Chapter 279: Weapons for Ore

The people around were dumbfounded, what are these women wearing? The satin cheongsam shows the perfect curves of the girls to the fullest. The girls in the high heels all looked slender, they held their hair in a high bun, revealing their fair necks, and they all wore a string of pearl necklaces around their necks, which looked shining in the sunlight.

Many people exclaimed, and some idlers who were mixed in the crowd whistled.

Emperor Zhou E whispered to Li Yu: "Official, this kind of clothes are very good, and the concubine also wants it." ”

Li Yu also whispered: "No problem, I'll ask Cui Daoshu in a while, he must have made it." ”

At this time, several girls distanced themselves from each other, and the red silk in their hands was torn apart, about ten meters long.

Cao Deshun walked over with a wooden plate and a few pairs of scissors on it.

Cao Deshun said with a smile: "Please cut the ribbon for Quanjude." ”

Li Yu, Zhou Ehuang, and Han Xizai picked up the scissors in turn and walked to the front of the red silk.

At this time, the sound of music came from inside the restaurant, and it was the band hidden in the dark that began to play.

Li Yu smiled and nodded, and cut the red silk with Zhou Ehuang and Han Xizai.

"Bah, bah."

"Smack, smack, smack"

The sound of a dense explosion sounded, startling everyone.

The crowd began to stir, and many people cried loudly.

The guards immediately surrounded Li Yu and Zhou Ehuang in the middle, looking around vigilantly.

Cui Daoshu and Qi Jiuniang both laughed secretly in their hearts when they saw people's reactions.

This is the sound of the firecrackers they brought from Qishan Island, which scares these dirt buns who have never seen the world enough.

Cao Deshun hurriedly invited Li Yu and Emperor Zhou E in, and the lively officials and wealthy businessmen got out of the gate, and the guards escorted the two into Quanjude.

Li Yu and Emperor Zhou E went up to the second floor and entered the private room, and Emperor Zhou E was still a little frightened.

"Mr. Cao, what's going on with the sound of the right talent?" Li Yu asked.

"Back to Your Majesty, this sound is firecrackers, usually when we celebrate the New Year, we often light firecrackers to ward off evil spirits."

Li Yu was puzzled: "Mr. Cao, the firecrackers don't make such a loud noise, right?" Is there any secret to your firecrackers? ”

Cao Deshun explained: "These are all brought by Cui Daoshu from Mingzhou, and the grass people don't understand the mystery. ”

Li Yu took a sip of tea and said slowly: "Mr. Cao, you invite Han Shangshu, Xu Xuan, Cui Daoshu and Qi Jiuniang, and the widow wants to talk to them, and then eat together." ”

Cao Deshun agreed, turned around and went out.

Only Li Yu and Emperor Zhou E were left in the room, and Emperor Zhou E asked, "Your Majesty, why did you invite Han Xizai to dine together?" ”

Li Yu said: "The Pucheng Zhang clan has been a little too arrogant recently, and it must be beaten. There are many protégés and former officials of Han Xizai, and there are some festivals between him and the Pucheng Zhang clan, if I hint at him a little, he will understand, and then he will take action against the Pucheng Zhang clan.

And Xu Xuan has a wide range of friends and is his good helper. These two people have a certain amount of power above the court, especially in places where scholars such as Hanlin Academy, Yushitai, and Guozijian gather, their influence is extraordinary, after all, they are all famous literati in Jiangnan. ”

Emperor Zhou E understood that to deal with the Pucheng Zhang family, the main force was the imperial historians of the Imperial History Terrace, these scholars impeached the ministers, it was definitely a wonderful pen, the article was written very sharply, into the wood, and even had nothing to do, looking at the wind and catching shadows, and the lethality was very huge.

Han Xizai and Xu Xuan learned many tributes and selected many jinshi, and many middle and low-level officials were their protégés. Using these people to deal with the Pucheng Zhang clan is a clever move!

At this time, Han Xizai walked in, followed by Xu Xuan, Cui Daoshu, and Qi Jiuniang.

Cao Deshun was the last to come in and asked, "Your Majesty, the kitchen is ready, is it time to have a banquet?" ”

Li Yu nodded and said, "Then let's start, the widow is indeed a little hungry." ”

Cao Deshun went out, and Li Yu got up from the sofa.

There was a big round table in the room, Li Yu pulled Zhou Ehuang to sit down, and then said with a smile: "Han Shangshu, Xu Shilang, Cui Gongzi, and Qi Niangzi, everyone sit, let's sit around this round table today, regardless of whether we are inferior or inferior." ”

Han Xizai looked at the round table and felt a little surprised. It turned out that in this era, the system of separate meals was practiced. At the banquet, each person has a small square table and eats their own dish.

And this kind of round table, it is obvious that everyone sits around, there is no distinction between high and low status, and there is no superiority or inferiority.

Han Xizai arched his hand and said: "Your Majesty, the old minister is panicking, is this a little unorthodox?" ”

Li Yu waved his hand: "Han Shangshu, today the widow and the queen are out of the palace, and they are in a very comfortable mood, don't you spoil the fun, okay?" ”

Han Xizai saw that Li Yu insisted, so he had no choice but to obey him, and after confessing, he sat down next to Li Yu.

Li Yu looked at Xu Xuan again, and Xu Xuan hurriedly sat down next to Han Xizai.

Seeing this, Cui Daoshu bowed to Li Yu, and then sat down next to Xu Xuan. Qi Jiuniang also sat down, next to Emperor Zhou E on the left, and Cui Daoshu on the right.

Only then did Li Yu notice that on the large round table, there was a slightly smaller round tabletop. He asked curiously, "Young Master Cui, what is this little table for?" ”

Cui Daoshu pulled the small round table with his hand, and the table top began to rotate.

"Back to Your Majesty, the small round table on top of this big table can be rotated, and if it is full of dishes, it can be rotated at any time, so that everyone can eat the opposite dish at any time."

Li Yu exclaimed: "It's really a wonderful idea, who came up with this thing?" ”

Cui Daoshu replied respectfully: "Back to Your Majesty, it was my righteous brother named Du Dalei who came up with it. He is a genius in equipment, and he also made the firecracker just now. ”

Li Yu nodded: "Cui Gongzi, I heard that you have several righteous brothers, they all have different talents, everyone has seen Na Zhe, his harmonica skills are absolutely unparalleled in the world." You tell the widow about your other brothers, and the widow is very curious. ”

Cui Daoshu introduced: "Your Majesty, seven of us brothers married last fall. The first in line is Zhao Zizhong, who is five years old Chinese New Year's Eve today.

The second is Wei Hongye, who is 32 years old Chinese New Year's Eve.

The third is Na Zhe, who is Chinese New Year's Eve years old today.

The fourth is Du Dalei, who is 29 years old this year.

The fifth is An Jiguang, who is also twenty-nine years old this year.

The sixth is Boris, who is twenty-eight years old.

The seventh is under the age of twenty-six. ”

Li Yu said: "That gentleman is already thirty years old? I don't think he's like him at all, that's in his early twenties. ”

Cui Daoshu continued: "My eldest brother, Zhao Zizhong, once served as an officer in the Western army and has a lot of military experience.

The second brother * industry, who used to be a blacksmith in the West, can make high-quality iron tools, and can also make sharp swords and other weapons. ”

Li Yu was very interested, and he hurriedly asked, "Can he make high-quality iron and weapons?" I don't know how much it costs? ”

Cui Daoshu said with a smile: "Back to Your Majesty, the cost of the iron tools we produce is a little lower than that on the market, but the quality is much higher than those iron tools. The cost of weapons is much higher, about five times the price of weapons on the market. ”

Li Yu asked puzzledly: "Why is the cost of iron weapons so cheap, but the cost of weapons is so high?" ”

"Your Majesty, our weapons are not inferior iron weapons sold on the market, they can almost reach the level of 100 steel, so the price is a little more expensive."

Li Yu didn't believe it at all, the price of 100 steel was dozens or hundreds of times that of ordinary iron weapons. And Cui Dao said that the price of their weapons is about five times that of iron weapons, is this possible?

Cui Daoshu saw Li Yu's disapproving look, so he explained: "Your Majesty, my second brother Wei Hongye knows a kind of iron-smelting technology from the West, so he can make 100 steels, and the cost is very low. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to Qingliang Temple in a few days, and I will ask my guards to take out the weapons I bring with me and let the people you send to check them. If you think that our weapons can reach the level of 100 steel, we can sell them to the military department in large quantities for five times the price of ordinary weapons. ”

Li Yu looked at Han Xizai: "Han Shangshu, you are in charge of the military department, what do you think of this matter?" ”

Han Xizai stroked his beard, thought about it and said, "Your Majesty, seeing is believing, and hearing is false." Tomorrow, I will ask the Armory Superintendent and the Arsenal Division to send someone to Qingliang Temple to inspect those weapons. If the quality of the weapon is passed and can reach the level of 100 steel, our military department will purchase it in large quantities, after all, the price is very low. ”

Li Yu nodded and said, "Then please Han Shangshu, Cui Gongzi, if the quality of these weapons is really as good as you say, the widow will accept your affection." In that way, our country will save a lot of money for the purchase of weapons, and we can recruit more soldiers to guard against the Great Song Dynasty in the north. ”

Cui Daoshu thought about it and said: "Your Majesty, our Mingzhou region is very short of iron ore. If you can send us a lot of iron ore, the price of the weapon will be lower. ”

"Oh? Is there such a thing? Li Yu was very excited, he and Han Xizai glanced at each other, and they both felt that this was a very good business.

Han Xizai opened his mouth and said: "Your Majesty, iron ore mining is the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry, and the old minister is not very clear. ”

Xu Xuan interjected: "Your Majesty, Chen Lei of the Ministry of Industry is downstairs now, do you want to recruit him and ask about it?" ”

Li Yu said eagerly: "Xu Shilang go quickly and find Chen Lei." ”

Xu Xuan immediately got up and went out, and Li Yu continued to ask: "Cui Gongzi, if my country can supply a large amount of iron ore, can the price of weapons be cheap?" ”

Cui Daoshu replied: "Your Majesty, the second brother Wei Hongye told me that our current steel production is limited by the lack of iron ore and the lack of coal. If we can solve the problem of raw materials, our technology is very good, and we can produce a large number of 100 steels. ”