"Have you thought about the consequences of this?"
Gu Jiu was rarely serious.
She wouldn't let Liu Zhao evade her. She came straight to the point, "You have to understand your own identity. You are a prince, the eldest prince, the emperor's eldest son. There are some things that ministers can do, eunuchs can do, other princes can do, but you can't. Anyone can come forward to solve the food problem, but you can't.
You've already made enough contributions over the years, but the more you contribute, the more dangerous you become. If you were to solve this food crisis again, I can't imagine what would happen to you.
Liu Zhao was equally serious, "I can't just watch and do nothing."
Gu Jiu snorted coldly, "Open your eyes and look around. This is not a palace, nor a royal residence, it's just a villa.
We, a prince and his wife, have lived in the other courtyard for three or four years. During that time, no one asked us to move back to the capital. Don't you understand what this means?
This is a form of exile in itself, except that it's not exile for three thousand taels, but exile for thirty miles. The difference between three thousand taels and thirty miles is that you can still enter the palace and participate in government affairs. This gives you the illusion that you can still share His Majesty's worries. Don't be naive! I tell you, even if those people starve to death, you are not allowed to step forward.
Liu Zhao laughed at himself, "I understand everything you said."
"Since you know it in your heart, why are you still rushing to come forward? Are you afraid that you won't die fast enough?" Gu Jiu scolded harshly.
Liu Zhao's expression twisted for a moment. He suppressed the irritation in his heart, "Then what do you want me to do? I've been trapped in the other courtyard for three years, five years, ten years... I won't accept my fate. I never accept my fate. The opportunity is right in front of me, I have to give it a try."
Gu Jiu kicked the railing by the pool.
Liu Zhao sighed, "Why do you have to take it out on your feet?"
"I'm almost mad at you, and you still care about my feet." Gu Jiu rolled his eyes at Liu Zhao.
Liu Zhao stared at the pool. "I can't stay here forever, you know."
Gu Jiu lost her temper. "I'm about to give birth. Don't discuss this with me now. If you have any questions, wait until I give birth."
Liu Zhao sighed again.
After giving birth, you have to stay in confinement for the next month, and after the confinement period, you have to take care of the child again.
If Xiaojiu decides not to talk to him, she will always find various excuses to prevaricate.
After hesitating for a moment, Liu Zhao said, "The Northwest Plan is about to take effect. I don't want to miss the opportunity to march west. If I want to march west, I must first return to the court. This food crisis is my chance to return to the court."
Gu Jiu had a blank expression on his face. He was silent for a long time before he said, "I know you've been secretly training. There's one thing I've never told you."
"What's up?"
Liu Zhao was curious.
Gu Jiu took a deep breath and said, "A few years ago, I had the plan to establish an iron smelting workshop, but I postponed it again and again. To this day, the plan for the iron smelting workshop is still lying in the cabinet, gathering dust."
Liu Zhao frowned, waiting for Gu Jiu's next words.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "If I tell you that I have a way to refine steel and use it to make sharper swords, harder shields, and lighter armor, what would you think?"
Liu Zhao's breathing became noticeably faster.
"Aren't you trying to tease me?"
"How can I fool you about this? Over the years, I've had people procure mines all over the place, including several large iron mines. The mining volume of these mines has always been very small because I've been pressuring my subordinates not to mine them on a large scale."
Liu Zhao clenched his fists. "Since you have the ability to refine steel and create sharper swords and stronger shields, why don't you start doing this?"
"It's all because of you. I'm afraid that you'll die early, that I'll become a widow, and that my child will be without a father. His Majesty will never let me hold such a powerful weapon in his hands. He will forcibly requisition the iron smelting workshop and will be doubly wary of you." Gu Jiu said sternly.
Liu Zhao laughed at himself, "Are you sure I will die?"
Gu Jiu took a deep breath. "If I leave it alone, the chances of your death will be very high. Not to mention the distant past, even in this dynasty, which eldest prince has ever had a good ending? I don't want you to follow in their footsteps, understand?"
Liu Zhao nodded frequently, "I understand everything!"
His face was twisted and painful, with an unshakable sadness between his brows.
Gu Jiu gently held his hand and sighed softly, "It's not easy for us!"
Liu Zhao gritted his teeth and said, "My patience is almost at its limit."
"Don't be silly! You can't just be a real idle prince."
Liu Zhao shook his head. "Ever since I can remember, I've been busy. I've never stopped. If I were asked to take some time off, it would last three to five years. If you weren't by my side, I would have gone crazy."
Gu Jiu understood everything Liu Zhao said.
She is also a person who can't sit still.
I feel uncomfortable all over when I have some free time.
Liu Zhao's problem was even more serious than hers. Gu Jiu understood how depressed he was.
She leaned on his shoulder and said, "Many things can be achieved by changing the approach or taking a more circuitous route. You don't have to be the first to solve the food crisis if you want to return to the court. You're just too impatient and have lost your composure."
Liu Zhao put his arm around her shoulders and said, "You're right. I'm too impatient and lack self-control. Tonight I'll write a hundred large characters, and you'll supervise me."
Gu Jiu rolled his eyes at him and said, "I'm too lazy to supervise you. I don't have the energy to do that when I'm pregnant with two babies. Ask Lin Shuping to supervise you."
"He doesn't have the guts."
"Then let Zhao San supervise you."
Last month, Zhao San returned to Beijing from the northwest for vacation and lived in Phase 3 of Xinmin County.
"I want you to supervise me." Liu Zhao was playing tricks.
Gu Jiu spitted at him, "I'm pregnant, you heartless man."
Liu Zhao laughed heartily, "I have a very bad conscience."
Gu Jiu laughed along, "Are you feeling better?"
"I feel much better now that I've made you worry."
Gu Jiu reminded him, "Every time you enter the palace, you become extremely irritable. For the next two months, I think you don't need to go to the palace and let the court officials worry about you."
"I'm just angry." Liu Zhao didn't hide it. "Someone in the court petitioned Father to confer the title of king on all the princes. Those bastards only left this prince out. How could I not be angry? This prince is the eldest prince, and yet I'm not on the list for the title of king. If I hadn't been in the palace, I would have already gone to their door."
Gu Jiu frowned, "What are you thinking of proposing the title of king at this time?"
During the famine, instead of worrying about disaster relief, he submitted a proposal to confer a title of kingship, wasting money and food. Is someone crazy, or is there some other hidden meaning?
Liu Zhao sneered, "What else can I think? It's nothing more than an attempt to sow discord between Father and me. If I propose the title of king at this time, Father will surely become suspicious. And my name is left off the list. Father will surely think that I was the one who instigated the proposal at this time in order to frame the other brothers."
Gu Jiu frowned, "So, His Majesty scolded you in the palace today?"
Liu Zhao nodded and did not deny it.
"You didn't make any excuses?"
"Do you think Father will believe what I say?"
Gu Jiu smiled bitterly.
It was obvious that Emperor Wende would not believe Liu Zhao's words.
The person who came up with this plan was obviously well aware of the rift between Liu Zhao and Emperor Wende. He took the opportunity to sow discord and was sure to succeed.
Gu Jiu sighed, "Someone doesn't like you and wants to give you a hard time."
Liu Zhao said nonchalantly, "There are many people in the court who dislike me."
Gu Jiu looked at him and said solemnly, "I know why you are in a hurry to return to the court."
Liu Zhao hugged her tightly and said nothing.
Those people have already begun to openly flirt with Emperor Wende. If Liu Zhao does not return to the court and fight back against that group of people, the people's support that he has accumulated with great difficulty will be dispersed.
Those who support Liu Zhao naturally hope that Liu Zhao will fight back against those bastards.
He has been hiding in the villa and not returning to the court, allowing those people to attack him. The people below can tolerate it once or twice.
Three to five years, eight to ten times, not to mention Liu Zhao's temper, the people under him were about to rebel.
Even if Liu Zhao agreed to be a leisurely prince and continue to live with Gu Jiu in the villa, keeping a low profile, the people below would not agree.
Seeing that people's hearts were about to fall, Liu Zhao had to take action to save the situation.
Gu Jiu said, "If you want to return to the court, you can't do without the help of the Minister of the Central Secretariat, Lord Li."
Liu Zhao laughed, "It's not easy to convince him to help me."
"It's not easy. This is a food crisis. We can talk to him."
Liu Zhao shook his head. "We can't just ask him to meet us directly. We can't reveal our bargaining chips so quickly. Besides, Lord Li alone isn't enough. I need to win over a few others to speak on my behalf before I can even hope to return to the court."
Emperor Wende was really wary of Liu Zhao.
"What are you going to do?" Gu Jiu asked.
Liu Zhao said, "I have a plan. You just need to tell me how much food you can get."
How much food?
Gu Jiu was stunned for a moment, "It should be a lot."
She didn't know exactly how much food there was, but it was a lot anyway.
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