Chapter 3489
The day after Li Zhen arrived in Hangzhou, his eldest son Li Bai also returned from a study abroad trip.
After the father and son met, the most excited person was not the two of them, but the younger son Li Xuan.
As soon as Li Xuan met, he asked Li Bai to take him around the city. He was obviously still thinking about the bustling street scene he saw when he entered the city yesterday.
Li Bai smiled and said: "Then let me ask you, in Hangzhou, where there is everything to eat, drink and have fun, where do you want to go most?"
Li Xuan was only a six-year-old child, and it was his first time in a foreign country. Li Bai was just joking about his question. Unexpectedly, Li Xuan thought for a moment and actually responded seriously: "Can you go and see where my eldest brother is studying?" Place? ”
Li Bai couldn't help being surprised when he heard this. He looked at Li Xie, then turned to Li Xuan and asked: "You are so young, but you are so interested in studying?"
Li Xuan responded: "My father said that he wants me to come to Hangzhou to study and learn my skills, just like my elder brother!"
When Li Bai heard this, he immediately understood his father's plan and confirmed to Li Xie: "Does the father want to arrange for the child to return to the country?"
Li Zhen said slowly: "You have reached the age of eighteen. It is time to start getting in touch with government affairs and learn how to govern the country!"
Li Bai did not show any joy when he heard this, but confirmed to Li Xie again: "With the skills the child has learned here, can he really return to the country to assist his father in governing?"
Li Zhi smiled and said: "What? Do you want to stay in Haihan for a few more years?"
Li Bai said: "If I can learn more in Haihan, it won't hurt to stay for a few more years."
Li Zhi asked casually, but after hearing Li Bai's answer, the smile on his face slowly faded: "Are you doing it to learn your skills, or is there something more important here than inheriting the throne? As the crown prince of Joseon, , you must understand your identity and responsibilities!”
Li Bai bowed his head and responded: "Children should obey their father's arrangements."
Li Bai seemed to lower his head, but did not answer Li Xie's question.
Li Zhi was secretly unhappy. He sent Li Bai to study in Haihan. On the one hand, he wanted to use this method to stabilize the relationship between the two countries. On the other hand, he also hoped that Li Bai could learn some real skills in governing the country in Haihan.
In his opinion, there is nothing wrong with this arrangement. After all, when he was young, he accepted the same arrangement from his father, King Li Zhu. He first studied abroad in Haihan, and then returned to the country to inherit the throne.
If there is any difference, it may be that Li Bai has been studying abroad in Haihan for a longer time, so that Li Zhen is not sure whether his son has had some ideological changes during his long period of studying abroad.
Li Zhi, who also lived in Haihan, knew very well that there was a huge gap in national power between his country and Haihan. After Li Bai had lived in Haihan for a long time, even if he lived in the palace during his return, he would still feel the obvious gap.
Li Bai seemed to have noticed his father's displeasure, and quickly changed the subject: "Father, have you ever heard that during this Zhoushan cruise, Haihan plans to organize participants from various countries to go to Japan for inspection?"
As expected, this topic immediately diverted Li Zhi's attention: "Going to Japan for inspection? How come Mr. Yan Chujie didn't mention this when he introduced the forum arrangements yesterday?" Li Bai said: "Then it must be that Haihan hasn't planned his itinerary yet, so he hasn't planned it yet. Announce this.”
Li Zhi asked: "If that's the case, where did you get the news? Also, the relationship between Japan and Haihan is not good. How could Haihan make such an arrangement?"
Li Zhi's suspicions are reasonable. The intelligence agency under him is not just a dry job. It is constantly collecting intelligence from all over Haihan. However, there was no feedback from any channels before organizing dignitaries from various countries to visit Japan. Got such news.
Moreover, Li Zhen knew very well that Haihan did not have much favorable impression of Japan and would never get too close to it, let alone help its development.
Unless... Haihan has other purposes.
Li Yan suddenly remembered that last year Shi Diwen visited the Kyushu region of Japan, and it was said that he met many famous people there.
No one knows what exactly Shi Diwen talked about with these Ming dynasties, but after he returned from his visit, armed conflicts began to break out one after another in Kyushu, and several powerful vassals sent troops to annex the surrounding weak vassals.
These armed conflicts that occurred in Kyushu were so close to the time of Shi Diwen's visit. If it was said that this was just a coincidence and had nothing to do with Haihan, I am afraid not many people would believe it.
But after winter, as local temperatures dropped sharply, these conflicts gradually subsided. After all, no one in their right mind would be willing to brave the heavy snow to go on an expedition.
Li Zhi couldn't help but wonder, if Li Bai's news was true, would it be related to the daimyo melee that occurred in Kyushu last year.
Li Bai immediately explained to him: "Father, my son went to Ningbo for a study tour the day before yesterday and visited the local shipyard. Since last year, he has received a large number of orders from Kyushu, Japan, mostly for reduced-distribution exploration-class warships. Only I’m afraid there is still a war that has yet to break out.”
"One of my classmates, whose father is a senior officer in the Haihan Army, is stationed at the Sasebo base in Kyushu all year round. It is said that the local area is preparing for reception work, and the standards are even higher than when Mr. Shi Diwen visited last year. It is very likely that it will be convenient. They are the dignitaries from various countries participating in the Zhoushan Forum.”
Li Zhi's intelligence officers may also be able to get some of this information, but they may not be able to get first-hand information like Li Bai, so as to connect the cause and effect.
This is of course also related to the environment Li Bai is in here. It cannot be said that there are no civilians among his teachers and classmates, but it is true that most of them are from rich or noble backgrounds, and the level of information they have access to is naturally higher than that in The number of intelligence officers collecting information in the marketplace is much higher.
And it is difficult to say whether Haihan deliberately found this channel to release such news. After all, when Li Zhi was studying abroad in Haihan, he received various explicit hints from senior officials of Haihan on various occasions, and used him to convey some of Haihan's attitudes to the then North Korean king Li Yan.
Seeing that he was deep in thought, Li Bai didn't dare to disturb him, so he waited silently beside him. The young Li Xuan was indifferent to their conversation and had already run outside and asked his servants to take him to the lake to fish.
At this time, Li Zhi thought of another detail. At yesterday's dinner, he did not see the envoy from Japan present.
If Japan's civil war will be the subject of investigation by guests attending the Zhoushan Forum, then it seems reasonable for Haihan to deliberately not invite Japan to participate in the forum activities.
However, as an ally, Haihan did not inform him of the matter in advance through formal diplomatic channels, which made Li Zhi feel a little angry.
North Korea has always been highly consistent with Haihan in its stance towards Japan. In the past, it also actively sent troops to participate in Haihan's military operations against Japan, but this time it seems to have been thrown aside by Haihan.