Although Zhao Zhen said that after getting in touch with Lu Yao after time traveling, in the eyes of others, he seemed to have become a complete money addict. Of course, others only talked about it behind the scenes, who dared to mention it in person?
That's really what my brain doesn't want.
The reason why Zhao Zhen had this idea was mainly because Lu Yao's lottery business brought huge wealth to his treasury, and mainly because his personal pockets brought huge wealth. Later, he disliked Bao Zheng for selling land at a high price.
One word.
After all, Zhao Zhen is one of the few people who completely knows how much money Lu Yao makes.
However, apart from the fact that Zhao Zhen was obsessed with money, Zhao Zhen in ordinary days was still a relatively wise monarch and a rare good monarch in the Northern Song Dynasty. However, since Lu Yao traveled here, he has no understanding of these historical facts.
The impressions of the characters in it have basically been subverted. For the simplest example, who would have thought that Gongsun Ce would be a stutterer.
Going back to the present, apart from lottery and other profitable businesses, Zhao Zhen still has a way of handling various trivial matters in the government. Moreover, he is particularly good at balancing the relationship between the ministers in the court. Take Cao Yi for example.
Everyone called him Cao Guojiu, and Zhao Zhen also learned that there were indeed some officials who wanted to gain promotion in the officialdom by currying favor with Cao Guojiu.
On one side were the uncles and on the other were the treacherous ministers, but these people did not take any substantive actions that would allow Zhao Zhen to punish them, and a single move in the court could affect the whole body. So in the end, Zhao Zhen
One method was adopted, that is, to make Cao Guojiu's position vacant, it became a false position. In this way, even if those people wanted to curry favor with Cao Yi, it would be of no benefit to themselves. As for Cao Yi himself
, even though he had been promoted, he could not complain. This was the political skill of ancient emperors.
In addition, because of Lu Yao's marriage, the Cao family and the Han family were at loggerheads, but Zhao Zhen was able to balance the relationship between the two families very skillfully, which is a reflection of his ability.
Zhao Zhen also has a major characteristic, that is, he loves the people and cares about the people. Although Zhao Zhen agreed to Lu Yao to host this Cuju competition and hosted it as a royal sponsor, the main reason was because of the football lottery that could bring huge profits.
However, after listening to Lu Yao's remarks at that time, Zhao Zhen really felt that this new type of Cuju could really improve the physical fitness of all people. This could effectively solve the current situation of the court where the civil servants were strong but the military was weak.
It increased the military strength of the Song Dynasty in disguise.
However, although Zhao Zhen left all competition matters to Lu Yao and those three people, he was still concerned about the development of the situation. Take this team selection as an example, Zhao Zhen sent people all the time.
Paying attention to the movements of every participating team. Because of this, when he learned that Han Yonghe and Wang Da could not find an opponent for the Royal Cuju Team, Zhao Zhen sent someone to urge them. Naturally, he knew in his heart that the Royal Cuju Team's opponent
It was not easy to find an opponent, but he definitely didn't want the people to see that the Royal Cuju team got a bye in the first round because they couldn't find an opponent.
After all, Zhao Zhen is still an emperor who cares very much about how the public evaluates him, and he is also an emperor who pays great attention to his own image. He clearly realizes that the key to the success of this Cuju competition is not the eight teams, nor the
It’s not about the fancy referees, commentators, or the excitement of the game, it’s about the people.
On the one hand, it depends on the people's enthusiasm for football lottery. On the other hand, through this competition, more people can participate in the new type of Cuju and really gain something through this competition. This is the most important thing.
important.
Therefore, Zhao Zhen felt that there should be such a team composed of ordinary people among the eight teams. However, it seemed that whether it was the Pan family, the Han family or the Cao family, they all chose business partners in the end.
, or they are friends in the officialdom, which makes Zhao Zhen feel a little disappointed.
However, news came at noon today that the team members Cao Yi had recruited were all people from the inner city. Zhao Zhen was naturally very happy.
Now, Lu Yao came to report and said that the Han family had also found a team composed of common people. This made Zhao Zhen overjoyed. You must know that this common people team led by Chen Chen won the first round of the new Cuju competition.
The opponent in the competition is none other than his own Royal Cuju team.
Isn't this just an opportunity to draw closer to the people and let them know that as an emperor, he is still very diligent and caring for the people?
Although on the surface, it was Han Yonghe and Han Wenyuan who reported to him, and it is true that the team was nominally found by them. But Zhao Zhen is such a smart person, just from the few words of the conversation just now and the presence of
From the expressions of several people, Zhao Zhen already knew that the Han family and his son must have been helpless. Finally, they found the future son-in-law of the Han family, Lu Yao, and came up with this method to solve the problem.
Zhao Zhen paid more and more attention to Lu Yao. He had already thought about giving him an important position after Lu Yao's imperial examination and asked him to make suggestions for himself.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? Why don't you move your chopsticks?"
Lu Yao's voice came, and Zhao Zhen came back to his senses. He had been thinking too much just now and was so stunned that he almost forgot that Lu Yao had another task today, which was to cook for himself.
Zhao Zhen nodded, and then his eyes focused on the Dongpo meat that was served.
"Isn't this piece of meat a little fatty? I rarely eat fatty meat."
Zhao Zhen said while watching. Although he didn't particularly hate fat meat, Zhao Zhen was still a little reluctant to eat several pieces and treat it as the main course.
But on the other side, without Lu Yao opening his mouth, Han Yonghe, who had already tasted the taste of Dongpo Pork, said: "Your Majesty, this dish is called Dongpo Pork. It was made by Mr. Lu as a gift to Mr. Su Dongpo and Su Shi. This fat meat is not fat but delicious."
It’s greasy and very delicious.”
Zhao Zhen looked displeased and glanced at Lu Yao. Lu Yao smiled bitterly to express his helplessness. Zhao Zhen's expression clearly told Lu Yao that he was not the first person to eat this dish.
But then I thought about it. Someone has already tasted it for me. If it’s not bad, I might as well try it myself.
So, Zhao Zhen picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
Han Yonghe and Han Wenyuan breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, they were already a little hungry.
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I have no choice but to eat with the emperor. The emperor doesn’t move his chopsticks. Who dares to take the first bite?
The chopsticks started moving and then couldn't stop.
Zhao Zhen truly felt that this was the most delicious fatty meat he had ever eaten.
Then, naturally, there was another storm.
Several people devoured their food, and Han Yonghe and Han Wenyuan no longer cared about showing off their appearance in front of Zhao Zhen, and all ate like crazy.
Lu Yao originally wanted to talk to Zhao Zhen while eating, but Zhao Zhen had no time to talk to him, so Lu Yao just sat there, waiting for the three of them to finish eating before making plans.
Although Zhao Zhen ate quickly, he still saw Lu Yao's expression from the corner of his eye. He seemed to have something to say, and he clearly didn't want the Han family and his son to hear what he said.
So, Zhao Zhen accelerated, and after finishing his meal, he said to Han Yonghe: "Choose the last team this time. The people you picked are very good. I am very satisfied. You will bring your team with you tomorrow."
Come to training."
Han Yonghe nodded solemnly, and Zhao Zhen then said that he and Han Wenyuan should leave first if nothing happened.
Han Wenyuan glanced at Lu Yao, and Zhao Zhen added that he and Lu Yao still had something to discuss, so Han Wenyuan and Han Yonghe left the palace.
Seeing the two people walking away, Zhao Zhen turned to Lu Yao and said, "They're gone. Just say what you want."
Lu Yao smiled and said: "Your Majesty is wise, let me tell you about today's situation first."
Then, Lu Yao told Zhao Zhen about his inspection of the Cao family today and his search for the last team. The difference was that Lu Yao credited Han Wen with his suggestion of going out to the outer city to find people to form a team.
From afar, he said that he was just helping him find someone.
Zhao Zhen listened carefully to Lu Yao's report, and then said, "I can probably guess why you didn't say this in front of the two of them just now."
Lu Yao smiled and said nothing.
Zhao Zhen continued: "Han Yonghe is about to become your father-in-law, and everyone in the civil and military circles of the entire dynasty knows that Cao Yi and Han Yonghe are incompatible. If you just acted so wantonly in front of Han Yonghe,
If you praise Cao Yu for his correct selection this time, Han Yonghe will be embarrassed, and your relationship with him will not be easy to deal with when you go back, right?"
"Your Majesty is wise." Lu Yao said with a smile.
Zhao Zhen waved his hand and said: "You don't have to be so polite to me. I know you were the one who brought this last team today, but since you want to take the credit for this, I'll do it."
Your wish.”
"Thank you, Your Majesty." After Lu Yao said this, he paused and continued, "Actually, there is another reason why they are not allowed to hear."
"Oh?" Zhao Zhen looked at Lu Yao's expression and said, "It seems to be a difficult matter, and it actually makes you look like this."
"Indeed," Lu Yao said, "The most important thing I came to do today is to ask for your Majesty's instructions."
"But it doesn't matter."
"Has your Majesty ever heard of Zhang Maocai?" Lu Yao asked.
Zhao Zhen thought for a moment and said, "This person should be a businessman who runs an inn in this city."
"Yes, it is this person. Moreover, he also formed a Cuju team as a rival of the Han family."
Lu Yao was not surprised at all that Zhao Zhen knew about Zhang Maocai. When Zhang Maocai met him before, he knew all about his details. His network of connections in the DPRK was also huge, so Zhao Zhen did not
You may turn a blind eye to him, but you may know something about him.
However, I just don’t know what Zhao Zhen thinks of Zhang Maocai.
Zhao Zhen took a sip of tea and said: "Oh? As far as I know, Zhang Maocai is a profit-oriented and money-oriented person. As long as there is an opportunity for him to make money, he will never let it go. Before, he also
He proposed to join the lottery industry and wanted to take part of the profits from me, but I finally rejected him."
As soon as these words came out, Lu Yao was very surprised. It seemed that Zhang Maocai's status was indeed not low, and he dared to make plans in the lottery industry. He should be more careful about this person in the future.
"I just don't know. Zhang Maocai wants to participate in the Cuju competition this time. I don't know what business opportunities he is interested in. Is he interested in football lottery?" Zhao Zhen's first reaction was naturally that Zhang Maocai was interested in this Cuju competition.
The biggest business opportunity is football lottery.
However, little did he know that Zhang Maocai came to this Cuju competition with the mentality of swatting tigers and swatting flies.
Lu Yao felt a little relieved at the moment. Judging from Zhao Zhen's evaluation of Zhang Maocai, if he told Zhao Zhen about the matter, at least he would not encounter any objections from him. It seemed that Zhao Zhen turned a blind eye to Zhang Maocai.
In the state of one eye, Zhao Zhen would not be unaware of the dealings between the minister and Zhang Maocai. However, maybe Zhang Maocai and Zhao Zhen also have business dealings with him, such as the lottery industry, so Zhao Zhen would not be too cautious.
Take care of Zhang Maocai's affairs.
"No, Your Majesty, what Zhang Maocai is interested in this time is accommodation, and he plans to ask Your Majesty to pay for it."
After Lu Yao understood Zhao Zhen's views on Zhang Maocai, he knew what to say.
Zhao Zhen was a little confused and quickly asked what Zhang Maocai was planning on him. So Lu Yao told him what Zhang Maocai had told him before, about the residence of those people from Bianliang who came to compete and become team members.
"This guy's wishful thinking is quite good. He knows that this competition is organized by me, so he wants to ask me to reimburse the accommodation expenses." After hearing this, Zhao Zhen showed displeasure, although this money is very important to Zhao Zhen now.
It wasn't much, but for some reason, when it was mentioned that Zhang Maocai made this request, Zhao Zhen always felt like he had spent money in vain.
"Your Majesty doesn't plan to pay this money?" Lu Yao asked.
Zhao Zhen didn't answer, but there were clearly two words written on his face, "I don't want to."
So, Lu Yao said again: "Actually, Your Majesty can refuse, and in the end, the ministers can also pay the money. However, this will really damage His Majesty's image among the people. If they know that the money is not from Your Majesty, there will be
Maybe they don't live in peace of mind, and they can't help but resent His Majesty in their hearts. On the contrary, if Your Majesty is willing to pay this money, it will make the people think that you are a good emperor who is diligent and caring for the people. I think that spending such a small amount of money to gain
civil
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My heart is worth it to Your Majesty."
In fact, there was no need for Lu Yaoming to tell him how smart Zhao Zhen was. He had already thought of this, but when he thought that Zhang Maocai's move was actually kidnapping him morally and making another fortune out of him, Zhao Zhen felt really angry.
Fortunately, Lu Yao gave me a step at this time, so Zhao Zhen cleared his throat and said: "You are right, this little money is really nothing to me, and we have said before
The ultimate purpose of this new type of Cuju competition is to allow the common people to improve their physical fitness, and to ensure that the common people are enthusiastic to participate. Therefore, if I pay for the accommodation expenses for their participation, this can be regarded as a reward.
It’s an encouragement.”
"It would be great if Your Majesty thinks so." Lu Yao said. It seems that this matter has been negotiated. At least he has an explanation for Zhang Maocai.
Zhao Zhen's face then darkened and he said: "This Maocai actually does all the business on my head, but I can't do anything with him."
Lu Yao knew that this was the best time, and it happened that Zhao Zhen was criticizing Zhang Maocai, so he said: "Your Majesty, I have a good way to help you get out of this mood."
When Zhao Zhen heard this, his eyes lit up and he said, "Tell me what the method is."
Lu Yao said: "In the outer city, there is an inn called Guilu Inn. Its location is only a quarter of an hour's walk from the Bird's Nest Stadium, where the Cuju competition is held. The Guilu Inn is still owned by Zhang Maocai.
Wei Chen thought that once the Cuju competition started, the Guilu Inn would be overcrowded after all, because there would definitely be more than one Cuju competition. When the second one comes, we will have more complete rules and competition procedures.
, of course, there will be more participating teams, many of them from all over the country, so if the competition venue is still at the Bird's Nest, then these people will have to stay at the Return Inn."
Zhao Zhen thought for a while and said: "You are right. The inn can only accommodate thirty or fifty people at most. It is really cheap for Zhang Maocai..."
After saying this, Zhao Zhen suddenly seemed to notice something and immediately looked at Lu Yao. Lu Yao smiled back at Zhao Zhen without saying anything. Who knows if there is anyone from Zhang Maocai in the palace?
Don't say anything. I just talked about the geographical location and future development of Guilu Inn. As for what to do, the emperor Zhao Zhen must say it himself. In this way, even if Zhang Mao knows about it later, it has nothing to do with him Lu Yao.
.
Lu Yao just wanted to let Zhang Maocai know that the wool came from the sheep, and you made a lot of money from the emperor. I'm sorry, but the future profits of your Return Inn will probably not belong to you.
Zhao Zhen said: "I understand. If I expropriate Naguilu Inn and build a large inn in the name of the royal family, it must be able to accommodate at least a hundred people. In this way, the royal family's income will definitely increase greatly."
"Yes, for some reason, Zhang Maocai, who has always been shrewd, has not taken any measures yet. I wonder if he is busy dealing with accommodation issues in the inner city and has neglected the management of the Guilu Inn for a while. Otherwise, if he knew about this
If the Return Inn is so close to the Bird's Nest..."
Just like before, Lu Yao still did not continue speaking and left it to Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen knew very well that Zhang Maocai was a profiteer. Once he knew the news, he would definitely take action without further delay.
Therefore, Zhao Zhen immediately summoned his chamberlain and drafted an imperial edict, saying that at the price of three times the price of the Guilu Inn, the Guilu Inn would be placed under royal control and handed over to the selfless Bao Zheng to personally supervise the matter. The matter must be completed within three days.
Get this thing done within.
"However, it is not a trivial matter to open such a huge inn." The chamberlain left to convey the order, and Zhao Zhen was already thinking about the next thing.
Lu Yao waved his hand and said: "Your Majesty, you can leave this to me. It just so happens that I can take this opportunity to show off the skills of my cement factory. The Bird's Nest Stadium is made of cement. If I build another inn, wouldn't it be even better?
Okay? But since it accommodates so many people, I think the name of the inn should be changed."
Zhao Zhen was worried about how to build it, and Lu Yao helped him solve the problem, so Zhao Zhen said: "Since you can help, that would be great. Don't worry, all the costs, including the wages of the workers, will be borne by our royal family."
Covered." This is natural. After all, the income gained after the completion of this large inn should be dozens of times the investment cost.
"If it's not called an inn, what should we call it?"
Lu Yao thought for a while and said: "Nowadays, apart from staying in the inn, there are also people who go to eat and drink, and basically the wine in every inn is good. Take the Return Inn for example, Wei Chen is among them.
I discovered the quintessence of wine, the 50% liquor. Since we have wine and can stay in a hotel, why not call it a hotel instead?"
"Hotel? It has food and accommodation. It's a good name, haha." Zhao Zhenlongyan said happily.
"Your Majesty, if there is nothing else to do, then I will retire. Tomorrow, I will bring those teams into the palace to meet the saint." Lu Yao saw that the matter was done, so he thought about leaving.
Zhao Zhen nodded and said, "Have you seen all these eight teams?"
"Except for His Majesty's Royal Cuju Team and the opponents that the Pan family has found, and the Zhao family's team has not seen it, Wei Chen has already seen the other six teams."
"Hey, the opponents that the merchants are looking for are not something to be afraid of." It seems that Zhao Zhen's attitude towards the rival team found by the Pan family and Pan Yuanwu is the same as that of Cao Yi and Han Yonghe. They all feel that the merchants and their ilk are not worthy of fear.
The strength shouldn't be too strong.
"Among the other six teams, Wei Chen feels that Zhang Maocai's team and Master Han Qi's team are the strongest." Lu Yao is telling the truth. In fact, in Lu Yao's opinion, it is the team that can enter the third place.
Among the first echelon, there should be Pan Jiade’s team.
"Well, it seems that my royal Cuju team also needs to practice more diligently."
Then, the two chatted for a while, and Zhao Zhen let Lu Yao go out of the palace.
By the time Lu Yao got home, it was already dark. After a busy day today, Lu Yao was really tired. He didn't even bother to tell his parents when he got home, and he had no appetite. He went back to bed and fell asleep.
Tomorrow is the day of training, what will happen?