"Good, I'll cheer for you. Slow down a bit. Wait for Xiaobei and the others to come back. I still have something I need their help with, so it might take a few more days."
Li Longji was very satisfied with the things he wanted to know. As he walked out, he suddenly stopped at the door and said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Mount Huangshan is a large area. There are low and high, big and small. There are many mountains. It must feel good to jump down from them."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Please leave quickly and don't reveal the secret. I understand. They don't have hot air balloons, but they still have hang gliders. I have a way to deal with them."
Zhang Xiaobao personally pushed Li Longji out. As Li Longji walked, he turned his head and said, "There are still parachutes."
"Even if I tire them to death, they won't be able to use parachutes as hang gliders. Oh, I forgot. I should have found Cuckoo and told her that parachutes can also be powered. They just need to bring a box of batteries."
Zhang Xiaobao pushed Li Longji far away. When he returned to the room, he suddenly thought of this problem.
Powered parachutes were very useful in light winds. They didn't need to fly for a few hours. After flying for ten minutes, they would be able to drop a group of combat personnel behind the enemy.
With the combination of the wind direction and terrain, they would be able to execute an unimaginable tactic. Not to mention the enemy who had never seen a paraglider before, even if he and Cuckoo were to suddenly see a group of paragliders flying in the sky, they would still tremble.
Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaobao said to the group of battalion level commanders and above, "You guys discuss first. I'll go to Cuckoo's room."
Leaving the group of people behind, Zhang Xiaobao ran to Wang Juan's room. He waited at the door for ten minutes before he was allowed to enter.
When Zhang Xiaobao came back just now, because the Emperor was there and they were discussing the political and economic affairs of the country, the referees didn't judge the ratio between the sand table time and the actual time. Therefore, no one stopped Zhang Xiaobao from waiting outside the door, which was a small advantage for Zhang Xiaobao.
The real situation was that Zhang Xiaobao used his time to give Li Longji advice. The two sides were even.
Even if other generals saw it, they wouldn't be dissatisfied.
Zhang Shougui had seen it. Seeing the Emperor chase after Zhang Xiaobao and force him to answer his questions, not only was Zhang Shougui not angry, he even chuckled and said to the generals in the room:
"Actually, we've always had the advantage. We're generals, so we're only in charge of fighting wars. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo have to take care of their own businesses, as well as answer His Majesty's questions at any time.
Do you see that? Don't know too much. The more complicated things you know, the more tired you will be. You have to take care of your family, your younger siblings, and the country's affairs. Why bother? "
The other generals said nothing. They could tell that Zhang Shougui was clearly jealous.
His Majesty can ask you for advice because you are capable. The more you meddle, the more capable you are. They want His Majesty to ask about economic matters. However, if His Majesty really asks, how should they answer?
Seeing that no one agreed with him, Zhang Shougui's face darkened as he ordered, "Don't look at each other. When fighting, my vanguard has to fight for a stable territory for the central army."
Zhang Xiaobao didn't know what the others were thinking. As soon as he entered Wang Juan's room, he said, "Cuckoo, I suddenly thought of something. Shouldn't we have the Ministry of Works immediately research the automatic paraglider so that we can experiment with it and use it when we go to fight Duo Shi?"
Wang Juan had just finished setting up a hidden force. When she heard Zhang Xiaobao's words, she paused for a moment before asking, "Xiao Bao, can't we make a simple airplane in a year?
We already have diesel engines, and the place we're going to fight is already cold. Can the soldiers withstand the cold if they fly there? Paragliders can't carry heavy objects, so they're inferior to airplanes.
I'm not asking for airplanes to exceed the speed of sound. As long as it can fly faster than hot air balloons, it's fine. The earliest airplanes have two layers of four wings. In theory, it's fine as long as it has two engines. "
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head. "I don't understand. I've never collected such things before. I only like to buy yachts, and I don't like to buy second-hand goods. If we can't research it, we have to achieve our strategic goals at the crucial moment. Let the Ministry of Works make a paraglider first. This can increase the data collection and organization of the technology.
In the future, we might be able to use it for other purposes. Once we understand the propulsion system, we can put it on a large hot air balloon. It can be used for rescue missions or sightseeing. "
"Then let's do it." Wang Juan pulled a piece of paper over and started to design the paraglider with Zhang Xiaobao.
Although it looked simple, it wasn't easy at all when it came to designing it. Wang Juan always regretted that she didn't learn more about the subject back then. Zhang Xiaobao, on the other hand, was recalling how he learned when he was playing.
After he became rich, he learned how to parachute, fly an airplane, drive a yacht, dive, and so on. He was also good at golf and surfing. Anyway, he had to master all the recreational things. He was good at deceiving people.
In Wang Juan's house, in addition to Princess Jincheng, there was also Li Longji, who came to talk to Empress Wang about how to reduce the tax and management fees.
Li Longji knew that the fight would definitely not start within three hours, so he didn't go to the central sand table. Instead, he returned to Wang Juan's house.
It was mainly because of Empress Wang. She liked her goddaughter very much. Princess Jincheng was also very grateful to Wang Juan, so she always liked to stay in Wang Juan's house. Even if she didn't talk or disturb Wang Juan, she was happy to see Wang Juan.
At this moment, they once again understood the difficulties of Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. They had to consider everything. Although they solved the problems very quickly, there were always problems that kept appearing.
"Wait a minute. I'll find something and come back to draw." When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan discussed the problem of the materials, they threw down the pen and hurried out. After a while, they ran back. When they were about to enter the door, they were stopped by the messenger.
"Young Master, according to the rules, you have to wait for a moment." The messenger was from the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. He blocked the door and said to Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao's face showed a very helpless expression. He patted his head and stood at the door.
Wang Juan also sat there helplessly.
Wu Huifei was unhappy. She didn't have the slightest dislike for Xiao Bao and Cuckoo now. She had long stopped thinking about the past.
When she saw that Zhang Xiaobao was stopped and they were not allowed to communicate, she stared at the messenger and said, "You met masters like Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. If it were me, I would skin you alive."
"I, I …" The messenger felt wronged. He had to act according to the orders of the referee group. That was the master's request. Otherwise, it would be disobeying orders.
"It's not his fault. It's not his fault. Your Highness, it has nothing to do with him. If it were other messengers, they would do the same. It won't delay anything. Cuckoo and I can think more."
Zhang Xiaobao spoke for his people and said to the messenger, "You look familiar. I remember. You are the grandson of Cripple Zhang, right? The old man used to make a birdcage for me. I like the cage he made. It can be flipped back and forth.
It's a pity that I haven't been back for a long time. I thought it would be simple during the New Year, but they said that I'm old and it's not good to mess around. So I stayed in Zhuangzi. When you contact your family, send a message to Cuckoo and me. "
The messenger immediately burst into tears. "Yes, Young Master. They said that my grandfather was lame and that his journey was slow. I even quarreled with them. It's not like we're walking to the capital city. We're in a wheelchair. Young Master, if you have anything to say, you can tell me. I'll go in and report it to my wife.
"Alright, why are you crying? It's not a big deal. Just wait." Zhang Xiaobao said to the messenger. He didn't want to see his family members cry.
At this time, Li Longji said, "Tell the referee group that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo can go anywhere they want without restrictions. The time they save is not enough for other things. If any of the generals have different opinions, tell me."
The messenger wiped his tears and ran to the center of the sand table to inform the referee group. The referee group gathered together and discussed for a while before coming to a conclusion.
Indeed, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had to be busy with other things while participating in the military selections. The time spent would be much longer than the time spent on judging the distance.
It wasn't that the Tang Empire couldn't do without the military selections, but it couldn't do without the two of them to command other things. Compared to the people's livelihood, the military selections weren't worth mentioning.
Thus, they agreed to this preferential treatment and sent people to each room to inform the generals.
None of the generals objected. It had nothing to do with who had given the order. They were well aware that the two of them couldn't stay idle and spent less time on the battlefield than the rest of them. If they objected and something urgent happened in the Great Tang and they were too slow to deal with it, who could bear the responsibility?
After receiving the feedback, Li Longji said happily, "The generals of the Tang Empire are still reasonable. If something happens and they need to use my money and Zhang Xiaobao's logistics system, Xiao Bao will have to deal with it. We can't just ignore it because the military selections are ongoing."
Coincidentally, just as Li Longji finished speaking, someone who had nothing to do with the military selections rushed in. He was a member of the intelligence network of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Clan.
When he saw him, he glanced around and whispered a few words into Zhang Xiaobao's ear. His expression was very grave.
Zhang Xiaobao had already entered the room and was discussing the materials for the umbrella with Wang Juan. When he heard what the person said, he frowned. Wang Juan also heard it and her expression turned grave.
"Are you sure?" Zhang Xiaobao's voice wasn't soft as he asked.
"Yes. The snow is heavy, and all the roads leading to Tubo are blocked. All the supplies are blocked. Our special team in Fengzhou is still in the Spiritual State, which is closer to Tubo. I've sent an order for Deer and Dog's troops to reinforce them."
However, although the distance is relatively short, it is actually very far. It will take at least 20 days to reach the destination. I'm not sure if the animals can withstand the forceful march.
The eagle is very fast and will reach the destination in two days. After resting for half a day, it will be responsible for transporting the supplies. However, the weight it can carry is limited. Little Young Master, what do you think? "
The person explained the situation in a loud voice. He understood what the Little Young Master meant. He wasn't afraid of being heard and wasn't guarded against others.
Ancestor Chi De couldn't sit still anymore. He stood up and asked, "You said that it's snowing over there? Very heavy? Even the roads are blocked? "
Princess Jincheng also stood up and looked at the person.
"Yes, it's snowing. We just received news that our people are trying to open up the roads and transport the supplies to Lhasa City. The breeding industry in Lhasa City has suffered heavy losses."
The person answered honestly.
"Xiao Bao, I just had a good year this year. I can't bear such a big loss again. You have to think of a way." Princess Jincheng was anxious. She ran over and looked at Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao didn't directly reply to Princess Jincheng. Instead, he looked at Wang Juan. Wang Juan sighed and said, "I agree. If there are any changes in Tufan, I will make sure that they don't leave anything behind."
When everyone was puzzled, Zhang Xiaobao ordered the person who came to pass the news, "Send a report. Order my family's forces in Tufan to take out all the military reserves and provide emergency support to Lhasa City. My family's ski business in Yizhou, mobilize all the forces. Don't let out the sled dogs that are usually used for rescue.
Order all the merchants in Pengzhou who have business cooperation with my family. Tell them to bring out the emergency military supplies that we have prepared for Tufan when we signed the contract. Send them to the border and wait for them to receive it. Done. "
"Understood." The person who came hurriedly ran out.
Zuzan Chide's eyes widened and he took a deep breath.
At this moment, he realized that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo had been keeping a backup plan. This wasn't for disaster relief, but to attack him at any time.
No wonder they didn't care about his attitude. It turned out that everything was because of this. He didn't even know how many people they had arranged for Tufan.
Princess Jincheng didn't think too much about it. When she heard that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were willing to take out things to help, her eyes turned red. She pulled Wang Juan's hand and said, "Cuckoo, big sister thanks you. Our people will also know the benefits of Tang Empire. When we go back, we will tell them how much Tang Empire has sacrificed for them.
In the future, if you want to obtain anything from us, just let us know first. Even if we don't use it ourselves, we will send it to you first. We will raise more cows and sheep, dry the milk, and send it to the children of Tang Empire. "
Wang Juan forced out a polite smile. She was unable to smile sincerely. Although Tufan was on their guard, she and Xiao Bao had already treated them as Tang Empire's people. Who would be willing to see people from their own country die?
Nodding her head, Wang Juan looked at Li Longji, "Your Majesty, where is your team?"
Li Longji didn't hesitate, "Pass down my orders. Gongzhou and Guangping, send the 2000 hot air balloons that were sent there after the new year. Unload the war weapons and bring along the logistical supplies. Determine the direction of the wind and think of a way to fly there as fast as possible.
Treat it as a real war. Do your best and minimize the losses of the Tufan people to the minimum. Remember to bring along frostbite medicine and salt. "
After giving out his orders, Li Longji looked at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, "I can't keep any secrets. How did you guys find out about it?"
"Same here. Your Majesty, you should be clearer about the influence my family has over there." Zhang Xiaobao didn't stand on ceremony. Everyone was thinking of ways to hide things from each other.
He wasn't angry because it wasn't important whether they hid things from each other or not. It wasn't because he wanted to deal with the other party and hide things from them. It was a kind of competition in the dark. They wanted to see who had better arrangements and whose intelligence network was more complete.
On the other hand, Zu Zan was dumbfounded. So that's the case. For a moment, his emotions were complicated.
Princess Jincheng saw through his thoughts and said, "Husband, look. Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, and my brother have even mobilized their military forces in order to save our country. Perhaps, if something were to happen in other parts of Great Tang, they might not be able to mobilize their military forces over there.
The hot air balloons can't be flown casually. If they encounter a snowstorm or strong wind, they will still be in danger. My brother has asked his men to exchange lives for lives. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's family's wealth will probably be damaged as well. "
After hearing Princess Jincheng's words, Zu Zan came to a realization. It wasn't wrong for the other party to be wary of him. Perhaps, there were such hidden forces in various parts of Great Tang. It was just that it wasn't time to use them yet.
After pondering over Wang Juan's words, he hurriedly assured Li Longji and Wang Juan, "Tufan doesn't have an army. They only have a small group of security personnel, and their numbers don't exceed ten thousand.
If anyone dares to make use of this opportunity to harm Great Tang, I will kill him first. His entire family will be killed, and not even a blade of grass will be spared.
I don't expect my men to be able to send the news over. Their speed is too slow. By the time they arrive, the snow would have already stopped. Xiao Bao, give me an idea. What should we do after the disaster? I won't be returning either. I will stay here to hide from the snow first. "
Zu Zan said what he should say, especially the last sentence. The reason why he was staying here was to express that he was in Great Tang. If something were to happen to Tufan, you guys will deal with him.
Zhang Xiaobao temporarily put down the matter of his logistics team and started to think about how to make arrangements for Tufan after the disaster.
He knew that he didn't need to make any arrangements. The resources and personnel had already been sent over. When the time came, he just needed to spread the news and the local people would be grateful.
Then, he would casually send some things over to comfort them. The real pain and loss would be borne by the people of Tufan themselves. The tolerance of the people was still very strong. No matter if it was the loss of their wealth or the loss of their loved ones, after putting up a front in the imperial court, the people would lick their own wounds.
However, this wasn't Zhang Xiaobao's style of doing things. He, Zhang Xiaobao, could kill people without batting an eyelid. He could bring disaster to an entire country.
However, he definitely wouldn't be able to ignore it and let the people of his country suffer.
Wasn't it just manpower and resources? It couldn't be more precious than the lives of the people of his country. If he didn't have the ability, he would just sigh. If he had the ability to help but didn't do so because he was afraid that it would cost too much, what right did he have to sit on the throne of the country's ruling class?
Wang Juan was also considering this problem. How should she make arrangements to ensure the interests of the people of Tufan as much as possible? Even the dog she raised at home knew to build a nest for her when the weather was cold, let alone humans.
Wu Huifei didn't have as many thoughts as Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan because there were always people dying in the past. A natural disaster wasn't something that humans could resist. The only thing they could do was to send things over and reduce the taxes.
Therefore, she continued Zu Zan's words and said, "If someone really causes trouble, we must kill. Kill his entire family. Otherwise, it won't be enough to deter them."
"Don't just kill. Cuckoo will naturally be responsible for killing people. She has a lot of troops there. First, consider how to compensate for the loss of the people. Don't find excuses for yourself just because of a natural disaster."
Li Longji was afraid that Zu Zan would think too much, so he stopped Wu Huifei from speaking.
Speaking of natural disasters, he thought of the matter between Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Zan. "No matter what the natural disaster is, people have to save themselves first. Try your best to spread the news to the local people. Tell them that the imperial court has already sent out rescue teams and resources.
Tell them not to worry about losses and think of a way to survive. If there are any losses in wealth, I will compensate them. I have nothing, so there will be heavenly punishment. "
Li Longji clearly knew that the snow had nothing to do with him, but he still took responsibility for it. The people there believed in such things.
Then, he said, "If the news can be spread, tell the local officials. Don't find excuses for yourself. I don't believe them. I know how Zhang Zhong risked his life in Lu Zhou. I also know how Zhang Zhong dealt with the flood in Shu Province. I want results, not explanations."
Li Longji was sad. He had changed a lot because of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. He was no longer the high and mighty emperor who did not know the people's lives. Now, he was an emperor who traveled or observed the situation of the construction site. He had a deep understanding of the lives of the people.
His heart ached for every citizen of Tang. This was because he realized that the real people of Tang treated him well and were willing to protect him. This was especially true when they were outside. The people consciously observed the people around them, afraid that someone would do something to hurt the emperor.
At this moment, Zhang Xiaobao said, "It's not difficult, but it's not easy either. Disaster relief is not difficult. It's just a rescue. I believe the person in charge will know how to do it.
The difficult part is the post-disaster reconstruction work. The most direct way is to give money. The amount of money that the people there have lost will be compensated.
This amount of money is not much. Whether it's Your Majesty's money in the bank or my family's money, it can be easily sent. When the local people receive the money, they will regain their confidence and continue to do what they originally wanted to do. "
"Then give the money, Xiao Bao. Use my money. I can't spend it all." This time, Li Longji did not ask Zhang Xiaobao for money.
"It's necessary to give money, but it depends on how you give it. I'll make preparations. I'll get some seeds for the local people to plant. There's also the road construction. When the Ministry of Works was researching technology, they produced a lot of asphalt. We'll try our best to pave the road. Your Majesty, you'll pay for this.
Cuckoo and I will pay for the other part. We'll get the medical academy to provide us with the demand for medicinal herbs. Our family will build a series of medicinal herb plantation bases over there, especially the special medicinal herbs. We can't just wait for them to be produced naturally.
We have to do it ourselves, "Zhang Xiaobao said as he tapped his leg with his hand.
When Li Longji heard this, he immediately understood what was going on. Xiao Bao did not acknowledge the might of a natural disaster. He wanted to make a set of actions during a natural disaster. Not only did he have to minimize the damage caused by the natural disaster, but he also had to use the natural disaster as an opportunity to integrate the various industries in Tubo.
'That's right. This is the character of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. They'll never bow to any difficulties. They'll become stronger when they encounter a strong opponent. Whether it's a man-made difficulty or a heaven-sent disaster, they'll go ahead with it.
Take Lu Zhou for example. What about the hurricane? If the hurricane didn't come, I wouldn't have developed so quickly. What can I do if I'm comfortable? I'll use this opportunity to build a bridge. There's also Fengzhou. When it was snowing, the transportation ability wasn't that strong. But when it was snowing, the transportation ability on the snowy ground had to be higher than when it was not snowing.
Strong. This is true strength. They're so strong that they're arrogant. It's no wonder that the people of Great Tang encountered trouble. When they heard that the people from the Zhang Family and the Wang Family had come, they immediately became confident and quickly organized themselves to face them bravely. '
Wu Huifei thought so and couldn't help but say it softly so that Princess Jincheng could hear it.
"Sister Wu is right. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo represent invincibility, strength, courage, loyalty, and justice. I just don't know what Xiao Bao will do this time.
In the past, Tibet suffered from disasters, but I'm used to it. Who lives and who dies is up to fate. At that time, I didn't think about anything else. But after knowing about Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's abilities, I started to think. Why didn't I know how to fight back in the past? So what if it's a natural disaster? "
Princess Jincheng said after thinking. She finally realized something. Her Great Tang was strong. Cannons rumbled, seeds were produced, Xiao Bao could control the economy, and Cuckoo could teach military affairs.
If it was any other country, this might be the main reason why that country was strong.
But in Great Tang, this was definitely not the case. Great Tang was strong because of the spirit and backbone that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo had brought up.
It was just like the good horses of Tubo. Horses were horses, but some horses and wolves would be afraid. When five or six wolves met a horse that dared to resist, they would usually want to eat the horse, and they would have to pay the price with their lives. At most, a horse could kill more than three wolves.
When the horse fell, the wolf couldn't be happy. Therefore, strength and weakness weren't so obvious. What was obvious was the will of the ruler and whether the group below supported him or not.
The current Xinluo and Japan were very sad. The people of these two places were very supportive of the ruler, but the ruler was weak. He thought about this and that. In the end, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo only used a little force to deter them, and they became like this.
It was just because of Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's will. If you dare to refuse, I will teach you a lesson. Even if I have to pay a greater price when I teach you a lesson, I still want to tell you this.
This was like two children fighting. One child was always afraid that his family wouldn't have a good time after he hit the other child, so he would always tolerate it. The other child didn't think about it. After all, if he hit you, you would soften.
Then, the child who was always bullied would always be bullied. He had too many worries. He didn't even know that his family didn't want him to be bullied.
But some children would go all out. In the end, the other party was afraid and didn't dare to bully them anymore.
This was what Xiao Bao had told her the last time she returned to Great Tang. Peace had always been supported by the will to fight to the death. If you didn't have this thought, you could only be bullied.
If a child was bullied, it could be said that it didn't matter. But if a country was bullied like this, it was too sad. Could it be that the ruler would only be satisfied when the people became as weak as the ruler?
Thinking of this, Princess Jincheng said loudly, "The power of Great Tang lies in the ruler's love for the people, and also in the ruler's never yielding."
Her voice was very loud, giving Li Longji a fright. But after hearing Princess Jincheng's words, he understood why the current Great Tang was different from before.
It was because Xiao Bao and Cuckoo didn't allow Great Tang to cower in the face of external matters. It was also because the people of Great Tang felt that they were living a good life and were willing to work for Great Tang. Or it could be said that for their own glory and their current lives, they were willing to pay the price with their lives.
Just like the hundred people outside, every single one of them was willing to give their all for Great Tang.
All of this came from the will of Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. It was no wonder she couldn't treat them like how she treated others. Even if they didn't kneel or kowtow to her, she wouldn't do anything to them.
Other than their abilities, there were also other aspects of them. A person couldn't be without spirit or strength, and this was even more so for a country.
"We have decided. We will pause the military examination and leave one or two days for Xiao Bao and Cuckoo to think about things. Don't disturb them. Tufan is suffering from a disaster.
The various generals can gather together to eat and drink, but they are not allowed to discuss or hint at anything related to the military examination. Otherwise, We will not let them off easily. Tell them that if anyone feels that they can't continue without leaking information to each other, they can withdraw themselves. Don't wait for We to personally make trouble for them. "
Li Longji watched as Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan gathered together once more, muttering to each other. From time to time, they would shake their heads and come up with new ideas. Suddenly, he felt his heart ache.
Thus, he gave the order to pause the military examination, afraid that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo would collapse from exhaustion.
What was the military examination? Just based on the current situation, which of the other generals of Great Tang wouldn't be convinced? The death toll was almost one to one, and they were using the support of others. If they immediately judged Wang Juan as the zhuangyuan, who would object?
Furthermore, pausing the military examination wasn't the end. Everyone should take a break. They had been standing in front of the sand table for days and were tired.
Once Li Longji gave the order, Zhang Xiaobao and Cuckoo heaved a sigh of relief. They didn't want to give up on the military examination, but they couldn't leave Tufan in the lurch. Two days was enough.
"Xiao Bao, let's put the matter of the kinetic umbrella aside first. Let's see how Tufan will decide. I know that you don't want to give money directly to the people. Instead, you want to invest in support and let the people of Tufan earn back the money they lost through other methods. At the same time, you have to promote the development of the region."
Wang Juan understood what Zhang Xiaobao was thinking about. It was easy to give money, and it wouldn't cost much. However, Tufan wasn't like Hong Nong. They were two different things.
"I'm thinking about the climate there. I still have to communicate with the Medical College, the Ministry of Works, and the Western Agriculture Temple. If we have to do it, we have to do it well. The crisis is also a turning point.
Let's send the survival resources over as soon as possible. After that, we can consider other things. You are right. We should make the airplanes, even if they aren't very useful. If we have large transport airplanes now, we won't have to worry. We can send out a thousand airplanes, and it will be enough for the local people. "
Zhang Xiaobao also felt pained about the logistics. The roads had been blocked by heavy snow, and it wasn't something that could be solved with simple transportation. This incident happened too suddenly. Who would have thought that it would suddenly snow in Tufan during spring?
It would be good if there were satellites. He believed that with the power of his family, they would be able to react quickly when they discovered that there might be a problem in Tufan. Even if it was just three days, they would be able to send the resources over in advance.
"Wife, there aren't any decent roads in Tufan. I intend to make an asphalt road, which is better than a cement road. It might be able to withstand the changes in temperature to a greater extent.
First, let the people in Tufan survive. After that, let them help to build the roads and give them wages. Don't worry if the ground freezes. We can continue to invest money and sprinkle salt. I don't care about the environmental pollution. Let's melt the snow first.
Even if we have to invest tens of millions of strings of cash, we still have to carry it out. Send a message to the merchants who have businesses in Tufan or those who intend to do business there in the future. Ask them if they are willing to invest in the infrastructure. "
When Zhang Xiaobao thought about Tufan, his head started to hurt. It was easy to cause trouble, but difficult to build.
Wang Juan also didn't care about how much money she had to spend. After hearing Zhang Xiaobao's words, she pondered for a moment and walked over to Li Longji.
Li Longji also discussed with Gao Lishi and the rest about how the Imperial Court should act to help Tufan.
The ones who were most worried were Chide Zu Zan and Princess Jincheng. After all, Tufan was their territory.
Chide Zu Zan scratched his head with all his might. He accidentally scratched his head, but he didn't feel any pain.
"Your Majesty, I have discussed with Xiao Bao. We request for a certain amount of tax compensation." Wang Juan said to Li Longji.
"Compensation? Tell me what you want. My Tang Dynasty doesn't lack any tax. Tufan can be exempted for five years. If your family is willing to fork out a lot of money, you can also be exempted." Li Longji discussed with the others to mobilize the army. The army at the border would be sent out, and the army at the back would move to the border to fill in the gaps.
When he heard Wang Juan's words, he thought that they were going to reduce the taxes for Tufan. Furthermore, Zhang Xiaobao and the Wang family were willing to fork out money to give benefits to Tufan.
Wang Juan knew that Li Longji had misunderstood and explained, "Your Majesty, we are not going to reduce the taxes for Tufan. My family should be able to get a tax reduction. Otherwise, other merchants wouldn't be able to get a tax reduction. Xiao Bao and I don't care about money. I request that the merchants be given a tax reduction based on the amount of money invested."
Li Longji was stunned for a moment. He looked at Wang Juan and Chide Zu Zan before asking Wang Juan, "Tufan is unavoidable?"
Chide Zu Zan was also confused. Tufan was suffering from a disaster. Why shouldn't they be exempted from taxes? The citizens couldn't pay and were forced to rebel?
Wang Juan didn't need Xiao Bao to remind her. She knew what Xiao Bao was planning. She said, "Tufan's taxes are unavoidable because after the disaster, the citizens of Tufan will have more income this year.
Xiao Bao has decided to invite the merchants from Tang Dynasty who are willing to help to build the infrastructure for Tufan. First, the roads will be opened, and in the future, the logistics will be more convenient. The cost of materials and wages will require a lot of investment.
In a short period of time, we won't be able to recover the cost. That's why I requested for a tax reduction based on the amount of money invested. The construction of a country is the process of integrating resources. The revenue of the country depends on the purchasing power and logistics. Of course, technology is also involved. We don't care about the latter. It won't have a direct impact on the current situation, so there's no need to consider it. "
Li Longji understood. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo were planning to use another method to make up for the loss of the citizens of Tufan. He nodded his head. Before he could say anything, Wu Huifei, who was planning to study hard, spoke first.
"I know your motive. Aiya, Cuckoo, you and Xiao Bao are indeed more capable than ordinary people."
"Thank you, but we still can't send the resources to Tufan in a few hours. We have already tried our best. This is the helplessness of technology not being able to keep up."
Wang Juan wasn't happy at all because of Wu Huifei's praise.
This was because if it was her and Xiao Bao's time, Xiao Bao wasn't a swindler and had so much money. Coupled with her family's power, if a disaster happened in Tufan, they could work together and send survival resources, medicine, and special rescue personnel accurately to the location within a few hours.
Wu Huifei didn't know what Wang Juan was thinking. She continued, "Your Majesty, you are indeed capable. Your Majesty, I thought that doing this wouldn't harm the citizens of Tufan.
Although we didn't directly give them money, we gave them a chance to earn money. If there wasn't a disaster and we didn't provide the materials and money to build the infrastructure, they would still be farming or growing their own things.
No matter which one it is, they would need to contribute labor. There are also some handicraftsmen who help to build things. It's similar to their original job.
We just want them to temporarily change to a job that earns more money. The food and medicine sent there will be free.
Then, they will earn the money that they should have and the infrastructure will be built. The merchants will pay the money and receive the compensation from taxes. It's nothing more than a loss to the imperial court. Am I right? "
After Wu Huifei finished speaking, she wiped her sweat. It was very tiring to analyze these things.
Li Longji couldn't help but laugh, but he immediately stopped himself. The place where Chide Zu praised was still suffering from a disaster. He couldn't show a happy expression, and he shouldn't be happy.
Li Longji pulled a long face and said to Wu Huifei, "You're still far from it. Do you think that you can learn it immediately? How can the imperial court suffer a loss? You've consolidated the people's hearts and obtained a smooth road. Otherwise, wouldn't the imperial court pay for the repairs?
You've paid a period of tax income, and at the same time, you've also increased the amount of tax income in a short period of time. All kinds of resources need to be transported, and there needs to be a process of buying them. The imperial court will still collect the taxes in the middle.
However, in my opinion, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are definitely not so short-sighted. What they want is a direct road from Pengzhou to Lhasa City, right? "
As Li Longji spoke, he looked at Zhang Xiaobao and asked.
Zhang Xiaobao had also been paying attention to this side, and he nodded in agreement.
"Let me think about it again. How much profit can an asphalt road bring? Xiao Bao, do you have any supplementary plans? For example, seeds that are suitable for the local climate, breeds for animal husbandry, and specialties for the handicraft industry, such as woolen blankets? "
Li Longji was much smarter than before. Although he was always in a position of failure, his spirit of learning did not decrease at all. Today, he was able to follow Zhang Xiaobao's train of thought.
Zhang Xiaobao continued to nod, "Yes, without a road, it will affect the shelf life of the goods, and it will also affect the return of profits. I want to let Tufan have a better road than before. It will increase the frequency of the production and sales cycle of the goods, and it will make up for the loss of the imperial court's taxes. Moreover, it will also increase the long-term financial income."
"See, I didn't say anything wrong this time, right? Xiao Bao, I know that the idea you came up with this time will not be so simple. Let me guess, what other plans do you have?
Hmm ~! The other plans are for Cuckoo. The two of you are going to hunt for more food. After the Military Selection, you have one year to prepare. You want to let Tufan build the road for one year and directly build the supply route, right? "
Li Longji was used to Zhang Xiaobao's way of coming up with ideas. It was definitely not as simple as it looked on the surface. If he really wanted to take action to solve the disaster, how could he be Zhang Xiaobao?
Zhang Xiaobao smiled at Weiwei and immediately became serious. He cupped his hands at Li Longji, "Yes, I have this plan. Your Majesty is wise."
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