According to historical records... The most basic condition for starting with this is that the things recorded must be able to catch the eyes of the main author.
Recording historical phenomena has always been the privilege of the scholar-official class. Common people did not have this opportunity, nor did merchants. Sometimes the evaluation of military commanders was also dictated by the pens of scholar-officials.
Because carrots were chosen by Zhao Xi for trial planting, the Imperial City Division was interested. The following report made Zhao Xi feel a little ashamed... It turns out that in the Shazhou area, people have been planting carrots for a long time.
.
From this, Zhao Xi thought that the maritime transport of Guochao was only known to be quite prosperous in later generations. As for the farthest place of Guochao's maritime trade, it was also inferred based on so-called cultural relics, and there was no pure maritime trade knowledge.
records.
In other words, many inconspicuous things will not appear in historical materials.
Therefore, Zhao Xi had some expectations for the ragtag group of four sons.
The ocean is mysterious. Even in later generations, with the level of scientific and technological development, they would not dare to say that they have completely understood the ocean. Not to mention development, even where humans can reach, they would not dare to say that they have completely covered the ocean. The understanding of the ocean
Development and utilization is even less than 10%.
So, now, how much can we know about the ocean in this era? What will it be like in a few hundred years when the Age of Discovery arrives? How many accidental events have been lost in the so-called historical data?
Zhao Xi felt that he had entered an obsession...
Even so, Zhao Xi did not lose his mind by playing with things, and his main focus was still on government affairs. The carrot thing appeared again, and there were no ministers in the court to give him any advice.
As for the rumors in the market, they all change hot and cold, and disappear after a while. In other words, the public, including the court, no longer talks about the official family...
The Elder Council will communicate with the cabinet every once in a while. This is not a requirement of the Council of Elders, but what Zhao Xi stipulates.
Since they bear the responsibilities of court counselors, they should always play their role. After a period of time, let these elders who are already considered officials to judge the government affairs of the court as a person who has experienced it or as a bystander.
The perspectives of those who are in office and those who are not in office are different, and the interest groups they represent are also different. After some cabinet elders become officials, they will only focus on gaining reputation and will advocate for the interests of the country; some cabinet elders will not be involved because they have no position.
Those who are tripping are completely working for the benefit of the family; there are also those who are really free, playing left and watching the clouds rolling and relaxing, and the changes in the situation.
Fortunately, the elders in the pavilion are quite old. If it weren't for Zhao Xi's careful care, there would be very few of these old guys alive. In this way, Chen Shengzhi also passed away last year, and Zhang Fangping, who had a tough personality, also died.
On the sickbed.
Sima Guang was focused on studying history without any distractions. Fu Bi was because of his big heart; Han Qi and Wen Yanbo definitely relied on their face to survive.
Han Jiang is no longer good. He rarely comes to the palace anymore. He rests at home and no longer worries about the affairs of the court. The Han family has long admired the relationship between officials and family, and he needs to carry it out in the court.
, not to mention Han Zhen is still in office.
"Dear counselors, we in the cabinet are very puzzled by some of the recent behaviors of officials..."
Wang Anshi distinguished the elders and counselors very clearly, and their titles were so clear.
Fu Bi didn't care, but Han Qi and Wen Yanbo were a little unhappy. However, Wang Anshi had been calling him this way since the election, so they got used to it.
He is already in his seventies or eighties, he is not in the court, and he has no intention of fighting.
However, Han Qi and Wen Yanbo really don’t like this cabinet...
"Are you wondering what the official family has been busy with during this time?"
Since Wen Yanbo entered the cabinet, he has spoken more than when he was in the cabinet, and seems to have fewer taboos.
Wen Yanbo said this and looked at these new cabinet ministers with disdain... How can we help the officials if they can't even understand their intentions?
However, it seems that the treacherous Lu Jifu is very dissatisfied, as well as the one from the Su family.
In this cabinet, Wen Yanbo also had a slight crush on Lu Huiqing... Of course, he would not admit it because he was capable of conspiracy.
"That's true. Although the officials will not lose their ambition by playing with things, their behavior has left a bad impression on the court after all."
Wang Anshi is still very sincere.
Wang Anshi's character is flawed, and his outstanding talent makes him a little self-centered, or immersed in his own thinking. This is why he cannot be as considerate to the officials as Fu Bi.
Most talented people have this problem.
Since I joined the Cabinet, I will evaluate the new cabinet when I have nothing to do.
"Prime Minister, why don't you let Zhi Gui talk about it?"
Wen Yanbo calls Fu Bi or Fu Xiang, he doesn't care what Wang Anshi thinks.
"You name it, it's all the same."
Han Qi was quite polite to Wang Anshi.
"Okay, then let me tell you...the official's order for the navy or the four princes' team is different from the rumors. The official is actually looking for seeds from foreign countries..."
Wang Anshi and the entire cabinet are aware of this.
"As we all know, the food of the country is now very dependent on Annan. In other words, once there is a famine or war in Annan, it will inevitably affect the food stability of the country."
"As for the Second Prince in Annan, do you think that the Second Prince's 5,000 soldiers cannot advance southward? Back then, the official's 2,000 guard battalions were able to cause great turmoil in Annan, so much so that even Sheng Long Mansion was shocked three times a day. The country and the dynasty
With the armaments reformed to this point, the second prince can also provoke war in Annan."
"However, the second prince did not do this..."
Wen Yanbo enjoys coaching the new cabinet, especially after taking office.
"It was originally a random arrangement for the fourth prince to go east to explore the sea. Why did the officials plan to build a navy? Is it really because the fourth prince went to sea and was wronged?"
"If you consider these two things together, what will you understand? It's very simple. It's easy for the country to take Annan now. Even if the second prince provokes a war in Annan or even captures Annan, it's not that difficult. Why not do it, because the country
Food for the dynasty.”
"The official plan to build a navy is not just to establish and maintain maritime order, but rather to establish another channel for the food of the country and the dynasty. The food of the small countries in the south can be transferred to the country and the dynasty without Annan."
"As for the officials asking the navy to pay attention to the seeds, you should have thought of it, right? If the country cannot have food suitable for growing on barren land before the settlement of Northern Liao, the officials still don't want to touch Annan, but they are worried that the second prince can't help it.
It will cause chaos!"
"Just like carrots, we heard from merchants traveling to the west that although they are vegetables, the yield per mu can reach fifteen shi..."
Putting aside the government affairs and simply thinking about the officialdom, with many years of experience watching the official administration, these veterans of the Cabinet, to a certain extent, understand the official intentions better than the cabinet.