Regarding what happened today, Li Hao didn't plan to tell anyone. It wasn't that he didn't trust it, but it was too involved. The more people who knew about it, the greater the possibility of leaks.
Zhao Zhen couldn't keep things a secret, but if something went wrong on his side, Li Hao would really cry to death.
After restoring everything here to its original state, Li Hao left seemingly without incident.
However, no matter how hard Li Hao pretended, there was still a big stone hidden deep in his heart, although the people from the Salt and Iron Division did not see it.
But it couldn't be hidden from those who were familiar with Li Hao, especially as Li Hao's pillow, Zhang Guifen basically saw it right away.
So at night, Zhang Guifen said on the bed: "Since you came back from the palace yesterday, I felt that you were hiding something on your mind.
I didn't plan to ask at first, but now it seems that this matter is very troublesome for you. So would you like to tell me, maybe I can share your worries? "
Hearing Zhang Guifen's words, Li Hao was a little hesitant. Of course, Li Hao was mainly worried because this matter would only make Zhang Guifen more troubled.
Seeing Li Hao's hesitant expression, Zhang Guifen immediately understood that this matter seemed to be very difficult.
After all, Li Hao's private life was very strict. As long as he was in Bianjing, he would either stay in the military camp or go home to live.
And apart from this, there was no other personal matter that could make him so embarrassed. He didn't know whether he should talk about it or not.
But if it's not a private matter, then it can only be worried about official matters, and besides, this happened after returning from the palace.
That must be related to the palace. It coincides with this critical period, so Zhang Guifen will inevitably think more about it.
However, Zhang Guifen also understood her position and her own advantages, so she said: "I just want to help my husband share his worries. If speaking out about this matter will embarrass my husband, there is no need to tell me.
But I want your husband to understand that you and I are one and the same, both prosperous and deprived. So if your husband needs help from the British government, I can talk to my father and mother. "
Li Hao was quite touched when he heard the words of husband and wife.
Yes, if this matter is really implicated, he will not be the only one who is unlucky. Zhang Guifen will definitely not be able to escape the involvement.
Since she needs to bear the consequences, she should also be given the right to know, so that she can be mentally prepared.
And Li Hao really needs a helper who can give Li Hao off-site support when emergencies occur.
So Li Hao told Zhang Guifen everything that happened in the palace that day.
Then Zhang Guifen was shocked. Unexpectedly, the official family had already made up their mind to let Zhao Zongquan take over.
I didn't even expect that Li Hao would be awarded a military talisman by the officials to complete the last guarantee.
After regaining consciousness, Zhang Guifen immediately said: "Then the officials are telling you to be wary of Empress Cao. Do the officials think that Empress Cao is really capable of disobedience?"
To be honest, Li Hao really didn't understand how Zhang Guifen's entry point could be this.
At this time, shouldn't you be most concerned about your family's wealth and life? Why would you focus on the issue of trust between Zhao Zhen and Empress Cao?
So Li Hao asked: "Aren't you worried that we will be in jail one day because of this matter?"
But seeing Zhang Guifen, she must say: "Because I believe in my husband, you will definitely protect our mother and son, and you will be able to protect the family.
If that's the case, then what do I have to worry about. "
Li Hao was so moved by Zhang Guifen's infinite trust that he directly opened his arms and hugged her tightly.
It wasn't until Zhang Guifen cried out in pain that Li Hao realized that he might have used too much strength and quickly let go.
Just listen to Zhang Guifen complain: "Husband, why are you working so hard? It hurts me."
Li Hao apologized quickly, and then Zhang Guifen continued the previous question and said: "You said that the officials and the empress have been married for so many years, why are the officials not willing to talk to the empress about everything?
I think the Queen should be able to understand the difficulties of the officials, why the husband and wife are so suspicious of each other. "
In this regard, Li Hao said: "Everyone is different. You may be able to face the same things with an open mind, but others may not be able to.
Perhaps it was because of this understanding that the official and the empress had been husband and wife for thirty years.
They knew that this conversation might not get the desired result, and would instead wear away the last remaining bond between husband and wife, so the officials were reluctant to go.
After all, even a foreign minister like me can vaguely understand the official's intentions, and the empress, who is my bed partner, naturally knows better.
But she still chose to support Zhao Zonghan, going against the official's intention. "
But Zhang Guifen obviously didn't buy Li Hao's view on Zhao Zhen's side, and directly retorted: "But you also said that all this is just the official's idea.
The official family has never told anyone about it before, so it is normal for the Queen to have her own ideas.
Now all this is what the officials think. Why are they not willing to be honest with the Queen? Maybe the Queen will respect the decision of the officials. "
Regarding the angle proposed by Zhang Guifen, Li Hao had never considered it before.
Perhaps it was deeply influenced by the TV series. In Li Hao's view, Queen Cao was particularly affected by emotions and had the courage to launch a mutiny.
Therefore, after Queen Cao's actions, Li Hao logically believed that she was paving the way for future events, and never considered that the disaster could be eliminated from this aspect.
But even if she thought of it, who could persuade Queen Cao? The British princess might have been a good candidate.
But now that she is implicated, I am afraid that even if this is right, Queen Cao may not be able to listen to it.
Besides the British princess, the only one Li Hao could think of was Princess Pingning.
But for some unknown reason, his family has now turned to Empress Cao, becoming Zhao Zonghan's greatest help in the outer court.
Since it is something that cannot be accomplished, it doesn't matter whether you think about it or not. Thinking of this, Li Hao suddenly felt much better.
Li Hao didn't talk much about this issue. After all, if we continue talking, it would have no impact on the outcome.
Next, Li Hao talked about more practical things. Now that Zhang Guifen knew what happened, she could be used as a back-up.
When Li Hao was unable to return home, he helped Li Hao deliver military symbols to those in need.
But Zhang Guifen seemed to be very interested in this kind of emotional issue. After Li Hao finished talking about the business, she pestered Li Hao to talk about gossip.
This conversation reached the third watch, and the two of them fell asleep after being extremely sleepy.
The next day came after yesterday's emotional catharsis, especially after a difficult discussion with Zhang Guifen.
It did seem to make Li Hao feel more relaxed. At least in Zhang Guifen's opinion, it didn't look like he was hiding something in his heart.
In the days that followed, Li Hao still followed his usual habits and did not show any strange behavior.
The situation in the DPRK and China has also stabilized on the surface along with Zhao Zhen's body.
Of course, only those involved know how turbulent things are beneath this calm surface.
In addition, there has been some progress regarding matters in Shu. After approval by the Privy Council, the imperial troops that Li Hao brought with him can officially return to Beijing. At this time, the people who are going to summons are already on their way.
When they return to the capital, Li Hao will have more chips in his hands, which is also a good thing for Li Hao.
In addition, the news that Li Hao sent to the northwest to the British Duke has now received a reply.
But the strange thing is that in his reply, the British minister did not specifically answer Li Hao's inquiry, but only gave some introduction to the situation in the northwest.
This made Li Hao strange. He couldn't understand what his father-in-law was thinking.
Even with a skeptical attitude, Li Hao took this letter to Zhang Guifen and wanted him to see if it was the British Duke's handwriting.
As a result, Zhang Guifen confirmed that there was no problem. The letter was indeed written by the British father-in-law. Moreover, Zhang Guifen also tried to see if he could find a code word in the letter based on his father's habits, but ultimately failed.
However, since it was confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the letter, Li Hao could only think that there might be some reasons that prevented him from speaking out in the letter.
As for whether he should worry about something happening to the British public, Li Hao really didn't think so.
After all, with the British Duke's reputation in the military, Li Hao didn't think anyone could quietly capture him in the military unless he wanted to.
Although there is no need to worry about his safety, this also means that the British father may not be able to return to Beijing in a short period of time.
Since he can't benefit from his help, Li Hao has to prepare his trump card on his own.
So that day, Li Hao went directly to the Weiyuan South Workshop, intending to see how the development of cannons and new gunpowder were going.
Facts have proved that the craftsmen of the Song Dynasty were still very skilled, although there was not much progress in gunpowder research and development due to lack of theoretical support.
But in terms of artillery research and development, the progress still surprised Li Hao.
At Li Hao's request, the craftsmen used the integrated pouring method to make a cannon mold embryo from the soil, and then poured copper water into it. After cooling, the metal tube could be taken out.
After that, copper hoops were used on both ends of the medicine chamber to fix them, and the first batch of artillery pieces were made.
Of course, although with the support of Li Hao, we were able to conduct a large-scale trial this time, the probability of success was very low.
At the same time, the gun barrels were made of copper and iron respectively. During the first test, the relatively cheap iron pipes were all scrapped.
The situation on the copper pipe side is not much better. Overall, the yield rate is less than 10%, but even for those that are successful, the number of times they can actually fire is only a handful.
Fortunately, Li Hao had set the test specifications at the beginning of the research and development, otherwise the damage caused by the explosion alone would have been enough for this batch of craftsmen to change.
In addition, in terms of power alone, this artillery may not be stronger than the Eight Ox Crossbow.
As for the accuracy, it can be said that the two are almost evenly matched. The specific landing point after launch can really only be determined by God's will.
So if it weren't for Li Hao's special instructions and extra money.
In addition, the judge in charge of the Stomach Court was severely punished by Li Hao, so he still had some respect for Li Hao, otherwise this matter would have been cut off long ago.
Of course, this is also because many people do not have a correct understanding of the power of artillery, and it is also due to their instinctive resistance to new things.
Otherwise, they should be able to find that there is a significant difference in the difficulty of manufacturing between the two. Only the top craftsmen can complete the Eight Ox Crossbow, and the cycle is often calculated in years.
After all, to make such a powerful crossbow, things like crossbow strings need to be made more than a year in advance.
But artillery is different. Clay models can be made quickly, and the technical requirements are not high. As long as the technology can be further improved and the production cost can be reduced, it can be produced in large quantities.
As for the accuracy issue, Li Hao also had his own way, which was to rifling the cannon. Of course, Li Hao also knew that this was indeed difficult.
But there is always hope for change, unlike the Eight Ox Crossbow, which has been completely finalized and has basically no room for improvement.
Of course, Li Hao has no plans to tell others about these things for the time being, but plans to use artillery as his secret weapon first.
After all, the Eight Ox Crossbow, as a strategic weapon, was extremely strictly guarded, and even Li Hao would not be able to get it down privately.
So Li Hao had the idea of looking for a substitute before the power of the artillery was confirmed and the imperial court issued no decree.
Li Hao had a gap period to independently decide the direction of the artillery flow.
But now that the artillery is about to be officially tested, the movement will naturally be louder, in order not to attract other people's attention.
After some thinking, Li Hao sent someone to move the experimental base to Zhengzhou on Gyeonggi Road.
It is not easy for others to discover the experiments being carried out there, and it is not far from Kaifeng Mansion. If there is a problem, Li Hao can dispatch people over in time.
Of course, although Li Hao attaches great importance to this, he has not really transferred all the people involved in artillery research and development. After all, so much money has been invested in it, and now Li Hao's actions and behavior are attracting attention.
If there is no result, firstly, it will be impossible to communicate, and secondly, it will make people worry about whether Li Hao is doing something secretly.
So Li Hao regarded the previous research and development of the musket as a result and registered it.
And just as Li Hao thought, after reporting the sudden musket, and quickly with the approval of the Privy Council, the Guards Infantry Division sent someone.
The burst gun was used for actual combat exercises, but of course the final result was not impressive.
It is undeniable that after Li Hao's guidance, the power of this sudden musket is much more powerful than the historical sudden musket in the Southern Song Dynasty.
Especially when made of iron pipes, they are far more reliable and more durable than those made of bamboo.
However, the relatively slow reloading speed, unreliable accuracy, and problems with gunpowder storage made this weapon not taken seriously by them.
So when they saw the abandoned artillery deliberately placed by Li Hao later, they just thought it was an enlarged version of the sudden fire gun and didn't pay attention.
And this is exactly what Li Hao wants to achieve, to allow the artillery to show up openly without attracting the attention of others.
After this, when Li Hao really needs to use artillery, if someone says that Li Hao is up to no good.
Then Li Hao also had a suitable excuse. After all, Li Hao had already reported this and let others look at it.
As a result, they couldn't see how powerful this thing was, so they couldn't blame Li Hao.
As a severe patient with fire phobia in his previous life, although these cannons were not perfect yet, they gave Li Hao a lot of confidence.
