Feng Quji nodded slightly: "Yes, an elder from the Shangguan family wants to meet with you, Your Highness."
Li Changfeng frowned slightly and asked doubtfully: "Why do you want to see me?"
On the surface, it seems that the Shangguan family does not have a conflict of interest with him, and their relationship with the royal family is not bad, but Li Changfeng is instinctively wary of the eight major families.
This kind of ancient family with a long history has a very deep foundation and has formed a community of interests with other families for many years. Who knows what they are up to?
Feng Quji smiled and said: "Your Highness, don't be too vigilant. The alliance between the eight major families is not unbreakable. They each have their own interests and needs."
Li Changfeng nodded secretly.
At the beginning, he dealt with the Zhao family and the Wang family one after another. The two families also tried to unite with other families to suppress the royal family, but in the end they all failed. This shows that they are not monolithic.
Li Changfeng had vaguely guessed his purpose, but was not completely sure yet, so he asked: "I wonder why the old prime minister suddenly mentioned this matter?"
Feng Quji said sternly: "I heard that Your Highness encountered resistance in rail production and thought of the vital role of steam trains in Daqian, so I visited the Shangguan family and asked for their help. After all, they are absolute leaders in the smelting industry. The leader."
Li Changfeng did not express his position. He picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Feng Quji was right. The Shangguan family was indeed the well-deserved leader in this industry. If they could be brought in, the speed of the sound field would indeed be greatly improved. He had never thought of this before.
But in his opinion, cooperating with the eight major families is tantamount to seeking the skin of a tiger.
It's not that he's afraid of the Shangguan family, it's just that he doesn't want to waste time and energy on such family fights and cause trouble.
In fact, in his opinion, he does not need to confront the eight major families head-on.
With the advancement of industrialization, these so-called aristocratic families will sooner or later be beaten to death on the beach by the wave of progress. For example, the current Wang family and Zhao family have begun to decline.
Feng Quji seemed to see what he was thinking and said with a smile: "Your Highness, the Shangguan family is actually very much looking forward to cooperating with you. In this regard, you are in an absolutely dominant position, and they even need to rely on you."
"Oh? Why did the old prime minister say this?"
"Gunpowder! As long as your highness controls the gunpowder and does not leak out, then they will need you. Although the iron ore they control has an advantage in quantity, the mining efficiency is far less than you."
Li Changfeng suddenly realized.
It is the same as the coal mine controlled by the Zhao family.
Most of the mines they control are open-pit mines that are easy to mine.
Many of them are buried underground, and they simply cannot extract them. Even if they try their best to extract them, the cost is very staggering, because they rely on pure manpower.
But Li Changfeng is different.
The rocks outside the mine can be exploded with gunpowder.
Although this crude method is still far behind the mining method he knew in his previous life, in this world its efficiency is so high that the aristocratic family can't match it.
Let’s talk about smelting technology.
Although Li Changfeng was not an expert in this field, he relied on some basic smelting and quenching techniques he remembered from his previous life, allowing him to smelt steel that surpassed the Shangguan family in all aspects.
For example, the Shangguan family cannot produce the highly refined steel needed to make cannons and muskets, or the steel needed to make steam trains and rails.
The advantageous industries that the Shangguan family relies on for survival are being eroded by him step by step. If he devotes himself to weapon forging and coin casting, the Shangguan family will inevitably fall into crisis.
Now it seems that the Shangguan family must have realized this.
With his current power, it is impossible to suppress him.
The only way out is cooperation.
After clearing his thoughts, Li Changfeng nodded.
Feng Quji smiled and said: "Your Highness, I just think that the Shangguan family can use it and help you, so I just want to connect and build a bridge. How to talk about it is your business."
Li Changfeng cupped his hands and said, "Old Prime Minister, you have troubled yourself."
"Is your Highness okay tomorrow?"
"No."
"Okay, then I will set up a table at your highness's diando."
"It's time to work."
…
Early the next morning.
When Li Changfeng arrived at Diandude's private room, Feng Quji was chatting with a middle-aged man who was wide, fat, white, clean and rich, with a gentle smile on his face and looked harmless.
Smiling tiger.
These three words popped into Li Changfeng's mind.
Seeing Li Changfeng come in, the middle-aged man quickly stood up, trotted over with his body swaying, and fell to his knees with a plop.
"I, Shangguan Feiyun, would like to pay my respects to His Highness the Ninth Prince."
Li Changfeng smiled and helped Shangguan Feiyun up.
"Please get up, please get up."
Feng Quji had a smile on his face and pointed to the chair: "Your Highness, Elder Shangguan, please take a seat quickly."
Li Changfeng took his seat, but Feng Quji did not.
He cupped his hands towards Li Changfeng and Shangguan Feiyun: "Both of you, I have some discomfort in my stomach. While you are talking, I will go and take a moment for a while."
Li Changfeng glanced at Feng Quji and nodded.
I felt uncomfortable in the morning and felt uncomfortable in the later. I felt uncomfortable at this time. The intention was too obvious. I just didn’t want to hear the conversation between Li Changfeng and Shangguan Feiyun.
There are conflicts of interest, and there is no benefit in knowing too much.
It is enough to do a good job of matchmaking and gain favors from both parties.
I have to say that Feng Quji is a wily and thoughtful guy.
Shangguan Feiyun's buttocks were not even hot from sitting yet he stood up quickly and made a gesture of invitation: "Old Prime Minister, if you please!"
After Feng Quji left, Shangguan Feiyun sat down, with a kind but not flattering smile on his face, and poured tea for Li Changfeng himself.
"Your Highness, Ninth Prince, forgive me. As you are the head of the family, you should have come to talk to me personally, but you also know that the head of the family is not in the capital, so I, the elder, can only do the talking."
"As long as you can make the decision."
Shangguan Feiyun and Li Changfeng had heard that he was the number two figure in the Shangguan family. He was deeply trusted by the family leader and had great authority, so he was somewhat qualified to talk to him.
Shangguan Feiyun chuckled and did not answer the question: "I have always admired His Highness the Ninth Prince. When you returned to Beijing, I felt that you were definitely not a thing in the pond. As expected, you will soon be in charge.
The flood in Shangzhou has been cured for the benefit of the people all over the world..."
Li Changfeng listened quietly for a moment and gradually lost his patience.
"Elder Shangguan..." Li Changfeng raised his hand and pressed it down, interrupting: "Let's get down to business."
Shangguan Feiyun smiled awkwardly and said: "Your Highness is very quick to talk, so let me get down to business. The Shangguan Family hopes to cooperate with you to develop the steam train project."
Li Changfeng slowly picked up the tea cup, played with it in his hand, and said calmly: "Cooperation is not impossible, but the question is what can your Shangguan family come up with?"
"Iron ore! A huge amount of iron ore! Our Shangguan family relies on this for a living, and the reserves are very large! There are also iron-making craftsmen, all of whom are skilled, and there are thousands of them. By the way, we also have them distributed in
Steel plants, large and small, all over the country.”