As soon as Guo Shao returned to Tokyo, he heard about Li Jixun's uprising. The governor of Huaizhou defected, and on the eve of Li Jixun's uprising, he took his son back to Tokyo to inform on him. In this world, civil officials are easier to control than warriors, and most of them obey whoever sits on the throne in the capital.
In the ceremonial hall in the south of the imperial city, Guo Shao met the governor of Zezhou.
Two months ago, Li Jixun released prisoners from the three cities, interfered with local government affairs, and conscripted craftsmen and able-bodied men everywhere.
Saltpeter and sulfur Guo Shao immediately noticed this detail. He was sensitive to these things because gunpowder was rarely used by government officials except Taoists and fireworks merchants.
The gunpowder used by Taoist priests and the gunpowder used in fireworks were all invented by the ancients themselves. The formula was very crude. Although it was used in military affairs in the late Tang Dynasty, it was basically useless. What did Li Jixun do with the gunpowder? Guo Shao immediately thought of Zhao Kuangyin.
Zhao Kuangyin knew that the only gunpowder formula for blowing up the city that Guo Shao had experimented with in Shouzhou had some military value. The gunpowder available at that time was just a thing to scare people.
After the Battle of Shouzhou, Chai Rong used threats and bribes to force Guo Shao to hand over the prescription. The prescription was not circulated, but Zhao Kuangyin was a core member of Chai Rong's side. Zhao Kuangyin knew about it, so when Zhao Sanlang ordered the assassin to assassinate Guo Shao in the inn, he made gunpowder to blow Guo Shao to death.
At that time, Guo Shao had no choice but to face the pressure from Chai Rong, but he also kept a trick up his sleeve. A few years ago, he had been thinking that Zhao Kuangyin was a man who could become emperor, and whether he would become his enemy in the future, so he did not reveal a few details.
First, the method of high school chemistry experiment was used to purify saltpeter. Impurities were removed by dissolving, filtering, boiling and crystallizing, and then a sieve was used to roughly screen out sodium nitrate crystals of different sizes and shapes. Without a purification method, the gunpowder in the hands of the court was impure, which further affected the mixing ratio of the raw materials and reduced its power.
Second, use the classification experiment method to find the mixing ratio of raw materials. The recipe is dead, the method is alive. Others only get the fish, not the fishing rod.
Third, granulate the gunpowder, add water, pound it, and crush it into sieve particles. Guo Shao personally tested it and found that the burning speed of granulated gunpowder is more than three times higher than that of powdered gunpowder. If it is not granulated, the explosive power will be reduced several times.
Fourth, airtightness. Gunpowder is explosive, and if you don’t pay extra attention to sealing and compacting, the explosion power is very small.
If these four details are not achieved, it is almost impossible to blow down the city wall. When Guo Shao blew up Shouzhou City, he used all the modern knowledge and experience he could remember, and used excessive amounts of drugs to succeed. An ancient person, even if he was Zhang Liang's reincarnation, would not have been able to blow down the city wall with gunpowder without these methods. Guo Shao thought it was impossible.
The most important role of the news from the governor was to make Guo Shao guess that Zhao Kuangyin had voted for Li Jixun.
The governor of Zezhou was still reporting all kinds of news, but Guo Shao basically didn't listen to what Li Jixun wanted to do. He had already guessed it. The person Guo Shao was most concerned about now: Zhao Kuangyin
Zhao Kuangyin was almost completely defeated after the Tokyo Rebellion, and the world no longer cared about him. But Guo Shao had a special persistence and could not ignore the symptoms caused by this person's modern historical knowledge.
Guo Shao thought for a while, and now there is no way to deal with Zhao Kuangyin, unless he kills Li Jixun first. But he thought of another person who was still in Tokyo: Zhang Yongde.
It is no exaggeration to say that Zhang Yongde was very kind to Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Kuangyin was promoted because Chai Rong trusted him, but Guo Shao was very clear about the events before and after the Battle of Gaoping. Without Zhang Yongde's appreciation of Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Kuangyin would not even be a general of the imperial guards, but would still be an official of the Ma Zhi of Kaifeng Prefecture; without Zhang Yongde's repeated efforts to ask for merit and speak well of Zhao Kuangyin in front of the emperor, Chai Rong would not even know who Zhao Kuangyin was, so how could he be promoted
Zhang Yongde's kindness to Zhao Kuangyin was no less than that of the ten brothers of the Yishe Society.
However, Guo Shao wondered again: When the Tokyo Rebellion occurred, Zhao Kuangyin wanted to force Zhang Yongde to wear the dragon robe. Was he trying to use and harm him, or was he repaying Zhang Yongde's kindness
What's more, Zhang Yongde's move was to run away very cleverly.
It doesn't matter what a person says or thinks. Guo Shao suddenly said, the most important thing is to see what he does at the critical moment.
The governor of Zezhou was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to respond to Guo Shao's words.
Guo Shao immediately concluded that Zhang Yongde had done nothing wrong at the critical moment, and at least when he had power, wealth and glory should be given to Zhang Yongde.
Guo Shao had no way of knowing what Zhang Yongde had been thinking about, whether he had thought about becoming an emperor. But a person's thoughts are innocent, because people often think about many things, maybe they have thought about committing a very evil crime, maybe they have thought about winning the lottery, maybe they have thought about having someone's beautiful wife sleep with them. Who hasn't thought about things that shouldn't belong to them? They just think about it, but most of the things they won't really do.
At this moment, the eunuch Cao Tai walked to the door of the hall, flicked his whisk, and bowed, saying: The Queen Mother summoned General Guo, and asked him to enter the palace immediately.
After hearing this, Guo Shao said to the governor of Zezhou: "Envoy Zhang is loyal and worthy of praise for not colluding with the rebels. He also brought important news. The court will surely appreciate and reward Envoy Zhang for his merits."
The governor of Zezhou stood up and bowed: I eat the emperor's salary and serve the emperor loyally, so I dare not ask for reward.
Eunuch Cao, isn't it the time to go into the palace to discuss matters from 9 to 11 in the morning? Guo Shao asked casually.
Cao Tai said: The Queen Mother wants to meet General Guo alone in advance.
Please, Eunuch Cao, lead the way. Guo Shao said.
Cao Tai seemed to remember the sidelong glances he received when he met Shi Yanchao in the Palace Front Office, and hurriedly said: General Guo is too polite.
Guo Shao entered the Xuande Gate and Daqing Gate, arrived at the Jinxiang Hall, and entered the back hall from the corridor on the side of the high stone steps.
When they arrived at the palace where they had seen Fu Jinzhan several times before, there was a thin wall with a wooden frame and silk covering it, like a screen. Looking inside from the inner door, they saw Fu Jinzhan wearing a yellow robe, pacing in front of the carved window.
When Guo Shao came in, all the women withdrew and stood at the palace gate.
I kowtow to the Queen Mother. Guo Shao kowtowed according to etiquette.
Fu Jinzhan turned around, her fair and beautiful face was made more noble by the bright yellow silk. But her face didn't look good, and she said: "You get up, Li Chongjin and Li Jixun are too shameless." She threw a piece of paper on the table.
It's Li Jixun's manifesto, Guo Shao asked calmly, I've already read it.
Fu Jinzhan said in a deep voice: They made up rumors and said that when I talked to you here, my face showed complicated emotions, shame and anger mixed together.
In the past and now, Guo Shao has never seen Fu Jinzhan show much emotion in front of others. She is a person who can control her emotions. Even Emperor Taizu of Zhou praised her composure in the face of danger, which is no worse than any hero at that time. But this does not mean that she has no feelings and can take everything in stride.
Before, she just had no one to talk to and could only rely on herself. Now, she is willing to express her emotions in front of Guo Shao, which is rare in itself. Guo Shao knows that all she wants is a few words of comfort to make her feel better. There is only one person in the world who is qualified to comfort her.
Just like the last conversation, Fu Jinzhan finally made it clear: I just want to hear your sweet words, but you are talking nonsense to me.
However, for someone as smart as Fu Jinzhan, completely irrational words could not comfort her. Guo Shao pondered for a while before speaking: Did the Queen Mother pass Luo Binwang's military proclamation
I have read it. Fu Jinzhan looked at him expectantly.
Guo Shaodao: After seeing it, Wu Zetian laughed instead and praised Luo Binwang's article for its literary talent.
Fu Jinzhan said faintly: I am not Wu Zetian, I am not that big-hearted. When those people scolded me, I got angry and felt humiliated. And she whispered, you also know that I can't have a clear conscience.
Guo Shao said: No one in the world believes in such insults, so there is no need for the Queen Mother to care about it or feel ashamed. Even if we always treat each other with courtesy and abide by the ethics, Li Jixun will still insult us like this, because he has rebelled, so there is no need to worry about angering the Queen Mother; it is not because of insulting others that we should take responsibility, but because of rebellion.
On the contrary, even if we really committed adultery as described in the manifesto, which is hated by gods and humans and intolerable by heaven and earth, people in the world will still not scold us. First of all, people don't know what goes on in the palace, and secondly, if they scold us, they will bear serious responsibility.
So it doesn't matter what we do or don't do. Enemies don't care about the facts, they just say whatever they want. Others don't care about the facts either, because it's none of their business and doesn't affect their interests. Unless it's too obvious, and there are people who are interested in making up stories and making references to it, then just admit it. It's not against the will of heaven, so what kind of thing is this that cannot be tolerated by gods and men
Guo Shao said in a friendly way: "The ancients said that it is more difficult to guard against the people's mouths than to guard against the river. You can't guard against what others say, and you can't care about it. Only fools will believe in distorted rumors without real evidence. The Queen Mother doesn't need to care too much."
Guo Shao himself also made up rumors, such as the Zhao San rape and murder case, but he did it more carefully, and there were many true and false evidences to prove that of course the biggest evidence was that Zhao Kuangyin failed. This kind of thing is a matter of position, that's all.
Fu Jinzhan's expression was indeed relieved after hearing this. She pondered for a moment, looked at Guo Shao and said: "If you say it's okay, I feel much better." She said softly, "General Guo, you are a military commander, why do people around you feel so comfortable?"
Guo Shao whispered: Because I treat the Queen Mother with my heart. Will Zhao Kuangyin, Li Jixun and others feel comfortable with me
Fu Jinzhan was amused and said with a smile: I'm afraid Li Jixun hates you so much now.
Maybe they didn't hate me, thinking I was just a tool; they hated the Queen Mother. Guo Shaodao said, now everyone in the world who is ready to make a move is very afraid of the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother behaved quite artistically after becoming regent.
My governance measures are acceptable, Fu Jinzhan asked softly.
Guo Shao praised: "It is very brilliant and very wise. In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, even heroes could not keep their composure during the transfer of power, so there were five dynasties and five surnames in fifty years. In comparison, the change of imperial power in the Datong Dynasty was just a commonplace."