Warrior in Turbulent Han Dynasty

Ten months later, Liang Miao, a native of the Southern Han Dynasty, received a letter from the former "Prime Minister" Lu Qiongxian, and brought a Mulan boat map and a wooden model boat to Beijing, and was immediately summoned by Guo Shao in person.

All the civil officials claimed to know about the Mulan Boat, but they knew nothing about its structure. Guo Shao heard that the displacement of this kind of boat could reach 1,500 materials, and he immediately felt like a treasure.

Guo Shao and Han Tong, commander of the Jiaolong Army, Li Xin, envoy of the Hakka province, Liang Miao from the Southern Han Dynasty, and officials from Jiangning Shipbuilding Workshop pondered over the wooden model, trying to figure out whether it could be improved and put on broadsides.

Han Tong took a closer look and said, "I thought we could put a layer of guns. The keel of this ship is tapered ('V') in cross section, which should be used to strengthen the hull and withstand wind and waves during long-distance voyages. But the middle part of the hull is small, so the guns can only be placed on the first layer below the deck."

Guo Shao heard from Bing Cao Si that the military equipment of the East Island was relatively poor, so he didn't want to make too high demands at the moment. A row of broadsides was enough to deal with his enemies at sea. Guo Shao ordered the shipbuilding workshop to learn from the sails and other structures of the big food ship, and transform the Mulan boat into a main battleship.

Soon after the Korean envoy arrived in Daxu again by sea, Guo Shao asked Lu Duoxun, the Minister of Rites, to receive him. Because Lu Duoxun had made friends with the Koreans several times, he might be more experienced.

After meeting the Goryeo people, Lu Duoxun reported back: "The Goryeo Kingdom asked His Majesty to use troops in the northeast of the Liao Kingdom. The minister heard that the Goryeo Kingdom moved its population to manage Xijing (Pyong|Yang), and had long coveted the old land of the Balhae Kingdom. It must be for this matter. The envoy asked the Xu army to occupy Yingzhou, and then allowed the Daxu Kingdom to build a port garrison in Tamna County (Jeju)."

Guo Shao said displeased: "Is this a bargain with me?"

Lu Duosun was silent for a moment, and said: "I'm afraid that's exactly the case."

Guo Shao dug out a rough map drawn based on detailed information from merchants and merchants. I am afraid that some of the islands are not in the right shape, but the approximate distance and environment should be about the same. According to his judgment, Tamna is more important and should be occupied first.

Not long after Tamra was destroyed in Goryeo, the place should be relatively barren, but since it was once a country, it must have food, fresh water, livestock and other supplies. The Jiaolong army departed from Jiangning Port, one could have a base on the sea for rest and resupply, and the other could have a foothold closer to Japan, which allowed them to advance and retreat calmly and obtain information more easily.

Guo Shao just said: "We can't go to war against Liao for the time being, and the finances can't afford it..."

He immediately asked Lu Duosun to recommend two envoys to Goryeo and Dongdao respectively. The envoys who went to Dongdao could re-establish official contacts between the Central Plains and Dongdao, and at the same time learn more about the other party's geography, humanities and armaments.

Guo Shao was busy meeting and discussing with officials of various yamen until evening. When he actually set out to plan the mining, he found that it was not easy. It seemed to be far away, but the problem he encountered now was thirst.

This made Guo Shao a little anxious. He looked at the ship model on the table for a long time, and gradually calmed down. The wonderful hull and sails seemed to be a mascot representing hope.

After the unitary hour, Guo Shaocai left Jinxiang hall and took a car to the harem Zide hall.

As soon as he passed the main hall, he saw his son Guo Hong, who was just a few years old, shoveling the soil with a shovel in his young body. Guo Shao suddenly felt strange, walked over and asked, "Guo Hong, what are you doing?"

Guo Hong raised his head, his face was ashen, he looked at Guo Shao and called out childishly: "Father! My son is planting trees, and the queen mother said that when my son grows up, the tree will grow taller too!"

Guo Shao was thoughtful after hearing this, and suddenly remembered that he had planted a tree when he was in Jiangning Mansion. At the beginning, he called it the "Empire Tree" on a whim, and made a lot of reasoning to promote his ambition.

He touched Guo Hong's head and said with a smile, "Trees do grow slowly. It's getting dark, so we can dig again tomorrow."

Guo Hong seemed to be still in high spirits, with a reluctance on his face.

Guo Shao didn't reprimand and order him, and immediately said with a smile on his face: "Hui Er, come with Daddy, I'll make you something more fun."

When Guo Hong heard this, he threw the shovel and dragged Guo Shao away. Two people, one tall and one short, walked from the corridor to the back yard, and the eunuchs and maids around looked sideways.

Guo Shao asked the eunuch to bring a machete, and in a bamboo grove he chopped a bamboo with his own hands, and started to work there. Guo Hong widened his curious eyes and watched him making things.

After a while, Second Sister Fu also came to the yard after hearing about it, and she asked from a distance, "What is Your Majesty doing?"

Guo Shao said without turning his head: "It will be ready in a while, a simple toy that doesn't take much effort."

He first cut off a section of hard bamboo tube, with an opening at one end and a bamboo knot at the other;

Make three holes on the bamboo tube, the first hole is smaller at the end, and the bamboo strips are inserted into it to fix it, just like the principle of rivets. The second hole is in the middle, a long hole, which is convenient for the strips to move back and forth. The third hole is at the bottom of the long hole. One end of the bamboo strip is put in through the long hole, and a part protrudes from the third hole, like the trigger of a gun; but the trigger is not pulled, but pushed upward.

Guo Shao finished the work after burning an incense stick, then picked up a stone and put it in the bamboo tube, pressed his index finger, and the stone was bounced out by the bamboo strips, and it bounced more than ten steps away, making a "pop" sound.

Seeing this, Guo Hong jumped up and down for joy, and stretched out his hand: "I want to play too, I want to play too!"

Guo Shao handed it to him, put the stone in again, and said, "Put your finger here, aim, let it go!"

With a "snap", the stone hit the trunk. Guo Hong was so happy that he had so much fun that he forgot all about planting trees.

Guo Shao looked at the figure of the child running around looking for stones in the yard, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he seemed to see himself in his childhood in a trance. The method of this bamboo spear was taught to him by his grandfather...

When he turned his head, he saw Fu Ermei looking at him with red eyes.

Guo Shao asked suspiciously: "What's wrong?"

The second sister looked up at the figure of the child and said, "Ask the eunuch to watch, and let Hong'er play first. He won't be able to let go of the new stuff for a while." She pursed her red lips, "My husband has been busy from morning to night, tired..."

Guo Shao said casually: "What I should do." He murmured again, "I just want to do what I should do well."

The two of them sat down in a gazebo in the yard, watching the children play and chatting one after another, and the sky gradually became dark.

Looking at Fu Ermei's beautiful and gentle face, Guo Shao suddenly felt that the situation was very comfortable.

The second sister said softly: "My husband has done a good job. I often hear people praise my husband as a hero and a virtuous monarch."

Guo Shao laughed it off. In his own court, would anyone dare to say that the monarch is a tyrant? He pondered for a moment and said: "I usually spend most of my time on official business... However, sometimes I dream of dead brothers and ragged people. So I really can't get over that hurdle to enjoy peace of mind. Many people died for my achievements and ambitions, and many people's hard work and harvest were taken away. I... can't live for myself, and I can't feel at ease."

The second sister said: "Your husband should put state affairs first."

At this moment, I saw Guo Hong running out of the yard in a flash. Second Sister Fu shouted, "Hui'er, it's time for dinner, where are you going?"

Guo Hong said loudly: "Go to brother and show him my bamboo spear!"

After all, people have run out of the yard. Second Sister Fu immediately stood up, then sat down with frowning eyebrows, and took a look at Guo Shao: "It's a good thing that the two brothers get along well, but now I'm showing off to the concubine, and the concubine is afraid that her majesty will be biased again."

"Huh?" Guo Shao couldn't help looking at the second sister a few times, and said with a smile, "Second sister still has thoughts sometimes."

Fu Ermei whispered: "Sisters get along, how can I not understand anything?"

Guo Shaodao: "Tomorrow night, I will go to the imperial concubine's palace and make a pair for Zhang'er."

He sighed slightly, and took Second Sister's little hand with his. The second younger sister didn't move her hand, but her face was flushed and she said softly: "It's public, the palace people saw it."

Guo Shao smiled indifferently.

It was getting darker, and the buzzing of mosquitoes among the grass and trees in the yard was even more obvious, so Guo Shao and his second sister went into the house together. Summer is coming gradually, and at this time, the windows between the palaces are also installed with screens, and incense is burned in the copper tripods inside to repel mosquitoes, which is much better than staying outside.

Soon two women came in with tea, one of them was Yuqing. Guo Shao slept with Yu Qing that night, so he couldn't help looking up at her at this time, her face was still covered with a veil, and she was also secretly looking at Guo Shao at this time, when their eyes met, Yu Qing's face turned crimson.

"Empress, please have some tea." Another court lady took the tea cup out of the wooden tray.

Guo Shao also reached out to take the teacup Yuqing handed over, his mind was slightly distracted, and he put his hand on the back of Yuqing's hand. "Ding dong..." The lid of the cup shook suddenly, hitting the ceramic with a sound. The second younger sister turned her head according to the sound, and the teacup was already in Guo Shao's hands, Guo Shao looked as if nothing had happened.

Yuqing, however, turned her back to her second sister, and glared at Guo Shao.

Guo Shaoxin said: I'm really not teasing you, it's totally an accident.

However, the inadvertent slight skin-to-skin contact was actually a heartbeat, which was more subtle than the closer experience that night.

The two women slightly bowed their knees to salute, then took a few steps back, turned around and walked out from the door.

The second younger sister bowed her body, leaned closer and said softly, "My husband seems to have convinced Yuqing...to her."

Guo Shao said helplessly: "Everyone obeys the queen's wishes."

"I'm not jealous." Fu Ermei laughed, "But I think my husband is really good. I was a little worried that day. I don't want someone like Yuqing, you can subdue him."

Guo Shao was noncommittal, thinking: A young lady who has lived in the deep palace for a long time, does it seem difficult?

He pondered for a moment and said: "The empress can issue a decree to stop electing women to enter the palace. Now there are so many court ladies and eunuchs in the palace, which are enough for the palace, and there is no need to waste the power of the people."

He also didn't understand why the ancient emperor had to have so many women in the court at one time, even if he was arrogant|extravagant|sexual|lewd, could he be too busy? Most of them probably won't even take a look at it. What's the point? It's a complete waste of national finances.