Physician of the Song Dynasty: Zhang Kai and Li Qingzhao have a private life-long contract

"We are impeaching Fan Zheng for smuggling weapons secretly with Tong Guan, the envoy who went to sea. This is an audacious act, and we ask the officials to investigate it strictly."

"Fan Zheng, as the weapons supervisor, should have been responsible for the manufacturing of weapons in the Song Dynasty. However, he knew the law and broke the law by taking advantage of his position. He should be punished with a higher penalty!"

"Weapons are the foundation of the Song Dynasty. How can they be allowed to live overseas? Fan Zheng must be severely punished."

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Above the court, Fan Zheng used overseas missions to buy and sell weapons. After all, he did not hide the matter.

Suddenly, the entire court was in an uproar, and the officials were furious.

Especially the old party and the new party were even more excited. They finally caught Fan Zheng's hand. This time, Fan Zheng will never be able to stand up.

Su Song also frowned. He did not expect that Fan Zheng was so audacious that he dared to trade weapons with other countries. Now, even they could not defend Fan Zheng.

Just when the ministers thought that Fan Zheng was doomed, Zhao Xu waved his hand and said: "

"My dear friends, you have misunderstood. Fan Taicheng's move was based on my secret order and was not about smuggling weapons privately."

Zhao Xu saw that Fan Zheng was besieged by ministers and immediately rescued Fan Zheng.

"what!"

All the officials couldn't help but be stunned and looked at Zhao Xu in confusion. No one thought that Zhao Xu was actually involved.

"How can such an important matter not go through the political affairs hall?" Lu Dafang said angrily.

As the prime minister, he was extremely sensitive to this matter. Zhao Xu and Fan Zheng acted in private. This move was not in line with the procedures of the Song Dynasty. As the prime minister of the dynasty, he was naturally unhappy.

Fan Zheng said calmly: "Because it will definitely not be passed through the political hall, and Goryeo borders the Liao Kingdom. If the Song Dynasty wants to trade weapons with Goryeo, it must be kept secret. The final secret method is naturally unknown to everyone."

"This trip to the Song Dynasty as an envoy to overseas countries is for the sake of the Song Dynasty's national prestige. It is a communication between the two countries, so how can we buy and sell weapons?" Zhang Dun frowned.

Fan Zheng spread his hands and said: "Because the Ordnance Supervisor has no money, and the Ordnance Supervisor's funding department has been delayed again and again, the Ordnance Supervisor has no choice but to make a living on his own."

"No money?" Zeng Bu was stunned and couldn't help but look at Fan Chunchun, the Minister of Household Affairs.

Fan Chunchun said helplessly: "The Privy Council needs to equip millions of troops with cold-forged armor and cotton armor, and more and more thunderbolts are needed to deter Liao Xia. What a huge expense it will be. How can the imperial court afford this?" Money?"

Zeng Bu was stunned there. He did not expect that the initiator was himself.

Fan Zheng sighed: "Nowadays, gunpowder weapons are astonishingly powerful. Weapons are being upgraded. Traditional weapons and armor will be eliminated. And our Song Dynasty has nearly one million troops. If all of them are upgraded, the money required can be said to be astronomical." .”

"The million-strong army updates its weapons!"

The ministers of the Manchu Dynasty were suddenly silent. Now the effects of cold forged armor and cotton armor have been verified in Qingtang, and Zhentian Lei has decided the outcome in the battle of Pingxia City.

Once these three weapons are used on the battlefield of the Song Dynasty, the strength of the Song Dynasty's army will be greatly increased. The court naturally hopes that the weapons of the Song Dynasty will be more advanced, and the Song Dynasty has millions of troops. If all of them are updated The change of generation may completely bring down the fragile finances of the Song Dynasty.

However, the Song Dynasty's military force was already weak, and they could not miss the opportunity to become stronger.

"For this reason, Fan came up with a wonderful way to update Song Dynasty's weapons and equipment without having to pay a penny from the court!" Fan Zheng said proudly.

Zeng Bu gritted his teeth and said: "Your method is to sell the weapons of the Song Dynasty to overseas countries in exchange for money!"

Fan Zheng's private sale of weapons was the greatest irritation to Privy Councilor Zeng Bu. He considered himself the highest officer in the army, but he knew nothing about Fan Zheng's decision to buy and sell weapons, which made him feel very embarrassed.

Fan Zheng nodded and said: "Yes, the equipment eliminated by the millions of troops can only be put into inventory and become scrap metal. Even if it can be melted and smelted again, the waste of manpower and material resources is still not worth the loss. Therefore, Fan decided to turn waste into treasure. "

"Turning waste into treasure!"

The corners of the ministers' mouths twitched, knowing in their hearts Fan Zheng's method of turning waste into treasure.

The smelting technology of the Song Dynasty is unparalleled in the world, and the military equipment is even more exquisite. However, in the eyes of the officials of the Song Dynasty, scrap copper and iron are rare weapons in countries with backward smelting. Once they are sent to overseas countries, they will definitely be very popular, and they can also It brought huge profits to the Song Dynasty, which was enough to solve the problem of insufficient funds for weapons supervision.

"That's nonsense! The Song Dynasty sells weapons and armor from other countries. If other countries obtain the weapons from the Song Dynasty, their strength will be greatly increased. Their ambitions will definitely expand and wars will break out. Especially since I, the Song Dynasty, am sending envoys to overseas countries to promote the mighty virtues of the Song Dynasty." Da Fang yelled angrily.

Regarding Tong Guan's mission to overseas countries, Lu Dafang was most satisfied with promoting the mighty virtue of the Song Dynasty. However, Fan Zheng's behavior of buying and selling weapons was like a rat's excrement and ruined the pot of soup. He was so proud of the mighty virtue of the Song Dynasty. Destroyed.

Fan Zheng sneered and said: "To promote the mighty virtue of the Song Dynasty, is it just to go to other countries to exchange credentials and send a few batches of silk and porcelain to promote the mighty virtue of the Song Dynasty? No! That's a big mistake!"

"Take advantage of yourself?"

Lu Dafang was immediately furious.

"The Song Dynasty and overseas countries face each other across the sea. If you want to make them love the Song Dynasty and treat the merchants of the Song Dynasty well, you must not only show them the virtues of the Song Dynasty, but also the power of the Song Dynasty! Those countries on the sea have many The barbarians are uneducated, see profit, and fear power rather than morality. If they are disrespectful to the Song Dynasty and harm the merchants of the Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty will lose more than the gain if it sends troops across the sea to attack. At this moment, the arms trade is the Song Dynasty. The biggest weapon." Fan Zheng said proudly.

Su Song spoke up for Fan Zheng and said: "I think what Fan Taicheng said is reasonable. Overseas countries are not enlightened, and their forces are also intertwined. The weapons of the Song Dynasty are enough to make one power rise or fall. Compared with the Song Dynasty directly sending troops, The sale of weapons will probably be a more suitable means of deterrence, and it will also allow the Song Dynasty to make profits, so it can be said that it kills two birds with one stone."

The ministers of the Manchu Dynasty were suddenly silent. They naturally knew that the Song Dynasty could not directly send troops to overseas countries, and the weapons and equipment of the Song Dynasty were enough to break the local balance. Coupled with the existence of the powerful country of the Song Dynasty, it was enough to defeat all the maritime countries. The state will treat the Song Dynasty as a guest.

From this aspect, buying and selling weapons to overseas countries will be the best choice.

"The overseas countries are just barbarian and barren lands. How much money can be spent on weapons?" Zhang Dun sneered.

Suddenly, Zhao Xu's new personal eunuch, Yang Jian, hurriedly came to report: "To report to the officials, Eunuch Tong sent a ship back. Not only did he bring the credential of the King of Goryeo proclaiming himself a vassal and paying tribute, but he also brought property worth 200,000 guan! "

"Two hundred thousand guan!"

The ministers couldn't help but exclaimed. They were not surprised that Goryeo declared itself a vassal and paid tribute, but they were extremely shocked by the two hundred thousand guan.

You must know that the Song Dynasty sent 300 merchant ships as envoys to the maritime countries, and only then collected 150,000 guan before tax. Only half a month later, Tong Guan actually transported 200,000 guan of property back from Goryeo!

In a short period of time, the Song Dynasty made 350,000 yuan by going overseas. This money is so profitable!

"Did Tong Guan allow the navy to rob Korea?" All the courtiers thought involuntarily in their minds.

Yang Jian glanced at Fan Zheng, lowered his head and said, "According to Eunuch Tong's reply, this 200,000 yuan was the money paid by the young emperor of Goryeo to purchase two thousand weapons of the Song Dynasty."