"Two hundred are registered, and three hundred are in the field. Li Fushan personally trained them. Although they can't compare to the veteran soldiers of the border army, they are much better than the soldiers in Chang'an."
"Five hundred people... that's the limit. Any more and we won't be able to keep it a secret."
“But five hundred men are far too few for Chang’an City.” Zhang Xiaojing was clearly still somewhat dissatisfied.
"It's a bit too little. I'll figure out the rest."
Back home, Xu Hezi was already waiting for him. She helped him remove his official robes and then helped him bathe. However, as they bathed, they ended up bathing together. After that, they sat at the same table, and then shared a bed...
After a long while, Xu Hezi lay in Lu Xuan's arms, gently stroking his chest.
"Lu Lang, could you read me the poem you wrote for me that day again?"
"You've been secretly reciting it in your room every day, haven't you had enough yet?"
“That’s different. I want to hear Lu Lang read it to me.”
"Alright, I'll read it to you. Clouds remind me of her clothes, flowers of her face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, the dew is heavy; if not seen on the Jade Mountain, she will be met under the moon on the Jade Terrace."
Upon hearing this, Xu Hezi snuggled closer to Lu Xuan.
“Lu Lang, you have such talent, why do you never show it to others? This poem alone is enough to make you the dream lover of all the young ladies in Chang’an.”
"Hehe, wouldn't that make you so jealous?" Lu Xuan wasn't going to fall for that. As far as she knew, all women in the world, and even in the entire multiverse, were essentially jealous.
"That's different. If my Lu Lang can become famous in Chang'an, wouldn't I be more respected?" Well, women across all timelines are equally vain.
Do you want to hear the truth?
"Of course I'd like to hear it. But if it's inconvenient for you, Mr. Lu, then there's no need to say it."
"Because I feel this stuff is useless. Poetry and songs are ultimately just minor arts. They can neither save the people from suffering nor save the Tang Dynasty from its crisis. There are too many people in this country who flaunt these things. They can't see the crisis beneath the prosperous age; they only know how to endlessly praise the splendor of the Tang Dynasty. I don't like that."
"..." Xu Hezi didn't quite understand what Lu Xuan was saying. But she could sense the hidden worries in Lu Lang's heart, as well as the lofty ambitions that were faintly revealed.
"My love, I don't know what you're planning to do. But you must promise me that you will never abandon me. Whatever you do, take me with you."
.....................
In June, the weather gradually gets hot.
Lu Xuan then sent over a new and powerful weapon: ice making. In ancient times, using ice to cool off in the summer was a luxury reserved for emperors. This was because ice could only be stored in deep cellars during winter and then used when the weather became hot. Ordinary households, of course, couldn't afford such facilities.
However, for Lu Xuan, who had obtained a batch of saltpeter from the Taoist temple, none of this was a problem. The whole process was actually quite simple. First, dissolve the saltpeter in a large basin of water. Then, fill another basin with water and place it inside the larger basin. As the saltpeter dissolves, it absorbs a large amount of heat. In this way, the water in the basin cools down rapidly and eventually freezes.
When Lu Xuan personally repeated the process, Xiao Wu, who was standing to the side, exclaimed in surprise that her son-in-law was a reincarnated immortal.
"Son-in-law, are you a deity? Can you summon wind and rain? Can you make thunder and lightning...? And is there really a Jade Emperor in heaven...?"
"Wu'er..." Xu Hezi, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and scolded her, making Wu'er walk away sullenly. But as soon as Wu'er left, Xu Hezi's mouth watered.
"Lu Lang, tell me, what are the gods in heaven like?"
Lu Xuan: "......"
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Chapter Sixty-Four: The Crown Prince's Gift
Simply making ice wouldn't satisfy Lu Xuan's needs as a transmigrator. Ice cream, however, was something he could try. Although this era lacked artificial flavorings and couldn't replicate the true taste of ice cream, all-natural was still good. At least it was healthier. After all, in later generations, all-natural things were true luxuries.
Historically, ice-making using saltpeter wouldn't have occurred until the late Tang Dynasty. Afterwards, people would add sugar to ice water to create Tang Dynasty-style sweet drinks. Lu Xuan's version was simply more refined. He juiced some early-ripening fruits, added honey for flavor, and then chilled it with ice. He successfully created a Tang Dynasty version of Farmer's Orchard. Although it was a super-simple version, it was still a cutting-edge technology for its time.
Alternatively, you can blend crushed ice with fruit pulp, then add a little honey to sweeten it, making a chilled fruit salad. This dish instantly won over Xu Hezi and Wu'er's palates.
"Ugh...so good...I want more!" Wu'er ate two large bowls in a row, but after a while, she kept asking for more. The result was obvious: she groaned in pain all afternoon. But the next day, she was asking for more again. Lu Xuan could only lament that entertainment and culinary delights were far too limited in the Tang Dynasty.
In July, Lu Xuan's tavern launched chilled juices and chilled fruit salads—luxuries unavailable even in the imperial palace. Upon its release, they quickly became a sensation throughout Chang'an. Lu Xuan once again became the center of attention. Various groups began openly and secretly searching for his ice-making methods. Some offered large sums for cooperation, while others resorted to coercion and bribery to try and seize them.
However, to everyone's astonishment, after selling the formula exclusively for less than half a month, Lu Xuan directly made it public.
"Lu Lang, how could you be so foolish? That's your secret recipe, and I was planning to pass it on to our child!" Xu Hezi had already become Lu Xuan's concubine. Although Lu Xuan had offered to take her as his principal wife, Xu Hezi refused. She felt that given her background, if she became his principal wife, people might gossip, which would be detrimental to Lu Xuan's career. Therefore, she volunteered to become his concubine.
However, after only six months, her belly showed no signs of pregnancy, which began to alarm her. She didn't care about being a concubine, since she had arrived first. As long as she had a child, preferably a boy, her position would be secure. But so far, her belly remained completely flat. This made her even more anxious, and she would relentlessly pursue him every night.
It's fortunate that Lu Xuan's physical strength far exceeds that of ordinary people, otherwise he would have to be drinking goji berries in a thermos by his early twenties.
"This simple method of making ice is hardly a secret. Let's spread it so that the people can live a more comfortable life."
Lu Xuan genuinely didn't care about the item's value. Or rather, unlike other transmigrators, he didn't have a strong desire for money. Perhaps it was because he knew he was living in the twilight of a prosperous era. His mind was filled with thoughts of continuing the splendor of the Tang Dynasty.
Sometimes he would reflect on himself. Wouldn't it have been better to be a wealthy man, enjoying a life of luxury and honor? But no matter what, he could never convince himself otherwise. Perhaps this was the stubbornness of an artistic youth. In his dreams, the Tang Dynasty's golden age should have been perfect. But when he arrived in this so-called golden age, he found that it was not only imperfect, but also on the verge of disappearing.
Therefore, in essence, what Lu Xuan was upholding was not the so-called Tang Dynasty, but his own dream (this is a bit of sentimentality from the author, a literary youth). He was already in the dream and did not want to wake up.
The Crown Prince's Residence.
"Did Lieutenant Lu really say that?"
"Not a single word is wrong."
"Changyuan, do you think this County Magistrate Lu is being sincere?"
"Most people keep their ingenious techniques secret. But our Captain Lu never takes them to heart. He spreads all sorts of secret techniques at will. The Ministry of Works has already given feedback. The steel forging method that Captain Lu proposed has been successfully tested. As he said, using that 'assembly line' method, a thousand fine steel swords can be produced every day. The latest batch of military equipment has already been sent to the front lines in the Western Regions."
"Hehehe, I understand what you mean. He even casually gave me that secret technique. Naturally, he wouldn't care about a mere ice-making method. However, what he said was quite interesting. 'Spread the word, let the people live a little more comfortably.' That's like..."
The crown prince thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a suitable adjective.
“It’s as if this world belongs to him.” Changyuan continued the Crown Prince’s words, but this sentence silenced both of them. After a long while, the Crown Prince spoke.