Chapter 248: Father-Son Tacit Understanding

"Your Majesty, this old slave has never seen Dou Prime Minister so respectful; it is clear he was truly frightened by the Artillery this time, hehe..."

Yangxin Hall.

Zhao Xu had taken off his Dragon Robe but had not yet gone to sleep.

The Wine from today had not made him drowsy; instead, it had made him increasingly clear-headed.

It is truly said that when a person encounters happy events, a thousand cups are not enough to make them drunk.

"Don't mention him; I was truly startled as well. Fortunately, I had you to support me." Zhao Heng reminisced about the expressions of the officials during the day, still feeling smug, "I never expected Yan Wang to be able to tinker with such formidable things."

"It is more than just this Artillery; the things Yan Wang has tinkered with are numerous, and every single one is delightful. In this old slave's view, this is because Your Majesty's virtue is profound, so the Heavens have enlightened Yan Wang to help Your Majesty." Liang Cheng massaged Zhao Heng's shoulders.

"Hahaha, your mouth certainly knows how to talk." Zhao Heng laughed, "But thinking about it carefully, it is indeed so. Ever since Zhao Xu went to Yanzhou, the heart I have been holding in my throat has been settling down day by day. From now on, I will no longer fear these clans."

Just as he was about to lie down to sleep, he remembered that he had not finished reading Yan Wang's letter, so he picked it up from the table.

During the day, he had only seen Yan Wang say that the two types of Artillery sent this time were one superior and one inferior.

The superior one was for him, and the inferior one was for him to use to deal with the clans.

But why this was so, he had not yet read further.

Now, having read it through again, he nodded slightly.

In the letter, Yan Wang stated bluntly that once the Artillery was shown to the officials, it would surely cause a huge uproar and leave the clan officials restless day and night.

If he did not give it to them, the conflict between the Imperial Clan and the clans would inevitably intensify.

This would be inappropriate at a time when they are surrounded by foreign enemies.

Moreover, they would certainly obtain the Artillery through various means and proceed to replicate it.

Since that is the case, it is better to sell the inferior Artillery to the clans.

This would not only yield a rich profit but also extinguish the clans' intention to replicate it.

Next, Yan Wang listed the differences between these two types of Artillery.

After reading the letter, Zhao Heng casually handed it to Liang Cheng.

After he finished reading it, he lit the letter on the oil lamp and let the ashes scatter.

"Your Majesty, this old slave feels that what Yan Wang says makes sense. Currently, the clans have infiltrated every aspect of Jinling; they could easily steal the Artillery and then push out a scapegoat."

After a pause, Liang Cheng continued: "Furthermore, the clans have deep roots in the court. Even if Your Majesty no longer fears them now, it is not advisable to simmer them over a high flame, otherwise, I fear it will lead to disaster."

Zhao Heng nodded. Being able to stand out among the Imperial Princes, he was naturally not a foolish person.

He was very clear that the clans had buried many hidden hands in the Capital City.

Tearing off the mask was not the result he wanted.

He did not want a war between the Royal Clan and the clans.

Otherwise, how could he continue his carefree and prosperous life?

He only needed the clans to be respectful to him from now on and for Imperial orders to be carried out.

Furthermore, he did indeed appreciate and rely on Yan Wang at the moment.

But he could not afford to let his guard down.

Maintaining a balance between the clans and Yan Wang was the best way to keep things peaceful.

"Hmm, Yan Wang has considered things very thoroughly. Since that is the case, it is better to share the joy than to enjoy it alone."

After saying this, he slept in his clothes.

Liang Cheng bowed and exited Yangxin Hall.

Arriving outside the hall, looking at the starry sky, Liang Cheng raised his eyebrows and hummed a little tune.

Since Zhao Heng ascended the throne, he had never felt this relaxed.

And from now on, both Yan Wang and the clans would have to rely on the Emperor, so he, as the Emperor's confidant, would naturally have to play both sides.

Dou Family.

Dou Wei fiercely overturned the table in the study.

Today, he had completely lost the upper hand in front of Zhao Heng.

Zhao Heng's gaze told him that as Prime Minister, he should probably never think of dominating the court alone again.

In fact, after Yan Wang took control of Yanzhou, Zhao Heng had intended to foster a force in the court favorable to Yan Wang.

This was the War Faction led by Ma Yuan, Yang Feng, and Mi Yan.

The current court was no longer a place where the clans had the final say.

"Father, please calm your anger; it is not good to ruin your health." Dou Kuang hurriedly picked up the calligraphy and paintings that had fallen to the ground; these were all precious antiques.

"Get out! Who told you to come into the study?" Seeing Dou Kuang enter, Dou Wei became even more furious.

He stared at Dou Kuang with bloodshot eyes, as if he were his enemy.

Dou Kuang's face turned pale, and he retreated timidly.

Just at this moment, the Third Prince walked over, attended by servants.

Seeing Dou Kuang standing outside the door, he said: "Cousin, why don't you go in?"

"Greetings, Your Highness." Dou Kuang hurriedly bowed.

It was late at night, and they were still at home, yet Zhao Mu still called him cousin.

To show intimacy, he really should have called him cousin as well.

But he did not dare not to bow; he still remembered that when he was a child, because he did not bow to Zhao Mu, he was severely whipped by his father.

Zhao Mu seemed accustomed to it and smiled lightly as he entered the study.

"Your Highness, why didn't you tell me in advance that you were coming so late? I could have sent someone to pick you up, hahaha..." Dou Wei's laughter came from inside the room.

Dou Kuang had not yet walked far, and his eyes turned slightly red.

Among the descendants of the Eight Great Influential Clans, he had always been the most glamorous in public.

But I am afraid no one knew that his father loved his Imperial Prince nephew a thousand times more than he, the eldest son of the Dou Family.

Liang Mansion.

Liang Kai was still trembling with excitement even now.

That's right, this was the Artillery he wanted.

This was the Artillery the Liang Family had spent ten thousand taels of Silver per piece on, only for it to eventually sink to the bottom of the sea.

At the same time, this was also the Artillery he had wanted to obtain when he went against his own will to allow Yan Wang to dabble in maritime trade.

As long as he had this Artillery, he could place it on his ships.

Facing Privateer Ships, his Liang Family would have the confidence.

Facing the maritime giant bandit Wang Zhi, who rampaged across the seas and called himself the Five Peaks Ship Master, his Liang Family would no longer need to pay exorbitant passage fees.

"Your Majesty, this is what you promised our Liang Family. If you regret it, do not blame our Liang Family for not knowing the rules." Liang Kai felt anxious and worried in his heart.

He was not sure if Zhao Heng would give them the Artillery after witnessing its power.

This matter lingered in his heart, and he suffered through the night.

The next morning, he intended to enter the palace to request an audience.

But he did not expect to meet a palace eunuch halfway, who notified them to enter the palace for an audience.

This time Ma Yuan was also summoned; the Eight Great Influential Clans were all present.

"Yesterday, you must have witnessed the power of the Artillery. I had previously discussed with Yan Wang to sell the Artillery to you. After all, you are all my subjects. After obtaining the Artillery, I hope you will not forget the grace of the Imperial Clan, strictly obey the Imperial orders, follow my commands, and jointly defend the territory of Great Song." Zhao Xu yawned and said slowly.

"Sell it to us!" Dou Wei and the others were instantly dumbfounded.

This was something they had not even dared to think about.

Last night he was still resentful because of the Artillery; he had not expected things to take such a turn.

"What? You don't want it?" Zhao Heng frowned.

"We want it." Han Zheng could no longer care about his face and blurted out.

Wang Zi'an and Fan Xinglun nodded at the same time.

Zhao Heng nodded with satisfaction, "Since that is the case, you shall liaise with Yan Wang. This Artillery is the result of Yan Wang's thousand-fold tempering and has cost countless resources; even I have to use Silver to buy it from Yan Wang."