Chapter 22 022 I can give it.
The system's voice sounded, allowing the courtiers who had been holding their breath to breathe a sigh of relief.
The divine power still exists, and they still have the opportunity to hear His Majesty's thoughts.
It's better to come late than never.
His Majesty is His Majesty after all, possessing his own majestic divine authority. They are not Xie Lanzhao, who has not gained His Majesty's favor and is fortunate enough to do as he pleases.
But what are printing and gunpowder?
Some court officials had heard of the former, but the latter—
This inevitably left these officials looking at each other in bewilderment.
Did you take medication to reduce liver fire? I don't think it's that simple.
Unfortunately, their curiosity was not satisfied. Zhao Jialing's face was ashen, and he directly announced the adjournment of the court.
Zhao Jialing instructed her ministers to draft regulations, which were then submitted to the Secretariat in the form of a memorial. She would then make the final decision and issue an imperial edict to the relevant authorities for implementation.
"Has Xie Zhongshu heard any rumors?" After the court session, the officials pressed Xie Lanzhao for an answer.
If any of them could know the secret, it could only be the Grand Secretary, who is very close to His Majesty.
"I don't know," Xie Lanzhao said calmly. She didn't know about gunpowder, but she had a vague idea about printing.
"The wrath of Heaven is unpredictable. His Majesty is a descendant of the Divine Warriors and is blessed by Heaven; this is a blessing for our Great Yong." The civil official sighed, then quickly changed the subject, "What is Xie Zhongshu's opinion on the matters of the Temple of Martial Arts and the Military Supervisory Commission?"
If it were merely a matter of changing the person in charge of the military examinations, the civil officials wouldn't have so many objections. But now, to elevate military affairs to the level of sages—how could these traditionally aloof and arrogant civil officials tolerate this? Of course, the most important thing is that the elevation of military officials' status, granting them the qualification to enter the Hall of State Affairs as prime ministers, would genuinely impact the interests of these civil officials. In the previous two dynasties, it was true that both generals and prime ministers emerged, but at that time the empire was newly established, and military men were needed. But now, the world is generally at peace, and governing requires the efforts of civil officials.
Xie Lanzhao said, "Your Majesty's mind is made up." She also felt that it would be best to use military officials to govern in times of chaos and civil officials to maintain order, so that everyone could give full play to their abilities. It would be difficult for someone who had been in the military for a long time to handle civil duties, and conversely, it would be a disaster for a civil official to command a war. After all, people who are both talented in literature and military affairs are rare, and it is not easy to be proficient in both.
However, she did not intend to oppose this measure. Tensions between civil and military officials were ultimately not a good thing, as the saying goes, "the lessons of history are still fresh in our minds." It was unrealistic to expect every military officer to be literate, but there was still room for improvement in cultivating generals. If the Military Affairs Bureau could be managed well, in the long run, it would be a beneficial thing for those who came after.
After the court session ended, the civil and military officials were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, while Zhao Jialing returned to her bedchamber to receive her achievement reward.
The Wise Ruler System launched into a detailed introduction for Zhao Jialing: "[Host, this is basic woodblock printing. It can print many books at once, eliminating the need for time-consuming and laborious hand-copying. As long as the source text is good, the printed books will have fewer errors. Once it's widely adopted, it can lower the price of books, and the literacy rate will increase significantly. Actually, some people in the Great Yong Dynasty also use printing technology, but their skill level is generally low. They mainly print almanacs, Buddhist scriptures, and statues. Scholars mostly look down on printed books, considering handwritten scrolls superior and disregarding printed books—their vision is quite short-sighted.]"
Zhao Jialing quickly flipped through the illustrated manual on woodblock printing in his hand, wondering to himself: "Why is it the basic version? Could there be an even better one?"
In her opinion, the content displayed in the book in her hand was already incredibly skillful and worthy of admiration.
Wise Ruler System: [Of course, this is just a standard monochrome version. Upgrades include douban (woodblock printing) and embossed printing. As for printing techniques, there are not only woodblock printing but also movable copper type. However, in terms of practicality, woodblock printing is more useful.]
Zhao Jialing frowned. It was either nothing at all, or the best. She placed down the book introducing printing technology and said, "Give me the best."
The Wise Ruler System spoke in a lighthearted tone: "As long as the host actively completes tasks and achievements, everything will be yours. Now, let's talk about gunpowder."
Zhao Jialing: [What kind of medicine is it? What does it treat?]
Along with the "Essentials of Woodblock Printing," Zhao Jialing also acquired a "List of Gunpowder and Firearms." Upon hearing the word "medicine," Zhao Jialing assumed it was a medical prescription and did not bother to browse it.
Wise Ruler System: [Capable of governing the Northern Di and Western Rong tribes.]
Zhao Jialing: [?!]
The last emperor of the previous dynasty was incompetent, and during the chaos of his final years, the barbarians from the north and northwest took the opportunity to invade south and east, with the barbarians raiding the borders and the country falling into ruin. Emperor Taizu took up his sword and restored order to the country, driving out the barbarians, but this did not mean that they could rest easy. The barbarians frequently invaded south—of course, because the incursions were short and the disturbances they caused were not significant, the civil and military officials did not take it seriously and continued to conduct trade at the border.
During the reign of the late emperor, there was a relatively large war, and some people brought up the idea of a marriage alliance again. Zheng Xunwen, who was the prime minister at the time, debated with a group of scholars and finally said in a chilling tone that all the officials could be enfeoffed as kings and sent to the Khan's tent, which greatly angered those people.
While Guanzhong was indeed peaceful and tranquil, Jiannan, Longyou Road, and several protectorates to the north were not so peaceful.
The Wise Ruler System got excited as soon as it saw Zhao Jialing's attitude, and embellished the description of the wonderful uses of gunpowder, which made Zhao Jialing so excited that he immediately ordered an attendant to bring him a map.
"I remember the Anbei Protectorate used to be here, didn't it?" Zhao Jialing pointed lightly. This place was once the territory of the Turks. The "used to be" she was referring to was during the most prosperous period of the previous dynasty, though of course, its occupation lasted only a few decades. After it was lost, the Anbei Protectorate moved south to the area around Shoujiang City. The current dynasty's founding emperor never managed to reclaim it, firstly because he lacked the power, and secondly... because no one considered it part of the Central Plains.
"Host, I didn't ask you to stir up trouble on the border," the Wise Ruler System hurriedly said, afraid that the host was overthinking things. This isn't something that can be solved simply by having gunpowder. It wasn't even rotten yet; if something were to happen, that would be truly disastrous.
"I know." Zhao Jialing sighed inwardly. She slowly put away the map, then suddenly asked, "Is this map not detailed enough?"
The Wise Ruler System let out a soft "Huh?" and continued to paint a rosy picture: [As long as the host is willing to work hard, anything is possible.]
Zhao Jialing: "..."
She took a deep breath, suppressing her restless emotions, and instructed the eunuch, "Summon the Grand Secretary."
Xie Lanzhao put down her official duties and entered the bathhouse to pay her respects to Zhao Jialing.
She was not surprised that Zhao Jialing summoned her alone.
Since being able to hear His Majesty's thoughts, the relationship between the emperor and his subjects has undergone a very subtle change.
Xie Lanzhao didn't know if the change was brought about by the "system" or if she had misunderstood Zhao Jialing in the past.
"Please take a seat." Zhao Jialing stared intently at Xie Lanzhao, who appeared to be extremely respectful. She waved her hand, and the eunuch handed Xie Lanzhao the "Essentials of Woodblock Printing."
"What is this?" Xie Lanzhao asked knowingly.
Zhao Jialing took a sip of tea and feigned composure: "It's printing technology."
As for how it came about, don't ask.
Xie Lanzhao quickly browsed through the pages, and despite having prepared herself somewhat, she was still surprised after reading them. A look of emotion crossed her face, but she quickly regained her composure. She asked, "What are Your Majesty's plans?"
Zhao Jialing stared intently at Xie Lanzao.
I thought I'd see a look of utter astonishment and shock.
She pouted, somewhat disappointed.
Zhao Jialing thought to herself: [San San, don't you think Xie Lanzhao is too stable? Isn't printing technology enough to amaze her?]
Wise Ruler System: [It's not like it's something unprecedented or unparalleled.]
Given Xie Lanzhao's intelligence, it's not surprising that he guessed about printing technology.
Zhao Jialing: [Am I to take out gunpowder? Unfortunately, I cannot give it to her.]
Hearing Zhao Jialing's thoughts, Xie Lanzhao's mind was inevitably drawn to the gunpowder.
What exactly is that thing? Is it because I doubt her that I can't give it to her?
Xie Lanzhao's eyes were deep and thoughtful, and she couldn't help but overthink things.
Zhao Jialing rested his chin on his hand as he looked at Xie Lanzao.
Unlike her, Xie Lanzhao sat upright, as straight as a pine or bamboo.
She was looking down as she flipped through "The Essentials of Woodblock Printing," but a hint of coldness lingered in her eyes.
Huh? What's going on?
Zhao Jialing was puzzled.
Wise Ruler System: [...]
It's probably because of gunpowder.
But it couldn't voice its own speculation, since it couldn't explain where Xie Lanzhao had learned about gunpowder.
However, Zhao Jialing had a sudden inspiration.
She said, "Minister Xie, I still have some good things, but I can't give them to you right now. I'm saving them for the Empress Dowager. Is there anything else you want?"
Xie Lanzhao remained silent for a while.
Yes, even as a child, His Majesty couldn't keep things to himself; he would even show off two crickets he caught.
As she unfolded the book and watched a cricket leap out, His Majesty smiled at her.
God knows how she maintains her composure.
Doubt and caution disappeared, replaced by a sense of unease.
She actually hoped that His Majesty would resemble a true ruler, but there was an unclear and ambiguous boundary between the Emperor and the Chancellor.
You might unknowingly walk towards a cliff and fall to your death.
Since His Majesty ascended the throne, her mind has been unable to remain pure.
Xie Lanzhao lowered his eyelids and said respectfully, "Your Majesty's possessions are naturally to be disposed of by Your Majesty. How dare I covet them?"
Zhao Jialing stared at her, disliking this awkward formality. She wanted to give the gunpowder to the Empress Dowager, but she could give her other things.
Why doesn't Xie Lanzhao want it?
After a long while, she snorted and said, "Of course."
Even if you treat me with politeness, I will not regard you as a beloved.
Even if you beg me from now on, I will not give it to you!
Xie Lanzhao raised her hand and rubbed her ears.
It's started again.
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