Chapter 519: Deterioration

"Your Highness, the Emperor has officially issued an imperial decree, handing over the military and political power of each province to the Prefects." Xu Ke took a deep breath and spoke the news he had just received.

"What? So fast!" Zhao Xu said.

The Imperial Court's efficiency was always sluggish; this time, it truly surprised him.

Up until now, not even a month had passed.

"It is not that the tax collection has finished, but that the old thief Dou Wei and the officials of the powerful clans proposed raising silver first to pay the annual tribute to the Northern Di, and then, once the taxes are collected, the silver will be distributed. With enough silver, the Emperor issued the decree," Xu Ke said.

Hearing this, Zhao Xu frowned deeply, "The powerful clans really couldn't wait."

He believed the powerful clans were absolutely capable of doing such a thing.

After all, no one could owe the powerful clans silver.

Once these taxes were collected, it was not up to Zhao Heng alone to decide.

In this way, while they obtained military and political power in advance, they would not lose a single cent of silver.

After all, Zhao Heng still feared the powerful clans like tigers even before they formally seceded.

Now that they had officially become local emperors, it was even more impossible for Zhao Heng to provoke them.

He loved his own wealth and status more than anything, and all his decisions were made for this reason.

"What a disgrace," Zhao Xu sighed heavily immediately after.

This monarch, Zhao Heng, was now no different from a puppet.

But he deserved it.

If not for his reckless maneuvers in the northwest, there would not have been any talk of peace negotiations.

Afterwards, the powerful clans would not have taken advantage of the empty national treasury to force him to issue the decree.

What was most detestable was that, even now, he felt not a shred of guilt regarding the peace negotiations and was still striving to satisfy the Northern Di's conditions for peace.

And he, the Ninth Prince of the Great Song himself, had always been a pawn in his eyes to balance the powerful clans.

Only now, having been forced into a dead end by the powerful clans, did he restrain himself slightly.

"Forget it, this is for the best. At least the hypocritical veils have been torn off; from now on, everyone shall show their own abilities," Zhao Xu said.

The seceding powerful clans would certainly need time to stockpile their strength.

And since Zhao Heng was still alive and well, the Great Song would not fall into chaos just yet.

However, since the fuse had already been lit, it was only a matter of time before it reached the gunpowder barrel.

Xu Ke also sighed, and remembering something, he said: "This subordinate also discovered one more thing. The seven powerful clans seem to have mastered the forging method for artillery. This casting method seems to be related to copper, and the merchants under the powerful clans are buying copper everywhere, even causing the price of copper to rise."

"You mean they have simultaneously mastered a new method of casting cannons?" Zhao Xu locked his brows.

It was no wonder the powerful clans no longer placed new artillery orders with Yan Wang.

Linking this to the Northern Di's bronze cannons, Zhao Xu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"It could be the Northern Di!" Zhao Xu and Xu Ke said almost in unison.

"No wonder they had the guts to secede; so this was the reason," Zhao Xu mused.

No longer relying on the artillery of Yanzhou,

meant no longer being constrained by Yanzhou.

Recalling the border market the Northern Di had set up outside Wuguan, Zhao Xu's understanding of the Northern Di's intentions became increasingly clear.

"How is the escape route I had you arrange coming along?" Zhao Xu asked.

Since the trend of secession in the Great Song could not be reversed,

then when the landslide and tsunami arrived, he needed to be certain he could bring out Mi Fei and the Mi Family.

Regardless, Mi Fei was the birth mother of the Ninth Prince; to ignore her would be truly too cruel.

"Replying to Your Highness, it is already prepared. When the time comes, as long as the Imperial Concubine leaves the Imperial Palace, we will be able to send her out of the city," Xu Ke said with an air of confidence.

Zhao Xu nodded in satisfaction, feeling slightly at ease in his heart.

However, once it reached the point where Mi Fei needed to be rescued, Jinling would inevitably be in total chaos.

He would still need to adapt to the situation on the spot.

Having told Yan Wang the two important pieces of news, Xu Ke turned to leave.

"Wait, in a few days I will have Bai Shang coordinate with Zhou Yi to attack Gaoli; take this opportunity to send men to look for Chai Wu," Zhao Xu called out to the departing Xu Ke.

"Yes, Your Highness." Xu Ke was delighted, a smile appearing on his face.

Chai Wu had been missing without a trace for such a long time.

Without a doubt, this was an excellent opportunity.

After Xu Ke's figure disappeared,

Zhao Xu walked to the map of the Great Song. Before a dynasty collapses, it is often like this; internal troubles and external threats often arrive together.

The Great Song could not escape this fate either.

"Taking advantage of the current calm, the rifled musket and the steam engine must be prioritized immediately," Zhao Xu muttered.

Now, he felt an increasing sense of urgency.

Only a strong economy and a strong army were the guarantee for Yanzhou to move forward steadily in the ocean of a chaotic world.

And these two things, without a doubt, were the foundation for the future.

His gaze shifted toward Ningjin Dusi, and his brows furrowed slightly.

At present, there was one more problem: the Northern Di.

Before the Great Song ran into trouble, he had to find a way to break the Northern Di's layout in Ningjin Dusi.

He did not want to fight on two fronts.

Just as he was thinking,

suddenly Feng'er announced that Wang Chong had arrived.

Hearing this, Zhao Xu was delighted; it must be about the Steam Engine.

Sure enough, after a short while, Wang Chong came over with a joyful expression and said, "Your Highness, this subordinate has a surprise for you."

"Has your Steam Engine test succeeded this time?" Zhao Xu asked, feeling a slight joy in his heart.

"Hehe, exactly," Wang Chong laughed, knowing he couldn't hide this from Yan Wang.

He was just playing coy with Yanguan.

Zhao Xu nodded with satisfaction; compared to annihilating the Five Peaks Island Pirates, what he looked forward to most was the Steam Engine.

After all, this thing could fundamentally change Yanzhou.

Thinking of this, he said, "Let's go, take me to see it."

It was still the Laboratory of the Technology Academy.

When Zhao Xu and Wang Chong arrived, the roar of the Steam Engine was coming from inside.

On the way, Wang Chong had already told him.

Ever since the explosion last time, he and the students had learned from their failure and carried out another round of improvements on the Steam Engine's craftsmanship.

Now, this newly built Steam Engine had been working continuously for half a month without a single malfunction, and it could be put into use completely.

"Your Highness, my father says the Armory Bureau is in urgent need of a Steam Engine; should we deliver this one to the Armory Bureau first?" Wang Chong asked.

He had no choice; every time he went home, his own father asked about the Steam Engine the most, which was truly annoying.

"Very well, Director Wang has also urged me several times; give this one to him," Zhao Xu said.

Stroking the body of the Steam Engine, he continued, "Moreover, I fear one is not enough. Since the technology is already mature, during this time, you and the students should build a batch to meet the needs of the Armory Bureau. Of course, the most important thing is to train a group of skilled craftsmen during this process."

He could not let Wang Chong be responsible for building Steam Engines forever.

There were still many machines that would appear alongside the Steam Engine that needed him to solve.

Therefore, he needed to teach some craftsmen.

Afterwards, he would specifically establish a Steam Engine Workshop and let this group of craftsmen be responsible for production.

"Yes, Your Highness," Wang Chong said.

After giving these instructions, the two chatted for a while about the application of the Steam Engine.

At this moment, Liu Fu suddenly came running over, panting.

He also had a joyful expression, "Your Highness, the craftsmen sent to us by the Imperial Court have arrived."