Li Zhi, don't be a coward

Empress Wu may not be a good woman, but she must be a smart woman.

A smart woman never goes against the "general trend". She knows her own weight. If she can't afford to play, she will quit the game decisively.

If she continues to play reluctantly, death will be waiting for her.

Compared with three years ago, the Tang Dynasty has changed a lot. With the efforts of the emperor and ministers in the court over the years, the carriage of the Tang Dynasty has gradually accelerated. No one can stop it from galloping. Anyone who dares to stop it will be killed. Crushed ruthlessly.

Especially with the great victory in the Eastern Expedition, the Tang Dynasty occupied the Haidong Peninsula. At this point, the Tang Dynasty had achieved great success.

Empress Wu saw this clearly clearly. The scene of the prosperous Tang Dynasty described by Li Qinzai and Li Zhi in Taiji Palace the day before yesterday was the inducement that prompted Empress Wu to finally change her mind and quit the game decisively.

After Li Yifu was beheaded, Empress Wu's power in the court was basically suppressed to pieces. She was powerless in the court, and Li Zhi suppressed her. Empress Wu was gradually imprisoned in the harem. Under such a situation, she could not only give up her ambitions, but also work with peace of mind. A harem master has no other choice.

It must be said that Empress Wu chose to quit the game at this time, which was a very wise decision.

A person who has lost power is guilty of possessing a treasure. The secret of gunpowder has become her reminder. If she doesn't deal with this matter quickly, Li Zhi's knife will fall on her neck. Then it will not be as simple as dethroning the queen. .

Li Qinzai secretly admired Empress Wu for her decisive killing.

Even if she loses her power, this woman can still be lucky enough to answer the multiple-choice questions in life. The neat and straightforward look is really fascinating.

Late at night, in the backyard of the Duke's Mansion.

In a remote room, there were people on guard around it.

The grandfather and grandson gathered in the room, staring intently at a wooden box on the low table.

Inside the box was a head, with a somewhat bloated face and a pale complexion. It had been painted with lime beforehand, making it look shocking and scary.

Both Li Ji and Li Qinzai had been among the dead on the battlefield, so they were naturally not afraid of human heads. The grandfather and grandson looked closely at each other for a long time, and Li Ji turned to look at Li Qinzai.

"Look carefully, is it him?" Li Ji said solemnly.

Li Qinzai did not dare to be careless and stared at the head seriously, examining his facial features.

Li Qinzai naturally knew Fu Youyi. When he was in the Firearms Prison, the two had a conflict face to face. Fu Youyi was dismissed from his official post by Li Qinzai and was thrown into prison by him.

After identifying him for a long time, Li Qinzai nodded affirmatively: "Yes, it's him."

Li Ji breathed a sigh of relief, stroking his beard and nodding: "That's good, this line is cleanly broken."

After a pause, Li Ji frowned again: "I just don't know if the secret recipe of gunpowder is in the hands of the queen..."

Li Qinzai smiled and said: "Grandpa, you should enjoy your old age in peace and don't worry about this."

"Whether the secret recipe of gunpowder is leaked or not, it will have no impact on Datang."

"Grandpa, the Tang Dynasty has achieved great success. The existence of gunpowder is actually irrelevant. In other words, the secret recipe of gunpowder will be leaked sooner or later, but it cannot determine the strength of a country or the outcome of a war. If gunpowder can replace The years of hard work of the Tang Dynasty monarchs and ministers are too ridiculous."

Li Ji was startled for a moment, then nodded slowly.

I have to admit that what Li Qinzai said makes sense. Both his ancestors and his grandchildren have been on the battlefield. Gunpowder did add devastating power to the Tang Dynasty kings. However, it is always people, not weapons, that determine the outcome of a war.

People who have led soldiers and fought in battles understand this truth more deeply.

After being silent for a long time, Li Ji sighed and said, "How to deal with this matter caused by the Queen?"

Li Qinzai blinked and said, "Grandpa, have you ever thought about why the queen took the initiative to tell us this fatal secret?"

Li Ji smiled slightly: "Is she showing kindness or weakness?" Li Qinzai smiled and said: "My grandson thought she was admitting her mistake. She was more reserved and very smart."

Li Ji thought about it carefully, and it seemed that it was indeed the case.

Taking the initiative to be honest is actually an attitude of admitting her mistakes. Of course, it is also a show of goodwill. She is implicitly expressing her attitude that she does not want to be enemies with the Li family's ancestors and grandchildren.

She was said to be smart because although she took the initiative to confess about this matter, she did not leave any evidence. Fu Youyi died, and the confession of Zhao Daoyun, the only witness, was not enough to convict him.

Even if the grandfather and grandson came to report in front of Li Zhi at this moment, Empress Wu would have the ability to completely destroy all the evidence, and would even accuse the grandfather and grandson of framed the queen.

Li Ji looked hesitant, wondering what he was thinking about.

Li Qinzai sighed: "Forget it, as long as she is peaceful in the future, this incident will be treated as if it never happened. We don't need to kill them all."

How could the bullet fired three years ago be so coincidental that it hit the center of the eyebrow today?

Today's Tang Dynasty is about to start the era of great navigation, and it needs a stable political environment. If Empress Wu's incident is really used to make a fuss, the government and the public will definitely cause an uproar. The great voyage may come to a halt because of this, which is not cost-effective.

Li Ji was silent for a long time, but finally agreed with Li Qinzai's words.

"I'm old, I won't bother anymore..." Li Ji suddenly looked sad for some reason, and hung his head weakly, showing the look of a hero in his twilight years.

Li Qinzai stared at him and said seriously: "Grandpa, every generation has its own mission. You have completed your mission perfectly in this life. Next, let's see how our grandchildren do."

"You must live a long life and see with your own eyes the earth-shaking Tang Dynasty."

Li Ji looked relieved and said: "Okay, I will try to live a few more years."

…………

Two months later, news came from the Shipbuilding Departments in Quanzhou and Dengzhou that the large-scale ships built by the imperial court with huge manpower and material resources, a total of ten ships with [-] materials and a total of four ships with [-] materials, had been completed and launched.

The navies of the two places were divided into two parts, one in the south and one in the north, preparing to set sail.

The commander-in-chief of the navy in the south direction was Cheng Boxian, the eldest grandson of Cheng Yaojin, who commanded more than [-] navy generals.

The commander-in-chief of the navy in the north direction is Sun Renshi, who leads the navy with nearly [-] troops.

The two navies were heading in the same direction, both were setting sail eastward, and both were equipped with sufficient firearms and gunpowder.

In today's world, these two naval forces are absolutely invincible in terms of combat power and weapons and equipment. At this time in Australia, America and Africa, the local aborigines were still wearing animal skins and living a life of eating hair and drinking blood. Maybe they still live in caves and trees.

The two naval forces of Datang are definitely at the crushing level, there is no doubt about it.

On October [-], the fourth year of Linde.

Under the imperial edict of Chang'an, the two naval forces boarded the ship and set sail. There were no noisy celebrations with gongs and drums, and no touching scenes of people passing by.

The huge sea-going ship that could not be looked up to was quietly left the port, slowly raised its sails, and moved slowly towards the depths of the ocean.

No one knows the significance of the two naval forces setting sail.

This day is recorded in history as the beginning of the exploration of the world by a powerful empire from the far east.

They brought oriental swords, halberds, firearms, killings, and a culture as vast as the sea to the entire world.

Everything you can see is Tang soil.