Gao Chengyi left, with tears in his eyes, his back full of desolation and loneliness.
Kou Ji looked at Gao Chengyi's back without any pity.
The death of Gao Chugong was very unexpected, but it was also reasonable.
Gao Gao Gongtai is old and has been on the battlefield for half his life. He has suffered countless injuries, both visible and hidden. When he was in Bianjing City, he didn't have much of a problem.
But after going to the north, he found it difficult to adapt to the extremely cold climate.
Both the visible and hidden injuries on the body recurred.
If you don't survive it, you will die.
Before he died, he wanted to take advantage of his acquaintance with Kou Ji to get some benefits from Kou Ji for his descendants.
It's a pity that he made the wrong calculation.
Kou Ji can agree. Even if the Gao family randomly sends someone here, Kou Ji can agree.
Kou Ji would not agree, not to mention Gao Chugong's death, even if everyone in the Gao family died, Kou Ji would not agree.
Love is love, and principles are principles.
Kou Ji made the distinction very clearly.
Since Kou Ji rejected the request of several families to purchase firearms, except for people from Zhu Neng's family and Cao Li's family, no one from other families has appeared in Zhuyuan again.
Zhu Neng and Cao Lili knew the details of Kou Ji, and they knew that Kou Ji had the absolute right to speak on the issue of firearms.
Although Kou Ji rejected their business of purchasing firearms, as long as they have a good relationship with Kou Ji, sooner or later they will get firearms.
Moreover, they knew that Kou Ji not only had firearms, but also countless good things.
Make good friends with Kou Ji and become allies. Kou Ji will definitely not treat them badly.
Cao Lili and Zhang Yuan are still alive today, which shows that Kou Ji is not a heartless person. He did not kill everyone, nor did he kill the donkey. Instead, he gave Cao Lili and Zhang Yuan an unprecedented future.
It can be seen from this.
Kou Ji is a person who values friendship and justice.
It's just that there aren't many people he can consider as friends.
The other companies didn't know the details of Kou Ji. After Kou Ji refused their request to buy firearms, they found another way and planned to open a hole in Zhao Zhen.
"People from Zhong Shiheng presented eighteen beautiful women to the officials, a golden Buddha as tall as one person, and asked the officials for craftsmen to make firecrackers..."
When Liu Heng was helping Liu Boxu recruit troops and horses outside, he heard some rumors and hurried to Kou Ji's study to share the news he got with Kou Ji.
While enjoying the tea cooked by Wang Anshi, Kou Ji asked with a smile: "Do you feel the danger?"
Liu Heng nodded without hesitation, with a trace of worry on his face, "He is in Dongyang. Dongyang is surrounded by the sea on three sides and only one side faces the land. That place is my fiefdom, Xiyang.
He clearly had bad intentions when he asked the government for craftsmen to make firecrackers.
If he has any ideas, Bethuko will be in danger."
Kou Ji sipped the tea and sighed: "Zhong Shiheng's methods are still too rough... If he comes up with some weird things, or uses Xu Fu's name to come up with something to extend his life, maybe his idea will come true."
Liu Heng stared at Kou Ji and said solemnly: "He is not asking for the craftsman who made the firecrackers at all, he wants the secret recipe for gunpowder. If he wants the secret recipe for gunpowder, it shows that he has the heart to open up new territories.
The only one he can deal with now is Bethus."
Kou Ji glanced at Liu Heng and said faintly: "Didn't we say two days ago that Zhong Shiheng would not dare to attack Bo Xu as long as we were alive? Why are you so nervous again?"
Liu Heng gritted his teeth and said: "Bo Xu is no match for Zhong Shiheng."
Kou Ji sighed, "Why don't you go back to Xiyang and have a look."
Liu Heng shook his head decisively, "I want to stay and help you."
Kou Ji said seriously: "I won't leave Bianjing now, so basically no one can hurt me. You won't be able to help me much if you stay.
You have always been worried that Bo Xu is in dire straits, and if you don’t go and take a look, your heart will never calm down.”
Liu Heng shook his head stubbornly, "I will not leave Bianjing City, I just hope that you will not give the craftsman who made the firecrackers to Zhong Shiheng.
Once Zhong Shiheng gets gunpowder, he will definitely make firearms."
Kou Ji waved his hand and asked Wang Anshi to go out first.
After Wang Anshi left, Kou Ji stared at Liu Heng and said solemnly: "The officials will not hurt me."
Why did Liu Heng abandon his son and stay in Bianjing?
Just to protect Kou Ji.
With Kou Ji's current status and the power in his hands, the only one who can hurt Kou Ji is Zhao Zhen.
Liu Heng stayed here just to prevent Zhao Zhen from attacking Kou Ji.
Kou Ji has history books as a guide, even Zhao Zhen is a kind man and will not hurt him.
But Liu Heng didn’t think so.
He felt that as long as the person sitting in that position had no friendship in his eyes.
He felt that Zhao Zhen was letting Kou Ji live now because Kou Ji was still useful.
He felt that once Kou Ji was useless, Zhao Zhen would kill him without hesitation.
Because almost everyone in the Song Dynasty knows that the most threatening person to the throne now is Kou Ji.
Even Kou Ji behaved very harmlessly.
Even if Kou Ji has no love for the throne.
Liu Heng shook his head and said solemnly: "Fourth brother, you are also a learned person. You should understand that throughout the ages, no emperor has been affectionate.
The wiser the wise king is, the more ruthless he will be.
There is no doubt that Guan Jia is a wise king.
So you can't put your life on your friendship with him.
If you blindly believe in your friendship with him, when he really wants to kill you, you will die miserably."
Kou Ji hesitated for a moment and said to Liu Heng: "He is a poor man. He actually longs for family and friendship..."
Liu Heng said in a deep voice: "The emperor is lonely... He is born... You should not pity him... If you pity him, you are seeking death... All those who pity the tiger will eventually die in the tiger's mouth..."
Kou Ji couldn't tell Liu Heng what kind of person Zhao Zhen was in history.
There was no way to tell Liu Heng that even if Zhao Zhen fell out, there would be nothing he could do.
"Let's discuss the issue of gunpowder. The gunpowder in the imperial artillery workshop does not have much lethality at all. It is not as useful as a steel knife on the battlefield.
So you don't need to worry about Zhong Shiheng threatening Bo Xu after he gets the gunpowder.
Firearms are not that easy to make.
Today's use of gunpowder on the battlefield requires more than thirty processes.
If one is missing, you will not be able to make qualified gunpowder.
There are more than 30 processes, and without the guidance of knowledgeable people, Zhong Shiheng may not be able to get started even if he studies them for a lifetime.
As for the iron materials used in firearms, it was enough for them to study for a long, long time.
It’s not that no one has thought about counterfeiting, and it’s not that no one has researched it.
After the firearms entered Jiaozhi, Cao Lili sent people to study them.
They took the muskets and cannons I made, but they didn't find any way to do it.
Now I have a Firebolt Meteor Arrow in front of me.
With muskets and artillery, he couldn't even get through the door.
So you don’t have to worry about Bethu being threatened.”
Liu Heng said in a deep voice: "I'm always worried..."
Kou Ji shook his head and said with a smile: "Before the officials showed no intention of cutting down the vassal, and before the officials allowed the vassals to kill each other, it was impossible for Zhong Shiheng to take action against Bo Xu.
Once he takes action, he will not only face Bo Xu, but also the entire Song Dynasty.
In military matters, the majesty of the official family cannot be challenged."
Liu Heng lowered his head and said nothing.
Kou Ji continued: "If you are concerned, you will be in chaos. In my opinion, Bo Xu is very safe now. Zhong Shiheng's request for gunpowder is nothing more than to accumulate strength in the future.
He was afraid that in the future we, Han Di, and you, Xiyang, would be rampant with firearms and their families would not be able to protect themselves, so he asked for gunpowder and wanted to catch up.
He is worried that we will invade his fiefdom.
After all, firearms are something they can't get.
For me, it’s easy to get.”
When Liu Heng heard this, his expression softened a lot.
Kou Ji glanced at Liu Heng and said: "Don't think so much. If you are really worried, just go and have a look. Compared with Zhong Shiheng, Zhu Neng, Li Zhaoliang, Gao Weizhao, Cao Lili deserves our attention more.
When they asked for gunpowder, they really wanted to conquer the city.
The war horses of the Gao family are now running rampant in the Northland, and it is said that they have gathered more than 10,000 Northland savages.
The soldiers of the Zhu family fought in the Western Regions and were said to have captured Qiuci.
In just six months, the Zhu family's territory has more than doubled.
Cao Li captured sixteen cities in the southeast.
The envoy of the Cao family has already asked the officials to engrave the name of the Lord of Xilao on the seal given to Cao Yong.
Although the Li family has not been in the Western Regions for a long time, they have already reached an agreement with Zhu Neng, Yuan Shan, and Gargamel of the Black Khanate.
The four parties have formed an alliance and are preparing to go to the west to capture cities and territories together.
With the help and guidance of Gargamel, a local snake, they already knew the existence of many countries to the west and knew where it would be more advantageous to advance.
Now Gargamel's people are drawing detailed maps of the West.
Li Zhaoliang and others are working hard.
I believe that after they accumulate strength to a certain extent, they will rush into the West without hesitation."
Liu Heng hesitated and said: "They don't care about me, the Song Dynasty?"
Kou Ji smiled and said: "Why do you care? Gargamel needs to restore the glory of God. He must go west. In his mouth, the west is a territory larger than our Song Dynasty, with countless gold and silver treasures.
.
As long as Li Zhaoliang and others are not stupid, they all know how to choose.
Instead of going back to fight against the tyrannical Song Dynasty, it would be better to go to the west and bully those weak countries."
Liu Heng stared at Kou Ji and said, "Are you going to give them gunpowder and help them?"
Kou Ji shook his head and said with a smile: "I will sell them armor, bows and crossbows, and after a few years, I can also sell them Firebolts and Meteor Arrows.
Others are not available for the time being."
Liu Heng thought about it and said: "It seems that you have arranged them well."
Kou Ji chuckled and said: "The Song Dynasty's territory is now too large to take care of itself, and there is no spare power to occupy so much territory. They go to war, and we provide them with weapons in exchange for the gold and silver treasures in their hands. It is reasonable and reasonable.
I also want to ask my merchants from the Song Dynasty to follow them and help them digest the spoils that are inconvenient for them to handle.
Western mines can also cooperate in mining."
Liu Heng pursed his lips and did not speak again.
Kou Ji's description was too big, and he couldn't care about it, and he couldn't care about it.
He no longer cares about money, because he has made enough money following Kou Ji in recent years.
He doesn't care about credit or anything else, because his contribution in the Song Dynasty has reached the top.
Xiyang is on the sea, so it is too difficult to expand territory.
In the future, after Kou Ji solves all the problems in the Song Dynasty and returns to Han, he can just hang out with Kou Ji.
Anyway, Kou Ji won't let him suffer.
He doesn't have the brains of Kou Ji, so he can just help Kou Ji run errands.
Not long after Kou Ji finished chatting with Liu Heng, Chen Lin hurried to Zhuyuan and invited Kou Ji to enter the palace.
When Kou Ji entered the palace, he saw Zhao Zhen studying the memorials of Zhu Neng and others carefully.
Seeing Kou Ji appear, Zhao Zhen smiled and said without waiting for Kou Ji to salute: "Fourth brother, it's really strange that they all want me to ask for the craftsman who made the firecrackers.
The price offered is not small.”
Kou Ji said frankly with a smile: "They are doing it for gunpowder."
Zhao Zhen laughed and said: "To be precise, it's the kind of gunpowder I want you to create. I don't know about others, but when the Gao family left, they poached two people from the private sector who had worked in the imperial artillery workshop.
Old craftsman.
I'm afraid they already have gunpowder for firecrackers."
Kou Ji nodded and said, "It's similar to other companies."
Before Kou Ji appeared, there was no secrecy law in the Song Dynasty.
And they opened artillery shops everywhere.
Some books also openly disclose the formula of gunpowder.
Therefore, if you want to get a relatively primitive gunpowder formula, it is very easy to find a craftsman who can make primitive gunpowder.
Zhu Neng and others have a lot of money, so it is very easy to recruit some such craftsmen.
So they must have produced primitive gunpowder.
Zhao Zhen knocked on the certificate of credence on the table and said with a smile: "Since they have gunpowder and they ask me for the craftsmen who make the gunpowder, they don't naively think that I will give them the craftsmen from the equipment workshop, right?
"
The original gunpowder is no longer considered gunpowder in the eyes of Zhao Zhen and Kou Ji.
They all thought it was a toy.
Only the gunpowder in the equipment workshop is the gunpowder used to make weapons.
The difference between the two is not the slightest bit.
Kou Ji smiled and said: "They are just using this to test the officials. If the officials agree, they can use this as an excuse to get gunpowder and the craftsmen who make gunpowder from the people below.
After all, with official endorsement, they only need to pay some money to get what they want.
Even if the population below is tight, I won’t give it.
They can also use this to test out that in the eyes of officials, gunpowder is tradable.
Each subsequent year, they will continue to increase their bets.
Until the officials are willing to trade with them for real gunpowder."
Zhao Zhen nodded and smiled: "I think so. So I won't let them get their way."
Speaking of this, Zhao Zhen paused and said, "I'm not afraid of Fourth Brother digesting it. If someone had spent so much money to buy real gunpowder when I first came to the throne, I would really agree.
But now, I live on a mountain made of copper and silver.
Their little money really can’t impress me.”
Kou Ji was stunned when he heard this and asked: "The officials plan to transport the Japanese silver from the secret treasury in Dengzhou to Bianjing City?"
Zhao Zhen nodded with a smile, "Someone is buying copper coins from the private sector, and I can just use this to cast some of the copper ingots in the treasury and sealing pile warehouse into copper coins and distribute them.
The freed up coffers can just be used to store silver.
To be honest with Fourth Brother, some of the copper in the treasury has begun to change color.
I'm afraid if I don't let it out, it will get moldy."
Kou Ji said with a smile on his face: "Actually, silver is also prone to mold. Why don't the officials just mint some silver coins and deposit them in Yizijiaozipu, and then let the people of Yizijiaozipu transfer those in the warehouse of Yizijiaozipu?
Put the copper coins out."
Zhao Zhen thought for a moment and said, "If we release so much at once, will it hurt the people?"
Kou Ji shook his head and said: "Yizijiaozipu has now been laid in all counties in the Song Dynasty. Except for some places in Liao that have not yet been naturalized, the paving has been completed in other places.
Officials only need to put down corresponding amounts of money according to local taxes.
The public will digest it quickly."
Zhao Zhen nodded and said, "Would the common people disapprove of it?"
Kou Ji smiled and said: "Yizijiaozi Shop has existed for many years, and the common people are already familiar with the existence of Yizijiaozi Shop, and they also know that the royal family stands behind Yizijiaozi Shop.
Therefore, whether Yizijiaozipu issues copper coins or silver coins, the people will recognize it.
The officials only need to let Yizijiaozipu issue them according to the exchange rate of private silver and copper.
Officials can also issue money."
Zhao Zhen pondered and said: "People can't afford money."
Kou Ji shook his head and said with a smile: "The officials underestimated the people under their rule. Now in the Song Dynasty, there are no extremely poor people. The poor people are now gradually moving to Xingqing Prefecture, Qingtang, Jiaozhi, and Liaodi
migrate.
After they move there, they will immediately become wealthy households with hundreds of acres of land.
The households can afford the money.”
Zhao Zhen sighed: "But it will take a long, long time to move the people. With those wealthy families standing in the way, I'm afraid I won't be able to move all the people.
Therefore, the people who should be poor are still poor.
In our Song Dynasty, there is obviously countless land that needs to be cultivated.
But there are still people in the hinterland of the Central Plains who are worried about not having enough to eat.”
Kou Ji smiled and said: "So in the near future, only silver coins will be issued, not money, so that people can afford the money."
Zhao Zhen asked: "Fourth brother seems to be very obsessed with issuing silver coins and money?"
Kou Ji said frankly: "I feel that in our Song Dynasty, copper is money, and gold and silver can also be used as money, so why not mint money and silver coins to alleviate the money shortage.
If we, the Song Dynasty, have money and silver coins, then even if someone hoards copper coins in large quantities, we can still ensure that the people have money to use.
There will never be a money shortage caused by someone hoarding copper coins.
More importantly, gold and silver are both goods, but they cannot be eaten or drunk. They are always hidden and are of no benefit to the court.
In this case, it is better to use it to solve the court's money shortage.
If we, the Song Dynasty, had issued silver coins and money earlier, we would not have been embarrassed by a few large private households this time."
After hearing what Kou Ji said, Zhao Zhen felt deeply convinced.
"What Fourth Brother said makes sense... Since gold, silver, and copper are both goods, then copper can be used to make money, and gold and silver can also be used to make money. Using gold and silver to make money can indeed reduce the people's demand for copper.
It's just that I think the Jiaozi from Yizijiaozipu is very useful. The imperial court can just cast copper coins and silver coins.
There is no need to mint money, because the value of money is already the same as a small denomination of Jiaozi."
Kou Ji shook his head and said: "Jiaozi is just Jiaozi, not money. The court must always abide by the rules of how much wealth there is and how many Jiaozi are issued.
Excessive and sparse hair will bring disaster.
While the imperial court has not yet completely grasped the balance, it cannot send out too much or indiscriminately.
Officials should remember the lessons learned from the previous Jiaozipu in Shuzhong.
Shuzhong Jiaozipu is just a small Jiaozipu.
Yizijiaozipu is so huge that many people can hardly imagine it.
Once the Jiaozi of Yizijiaozipu loses its trust, the people will rush to run away from it, and then Yizijiaozipu will collapse.
It would be better if the court had enough money to cope with it.
If not, you'll be in big trouble.
Jiaozipu in Shuzhong collapsed, and I took action.
When Yizijiaozipu collapses, no one can stop it."
Zhao Zhen nodded thoughtfully.
"The Yizijiaozi store is too big, and there is too much money saved. There really shouldn't be any disturbances. Once there are disturbances, it will be a big trouble."
Kou Ji accompanied Zhao Zhen to finish chatting about currency and Yizijiaozipu, and then left the palace.
Until New Year's Eve, Kou Ji did not enter the palace again.
During the New Year's Eve banquet.
The palace is brightly lit.
The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty and envoys from various vassals gathered together.
The scene was very lively.
When the vassal envoy presented the gift, he once again raised the question of getting a craftsman to make gunpowder.
Although they have submitted their credentials, they have not received a response from Zhao Zhen.
So they brought it up again when giving gifts.
In order to win sympathy, some people cried loudly and bluntly said that the barbarian lands outside the hinterland of the Song Dynasty were simply not inhabited by humans and their lives were very miserable.
There were also people who took the harem route and asked Queen Cao for help.
There are also people who keep increasing their bets.
All in all, they all have their own unique tricks.
But Zhao Zhen was not deceived by their appearances.
Zhao Zhen quietly watched where they were performing.
After they were tired from performing, Zhao Zhen refused them firmly.
In addition, a Yuanwailang was thrown out of Yanfu Palace by the way, leaving the words "Never Recruit".
There was no other reason. That guy actually went out to speak for Zhong Shiheng’s people when they increased the price to a relatively generous figure.
He thought he was following Kou Ji's old wisdom and could help the court make millions by reselling weapons.
He can also rise to great heights with this.
But he didn't know that in the eyes of Kou Ji and Zhao Zhen, his behavior was so stupid that it made people laugh.
Zhao Zhen had the guy thrown out on the spot.
No one in the civil or military court interceded for him.
They all knew that this guy knew the Song Dynasty's secrecy laws and the importance the Song Dynasty placed on firearms.
He just jumped out to attract attention just to get promoted.
Neither the secrecy law nor the importance of firearms is as important as promotion in his eyes.
In the eyes of many money fans, as long as there is money to be made, it doesn't matter if you are a traitor to the country.
In the eyes of some official fans, as long as they can be promoted, everything else can be abandoned.
A grand New Year's Eve banquet was eventually broken up by an official fan.
Zhao Zhen walked away, and the banquet was completely over.
After the envoys of each vassal returned to the post house, they never made any requests for firearms.
But the ambitions of the people behind them did not stop there.