Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 208: Don’t avoid relatives when promoting talents

Xie Jiu looked in the direction Zhao Xingjin was pointing and saw a drawing on the blueprint of something with a long tube, shaped somewhat like a flute, which she had never seen before.

"This little thing doesn't even look sharp enough. How can it be better than swords and spears?" Xie Jiu asked doubtfully.

Gunpowder is now a rare commodity. When used in the military, it is mostly made into fire projectiles, which are then launched by catapults to achieve the effect of fire attack.

Zhao Xingjin chuckled and patted the blueprint. “This is called a fire lance. Don’t underestimate it. When using it, gunpowder is loaded into a long tube, and after it is lit, it can spray flames to repel the enemy. One person holds the lance and the other lights it. It is estimated that the flames can shoot several meters away. The gunpowder also contains scrap iron, small stones, and broken porcelain pieces, so it is quite lethal.”

These words surprised Xie Jiu.

"I never imagined it had such power. If this thing were used in the army of my Great Jing, wouldn't it greatly increase our strength!"

“Yes, the Minister of War has personally inspected it, and it is absolutely an excellent weapon. Moreover, it is still being improved, and it will definitely be even more useful and powerful in the future.” Zhao Xingjin said with great enthusiasm.

As he spoke, he walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looked out through the window, and said in a deep voice.

"I think that now that we have this thing, we can create a special army to train them and make them proficient in using this fire lance so that they can be used to defeat the enemy in the future."

Xie Jiu turned to look at him and saw the midday sun shining through the window onto him, making him look so bright and full of vitality.

This is a young and ambitious emperor who will surely achieve great things in the future.

Xie Jiu actually wanted to grow up with him, but the Xie family was always a chasm between them, making it impossible for them to be as close as others. In fact, the intimacy they seemed to have now was just an illusion.

This thought dimmed the light in Xie Jiu's eyes, and she silently withdrew her gaze from Zhao Xingjin.

She longed for a confidant, someone with whom she could exchange her true feelings, but that person could never be Zhao Xingjin. Even emperors might have genuine feelings, but there were always things more important than genuine feelings that came first.

Therefore, Xie Jiu could only plead for his own safety first.

"Your Majesty, if we are to establish a new army specifically to train soldiers to use fire lances, then we will need to select people to manage it, won't we?" Xie Jiu said softly, suppressing his chaotic thoughts.

Zhao Xingjin turned to the side. "Well, naturally someone needs to lead the army. Why are you suddenly asking about this? Do you have someone to recommend?"

"Yes." Xie Jiu said seriously and walked slowly toward him. "Does Your Majesty still remember the Mingwei General's Mansion? I heard that Your Majesty personally praised that young General Du Qian at the morning court. I know him well. He is an upright and honest man, young and energetic, and quite capable. He is worth cultivating."

Zhao Xingjin was naturally aware that Du Qian had been falsely credited with military merit by Consort Zhuang's cousin. He then discovered that Du Qian had been recommended by Xie Jiu to participate in the bandit suppression in Dingzhou. So at this moment, Zhao Xingjin stared intently at Xie Jiu, his gaze slightly darkening.

"Is he yours?"

This statement was quite ambiguous. Xie Jiu frowned slightly, then shook his head.

“Your Majesty, Du Qian is Your Majesty’s subject and has no connection with me. The reason I helped him is because the old lady of the Du family came to Jingming Palace on the first day of the month and I met her once. Moreover, I know that if it weren’t for the evil deeds of the Wu family father and son, the Mingwei General’s Mansion would not have fallen to such a state, with only one son left. The Du family is full of loyalty and righteousness, and General Du risked his life to break through the siege and join Your Majesty. Such talents should not be buried.”

"I heard that you recommended him to go to Dingzhou." Zhao Xingjin lowered his eyes. "Since you think so highly of him, why didn't you tell me beforehand and made the arrangements in private?"

Xie Jiu remained calm. "I was asked by Old Madam Du to help him out. I happened to be going to Dingzhou, so I recommended him. It was to give him a chance, and also to see if he had any real talent that made him worthy of my recommendation. The Emperor learned about what happened later, and he is indeed a talented person."

The Du family had no prior dealings with the Xie family, and given Du Qian's act of seeking refuge, Xie Jiu knew that Zhao Xingjin held no prejudice against the Du family or Du Qian himself. That's why she dared to speak so openly.

This is an open conspiracy.

"Aren't you afraid I'll accuse you of associating with ministers and forming cliques? Yet you dared to recommend this person to me." Zhao Xingjin's tone was mocking, but his eyes were scrutinizing. Xie Jiu, however, did not flinch, but looked at him frankly and bowed.

"When recommending talents, one should not avoid enemies or relatives. Those who sincerely recommend talents have always recommended virtuous people without regard to kinship. I have a clear conscience, so I dare to speak to Your Majesty."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

After a while, he felt a lifting sensation at his elbow, and Zhao Xingjin's voice rang out.

"Get up. This Du Qian is indeed a good man."

Xie Jiu raised her eyes, smiled faintly, and the topic was thus put to rest.

After the two finished their lunch, Qingdong came in to report that Prince Yi from the Huitong Hall was requesting an audience. He said that the wedding procession had brought some items specifically for Zhao Xingjin, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager, which had been prepared and were being presented to them.

The wedding procession only arrived in Beijing the day before yesterday, rested for a day yesterday, and came here today, which is quite fast.

"Since Your Majesty has matters to attend to, I shall take my leave now." Xie Jiu stood up voluntarily.

Zhao Xingjin nodded.

Gao Sui's arrival will certainly not be limited to trivial matters, so it is not convenient for Xie Jiu to be present.

After Xie Jiu left, he also had his own plans.

Logically, since the marriage was already a done deal, Xie Mingshen couldn't possibly wait until Xichi Kingdom sold a year's worth of iron ore before settling the payment; he would definitely have to pay a portion first.

The wedding procession carries many things, making it convenient to bring silver along as well.

This is a considerable sum of money; depositing it in a money exchange is probably impractical. It will likely be directly transported to various places where the money is needed.

Therefore, there will definitely be some action during this period.

Xie Wei has been watching for so long. Since the tariff issue was settled, Xie Mingshen has made no further moves, which shows what he is waiting for. Now, Xie Jiu feels that the time has come.

"Tell my brother not to keep his eyes on the mansion all the time. Keep a close eye on all the academies run by the Xie family outside. If any unexplained funds are flowing in or out, it could be evidence of a crime. Make sure to catch them in the act!"

Chunrong replied, "Yes, this servant will take care of it in a moment!"

However, even without her reminder, Xie Wei had already made some discoveries outside the palace.

The Xie family owned several sizable estates in the suburbs, as well as orchards and wineries. Some of these were public property managed by the Fan family, while others were private property, such as the estates under Xie Wei's name, the estates that were part of the Fan family's dowry, and Xie Mingshen's own estates.

But none of them are too far apart.

After the New Year, Fan went to the estate to check the accounts and unexpectedly discovered that Xie Mingshen's private estate had suddenly acquired many new farmhands.

After making some inquiries, I learned that the former tenants had all been driven away, and now the people working on the estate were all slaves who had sold themselves into servitude. Moreover, the original fruit trees on the estate had been planted for a long time, and the quality of the fruit they produced was not good, so they were all dug up and replanted.

Therefore, many more people were recruited.

There are two orchards and two farms in total, and it is estimated that there are several hundred people involved, which is quite a large number.