"Rember, why do you ask?"
"In a few days, my second uncle will take so people to Wusun for an inspection. If everything goes well, they plan to open a shop there to sell things from Great Zhou, like grain, tea, salt, and porcelain."
He Lianfang remarked, "That’s a good idea." He didn’t expect the child to have a knack for business.
"My second uncle also plans to open a shop in the capital for items from Wusun."
He Lianfang remained silent, continuing to listen to Zhao Yao.
"I want to wait until my second uncle’s people are familiar with Wusun, then form a team to trade in various countries of the Western Regions."
He Lianfang raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, "You want to send people on a mission to the Western Regions?"
"Sort of, mainly to buy the Ferghana horses from Dawan."
He Lianfang chuckled lightly, "The Ferghana horses from Dawan are extrely precious, acquiring them won’t be an easy task."
"I know, but if I don’t try, how will I know it’s impossible?" Zhao Yao continued, "I also want to buy dicinal materials, furs, and spices from various Western Regions countries, along with their local specialties..."
He chattered on enthusiastically, but He Lianfang did not mind his chatter, patiently listening to him.
When Zhao Yao finished, He Lianfang sharply inquired, "Your plan to form a caravan to the Western Regions nations isn’t just to do business, right? You want to gather intelligence, correct?"
Zhao Yao was stunned, "Uncle, how did you know?" He hadn’t ntioned this, how did his uncle know.
He Lianfang replied as if it were obvious, "Isn’t that an obvious thing."
Zhao Yao widened his eyes in astonishnt, "Is it that obvious?"
"What do you want to help you with?" He Lianfang asked.
Since He Lianfang had already guessed it, Zhao Yao stopped beating around the bush. He stated directly, "I want to ask if you know any spies, uncle?"
"Spies?" He Lianfang hadn’t expected Zhao Yao to ask him about this.
"Uncle, you know I want to gather intelligence about the Xiongnu, but my second uncle’s people are good at business intelligence gathering, not so much with the Xiongnu. Do you have any spies for that?"
"Why are you sending people to gather intelligence on the Xiongnu?" He Lianfang said, "That shouldn’t be your concern, should it?"
"Who says so..." Zhao Yao repeated what he had previously told Liang Run to He Lianfang.
After listening, He Lianfang thought of sothing the Prince Yi Yong had said to him a long ti ago. This child’s thoughts on the Xiongnu were similar to the master’s. Could he really not be the master’s son?
"Why wouldn’t you assu I have such spies?"
"Just a guess." Zhao Yao said with a smile, "Uncle, you give a very capable impression. Besides, you used to be a general, surely the army had people for gathering military intelligence, like scouts."
"I do have such people. If you want to use them, I can let them help you."
Zhao Yao asked with a face full of surprise, "Really?" He was asking with a try-it-and-see attitude and didn’t have much hope.
"Really."
"Uncle, can your people train my second uncle’s people?"
He Lianfang raised an eyebrow slightly, "You want to train spies?"
Zhao Yao nodded repeatedly, "Yes."
He Lianfang narrowed his eyes, then with a face full of aning, replied, "Sure."
Seeing He Lianfang agree so readily, Zhao Yao felt sowhat puzzled.
"Uncle, you just agreed like that? So casually?"
He Lianfang retorted, "Is there a problem?"
"No problem." Zhao Yao smiled brightly, "Uncle, you’re really great." He didn’t expect the spy issue to be resolved so easily.
He Lianfang’s eyes carried a hint of laughter, "In a few days, I’ll arrange for my people to et with your second uncle and travel with him to Wusun, and they will stay there to gather information."
"Alright." Just as Zhao Yao said this, he rembered the matter of Ding Shan’s new master, "Uncle, do you happen to know any martial arts experts?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Here’s the thing, I found a treasure previously in Dahua Village. I nad him Ding Shan, he is exceptionally strong..." Zhao Yao detailed Ding Shan’s situation to He Lianfang.
He Lianfang said, "Truly a treasure."
"Uncle, do you have anyone who can teach Ding Shan?"
"Yes."
Zhao Yao said joyfully, "That’s great."
"Let your treasure Ding Shan first learn from his current master. After a few years, I’ll arrange for my people to teach him."
"Uncle, so it’s settled then." Uncle really was a gem, he seed to have connections everywhere. As he suspected, Uncle used to be soone very formidable, otherwise, how could he have spies and martial arts experts around.
Having solved two big issues at once, Zhao Yao felt a lot lighter at heart.
He Lianfang suddenly asked, "You didn’t just plan to form a team to the Western Regions, you have done sothing else too, right?"
"You can tell?" Zhao Yao was startled. It seed he never told Uncle about these things, did he?
"Since you want to form a caravan to the Western Regions nations, it shows you’ve done sothing else." He Lianfang smiled and asked, "What else have you done?"
Zhao Yao didn’t answer directly but instead cheekily winked at He Lianfang, "Uncle, why don’t you guess."
He Lianfang thought for a mont before answering, "You are cultivating your own people."
"You guessed it right, I’m cultivating my own people." Uncle was too smart, wasn’t he? Just from a few words, he could guess what he was up to.
He Lianfang said, "Tell in detail."
Zhao Yao hesitated for a mont, then decided to tell He Lianfang his plan. Though they hadn’t known each other long, and he didn’t know him well, he could feel his uncle’s goodwill. Besides, his uncle didn’t know his identity, so there wasn’t much harm in telling him these things.
"I had my second uncle adopt so orphans and then found so teachers to educate them..."
Hearing this, although He Lianfang remained composed on the surface, inside he was a tumult of emotions.
This child was even smarter than he imagined!
So young yet so intelligent and shrewd. And he started planning for himself at just six years old.
Interesting! Truly interesting!
Does the Emperor know his younger son is this smart?
He Lianfang thought of sothing, a subtle but aningful smile appeared on his lips.
This child, being so smart and resourceful, fits exactly with his preferences.
He could lend the child a helping hand.
Zhao Yao humbly asked, "Uncle, what do you think of my plan?"
He Lianfang said, "The idea is good, but the approach is a bit immature."
"Where is it immature?" Zhao Yao hurriedly asked.
"I’ll help you cultivate your own people." He Lianfang said with a faint smile, "I’m good at this."
"Huh?" For so reason, Zhao Yao felt his uncle’s smile carried a hint of mischief, as if he were plotting sothing.
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