As the last morning court meeting near New Year's Eve, Li Shimin was surprised to see Zhao Chen standing at the end of the crowd of officials.
There was no going to court seven days before the New Year's Eve of the Tang Dynasty and before the seventh day of the first lunar month.
Today is the last morning court meeting in the ninth year of Zhenguan.
The arrival of Zhao Chen, who had not appeared for a long time, really surprised Li Shimin.
The last morning meeting was actually nothing major.
It was nothing more than the ministers wishing the emperor a happy new year in advance, and the emperor saying some polite words for the hard work of the ministers.
After talking for a while, the emperor announced his withdrawal from the court and everyone went back to their homes.
Then I saw Zhao Chen running up from behind, looking like he was a little anxious.
"Marquis of Zhao County, I would like to congratulate you in advance. On your wedding day, I will go get you a wedding drink!" Wei Zheng said with a smile and cupped hands with Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen cupped his hand as a return gift.
Just as he was about to talk to the emperor, he saw Fang Xuanling coming over and said to him: "Marquis Zhao, as the New Year is approaching, if it is not a big deal, it is better not to trouble Your Majesty and let Your Majesty have a peaceful New Year."
"It's not bad news. Zhao Chen has something he wants to ask His Majesty to agree to." Zhao Chen and Fang Xuanling cupped their hands and said.
Zhao Chen said this, which made all the ministers even more curious.
What could Zhao Chen do at this time that the emperor would agree to?
Shouldn't he wait quietly to become Li Jing's son-in-law?
What kind of trouble is this?
Li Shimin was also puzzled, secretly thinking that this boy was not at home waiting to be his uncle, so why did he come to find him at this time?
"Zhao Chen, what do you want from me?" Li Shimin said slowly.
Now that he is mature, he definitely does not dare to agree to Zhao Chen.
No matter what, you need to know what Zhao Chen is doing.
"Your Majesty, I want to build another Gewu Department to be responsible for the technological improvement of the Tang Dynasty." Zhao Chen and Li Shimin said.
He had already taken out a note in his hand, which he had written all night long.
Zhao Chen swore that this was the most serious time he had ever taken.
"Gewusi? I have never heard of such a place!" Fang Xuanling shook his head, expressing confusion.
"Zhao Chen, you said that this Gewu Division is for technical improvement, why have we never heard of it?" Changsun Wuji frowned.
This big guy can go home for vacation soon, but Zhao Chen wants to do something at this time.
He was always a little annoyed in his heart.
"May I ask Lord Pushe, have you ever heard of horseshoes before?" Zhao Chen asked.
Changsun Wuji looked embarrassed and did not dare to talk.
If Li Jing hadn't mentioned horseshoes, they wouldn't have known about it until now!
"Or, ministers, who knows that the poisonous salt in those salt mines can also produce edible salt that is comparable to green salt?"
"Who among you has seen the curved shaft plow and barrel cart before?"
"Who knew about the Eagle Claw Flying Crossbow beforehand?" Zhao Chen asked continuously, and there was a burst of silence in the Tai Chi Hall.
They had never seen these things before.
If they had known it, they would have applied it long ago.
How could you wait so long?
But the Quyuan plow and barrel cart that Zhao Chen just mentioned...
"Your Majesty, didn't you say before that this curved shaft plow and barrel cart were developed by a foreign expert? Why did the Marquis of Zhaoxian County just now say that they were..." Changsun Wuji looked at the emperor and asked.
But it was already clear in my heart.
"Well... I feel that Zhao Chen's young age and great reputation are not good for his growth, so..."
"Actually, the curved plows and barrel carts we saw that day were all made by the Marquis of Zhao County!"
"I have always thought that he is truly a master of the world. No wonder His Majesty has always looked down upon the Marquis of Zhao County!"
"I really didn't expect that he would be the Marquis of Zhao County!"
"It's true that people should not be judged by their appearance. I always thought that the Marquis of Zhao County was capable enough, but this... it seems that I am still watching the sky from a well!"
After receiving the emperor's affirmative answer, the officials were noisy.
Everyone's eyes fell on Zhao Chen.
None of them would have thought that the magical things in their eyes were all made by Zhao Chen.
This... is simply too terrifying!
"Your Majesty, the Gewu Department is related to the Tang Dynasty. If a group of hard-working people can join the Gewu Department, it will definitely promote the development of the Tang Dynasty society."
"In the future, we may be able to build iron wheels that can run faster than horses, iron birds that can fly higher than birds, and iron ships that can swim farther than fish."
"Your Majesty, you don't want to take a look. What kind of spectacular scene exists on the other side of the distant sea?" Zhao Chen said slowly.
The officials in Tai Chi Palace seemed to be trapped in the picture painted by Zhao Chen.
Everyone's face showed a look of yearning.
Even the emperor himself had a look of longing on his face at this moment.
Obviously, he is also imagining the picture described by Zhao Chen!
"Zhao Chen, are you telling the truth?" Li Shimin said in a deep voice.
The other officials also looked at Zhao Chen.
They have seen enough of Zhao Chen's skills in salt making, horseshoes, and even the curved shaft plow and barrel cart before.
It was as if what Zhao Chen said just now really appeared in front of their eyes.
However, some people expressed opposition.
Wei Zheng is a pragmatic guy who seems to have no imagination by nature.
And he is very stubborn.
No, he is facing Zhao Chen again.
"Marquis Zhaoxian, could what you just said just be imagined by you?"
"Is there an iron box in this world that can run faster than a horse?"
"How can there be an iron lump that can fly higher than a bird?"
"Is there any iron boat that can swim farther than fish?"
"Why have we never heard of it?" Wei Zheng glared at Zhao Chen and accused him without any politeness at all.
Wei Zheng felt that if Zhao Chen did this, wouldn't he completely empty out the Tang treasury?
How amazing is this.
With this kind of money, I might as well do more practical things.
Zhao Chen's description is so beautiful that it makes people feel extremely unreal.
"Well, Doctor Wei has never seen something, so he claims it doesn't exist?"
"Dr. Wei, does he know the origin of sitting in a well and looking at the sky?" Zhao Chen said with a faint smile.
Wei Zheng, this guy, has a very straightforward temper.
I haven't treated him badly at all. Before, I thought about asking him to help me fight against Lao Litou, but now it's good that he's fighting against me.
However, Zhao Chen does not have the calm temper of Old Li Tou.
"You said I sit in a well and look at the sky?" Wei Zheng was very angry now.
He, Wei Zheng, is truly a well-educated person. In this autumn examination, he is also the upright deputy examiner.
Why did he become a toad sitting in a well looking at the sky when it came to Zhao Chen's mouth?
This is simply unreasonable.
Wei Zheng planned to have a good break with Zhao Chen.
"Am I wrong? Did Dr. Wei think that this salt mine cannot produce salt?"
"Dr. Wei, have you ever thought that one day, this war horse can also wear shoes?"
"Since I have never thought about it, why did Dr. Wei assert that in the future there will be no iron blocks that are faster than war horses, higher than flying birds, and deeper than swimming fish?" Zhao Chen just said lightly, without any expression of contempt on his face.
People in this era have not experienced those things, so their thoughts cannot be the same as their own.