Zhao Hao and Li Chunfang used the Bone-Dissolving Palm and Great Shift of the Universe respectively, and after a long discussion, they still could not decide which of the sea fish and river fish was more suitable for the Ming Dynasty's taste.

Finally, Li Xianggong couldn't wait any longer and said bluntly: "Maybe sea fish tastes better than river fish, but the problem is that there are too many people raising river fish, canal fish, and cooking river fish. If you replace river fish with sea fish, what will happen to those fish farmers? People who cook fish won't be able to do it either?"

"I never thought of replacing river fish with sea fish. I just wanted to add a dish to the table of Daming to give diners another choice." Young Master Zhao also said seriously: "Why are some people so scared before this dish is served? It seems that if this dish is added, no one will eat the other dishes. It has been a traditional famous dish for hundreds of years, don't you even have this little confidence?"

He sneered and said, "They are going to kidnap the diners and the restaurant!"

"Alas..." Li Chunfang was not good at arguing, so he took a sip from the wine cup and said with a sad face, "You are right, the restaurant and the diners are being kidnapped. They have to eat their dishes. If they don't eat them, someone will cause trouble and the restaurant will not be able to continue its business!"

He looked at Master Zhao helplessly and said, "If you were the owner of this restaurant, no matter how delicious this sea fish dish is, would you add it to the menu? It's not worth it, Master Zhao."

Zhao Hao thought to himself, if it were me, anyone who dared to cause trouble would have their legs broken and be sent to Xishan Island to be tortured.

Unfortunately, it was useless to say this, so he could only nod silently and stop arguing.

The banquet ended abruptly just after noon, and it seemed that the party ended on a bad note.

"Master, I like to eat sea fish." Li Maocai sent Zhao Hao to the carriage nervously. Now he finally understood that this fish was not that fish. This was a statement of support for the master.

It's a pity that his words are useless as a young minister.

"Okay, follow me." Young Master Zhao patted his shoulder encouragingly and said with a smile, "We should allow for different tastes. Go back."

"Yes, Master." Li Maocai watched the carriage drive away from the back alley. He felt that if he didn't do something, he would definitely be disliked by his master.

After the carriage went away, Li Maocai mustered up his courage and turned back into the house.

Then I saw my father holding a metal shower head and leisurely watering the flowers in the yard.

"Father." Li Maocai walked over and called out in a deep voice.

"Well, sent him away?" Li Chunfang asked with drooping eyelids.

"Sent him off." Li Maocai nodded, then took a deep breath and asked, "Father and Master, were talking about canal and sea transportation, right?"

"At least I'm not that stupid." Li Chunfang nodded, bent down and carefully looked at the Guangling peony transplanted from his hometown.

The peonies of Yangzhou have always been as famous as those of Luoyang. Li Chunfang grows both, but naturally prefers the former.

"Father supports canal transportation and opposes sea transportation?" Li Maocai asked softly.

"I have no preference as a father. No matter what method is used, as long as the grain can be transported to Beijing, it will be fine." After watering the flowers, Li Chunfang took the scissors from the servant and trimmed the branches that were growing wild in spring.

"Obviously there is." Li Maocai muttered softly, "Father is still on the side of the grain transport."

"Yes, but that's only because the canal has existed for so many years, and there are so many bottles and jars, it would be a pity to break them." Li Chunfang cut off a new flower bud with a snap, placed it in his palm and examined it:

"Shipping is a new bud. Since it has not bloomed yet, it is no pity to cut it off."

"But sea transportation is better than canal transportation!" Li Maocai felt a little angry. "Shouldn't father choose the best method?"

"It seems that what I said just now was in vain." Li Chunfang frowned unhappily and said in a muffled voice: "Da Ming is a country, not a company like your master! The mission of your father as the Prime Minister is to balance yin and yang, not to make money or save money for Da Ming!"

As he said this, he threw the flower bud onto the ground, patted the dust off his hands and said, "I wish the court was stable and the officials were at peace. It would be best if everything remained the same and there was no trouble in the world. Do you understand?"

"But can we say that there is no trouble in the Ming Dynasty from south to north and from east to west?" Li Maocai couldn't help but shouted loudly.

"How dare you!" Li Chunfang was so angry that she almost stabbed her son in the stomach with a pair of scissors.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?!"

"My son doesn't dare." Although Li Maocai said this, he still stuck out his neck and said stubbornly: "It's just that state affairs are like cicadas and crickets, I dare not whitewash the peace!"

With a 'slap' sound, Li Chunfang slapped Li Maocai hard on the face. No matter how good-tempered he was, he couldn't stand his son's questioning. He said angrily: "Whitewashing the peace? Do you know that the greater the change, the greater the unrest? If so many people lose their jobs, they will rebel!"

"No wonder people say my father is a paper-made prime minister..." Li Maocai couldn't help but mutter in a low voice.

"You, you rebellious son, dare to make up stories about your father? I think you have gone crazy studying science!" Li Chunfang was still not satisfied and waved the scissors as if he was going to eat someone.

"Then father will just watch the Ming Dynasty decay!" Li Maocai was also angry and said this angrily before turning around and leaving.

"Where are you going?" Li Chunfang was so angry that her face turned pale.

"Become a demon!" Li Maocai strode out.

"If you dare to walk out of this door, don't come back in!" Li Maocai was so angry that he trembled.

Li Maocai was startled, and his right leg was suspended in the air just as he was about to step out of the door. Unexpectedly, his right foot was not raised high enough, and he tripped over the threshold, and fell out.

"God's will..." Li Maocai, a believer in science, sighed and said loudly without turning his head, "Who wants this rotten and smelly place? Goodbye!"

After saying this, he limped away.

"What an evil creature! What an evil creature!" Li Chunfang was so angry that he was fuming. He waved a pair of scissors and cut the beautiful peony flowers in front of him!

Immediately, petals and branches flew everywhere...

~~

West Chang'an Avenue.

Zhao Hao sat in the carriage, closed his eyes and rubbed his nose, with a headache. Li Chunfang had made his meaning clear. He knew the benefits of sea transportation, but the canal transportation interest group was too big and he didn't want to offend it. So he still hoped to meet the requirements of the canal transportation group as much as possible...

As for me, the fact that the Prime Minister invites you to dinner, picks food for you, and patiently explains things to you is enough to make up for the regret of failure, right?

Bullshit! Young Master Zhao opened his eyes, anger looming on his face. What do you want from me? What I want is shipping by sea!

Although Li Chunfang, the Prime Minister, could not convince the public, his attitude still affected the choices of many officials, especially those conservatives who could not be won over. They always followed the Prime Minister's lead, otherwise he would not have been able to keep Gao Huzi in his hometown for more than a year.

Li Chunfang's attitude made Zhao Hao feel a little uneasy. He pulled the hanging rope in the car, and Gao Wu immediately opened the window.

"Go to Dashamao Hutong!" Zhao Hao ordered in a deep voice. In order to ensure the chance of winning, he decided to go and talk to idol Zhang.

Gao Wu nodded and closed the car window.

~~

After a stick of incense, the carriage stopped in front of Dashamao Hutong.

Soon after Zhao Hao returned to Beijing, he resumed his five-day teaching at Zhang's residence. The doorman of the residence had already known him. Seeing Young Master Zhao coming to visit, he hurriedly greeted him with a smile: "Young Master Zhao, are you here to see my master or my young master?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Zhang." Zhao Hao nodded at him and replied with a smile, "It's rare for Mr. Zhang to have a day off today. I didn't make an appointment, so I came here suddenly. I wonder if it would be convenient for me to let him know?"

"Of course there is no problem in reporting it." The doorman smiled apologetically and said, "It's just that my master is not at home today."

"Oh, when can you come back?" Zhao Hao was slightly surprised and asked again.

"As for this, I don't know how many days it will take." The doorman replied, "My master was ordered to go to Tianshou Mountain to investigate the tomb of the late emperor. He just set out this morning. It will take at least five or six days to go there and back."

"Really?" Zhao Hao looked surprised. It was too much of a coincidence that his idol Zhang left Beijing for business at this time.

If it really had something to do with him, then it was almost certain that the outcome of the court discussion would be unfavorable to him. Otherwise, given Zhang's personality, he would have been too busy trying to take credit for it, so why would he stay away?

A duck knows first when the river water warms in spring, but Zhang knows first when shipping fails. He really deserves to be an idol!

Master Zhao smiled bitterly in his heart, and the bad feeling became even stronger.

"Sir, please come in. My young master and young lady are all here at home." The doorman invited him in again.

"Forget it, let's do it another day." Zhao Hao was in a bad mood and politely declined.

~~

On the way back to Zhaojia Hutong, Zhao Hao felt even more depressed.

He was not surprised to be rejected by Li Chunfang. After all, Li was a kind of peacemaker person and his decision was in line with his personality. There was nothing to be surprised about.

Question: How come Zhang, a man with vision, courage and practicality, has become a coward? Is he extremely pessimistic about shipping, or does he not want to cause trouble, or does he have other plans?

"Alas..." Looking at the Dashamao Hutong that was getting farther and farther away in the dim sky, Zhao Hao suddenly pulled the car curtains.

It is true that it is better to rely on yourself than on heaven, earth or parents! Without you butchers Li and Zhang, I can't eat a hairy pig?!

I'll do it myself!

~~

When he returned home, Zhao Hao found that Li Maocai had come again, with a clear slap mark on his face.

"Hey, what's going on?" Master Zhao took off his going-out clothes and changed into his home robe with the help of his disciples.

"My father beat me..." Li Maocai lowered his head and told Zhao Hao the reason for their separation. Finally, he said, "Master, I don't plan to go home. I will follow you from now on."

"Oh, what a sin..." Zhao Hao shook his head and sighed, then walked into the house with his hands behind his back without comment.

The eldest brother who understood the master's mood the best, secretly rolled his eyes and said to himself, "Silly brother, to the master, your value comes from your father. If you don't want your father, why does the master still need you?"

It means that Master has a big family and a big business now, so it doesn’t matter if he adds a pair of chopsticks, otherwise he would definitely kick you out…

"Big Brother, did Master take me in?" Only after Zhao Hao went in did Li Maocai dare to ask in a low voice.

"If the master takes you in directly, how will I explain to Yuan Fu?" Wang Wuyang shook his head.

"Ah, are you going to chase me away?" Li Maocai was extremely terrified.

"Well, just stay here without worry. Master is kind and compassionate. How can he chase you away?" Wang Wuyang patted his junior brother on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You can share a bed with me tonight. I will prepare a separate room for you tomorrow."

"Well, thank you, senior brother. It's great to have a master and senior brothers." Li Maocai smiled happily.

ps. I still have to stay busy today, so I can only update twice a day. I will write more tomorrow...