Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 603

A middle-aged man came in from the outside. He was also a Han from Youzhou. His surname was Liu. After he came to the capital, he changed his name to Liu Suifeng. The official who eats in the restaurant, and then he will slowly get close, and then try to get useful information.

A few days ago, Liu Suifeng met an officer from the Gunpowder Division of the Armaments Supervision Department, and he spent a lot of money to become friends with this name.

"How is it? Have you heard about Tie Huolei?" Shopkeeper Zhou asked eagerly as soon as Liu Suifeng entered the door.

The most important task of shopkeeper Zhou in the past two years is to obtain the formula and manufacturing method of Tiehuolei. This is a secret that the Liao Kingdom learned from the top officials of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty had already developed a powerful firearm called Tiehuolei.

The firearms craftsmen of the Liao Kingdom understood it immediately. They also made fire mines with wooden shells and porcelain shells. They also wanted to develop fire mines with iron shells, but after more than [-] years of research, they never succeeded. It was developed first, which made the Liao craftsmen nervous and looking forward to it. If they couldn't figure it out, they counted on the intelligence agencies to make meritorious service.

This was a task personally assigned by Liao Emperor Yelu Hongji, which put a lot of pressure on Shopkeeper Zhou.

Liu Suifeng was not too polite, he came in and sat down and said, "It's not that easy to get this firearm formula, we need to put in more energy and money."

"Wang Yong is already the deputy manager of the Armament Department, so he can't get it?"

"He knows this iron fire mine, but this iron fire mine is not manufactured in the capital at all, but overseas Kunzhou. After it is shipped, it is placed in the special warehouse of the Military Weapons Supervision. Each iron fire mine has a number, and it will be destroyed even if it expires. , and must be transported back to Kunzhou to be destroyed, the craftsmen of the Gunpowder Department have never seen what Tiehuolei looks like."

Shopkeeper Zhou suddenly showed a disappointed look on his face, "Then what else can I do?"

"I don't know if it will work. Wang Yong took advantage of us and couldn't do anything. He feels guilty. He happens to have a cousin who is in charge of Kunzhou affairs in the Overseas Economics Mansion. He can introduce this cousin to me. know."

"The affairs of Kunzhou have long been out of the control of the Overseas Economic and Strategy Office. This should go to the Overseas Secretary Cao under the Third Division!"

"Treasurer, you are confused. This year, the Overseas Economic and Strategy Office was merged with the Zhizheng Hall. Have you forgotten?"

Shopkeeper Zhou suddenly remembered that although Kunzhou had been assigned to Zhizhengtang several years ago, after Fan Ning resigned this year, Zhizhengtang took over the Overseas Economics Office again and split it into Beiya and Nanya. The Beiya is in charge of Kunzhou, Danzhou and Liuqiu, the Nanya is in charge of Nanyang and the Southern Continent, the Nanya is in Quanzhou, and the Beiya is in the capital.

"Could people from the Beiya obtain such top-secret information as the formula?" Shopkeeper Zhou asked suspiciously.

Liu Suifeng said: "It is probably impossible to get the formula. I was wondering if I could get an invalid iron fire mine. When the invalid iron fire mine is sent back to Kunzhou, it is not so strict. Maybe he can Sneak one in."

Shopkeeper Zhou slapped his thigh, this is a good way, send a real thing to the past, let those gunpowder craftsmen study it by themselves, and they can complete the task by themselves.

"What weakness does this official have?" He asked hastily.

"I've asked Wang Yong about it. His cousin wants to buy a house in the capital, but he doesn't have enough money, so he's in a hurry. We'll be able to buy him at this time."

Shopkeeper Zhou suddenly remembered the latest mission he had just received not long ago. The imperial court ordered him to immediately inquire about the Liao Kingdom's fleet going to Kunzhou.

Shopkeeper Zhou immediately made a decision, "No problem, I will give whatever he wants!"

After Fan Ning left, the Overseas Economic and Strategy Office was really miserable. Not only did it lose its military power, but it also merged with the Overseas Secretary Cao under the Third Division, and then split into the North Office and the South Office of the Overseas Economic and Strategy Office. The capital is further divided into three Si Caos. Among them, the official in charge of the Kunzhou Si Cao is called Wang Qinying. Huang You was born as a Jinshi in five years. He was in his 30s, and he was mixed with a small official from the eighth rank.

In an elegant room of Baohe Restaurant, Wang Yong, deputy director of the Firearms Bureau, introduced Liu Suifeng to his cousin Wang Qinying.

"Liu Yanei thinks too highly of me!"

Wang Qinying hurriedly explained to Liu Suifeng: "I'm just a low-level official from the eighth rank, and I'm in charge of contacting Kunzhou. The prefects of Kunzhou are all sixth-rank officials. How can I manage them?"

"It's just a little misunderstanding, it's not hurtful, please sit down in the capital."

Liu Suifeng enthusiastically invited Wang Qinying to sit down, and Wang Yong said from the side: "Liu Yanei's family is a wealthy family in a famous mansion, and this Baohe restaurant is his home. There are still several properties in the capital, and the money is too much to spend. Kuo Ya Nei!"

"Old Wang's words are not kind. What do you mean by having so much money that you can't spend it all? There are so many rich people in the capital. If you spread your words, do I want to hang out in the capital?"

"I'm just a rough person, I can't speak, so please don't get angry at Liu Yanei."

"Hehe! I'm also a rough person. I run errands for the family in the capital. It's not like the royal capital. I have a Jinshi background and have a bright future!"

Liu Suifeng toasted Wang Qinying with a glass of wine, and asked with a smile, "I heard that Wangdu wants to buy a house in the capital?"

Wang Qinying waved her hand, "I want to buy a house. I just want to buy a small yard in the outer city. The land is enough to bring my parents from the countryside. I don't want to rent a house."

Liu Suifeng thought for a while and said, "How much is the yard that Wangdu plans to buy?"

"I've taken a fancy to a yard with the size of one mu of land. It's located in the east of the city. The landlord asked for seven hundred guan. This price is really cheap. Although it's close to Caomen, it's in the outer city after all. The landlord only gave me five days. I borrow money everywhere."

"How much worse is the matter in the capital?"

"It's still three hundred guan, hey! Tomorrow is the deadline, and I'm going to die of worry."

The reason why Wang Qinying came to dinner was because his cousin Wang Yong told him that Liu Suifeng was willing to lend him money, which was his only hope. After speaking, he looked at Liu Suifeng expectantly.

Liu Suifeng laughed and said, "Aren't all Jinshi rich?"

"Hey! That's climbing a high branch and becoming the son-in-law of a powerful man. Although I am a Jinshi, I have already married and had children, and my rank in the exam is also low. People don't like it at all. I can only live on a little salary. Fortunately, I went to Kunzhou last year, and someone gave me a bead, and I sold it for [-] guan, which is considered a small fortune, and I have the idea of ​​buying a house."

"It's no problem, there's no need to borrow it anymore, isn't it just three hundred coins! I'll give it to Wang Dushi, and treat it as a friend with Wang Dushi."

Wang Qinying quickly waved her hand, "How embarrassing, I can't ask for money from Liu Yanei!"

"It's like this. Our family also wants to invest in Kunzhou's wood, but it's not safe. Can you tell me about the king's capital? How many troops are there in Kunzhou? Is there any defense? I heard that Liao also has a navy. Will the state be captured by the navy of the Liao Kingdom? If it is captured, our family's investment will be over. If you can tell me about Wangdu, the three hundred guan will be my consulting fee."

Wang Qinying was a little hesitant, and Wang Yong encouraged him from the side: "Brother, tomorrow is the deadline. If you don't take the money, the house will be bought by someone else. You will regret it and cry!"

Wang Qinying's heart was broken, and he said to Liu Suifeng: "I'll tell you a top-secret news, you must never tell it."

"Don't worry! Who should I tell?"

Wang Qinying said in a low voice: "The Liao Kingdom is indeed going to attack Kunzhou, but they encountered an ambush by the Song Army Navy on the way, and all [-] sea troop carriers of the Liao Kingdom have been wiped out. Your family can rest assured to invest!"

"Where did the Song Army Navy get the information? Is it reliable?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know either. I don't have access to this level of intelligence. Unless I can be promoted to counselor, I might be able to find out for Liu Yanei."

"Hehe! Since it's top-secret information, forget it. I'm just curious. Thank you for the information provided by Wang Dushi. I will contact the family immediately."

Liu Suifeng took 30 taels of gold to Wang Qinying, then left and Wang Yong sent Liu Suifeng out.

Wang Qinying was playing with three ingots of gold in his hands, and an imperceptible sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

In the shopkeeper’s room, after listening to Liu Suifeng’s report, shopkeeper Zhou’s face was very ugly. He sighed and said, “Even he told about sixty troop carriers. His information should be true. destroyed."

Shopkeeper Zhou walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and asked again: "He said Song Jun was in ambush halfway?"

"Yes! I also asked him specifically, how did Song Jun know this information?"

"Did he say it?"

"He said that his level does not know this information, if he can be promoted to a counselor, he will be able to tell me."

"What does he mean by that?"

"I think this Wang Qinying is very greedy. He is hinting to us that he wants to be promoted! In fact, he just wants money to manage."

Shopkeeper Zhou pondered for a moment and said: "If this Wang Qinying is reliable, it's okay to train him, but we must understand him thoroughly to prevent him from betraying us. In this way, send someone to follow him for three days, understand his every move, and make sure he is just a man. Ordinary officials with no ambitions."

"I see! I'll arrange for someone to keep an eye on him."

Liu Suifeng went down, shopkeeper Zhou frowned, he still couldn't tell the Liao State the news of the destruction of the sixty ships, the Privy Council would not be satisfied, he had to tell the Liao State, where did the Song Army get it from? Information, time is very urgent, he really can't delay for too long.

"I hope this Wang Qinying is a reliable person." Shopkeeper Zhou said to himself.

(End of this chapter)