Huang Qubing's forehead was sweating, his heart was weak and he lacked confidence.
He hoped that Gu Jiu could save him from danger.
Convincing His Majesty is no ordinary task.
Gu Jiu waved his hand to refuse.
"If it were before, I would choose to personally come forward to persuade His Majesty. But this time, I cannot come forward."
Huang Qubing frowned, "Is it because of the Crown Prince?"
Gu Jiu admitted generously, "Your Majesty's concerns are well known to you and me, and I haven't spoken out yet. If I were to intervene, I'm afraid it would backfire."
"Will I be able to convince His Majesty if I come forward? In any case, the four-wheeled carriage is owned by the lady, and His Majesty cannot hide it. His Majesty's concerns will still exist even if the lady does not come forward."
"It just exists, but it won't affect our plans."
"Why are you so confident, Madam?" Huang Qubing was full of questions.
Gu Jiu pondered for a moment before saying, "If I show up at Xingqing Palace, it might irritate His Majesty, understand?"
Huang Qubing seemed to understand but not quite.
Gu Jiu added: "The same words will have different effects on different people."
Huang Qubing understood.
As for the matter of the four-wheeled carriage, he said that Your Majesty was considering the pros and cons.
If Gu Jiu were to say so, His Majesty is considering what Liu Zhao will gain from it and how big of a threat it will be.
Huang Qubing rubbed his brows and said, "I will do my best to accomplish this. If things don't go smoothly, please forgive me, Madam."
Gu Jiu nodded and said, "Just go for it. I have confidence in you."
At this moment, Gu Jiu missed the former Shaofu Housekeeper very much.
If the ancestor were still alive, Gu Jiu wouldn't have to worry.
The ancestor alone can help her get things done properly.
Of course, Huang Qubing has unlimited potential, but he lacks experience.
Once he became familiar with His Majesty's temperament and personality, he would be able to handle these things with ease.
Prince Consort Huang led Huang Qubing into the palace in a four-wheeled carriage.
The father and son met the emperor in Xingqing Palace!
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Today, you have obtained a powerful weapon for strengthening the nation and a source of wealth. I present this to Your Majesty."
Prince Consort Huang may not have any other abilities, but when it comes to flattery, ten Huang Qubings cannot match him.
Princess Fuya is such a strong person, but Prince Consort Huang can keep beautiful concubines as he pleases. His ability to coax people is absolutely top-notch!
As soon as he heard about the weapon that makes a country strong and the source of wealth, Emperor Wende's curiosity was instantly aroused.
“Where are the weapons of a powerful nation?”
"It's just outside the gate of Xingqing Palace."
Emperor Wende couldn't wait and walked straight out of the palace gate.
The four-wheeled carriage appeared before Emperor Wende for the first time.
Emperor Wende was stunned at first, then happy, and then angry again.
Emperor Wende frowned, squinted his eyes, and stared at the wheels of the carriage.
Prince Consort Huang suddenly became nervous.
At this time, no matter how much you flatter, it will be of no use.
Huang Qubing was indeed powerful and immediately took the lead.
"Your Majesty, this is a four-wheeled carriage. The wheels are made of fine iron, and can bear a load of..."
Huang Qubing spoke eloquently and calmly, explaining the advantages of the four-wheeled carriage and how it would help win the war.
Finally, he was tempted with benefits.
"...With the combination of horse and carriage sales, the Ministry of Finance and the Horse Administration can earn at least a million taels of silver a year. The Ministry of Revenue also generates additional revenue from commercial taxes..."
"Can wheels made of fine iron be mass-produced?" Emperor Wende suddenly interrupted Huang Qubing.
Huang Qubing was visibly stunned, but his reaction was not slow. He quickly realized, "Exactly! Sihai will give the brand new fine iron smelting technology to the Shaofu free of charge."
"oh?"
Emperor Wende smiled faintly, "So if the Director of Works uses fine iron to make new weapons, they can also be mass-produced."
"Not only can it be mass-produced, but it can also reduce costs. The cost of the simplest fine iron arrows can be reduced by at least half." Huang Qubing said in a loud voice.
Emperor Wende remained silent.
He stared at the wheels made of fine iron with a complicated look.
"Why doesn't Gu Jiu come to see me?"
Emperor Wende suddenly asked about Gu Jiu, which scared Huang Qubing half to death.
He hurriedly said, "Since this matter is led by the Shaofu, he will report to His Majesty first. Madam Zhao is not an official appointed by the court, and this concerns a matter of state, so she has no right to participate."
"But she was able to build a carriage."
Emperor Wende's tone was cold, and Huang Qubing was terrified.
It’s so annoying!
The first time I came forward to persuade His Majesty, it was the deadly four-wheeled carriage.
If the wheels were wooden, everything would be fine.
But the wheels are made of fine iron.
Why do we have to use refined iron?
Can't there be another substitute?
Huang Qubing raised questions from the depths of his soul.
Emperor Wende stretched out his hand and casually touched the wheel.
“It’s a good thing!”
Prince Consort Huang smiled. Is it done?
Emperor Wende's next words were: "My two beloved ministers, you are so kind. Please step down."
Prince Consort Huang was completely bewildered.
Huang Qubing reacted promptly and said, "I'll take my leave!"
He grabbed his own father and left quickly.
…
Lord Lu felt his eyelids twitching.
He glanced at Renqiu who was eating chicken feet, "What happened?"
Ren Qiu shook his head, "It's okay! Are you too nervous?"
Lord Lu's eyelids twitched more and more violently.
He rubbed his eyes and asked, "What's happening in the capital today?"
"Didn't the butler tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"A four-wheeled carriage! Iron wheels, a four-wheeled carriage, everyone is talking about it in the streets and alleys. As the Minister of the Central Secretariat, you don't know about it. This is not right. The servants around you are often derelict in their duties. Replace them immediately." Renqiu said nonchalantly.
The servant is very aggrieved. How can we have it easy? They just replace us at will. How heartless!
Lord Lu had no time to deal with the aggrieved servant and directly drove him out.
His heart skipped a beat. "A four-wheeled carriage? Could it be related to the Sihai Trading Company?"
Ren Qiu nodded, "You guessed right."
Bang!
Lord Lu slammed his hand on the table and said, "I will go to the palace immediately."
Ren Qiu was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and quickly called out to the person, "What are you doing in the palace?"
Lord Lu snorted coldly, "For such a serious matter, I must go to the palace to see the emperor."
"I heard that the Minister of the Imperial Household brought a four-wheeled carriage into the palace, apparently to present it to Your Majesty. I also heard that the wheels of the carriage were made of fine iron."
Lord Lu glared at Renqiu fiercely. Such important news was not told until now.
He had no time to argue with Renqiu, so he changed into his official uniform, got on a carriage, and headed to the palace.
…
Xingqing Palace, Zhengyang Hall.
The body of the carriage was carried in and placed in the hall.
Emperor Wende sat at the desk, his eyes never leaving the carriage.
The four-wheeled carriage looked like a man-eating monster.
What's even more terrifying is that the four wheels can turn and reverse freely. It is more flexible than two wheels, which is incredible.
There were clearly two voices fighting in Emperor Wende's mind.
A voice said, "Destroy him. The four-wheeled carriage is a conspiracy, a tool used by Gu Jiu to gain political capital for Liu Zhao. We must not let her succeed."
Another voice said, "Anyone with eyes can see that the four-wheeled carriage is a powerful military weapon. It will greatly shorten transportation time and can even run across the prairie. With the four-wheeled carriage, the destruction of the Beirong Royal Court is just around the corner. Moreover, the four-wheeled carriage can bring high profits and generous tax revenue. It is a tool for making money. We must keep it and mass-produce it."
The two voices disturbed Emperor Wende's peace. His expression became increasingly distorted and ferocious.
Inside the hall, all the eunuchs and servants dared not breathe heavily, for fear of alarming Emperor Wende.
Until a fearless attendant reported outside the palace gate, "Your Majesty, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, Lord Lu, requests an audience!"
Emperor Wende did not respond for a long time.
Chang En could only whisper a reminder, "Your Majesty, Lord Lu requests an audience."
Emperor Wende finally came to his senses and took a deep breath. "Please ask Lord Lu to come in."
Lord Lu hurried into the hall and the first thing he saw was a four-wheeled carriage parked in a corner.
"Your humble servant pays respect to His Majesty!"
"Here comes my dear! The carriage, my dear, you have heard of it."
"I came here precisely for the carriage. Could you please allow me to inspect it carefully?"
"My dear, please do as you please!"
With the permission of Emperor Wende, Lord Lu personally got on the carriage to experience it, and then had someone pull the four-wheeled carriage around the hall for a few circles, focusing on observing the turns.
The smooth turn and reverse made Lord Lu amazed.
They also set up obstacles, and the four-wheeled carriages were able to pass through them relatively easily.
"Your Majesty, this is a blessing for the Great Zhou!" Lord Lu said excitedly.
"Do you truly believe this is a blessing for the Great Zhou?"
Lord Lu was stunned. There was something obviously wrong with Emperor Wende's tone and attitude.
Emperor Wende waved his hand and all the palace maids withdrew, including Chang En.
In the hall, only the king and his minister were left, so they could talk without worry.
Emperor Wende left the desk and walked to the front of the four-wheeled carriage, stroking the wheels with his hand.
"The four-wheeled carriage is a fine thing, and I know this very well. My dear, do you know who built it?"
"Your Majesty, I learned a little before entering the palace. I heard that it was made in the small blacksmith workshop owned by Madam Zhao."
"Then tell me, what was Gu Jiu's intention in using fine iron to build a four-wheeled carriage? Was it really just to make money? She has made enough money over the years. I'm afraid she could never spend it all in her lifetime. Why did she go to so much trouble and spend so much money on building a four-wheeled carriage?"
Lord Lu frowned, "Your Majesty suspects that Madam Zhao is making preparations for the First Prince?"
Emperor Wende suddenly flew into a rage. "Apart from this reason, what other reason could she have spared no expense and laboriously built a four-wheeled carriage? She'd already made enough money, so why would she still want to build a four-wheeled carriage? There's a conspiracy here, a massive conspiracy. I even suspect Liu Zhao of plotting a rebellion. I shouldn't have sent Liu Zhao to the northwest."
"Your Majesty!" Lord Lu shouted, waking up the paranoid Emperor Wende.
Lord Lu said solemnly, "I believe that Madam Zhao built the four-wheeled carriage to build momentum for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. This must be the reason. At the same time, I also believe that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will not rebel."
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