The cabin door rang three times. It was obvious that the person who came in was Xiaoliu. Hua Zhi withdrew her hand and signaled Nian Qiu to open the door.
Although she knew in her heart that Xiaoliu was of extraordinary status, because he was about the same age as Berlin and appeared in front of her in such a tragic manner, she often forgot his status as a prince when they were together on weekdays, and her attitude towards him was not much different from that towards Berlin. For the sake of her sister's dignity, she would also be careful in front of Xiaoliu and not get too close to Yan Xi.
Xiaoliu came in with a gust of cold wind. Hua Zhi frowned, "Why don't you wear more clothes? It's windy on the boat."
"I just thought about it and forgot about it."
Nianqiu quickly brewed some hot tea and brought it over, and Xiaoliu held it in his palms to ward off the cold.
"Xiao Shuang should have reminded you."
Xiaoliu chuckled and didn't say that Xiaoliu had reminded him. He was still waiting outside with a cloak in his hand. If he had come over dressed warmly, he would not have been able to hear Sister Hua's words of concern.
Gu Yanxi glanced at him, but didn't expose him. She used business to draw Ah Zhi's attention back. "If we want to do something in Jinyang, we need to find partners there. From what I've observed over the past few days, the people of Jinyang are very repulsive and wary of outsiders, and will not easily accept outside forces."
"That's true." Hua Zhi took the hot water bottle handed to her by Nian Qiu and held it in her hand, "But the Zeng family can't do that."
"I thought you were optimistic about the Zeng family."
"I have a good impression of Zeng Xiangyan, but it only applies to him. As for the Zeng family... I heard Yu Weiwei accidentally say that although the Zeng family is a large family that has been rooted in Jinyang for many years, it did not have such power when she was young. It was her eldest cousin who was very capable and brought the Zeng family to such a leading position."
"You mean... the Zeng family is related to the Chaoli clan?"
Hua Zhi shook her head. "It's too far-fetched to conclude this based on just this one point. I just feel that the eldest son of the Zeng family is not a simple person. Not many family fathers would completely hand over power to their sons while they are still alive. That was more than ten years ago, and he was only about thirty years old. I asked Yu Mu to check it out. It seems that the old man of the Zeng family would not dare to hand over such a large family to a thirty-year-old eldest son. There must be something he relies on. How can a person with unknown background cooperate with him?"
Gu Yanxi nodded, and then heard Ah Zhi say, "Whether it's the gambling house, the horse farm, or anything else, the Zeng family has obviously contributed the most. Logically, the Zeng family should have gained the most from all these benefits, but from what Yu Mu found out and what I got from Yu Weiwei, I know that this is not the case. I don't believe there are people in the world who would rather help others."
Gu Yanxi also thought of this, "Do you have anyone you like?"
"Don't trust Jinyang easily. Jinyang is like a place with black gunpowder everywhere. No one knows where they will be blown to pieces. Apart from providing a few new ways to play, I will not participate in other matters."
Gu Yanxi smiled and said "OK". When it comes to self-awareness, there is probably no one in the world who does better than Azhi.
Speaking of gunpowder, Hua Zhi remembered, "How far has the research on gunpowder progressed? Is it stable?"
"It's not stable enough, but I can already see its power. This time when I went to Yinshan Pass, I asked Wu Xing to try it out and show me the effect. The huge mountain was blown apart. If it was used on a person, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to leave a complete corpse." Gu Yanxi's eyes were bright. "I asked Wu Xing to keep it and continue researching it, and keep it as the last trump card of Yinshan Pass. I don't know how many evil spirits are hiding in Daqing now, the fewer people who know about it, the better."
Hua Zhi couldn't agree more. When such a powerful weapon comes out, it must be used to kill everyone, otherwise it would be unfair to it.
"What is... black powder?"
Hua Zhi was stunned. Yes, Xiao Liu didn't know about this thing. Thinking of his identity, she quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind and told him the origin and function of black gunpowder, trying her best not to leave a thorn in his heart that he could easily unravel at any time.
"Is it that powerful?" Xiao Liu didn't think much about it, and his expression was full of excitement. "Doesn't that mean we won't be afraid even if the Chaoli tribe makes a comeback?"
Hua Zhi and Yan Xi exchanged a glance, and Gu Yan Xi took over the conversation and said, "If Wu Xing was given ten or eight years to study, Da Qing could have said this without hesitation. Now it can only be effective by catching them by surprise. It's okay to make a trump card when no one knows about it. It can also make the enemy a little wary before this method falls into their hands. But it's difficult to take down the Chaoli tribe with the current power."
"That's a good thing too." Xiao Liu was so excited that he couldn't sit still. He stood up and paced back and forth. He was a prince, and a smart prince at that. He could think of the importance of this thing to Daqing. Isn't it just ten or eight years? Daqing wouldn't be unable to hold on even for these few years!
"Is Qisusi conducting research now? Do we need to transfer some craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry? It's not difficult to hide it from others. Just find a legitimate reason to lock them up somewhere. No one will ask what Qisusi wants to do."
Hua Zhi didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm, but, "You are taking it for granted. It's reasonable to lock up a craftsman for a day or a month, but you want to lock him up for three to five years? Can the Ministry of Works not ask? Even if they don't dare to tamper with the Seven Stars, there will always be someone who dares. How are you going to explain this big move to the emperor? If the emperor knows about the existence of black gunpowder, have you thought about the consequences?"
Xiaoliu's smile froze on his face, "We can't let Father know?"
"If he knew the function of black gunpowder, the first thing he would think of is not to use it against the Chaoli tribe, but to blow up the canal that he has always dreamed of. Do you believe it?"
"… "
"It's not certain that he will have other ideas." Hua Zhi has now grasped the emperor's pulse and knows what he must not know. "Xiao Liu, if this river is repaired, it will be a major event for the country and the people. The south will no longer suffer from floods. If black gunpowder is used to build a road, it may take three years to complete. But it can't be now when internal and external troubles are coming. I am not dragging it out just to give you credit for this immortal achievement, but the conditions are not ripe at the moment. You have seen the situation in Jinyang. If the Chaoli tribe has really obtained Jinyang's wealth for a few years, then the silver and money they have accumulated is already very considerable. After so many years of planning, and Yan Xi has removed so many spies, they may not be able to endure for much longer, do you know?"
The excitement in Xiaoliu's heart completely cooled down, and he felt a little disappointed. "I didn't expect this, but I know Sister Hua, you always have the best in mind for me."
"… This good boy sells well." Hua Zhi looked at the child with a half-smile, thinking that she had finally made everything clear in this way. She didn't want to play tricks with Xiaoliu, and precisely because she didn't want to, she had to block all possible troubles from the very beginning.