Chapter 89:

His Majesty the Pope wrote in his reply to Master Raymond that their ships could stay for a few days in Princia, the neighboring county of Slaughter, while he himself could set off in plain clothes and enter Sardinson County in a low-key manner for only a few days. Just leave without revealing their identities, nor will they have too much influence on them.

"Although the words are sincere, isn't it a bit strange?"

Wei Wei asked for the reply letter from Master Raymond and showed it to Felix who came back.

When he was reading the letter, Wei Wei frowned and said, from the content of the letter, the Pope wanted to play a private interview through micro-server, which didn't seem to be anything special, maybe he was just such a lively old man.

But she thought it couldn't be just that.

The Pope said in the letter that he only wanted to see old friends whom he had not seen for many years before he wanted to come to Sardinson County, but the last letter from Raymond to him had already indicated that he could visit him in the capital, by the way, when Raymond was on his way back. He can still take the same boat with him, and the two can have more time together. Why does he insist on coming to Sardinson?

If there is no other reason, Wei Wei will not believe it.

And what is there to remember in Sardinson County now, isn't it the properties under their name?

"They're not trying to steal the formula, are they?"

This is the most likely.

It's not that Wei Wei looks down on the church, but because of the greed of the church, it is really possible to do such a thing. The church at this time is not like the later generations. They are making money in the name of God, almost without any cover. Ordinary people see it. It was the church that was helping them with the money raised, but what the nobles saw was him and they put more wealth into their pockets.

The amount of tithing is already huge. In addition, the church has monopolized the brothel business in various countries. The amount of money this business can bring is unimaginable. At the same time, they will cooperate with the nobles in other businesses. To be rich, I am afraid There is no one like the church.

But even so rich, their greed has not been tempered, but instead breeds more desires.

Felix read the letter at a glance: "Did Master Raymond tell you what kind of person the Pope is?"

Wei Wei thought for a while: "It seems that he is a very good person, and he is very kind to patients. He also often helps the poor. Like Master Raymond, he likes to do research and experiments. Because he is a medical worker, his research is also focused on refining panacea. In terms of personality, I heard that he is very approachable and cheerful. And it's easy to get along with."

Master Raymond's favorite research direction is alchemy, but the alchemists all believe that the so-called sage's stone needs to be used for alchemy and the making of panacea, so their research can be regarded as the same destination, and the essence is not much the difference.

Felix: "It sounds good?"

Wei Wei: "Master Raymond's opinions are not necessarily all right, after all, they haven't been together for a long time, and their topics are all about alchemy, and after ten For many years, all exchanges have been based on letters, and it remains to be determined whether the Pope is really as he said, and it is not clear who has changed since then."

Felix thought for a while and said, "Maybe we can ask Ask Father Matthew, maybe he knows the pope."

Father Matthew, as a diocese bishop who came to the elderly, was a cardinal-level cleric before that, and he was eligible to run for the pope. Pope John XX (the name of the saint changed by the Pope) was also a cardinal before this. The clergy of the same level, even if they serve in different countries, will gather at the church headquarters at a specific time every year, plus In recent years, the Pope has been changing people too fast, and the gatherings of high-ranking clergy are more frequent. They are all candidates. It is too false to say that they do not know each other.

"I do know Pope John."

Father Matthew, who has been cultivating for a while, seems to be much more energetic than before. He doesn't have to lie down every day to cultivate, and he drinks the nourishing soup prepared by Wei Wei every day. He even grows She gained a lot of weight, her face flushed red.

"He is a good person. He has been trying to restore the union between the church and the Eastern Church. He belongs to the conservative faction in the church."

Wei Wei: "Are you also a member of the conservative faction?"

"Yes." Matthew nodded: "Conservatives are actually a minority in the church and can't compete with the radicals. The latter is the actual ruler of the church, if not for the rumors that the Pope has been cursed all these years. It is rumored that the Pope who succeeds now cannot be Pope John."

It was also because he found that the atmosphere in the headquarters has become more and more strange in recent years, and Father Matthew did not want to go into this muddy water, so he automatically downgraded and came to Sardinson County to retire. .

Otherwise, he might be the one who has been put on the pope now.

The biggest difference between the so-called radicals and conservatives is their attitude towards other religions. Conservatives believe that they can maintain contact with the Eastern Church and restore friendly exchanges in the past, while the radicals believe that the Eastern Church is a heresy, just like Muslims and others. , which needs to be suppressed and destroyed. The two sides have been arguing over this issue and expressing their own opinions. However, because the radical faction is strong, the crusades launched many times in the past two hundred years have also regarded the Eastern Church as the enemy that needs to be eliminated.

Wei Wei understood, Matthew was probably saying that Pope John was just a puppet pope in the church.

Then the Pope insists on coming to Sardinson County, I am afraid it is not his own will.

After saying goodbye to Father Matthew, Wei Wei and Felix joined hands and went for a relaxing walk in the garden, while continuing to discuss the previous topic.

She said worriedly: "If someone is really controlling behind the Pope, then it is very likely that they will come to us."

But they can't refuse, the identity of the other party is there, and the attitude is low, if they refuse again , Who knows if the church will attack and wipe them out with this, although the power of the church is very common in the Prady Empire, but as long as the monarchy is not involved, even the king will be polite to them, not to mention that Felix is just an ordinary Nobles, let them develop for a few more years may be positive, but this time is still too early.

However, after knowing that the Pope may have been asked by others to come to Sardinson County, they read the contents of the letter and received the goodwill from the other party.

If you come in a low profile, you will not bring too many people, which is convenient for them to monitor and control. Even if they make some unreasonable requests, they can refuse. On the contrary, if they come with a big fanfare, they cannot refuse, and they will inevitably make some omissions.

Felix pondered and said: "Master Raymond please reply and tell him that the number of visitors cannot exceed ten people. If he agrees to accept us, if he doesn't agree, he can only refuse. After all, everyone knows that we are short of manpower and can't do anything about it. If you are worried about safety, it is better to entertain too many guests. We are also afraid that the Pope will have an accident here, so if we dare

notentertain them, we should ask them to wait until we are ready."If the other party doesn't agree with the opinions here, it's not their problem.

Wei Wei understood what he meant, and nodded with a smile: "Yes, then we will let Master Raymond pick them up together. If the other party regrets and wants to bring more people, then let Master Raymond and the Pope ride together. It's been a while, anyway, the Pope is only here to see friends, and we've already sent people over."

Since the Pope would like them, it is very likely that he will agree to their arrangement, but if he speaks in person, Even if it is just a puppet, it is impossible for others to directly defy him.

Even, as subordinates, ensuring the safety of the Pope is the first, and their duty should be to persuade the Pope to stay on the ship and continue to visit the next country, rather than enter a border county of uncertain danger.

"If Father Matthew is in good health, he should also be brought. I think it is very suitable for him to entertain the Pope."

Father Matthew was also a cardinal, and his rights may not be there, but his status in the church will not be because of him. He chose to stay in Sardinson County for retirement and declined, but other cardinals of the same rank could not order him, and the lower church members even had to obey his orders to a certain extent. If he came forward, except the Pope, others wanted to use their identities. No one can do it.

The husband and wife arranged the future visiting team clearly and clearly, just waiting to see the wonderful faces of those people during the practice.

Uninvited guests are not welcome by the host.

Master Raymond probably also noticed that something was wrong. He knew very well that his old friend was not the kind of person who was rejected and would continue to visit, so he readily agreed to write a reply according to their arrangement, and wrote It was very direct, saying that if you want to come, you must come according to the master's rules, otherwise he has no face to receive him, so he can only go to the boat to reunite with him.

After the letter is sent, it will not reach the other party in a short time, and it will take longer to receive a reply. According to the itinerary of the Pope's tour they have collected, the other party will arrive in Sardinson County, at least in June. , almost a month away from now.

Therefore, before the arrival of the other party, Sardinson County welcomed several other old friends of Master Raymond.

As the owners of the castle, Felix and Wei Wei received three alchemists who looked very down-to-earth. Master Raymond introduced them. These three are real alchemists who have a lot of research in alchemy. , not a liar, but because of this, their income is not enough to support their pursuit of alchemy, so after knowing that an old friend has found a generous employer, they all come to recommend it.

Although the three dressed up like homeless people, and the expressions they showed when they talked about their research, they looked like crazy people, but they were sincere and brought their own books when they recommended themselves. Wei Wei looked through them one by one. After all, although some of the content has been confirmed to be wrong in later generations, it does not mean that they are not good enough.

She didn't mention her opinion on the contents of those books, but turned around and told Felix that their level was really good, and as long as their character was fine, they could consider staying.

"I have already sent someone to investigate. Although the character is indeed a bit weird, there is nothing wrong with it."

The person in charge of the investigation is the person who sent them the letter. When they sent the letter, they would go around to inquire about the details of these people. The people who live in the local area, for them, other people's views are mysterious and withdrawn from contact with people, very strange, but other than that, there are no other bad rumors.

The most important thing is that these three people have not been in contact with strangers recently, and it seems that the only correspondence between them is each other. .

"Then just stay, and I'll talk to them about the contract."

Wei Wei thought for a while, and then said, "By the way, ask them if they would like to bring their apprentices. They're a lot older, so make arrangements around them. A few young people can take care of them even if they fight, it's just that the arrangement of the male servants is not comprehensive enough, but if they don't want to, it's fine."

Wei Wei had this plan long ago, although she also wanted to cultivate more talents, but most importantly The main thing is that it is still as she said, worried that these old men will not pay attention when they are doing experiments accidentally, and they will blow up their rooms together.

The last time she studied distilled alcohol with Master Raymond, she discovered that this master is not only short-sighted but also presbyopic, so he wears glasses when he does experiments, but it is not a concave lens for myopia, but a magnifying lens. It is a convex lens suitable for hyperopia, and it is also a circular monocle, so he is a "one-eyed dragon" during the research.

And this one-eyed dragon is probably old. Occasionally, his hands are shaking a little. It is not serious, but it is very random. Wei Wei is really afraid that when he does a dangerous experiment one day, his hands will shake and cause an experimental accident.

And several of his old friends always squinted when they looked at people. I'm afraid they all have bad eyes like him, and it's not clear whether their hands are shaking or not.

Felix brought Wei Wei's words to them. He originally thought that these few alchemists who didn't seem to get along well would not agree to take apprentices, but unexpectedly, as soon as he said it, they readily agreed, and even Slightly looking forward to expressing hope that the apprentice is studious and smart, preferably with a certain literary foundation.

Anyway, don't need them to teach literacy.

One of the alchemists even said directly: "I have wanted an apprentice for a long time, but unfortunately I can't afford it at all. Now someone can finally make a start."

The apprentice at this time is different from the later generations. The salary is paid, and the hard work has to obey the teacher's arrangement, and the teacher must serve the teacher comfortably, which is no different from a slave.

Of course, no one thinks there is anything wrong with this. They want to learn the teacher's ability to eat. How can they be successful without paying a little price?

But it is difficult for alchemists to find a suitable apprentice. In the eyes of ordinary people, they are no different from liars, and the content of their studies cannot support their families. Except for those who really like and have some background at home, basically no one is willing to give them. Alchemists apprentice.

And most alchemists hope that their research and academics can be recognized by the world, otherwise they will not be keen to publish books,

so it is not that they don't want to accept it, but they really can't find anyone.

Now that the Count is willing to arrange for them, these people are naturally very happy, and even Master Raymond said that he also wants to select a few talented apprentices.

Not one but several, it can be seen that their will is very strong.

However, there is no rush to find apprentices, and now the main thing is to settle them well.

"The new research institute has not yet been built, so for the time being I can only apologise for your work in the tower." The

research institute is the name Wei Wei gave to the alchemist's collective laboratory under construction, and the location was chosen two miles away from the castle. On a piece of grass away from the fields and houses, the grass leaned against the stream that branched out of the river that runs through Fort Sardinson. This is also a concern that if an accidental fire occurs in the experiment, the fire can be controlled in time.

Several people have no opinion on occupying the tower. The tower is high enough and there is enough space on each floor. Although it used to be a prison, after Master Raymond moved in, those cells were cleaned up. Now that they moved in, they still Can we discuss experimental research together?

After settling these people, Wei Wei turned around and continued to fiddle with pesticides.

After many attempts, a new insecticide was researched, mainly using the root block of a Euonymus plant, and adding some auxiliary materials. The insecticidal effect is excellent, and it can basically kill what we see now. All field pests, and other materials added also reduce the toxicity of pesticides to human livestock and other living animals, as long as it is not directly imported, the possibility of poisoning is very low.

The most important thing is that this new type of insecticide is not the same as deworming water, the latter's toxicity is to disturb the normal physiology of insect nerves, causing it to die from excitement, convulsion to paralysis, and the amount that can kill insects is harmful to humans. It is relatively safe, so mosquito coils made of pyrethrum are basically harmless as long as they are not used in large quantities for a long time.

And this new type of insecticide is more harmful to the human body. Its main raw materials will stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, and at the same time, after absorption, it will cause considerable damage to the central nervous system (including the thalamus, midbrain, medulla oblongata, cerebellum and spinal cord). It is easy to cause hemorrhage and necrosis of the liver and heart, and although the toxicity is greatly reduced after mixing with several other herbs, if it is eaten directly, it will still cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms. The chances of death are very high.

So last year, the slaves who were responsible for boiling the insecticide water this year will not only boil the insecticide water but also make new pesticides. At the same time, they will be responsible for watching over their work, and the steward who sells insecticides to the outside world. The crops sprayed with pesticides cannot be eaten for a long time, and it is best not to touch them directly, so as to avoid accidental poisoning.

Worrying that the residents did not pay enough attention to this, Wei Wei also made a special announcement to emphasize the matter, and asked the little teachers to warn those students repeatedly when they went to class, because young children are the most naughty and sneak up when they are hungry. It's not uncommon to find something to eat in the field, and although the new pesticides are basically harmless to adults, the threat to children is still very high, so if you don't care about it, it's really easy to get into trouble.

The territorial people who used the new insecticide at the beginning also felt that the lord's wife was a little fussy. Last year, when they used the insecticide water, they did not have such many requirements, but the crops sprayed with the insecticide water could not be eaten for some time. Just wash it, and now it's not even touching it.

And last year, some people didn't listen to the instructions and sprayed the insect-removing water on the vegetables in the field and picked them and washed them on the same day. Didn't anything happen?

But this disrespect was soon slapped in the face.

To prevent people from accidentally eating the new insecticide, Wei Wei especially increased the smell of the plant itself. The colour of the insecticide is a turbid yellow-brown liquid with a strong and pungent smell, which will also be carried in the fields after use. This kind of smell also has a certain insect-repellent effect, and when the smell dissipates, the toxicity attached to the crops will almost disappear.

It stands to reason that when the crops have such an unpleasant smell, as long as they don't have problems with their noses, they shouldn't want to eat them.

Some of them not only ate it but also didn't even wash it. They ate a lot of raw food. The result was that this person rolled on the ground with his stomach in his arms not long after he finished eating, screaming and screaming in pain. people from the same village.

It was also his luck that he was discovered early. People in the same village asked him because he ate vegetables that had been sprayed with pesticides and became like this. After the leg of lamb was bled and poured down for him, the man was rescued.

However, the human rescue is rescued, and the sin he deserves will not be cured immediately. If Wei Wei heard the news, he specially sent someone to send the antidote (actually a laxative), and he also prescribed the decoction for recovery. People are afraid of losing half their lives if they don't die.

Also because of such a thing, other people dare not underestimate the power of the new insecticide. If it weren't for the fact that this insecticide is really powerful against insects, and the Countess's request would be picked after seven days, After careful cleaning before eating, no one has a problem with it, and they are afraid to use it.

But everyone has also become aware of the children at home, prohibiting them from approaching the farmland and vegetable fields during the pesticide spraying period to prevent further accidents.

After confirming that they all listened to what they said, Wei Wei asked the steward in charge of selling pesticides to regularly instruct them, anon, by the way, to control the excessive use of pesticides by the residents, and put her energy into other places.

June is the harvesting season for winter wheat, and in May the wheat begins to be grouted. At this time, attention should be paid to supplementing nitrogen fertilizer, watering the grouting water, and preventing pests and diseases. The serfs have the experience of last year, but they know top-dressing and watering. They don't have a good grasp of the specific amount of sleep and how to use it. They can only decide after Wei Wei has seen the wheat fields. The growth rate of wheat in different fields is also different, which makes Wei Wei have to spend all the time in those fields. Tianli, who goes out early and returns late every day, is busier than Felix.

The sun in this season is already a bit poisonous. Wei Wei, who runs outside every day and has to wrap her head in a turban, feels hot and worries about tanning her face, so she simply asked someone to make herself a dome straw hat with a large wide brim. , The hat is also decorated with a beautiful bow with lace ribbon, which not only has a good sunshade effect but also looks good.

When she walked around the territory wearing the hat, a straw hat wind swept up in Sardinson County.

If the hats were made of other fabrics, the locals might be reluctant to make them, but the straw hats are different. The material is grass, whether it is water grass, wheat straw or other grasses, which can be woven. Aren't these things available everywhere?

As for the difficulty of making, the residents are more or less skilled in weaving. In the past, they used to weave baskets and other containers. Now, after thinking about it, it is not too difficult to weave a straw hat. Otherwise, I will ask the countess for advice. The craftsman of the straw hat can find the opportunity to steal the teacher.

As for what you really can't do, when other people learn it, you can pick up a little something to replace it and decorate it yourself, isn't it okay?

So slowly, almost all women in Sardinson County have prepared a straw hat for themselves. The brim of the hat is big or small, and the decoration on it is also different. If you have some conditions, you can buy lace ribbon decorations. There is no lace satin. The ones they wear are decorated with ordinary cloth heads. Later, they are even decorated with feathers or shells. When they meet each other, they will praise each other's hats. As time goes by, when it is not cold in Sardinson, there is no one else. When they choose to go out, they wrap their heads with a headscarf - anyway, their hair has been wrapped up according to the regulations, so it doesn't matter whether they use a headscarf or not.

And their countess does this, so it's no problem for everyone to wear hats.

So, no matter when women will never forget to pursue beauty.