After Zhao Tong drank tea and told Huang Gu a few words, he went into the room and lay down.
Not long after, the sound of horse hooves was heard in the distance outside. After a while, Huang Gu came in and reported: "Sir, Jiang You, the Minister of Civil Affairs, is here."
Zhao Tong said: "What did he say?"
Huang Gu said: "I didn't mention anything about the decree. I just talked about visiting patients."
Zhao Tong thought for a moment, and in addition to the decree to comfort the army, Emperor Daojun must also have a separate imperial decree for him.
He said: "Go and ask him. Since he is visiting a patient, can he bring any gifts?"
Huang Gu returned to the gate, looked at Jiang You and said with a smile: "The prince asked Jiang Shangshu, since he is visiting a doctor, can he bring gifts?"
Jiang You was stunned when he heard this, a gift?
Where did the gift come from... In addition to giving things to the official family in the past few years, even when Cai Jing celebrated his birthday banquet, he only brought calligraphy and paintings to Cai Jing, and never really gave gifts to others.
He looked at Huang Gu and recognized the guard in front of him. Isn't this the second son of Huang Shang's family? He has been wandering around in various libraries under the editing academy since he was a child. He doesn't study hard and dances with guns and sticks all day long. He is far inferior to him. My brother has become a talented person. He looks like he’s grown up, so why should he be a bodyguard? As expected, Yao Er Duo Bu Qi.
Jiang You pondered, even though Huang Erlang was only a bodyguard, he was still a bodyguard beside the prince and considered a close confidant, so it was better to ask him carefully.
He said: "Huang Erlang..."
Huang Gu hurriedly saluted and said, "Do you recognize Jiang Shangshu?"
Jiang You snorted: "When I was working as a writer at the Editorial Institute, you ran around all day long and even knocked over my inkstone. How could I not recognize you, a young man from the Huang family! "
Huang Gu scratched his head when he heard this and said with a smile: "Jiang Shangshu has a photographic memory, and he can even remember clearly what happened when he was a child..."
Jiang You said: "Erlang, let me ask you, how is the prince's injury now?"
Huang Gu said: "It's hard for me to say this. Anyway, the prince is still lying on the couch to recuperate, and he can't even get up."
Zong Ze grinned when he heard the words from behind and thought to himself, the prince brought these two guards, Ouyang Bei was known to be dishonest when he was in Dengzhou, but Huang Gu usually feels quite honest and honest, and he looks better than Ouyang Bei. You have to be honest and reliable. How can you tell a lie without blinking an eye?
Jiang You nodded and said: "This is because I was negligent. I didn't bring any gifts when I came from Tokyo. I don't know what good things I can buy in Luzhou?"
Huang Gu shook his head and said: "Jiang Shangshu, during the several wars in Luzhou City, all the merchants selling valuable utensils were gone. There are still good things to buy, but sir, you can't go there with just a fruit box and two jars of shochu." Let’s visit the prince…”
Jiang You thought to himself, there is nothing wrong with King Qi asking for gifts. As a prince, he led the army to redress the rebellion, but now he is injured and cannot get out of bed. Regardless of what he came to Luzhou for, it is always unjustifiable to arrive empty-handed.
But where did the gift come from now? He did receive a lot of filial piety before his arrival, which were all given by officials who came to Luzhou to take up their posts. However, the filial piety was collected in Tokyo and was left at home without being taken out. He also didn’t have much gold and silver with him, so he didn’t bring it with him at all. Can't take it.
Jiang You couldn't help but frown, and then a person behind him said: "Sir, those Yang brothers on the road..."
When Jiang You heard this, he immediately remembered that there were two brothers among the officials sent to Huaixi this time. They were related to the Ministry of Revenue, but the relationship was not too strong, so he flattered him on the way and gave him a South China Sea Pearl. He saw this thing I liked it so much that I didn't give it to anyone but kept it with me at home.
But although the pearl is good, it is urgent now. After thinking for a moment, Jiang You took out the box containing the pearl and said: "Huang Erlang, I have a South Sea pearl here, which is just right for the prince, so you can send it in. "
Huang Gu took the box, opened it, took a brief look, and said with a smile: "Master Jiang, please wait a moment. I have to ask the prince. After all, the prince is sick now, so he must be happy."
Although Jiang You cursed in his heart, he didn't show it at all on his face. He nodded and said, "Erlang, go ahead. I will be waiting for you."
Huang Gu ran in with the box and Le Dian Dian. When he got to the room, he held it to Zhao Tao and said, "Sir, I don't know who bribed him when Jiang You gave him a bead."
Zhao Tong opened the box and took a look, and said with a smile: "It is indeed a valuable thing. Even if you have money, you may not be able to buy it in the market."
Huang Gu said: "Master, then I will reply to Jiang You according to your instructions."
Zhao Tong nodded, Huang Gu walked outside the palace gate and looked at Jiang You and said: "Jiang Shangshu, the prince saw the gift and was very happy, saying that Jiang Shangshu is interested."
Jiang You said: "Did the prince allow the officials to visit him?"
Huang Gu said: "You can come in, you can come in. The prince said that if Mr. Jiang doesn't have the imperial edict on him, just go to his bedroom."
When Jiang You heard this, he immediately retracted the foot he had just stepped out and said, "Erlang, what did the prince say?"
Huang Gu said: "The prince said that if the minister does not have an imperial edict on his body, then please come in. He also wants to talk to the minister about the war, but if the minister has an imperial edict on his body, it is better not to come in yet."
Jiang You heard this and wondered: "Why is this? I do carry the official's decree for the prince."
Huang Gu said: "Your Majesty said that the minister has brought the imperial edict to the door. Should he read it out or not? When he sees the person receiving the edict, it would be disrespectful to refuse to read it and it would mean contempt for the official. If he reads it out, he will get up in bed. If you don't come, you won't be able to receive the order. Jiang Shangshu's forced reading is also contempt for the official family. He and the prince lie down to receive the order, and they are guilty of being disrespectful."
Jiang You frowned when he heard this: "This..."
Zhao Tong was right. Since he had brought the decree, it would definitely be wrong not to read it when he saw Zhao Tong. But if Zhao Tong was injured and couldn't get up after reading it, he couldn't just lie down and receive the decree, right?
To read or not to read, that is the question.
Jiang You suddenly fell into deep thought. This problem seemed to have no solution. Unless he didn't come in, whatever he did after entering would be wrong.
After a moment, he took a deep breath and said: "Your Majesty is the one who thought about Zhou Xiang, but I didn't think so. Erlang reported to the Prince that I did have the imperial edict on me. Since it is not convenient for the Prince to accept the edict, I will come to visit you another day." , Please don’t blame me, Your Majesty.”
Huang Gu said: "It's easy to say, easy to say, then I'll go and report it now so that Master Shangshu can leave."
Jiang You felt aggrieved. No one had seen him, the edict had not been read, he had lost a pearl in vain, and he didn't even enter the gate. No matter how he thought about it, it didn't feel right. He always felt that something was wrong.
He stood there and hesitated for a while, then looked at Zongze, who hurriedly said: "Since the prince is still injured and unable to accept the order, I would also like to ask Lord Shangshu to accompany Xiaguan to eat and rest. Xiaguan has already prepared wine and food. And the mansion.”
Jiang You nodded, reached out and touched his beard, and said, "Lead the way."
After the group of people walked away, Huang Gu turned out from behind the door of the mansion, glanced at the back in the distance, and said to himself: "After so many years, I still remember knocking over the inkstone, but I am a small-minded person... …”
Zhao Tong sat on the couch and played with the pearl. The pearl was bigger than a pigeon egg and had a full circle. It was round and smooth, and shone slightly. It was indeed a good thing.
In the past few years, he has handled many treasures, but most of them were put in the cabinets of broken jade and sold at a price that was 10% or 20% lower than the market price.
The city of Tokyo is prosperous, with business coming from all over the world. It is the city with the most money, the largest population, and the most lively and extensive life in the world. You don’t have to worry about selling good things. You don’t have to worry about whether you have it or you don’t have it.
Zhao Tong exchanged many jewelry and jades for silver coins. At first, he only sent them to Fujian Road, and later he began to send them to Longyou.
Both places need to operate, and this operation is not about making a living, but about raising people, raising horses, and making tools.
Every one of them was a very expensive matter. Even though Huang Jue controlled maritime affairs in Fujian, engaged in maritime trade, and even went to sea to become a pirate himself, Fujian was still stretched thin.
There is no other reason. Fujian does not raise horses. If it relies on Huang Jue's ingenuity, it will be enough to raise people. Not to mention tens of thousands, at least 80,000 will not be a problem.
It's just that the mountains of Fujian have been making utensils all the time, but this is a huge source of money, and it's an endless thing.
Just like the ballista, Zhao Tong only gave the blueprints and material names and asked Huang Jue to find someone to research and manufacture them on his own. He could not teach in person.
But just one ballista was already a challenge. It took a long time from research and speculation to making a general, and due to the scarcity of materials, it has never been possible to manufacture it on a large scale.
The whale tendon used in the ballista can actually be replaced with other materials, but the cooking process is more complicated. If Zhao Tong hadn't personally taught it on the spot, it would have been up to the craftsmen Huang Jue found to figure it out, and it would have taken many years to complete it.
What's important is the damage to the materials. Zhao Tong really can't afford to waste it. Every piece of material is money, especially the twist bars used in the ballista. Once they are worn out, they can no longer be used.
However, the mass production of ballistae can still be pushed forward, but the production of other weapons cannot be delayed.
Therefore, the making of tools in the mountains of Fujian has been going on, and he has no way to go there. He can only give out method drawings and material names, and everything can only be explored by Huang Jue.
Although it is just some weapons and armor, it still costs money like water. Fortunately, there is less waste of things like iron and can be reused, so that I can persevere.
But the drawing method given by Zhao Tong is different from the standard equipment produced by the Song Dynasty Ordnance Supervisor, and is even more complicated than the Imperial Ordnance Institute, which is known for its fine products.
Therefore, the progress is extremely slow. Fortunately, there are many mountains in Fujian. As long as we follow the steps, it is just a process of accumulation of quantity and time.
After he became an official in the dynasty, he had some relief in terms of money. He could maintain it in Fujian, but Longyou wanted money. Naturally, Longyou did not have the convenience of being close to the sea and could not make utensils, but Longyou did. It's about raising horses and troops.
It is also a money-burning business, and Longyou is not like Fujian. He cannot completely make the decision. After all, there is Xihelu watching from the side. Liu Suiyun has to be careful if he wants to do something that is hidden from the sky. Racecourses and the like are not the same. It's easy to say, but it's even more difficult to gather troops.
Longyou is no better than Fujian. After Fujian raised its soldiers, they all threw them into the sea to become pirates.
On Longyou's side, food, weapons, and shelter were all restricted, but it was a place with strategic depth that could be used as a base, and it was impossible for Zhao Tong to give up.
If you have money, you can always buy food by going around the Western Regions several times. You can also go deep into the place where the cooked food is, and find a way to build a residence. The only thing is weapons, which are really difficult to get in Longyou.
Without the favorable location and people, it would be impossible to build it. Even if the crafts made in Fujian reached a large scale, they would not be able to be transported to Longyou. The mountains are high and the rivers are far away. Even if there is an inspection in Luzhou, it is impossible.
If you want to develop your own armed force in Longyou, weapons are the biggest constraint.
The Longyou Protectorate has a quota fixed by the imperial court every year, but those are far from enough. After all, the palace soldiers themselves have to use them. Even if Liu Suiyun makes accounts every time, he can't make too many. Weapons are useless without fighting. As for consumables, there are many of them produced. Once the Western Army checks the inventory, the secret will be exposed immediately.
Zhao Tong thought about it and had no other choice. He would probably have to rob it, or buy it slowly and without leaving any trace from the Xixia Uighurs. In the end, he would still need money.
The one million taels of silver shipped to Fuzhou this time was originally intended by Zhao Yu to be given to Long You. After all, Fuzhou had given a lot of money before, and there were ways to bring in money. It could still be maintained at the moment, but Long You was just eating. Pai Xie who does not vomit.
But this time there was too much money, and there was no way to send the 9th and 10th commanders that far, so they gave up and temporarily shipped them all to Fujian to be sealed in the mountains.
At the same time, Zhao Tong also brought a secret letter to Huang Jue, which was naturally about the previous plan to annihilate the Pu family in Guangzhou.
This Pu family is not of Han origin. They were originally seafarers from Dashi. Over the past few hundred years, they have become half merchants and half thieves, spanning black and white, traveling across the seven seas, and accumulating countless gold and silver. They have become the largest force in the East and South China Seas.
Originally, Zhao Tong wanted to let it go for a few years, but seeing that the Pu family had begun to get involved in Quanzhou, he couldn't help but think of what happened in later generations. The Pu family knelt down and surrendered to the Meng Yuan Dynasty, killing the old master, massacring the civilians, and almost turning Quanzhou into a bloody and empty city. The Quanzhou clan and innocent people suffered tens of thousands of casualties.
Eat Han's grain, enjoy Han's wealth, gain Han's favor, and use it conveniently, but it will turn around and bite you viciously, and the wolf of wealth has not caught up with its poison.
Therefore, Zhao Tong did not want to wait any longer and it was imperative to destroy the Pu family without waiting for Zhu Chongba in later generations to do it.
Moreover, after destroying the Pu family, Wan Guan's wealth, merchants and boat shops, and running the business in the southeast, he no longer has to worry about money and food, he only needs to run Longyou with his heart.
The depth of Longyou is the best strategic rear. Using the money and material resources from the southeast to strengthen troops and horses from the northwest, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses, and developing on two fronts, this is the strategic approach that Zhao Yu has been thinking about since he was a child.
He was playing with the pearl in his hand and kept thinking in his mind that the destruction of the Pu family would probably have to wait until Fang La was in trouble. At that time, the situation was the most chaotic and the least noticeable. He asked Huang Jue in a secret letter to be prepared at all times. As long as the two If Zhejiang is in chaos, take action immediately!
At this time, Huang Gu came back from outside, looked at Zhao Tong and said, "Sir, Jiang You was taken away by the Zong Supervisory Army. I don't know if he will come back tomorrow."
Zhao Tong smiled and said: "Come as you want, I won't see him easily anyway. By the way, go tell Zong Ze and ask him to scare Jiang You. Just say that the thieves in the city have not been completely eliminated yet, and there is no chance that they will wait for an opportunity to retaliate. Let him He rarely goes out day and night."
Huang Gu said: "Master, what should I do if he doesn't believe it? I think this man is a thoughtful person. He even still remembers the time when I knocked over his inkstone when I was a child."
Zhao Tong said: "If you are not thoughtful, how can you do this kind of job? He doesn't believe it is easy to handle. You go to his residence at night, deliberately mistaking him for me, shouting and killing to save Wang Qing, and cut off a lock of his hair." return."
Huang Gu smiled and said: "Young master, this plan is very clever. I will do it now."
(End of chapter)
