Chapter 103: Xiao Zhao discovers flaws in the weapon manufacturing process
Zhao Gou was unhappy and said truthfully to his third brother Zhao Kai:
"Third brother, Yushi Cao Fu deceived me when I was young, and my opinion was at odds with me! How can I, the ninth brother, handle the errands assigned by my father well?"
"Ninth brother, it's okay!" King Yun Zhao Kai secretly rejoiced in his heart, but on the surface he showed an expression of concern for his younger brother and comforted:
"After all, Ninth Brother is only thirteen years old. Listen to Cao Yushi's words, and you will be right. Even if Ninth Brother fails to do the errands assigned by Father, it is because Father wants to train Ninth Brother!"
Xiao Zhaogou said with a bitter face: "Thank you third brother for your concern. However, Cao Fu and I have different opinions. I wonder who my father will turn to?"
Zhao Kai smiled and said: "Father, Emperor Shengming, is naturally on the right side. It's getting late. You and I, brothers, should we go to see Father together?!"
Xiao Zhao Gou nodded. But what he never expected was that this time, his third brother Zhao Kai would act like an unprecedented "brother and friend" to him.
King Yun Zhao Kai took the initiative to reach out his hand and pulled Xiao Zhao Gou, who was nearly a head shorter than him, and walked side by side up the stone steps and into the Chuigong Hall.
"My son, Zhao Kai, pays homage to my father..."
"My son, Zhao Gou, pays homage to my father..."
The time traveler Zhao Ji was very happy when he saw the two eldest sons he got for nothing. After all, he was only in his twenties before time travel, and even the original owner of his body was only thirty-eight years old this year. p>
King Yun Zhao Kai is nineteen years old this year. The year before last, he was the top imperial examination scholar in the country.
Although Xiao Zhao Gou is only thirteen years old this year, he is a son of luck. After the experience of this time traveler, he can still make a difference in the future, right?!
As the saying goes, "Brothers fight tigers, and father and son fight in battle." I should focus on examining them before appointing these two more promising sons.
Zhao Ji smiled, affectionately called the two eldest sons by their nicknames, and said:
"Kaier, Gou'er, please stand up quickly and tell me how you went about the errand I assigned you two today."
"My sons and ministers obey my orders."
Zhao Kai and Zhao Gou stood up.
King Yun Zhao Kai made a gesture to let Zhao Gou speak first.
King Kang Zhao Gou was so frightened that he hurriedly turned to Zhao Kai, bowed his hands and saluted, and said: "Third brother, please speak first."
Zhao Kai smiled proudly and reported to his father Zhao Jihui:
"I was arranged by my father to go to the arsenal to check the shortage of weapons. At the same time, I also interrogated the chief and deputy envoys of the arsenal. Together with his officials, he committed fraud and falsely recorded the number of weapons that had been put into the arsenal during the "tenth class", and there were
Various acts of corruption.
I have asked the officers and soldiers of the Imperial City Division to arrest more than a hundred corrupt officials in the arsenal.
The minister has already written a memorial about the process of interrogating corrupt officials of all sizes in the arsenal.
At the back of the memorial, there is also a list of corrupt officials and their crimes."
As King Yun Zhao Kai said this, he proudly took out a thick memorial from his arms and handed it down.
The attendant eunuch took Zhao Kai's memorial and passed it on to Zhao Guan's family.
Zhao Ji unfolded the memorial, glanced at it twice without taking a closer look, and said:
"Kaier is very efficient in handling errands. I am very pleased!"
"My dear father, thank you for your compliments." Zhao Kai thanked him and said, "My dear sir, I will work hard for my great Song Dynasty..."
Although King Yun Zhao Kai did not understand the word "efficiency" in his father's mouth, he was extremely smart and could naturally tell that his father was praising him.
After Zhao Kai finished reporting his work, he stood by the side and looked at Xiao Zhao Gou proudly.
Kang Wang Zhao Gou showed a complicated expression on his face and reported truthfully:
"My son received the imperial edict from his father and met with Cao Fu, the imperial censor sent by his father, in the East Studio.
Erchen and Cao Yushi led hundreds of close officials to arrive without warning. They inspected from the east workshop to the west workshop, and finally to the Bow and Crossbow Making Institute. They inspected these three places in the capital where weapons and crossbows are made, and found out An extremely serious malady."
Zhao Ji, who was sitting on the throne, was mentally prepared after hearing Xiao Zhaogou's report. In the late Northern Song Dynasty, the government was corrupt, and various official offices could not escape the corruption problem.
Otherwise, Zhao Ji would not have sent Kang Wang Zhao Gou and Yu Shi Cao Fu, together with a hundred personal officials, to inspect three important weapon manufacturing sites in the capital.
Zhao Ji asked: "Gou'er, tell me the 'illness' you discovered during your inspection?"
"My son, I obey the decree." Xiao Zhaogou echoed:
"The shortcomings of the East and West Workshops and the Crossbow and Archery Manufacturing Institute are that the chief envoys, deputy envoys, and the eunuchs who supervise the production are all extremely corrupt..."
After Zhao Ji listened to Xiao Zhaogou's report, he frowned and asked:
"Before I heard Gou'er's report, I had already guessed that there was corruption in the East and West Workshops and the Crossbow and Arrow Making Institute. Otherwise, I would not have sent Gou'er and Yu Caofu to investigate.
Is there any real evidence of corruption?!"
Zhao Gou replied, "I have mastered most of the evidence.
Erchen and Cao Yushi suddenly went to the east and west workshops and the bow and arrow making yard to inspect. In these three places, they found that the places where the armor, weapons, and crossbows of the imperial army were supposed to be made were instead privately making a large number of farm tools and plowshares. Sickles, hoes, etc., as well as kitchen knives, axes and saws for splitting wood and other iron tools used by civilians."
When Zhao Ji heard this, he became furious and said: "How can this be reasonable? The fine iron that was supposed to be used to make weapons for the Forbidden Army was actually made into ironware for civilian use?
It’s so ridiculous! Who gave them such courage?
Gou'er, have you and Yushi Cao Fu investigated this matter carefully?"
"Everything that comes back to my father has been strictly investigated!" Xiao Zhao Ji reported truthfully: "My son, together with Cao Yushi, followed the clues and arrested and severely interrogated three people from the East and West Workshops and the Crossbow and Arrow Making Institute.
The chief envoy and three deputy envoys, as well as the six eunuchs there to supervise the production.
At the beginning, they refused to admit it, saying that it was the personal selfishness of their officials.
However, the son-in-law and Cao Yushi explained their strong relationship and read out the imperial edict in public. He also said that Gao Qiu and Wang Fu, the high officials at that time, were both corrupt and perverted the law and were sent to Dali Temple for trial by the emperor's father's order. How can you deny it?
?
After that, I asked my subordinates to bring more than a hundred officials from each [work] to confront the chief envoys, deputy envoys, and eunuch supervisors of the east and west workshops, the crossbow and arrow making institute.
As a result, in addition to making weapons, he also used the refined iron provided by the imperial court to make a large number of farm tools and civilian iron tools privately, all due to the secret orders of the chief official.
The chief officials and eunuchs supervised the creation of history, and when they saw the officials confessing to each [composition], they confessed the officials of each [composition], and also participated in sharing the corrupt money..."
"Hmph! What a dare!" Zhao Ji said angrily.
Zhao Ji knew that there was a more detailed division of labor below the Eastern and Western workshops in the Northern Song Dynasty, which were divided into fifty-one "works". Each "work" was responsible for manufacturing a type of product, such as "Iron Armor Maker" and "Vest Maker".
, [Plain Knife Making], [Lance Making], [Flag Making], [Oil Coat Making], [Wine Lacquer Making], [Odd Things Making], etc. There are as many as seven or eight thousand craftsmen in the east and west workshops.
The Gong and Crossbow Academy in the capital is specifically responsible for the production of long-range weapons, manufacturing various strong bows, powerful crossbows and various types of arrows. The number of personnel here is not as large as that of the east and west workshops, but it also has envoys, deputy envoys and the emperor.
Two eunuchs were sent to supervise, and there were 1,024 weapons craftsmen.
There are also weapon-making workshops and crossbow courtyards in various areas outside the capital, and the corruption problem there should be quite serious.
Zhao Ji added: "In the east and west workshops, the chief envoys, deputy envoys, and eunuchs supervising the production of bows and arrows in the east and west workshops, do you dare to be so bold and corrupt and pervert the law?
Are there any high-ranking officials from the DPRK and China serving as backers behind them?
Gou'er, have you reviewed it?"
Zhao Kai, the king of Yun, who was standing not far from Zhao Gou, was glad that he was not sent by his father to go to the east and west workshops and the crossbow and arrow making yard to wade into the muddy waters. His face was as usual, but in his heart he was sure that his ninth brother would
It’s a joke that Zhao Gou can’t handle this well...
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