From the map, the distance between Hangzhou and Poyang Lake was only the distance of Pengli Lake. On a smaller map, it was only the distance of a palm. However, it was not easy to get there on foot.
Riding horses and using fast carriages, they had already traveled for eight days. Zhang Xiaobao and the others were still two days away from their destination. The main reason was that when they encountered mountains, they had to walk on planks. Even if they wanted to go fast, they could not.
Fortunately, the important water systems of the Great Tang, under the efforts of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, were becoming more and more important. As a result, the roads along the coast were not bad.
The annual cost of maintenance and repair by the imperial court was no less than ten million strings of coins. This was a very large amount, accounting for one-sixteenth to one-seventeenth of the total revenue.
Furthermore, it increased every year. The money spent on maintenance and repair was not practical. Most of it was invested into improving the farmland around the various water systems.
Without such a large investment, it was impossible to have so much revenue. Under the situation where the speed of transportation by land was not fast enough, the water system took up a large proportion of the logistics application. This was especially so when the water was flowing smoothly. No matter how good the wind was, the sails were raised. Even a fast horse running on the shore could not compare to a ship traveling on the water.
When the horse was tired, the ship did not need to rest. Furthermore, the technology of shipbuilding was more advanced now.
As a result, Zhang Xiaobao and the others were only half a day away from their destination, Duchang. The roads along the river were relatively wide. There was a distance of five meters between each side.
They were all paved with mud and gravel. Then, they were flattened with large stones. At the side, there was a road paved with gravel for people to walk on. It was not wide, but it was definitely not a problem for people to walk on it.
The reason why the horses did not walk on concrete roads was because of the horse's hooves. Zhang Xiaobao had specially asked people to experiment. Even if the horse was hooved, it was still unable to run on a concrete road continuously. The wear and tear was too great. Furthermore, during the process of friction, the heat generated could easily hurt the horse.
When it rained, the road along the river was not very good to walk on. There were muddy places. When the horses and other animals passed by, each hoof would leave a small hole on the road. When the rainwater entered, it would not dry up for a long time.
Now, Zhang Xiaobao's group of five had encountered this problem. When they were about half a day's journey away from Dou Chang, a moderate rain fell. In less than an hour, the road that had been flattened by stones was soaked by the rain. Every time the horses' hooves landed on the road, they would kick up some dirt.
At this moment, the driver changed from Zhang Xiaobao to Zhang Yu. Zhang Xiaobao was in disguise and was afraid of being hit by the rain. Even if there was oil in the disguise, it could easily be washed away.
"Almost thirty li, right? Let's go to the pavilion in front and rest for a while. Look at the sky, it won't rain for long. "Wang Juan lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the rain outside. She said to Zhang Yu, who was driving the carriage in front.
"I can see the pavilion." Zhang Yu, who was wearing a bamboo hat, looked through the curtain of rain and saw the pavilion in front. He replied to the people in the carriage.
The pavilions along the river were specially built for people to rest. There was one every thirty li, which was similar to the one in San Shui County. It was much better than before. In the past, not to mention specially built pavilions, even if there were slightly more villages nearby, it was difficult to find a place to rest alone.
In the past, if people did not dare to take a boat or could not afford to take a boat, they could only walk. If they were tired, they could find a place nearby. If they could find a village, it was considered good.
When they encountered a place with many people, there might be a simple shed built there for pedestrians to rest and eat. Basically, it was not profitable. People who walked did not have much money. The food they ate was also brought from home. There were dry biscuits and fried rice. Of course, the flour was not pure white flour.
When they arrived at the place to rest, if they did not want to spend money and tea, they could only ask for a bowl of cold water and eat. It was good enough that they were not hungry. Naturally, they slept beside the shed, otherwise, it was easy to encounter wild animals.
Now that there were pavilions, it was much more convenient. There was one every thirty li, and one every twenty li if the road was very difficult to pass. There were also people from the nearby villages who were specially guarding the pavilions. They were allowed to use hunting bows and hunt wild animals to sell money or eat themselves.
A few minutes later, the carriage arrived at the pavilion. At this time, there were many passers-by waiting in the pavilion. There was also a fire in the pavilion. The kettle on the fire was steaming, so people could drink hot water at any time.
Although it was called a pavilion, it wasn't the kind that was open on all sides. Instead, it was a two-story building. The lower floor was made of cement and bricks, and it was three meters high. The upper floor was a wooden pavilion built on top of the cement house.
The house below was built when Zheng Zheng was building the embankment. Originally, there was no pavilion on top, but the locals felt that although the house was sturdy, it did not look good, so they got some wood from the mountain and built a pavilion on top of it. It was very beautiful.
With the appearance of the first pavilion, there was a second. As a result, all the pavilions on both sides of the Yangtze River had their own characteristics. Some people even hung wind chimes in the corners of the pavilions.
The pavilion that Zhang Xiaobao and the others stopped at was very beautiful. It had four corners and was painted red with paint. Some of the edges were not painted, revealing the black and yellow wood inside. There was not enough paint.
There was a fence around the pavilion. It was made of wood and was about three feet high. There was also a seat on the fence. There were three people who had gone to the pavilion to take shelter from the rain. They were standing on the fence, feeling the coolness of the rain that was blowing in from the outside. It was estimated that when the rain stopped, their clothes would be completely soaked.
The rest of the people were not in the mood. They all stayed below. Some people came early and sat there when there was a seat. Those who came late either squatted or stood, holding tea or wine in their hands. They ate the food they brought. Those who had money and were willing to spend it bought other food from the people guarding the pavilion.
There were two people guarding the pavilion. One was about 50 years old, and the other was about 30 years old. Judging from their faces, they should be father and son.
The older one had a face full of wrinkles, and the one in his thirties had a slightly inconvenient leg. When he walked, his steps were smaller than a normal person's, and he did not have much strength. Perhaps he had been injured.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not see that the other party had polio. It was just that his leg was not very comfortable, and there were no other problems.
There was also a spear and a longbow hanging on the wall for hunting. Although the road was not bad now, there were still many wild animals. Military guns could not be given to ordinary people.
Hunting bows were allowed to be used by ordinary people. Occasionally, wild boars, wolves, and tigers would come out of the mountains. These were things that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not even think about. If you wanted to see such animals, you could only go to a special breeding place or a zoo.
The control of knives and spears was even more lax. Not to mention ordinary people, even if a scholar was equipped with a sword, no one would care. It was indispensable for self-defense.
When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were looking at the pavilion, the people in the room were also looking at the five of them. The carriage was parked not far from the door, and the horses were covered with rain gear. The people in the room could clearly see the three horses.
With one look, they knew that the five people who came in were not ordinary people. The horses were good. Even people who did not know how to judge horses could feel that the three horses were much better than the horses used for farming.
This was Jiangnan. There were not many horses used for farming. Horses from other places were usually used to pull carriages. Now, the horses used were mostly oxen. The original Tujue and Tubo horses, as well as the extra military horses, were all used in the north.
The main reason was that horses were not good at farming in paddy fields. They could not be compared to oxen, but in dry fields, oxen were far inferior to horses.
With one look, it was obvious that these three horses were retired military horses. They did not know how effective they were when riding them in battle, but they definitely had no problem pulling carriages. Even if they were not required to sprint over short distances, these horses were faster than the horses used to pull carriages. The endurance of the horses depended on where they were from.
If it was a horse that had been discarded from a certain garrison in the border army and used for long-distance raids, its endurance would definitely be unquestionable. However, if it was a horse that was used for key counterattacks in the city, what was required was not endurance, but speed in a short period of time. After the battle, it would return and would not chase people too far away.
The people in front of them did not know what type of horses the three horses in front of them were, but they guessed that they could run long distances. Otherwise, it would be better to get a mule to pull a carriage.
With a guess in mind, the person who spoke quickly asked Zhang Xiaobao, "The horses are not bad. How much did you pay for them?"
He talked to Zhang Xiaobao because Zhang Xiaobao was dressed like the leader of the other four people. On the other hand, Ning Tian looked like someone who was not close to Zhang Xiaobao would not be able to tell the difference between Ning Tian and Zhang Xiaobao.
Their figures and faces were very similar, which was why Zhang Xiaobao wanted to talk to Ning Tian more. At first, he just wanted to get some information from her, but after seeing Ning Tian, Zhang Xiaobao suddenly had other ideas. That was why he asked Wang Juan to draw a few more portraits.
If Ning Tian had a crew cut and shaved off her beard, Zhang Xiaobao would be in trouble. He would not be able to make such an outfit even if he worked himself to death. This was also why he usually shaved the heads of criminals. Other than being hygienic, it was also easier to recognize.
When he heard someone ask, Zhang Xiaobao imitated Ning Tian's voice and said to the person sitting there drinking, "I didn't spend much money. It's not expensive. I bought it from a random house on the road."
Naturally, the others did not believe his words. They just felt that he did not want to say too much, so no one forced him to say it. After all, they were not familiar with each other.
At this time, the person who had trouble walking saw the five people coming in. His eyes lit up. From the clothes they were wearing, he could tell that they were the wealthy type.
Money could make more money. The purpose of the pavilion was to provide convenience for passers-by. Even if people did not spend money and stayed in the pavilion, the guards were not allowed to chase them away. At the same time, the hot water was free.
The only way to earn money was if people were willing to spend more money to eat other things. The pavilion was built by the river, so the fish in the river were indispensable. There was also wine and tea, as well as other food prepared by the guards of the pavilion.
Of course, even if there was no additional income, it was not a big deal. Those who guarded the pavilion would receive subsidies from the government. For example, those who had trouble walking would be arranged to stay in the pavilion. Usually, they would not be allowed to leave casually, and they were not allowed to go hunting outside.
If a pavilion encountered trouble, such as a pack of wolves attacking, the guards of the pavilion would hide in the pavilion when they saw that they could not win. Then, they would release a signal, such as setting off fireworks and smoke signals. At that time, people would come to help.
As for people harming the guards of the pavilion, it was impossible for it to happen now. Now that the lives of the people of Great Tang were good, who would have the time to harm others?
If someone really dared to claim that they were the king of a mountain and then rob passers-by, such as running to the eight hundred li Lake Liang Mountain or something like that, they could raise a flag today and use cannons to flatten the mountain tomorrow.
Not to mention that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had developed Great Tang for so long, even if the two of them did not come to develop, there were not many death row criminals in Great Tang at this time.
If they had the energy, they might as well think of ways to do more work that could earn more money. The path of robbery was not easy to walk. Once they were discovered, they would definitely be caught.
Therefore, the guards of the pavilion did not earn much, but they lived a stable life. They would not become human meat buns. The Heroes of the Forest had long disappeared, and there were no big gangs. This was an organization formed by the children of the small rich families.
They were considered a gang, but they did not dare to hurt people. Generally speaking, they would go hunting in the mountains or swagger on the streets. If they raised a dog or fought a chicken, even if they were a gang, they would directly capture them if they wanted to collect protection fees.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's businesses were all over Great Tang. Once such a thing was discovered in a branch, someone would immediately come to investigate. Once found, it would definitely be dealt with.
In peace, the guards of the pavilion wanted to earn more money. Those who had trouble walking deliberately brought a tray over and said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Brother, are you hungry?"
"I'm hungry." Zhang Xiaobao was actually not hungry, but if others wanted to earn money, he had to help them. If he did not buy them, how could they earn money? If he directly gave them alms, they would definitely not accept it, unless he revealed his identity and said that he was Zhang Xiaobao. In that case, he could throw out a handful of money, and they would accept it. Then, they would take it back home and use it as an amulet for their relatives.
The guards of the pavilion did not know what Zhang Xiaobao was thinking. When they heard that he was hungry, they could not help but smile and ask, "What do you want to eat?"
"Eat whatever you have. There's enough for five people. Don't make too much. We can't finish it." Zhang Xiaobao said as his eyes looked around, looking for a seat.
Before he could think of a way to get the others to give him a table, the older people had already taken out a folding table from a nearby room. They squeezed out an empty space and placed the table properly. There were also five wooden stools without backs.
"Old Qi, why didn't you take out the table when we came? Is it because you don't pay enough for the food we usually eat? "Seeing the table, someone immediately joked to the old man.
"My daughter is here. It's not good to let her stand." The old man surnamed Qi did not care about the other person's words and casually found a reason.
Zhang Yu was smart. She smiled at the surrounding people and showed the friendliness that she should have. She quickly wiped the table and used her sleeves to rub the stools, looking like a servant.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not hesitate to sit down. The dishes were immediately placed on the table. There were no hot dishes, all of them were cold. The only thing that was hot was the boiled tea eggs and normal salted eggs. There were quite a lot of them. These things were easy to eat and easy to carry around. They were not easy to eat and would not spoil easily. They could still be eaten after three to five days.
The dishes on the table included dried fish, braised chicken, a plate of mixed vegetables, and smoked meat of unknown animals.
Zhang Xiaobao was not worried that others would poison him, unless the people guarding the pavilion were more powerful than him, better at disguising and hiding, and knew his identity.
He reached out his chopsticks and picked up a piece of cut smoked meat, put it in his mouth and chewed it. He nodded with satisfaction and said to Wang Juan, "Good, wild boar meat. It's hard to chew, but it tastes good."
Hearing that it was wild boar meat, Wang Gang and the other two people also picked up their chopsticks. Usually, they were busy with their work and could not eat it at all. Unless there was no task, they would go back to their branch and submit a report. If they wanted to eat something, the higher-ups would get it for them.
Especially Wang Gang, who belonged to the Zhang Family and the Wang Family, the benefits were the best. Generally, he could eat anything that was not particularly rare, including chili, potatoes, and tomatoes.
"Old Qi, yesterday I finished my work and asked you if you had any wild boar meat. What did you say to me? You said that we had eaten all of it, and you have it today? "
The person who joked just now said to the old man.
"You only know how to eat. Wild boar meat is expensive, so I saved money for you and gave it to your wife at home. You don't want it. If I give it to you every day, you will eat all the money you earn. Be careful that your wife won't let you in." Old Qi stared at him and said.
"If she dares, I'll lend her some courage. If you don't have wild boar meat, you should have Hu beans, right? If you don't, give me a plate of salted Hu beans. I'll go back after drinking. It seems that I can't continue to work today. "
He had not finished his wine yet, but the plate of smoked chicken was gone.
Zhang Xiaobao gave Wang Gang a look. Wang Gang stood up and went back to the car. After a while, he came back with a big oiled paper bag. He opened it and showed what was inside.
The meat that was darker than the smoked wild boar meat was prepared by Zhang Xiaobao and brought out for the journey. The braised donkey meat was not something that ordinary people could eat. It was not much different from eating a cow and was considered a labor force. Every household had to file a record with the government. Even if they fell ill, they had to tell the family, even if the animal was yours.
"When I came here, I brought some donkey meat. At that time, a family member's donkey accidentally died, so I bought a piece. Try it. There's a lot of meat. I ate it along the way and got tired of it."
Wang Gang said and began to distribute the donkey meat to others. He had cut the donkey meat in the car just now.
When they heard that it was donkey meat and that it was a treat, the people in the room expressed their gratitude and became more talkative.
In the end, Wang Gang gave all the remaining donkey meat to the person who joked with Old Qi. He said with a smile, "It's hard to work in the rain. What's your surname?"
"My surname is Liu, and my name is Chang. You have been on the road for a long time, right?" When the person saw that Wang Gang gave more donkey meat, he became more enthusiastic.
"Oh, it's Brother Liu. We have been on the road for a long time. The road is easy. I heard from the old people that if it was in the past, it would take at least three times longer to walk the same road."
Wang Gang did not use other excuses. He directly said that they came from afar and were gossiping. He seemed to be very emotional.
"That's right. If it was ten years ago, it would have taken at least five times longer, let alone three times longer. At that time, the road by the river was not easy to walk on. There were cliffs and forests on both sides. It was very scary to walk on it. It was fine during the day, but it was very common to accidentally lose one's life at night.
"You were still young back then, so you shouldn't have walked on it. The road back then was not as fast as it is now. You had to calculate how far you would walk every day and where you would rest. You didn't dare to walk casually. If you encountered a forest, don't enter it. There are snakes and insects in it that can bite you.
"Now, it's fine. You don't have to worry anymore. You built a road along the river and widened it every day. After a few years, it became what it is now. If you want to hurry, you can come out at any time. If you are tired, you can find a pavilion to rest.
"Even if you don't have a single copper coin on you, you can still eat free food in the pavilion. It's just that the taste is not very good. You can eat the coarse grains as much as you want. Even if you walk all the way to the capital without a single copper coin, you don't need to beg for food, unless you tire yourself to death."
Liu Zhangyi was full of emotions as he spoke. When he compared the past to the present, it could be said that he was reminiscing about the past and reminiscing about the past.
As he spoke, the people around him began to chime in, talking about how they were in the past and how they were now. There was no lack of praise for the Great Tang Emperor Li Longji, but most of them were talking about Little Cuckoo.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan looked at each other and smiled happily. Wang Gang and the other two were also proud, especially Wang Gang. This was what the main characters, the young master and young lady, did. Ten years ago, who would have thought that things would turn out like this today?
After being happy for a moment, he continued to talk to Liu Zhangyi, "Brother Liu, what kind of work do you do? Can't you go out on a rainy day? "
"It's not a good job. It's only 20 copper coins a day. It's just by the river. We look after boats for people. If there's anything wrong with the boat, we help to fix it. There are six of us, and we specialize in this. Don't think that it's easy to look after boats. Normal people can't do this."
When talking about the money he earned, his words were modest, but his expression and tone were not modest at all. 20 copper coins a day, presumably, did not include the cost of repairing the boat.
Wang Gang quickly showed a look of admiration and said, "So it's a craftsmanship job. Awesome. I don't know how to look after boats. How can I not know what's wrong with a boat when I use it myself? Give me a boat, and I'll row it. "
"If you use it yourself, you'll know what's wrong with it. But when I look at boats, I don't look at the problems in front of me, but in the future. Let me tell you, some boats don't look bad, but if they're not fixed properly, they won't last long. Waiting for people who have boats to find out what's wrong with them will cost more money. Using a boat for one more year means saving money. It's not cheap."
Liu Zhangyi began to talk to Wang Gang about the importance of looking after boats.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan listened with smiles on their faces. They really didn't know that boats needed other people to look after them, but they did know that cars in the past needed people to look after them. Those who were skilled at fixing cars would sit in a house by the side of the road. As soon as a car passed by, they would know whether or not there was a problem with the car and where it was.
Perhaps those who could see through cars were like the average driver, able to fix simple problems with their own hands, but they definitely did not have the skill to do so.
As Wang Gang chatted with the people in the room, they began to talk about Dou Chang. He knew that the situation there was very strict, as they were both under the jurisdiction of Jiang Province. He also knew that Xunyang Prefecture still allowed people to enter but not leave. Only the common people who worked at the docks could leave the city and go to the docks to transport goods if they mutually guaranteed each other.
"Big Brother Liu, do you know of any fun things to do in Dou Chang? My family's master just loves this sort of thing, like cricket fights or releasing eagles. As long as it's something that can make people feel comfortable and enjoy, my family's master is willing to try it.
We're about to reach our destination. Once the rain stops, we'll be on our way. We can't just go there in the dark. If you know anything, tell me. "
After chatting for a while, when the rain began to lessen, Wang Gang finally asked about his goal.
Liu Chang revealed a mysterious expression at Wang Gang's question. "You've asked the right person this time. Do you know where I'm from? I'm from the Dou Chang that you're asking about. Over there, the six of us have a shipbuilding workshop that specializes in building fishing boats. Quite a few of the fishing boats in the lake were built by us.
Originally, our days were very peaceful, but who could have expected that someone would want to kill Xiaobei and the others? Although they didn't succeed, we've become very strict, especially the people who make a living on the lake. Every day, they have to be checked. When they're going out, where they're going to fish, or where they're going to carry people, they all have to be asked.
If they can't answer or stutter, they're bound to be captured and then carefully investigated. Their days aren't as good as they used to be, and it's also not easy for us shipbuilders to get jobs.
In the past, if someone wanted to build a ship, they just had to come and give us a deposit. Now, they have to go through several procedures before they're allowed to come to our place and let us build a ship.
We haven't been able to get any work for several days, and there are also other people who don't have a livelihood, so they can only come out to find something to do. There's nothing to be done. "
"Ah? Big Brother Liu, you can't survive? "Wang Gang asked in astonishment.
"Kid, don't listen to his nonsense. He just wants to make more money. Although the investigation is strict, that's something that the people of Xunyang City can't do. The influence on Dou Chang isn't that great," Old Man Qi said from the side.
Liu Chang chuckled, then said, "Yes, it's because he wants to make more money. Just think about it. The Zhang Family and the Wang Family have put all of Jiang Zhou under martial law, so when the time comes, they'll definitely compensate us. We don't have any work to do at home, and although we'll receive the compensation, the money won't be small.
But right now, I'm not staying at home. I've come out to do work, and every day's work is another day's worth of money. Otherwise, how could I dare to use the majority of the money I earn every day to eat and drink, and even save some money? It's because there's compensation. "
"Did the Zhang Family and the Wang Family say that they'll compensate us?" Zhang Xiaobao asked.
Liu Chang shook his head. "They didn't say, but I believe that they'll definitely compensate us. The Zhang Family and the Wang Family are the pillars of the Great Tang, so they wouldn't intentionally harm us. They also don't lack our money.
In truth, to speak from my heart, it doesn't matter if they don't compensate us. It's just that we've been delayed for a while. Our family has some savings, so we won't starve to death. I'm also very angry. Xiaobei and the others came once, but before they could even get ashore, they were schemed against. It's too hateful.
If I find out who did it, I'll use a chisel to kill them. If we wait until this matter is over, it'll be fine if the Zhang Family and the Wang Family don't directly compensate us. It'll be best if they help us come up with some ideas that will make it easier for us to make money in the future. What's that saying again? Even if we give them to mermaids, we might as well teach them how to catch fish.
In life, we have to plan for the long term. It's not like the past, where we always have to worry about the next meal. Now, we can eat three meals a day as we please. There's also money in the bank. "
Zhang Xiaobao thanked him and turned back to continue drinking. Wang Gang asked Liu Chang again, "Brother Liu, since you're from Dou Chang, why don't you tell us about the fun things there? For example, things that ordinary people can't afford to play, and things like worshipping Buddha."
Wang Gang just wanted to know if ordinary people knew about the drug abuse situation. If they knew, it meant that the other party had started to do it openly. If they didn't, it meant that they were still afraid.
Liu Chang didn't answer immediately this time. Instead, he lowered his head and thought for a moment. Then, he raised his head and said, "If you want to talk about something interesting, it can only be on the lake. In the past, Pengli Lake was filled with people and goods, as well as fishing boats.
Now, there are more pleasure boats there. I heard that there's a pleasure boat that doesn't dock and hides in a remote place. Ordinary people can't find it, but those who have been there say that it's good. There are also officials who go there.
I don't know the details. If you haven't been on a boat, ordinary people can't get on. In the past, I heard that there was a place for them in the city. Later, they were strict, so there's no news about them.
But you have to be careful when you go there. I don't think it's a good place. I heard one of our shipbuilders mention that there was some kind of miracle there, and it's all messed up. Some say that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are monsters. Anyway, I don't believe it.
They're probably not good people. If you don't have to go there, don't go there. There's a dog fighting place in the city. You can go there and buy a few dogs. It's just that it's too bloody and I can't stand it. They're good dogs, so why do they have to bite each other? "
Liu Chang's words were a little incoherent, as if he was avoiding something, but also seemed to be a little angry.
When Zhang Xiaobao saw Liu Chang's expression, he understood a lot of things in his heart. That force was not small, but it always liked to keep a certain appearance, so the people didn't want to talk about it. There were people who believed in ghosts and gods since ancient times, and it was never a small number.
And the spies in his family probably didn't find the boat. Maybe the other party's security measures were very good, and the spies didn't want to catch the other party's people in the city, so that the people hiding on the boat wouldn't notice and escape.
What he didn't understand was why the spies in his family couldn't find the boat when the local officials were also there. It was very interesting.
Thinking like this, Zhang Xiaobao looked at the sky outside. The rain had become lighter. If he walked out, he didn't have to worry about getting wet. It was just a drizzle.
Then he nodded to Wang Juan, drank the wine in the bowl, and said to Zhang Nan and Zhang Yu, "Get ready to leave."
Zhang Nan and Zhang Yu saw that there were still some dishes on the plate, so they opened their mouths and ate them all into their stomachs. If they packed, there might be no one to eat. If it was too little, it was not worth it. If they threw it away, they were afraid that the people in the house would say that it was a waste.
They got on the car. This time the driver was Zhang Nan.
After the car drove for a while, Wang Juan said the same idea as Zhang Xiaobao. She asked, "Xiao Bao, why do you think our people can't find the other party's boat? And that Hu Liang, where are the eight of them now? There has been no news. Is this not the Tang Empire? "
"Let's talk about it when we get there. They probably used some other means. Maybe they switched the officials after they boarded the ship. After all, our people can't follow too closely. If we were discovered and they ran away, we would only be able to catch small fries. It seems that our plan needs to be changed.
I was worried that after Ning Tian had been managing things here for so long, he might have gone to Hangzhou for a period of time. His power here had been taken over by someone else. Their cooperation wasn't stable, and backstabbing was very common.
It's not clear now. After we get to Dou Chang, we'll see what we can do. If Duo Shi is involved and is the leader, what do you plan to do? "
Zhang Xiaobao also couldn't figure out what was going on there, because others were not fools. They wouldn't do what he thought. He could only guess based on his understanding of human nature. He didn't get it right every time. There were times when even a liar couldn't do anything.
There was silence in the car for a while. In the evening, it was completely sunny. The city gate of Dou Chang also appeared in front of them. There was a beautiful rainbow in the sky, reflecting the sunset.
Of course, along the way, Zhang Xiaobao found several groups of people following them. They were all spies from his family. Some were disguised as people carrying poles, some were riding horses, and there was also a wedding group. They were also in a carriage and followed his carriage for a while.
Seeing this group, Zhang Xiaobao was angry and amused. His family's spies were too free. Why did they have to pretend to be married? It was obvious that they saw that other people's power was not as big as his family, so they couldn't check whether someone was really married.
When they entered the city, they found an inn and chose a small courtyard. After the five of them ordered the waiter to serve them food and wine, Zhang Xiaobao said to everyone, "I've decided. In the future, we will strictly investigate the expenditure of the spy department."
"Young Master, it's not easy to investigate the expenditure. For example, I have more than five hundred strings of money on me now. I don't know when I need to use it. Once I use it, I don't have any proof. For example, I can't ask people to write a certificate for me if I want to use it."
Wang Gang felt that what Zhang Xiaobao said was very difficult to handle. The intelligence department had a lot of shady things to do. As such, it was impossible for them to keep track of every penny and reimburse them. They could only take the money once in a while according to the situation.
When they used a lot of money, they could apply for additional reimbursement. But when the money was in their hands, the higher-ups couldn't control them. If they said that they spent ten coins for something, it would be ten coins. If they said that they spent twenty coins, even if they only spent five coins, they would keep the rest for themselves.
Of course, they wouldn't do that. It was meaningless. Their families were in Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Gang's special places. They didn't lack food and clothes, and they didn't lack money. It was not worth it to be greedy for money. If they were greedy, they would easily lose their lives, and their families wouldn't have a good life.
Zhang Nan also thought of this and said, "Young Master, why do you want to investigate the expenditure?"
"Don't listen to Xiao Bao. He's just joking. The people who followed us today, didn't you see a wedding group? Xiao Bao means that they actually have the money to get married, haha."
Wang Juan smiled and explained to the three "fellows". She also felt that it was very interesting. The people in the intelligence department didn't have the ability to investigate the other party's ship, but they were very good at pretending.
After explaining, Wang Juan said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Our people are smart to be able to come up with a wedding plan. It may not be useful in the Tang Empire, but they probably just want to practice. When they are outside, who would expect that the intelligence personnel would use such a method? It's also a kind of generosity. Who says that intelligence personnel have to live like ghosts and hide in the dark all day? "
"Well, they can practice. If they continue to practice, they may even arrange the wedding and the wedding together. That will be really interesting. Let's team up and trick them." Zhang Xiaobao also laughed.
*****
That day, the five of them had a good rest. The next morning, Wang Gang rented a big courtyard and moved all the things they brought in. He also went to buy the materials requested by Zhang Xiaobao. The five of them gathered together to make the opium pipe.
The opium pipe used to smoke opium had to be well made, especially the mouth. It was not as simple as the pipe pot. The pipe pot was filled with tobacco and directly lit. It could be smoked for a long time, and a big pipe pot was more resistant to smoking than a cigarette.
Smoking opium was not good. Who dared to use opium cream? Besides being able to smoke people to death, the main problem was that it could not be lit and could not be burned.
He could only take a puff and light it up once. Furthermore, he could not continuously light it up as it would cause people to faint. Usually, he would only make a small amount of it and use a thin iron wire to hold it up. Then, he would burn it with an open flame. The person smoking it would use all his strength to inhale, and the smoke would enter his mouth.
After taking a puff, the smoke would not be exhaled immediately. Instead, it would be held in the lungs and then slowly exhaled. Usually, after taking a puff, it would take a little while to relax.
It would be better if there was someone to massage the body or legs. As for what kind of hallucination it would produce, it depended on each person's own thoughts.
People who smoked opium only smoked and did not eat. Because the taste was not good, it was easy to make the taste of the opium smell something else.
At the same time, they could not drink a glass of red wine like when they smoked a cigar. Smoking opium cigarettes and drinking wine was like playing with one's life. After being addicted, smoking a few puffs would make people become drifting. At the same time, they would enter a half-asleep state and not want to eat anything. They only hoped that the immortal feeling would never disappear.
Therefore, many people who smoked opium were depressed and had no appetite. They were in a trance all day long. Their bodies were thin and weak, but it was not absolute.
"Xiao Bao, what did you imagine when you took drugs?" Wang Juan asked when she saw Zhang Xiaobao make a sample and then ask the three men to go to another room to do the same.
"Everything. Sometimes, it was pure relaxation and felt very happy. It was as if there was no pressure in life. Perhaps many people take drugs because of this. It is similar to drinking to a certain state, but drinking may not be able to make you feel good every time.
I have never smoked opium, nor have I taken injections. I have taken ecstasy pills and taken powder, the very pure kind. Sometimes, I feel that I have infinite strength, and sometimes, I think that I have gone to a different place.
The most interesting thing is that when I am in a daze, I think that I am awake. Then, when I walk on the road, there is clearly nothing on the ground, but when I look at it, I see that there is money. It is like a dream, but more realistic than a dream.
Most of the time, I see the director's grandfather. It is also because I see grandfather that I can easily quit after I am addicted to drugs. Because what feels good is the nerves, but grandfather is in the depths of my soul. "
Zhang Xiaobao introduced the various feelings he had when he was taking drugs to Wang Juan. At the same time, he also explained why he could easily quit drugs.
"Oh, is it because in your subconscious, you keep telling yourself that you are an orphan, unlike other people who feel that they are living a happy life? No matter how much you imagine, you can't be sure that the children in the orphanage will be happy, right?"
Wang Juan thought about Zhang Xiaobao's words and felt that Zhang Xiaobao should be in such a situation. Because of dreams, sometimes, one would be startled awake. When the dream was too exaggerated, even one would not believe it.
Without waiting for Zhang Xiaobao to answer, Wang Juan asked again, "Then, when you are taking drugs, your body is also thin and your spirit is depressed?"
"That's the reason. Anyway, it's not clear. If the subconscious can be researched and controlled, then the first application would be in the military.
It's the same as sleepwalking, but it's more powerful because it can be controlled. Many people run very fast when they sleepwalk, and even climb down from more than ten floors of rain without any training. If you ask them to wake up, they definitely won't dare. If they are forced to climb, there is a high probability that they will fall to their death.
Someone has studied that when people sleepwalk, they can fully exert their body's movement limits. There is even a certain probability of breaking through the limits. If the subconscious can be trained and controlled, then wouldn't it be 100% accurate? There is a big difference between self-hypnosis and controlling the subconscious, although it looks similar. "
Zhang Xiaobao said with yearning. He really hoped that he could control the subconscious. Then, the speed of learning things would be faster, and fighting would definitely not be a problem.
After fiddling with the black substance that looked like dried asphalt, Zhang Xiaobao continued, "When I take drugs, my body won't be in a bad state and I won't be in a depressed state. That's because I take pure drugs, and I control the amount very well.
Under normal circumstances, the reason why the body is in a bad state is because there is no pattern to the intake. Moreover, the purity of the drugs bought every time is different. Sometimes it is more, sometimes it is less. If you take less, you will want to continue. In the end, when you take more, you will want to take back the feeling when you take less.
It's like sleeping. If you want to make up for it after sleeping less, you will end up sleeping even longer. There is no pattern, and it's not desirable. Moreover, pure drugs are expensive. As the addiction grows, you can't afford to buy them, so you can only use needles. Needles are directly used in the blood. "
"Oh, it's mainly a problem of purity and pattern. Of course, the prerequisite is money, right? As long as you have money. "Wang Juan finally understood more thoroughly, so she concluded that it was all about money.
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