"The matter is finally done." Zhao Kuo stretched, stood up and walked outside.
That's the good thing about being a monarch, you can get off work whenever you want, no one can control it.
In the past, ministers would give some advice when they saw Zhao Kuo wandering around all day, but later they simply ignored him.
There was no other way, so Zhao Kuo blocked them all back with one sentence: "I've taken care of everything, the rest is your business."
Although the so-called handling means assigning things to others, but after all, doesn’t the monarch want you ministers to be left to do the work? Is it possible that the monarch can do everything alone, and the ministers can stay and enjoy the blessings?
Zhao Kuo heard that all the diligent emperors in history got up to work before dawn and worked until midnight. They got up earlier than chickens and went to bed later than dogs. They were always worried about unruly people every day.
Want to harm me.
During Qin Shihuang's eastward tour, he even had to pull several carriages to deliver memorials and review them on the road without any time for rest. In the end, he was exhausted to death.
Zhao Kuo wouldn’t do this anyway!
"It's not unreasonable that there are many foolish kings since ancient times. This kind of wise king is not a human being!" Zhao Kuo showed a smile on his lips and stepped out of the study.
The guard next to him quickly took down the bear skin robe from the shelf and put it on Zhao Kuo.
Just after noon, the sun hung high in the sky, but it could not bring any warmth. The cold wind blew, bringing the cordial greetings of the Siberian savages.
This winter is colder than ever!
The river has begun to freeze and may be closed in about half a month. By then, the fish and meat from the port will have to be transported to Handan by land.
Fortunately, one side of the road from the port to Handan has been paved, so it is not a problem to open it to traffic, but the land transportation cost will be very high.
The Shaofu and coal merchants responsible for mining and selling coal were very happy. It was only the beginning of November, and the sales of coal had already surpassed salt and copper and iron, becoming the largest pillar of Zhao's economy.
It’s okay to wait until December, the coldest month!
Gan De and Shi Shen sent people to report to Zhao Kuo that there was likely to be a heavy snowfall across the country at the end of the year. Li Fu also sent a letter saying that since September, Zhao Kuo has not had a drop of rain and the sun has been shining brightly recently.
There is no sign of snow, and the rain and snow are likely to be concentrated until December.
Zhao Kuo has strictly banned the increase in coal prices in various places, prepared for heavy snowfall, and transported large amounts of coal to various places so that people can obtain coal through work.
Although what Gan De, Li Fu and others said may not be accurate, it is better to believe that this kind of thing exists than to believe that it does not exist. It is better to be prepared in advance than not to be prepared at all.
"Go to Handan College." Zhao Kuo said to Ben.
In addition to the palace, the military camp and the academy were the two places Zhao Kuo visited most often, because one represented military power and the other represented the future. These two things, as well as the power of rewards and punishments, Zhao Kuo must firmly control in his own hands.
Soon, Ben prepared the carriage.
"Have all the winter clothes been sent to northern Xinjiang? We can't let our soldiers freeze to defend the country and guard the border." Zhao Kuo asked on the carriage.
"Your Majesty, I have already sent it over." Liu Ping said with his fists clasped.
In the past, Zhao State's border guards always brought their own winter clothes. This is the first time that winter clothes are distributed to everyone...
But it's not that Zhao is stingy, it's that every country is the same. During the Spring and Autumn Period, even weapons and armor were required, how many families provided a chariot, etc.
Only when the war spans too long, from summer to winter, can the country prepare winter clothes for soldiers who cannot afford winter clothes.
Why do you say it is possible? Because after years of war, it is difficult for the country to support tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of soldiers in winter clothes. In the end, many times it is nothing.
Just like in the Battle of Changping, Qin sent winter clothes to the Qin army, but Zhao sent nothing. It was not until the siege of Shangdang was lifted that Zhao Kuo got winter clothes from Wei and South Korea.
Otherwise, although most people will not freeze to death, there will definitely be many people who will freeze their toes or fingers off.
"Oh, it would be great if there was cotton." Zhao Kuo sighed softly.
He doesn't know cotton
When were flowers introduced to China? But it is certain that no trace of cotton has been found in Zhao State.
In this era, the only means of keeping out the cold were silk floss, animal skins, and kapok. The poor stuffed their robes with reed catkins or bird and animal feathers.
"Twenty-Four Filial Piety" records that Min Ziqian, a disciple of Confucius, whose biological mother died early, his father married a second wife and gave birth to two sons. His stepmother often abused him. In winter, his two younger brothers wore winter clothes made of cotton, but he wore reed catkins.
Made of "cotton coat".
However, the cotton here is kapok. Before cotton was introduced to China, it was one of the main cold-proof products for the people of the Central Plains. It was mainly produced in the south. There was very little cotton in the north, so it could only be purchased from the south.
Zhao Kuo has already asked people to find ways to make woolen sweaters and down jackets. The odor on wool can be easily removed, but the degreasing technology has not been completed yet.
Of course, it’s okay to not degrease, but it just has more shortcomings, which can be gradually improved in the future.
But even so, mass production cannot be achieved, because the output of wool and down is a big problem. The wool and down of Zhao State cannot be used not only for the common people, but even for the soldiers.
Even if the Loop is completely captured, it will take at least a few years before the wool industry can be developed.
"Isn't there cotton in our country of Zhao?" Liu Ping asked curiously.
Zhao Kuo raised his eyebrows, forgetting that the current cotton refers to kapok, "I'm talking about another kind of cotton, um... it's similar to cotton, but the yield is higher and easier to pick. If it can be widely planted, it will be enough to make the world prosperous.
People keep out the cold."
"Let the people of the world be protected from the cold!" Liu Ping clasped his hands and said solemnly, "May I ask, Your Majesty, where is this thing? No matter how difficult it is, I will find it."
"Now...I'm not sure, but it definitely doesn't exist in the Central Plains. Maybe it does in the Western Regions. If it doesn't exist in the Western Regions, then it will be farther west..." Zhao Kuo said uncertainly. He had forgotten where the origin of cotton was.
"Western Region?" Liu Ping was a little confused. Where is the Western Region? That land to the west?
"It's the land in the far west, and it's also to the west of Qin." Zhao Kuo said.
"I heard that the Qin State has been gathering merchants recently and wants to go to the far west to find the Queen Mother of the West." Liu Ping suddenly thought of something.
"Looking for the Queen Mother of the West!" Zhao Kuo suddenly became happy. King Qin was almost seventy, so he was still thinking about something happening with the Queen Mother of the West! "Didn't the nobles of Qin stop him?"
"No." Liu Ping shook his head, "The King of Qin only ordered the merchants to go west, but did not send any nobles."
Generally speaking, the nobles would not only not stop such things that did not involve their own interests, but would also send some money and food as a token of their support for all the decisions made by the king.
Of course, if your own interests are involved, that's a different matter.
"Pick a few businessmen to sneak in." Zhao Kuo thought for a moment and said.
He didn't believe that the Queen Mother of the West was not the Queen Mother of the West, but the road Qin traveled to the west was the Silk Road later opened by Zhang Qian.
It goes without saying how important this road is.
If the State of Qin really opened up the Silk Road, it would be equivalent to an extra blood transfusion artery. Western money would be continuously sent to the State of Qin through the Silk Road, which would be a great threat to the State of Zhao.