need to order to start, but seemed to be waiting for something.
Suddenly, there was a noise in the direction of Majia village. A group of villagers came one after another, headed by village head ma.
"Tell Marquis Mo that Majia village is lucky to live up to its fate!" village head Ma respectfully said. With a wave of his hand, hats and gloves familiar to future generations were exposed in the packages of the villagers.
Merton took one and looked at it. He nodded with satisfaction. Although he couldn't see it compared with later generations, his warmth was equal.
"Well done. Here's the hundred pass silver ticket. Please order." Merton reached out and took out the hundred pass silver ticket and handed it to village head ma.
Village chief Ma then said, "Marquis Mo is famous all over the world. Villains can naturally trust him."
"Let it go!" Merton waved his big hand and ordered Xue Rengui,
Soon, the officers and men received their hats and gloves in turn. The officers and men kept them on their heads. Suddenly, a warm feeling surged into their hearts, and they would never return to the cold just now.
"It's really warm!"
"This hat is good. It can protect your ears. Even your face is not cold."
"This glove is a little stupid, but it's enough."
The firearm officers and men took the new equipment and were overjoyed. They immediately knew the reason why they had just ordered them to continue marching.
"It is said that this is a hat designed by mohou himself. It is specially prepared to keep out the cold." one of the soldiers said one after another.
"In my opinion, this hat is called mohou hat!" a soldier proposed and immediately received the response of the whole army.
For a moment, mohou hat spread in the firearms prison. I believe it will soon spread throughout the Tang Dynasty.