The atmosphere of the scene began to calm down. Li Er looked at Gu Qing and said, "You can tell me more clearly."

Gu Qing continued, "It's like this. From the beginning of farming, people use sticks, then iron tools, and then there will be various firearms. This is an evolution. This road will continue and this is a road without turning back."

After hearing Gu Qing say, "What do you mean is that it is useless to keep a firearm all the time?"

"Your Majesty, it is actually not difficult to make firearms." Gu Qing said to Li Er again, "The pot explosives I used at the beginning are actually very simple. This technology cannot be unique to the Tang Dynasty. This uniqueness may be broken in a hundred years."

Li Er listened to Gu Qing's words and knew the method of making firearms in his heart. Some of them seemed difficult to make, but in fact, it was not difficult to make after knowing the principles. Just like what Gu Qing said, the pottery gunpowder can be made as long as there are enough people.

"I don't deny the benefits of firearms, but we cannot be self-satisfied." Gu Qing then said to Li Er, "With the improvement of firearms, the construction of firearms in Datang cannot stop here. We need to have a sharper firearm. Now that the musket has been put into use, we need to make better muskets, I call it a rifle! A continuous firing rifle!"

Li Er remained silent, and the quiet inside the room returned to peace. Wang Qin stood outside the door and could hear the conversation between the two.

"Gu Qing." Li Er said with a long sigh, "Sometimes I really want to kill you, but whenever you are useful, I am so glad that I left your life."

"I believe Your Majesty will not do anything to kill his son-in-law." Gu Qing also said.

"Hahaha." Li Er said with a smile, "Gu Qing, I wanted you to help Li Chengqian at that time, and I always wanted to see what you would do."

"I'm ashamed to say that there are so many useful people in the court, not more than me, not less than me." Gu Qing said with a smile.

"Your Majesty." Wang Qin walked and said, "The King of Jin is coming down."

"Let him come in." Li Er said loudly.

Li Zhi walked into the house, bowed to his father and said, "My son has met his father."

"What's going on with that pirate?" Li Er asked Li Zhi, as if he had asked it knowingly. Gu Qing had already explained, but he still had to listen to Li Zhi's opinion.

"It's like this, and I only learned it later." Li Zhi explained to his father, "Long before the establishment of the Maritime Trade Department, Gu Qing arranged some people to mingle among the people who built the port, and I only learned about the news later. In fact, about the arrangements of pirates, I also felt that I could do this. After the development of the Maritime Trade, more people would want to come to the Central Plains to do business. According to the situation sent by Japan these days, many Japanese people wanted to come to the Tang Dynasty."

"Is that true?" Li Er was puzzled.

"Yes." Li Zhi said again, "The richness of the Central Plains is a place that attracts them. Now many Goguryeo people have come to the Central Plains and even want to live in the Central Plains for a long time. This has emerged after the first sea trade. My sons think that in the future, the exchanges between Japan and Goguryeo and the Central Plains will be closer. In addition, the South China Sea port is still being opened, so they will inevitably come into contact with the South China Sea in the future. The so-called business is about coming and going."

"We are from the Central Plains, and people from other countries can come. This kind of sea trade will only become more and more frequent. Nowadays, the construction of sea ships by Yan Liben is familiar with the road, because they find that as long as sea ships are built according to the rules, it is actually not difficult. Never underestimate the productivity of other countries. Now Goguryeo is already building sea ships by itself. In Gu Qing's words, the era of great sailing is coming."

"I think there are three things in the minister who wants to take control of the dominance of the sea trade." Li Zhi continued, "Just like Gu Qing's self-respect for the enemy, this can temporarily allow the Tang Dynasty to take control of the dominance, but it is not a long-term solution."

Li Er's expression showed surprise. This surprise was not Li Zhi's thoughts, but a kind of confidence in Li Zhi's speech. This confidence was also what Li Zhi needed most when he was a child. At that time, Li Zhi was too reluctant to do so, but now he can directly tell the shortcomings of Gu Qing's approach.

Li Zhi continued, "Father, Gu Qing's pirates may be a good idea within more than ten years, but what about ten years later? Just like the bicycles, coal stoves, and spirits, no one has seen them before. Now the manufacturing of bicycles has long been inevitable to flow into the people, and the Cheng family's spirits are also. Although they are not as authentic as the Cheng family's spirits, they can be considered spirits. In the words of the academy, if there is no certain control, knowledge will not be monopolized."

Li Er nodded and listened carefully.

"The second point!" Li Zhi said again, "that is, in the management of sea trade, the Tang Dynasty, as the superior country, had to frequently contact other countries and obtain the greatest resources from other countries at the lowest cost. This is something the DPRK and the Sea Trade Department have been advancing."

"The next is the third point." Li Zhi then said, "The situation on the sea is actually not much different from our Central Plains. Of course, it is more of an inability to take place on the sea. Surviving on the sea, sea ships are extremely important. In terms of ships, Yan Liben has been trying to find ways to increase the speed of ship navigation. In the past year, Yan Liben has drawn many drawings of sea ships and sent to our Maritime Trade Department in various ways. The other is firearms. Only with better equipped firearms and enough abilities can they dominate the sea trade. Two points are firearms and ships!"

Gu Qing didn't expect that Li Zhi had already clarified the direction. He thought that Li Zhi had spent a lot of effort in the Hai Trade Department.

"You thought of these yourself?" Li Er asked back, and he also had no concealment of appreciation for Li Zhi.

"This is all deduced several times between Shangguan Yi and Erchen." Li Zhi replied honestly, "Except in the court, Shangguan Yi spent most of his time in the Hai Trade Department. Shangguan Yi helped Erchen do a lot of things these days."

Li Er nodded slightly, "You all retreat, I have your own thoughts."

"My son is leaving!"

"I'm leaving, too."

Gu Qing and Li Zhi walked out of Li Er's house together, and after he came out, Li Zhi let out a long sigh.

"His Highness King Jin performed very well today." Gu Qing said.

Li Zhi smiled bitterly. Only he knew that he didn't dare to look at his father when he spoke, but he finally said what he wanted to say.
Chapter completed!