Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 790 - 626 Wolf Constitution
It’s right the moment to prove himself, but unexpectedly, the Emperor directly stripped him of his duties. Is the Emperor telling him that the Crown Prince position is out of his reach?
The Third Prince rolled his eyes and unexpectedly fainted on the spot.
Good news never leaves the door, but bad news spreads a thousand miles.
Before the evening hour of dismissal, the news that the Third Prince was reprimanded by the Emperor and stripped of his duties had already spread to various government offices.
"Master! Lord Yin has sent a message inviting you to visit Old Master Liang’s home today for a chat."
Ming Mo drove the carriage away from the palace gates towards Liang Mansion.
Gu Chengyu knew that his senior brother definitely wanted to discuss the events that occurred in court today. The struggle among the Princes was intensifying, and it seemed the matter of establishing a Crown Prince would be decided in the next few days.
"Greetings to Mr. Gu! The master and Lord Yin are already waiting in the outer study."
As soon as Gu Chengyu got off the carriage, Steward Liang came to greet him.
Gu Chengyu followed Steward Liang all the way to the outer study and unexpectedly found Wu An and He Jisheng there as well.
The few exchanged greetings and each found a seat to settle down.
Gu Chengyu pondered in his heart; since He Jisheng was present, he needed to be cautious in his words.
He always felt that He Jisheng had prejudices against him. Moreover, He Jisheng did not get along well with his mentor, so he thought it best to be discreet in his speech.
"Teacher, the Third Prince was reprimanded by the Emperor in court today. Do you think the Emperor will exclude the Third Prince from the Crown Prince selection?"
Wu An looked at Liang Zhirui. Although he was only of the Standard Fourth Rank, since he was transferred back to the Capital, he had been contemplating the matter of aligning himself.
He was no longer young, and if he didn’t take initiative, it would be difficult for him to reach the Third Rank before his retirement.
Liang Zhirui had already heard a gist of it from Yin Kun and the others, and naturally understood Wu An’s intention.
He glanced at He Jisheng, then shook his head, "It’s hard to say! The Third Prince was set up by someone, the Emperor must be aware of it."
In his opinion, the Third Prince is not fit for great responsibility. In terms of talent, he falls short of the Eldest Prince, and in terms of character, he does not compare with the Second Prince.
It was merely because Consort Xian was favored that some ministers supported him, otherwise, he would have no advantages.
What is the use of some petty cleverness? Who among the court is foolish? The Third Prince is still a bit tender compared to those old foxes in the court.
"What’s that weapon really like? How could it be impractical? Didn’t the Third Prince notice?"
Gu Chengyu wasn’t privy to much of the inside information, but anyway, there was no result regarding the Crown Prince’s position in court today.
The Emperor punished Mr. Huo and stripped the Third Prince of his duties, then left in a huff.
The matter of establishing the Crown Prince was once again set aside. Naturally, those officials were displeased but dared not express any resentment.
Gu Chengyu felt that the Emperor was simply avoiding the matter. The Crown Prince had to be established sooner or later, so why keep delaying?
If the Crown Prince were established earlier and taught to manage affairs, wouldn’t it also relieve the Emperor some?
It’s bound to happen sooner or later, does the Emperor really expect to refine an elixir of immortality?
"The Emperor had everyone circulate it, but I didn’t take a close look. It should be shaped like a spear. Oh! Right, at the front of the spear, there are four sections like branches of bamboo, only much shorter than bamboo."
Yin Kun recalled, feeling that such a weapon was indeed impractical.
The extra branches were both thin and short, and it was said that the spear-like weapon was also quite heavy.
When facing an enemy’s drawn blade, such branches wouldn’t provide any defense. Furthermore, the weapon’s front was too heavy, making it cumbersome for soldiers and certainly slowing their reaction during combat.
Gu Chengyu thought of a type of weapon from ancient times called Wolf Constitution, but it didn’t quite match Yin Kun’s description.
But how could the Wolf Constitution appear here? Is there another time traveler here?
The Wolf Constitution was developed against pirates in ancient times and isn’t very practical here.
Because of the different characteristics between Da Xing’s swords and piratical swords, the Wolf Constitution might suit combat against pirates but not against Da Xing’s soldiers.
"Are those branches made of iron or bamboo?" Gu Chengyu placed down his teacup and asked.
"They’re made of iron." Yin Kun was puzzled as to why Gu Chengyu was interested in the weapon. They, being scholars, knew little about weapons and couldn’t tell whether the weapon was practical.
Gu Chengyu sank into deep thought upon hearing this. In the past, the Wolf Constitution was made from large bamboo, with branches attached to the upper sections.
When used, those branches shielded the entire body, difficult for weapons to penetrate, thus reducing the user’s concerns.
Soldiers holding the Wolf Constitution were generally placed at the front lines, serving a role similar to shields.
But if the Wolf Constitution were made of iron, it would be impractical. Such weight on the battlefield would slow soldiers down.
Moreover, the branches weren’t long enough, making it merely a fancy piece compared to the true Wolf Constitution.
He Jisheng glanced at Gu Chengyu with a flickering gaze, "Senior brother, did something occur to you? We’re all among friends here, feel free to speak up for everyone to discuss together."
Seeing Gu Chengyu in deep thought, he assumed Gu Chengyu had some insights about the weapon.
If this weapon could be effectively used, wouldn’t it be a great achievement?
Gu Chengyu smiled, "I was merely curious about what that weapon looks like."
Gu Chengyu couldn’t possibly bring up the matter of the Wolf Constitution. In the past dynasty, the sea ban was once lifted, but it didn’t last long.
The Qing Dynasty’s rule lasted only thirty-two years. Once the nation was stabilized, Yuanqing had indeed ordered the lifting of the sea ban.
But after only a few years, piracy ran rampant, whether from domestic pirates or those notorious pirates; they were all vicious and brutal.
Later, Yuanqing became indulgent in women, with many Princes, internal conflicts began again. By Yuanqing’s later years, his health was deteriorating, leaving him with no energy to manage such affairs.
Fearing foreign nations would plant spies domestically, facilitating internal and external collusion, they once again sealed the sea ban.
Until today, the sea ban has not been lifted.
How could he clearly explain the affair of the Wolf Constitution? So he simply chose not to speak.
"Senior brother! Since the manufactured weapons cannot be used, they should be recast. Doesn’t the Military Equipment Bureau have iron in stock?"
Gu Chengyu was quite puzzled, as urgent as the border might be, they should be able to produce a batch in time.
"Alas! The Military Equipment Bureau doesn’t have iron in stock. The court had already sent over all the mined ores recently. These weapons were made from the iron refined from those ores. In such a short period, to find iron, they’d have to buy it from the civilian market."
Gu Chengyu frowned; previously, the court always monopolized these resources, and no private merchants could touch a single ore.
Over the past two years, due to the enormous manpower and financial input from the court, they gradually relaxed the permissions, allowing a small portion of the mining rights to be freely explored by private merchants.
The government only needed to collect taxes on these resources, but these taxes were not high, merely two out of thirty.
Gu Chengyu thought that given the court’s impoverished state, they could actually open up most of the resources.
Using the bidding approach from his previous life, these resources could be opened up to merchants, and by slightly increasing taxes, they might become a significant source of revenue for the court.
