Daming: Mixed in Dangzhi County, Beiping

Chapter 176 Luo Guanzhong?
Guo An smiled slightly and asked softly, "Who said sugar cane is necessary for sugar production?"

As soon as these words came out, Xu Yun and Zhuang Guang were taken aback for a moment.

Immediately, his eyes widened, his face full of excitement.

"Guo Changshi, are you saying that besides sugar cane, there are other things that can be used to make sugar?"

As they spoke, the two suddenly remembered something, and asked again: "Guo Changshi, are you going to make caramel?"

Maltose, that is, maltose, can be made from rice, wheat, millet, and millet. It is the earliest sugar in the Central Plains.

It can also be regarded as a traditional Chinese medicine.

The advantage of making caramel is that as long as there are grains, it can be made anytime and anywhere.

However, caramel is sticky, and half of it is not sugar, nor is it as sweet as sucrose, and it is not as delicious as sucrose.

Many wealthy families like to eat sucrose.

However, caramel can't be added to gunpowder, so Guo An slowly shook his head, "We're going to use a kind of beet to make sugar."

"beet?"

Xu Yun and Zhuang Guang stared at Guo An excitedly and asked, "Dare to ask Guo Changshi, what kind of beet can be used to make sugar?"

You know, since people learned to use sugarcane sucrose, for hundreds of years, I don’t know how many people have tried to make sugar with other plants.

Unfortunately, so far only sugar cane can be used to make sugar.

If Guo Changshi could really find another plant to make sugar, wouldn't the Yan Palace directly discover a golden mountain?
Guo An said, "Sugar radish."

"Candy radish?"

Both Xu Yun and Zhuang Guang couldn't help frowning slightly.

"Guo Changshi, where does this kind of radish grow?"

Guo An said: "Ningxia, Liangzhou, or Liaodong."

Really?
Xu Yun and Zhuang Guang were overjoyed, and hurriedly asked: "Dare to ask Guo Changshi, what does that sugar radish look like? Is it called a sugar radish?"

"We don't know either."

At this time, Guo An really didn't know the name of that kind of candied radish.

After thinking for a while, he said: "You can first send people to Shaanxi and Liaodong to search for us.

One kind looks like a radish, but the rhizome buried in the soil is a small red round lump.

Now it's October, which happens to be the harvest season for these sugar radishes. "

"Yes, Guo Changshi! The next official will go in person..."

Xu Yun and Zhuang Guang agreed, and they were going to look for the candied radish that Guo An mentioned.

Guo An instructed again: "Remember, Tangradish is our name. You can't use this name to look for it, but use the name Carrot to look for it."

"Yes, Guo Changshi!"

The two agreed and left in a hurry.

As for whether the two can be found, Guo An is not worried at all.

The current King Yan Mansion is not short of money and manpower.

Moreover, because of wool workshops and cotton garment workshops, the relationship between Yanwang Mansion and northern regions such as Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Liaodong is much closer.

It can be said that even if the Palace of King Yan wanted to find a three-legged toad in such a large three northern provinces, they could find it.

……

It was a few days later.

That old Mr. Du Zhidao from Huguan in Shanxi finally came to Beiping Mansion.

Zhu Di personally brought Zhu Fu, Guo An, and Monk Daoyan to greet them in person.

In addition, a group of scholars gathered in Beiping in the past few days also spontaneously came out to welcome them.

Even Father Guo and Liu Weiyuan came out to greet him.

It can be described as a huge scene.

However, what reassures Guo An is that the old Mr. Du is not sure whether it is because of his temper or because of his age, he has entered the time of a sage.

No matter who you face, you are very kind.

Even, after hearing Zhu Di's various requests for the academy, Du Xi also agreed with a smile on his face, even if a monk was squeezed in as a secretary under his own staff.

Du Xi was not unhappy either.

Now that the autumn harvest has passed, the academy has been completed, and the supervisors of the two academies, Jijiu and Siye, are in place.

The academy officially enrolls students.

Enlightenment has enlightenment schools, and academies have academy schools.

In just ten days, the academy enrolled 500 elementary school students, and the number of formal school students reached [-].

Basically, scholars from the seven counties and four prefectures of Beiping Prefecture came.

Every day, there is a lot of traffic outside the gate of the academy.

As for the various officials in Yanwang Mansion, as well as the officials in Wanping, Daxing, Tongzhou and other nearby counties, they will be replaced every ten days.

Every day, Jin Zhong took a dozen trainee scribes to build houses around the academy.

And in the library building of the academy, it is full of students from the academy every day.

More than half of them are well-dressed and well-dressed gentry children.

Every son of a gentry and a wealthy family holds a book in his hand, and in front of him is a cup of hot tea, a plate of pastries, and some of the better ones have some melons and fruits.

Every time he came here, watching this scene, Guo An couldn't help the corners of his mouth slightly curled up.

However, Guo An did not hang around in the library today, but went directly to the working building on the side of the library.

Inside the building, there was already a white-haired old man in his 60s, waiting for him quietly.

As Guo An came in, Jin Zhong hurriedly stood up to greet him, and explained to Guo An.

"I met Guo Changshi, this is the old gentleman who wants to donate books to the library."

"Little old Robben has met Guo Changshi."

Seeing Guo An coming in, the old man's eyes lit up and he quickly got up to salute.

Guo An was startled, and quickly stepped forward to help him, "Mr. Don't do it. I don't dare to accept such a big gift."

After speaking, Guo An helped the old man back to his seat, and Guo An asked curiously, "May I ask the old man to come here specifically to find a kid, but what books do you want to donate?"

Robben pointed to the wooden box on the side, and said slowly: "I am sorry for Guo Changshi, the little old man plans to donate a few ancient books this time, and there are also a few humble works written by myself."

"A book written by the old man himself?"

Hearing this, Guo An, Jin Zhong and the others were immediately filled with admiration.

In ancient times, no matter what, anyone who could write a book and write a biography by himself must be a great Confucian who studied heaven and man and understood the past and present.

And this time, Robben has slowly opened the wooden box.

"Water Margin?"

Seeing the first book, Guo An couldn't help frowning slightly.

If he remembers correctly, "Water Margin" should be a novel, and the author's surname is Shi, not Luo!

Luo Ben smiled sheepishly, and said, "Don't blame Guo Changshi, this book was created by the little old teacher.

However, due to some reasons, this book has not been published. The little old man was afraid that this book would be lost, and he also heard that the library built by His Royal Highness Beiping Mansion wanted to collect all the books in the world, so he brought it along with him. "

"I see."

Guo An nodded slightly, without thinking too much, and continued to look down.

"Don't worry, old man, if we want to collect all the books in the world into the library, this book will naturally do it."

A gleam of light appeared in Robben's eyes, and he hurriedly continued to turn up the books below.

""Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Romance of the History of the Remnant Tang and Five Dynasties", "Biography of the Sui and Tang Dynasties", "San Sui Ping Yao Biography"...

Hey, this is "Three Kingdoms" written by Chen Shou... "Three Kingdoms" annotated by Pei Songzhi... Unexpectedly, the old man is also a researcher of ancient history. "

In the whole box, except for some strange mythological books, there are romances of dynasties, which Guo An likes to read the most.

Moreover, old people who can study these histories often have some real skills, and Guo An's tone is even more admirable.

"Thank you Guo Changshi for your praise. The little old man is just a random person. He wrote these books on his own, but he can't afford to print and publish any of them."

"Don't worry, old man. With the past as the present, our generation of scholars should read some historical masterpieces. These books, the boy will put them on the top floor of the library." Guo An said.

"Thank you Guo Changshi."

Robben quickly expressed his gratitude with joy on his face.

Guo An asked again: "I don't know where the old man is from, how old is this year? The boy asked someone to choose the most suitable pair of reading glasses for the old man... Presumably, when the old man reads some words every day, his eyes will also It's a bit dim..."

After so many years, it was the first time that Robben received such respect from others, but he didn't refuse. He had already heard the name of reading glasses from Yanwang Mansion.

"The little old man's name book, with the characters Guanzhong, is called Huhai Sanren, a native of Taiyuan, Shanxi, and he is sixty-six this year.

It's a pity that since the chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it has been drifting south of the Yangtze River, and I haven't been back for a long time..."

"Zi Guanzhong... Luo... Luo Guanzhong..."

After listening to the old man's words, Guo An shuddered stiffly, and had no other intentions to listen to the following words.

Thinking about it, Guo An seemed to think of something, and quickly opened the "Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms".Although the handwriting inside was all handwritten, it was all too familiar to him.

"Guo Changshi, Guo Changshi..."

Seeing that Guo An was holding his "Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in a daze, and the expression in his eyes was still changing, a trace of worry flashed in Robben's eyes.

"But what's wrong with the book written by the little old man?"

"The old man misunderstood."

Guo An quickly explained: "The boy just thinks that the old man's books can be called classics. It would be a waste of money to put the old man's original manuscripts in the library...

Don't worry, the old man, the kid will definitely find someone to re-transcribe the old man's books.

As for the manuscripts of the old man, I will hand them over to the old man for safekeeping...Of course, if the old man doesn't mind, the kid also wants to keep a copy of these books at home...

"Don't mind, don't mind!"

Robben beamed.

"Thank you sir."

Guo An hurriedly got up and put those books back into the wooden box.

"In this case, please also invite the old gentleman to follow the boy to the city. The boy will personally find a house for the old gentleman and a scholar to copy the books for the gentleman himself."

"I didn't expect the old man to be so respected by Guo Changshi when he was old after wandering for half his life. The old man was so disrespectful."

Robben is not hypocritical.

As he said, at such an advanced age, if he hadn't been unable to put down his few books, he might have gone to his teacher a long time ago.

Guo An told Jin Zhong who was at the side: "Jin Zhong, take this bookcase and follow us into the city."

"Yes, Guo Changshi!"

Jin Zhong responded, and quickly picked up the bookcase.

On the side, an old man who looked like a servant hurried forward to help Robben up.

Then, a group of people left the academy, got into Guo An's large and luxurious carriage, and headed for the city.

As for Robben's dilapidated carriage, it followed behind.

Along the way, you will come directly to Chunshu Hutong in Wanping County.

He stopped in front of a house without a plaque.

However, the house was tidy and clean, and there were still a few servants living there.

Seeing Guo An leading the two old men in, a group of servants rushed over to pay respects, and then offered hot tea.

"Old man, this is a separate courtyard that the boy bought, so the old man can live here first.

If there is any need, the servants in the courtyard can send it at will. "

"Thank you Guo Changshi."

Robben looked around and said gratefully.

Inside the house, Guo An and Robben were chatting when a voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Ning Yi, I heard that your boy brought back an old gentleman, could it be some great Confucian?"

After finishing the words, father Guo and Liu Weiyuan walked in.

At this time of year, nothing happened in their hometown Shunde Mansion, so the two old men stayed in Beiping Mansion.

The whole day is either indulging in the library of the academy, or discussing Taoism with some great Confucians, and I am already a little bit reluctant to leave.

"I have seen my father, my lord Yuezhang."

Guo An got up quickly, greeted Father Guo and Liu Weiyuan, and then introduced to them: "Father, Mr. Yuezhang, this old gentleman is Mr. Luo Guanzhong, from Taiyuan, Shanxi.

This time I came here to donate books to the library, and more than half of the books were written by the old man. "

"Old Mr. Luo, this is the boy's father, and this is the boy's father-in-law, both of whom are from Shunde Mansion..."

After Guo An's introduction, when Liu Weiyuan and Father Guo looked at Luo Guanzhong, their faces froze.

As for Luo Guanzhong, there was also a wry smile in his eyes.

……

(End of this chapter)