The Jiaozhi envoy did not believe what Kou Ji said at first, but after listening to Kou Ji's explanation, he became convinced.
Judging from Kou Ji's various performances after becoming an official, Kou Ji does seem to be helping Zhao Zhen make money.
For example, Yizijiaozipu, recognized as a super money-making machine in the Song Dynasty, was founded by Kou Ji. At the beginning of its establishment, Zhao Zhen had only one role and had no control over almost anything.
It was Kou Ji who worked all alone to make Yizijiaozi Shop bigger.
Then, after Yizijiaozipu became bigger, Zhao Zhen took it into his pocket.
Kou Ji, who made the greatest contribution, seems to have not gotten even a single cent.
It can be seen from this that Kou Ji is indeed helping Zhao Zhen make money.
Therefore, it makes sense that Zhao Zhen favored and trusted Kou Ji and protected Kou Ji.
Zhao Zhen trusted Kou Ji because Kou Ji could help him make money; Zhao Zhen protected Kou Ji because he was protecting his own money.
No wonder so many people in the Song Dynasty impeached Kou Ji, but Zhao Zhen always ignored them.
Who would have trouble with their own money bag?
However, Zhao Zhen's money bag seems to have some ideas of his own now.
After the Jiaozhi envoy figured this out, he looked at Kou Ji with a hint of eagerness.
With Kou Ji's identity and status, if he is willing to help Jiaozhi, the benefits to Jiaozhi will be unimaginable.
Kou Ji didn't seem to see the eager eyes of the Jiaozhi envoy. He still sighed and said to himself, "All the money I collected went into the inner treasury. The officials didn't say it was more generous and gave me one or two percent. Now I still have to pay a penalty."
It cost me a year’s salary.
I have no way to support my big family, so I have to make this decision."
The Jiaozhi envoy said with a smile: "Privy Privy Kou, don't belittle yourself. If Privy Kou is short of money, just say something. There will definitely be a lot of people giving you money."
Kou Ji sighed and said: "I want to, too! But my grandfather is not happy. If I take other people's money, my grandfather will kick me out of the house. I still have to rely on my grandfather's shadow to stay in the court.
Stand firm and do not offend him."
The Jiaozhi envoy pondered: "Foreign ministers heard that Kou Gong's salary is quite large every year."
Hearing this, a hint of anger appeared on Kou Ji's face, "It's okay if you don't mention this matter. As soon as I mention it, I get angry. His salary is quite a lot for each year, but it's all subsidized to the Wenchang Academy. He refuses to
Give half a cent to your family.
He wants to make a name for himself, so naturally I dare not stop him.
But he cannot let his grandchildren and great-grandchildren go hungry just to make a name for himself."
When the Jiaozhi envoy heard this, his doubts disappeared. He sighed and said, "Privy Councilor Kou is a bit angry."
Kou Ji gritted his teeth and said, "Who says it's not the case?"
The Jiaozhi envoy pondered: "You Song people have a saying, it is convenient for others, it is convenient for yourself. Since Privy Kou has found the foreign minister's head, the foreign minister cannot refuse the matter.
It just so happens that our territory in Cochin is currently experiencing frequent war disasters and lacks some armaments."
When Kou Ji heard this, he stared straight at the Jiaozhi envoy and said, "How much do you want?"
When the Jiaozhi envoy saw this, he was slightly stunned.
Judging from Kou Ji's posture, it seems that he can bring out a lot of weapons.
The Jiaozhi envoy pondered for a moment and then said: "Fifty thousand leather armor, ten thousand iron armor, thirty thousand swords and guns each..."
Kou Ji's eyes widened in vain.
The Jiaozhi envoy was stunned and muttered in his mind, is it missing?
Kou Ji stared at the Jiaozhi envoy closely and whispered: "Do you want my life?"
The Jiaozhi envoy was stunned again.
Kou Ji shouted anxiously: "Fifty thousand leather armor, ten thousand iron armor, and thirty thousand swords and guns. If I really take out so many armaments, I will definitely be found out. I will definitely be brought to court by then."
.
You should know that in the Song Dynasty, reselling soldiers and armors was a serious crime of confiscating one's family and annihilating one's clan."
The Cochin envoy opened his mouth, but suddenly he didn't know what to say.
He thought he was going to miss out, but he didn't expect that the Privy Councilor of the Song Dynasty was too timid.
He thought about it carefully and felt that it was the first time for Kou Ji to engage in this kind of head-off business. He was timid and cautious, which is what he should have done.
It's just that the Privy Council of the Song Dynasty was so timid, how could he achieve the feat of pacifying Hexi and destroying Xixia?
Could it be that he is taking the credit for his subordinates' achievements?
This kind of thing seems to be very common in the Song Dynasty?
Everyone in the imperial court of the Song Dynasty knew that the privy envoys of the Song Dynasty did not understand the art of war.
The military exploits of leveling Hexi and destroying Xixia were probably really stolen from his subordinates.
Thinking of this, the Jiaozhi envoy became less afraid of Kou Ji, and instead felt a little more contemptuous.
The Cochin envoy no longer had any fear of Kou Ji, and the tone of his speech changed.
"How much can Privy Kou give?"
The Cochin envoy spoke in a very calm tone.
Kou Ji gritted his teeth and said hesitantly: "Ten thousand leather armors, three thousand swords, one thousand spears, and five hundred crossbows."
The Cochin envoy frowned, "Iron armor..."
When Kou Ji heard the word "iron armor", he glared at the Jiaozhi envoy and said, "Iron armor is an important armament of our Song Dynasty. Someone in the Privy Council is keeping an eye on it, as are the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Industry. If I dare to sell it to you, I am looking for death.
.”
The Cochin envoy sighed inwardly.
Iron armor is what he values most.
But Kou Ji obviously didn't dare to resell the iron armor.
Although leather armor and swords and guns were not as valuable as iron armor, the armor-making and smelting technology of the Song Dynasty was more than one level higher than that of Jiaozhi.
Leather armor, swords and guns are also excellent weapons for Jiaozhi.
He can't miss it.
More importantly, the five hundred crossbows Kou Ji mentioned.
The crossbows of the Song Dynasty are definitely good things.
It is not an exaggeration to call him number one in the world.
Definitely not to be missed.
The Jiaozhi envoy had already decided to trade with Kou Ji, but he said calmly: "The quantity is too small..."
Hearing this, Kou Ji gritted his teeth and said, "Add another five thousand leather armors..."
The Jiaozhi envoy raised his eyebrows and said in deep thought: "It's still too few..."
Kou Ji stared and said, "This is the limit of what I can do."
The Jiaozhi envoy hesitated and said, "You are a privy envoy."
Kou Ji said angrily: "So what if you are a privy envoy? You still have to listen to the officials."
When the Jiaozhi envoy saw that Kou Ji was already annoyed, he guessed that Kou Ji had already taken out everything he could and dared to take out.
"Then fifteen thousand leather armors, three thousand swords, one thousand spears, and five hundred bows and crossbows."
The envoy from Cochin spoke.
Kou Ji gritted his teeth and said, "The price!"
The Cochin envoy made an offer.
Kou Ji bargained with him.
After much back and forth, we finally settled on a price that was acceptable to both parties.
The price is far higher than the market price by 10%.
The Jiaozhi envoy could accept it because he coveted the five hundred crossbows given by Kou Ji.
After setting the price, the Cochin envoy asked: "Where shall we trade?"
Kou Ji said solemnly: "Of course not in Bianjing City. There are many people in Bianjing City and it is easy to be discovered. We are trading in Yongzhou, and the local soldiers in Yongzhou are my people.
When the time comes, you give him your money, and he will give you his weapons."
Yongzhou is very close to Jiaozhi.
The risk that the Cochin envoy has to bear has become smaller, and there is no reason not to agree.
"Then just listen to Privy Councilor Kou."
The two of them agreed on the deal and left the restaurant after exchanging pleasantries without further chatting.
Before leaving, Kou Ji nervously reminded the Cochin envoy not to leak the news, otherwise he would definitely retaliate.
The Cochin envoy naturally agreed to this matter.
After Kou Ji walked away, the Jiaozhi envoy stared at the place where Kou Ji had gone, with a trace of contempt on his face.
"I thought the world-famous Privy Councilor of the Song Dynasty was so powerful, but it turned out that he was just a puppet. The real powerful one is probably the Emperor of the Song Dynasty."
The Jiaozhi envoy judged from Kou Ji's behavior today that Kou Ji was very unbearable.
He believed that Zhao Zhen probably contributed to Kou Ji's current reputation.
He felt that Kou Ji was not only a tool for Zhao Zhen to make money, but also a mouthpiece for Zhao Zhen.
The Jiaozhi envoy was full of contempt for Kou Ji.
Kou Ji treated him the same way. After he was out of sight of the Cochin envoy, a faint sneer appeared on Kou Ji's face, "You still want iron armor? It's not that easy."
Kou Ji personally went out and traded with the Cochin envoys, not for the purpose of selling arms.
After all, as a Privy Councilor, he would not personally take action for a small arms deal.
The main reason why he killed himself was to give the people of Cochin the illusion that iron armor was rare, thereby raising the price of iron armor.
The dignified privy envoys of the Song Dynasty did not dare to sell iron armor, which shows that the Song Dynasty strictly guarded the iron armor.
If someone risked his life and placed the armor in front of them, he would definitely be able to sell it for a very high price.
Kou Ji is paving the way for future transactions.
By the hands of the Cochin men, he raised the price of the iron armor.
At the same time, they also used their mouths to spread the news that someone was selling the Song Dynasty Iron Armor.
Those who have been thinking about the Song Dynasty Iron Armor for a long time will definitely not miss this opportunity.
Although there are not many iron armors in the Song Dynasty, they are not enough to meet everyone's needs.
But as long as there are huge profits to be made, the Song Dynasty can definitely build a few more armor forging workshops to cater to the market.
As long as the war between the neighbors continues, the Song Dynasty can use this to draw blood from them crazily.
As for whether his neighbors would wear iron armor forged by the Song Dynasty to offend the Song Dynasty, Kou Ji was not worried at all.
When the neighbors have the courage and strength to challenge Da Song.
Kou Ji can consider selling firearms to them.
When the time comes, beat them hard with firearms to show them how powerful firearms are.
Then they continued to draw blood from them by reselling their armor.
"Am I being too cruel to them?"
After sorting out his overall plan, Kou Ji sighed sincerely.
Kou Ji just sighed.
The carriage he was sitting in suddenly stopped.
Before he could ask, a figure got into the carriage.
Kou Ji took a closer look, "Prince?"
Wang Zeng got on the carriage, and the man with the golden sword sat down somewhere and said, "How many have been sold?"
Kou Ji pretended to be dumbfounded and said: "How much did you sell?"
Wang Zeng stared and shouted: "Don't pretend to be stupid in front of me. You and the officials are acting in Chuigong Hall. I know exactly what your purpose is. You just see other people being stupid, so you want to cheat them hard."
.”
Kou Jizheng said seriously: "I don't agree with what the prince said. After all, he is also an envoy of a country, how can he be a fool?"
Wang Zeng rolled his eyes and didn't want to talk to Kou Ji.
Kou Ji continued: "They are our guests after all. We are a country of etiquette and we should treat each other with courtesy. How can we call them stupid?"
Wang Zeng glared at Kou Ji and said, "Stop pretending to me, tell me quickly."
Kou Ji suddenly closed his mouth and stopped talking.
Wang Zeng shouted: "Do you think I want to know these dirty things? I came to inquire about this matter for the convenience of the records of the Hubu Yamen and the War Bu Yamen."
When Kou Ji heard this, he didn't give in anymore and said dryly: "Fifteen thousand leather armors, three thousand swords, one thousand spears, and five hundred bows and crossbows."
Wang Zeng stared at Kou Ji blankly and shouted: "Are you crazy?"
Kou Ji said displeasedly: "I'm not crazy!"
Wang Zeng shouted: "It's so hard to catch a scapegoat, so you can sell such a small amount of things? Just such a small amount of things is worthy of being personally punished by your Privy Council. Are you not afraid of embarrassment?"
Kou Ji said dissatisfiedly: "Of course I have my own reasons for doing this."
Wang Zeng cursed loudly: "You have a bullshit intention. Do you know that the armaments replaced by the Longshen Erwei and Huyi armies are almost rusting in the arsenal?
You finally caught someone who was taken advantage of, but instead of selling them more expensive iron armor, you sold them worthless leather armor."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and said, "I'm here to play the long game and catch big fish."
After saying this, Kou Ji told Wang Zeng his idea of raising the armor.
Wang Zeng was stunned for a long time after listening to Kou Ji's words.
"So, I have wronged you?"
Kou Ji said angrily: "What else? You are anxious to sell the iron armor in our arsenal, but what about the leather armor? What about the cloth armor then? Isn't it a waste?
We first created a rare atmosphere for them.
Then we use iron armor to catch them and let them eat our leather and cloth armor willingly.
When our leather armor and cloth armor are sold out, we will sell the iron armor."
Wang Zeng thought for a moment and said in a deep voice: "I have a lot of leather and cloth armor in the Song Dynasty's arsenal. Can Jiaozhi eat them? After they eat my leather and cloth armors from the Song Dynasty, they can still eat me."
The iron armor of the Song Dynasty?"
Kou Ji said calmly: "Jiaozhi is richer than you think."
Wang Zeng snorted: "But they don't have that many people."
Kou Ji glanced at Wang Zeng and said, "Young and old will go into battle together, won't it be enough?"
Wang Zeng said contemptuously: "You have such a dark heart..."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes.
Wang Zeng ignored Kou Ji's rolling eyes. After he despised Kou Ji, he thought for a moment and said to Kou Ji: "If Jiaozhi really has old and young going into battle together, Annan's army may not be able to withstand it.
As the Privy Councilor, you should help the Annan army and get more people for them."
Kou Ji glared at Wang Zeng and said, "You are even more evil..."
Wang Zeng Dayi said calmly: "The Annan Army is our army of the Song Dynasty. As a minister of the Song Dynasty, I am speaking to our soldiers and horses of the Song Dynasty. Isn't it right?"
Kou Ji suddenly didn't want to talk to Wang Zeng anymore. The old guy did all the bad things with great righteousness. He was really speechless.
After Wang Zeng understood the details of the transaction, he did not stay in the carriage any longer.
After Wang Zeng left, Kou Ji returned to the house in a carriage.
Not long after Kou Ji returned to his home, the leather armor and other items that Kou Ji wanted to sell to Jiaozhi were transported out of the arsenal and quietly transported to Yongzhou.
Everything is done quietly.
Except for a few insiders, everyone else was kept in the dark.
…
During the New Year holidays.
Bianjing City is as lively as ever.
There was as much hustle and bustle as usual inside and outside the city.
The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty were as lazy as ever.
After the New Year's Day, the Jiaozhi envoy left Bianjing City. Before leaving, Kou Ji sent a person to follow him out of Bianjing City and rushed to Yongzhou.
After he arrives in Yongzhou and delivers the money, he can take away the ordnance he purchased.
The arms trade between the Song Dynasty and Jiaozhi was only carried out in private, so no one paid attention to it openly.
People from all over the Song Dynasty were attracted by another thing after the beginning of spring.
That is the matter of the imperial court's promotion of simplified characters.
After this matter spread.
The scholars inevitably started to make trouble again.
There are rumors that simplified characters are newly compiled characters by the imperial court, which are completely different from the original characters. The characters that scholars are learning now will become useless after the implementation of simplified characters.
Although when the imperial court released the Di Bao, news spread about how to arrange simplified characters, how to promote simplified characters, and how to use simplified and traditional characters in parallel.
The readers didn’t believe it either.
They would rather believe rumors than the imperial reports.
They didn't know where they learned that Kou Ji was the culprit behind the promotion of simplified Chinese characters, and they all went to the Kou Mansion and the other courtyards of the Kou Mansion to cause trouble.
There are those who criticize, those who criticize, and those who write articles criticizing.
Kou Ji sat in the study, listening to the denunciations outside the courtyard, and asked Lu Ming not far away: "How many people have gathered outside?"
Lu Ming bowed and said: "More than four hundred people..."
Kou Ji nodded slowly, "That's not much. It's not enough for the Firearms Battalion to kill in one round."
The corner of Lu Ming's mouth twitched, "Young Master, many of the scholars outside the door are famous. If you are good at killing, it will bring a bad reputation to you."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and said, "As a privy envoy, what do I want to do with a good reputation?"
Lu Ming said with a bitter face: "But if other scholars know about it, they will definitely spread the word that you are a heinous person. Once you have a reputation of being a heinous person, you may not be able to live well as a person."
Kou Ji thought for a moment and said, "That's right..."
Kou Ji told Lu Ming: "Go out and tell those scholars that the promotion of simplified Chinese characters is the official idea and has nothing to do with me."
Lu Ming's face changed slightly, and he said with a bitter face: "Aren't you setting officials up for injustice?"
Kou Ji waved his hand and said, "The officials won't care."
Lu Ming's expression became even more bitter, "The officials really won't care?"
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and shouted: "You talk a lot... Go out and guard the door. If anyone breaks into the house, beat them out with sticks. I'll think about countermeasures."
Lu Ming agreed and left Kou Ji's study.
After Lu Ming left, Kou Ji couldn't laugh or cry and said: "Silly boy, the official family regarded this matter as an opportunity to gain reputation, how could they care? The official family now wishes that everyone in the world would stare at him and scold him.
Woolen cloth."
Those who promote simplified Chinese characters will certainly be hated by others.
Can we promote Mongolian education and promote enlightenment?
The imperial court could clearly expose the matter of promoting Mongolian education and weaken the resistance of scholars.
But now, the issue of promoting simplified Chinese characters has been brought up, and it has been criticized.
For what?
Just for a good slap in the face.
Just think about it, when the scholars were at their most violent, Zhao Zhen would deal with them harshly the next time.
Wait until Shilin becomes a sensation and prepares to make a big fuss.
Zhao Zhen brought up the matter of promoting enlightenment and promoting Mongolian learning in the world.
Scholars who prepare to cause trouble in the scholarly community will fall apart in an instant.
Not only would they not make trouble, they would also hold high the banner of "Zhao" and praise Zhao Zhen.
Why?
Is it because Zhao Zhen promoted enlightenment?
no.
It's because Zhao Zhen gave them a job with very good salary.
There were not many scholars in the Song Dynasty.
This time the Daxing of Education needs more teachers.
If you catch them in one fell swoop, most of the scholars will be recruited by the court as Mr. Meng Xue.
How could they say bad things about Zhao Zhen when they all received the salary rewarded by Zhao Zhen?
The final result was that the scholars who were first punished by Zhao Zhen, as well as some scholars with bad intentions, became victims.
No one will pity them, and no one will seek justice for them.
Why does Kou Ji know the whole plan?
Because this whole plan was planned by Kou Ji.
Zhao Zhen wanted to improve his reputation, so Kou Ji conveniently helped him.
However, all plans are subject to accidents.
Kou Ji's plan this time also had an accident.
According to the plan that Kou Ji made for Zhao Zhen, when the scholars were about to make a fuss, Zhao Zhen stood up to clarify the matter, took over all the infamy, and then looked for an opportunity to deal with it ruthlessly.
From the beginning, everything was developing according to Kou Ji's plan.
When Zhao Zhen came forward to clarify the matter, an accident happened.
When the number of scholars at the gate of Kou Mansion's courtyard exceeded one thousand, Zhao Zhen issued an edict and clearly told the whole world.
It was his idea to promote simplified Chinese characters.
His purpose in promoting simplified characters was to facilitate education.
However.
No one believed it.
Not only did no one believe him, the team that denounced Kou Ji became even stronger.
…
Inside the Zishi Hall.
Zhao Zhen stood in front of the Long Case in disbelief, "Wang Aiqing, are you saying that no one in the world believes in me?"
Wang Zeng stood at the bottom and nodded with a wry smile.
Zhao Zhen asked: "Why?"
Lu Yijian, who was standing next to Wang Zeng, said quietly: "Students feel that the officials took over this matter in order to protect and protect Kou Ji."
Zhang Zhibai added: "Not only that, there are also people who say that it was Kou Ji who bewitched the officials and asked the officials to come forward to help him get rid of the infamy. Scholars now believe that Kou Ji bewitched the officials and framed them for injustice.
He is a slanderous minister and a treacherous minister.
Some people who consider themselves righteous people are now joining the scholars in condemning Kou Ji."
Zhao Zhen sat weakly on the seat and sighed: "What's going on?"
Wang and Zeng looked at each other and gave a bitter smile.
Lu Yijian cupped his hands and said: "The officials don't have to worry about this. Although the officials can't accumulate reputation through this, they can see people's hearts.
The common people and scholars would rather put all the blame on Kou Ji than let the official family bear any stigma.
This shows that the official family has won the hearts of the people."