Zhao Yuanli did not treat Zhao Hongrun, his beloved nephew, badly. Before long, the table where the two sat across from each other was filled with rich game.
Sauce-braised rabbit meat, stewed deer meat, roasted venison legs, and a pot full of smoked wild boar meat, along with some dried fruits and prunes as side dishes, filled the table.
"Come and taste Uncle Six's harvest today."
Zhao Yuanli directly cut off a large piece of meat from the deer leg with a knife and handed it to Zhao Hongrun.
It has to be said that the fragrant roasted venison greatly increased Zhao Hongrun's appetite. This is a rare game. I remember that since moving to Prince Su's Mansion, it is not so easy for Zhao Hongrun to eat these games. After all, the imperial kitchen is not responsible for the food that has been released from the cabinet.
The prince's meal.
Unless Zhao Hongrun specially sends people to hunt game outside the city, or buy it at the market in the city, as far as meat is concerned, it is usually just chicken, duck, fish and pork.
In private, he put a piece of barbecue in his mouth and chewed it. Zhao Hongrun was still carefully thinking about what Zhao Yuanli had just said in his mind.
After a long time, he finally couldn't help but ask: "Why did the Sixth Uncle Wang say that my father was helping me?"
Zhao Yuanli cut off the deer meat with a knife, wiped his hands with a rag, and said with a smile: "It is undeniable that your heart is good, and it is for the prosperity of Wei Dynasty. But you have to know that not everyone is like this.
You are so pure...but everyone has selfish motives."
"Uncle Six refers to...the Ministry of War?"
"Heh." Zhao Yuanli smiled and said lightly: "The way you do things is a little too impatient, which can easily create unnecessary enemies... Take the matter of the Bingzhu Bureau as an example, you could have done a good job
Leave them alone for a while, 130,000 sets of armaments,
The Ordnance Casting Bureau alone will not be able to complete the casting by the end of the year. You can just wait for the price and wait for the people from the Weapon Casting Bureau to come to ask for help. By then, you will not be able to set up any military building bureau.
It caused hostility from the Bingzhu Bureau and even the Ministry of War."
"..."
"But you are too anxious, wishing you could swallow up the Bingzhu Bureau in one breath... Think about it, if you press hard, the people in the Ministry of War will naturally become hostile, and this will create unnecessary enemies."
"..." Zhao Hongrun was speechless.
Perhaps due to the education he received since childhood, Zhao Hongrun inevitably lacks some sense of "amiability" when doing things.
This "sense of affinity" does not mean that he is not polite enough, but that he will inevitably be contaminated by the bad habits of his superiors. To put it bluntly, you must do whatever I ask you to do, otherwise I will teach you a lesson.
you.
In fact, not only Zhao Hongrun, but also Emperor Wei, Prince Hongli of the East Palace, even Yong Wang Hongyu, Xiang Wang Hongjing, Qing Wang Hongjing and others all have this habit.
This kind of habit, or behavior, is called domineering!
Or call it the arrogance of the superior!
Zhao Yuanli smiled and said: "Mencius said: He who conquers others by force is not convinced by his heart, but by his strength... You are the king of Su, and few people in the country dare to be enemies with you, but this is not the way to control your subordinates.
"
"Uncle Sixth, do you mean to act in a royal way?" Zhao Hongrun looked puzzled.
"The royal way?" Zhao Yuanli shook his head when he heard this, and said with a smile: "That is just the fantasy of a saint... Since ancient times, which dynasty has not practiced domineering and achieved great hegemony?... At most, it can only wear the skin of the royal way.
"
…
Seeing Uncle Liu Wang speak so bluntly, Zhao Hongrun blinked: "What does Uncle Liu mean?"
Zhao Yuanli put away the sarcastic smile on his face and said seriously: "A gentleman should be restrained by benevolence and righteousness, and the rest of the world can be exploited and lured... The same is true for the Ministry of War, as long as you use a little trickery."
"..." Zhao Hongrun frowned and thought.
Looking at Zhao Hongrun's thoughtful look, Zhao Yuanli smiled again and said: "According to what you just said, you drove away Li Jin, the Prime Minister of the Bingzhu Bureau because of your anger, and frankly said that you, the Smelter Bureau, will not intervene in this matter again. This is nothing.
...In fact, in Uncle Liu's view, this is not a bad thing, but a good thing... One hundred and thirty thousand sets of armaments. Without the assistance of your Smelting Bureau, the Ordnance Casting Bureau would not be able to complete it before the end of the year. No accident.
If you say so, even if you admit your withdrawal from this matter today, in a few days, the Weapon Manufacturing Bureau and even the Ministry of War will in turn invite you to join the Smelting Bureau to assist them..."
"..." Zhao Hongrun looked at Zhao Yuanli suspiciously.
"Don't believe it?" Zhao Yuanli blinked and said with a smile, "How about Uncle Liu making a bet with you?"
Zhao Hongrun said nothing.
Seeing this, Zhao Yuanli understood that his nephew must have some doubts in his heart, so he explained: "You have to know that Bingzhu Bureau is an important department under the Ministry of War, just like his own son. If you want to annex Bingzhu Bureau in one go, you
Do you think the Ministry of War will stand idly by? In fact, you have set up the Military Construction Bureau and made it clear that you want to compete with the Military Construction Bureau. This is enough to arouse the Ministry of War's vigilance and hostility... But the situation is different now. Your father is openly showing off
Knowing their attitude, I believe this is enough to make the people in the Ministry of War feel at ease... Since they have the support of the emperor and there is no danger of being annexed by the Manufacturing Bureau, then they can cooperate with the Manufacturing Bureau, even if the existence of the Military Manufacturing Bureau still makes them unhappy.
What does it count as?"
Having said this, Zhao Yuanli paused and asked with a smile: "Who helped you turn the whole situation around?"
…
Zhao Hongrun was stunned when he heard this. After thinking about it carefully, he felt that what the Sixth Uncle Wang said was true.
After thinking about the matter, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty towards his father: He originally thought that his father did not support him, but unexpectedly, his father asked the Smelting Bureau to teach the new craftsmanship to the Bingzhu Bureau, but in fact he did not
It's helping him.
Just think about it, even if the Ordnance Forging Bureau obtained the Smelting Bureau's new technology for mass-producing iron swords and built 130,000 iron swords within the specified date, so what? You know, an iron sword is just a set
It is just one piece of weapons and equipment. In addition, there are many other equipment, such as armor.
Without the Smelting Bureau, how could the Weapon Casting Bureau follow the same pattern to produce mass-produced iron armor molds? You know, even the Smelting Bureau has not completely overcome the technical difficulties involved, so how could the Weapon Casting Bureau
Maybe they can come out in a timid way?
They don't even know the secret of the firebrick stove.
When those people from the Smelting Bureau easily mass-produced 130,000 iron swords with the help of the Smelting Bureau's technology, but they had to keep using the old technology to build those 130,000 sets of armor, those from the Weapon-Forging Bureau
It is inevitable that the Smelting Bureau will come to mind.
They would think that if the Smelting Bureau could improve a new process for mass production of armor, wouldn't it be more labor-saving?
This is just like how people who are used to eating big fish and big meat find it difficult to swallow simple meals. After experiencing the convenience brought by new technology, it is not surprising that people in the Bingzhu Bureau have such lazy ideas.
.
However, the Smelting Bureau has withdrawn from this matter. What do you think the Bingzhu Bureau will do?
This is... far-sightedness.
After careful consideration, Zhao Hongrun was completely convinced of his father's consideration.
But after thinking about it, Zhao Hongrun suddenly thought of a possibility: Could it be that my father even took my reaction to this matter into consideration...
Isn't that the case?
Zhao Hongrun felt that he was thinking too much.
But thinking about it more carefully, he really couldn't guarantee it. After all, in his impression, his father was indeed cunning... well, wise.
Shaking his head, Zhao Hongrun threw those random thoughts behind him.
"It seems you have figured it out."
Noticing Zhao Hongrun's gradually improving complexion, Zhao Yuanli smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry. In fact, the Ministry of War should be the most anxious at the moment... Come, drink and eat meat."
Zhao Hongrun nodded, drank a drink with Zhao Yuanli, and said gratefully: "Thank you Uncle Six for clarifying my doubts, otherwise, I would really..."
"Thank Uncle Six for what? You have to thank your father..." After saying that, Zhao Yuanli touched his chin and said with emotion: "I haven't seen you for many years, but your father is still so good at calculating..."
"Uncle Six is also very impressive." Zhao Hongrun took the jug and poured a glass for Zhao Yuanli, and said seriously: "Uncle Six saw through my father's true intention at a glance, which is also amazing!... Sure enough, Uncle Six was hiding something deep inside
Don’t show it!”
"..." Zhao Yuanli was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile: "It's just that you are in the middle of the situation, and Uncle Six is staying out of it... The authorities are confused by the onlookers."
After that, he changed the topic: "These days, remember to keep the Bingzhu Bureau and the Ministry of War in the air, and don't waste the advantages your father has created for you."
"Hongrun understands." Zhao Hongrun raised an inexplicable smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, by the way." Suddenly he seemed to have remembered something, and Zhao Yuanli asked with great interest: "According to what Uncle Liu knows, your third uncle will arrive in Daliang tomorrow. Uncle Liu plans to go out of the city to meet him. Can you
Are you interested?"
"So fast?" Zhao Hongrun said in surprise.
After all, His Royal Highness Chui Gong ordered his third uncle, the King of Nanliang, Zhao Yuanzuo, to be recalled to Daliang. It was only a little over a month ago. Counting the time it took for the angel (the emperor's envoy) who announced the imperial edict to go to Nanliang, Zhao Yuanzuo's return to Daliang was very fast.
, it is indeed very fast.
By the way...
Zhao Hongrun turned to look at Zhao Yuanli and asked in confusion: "Uncle Six, how did you know? Hongrun has never heard anything about it."
"Ah?" Zhao Yuanli was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "Of course I have my own sources of information for your sixth uncle... You don't think that your sixth uncle and I are not as good as you, right?"
"That's not what I meant." Zhao Hongrun said nonchalantly.
"How's it going? Are you interested?"
"Well..." Zhao Hongrun thought for a while.
It had to be said that he was a little curious about the third uncle who had helped the previous generation Prince of the East Palace fight for the throne, became an enemy of his father, and was eventually exiled to Nanliang by his father.
After all, according to the sixth uncle in front of him, Zhao Hongrun's third uncle was even afraid of his father, Emperor Wei, and he was both afraid and unwilling to kill him.
"Sixth Uncle, is Third Uncle really that powerful?"
Zhao Hongrun asked while imagining the appearance of Nanliang King Zhao Yuanzuo in his mind.
After hearing this, a strange color flashed in Zhao Yuanli's eyes, and it disappeared in a flash.
"Ah, that is a person who, if he becomes an enemy, will make you feel like you are on pins and needles all day long... a very troublesome person."
Seeing that the sixth uncle had such high regard for the Southern Liang King Zhao Yuanzuo, Zhao Hongrun became even more curious about the third uncle whom he had never met. (To be continued.)