Li Changsheng is a straight-tempered man and says whatever comes to his mind. But now that Cao Kun has become the head of the state, he is in a good mood, so naturally he will not go to see him in the same way.
Li Changsheng rolled his eyes at him, then strode to the front of the palace, bowed to Shao Yan and said: "Your Majesty, this time I go to the island country, please give me 20,000 elite soldiers. I promise to catch him off guard."
Shao Yan frowned and thought for a moment before saying: "Sending troops this time is inevitable, but the premise is that we don't have so many warships yet." At this point, he suddenly thought of something, and turned to look at Zhang Baihu and said:
"By the way, Zhang Lian, how are you preparing the ship that I asked you to build a month ago?"
Zhang Baihu kowtowed: "Your Majesty, we currently have a total of 500 usable boats. They are all ordinary fishing boats. Each boat can accommodate up to ten people."
Cao Kun smiled coldly: "It takes only one month to build five hundred ships. I ask Master Zhang, is your progress too slow?"
Today, what I am waiting for is what you said. Shao Yan secretly laughed in his heart, and then with a straight face, he echoed: "Yes, the monarch is right, Zhang Lian, the mission I gave you is a thousand ships, why?"
Only half of it has been completed so far? Are those workers slacking off, or are you simply neglecting your duties and turning a deaf ear to my words?"
Zhang Baihu hurriedly kowtowed: "Wei Chen didn't dare. Wei Chen followed the emperor's wishes and led people to build the ship. But halfway through, he found that the materials on hand were not enough, such as canvas for shipbuilding and wood for the hull.
Wait a minute, Wei Chen once approached Ms. Mu about this, and she told Wei Chen that there is not much silver left in the imperial court's inventory, so..."
Mu Ying nodded towards Shao Yan, meaning that he had indeed said such a thing. Shao Yan also knew that the most lacking thing on hand now was money. The reason why he asked this deliberately was mainly to remind the ministers in the court.
Let them not be blindly deceived by luxuries and wealth. When necessary, they should contribute more to the court, especially a cash cow like Cao Kun. This guy has been an official for many years and has collected a lot of ill-gotten gains in private. Now
It's time for him to bleed
Cao Kun is a smart man. He can be said to be a prominent official when he becomes the head of the state. He knows very well that if he makes some contribution to the court at this time, his position in the court will be more consolidated and more convincing.
Just when Shao Yan and others felt at a loss, he suddenly walked to the front of the palace and said generously: "Your Majesty, although Wei Chen's family is a little poor, over the years, the whole family has been frugal and saved a little money.
, If the emperor does not want too little, the minister can donate all his belongings to cover the cost of building the ship."
Shao Yan almost burst out laughing and thought to himself, this old guy is really thick-skinned. His house is as well maintained as half a palace, yet he actually talks about himself as being so noble. Damn it, you can deceive the entire court.
Don't even think about deceiving me
Shao Yan originally planned to expose his promise, but then he thought, no, no matter how bad this old guy is, he is still my father-in-law. What is right and wrong, what is minor and what is serious, I have to save some face for him. After all, I will still be here in the future.
There are many ways to rely on him. After thinking about it, Shao Yan immediately praised without thinking: "It is rare for the king to have such a big heart. I am very pleased. Have all the ministers and ministers here heard this? You must all pay tribute to the king."
My father-in-law, please study hard."
The civil and military ministers responded in unison: "Yes"
Li Changsheng was very unconvinced and secretly complained that the emperor deliberately favored his father-in-law. Deng Bingtang lightly bumped his arm with his arm, and he reluctantly said "yes"
Cao Kun looked around proudly, then squinted at Zhang Baihu on the side, and said casually: "I wonder how much money General Zhang is still short of?"
Zhang Baihu said: "Reporting to the emperor, I have made a preliminary estimate that about one hundred thousand taels of silver will be needed."
Cao Kun was shocked. One hundred thousand taels of silver was not a small sum of money. Although the money he had made over the years was far more than this, he was really reluctant to give up so much silver at once.
Seeing his sad face, Shao Yan pretended to be angry and said: "Zhang Lian, what did you do? Why are you still short of so much money? Cao Guozhang has always been an upright and honest official, how could he have so much money? In my opinion, you
It’s better to figure it out on your own.”
Before Zhang Baihu could reply, Cao Kun hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, a mere hundred thousand taels is nothing. Although my family is very poor, fortunately, during my time as an official, I made friends with many enlightened wealthy businessmen. I can discuss it with them."
Discuss and let them contribute to the imperial court."
Shao Yan hid his smile and frowned: "But if this were to happen, wouldn't it be disrespectful to the status of the Cao Qing family? The dignified father-in-law of the Donglin Kingdom actually wanted to beg those businessmen in such a lowly manner. If this matter spread, it would only
I'm afraid those busybodies will talk too much again. It's okay for them to say that I'm stupid and incompetent. If I even scold you for being indiscriminate, I will feel very uneasy."
Seeing that the emperor had thought so carefully, Cao Kun couldn't help but feel ecstatic, so he solemnly said: "Thanks to the emperor's love, I am really flattered. Your Majesty, please rest assured that the wealthy gentry whom I have made friends with are all decent people. They
I will definitely not talk nonsense.”
"Oh, that's good, that's good." Shao Yan secretly rejoiced. Damn it, I need to get vaccinated first. Not only can I get some benefits, but I don't have to worry about being stabbed in the back. Why not?
What? Hehe..., "My lord, the abbot is loyal to the imperial court. How can I live up to your kindness? Well, I will leave you with full responsibility for raising money to build the ship. In addition, I will let Zhang Lian be your deputy.
I’ll give you half a month, and after half a month, I’ll go on a personal expedition.”
"I obey the decree!" Cao Kun and Zhang Baihu kowtowed together.
Shao Yan blinked at Bai Ruxue and Mu Ying beside him, and the three of them looked at each other and smiled. At this moment, a young eunuch outside the palace came to report that there was a middle-aged businessman named Liu outside the palace who asked to see Shao Yan.
Yan immediately thought of Liu Fuju and immediately announced his resignation from the court.
Returning to the imperial study, he immediately asked Mu Ying to summon the so-called 'middle-aged businessman'. After a while, Mu Ying brought the man in. Shao Yan heard the footsteps and turned around suddenly, but heard
A loud and familiar voice
"The common people have seen the emperor, long live the emperor."
Shao Yan looked down, and sure enough, the 'middle-aged businessman' was none other than Liu Fuju, his brother who had taken him in and became sworn friends with him.
"Brother, is it really you?" The brothers reunited after a long separation, and they had a lot to say. However, perhaps because he was too excited, Shao Yan was a little incoherent for a while. Mu Ying saw that the two brothers rarely get together,
Then he walked away knowingly
Liu Fuju's expression was very complicated. It's no wonder that if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have thought that the yellow-haired boy in the past had now transformed into the emperor that attracted everyone's attention. He didn't dare to think about it, let alone be as carefree as before.
, he bowed carefully and said: "Your Majesty, common people..."
Shao Yan held his hand with a smile and said: "You are not a common man, you will always be my big brother in this life." As he spoke, Shao Yan looked at him carefully. In addition to his more gorgeous clothes, Shao Yan looked at him.
There are obviously more wrinkles on my face, my skin is darker, and my body is much thinner than before.
"Brother, I haven't seen you for a few months and you've lost weight."
"Brother..., the same is true for the Emperor," Liu Fuju said with a slight smile.
Shao Yan pulled him to sit down and said with a smile: "Brother, there are no outsiders here, you and I are treated like brothers."
"This..., I'm afraid this is inappropriate?" Although Liu Fuju was a wealthy businessman, he still behaved well in front of the emperor and did not dare to step too far.
Seeing his nervous expression, Shao Yan couldn't help but chuckle and said, "It's okay if I say it. If you are polite to me again, I will be unhappy." He said with a sullen face.
Liu Fuju knew his temper and had no choice but to nod.
"Brother, how are you doing during this time?" Shao Yan said with a hearty smile: "Do you know? Ever since we parted ways at the dock, brothers, I have missed you so much."
Liu Fuju showed a faint smile on his lips and nodded: "We miss you too. Last time we said goodbye, Mengmeng and I had a baby. The three of us took a boat to Yunzhou and later opened a teahouse there.
, and did some tea business by the way. During those days, I often asked the two siblings to inquire about you, but to no avail. It was not until several Liang soldiers came to the teahouse that time that we knew that Donglin Kingdom had already
destroyed, and you are the best emperor they talk about."
Shao Yan rubbed his head in embarrassment and said with shame: "Brother, I am so useless as an emperor. I just want to destroy a good country."
Liu Fuju quickly shook his head and said: "Brother, please don't say that. It is said that people are prone to misfortunes and fortunes, and the sky has unforeseen circumstances. Some things are also done by humans and are beyond the control of human beings. Just like my brother, when he gave up writing and went into business, he encountered many twists and turns.
, but it was not the same success later. Brother Yiwei argued with you. You are by no means the kind of person who gives up on yourself. As long as you are willing to work hard, we can definitely make a comeback, but..." He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Shao Yan was surprised: "But what?"
Liu Fuju frowned and said in an angry tone: "You, at first we thought you were a young man who left home because of a grudge against his parents, but we didn't expect that you were the crown prince of Donglin Kingdom. You brought our whole family down.
All three of them were frightened.”
Shao Yan secretly smiled bitterly, if I told you that I was from another world, would you believe it? Don't say you don't believe it, even I couldn't face this reality at the beginning. Damn it, mother, under a strange combination of circumstances,
I actually became the prince, and I don’t know whether my fate is good or bad?
Liu Fuju saw his expression was abnormal, so he subconsciously said: "The common people are quick to speak, please forgive me, my dear brother."
"Since we are brothers, how come there are so many polite words?" Shao Yan chuckled, then sighed and said: "Brother, I shouldn't have concealed my identity because I was leaving the palace without telling my father, the emperor, and my mother.
I am worried that they will send people to arrest me, and on the other hand, I am afraid that something unexpected will happen. As you know, there are many conflicts between the three countries."
"Brother Wei knows this. Brother Wei just said it casually and didn't mean to blame you."
"The eldest brother's magnanimity really impresses the younger brother," Shao Yan said with a smile.
Liu Fu raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "You are still the same as before, and you can talk nonsense. Now, tell me, brother, how did you get here during this time? I have heard a lot of your stories."
"Oh? Since eldest brother has heard about it, do you still need to elaborate?" Shao Yan pretended to be very reluctant, and then said: "Okay, for the sake of you still remembering brother, brother
I will make an exception and tell you." Then he explained in detail what happened recently, the difficulties encountered, etc.
In order to inquire about Shao Yan, Liu Fuju's family of three did not hesitate to use money to bribe the Liang soldiers who had retreated from the battlefield. However, what they got in exchange were vague information. Now after hearing Shao Yan's detailed words,
He had to sympathize with Shao Yan's bumpy road.
…
"This is what happened." After telling these stories, Shao Yan couldn't help but take a breath and said: "In short, the island is the territory of our Donglin Kingdom, and I must drive away these people from the Nile Kingdom who don't know what they are called."
Liu Fuju sighed after hearing this: "The Nile people have done many evil things and must be completely cleared out of the country. However, my dear brother, have you ever thought about it? Even if the Nile soldiers are afraid of the cold, they will not give up the island country."
"Brother, what do you mean, are they going to fight to the death?"
"Not only that, if we really push them into a hurry, they will definitely jump over the wall and do things that are even more detrimental to the people of the island country."
When Shao Yan heard this, he couldn't help but became angry and said: "Damn it, why are you rebelling against them? If they dare to hurt any of the people, I will make them all pay compensation."
Liu Fuju said calmly: "Actually, brother, there is no need to be angry. Since war is inevitable, then we will fight. But before that, we should try every means to move the battlefield to the sea. In this way, the number of battles will be greatly reduced."
harm to the islanders”
Shao Yan nodded. He had thought about it earlier. From a certain point of view, this plan of shifting the battlefield was just right. It not only minimized the casualties of our army, but also controlled the initiative. After all, Nile
Chinese soldiers are usually more war-weary in winter. If they are attracted to the middle of the sea, and then suddenly attack them from all sides while they are not prepared, in the end the enemy troops will be like turtles in a urn, and it will be difficult not to surrender.
However, he is very clear about the strength of both sides. Not to mention warships, the Nile Kingdom has been on the island all year round and has thousands of large ships. If our army wants to defeat them fundamentally, it must first have sufficient strength.
warship
Seeing his frown, Liu Fuju smiled calmly and said, "Brother, don't worry, I brought you some gifts this time."
Shao Yan was very surprised. After asking, he learned that in order to help him attack the island country, Liu Fuju bought a hundred large ships from Yunzhou and rushed here. Although there were only a hundred ships, these ships were different from ordinary war ships.
Ships, the hull of each ship is covered with iron armor, and the ship's planks and cabins are so strong that they will not break even if they hit a rock.
Shao Yan was overjoyed and hurriedly asked Bai Ruxue to lead people to pick up these big ships.
After the two briefly exchanged greetings, they walked around the imperial garden. During this period, they happened to catch up with Deng Bingtang, Li Changsheng and other ministers who came to see the emperor. Shao Yan introduced them to them respectively. Deng Bingtang and Liu Fuju were close friends.
The two stuck together as soon as they met
When Shao Yan came out of the Imperial Study Room again, it was almost lunch time. Just as Shao Yan was about to go to the Imperial Garden to find Liu Fuju, he suddenly heard a loud noise coming from outside the palace.
It turned out that when Liu Fuju saw Shao Yan and Deng Bingtang, he was so happy that he forgot the brothers Liu Meng and Liu Chan at the gate of the palace. The two siblings waited for a long time without seeing their father come out, so they went in to look for them.
, but were stopped by the Imperial Guard soldiers. It happened that Bai Ruxue was not in the palace at this time. These Imperial Guards naturally did not dare to let them in without the emperor's permission.
Shao Yan didn't expect it to be the two of them at first, so he walked in the direction of the sound.
"Both of you, please go back. If the emperor wants to summon you, he will naturally send someone to inform you. It's absolutely impossible for you to just barge in like this."
Outside the palace gate, several imperial guards blocked in front of a man and a woman. The man was carrying a baggage and was wearing gorgeous and bright clothes. The woman was wearing a light blue cotton coat with a long red whip hanging from her waist.
"Master Jun, please be accommodating. Your Majesty is our second uncle. We have no reason to lie to you." The man's voice was very high-pitched, and it sounded like Liu Chan's voice.
"It's no use all your talk. If it doesn't work, it just won't work. This is the palace. Isn't it a place where you can come whenever you want?" A leader of the Royal Forest Army said in a slightly aggravated tone.
The woman said angrily: "Why are you so stubborn? It's not like you didn't see Mr. Liu just come in from here. We are his children. Can't we go in to find my father?"
The imperial guard shook his head: "No"
"Sister, let's ignore him. I don't believe it. Aren't we just looking for the second uncle?"