Zhao Kuo originally wanted to improve the iron smelting technology, but gave up after looking around.
Iron smelting is different from bending plows and stirrups. Even if Zhao Kuo doesn't know how to make bending plows and stirrups, he only needs to take a look at the finished product and find a skilled craftsman to make them with a little exploration.
But iron smelting is different. If you don't understand it, you don't understand it. Even if you read it ten times or a hundred times, it's the same. Moreover, Zhao State's iron smelting technology is already very developed, which is more due to the limitations of the times.
Therefore, the only thing Zhao Kuo can do is encourage everyone to research and reward production inventions.
It was already late in the evening when Zhao Kuo returned to the palace, and his younger sisters Zhao Tong and Wei were chatting with their mother about home affairs.
The Wei family was born in a small family in the Zhao Kingdom. Not long after she was elected to the palace, the Queen Mother Zhao had already passed away. In addition, her husband also liked men, so she spent most of her time alone in the harem. This resulted in her current timid and weak character.
She sat opposite Yan, looking down at her feet, with her hands spread flat on her legs, very reserved. She almost answered everything Yan said, but Zhao Tong cleverly relieved the embarrassment.
Zhao Mu hasn't come back yet. He has been dealing with the affairs of the Chamber of Commerce recently and is working very hard. He comes back almost later than Zhao Kuo every day.
It is said that he now has his own caravan and is negotiating with Zhao Guo's wealthy businessmen Guo Zong and Zhuo Su, preparing to tie the two of them to his chariot.
Different from Bai Yan and Duanmu Ying, Guo Zong and Zhuo Su mainly smelted iron. Historical records record that Guo Zong "made his fortune in casting and smelting in Handan, and became as rich as the king."
This is a truly extremely wealthy country.
Zhuo Su was the ancestor of the Zhuo family of Bashu later, who was also the ancestor of Zhuo Wenjun. It is recorded in the history books that "the ancestor of the Zhuo family of Shu was a Zhao people who used iron to smelt wealth. Qin defeated Zhao and moved the Zhuo family to Shu."
But now Zhuo Su is still in the State of Zhao and is one of the most wealthy businessmen in the State of Zhao, as famous as Guo Zong.
"Are your parents still living at home? Do you have any relatives or friends?" Ms. Yan asked softly, for fear of scaring her daughter-in-law.
"Queen Mother, my parents are here, and I have a young brother." Wei replied in a low voice.
"Sister-in-law, you don't have to be afraid, mother is very gentle." Zhao Tong said with a smile.
"Yeah." Wei nodded slightly, as before.
"I'll find someone to make arrangements tomorrow to bring your family over, and we'll have a meal together," said Yan.
"Ah? Thank you, Queen Mother." Mrs. Wei looked at Mrs. Yan in surprise and quickly stood up to salute.
She knew that since Mrs. Yan said this, she accepted her. Being able to take her parents over and have a meal together would give her a status.
Even though it was only a small title, she was satisfied.
As for the matchmaker marrying and becoming a queen, she had never thought about it.
"Don't worry, mother, I will make arrangements." Zhao Kuo happened to walk in and heard this.
He had indeed ignored this before. He just wanted to keep the Wei family, but he forgot to give her a name and ignored the Wei family's feelings. Fortunately, his mother brought it up.
"I also sent someone to pick up Qinghe's mother. Let's go together then." Yan said without any doubt.
As a mother, she naturally hopes to have as many daughters-in-law as possible, and as many grandchildren as possible in the future. She can do nothing now.
Qing He glanced at Zhao Kuo and immediately lowered his head shyly. She was Zhao Kuo's personal maid, and according to the rules, she was originally meant to be Zhao Kuo's concubine.
If Zhao She had not died, Zhao Kuo would have had to observe mourning for three years. Just after the mourning was over, he would have to go to the battlefield to participate in the Battle of Changping. Qing He would have been included as a concubine long ago.
Although men were crowned when they were twenty, which marked their adulthood and could marry a wife, concubinage was never included in this list.
"promise."
In this regard, Zhao Kuo could only say that since he couldn't resist, just enjoy it.
"Besides, you and Mu'er are both grown up now, and it's time to get married. If you, the eldest, delay in getting married, what will Mu'er do? Tong'er is still waiting to get married." Yan said with a somewhat complaining tone.
Seeing that one of her two sons has become the monarch of Zhao and the other is busy with his own career, Mrs. Yan is very happy, but at the same time she is a little worried.
"Mother, my daughter wants to stay with you for a few more years." Upon hearing this, Zhao Tong suddenly hid in Yan's arms and started acting coquettishly.
"You, you." Yan stroked Zhao Tong's little head lovingly.
Next to him, Mr. Wei looked at him with envy.
"Mother, did Uncle Zhao Sheng say anything to you these days?" Zhao Kuo said somewhat suspiciously.
His mother had never urged him to marry a wife before, so why did she suddenly talk about it today.
"He said that the country can be stable only if the king has a queen, so let me advise you to establish a queen as soon as possible." Mrs. Yan nodded. "I think what he said makes sense. It's really time for you to establish a queen."
When Zhao Kuo heard this, he was so angry that he wanted to rush to Zhao Sheng's mansion and hammer Zhao Sheng to death.
Damn it! No wonder Zhao Sheng has been asking himself in a roundabout way these days if he likes men. If he doesn't like men, why hasn't he established a queen yet?
He also said that it is not shameful to like men, but as a monarch, you must first consider the country. It is important to establish a queen first and give birth to a prince. You can do whatever you want in the future.
He thought everyone was just that old glass king of Wei!
"The place in Shangdang is nice, but I am very poor. I heard that Feng Ting is now leading the people to cultivate fields, dig wells, and build houses every day. He is so busy that his feet do not touch the ground. His cultivation in the Gangyuan realm is almost exhausted. It's time to transfer Zhao Sheng over to help." Zhao Kuo thought in his mind.
You can persuade me to get a wife, you can persuade me to make a queen, but you accuse me of being gay every day, and I can't bear it no matter how generous I am!
"Mother, the State of Zhao has not settled down yet. Qin, Qi, Yan, Han, Wei, and Chu may attack our State of Zhao at any time. After a while, after the State of Zhao settles down, I will definitely get married as soon as possible." Zhao Kuo promised.
After receiving her son's assurance, Yan's attitude softened and she waved Zhao Kuo over to sit down. The family chatted happily.
After nearly half an hour, Zhao Mu finally rushed back.
"Brother, I met Guo Zong and Zhuo Su today." Zhao Mu said excitedly.
"How is it?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"Brother, what do you think... how about we, like the Qin State, take the profits of salt and iron as national property?" Zhao Mu did not answer Zhao Kuo's words directly, but asked rhetorically.
"Is it really so terrifying?" Zhao Kuo put down Kuaizi and asked solemnly.
"Wealth can rival a country." Zhao Mu nodded solemnly.
"This... let's talk about it later." Zhao Kuo frowned.
He knew that the salt and iron industry was extremely profitable, otherwise all the empires over the next two thousand years would not have nationalized it.
But the problem is that this thing does not mean that you can take it as state-owned if you want. Depriving people of their money is like killing your parents! Zhao Kuo dared to nationalize salt and iron, and those merchants and craftsmen who relied on salt and iron for survival dared to fight Zhao Kuo.
Now Zhao State cannot withstand major turmoil.
After dinner, the two brothers Zhao Kuo chatted for a while. After it was completely dark, Zhao Kuo returned to the palace. He wanted to go to Wei's room, but was stopped by the maid at the door and took Zhao Kuo to another room. .
Seeing Qing He sitting on the bed with his face flushed with embarrassment, Zhao Kuo understood instantly.
The two kissed, hugged, and rolled until dawn... (9999 words have been deleted here).
