In the afternoon, seeing that the road was a little dry, Wang Xiaolie and Chen Yuyi went down the mountain and returned to Xiangyang Prefecture. Zeng Dun's family and the two calligraphers and painters were waiting for the imperial edict. Because they had family members, and they had to pack up and pay tribute, they went to the Yamen to meet each other when they arrived in Xiangyang.

After descending the mountain, Wang Xiaolie turned around and looked back. After the rain, Lumen Mountain was about to become lush and green, and the mountain gate was hidden in the green. The mountainside was shrouded in clouds and mist, like a fairyland. Occasionally, a few egrets flew by, evoking a sense of emotion.

Thinking of the lake green dress he saw yesterday afternoon, he couldn't help but secretly sigh in his heart. Until now, Wang Xiaolie didn't know the name of that person, and he didn't know if he would see him in the future. He couldn't help but feel melancholy. When he sees him in the future,

Do you still feel this way? If not, you may never find it again. Just like a dream, there is no trace after it.

Returning to the Yamen, Wang Xiaolie ordered Chen Qiudao to prepare for the ritual. He also sent ten ultimatums and asked him to hand them over to Lumen Temple. As the largest temple in Xiangyang, it is not excessive to accept ten monks a year. Lumen Temple

In addition to being a Buddhist resort, it also has other functions.

Not giving ultimatums is because Wang Xiaolie hopes to control the scale of religion, and at the same time he despises selling ultimatums. Now giving ten ultimatums is the result of Wang Xiaolie's careful consideration. Buddhism has a long tradition in China, and it is impossible to completely abolish it at the moment.

On the third day, Zeng Dun, Li Tang and others arrived in Xiangyang to meet Wang Xiaolie. Wang Xiaolie asked Zeng Dun to go to Xiangyang Mansion to work, and Chen Qiudao arranged it. Twenty guans a month was enough for him to support his family. Li

Tang and Li Di were called to the study. Wang Xiaolie had something to ask.

Let the two people sit down. Wang Xiaolie said: "I have something here, and I want to use someone who is good at calligraphy and painting."

Li Tangxu sat down. He cupped his hands and said, "I have been in the painting academy for many years. I am very good at all landscapes and figures. After observing and giving instructions, we paint with our heart. If we want to be good, we will naturally have good painting methods. If we need to be in a hurry, we will have a short time."

painting method."

Wang Xiaolie shook his head: "I don't know much about calligraphy and painting, so I won't interfere with you. In the past few years, there has been turmoil around the world. Xiangyang has been relatively peaceful and the market is prosperous. When the market is prosperous, there will be less money. So I plan to print some

Huizi, let the people use it."

Li Tang smiled and said: "Huizi's court has printed it many times and the formats are all there. What's the problem?"

Wang Xiaolie said: "In the past, the imperial printing was too simple, with different formats. First, it was easy to be forged, and second, it was not conducive to use. I want to carefully engrave the printing plates and print some coins with the same number, so that they can be used for many years.

"

How could Li Tang figure out what it looked like? After thinking for a while, he had to shake his head: "I wonder what kind of money we want to print?"

Wang Xiaolie said: "Copper coins are made of copper. If we make large coins and circulate them all over the world, it is inevitable that someone will destroy the coins and recast them. So it is not appropriate to treat them as five coins or ten coins. I want to print it directly on paper, like Huizi

Generally, it is used as evidence of a large amount of money. Now I am thinking of ten coins, twenty coins, fifty coins, etc. There can be a hundred coins, five hundred coins, etc., until it is always enough. Such an amount of money will definitely not be enough.

Less, we should use copper plates——"

Li Tang smiled and said: "Nowadays, many of the huizi are printed with copper plates."

Wang Xiaolie shook his head: "I know. However, the current copper plates are made of castings and are too rough. As long as a person is clever and has the will, it is not difficult to forge them. The copper plates I am talking about need to be carved out and matched with the paintings.

Same."

Li Tang looked at Li Di and shook his head repeatedly: "My lord, copper is much harder, how can you carve it? With such a skillful hand, there is no such hard knife in the world that can make paintings on copper. Although we, the painters, can

I know some about seal cutting, but I am not proficient in it."

Wang Xiaolie said: "I know. What I want is for you to draw and find someone else to carve. If you draw well, the carver can carve well. And with you watching, the carver can carve well only if the carver works hard."

"

Li Tang lowered his head and thought for a long time, then said: "According to observation, it seems feasible. However, engraving is not an ordinary thing, and it is so difficult to engrave on copper plates! Not only is the hand skillful, but the copper is too hard, and the painting is very delicate.

I’m afraid it will be difficult to carve it out.”

Wang Xiaolie nodded and said: "I know about this. In the past two years, the Huaihe River and Huaihe Rivers have been in turmoil, and many engraving workers have fled to other places. I have printed a lot of books here and have taken in many engraving workers from Luotian County, Qizhou. Inside.

We selected some skilled people and kept practicing engraving copper plates. Although the engraving was not easy, there were always a few outstanding ones in two years."

Luotian was a gathering place for engraving workers in the Song Dynasty. Many families had ancestral engraving. Children learned to engrave from the time they were sensible, and they traveled around the world after practicing well. Many of these engraving workers did not know how to write, but this did not hinder their ability to engrave.

Good handwriting.

Li Tang thought for a while and said, "When I was at Lumen Temple, the young lady from Guan Lin's family studied painting with me, and she is also good at seal carving. If your observation is useful, you can call this young lady to come and help."

Wang Xiaolie's heart moved. In Lumen Temple, Li Tang mentioned this Lady Lin before, and now he mentioned it again. She seemed to like her very much. He asked: "I wonder where this Lady Lin is from? What does her family do?

?”

Li Tang said: "Her father is a businessman. Because his brother was a Jinshi, he followed him to the capital. He didn't want Jin Lu Nan to commit crimes. When his brother died, he lived in the Central Plains. Because he had some relatives with the Wei family in Dengcheng, he lived temporarily in the past year.

There. Zeng Dun returned to his hometown and wanted to go back to Jiangnan together."

Wang Xiaolie nodded: "They are also from a poor family. How old is this little lady?"

Li Tang said: "I am eighteen years old this year. I have been studying since I was a child. I am good at painting and know seal cutting. I am so good-looking that I seem to have fallen from the sky."

Wang Xiaolie thought for a moment and said, "Eighteen years old, I'm still young. There are differences between men and women. I'm afraid it won't be easy for me to go out and do things."

Li Tang said with a smile: "Officials are joking. In this era, many ladies of officials' families imitate the look in the palace, wear men's clothes, and go out to see the bustling market. When doing things, let Miss Lin wear men's clothes. Who said that?

she!"

In the palace of the Song Dynasty, it was a fashion for female officials to dress in men's clothing. This trend spread out of the palace, and many women followed suit. In the Taiping years, many female relatives of wealthy families in Kaifeng City put on men's clothing and went out to enjoy the mountains and rivers.

Unlike the later Ming and Qing Dynasties, women in the Song Dynasty could not go out or step out of the second door. Especially in the Northern Song Dynasty, although it was not as convenient as men, women were not locked up at home. Especially the lower class, there was not so much emphasis on it.

.

Wang Xiaolie thought for a while and said: "In that case, I will bring her with me when I wait for the order tomorrow. He is really capable, so I will naturally use him."

Li Tang thanked him and said with some embarrassment: "To be honest, Mr. Zeng has been away from home for a long time and is short of money, so he has to work in the government office. The Lin family has been living in exile for a longer time, and life is actually not easy--"

After hearing this, what didn't Wang Xiaolie understand? Li Tang tried his best to recommend Mrs. Lin to be capable, but he just wanted to make some money. Her father is a businessman, and without capital, he can't make money. He used to be from a wealthy family.

, how can I get used to it for a while.

In the past few years, what Wang Xiaolie has seen most are bankrupt families, and he can't help even if he wants to. Wang Xiaolie's principle is that as long as you have the hands and feet, you can make your own money. The Yamen will not spend money to support idle people.

People like Li Tang had lived in Lumen Temple for many days, so they must have heard about it. They couldn't live in the temple anymore, so they thought of finding work here instead of asking for money.
Chapter completed!