Autumn is here.

Zhao's plan is in full swing. After the plan is over every year, many poor performers will be demoted or even removed, and many outstanding officials will have opportunities for promotion.

Zhao Kuo and his confidants sat in the study, placing various gains from the past year.

Guo Zong smiled and said, "Master, in the past year, we have basically regained control of the ginseng business in Yan State and Qi State, and the income of the ginseng business has returned to its heyday.

In addition, our smelting workshop in Taiyuan has also begun to deliver large quantities of goods, including stirrups, horseshoes, iron pots, iron agricultural tools and other materials, and has begun research and production of the second generation of Chiyou Army equipment.

Coupled with many other industries, today's income should be a higher number than in previous years!"

After Guo Zong finished speaking, everyone smiled.

It is absolutely impossible to have no money, and it is easy to say anything if you have money.

Zhao Kuo smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, you have done a good job in this regard.

Uncle Xu, tell me yours.”

Xu Li smiled and said, "In the past year, our nightingale has mainly done work on the grassland.

Since Junhou led his troops to defeat the Huns and Donghu, our Nightingale work in these two places is still easy to develop with the prestige of Junhou.

In addition, Mr. Guo Zong also provided great help.

Through the supply of stirrups, horseshoes and iron pots, we successfully won over two-thirds of the tribes on the grassland. Although the remaining tribes have not yet surrendered their loyalty, they also expressed their hope to continue to maintain trade ties with us."

It may not be believed by ordinary people. The most popular thing on the grassland is not weapons, but the iron pot "invented" by Zhao Kuo after traveling to this era! As we all know, nomads on the grassland rely on livestock and mainly eat meat all year round.

But how to cook the meat?

This is a very big problem.

Cauldrons and furnaces are all luxury goods. The grassland nobles are not enough, and the civilians have no share at all.

So many times, herders either bake it casually, sprinkle some salt and eat it, and sometimes even eat it raw.

The emergence of iron pots has become the ultimate answer to this question.

According to historical records, until the Ming Dynasty when Mongolian cavalry invaded the Central Plains, the primary target of looting by the Mongolian cavalry at the bottom was still the iron pots in the homes of the people in the Central Plains! There is no way, who made the grassland people completely lack the technology and iron ore to smel iron pots?

But whether it is stirrups, horseshoes or iron pots, these things cannot be used for a lifetime by buying one, and they will be broken.

As long as the grassland people become dependent on these things and then firmly grasp the supply of these things, they can quietly control these grassland tribes under the eyes that the Zhao State government cannot detect at all! Zhao Kuo smiled and said, "Uncle Xu has done a good job in this.

But there are two places where I should remind you that the first one is to avoid attracting the attention of the government. If the Empress Dowager knows about our business on the grassland, it will be a very big hidden danger.

Second, try to absorb some nightingale people from each tribe and find ways to push these people to the position of patriarch.

Of course, the interests can allow the grassland people to cooperate with us, but they may also be used by others to lure them against us. Only our own people are the most trustworthy."

Xu Li respectfully agreed to the promise.

Zhao Kuo looked at Li Si again, Han Fei and smiled and said, "Where are you two?"

In addition to maintaining the daily work of the General's Mansion, Li Si and Han Fei also had an important responsibility, which was to use their identities as "the proud disciple of Xunzi's great priest" to enter and exit the academy to attract more graduates from the academy, thus making Zhao Kuo more powerful in Zhao State.

Li Si smiled and said, "Master, our work here is always full of work, and there is not much to explain in detail.

However, in the past year, at least 60% of the Confucian and French scholars who graduated from the academy have joined us, and my ministers should be considered as fulfilling their mission."

Zhao Kuo nodded with satisfaction: "Very good.

Remember, don’t offend those who cannot be attracted for the time being.

As long as they can be neutral, it will be very good news for me."

Li Si's activities are open, and every important official of Zhao State is trying to win over his subordinates' development forces. Zhao Kuo does not need to worry about other people's fingers at this point.

Finally, Zhao Kuo turned his attention to Li Mu: "Li Mu, what's the situation with Chi You Army?"

As the only armed force under Zhao Kuo, the Chiyou army controlled by Li Mu can be said to be the most important and final trump card for everyone present. All matters of the Chiyou army have always been met with the highest priority.

Li Mu patted his chest and smiled and said, "Please rest assured, Lord, Chiyou's army has just completed the recruitment of new soldiers and retired veterans recently. The families of wounded soldiers and dead robes are also in an orderly manner with the help of Xu Li and Guo Zong. There are also a group of craftsmen in the army to help develop the second-generation equipment and weapons of Chiyou's army.

There is no problem with everything. As long as the Lord gives the order, Chiyou's army can go to war at any time!"

Zhao Kuo laughed: "It's so good, so good!"

After a careful inventory, Zhao Kuo found that he had a large number of manpower in the army, officialdom and business of Zhao State, and his power was very strong.

As for the other two giants in the political arena of Zhao, Pingyuan Jun has been a prime minister for many years and has the most powerful force in the officialdom, but in the military and business, it is quite weak.

Lin Xiangru's power in the officialdom was basically equal to that of Pingyuan Jun and Zhao Kuo. Because of the existence of Le Cheng, it was second only to Zhao Kuo. There were some people in the business, but they were far inferior to Zhao Kuo.

From this comparison, we can see that although Zhao Kuo's power is not the first in every item, it is very balanced in every item.

What is the use of balance?

To give the simplest example, if Zhao Kuo ascends the throne tomorrow, then these balanced talents under Zhao Kuo can directly take over the entire Zhao State army, officialdom and business in a short period of time, and there will basically be no major turmoil.

Coupled with the management on the northern grassland, Zhao Kuo gave him a choice of three holes.

In case of failure, Zhao Kuo can escape directly to the grassland and instantly transform into the new master of the nomadic empire.

When Zhao Kuo thought of this, he couldn't help but feel a little proud.

After so many years of business, this Hou finally became a climate! Next, we only need to consider how to eliminate Pingyuan Jun, Lin Xiangru, and Le Cheng, the dissidents!
Chapter completed!