Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 247 Xuanhui Southern Court Envoy: Is the Liao Kingdom About to Start a War?
About two incense sticks' worth.

"despair--"

"despair--"

The sound of marching footsteps rose and fell, armor clashed, metal clashed, growing heavier and heavier.

"Jiang Qing!"

At a call, Zhao Ceying strode inside.

Afterwards, the hundred or so Imperial Guards dispersed, all of them in armor and carrying swords, one every ten steps.

"Your Majesty," Jiang Zhao bowed.

Shen Kuo quickly bowed and said, "Your subject Shen Kuo greets Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, we humble servants pay our respects!" The three craftsmen bowed in unison, not daring to raise their heads.

No need for formalities.

Zhao Ceying waved his hand and strode over.

As the emperor and his minister faced each other, Zhao Ceying asked in a low voice, "How is it?"

"The research on the bomb has yielded results," Jiang Zhao said, pointing to the deep crater created by the explosion.

Ok?
After a cursory glance at the rubble on the ground, Zhao Ceying was startled: "A large rock that was blown up?"

Jiang Zhao specifically submitted relevant documents regarding the development of bombs and artillery.

Regarding the weapons deployment, Zhao Ceying had no objection and agreed to carry it out.

However, it actually worked in just six months?

"Ah."

Jiang Zhao nodded and said in a low voice, "I will have Shen Kuo and three craftsmen demonstrate something for Your Majesty."

"However, the bomb is of great importance, so the Imperial Guards all have to turn their backs."

Zhao Ceying did not hesitate and decisively waved his sleeve to give the order: "Step back two hundred paces and turn around."

If it really has the effect of shattering rocks, then the bomb is definitely a weapon that can turn the tide of battle, and it must be kept strictly secret!
At a command, the hundred or so Imperial Guards retreated a hundred paces in succession, with their hands at their sides and their backs turned.

On the drill ground, only Jiang Zhao, Zhao Ceying, Shen Kuo, He Sheng, the Grand Eunuch Li Xian, and three craftsmen remained.

"Shen Kuo, demonstrate for the Emperor," Jiang Zhao said, waving his hand.

"Yes."

Shen Kuo bowed and called for the three craftsmen to leave together.

"To avoid accidental injury, Your Majesty and I will retreat to a distance of a hundred paces. There is specially made cover there," Jiang Zhaoping said calmly.

"it is good."

Zhao Ceying nodded repeatedly.

Having been tempered on the frontier of Xihe, Zhao Ceying was familiar with the power of fireball-type weapons and dared not be complacent in the slightest.

So the group retreated to a distance of about a hundred paces to observe.

Gunpowder, clay pots, fuse, and large stones.

After about half an incense stick's time, everything related to the demonstration was ready.

A fuse more than ten meters long was laid out, and Shen Kuo picked up the tinderbox and blew on it.

"Bah!"

The fuse was lit, and the craftsmen all retreated.

About ten breaths.

"Oh!"

A thunderous sound suddenly erupted, drowning out all other noises in the training ground.

The three-foot square bluestone shattered instantly.

Stone fragments flew everywhere, smoke billowed, and dirt and gravel fell in a flurry. Gunpowder and dust formed gusts of air that swept across our faces.

Even the earth trembled and shook as a result.

"My God, what is this thing?"

"My goodness! That sound was even scarier than thunder!"
"My ears are ringing! What is that?"

"The earth dragon turned over?"

A loud bang shook the earth, startling many of the Imperial Guards who had their backs turned, causing them to instinctively turn around and look back.

"Those who are in danger, turn around!"

The commander's face darkened instantly, and he immediately shouted to stop him.

The fact that the Emperor specifically ordered the Imperial Guards to turn around indicates that there are some things that the Imperial Guards should not see!

A loud shout, like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, silenced the hundred or so imperial guards instantly. The previously restless ranks were now so quiet that the sound of the wind rustling through their armor could be heard.

For a moment, there was complete silence; everyone stood at attention.

The smoke and dust gradually dissipated on the training ground, leaving behind a scene of utter chaos.

Where the bluestone once stood, only a shallow pit remains, with scattered pebbles around its edge, some as large as a bowl and others as thin as a piece of paper.

Besides the gravel on the ground, there were occasionally some thin layers of gravel that brushed past, leaving the soil with cuts from flying fragments, or sharp, small pebbles that were deeply embedded in the soil.

It is not difficult to foresee that the combination of bombs and rubble would have considerable destructive power.

These sharp stones can cut through the soil and easily slice through flesh; they are no joke!
"this--"

Beneath his sleeves, Zhao Ceying's fists were clenched tightly, his eyes filled with shock.

Such power?
In fact, the Great Zhou also had a similar weapon called the Caltrop Fireball.

An iron blade is placed in the center of the sphere; once it is shattered, the scattered iron blade can cause damage.

However, in terms of pure power, caltrop fireballs and bombs are simply incomparable.

Even rocks could be shattered, demonstrating the terrifying power of the bomb.

"Heaven bless me! Heaven bless the Great Zhou!"

Zhao Ceying clenched his fists and nodded repeatedly.

Since the decline of the Western Xia and the submission of the Tibetan Empire, the only state truly qualified to obstruct the Zhou Dynasty's unification was the Liao Dynasty.

The core military force of the Liao Dynasty was its cavalry.

Given the power of the bombs, if an ambush were set up in advance, the Liao horses would certainly be severely damaged and unable to fight.

How could the Khitans, who had no horses, possibly contend with the well-trained army of the Great Zhou soldiers?

"I may not be unable to continue the legacy of the founding emperor!"

Zhao Ceying let out a long breath, his eyes full of expectation.

With such a powerful weapon, how could one not achieve unification and become an emperor for all ages?
"Anyone involved with bombs will be richly rewarded by me!"

Zhao Ceying waved his sleeve, his steady voice barely concealing his excitement: "Jiang Qing, what do you think should be the reward?"

"Shen Kuo could be appointed to the fourth rank or the third rank, and the three craftsmen could be granted official positions as appropriate," Jiang Zhao suggested, raising his hand in a gesture of respect.

The merits of bombs can be either high or low.

Just like newspapers, they are strategic weapons.

One is to strengthen the military, and the other is to control public opinion.

Of course, for Zhao Ceying, the bomb was definitely more important.

After all, the appearance of the bomb meant that the Great Zhou had achieved a "leapfrog development" in the military field.

From then on, the difficulty of achieving unification was reduced by at least half.

"It makes sense."

Zhao Ceying nodded and waved to Shen Kuo and the three craftsmen.

"Greetings to Your Majesty."

"The common people pay their respects to Your Majesty."

The group quickly approached and bowed in turn.

"Effective immediately, Shen Kuo will be promoted to the position of Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, concurrently holding the positions of Supervisor of Military Equipment and Grand Master of the Silver Seal."

"The remaining three will all be promoted to Registrar of the Ordnance Bureau, concurrently in charge of matters such as the research and development of bombs and artillery," Zhao Ceying ordered with a wave of his hand.

"Your Majesty, we kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's boundless grace!"

The group exchanged glances, all overjoyed, and kowtowed repeatedly.

For Shen Kuo, the achievement of the bomb earned him a promotion of two ranks.

Shen Kuo was originally a fourth-rank Vice Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, but he was suddenly promoted to the third-rank Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, the head of the Court of State Affairs.

More importantly, the achievement of making the bomb not only meant that he would be dressed in purple robes, but also that he would catch the emperor's eye.

For the craftsmen, the bomb's achievement was that it enabled them to "leapfrog their social class."

The Chief Clerk of the Ordnance Bureau was an eighth-rank official, a position that had already entered the ranks.

Once they were officially recognized as officials, the craftsmen were no longer just artisans or clerks, but real government officials.

Thus, even three craftsmen could don the green robes of the eighth rank. They might still be doing the same work, but their social status would be completely different.

"No gifts."

Zhao Ceying raised his hand and continued, "Jiang Qing, for your meritorious service in planning, you are hereby appointed as the Envoy of the Southern Court of Xuanhui and granted a fief of five hundred."

Envoy of the Southern Court of Xuanhui?
Jiang Zhao was taken aback, his heart trembled slightly, and he quickly bowed: "Your Majesty, this humble subject thanks you."

The so-called Xuanhui Southern Court Envoy is one of the positions concurrently held by the Grand Chancellor.

Such official positions often represent a certain political climate and should never be granted lightly.

The implications are all too clear.

Even though Jiang Zhao was already a high-ranking official, he couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart.

After all, even among the highest-ranking officials, there are different levels.

The Grand Chancellor and the Grand Secretary are both at the pinnacle of their positions, but the difference between them is significant.

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying smiled and nodded.

Jiang Qing and I are destined to be ruler and subject for all time!
"With such a bomb, how can we worry about the prosperity of our nation?"

Zhao Ceying sighed, his face showing considerable excitement.

The remaining people all nodded in agreement.

In terms of the bomb's peculiarity, it is definitely a strategic weapon, capable of turning the tide of battle.

Jiang Zhao lowered his hands, pondered for a moment, and reminded him, "The power of bombs is indeed a vital national asset."

"However, no matter how good the weapon is, it must be kept a secret. If someone accidentally learns how to use it, it will turn a joyous occasion into a tragedy."

Throughout history, there have been numerous examples of celebrating joyous occasions while simultaneously indulging in funerals.

As a heavy weapon, the secrecy surrounding bombs is naturally of paramount importance.

Craftsmen usually work in the Ordnance Bureau. Bombs are top-notch strategic weapons, and it would be too conspicuous to display them. If they were learned by enemy spies, all their hard work would be wasted.

"I wouldn't speak carelessly."

"I am also a lowly craftsman. I am an old craftsman with decades of experience and I would not speak carelessly."

"The same goes for the petty person."

The three craftsmen quickly spoke up.

"The main concern is preventing others from entering." Shen Kuo understood the Grand Secretary's meaning, but explained, "In the future, if bombs are mass-produced, many craftsmen will definitely need to participate in the production, and those people may not be able to keep the secret."

Zhao Ceying raised his eyebrows and asked, "What are your thoughts, Jiang Qing?"

“Have someone set aside a separate area of ​​ten or twenty acres to build a ‘bomb factory,’ construct high walls, and have soldiers guard it.”

“Build facilities related to clothing, food, housing, and transportation within the bomb workshop, forming a separate market. The craftsmen and their wives, children, and elderly parents will all move to the bomb workshop to live. The daily necessities for the bomb workshop will be supplied by the imperial court. In this way, all internal and external information will be isolated, and the bombs will be prevented from being leaked,” Jiang Zhao said in a deep voice.

This process is sufficient to prevent the secret from being exposed.

"How about it?" With that, Zhao Ceying had an idea and glanced symbolically at the others.

The three craftsmen nodded quickly.

In any case, their original life was "home-workshop-home," and even if they separated the bomb workshop, their lives would still be the same.

"Shen Kuo, please submit your memorial," Zhao Ceying said, waving his sleeve.

As a high-ranking official of the third rank and the inventor of the bomb, Shen Kuo was certainly not among those "imprisoned".

"promise."

Shen Kuo quickly bowed.

Go to the capital, to Linhuang Prefecture.

Kaihuang Hall.

A wooden table, about ten feet long, lay across the room. Yelü Hongji held a document, his face grim.

Unify taxation!

This decree, which involved changes to the tax system, was implemented without any fanfare.

terrible!
Yelü Hongji's face was grim, and he felt an indescribable discomfort in his heart.

Originally, the Liao, Zhou, and Xia dynasties were all equally lifeless, gradually declining and decaying.

But who would have thought that a powerful figure would appear out of nowhere? With Jiang Zichuan, the Great Zhou Dynasty was gradually starting to improve.
"Ugh!"

With a sigh, Yelü Hongji looked down and asked in a deep voice:
"Xiao Wuerguna, Yelü Zunxu, what is the answer to this question?"

The success of the reforms signifies that the Great Zhou Dynasty is continuously growing stronger, gradually disrupting the balance of power.

Emperor Zhao Ceying of the Great Zhou Dynasty was a strong-willed and courageous ruler. Once the Great Zhou Dynasty truly became powerful through reforms, the emperor would definitely try to launch a northern expedition in hopes of achieving unification.

Under these circumstances, the Liao Dynasty had to take action.

Otherwise, we would really be watching helplessly as the enemy grows stronger and then launches a northern expedition to unify the country.

Above the main hall, officials stood in rows, divided into those facing south and those facing north.

On both the left and right sides, there was a person who stood out from the crowd.

Yelü Hongji called out, and both men stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, we are here," the two replied in unison.

In terms of their positions, both were prime ministers of the Liao Dynasty, holding positions second only to the emperor.

One country, two prime ministers!

This problem arose from the Liao Dynasty's system of having officials in both the north and south.

Of the Liao Dynasty's ten million inhabitants, approximately six million were Han Chinese, one million were Jurchens, one million were Khitans, and the remaining two million were from more than a dozen ethnic groups, including the Xi, Bohai, and Shiwei.

The sheer size of the Han Chinese population, coupled with their vastly different lifestyles compared to other nomadic peoples, forced the Liao Dynasty to implement a system of officials serving in both the north and south.

The Southern Official governed the Han Chinese, while the Northern Official governed the nomadic peoples.

Both Han Chinese and nomadic peoples had one prime minister, which meant that the Liao Dynasty had two prime ministers.

Among them, the prime ministers with the surname "Yelü" were almost all granted the surname Yelü and were Han Chinese prime ministers.

"What do you mean?" Yelü Hongji asked.

"Reform, or war, it may be the start of war," reported Yelü Zunxu, the Han Chinese prime minister.

As the enemy grows stronger step by step, facing this predicament as an opponent, there are only two solutions:

First, strengthen yourself.

The Great Zhou Dynasty is resolving its domestic conflicts through reforms, and the Great Liao Dynasty can follow suit and strengthen its national power through reforms as well.

Second, weaken the enemy.

Through war, pressure was exerted to force the Great Zhou Dynasty to fail in its reforms, or to halt the reform process altogether.

"Reform, or war?" Yelü Hongji frowned, stretching out his hands without speaking.

Reform is impossible!
On the one hand, as emperor, he was not prepared for reform, nor did he ever intend to reform.

If reform is pursued for the sake of reform, it will inevitably lead to utter defeat.

The slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin.

On the other hand, the Liao dynasty's system was inherently unsuitable for reform.

As the Khitan dynasty, the Khitan people only accounted for one-eighth of the population, so who would dare to implement reforms?

Therefore, reform is not feasible!
Could we start a war?
Yelü Hongji frowned and looked down: "Xiao Wuerguna, do you have any insights?"

Unless absolutely necessary, Yelü Hongji was reluctant to start a war.

There's no other reason than that things are different now than before.

The expansion of the borders at Xihe and Xifeng brought the Zhou Dynasty a large number of fine horses.

The gap between the cavalry of the two countries is gradually narrowing.

If the war cannot be resolved quickly and the two countries are locked in a stalemate for a long time, the Liao Dynasty, with its mere tens of millions of people, simply cannot outlast the Zhou Dynasty.

This move also carries a considerable risk.

Chancellor Xiao Wuergun frowned and shook his head, saying, "Reform, or war."

Once a country is involved in reform, then reform will definitely become a top priority national policy.

Apart from war, which could interrupt the pace of reform, other strategies were somewhat "inadequate".

"Is that so?" Yelü Hongji tapped the wooden table lightly, finding it difficult to make a decision.

The entire hall was completely silent.

quite a while.

A ruthless glint flashed across Yelü Hongji's face as he said in a deep voice, "Prepare for conscription and training."

"promise."

The two bowed in unison.

(End of this chapter)