When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan walked out of the cabin, that so-called Sect Master Qi still struggled a few times. He didn't want to run, but he knew that he couldn't. Since Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had come, there had to be no flaws in their arrangements.
He wanted to die, a quick death. He was keenly aware that for a crime like his, once he was caught, he simply couldn't be beheaded or executed at the waist like other people.
If he could be cut into a thousand pieces, that would be a light punishment, and he would accept it. The problem was that this was practically impossible. After all, that county magistrate surnamed Yan was still alive at the gates of the Imperial Palace.
After a winter, he still hadn't died, but his body was covered in countless frostbites. However, he had been carefully treated, as if he had been experimented on by a medical school.
Thus, he could not be caught. He was well aware of what he had done, and he was confident that Zhang Xiaobao and the others could also guess. When the time came, wouldn't there be another person at the gates of the Imperial Palace?
Perhaps he wouldn't be placed at the gates of the Imperial Palace, but in some bustling place. How long would he be able to live? How long would he have to endure this pain?
Sect Master Qi's calculations were not bad, but Hu Liang and the others hated him to death, so how could they give him a chance? His arms were dislocated, his jaw was dislocated, and he was dragged out like a dead dog. On the way back, no matter how much he cursed in that muffled voice of his, they didn't hit him. There would be a chance to deal with him.
By the time Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan arrived on the deck of the ship, the battle was basically over. Only a few skilled swimmers had jumped into the water and continued to swim downstream. For the time being, they were still being encircled.
They had to be alive, or else they would have been killed in the water. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were truly angry this time. They could understand why outsiders had come to make trouble. Different countries had to work for themselves, and they could also sympathize a little with that Ning person. After all, his entire clan had been dealt with.
But the two of them had no understanding of someone who was clearly a citizen of the Great Tang and had taken all sorts of benefits from the Great Tang and then helped the enemy. Not killing him would not quell the anger in their hearts, but killing him would not allow him to die so easily.
Since he had made a choice between his country and his own interests, he had to bear the consequences of his failure.
"I'm not convinced. You guys didn't give me anything. Someone else gave me more benefits. I'm not convinced. Just kill me. I wasn't living as well as I am now."
A captured person shouted desperately. His hands and feet were already tied, and blood was spurting out of his mouth. It seemed that he had fought too hard in the previous battle, and was beaten until his lungs or stomach were bleeding.
In the past, this kind of injury would have been fatal, but now, there was no danger at all. Seeing that the blood he vomited was not continuous, and that he still had the strength to shout, it seemed that there was nothing wrong with his lungs. There should be something wrong with his stomach. Bleeding of the mucous membranes in the stomach was not a serious illness, unless it was a perforation. In that case, they would have to find someone to operate on, and the medical school would have one more practice material.
Hearing his shouts, Zhang Xiaobao stopped, turned his head and asked, "What are you not convinced about?"
"I know him." The man struggled to tilt his body, looked at Zhang Xiaobao, and said, "You are Zhang Xiaobao. You won. You caught me, but I'm not convinced.
I was living a good life, but the officials in the county took a fancy to my family's land and wanted to take it by force. I didn't give it to them, and they beat me. In the end, they made a set of documents of me selling the land and took it away from me.
Didn't you say that you would protect all the people of the Tang Empire? Where were you at that time? Later, it was Sect Master Qi who helped me. He got the land back for me and gave me a lot of money. My status in my village suddenly rose.
Someone was willing to propose a marriage for me, and it was a beautiful girl. There were also people who came to flatter me, saying that my life was getting better and better. I'm not convinced. I'm not convinced that you can make the people of the Tang Empire live a good life.
My good life has nothing to do with you. It was me, Sect Master Qi, who made my life better. Let me tell you, there are many people like me in the Tang Empire. You can't kill all of them. "
After this person finished speaking, he opened his mouth and revealed his bloody teeth, making a vicious expression.
After Zhang Xiaobao heard this, he smacked his lips and asked, "After your land was taken, did you send a telegram to the capital? We have people in charge of this. The place where the telegram is sent is not under the jurisdiction of the local government. Did you send it? "
"Send a telegram? Heh, you think I don't know? Even if I sent a telegram, you will pretend that you don't know. Raise the knife high and gently drop it. All officials will be fine. "The person sneered.
"In other words, you didn't send a telegram. Let me ask you, how was your life in the past? When you had land, could it be compared to before you were caught? "Zhang Xiaobao asked again.
"It can't be compared, it's far from it. In the past, when I had land, I was tired from farming. Now, my life is so good. I have wine to drink, meat to eat, and women to play with every day. This is you, Zhang Xiaobao, no, no, you can't compare to what Sect Master Qi gave me."
This person's voice seemed to be squeezed out from his throat. He used a lot of strength to express the anger in his heart.
Wang Juan, who was beside Zhang Xiaobao, chuckled and said, "I understand. You are the kind of person who doesn't care about what others give you. Even if I give you one sum of money a day and that Sect Master Qi finds you and gives you two sums of money a day, you still say that we are not good.
Indeed, there are people from other countries behind this conspiracy. For example, Japan. Japan is not as rich as the Tang Empire, but they can definitely give a citizen of the Tang Empire a lot of money, more than the income of the surrounding people.
Unless the Tang Empire one day has a citizen's minimum income that is higher than the overall income of other countries, then people like you will think that the Tang Empire is good. But that is absolutely impossible. Xiao Bao and I don't have the ability to make every citizen of the Tang Empire have a higher income than any other country.
Xiao Bao, what do you think we should do? "
Zhang Xiaobao frowned. He knew that some people had such thoughts. When they were in contact with the surrounding people, they were always looked down on because they were not good enough. Then, when someone from another country came to them and gave them more money, they would naturally be able to show off in front of the people who looked down on them.
"I understand, but what I don't understand is that our Tang Empire is now stronger than other countries. Do they only see a little bit of money but not their own position in the world?
Their money is indeed not enough compared to the nobles of other countries, but it is many times better than the citizens of other countries. Most importantly, they are citizens of the Tang Empire. If they cause trouble in other countries, they don't have to worry about being persecuted.
Even if they commit a crime, other countries are not qualified to judge them. But if other countries come to our Tang Empire, they are like dogs. If they dare to cause trouble, even if they escape, their country has to send them back.
Is that not enough? Is a little bit of money more important than a person's safety? It seems that we didn't advertise well enough. We have to think of a way to make the people of the Great Tang understand the power that they have as citizens of the Great Tang. "
Zhang Xiaobao did not blame the person on the ground for the thoughts of the people. Instead, he began to ponder what he had done wrong.
If it had been his and Wang Juan's time, and the country had such methods, very few of the citizens would have had such thoughts as the person on the ground.
This was because at that time, it wasn't that the people did not love their country, but that everything was in chaos, especially when it came to personal welfare. The difference between them and other countries was too great, so some people were willing to go out and obtain a new identity. When they came back, they could use this new identity to bully those who had bullied them.
But this sort of situation should have occurred in Japan and some small countries in the southwest. Some of them had not done well and were willing to come to the Great Tang to obtain a new identity so that they could flaunt it when they returned.
In the end, it was because some of the people of the Great Tang were too stubborn and did not personally experience the difference in identity between the people of other countries.
Wang Juan thought about it and nodded. "Indeed, we didn't do a good job. We should increase the efforts of advertising and let the people of the Great Tang know how the people of other countries live through various channels. What kind of preferential treatment the people of the Great Tang receive when they go to other countries? Only when there is comparison can there be happiness."
"Cuckoo, Xiao Bao, don't listen to him. He's an animal, an ingrate." A fisherman who had just sent people over and was now rowing his boat over to take them back heard the conversation between the three people.
His eyes immediately turned red, and he said with heartache, "Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, the two of you have done well enough. People like him should be paddled in the water and drowned to death. What does it have to do with the two of you? I'll let you talk too much, I'll let you talk too much. "
As the fisherman spoke, he went up to the big boat and used his feet to kick the person lying on the ground. The reason why he didn't kick was because he didn't have boat shoes on his feet and was often in contact with water. When on the boat, he couldn't wear shoes, or his feet would be soaked.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded and did not care about the person lying on the ground. He said to the fisherman, "Soon, the days will be better. When the railway is built, the speed of goods transportation will be faster, and it will be more convenient to exchange goods. We also need to do advertising. I want to think of a place to start."
After saying that, Zhang Xiaobao looked at the sky. The hot air balloon that was originally going to send a signal to Hu Liang and the others was now flying over. Someone had already lowered a rope, and when the balloon reached a certain point, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would climb up and go directly to Mount Lu. It had been many days since they had seen their younger brothers and sisters, and he felt strange. It was a good opportunity to see them.
*****
When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not have a complete plan to further promote their country's patriotism, Zhang Wang Clan in the Hangzhou Wang Mansion began to help her son and daughter-in-law promote more and better children.
Because she was pregnant with two children, her pregnancy was more obvious than other pregnant women. She followed Wang Juan's mother and walked on the streets of Hangzhou under protection.
She had already planned to do this before, but because the situation was not good at that time, she did not dare to show her face. Now, there was no problem.
Ning Tian and the Japanese were all arrested, and Zhang Wang Clan and Li Longji's spies successfully cleaned up all of the other party's people in Hangzhou, including the servants in the Wang Mansion.
Wang Shu was one of them, and there were also two maids and a woodworker in the mansion. There were four people in total, and they usually cooperated with each other. However, because they entered the mansion late, they could not go out.
The two maids even wanted to bribe the inner courtyards of the Zhang Family Clan and Wang Family. Usually, they did not need to deliberately do so to make the inner courtyards of the Zhang Family Clan and the inner courtyards of the Wang Family Clan hostile to each other.
Before Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan arrived in Hangzhou, when they were on the boat, they had each given orders to have their inner courtyards monitor the inner courtyards of the other party. At that time, they were afraid that someone would be swayed. After all, their mother was there, and they had to be vigilant.
At the same time, they also created the illusion that the inner courtyards of the two families were not harmonious, and thus attracted people from the Wang Mansion to rope them in. It seemed that they were quite successful. Even if Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not quickly catch the other party, the other party's spies in the mansion would gradually be exposed.
The only thing that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not expect was that the Wang Mansion had actually made preparations in advance. Those who had been in the mansion for less than five years were not allowed to have contact with the outside world. This was too much of a test for the other party's spies who had infiltrated the Wang Mansion. In the situation where they did not get any information, it was very important to know what to do.
When the four people were caught, the people in the Wang Mansion were so scared that they broke out in a cold sweat. If something happened, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, after the four people were caught, there was another round of careful interrogation, and everyone was questioned continuously.
The other party's spies were not caught, but they caught a lot of people who usually embezzled the family's money and colluded with each other to form a small power. They were all punished one by one. The most serious ones were expelled from the mansion, and those who did not make big mistakes were whipped.
In particular, the servant who always went to the braised food restaurant was whipped to vent his anger. After two days, he would be whipped again. It was said that he would be whipped until Zhang Xiaobao and Cuckoo came back.
When the servant was being punished, Jang Wong Clan and Madam Wang hid far away. It was not that they were afraid of seeing blood, but they were thinking that the child in their belly was not born yet, so they tried their best not to come into contact with it. It could be said that they were superstitious, but it did not matter.
On the day that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan caught Sect Leader Qi, the two of them saw that the weather was good. Thinking of their son and daughter-in-law's request for them, they went out together to spread the news of childbirth to the people of Hangzhou.
The two of them went out on the streets. Wang Ju did not care about the matters of the fishing association today. He casually arranged for a vice president to lead people to find a place to fish, and he personally accompanied his daughter to walk on the streets.
In addition to him, there was also Li Longji, Gao Lishi, Empress Wang, and Wu Huifei. Under the protection of the guards, they walked together to spread the news to the people who were watching the show.
Li Longji was not young, but he was like a child. He specialized in doing the work. He held a lot of paper in his hands. There were pictures and words on the paper. He had asked someone to engrave and print them for the purpose of spreading the news.
When he saw a woman with a big belly on the side of the road, he personally handed a piece of paper to her and told her to ask someone who could read. He could also say a few words about babies. Of course, he had learned it on the spot. Although he had many children, he did not know how to take care of them at all. In the past, he had left everything to others.
Everyone who was handed a leaflet by him happily accepted it and carefully put it away. There was no situation like Zhang Xiaobao, where the leaflets could not be distributed and people looked at them coldly.
There were also people who were responsible for shouting slogans, such as "How to make a family rich? Have more children and raise more pigs", "Have one child and two children, the more people you have, the better", and so on.
This was something that could not be helped. After all, the population of Great Tang was too small. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were still thinking of planning to give more land to Great Tang in twenty years.
One billion, two billion, and even the more, the better. Even if it was five billion, Zhang Xiaobao would probably be able to arrange it. At most, the other countries would have fewer children and give up their land. When the time came, they would vote and have a democracy to see who could obtain more benefits.
Wang Ju was beside her daughter. Whenever she saw a small stone on the ground in front of her, she would step forward and kick it away. From time to time, she would advise her daughter to go back home after strolling for a while. It was dangerous outside. If the wind was strong, it could cause problems and so on.
Zhang Wangshi was carrying a belly that was about the same size as other people's seven months pregnant. She wore a set of maternity clothes and walked leisurely with small steps. Occasionally, she would see a pregnant woman by the side of the road. She would wave her hand and ask her to accompany her as she strolled around. She would also tell her what to pay attention to when eating and working.
Sometimes, a couple would do the same, telling the man that he should not let the woman do too much work. At the same time, he should not let the woman stay at home all day.
No matter how high the status of the man at home was or how heavy the work at home was, as long as it was Jang Wong Clan's words, the man would have to do as she said when he returned home.
Along the way, from time to time, they would meet pregnant women. It had nothing to do with coincidence. It was announced one day in advance, saying that the First Rank Honorary Madam of the imperial court was coming to talk to the pregnant women.
If it was just a First Rank Honorary Madam, the people around Hangzhou would not be so enthusiastic. A First Rank Honorary Madam was a First Rank Honorary Madam. Not all of the people were convinced. They did not offend her. She was at home, so how could she be dragged out by force?
However, Jang Wong Clan had another more important identity. She was the mother of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Therefore, no matter what, she had to come over. If it was far away, she would have rushed over at night. Who did not know Xiao Bao and Cuckoo? There was also Xiaobei and Xiaoyuan, a group of children. They were all smart enough.
If they came over to meet, they might be able to gain some good fortune. In the future, their children would also be smart. Even if they were slightly less intelligent, they could accept it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Therefore, it became like this. The pregnant women stood on both sides of the road, sticking out their bellies, hoping to communicate with the good fortune in other people's bellies. Even those who were not showing their pregnancy were trying their best to stick out their bellies.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family, as well as Li Longji, spent a lot of money for this. Every pregnant woman who stood on both sides of the road would receive a gift. There were toiletries, skincare products, two sets of maternity clothes, and a jade pendant that was not of good quality. It could be used as an amulet.
Otherwise, the pregnant women would not use the gifts after receiving them. Instead, they would treat them as family heirlooms. They would prepare a jade pendant in advance. The other things were not important.
"Sister, you can't continue to follow the boat into the water. Be careful not to catch a cold …" Jang Wong Clan pulled a pregnant woman who said that she was a fisherman and said.
The maid beside her also said that as long as she was pregnant, after the medical center confirmed the pregnancy, from the day of the confirmation until the child was born and grew up, all the expenses would be paid by the imperial court.
However, the condition was that she was not allowed to continue living the way she did before. Otherwise, no benefits would be given. If the child was not born successfully, then more benefits would be lost.
Before this, the people had only heard some rumors. After all, Hangzhou was a place where Li Longji and the others passed by, so the news could not be blocked.
At that time, the people thought that it was impossible. Now that they heard and saw it for themselves, and with Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's mother, as well as the Emperor's confirmation, they finally knew that it was not a rumor.
"Miss, giving money is a good thing. Where does the imperial court get the money?" An old woman came over with her daughter-in-law. When she heard the maid's words, she asked worriedly.
She did not know how much money the Tang Empire had now. She also did not know how fast the Tang Empire's economy had grown in the past few years. She did not understand the effect of the Tang Empire's investment in infrastructure without pressure from foreign countries.
She also did not know whether the Tang Empire's officials were so corrupt. The officials still had the hearts of the people and the Emperor. They had the morals that an official should have.
The officials were afraid that the people would criticize them behind their backs. They would not righteously say that they were greedy and that they had accepted bribes. What could the people do to them?
There were also not many people who thought that they could escape inspection time and time again, escape from the spies of the Zhang Family, Wang Family, and the imperial court. After they were caught, they would be dealt with internally.
There were too few people who really did that. At least, it was impossible to say that they could be lightly punished. Once they committed a crime, the lightest punishment would be losing their official position. The heaviest punishment would be exile, and the heaviest punishment would be beheading.
In this way, the imperial court's money would be less corrupt. They would not dare to go to good restaurants to spend money. The good restaurants were Between the Clouds and the Water and Blue Sea Silver Sand. Which official dared to go there to eat and drink? If you ordered a table of delicacies, before you finished eating, the people who investigated you would come to ask where the money came from.
There were fewer expenditures that should not have been made, and Li Longji listened to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan so that the money would not rust in the national treasury, resulting in the current situation where the national treasury was very rich.
Of course, this was relative. Compared to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, it was far inferior. But the difference was that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not keep the money to deal with unexpected situations, and no official dared to squander it and send it abroad.
At the same time, there was no need to store the currency of other countries. Instead, it became a standard currency country.
If they lacked something, they could use their own country's currency to buy it or use cheap labor from other countries. If other countries wanted to use Great Tang's money to buy Great Tang's things, the price would be very high. This was in itself a form of plunder.
Thus, there was no problem in supporting the current population of Great Tang.
That was what the maidservant said to the old lady, but the way she said it was different. She said it in a way that the old lady could understand. Even so, the old lady was still confused.
But she knew that Tang Tang was not short of money now. Her daughter-in-law had been able to provide the family with money to help raise the child from the moment the child was born to the moment she grew up and could do things of her own. During this time, Tang Tang had been able to provide the family with money and help raise the child.
Thinking of this, the old madam's face, which was full of wrinkles due to fatigue, smiled like a flower and said, "It's good to have money, it's good to have money. Some time ago, the Great Tang Bank was tricked into withdrawing money. I heard that if the money was gone, Great Tang would be finished. I was scared out of my wits, and I even had my son go and deposit some money.
But unexpectedly, the Great Tang Bank suddenly became rich again, and the interest of my son's deposit also increased. "I live close to the sea, and I heard that Japan isn't a good place for Great Tang. No one cares about the birth of a child, no one cares about the illness, and no one cares about whether the child is educated or not.
"Great Tang is better. I heard that someone wanted to hurt you, and you caught it, right? You have to deal with it properly. Behead, all behead. They are going against us. If something happens to you, what should we do?
"I heard that Xiaobei and the others were almost blown up by someone at the lake at the head of the river. The children must have been scared out of their wits. Why are they so bad?
I heard it from others … "
The old madam knew a lot of things. She heard it from others, but her words were very simple. She did not consider any national affairs. She only knew that as long as the Zhang Family and the Wang Family were there, she would be able to live a good life. Anyone who hurt the Zhang Family and the Wang Family would be her enemy.
Not only the old madam, but many others also dared to speak up and express their own thoughts. There was no need to arrange in advance for 'shills'.
Li Longji listened and watched as he walked. Every time he saw the expressions on the people's faces and heard them exaggerate Tang, Li Longji felt that it was sweeter than honey. His hands never stopped waving.
The local officials in Hangzhou felt very pressured. In addition to the Emperor's safety, there was also their own problem. In this incident, four of their colleagues were killed. Two of them were in direct contact with the other party, and the other two knew about it but did not report it.
They still did not know how they would be dealt with when the Emperor finished his work and Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan came back.
Looking at the local officials' expressions and attitudes, Li Longji knew what they were thinking, but he also knew what he was thinking.
He did not intend to eliminate all the local officials because of this incident. He was afraid that there would be local officials hiding and not being discovered.
But was he afraid? What was there to be afraid of? Even if there was a rebellion, it could be eliminated in the blink of an eye, let alone contact with the other party.
Moreover, if he removed all the officials who were familiar with the local situation and replaced them with a new batch of officials, they would have to familiarize themselves with the local situation again, which would delay the development of the local area. From the east of Jiangnan to Hangzhou, especially, was a very important source of revenue. There was a port connected to the sea, and there was the Yangtze River and the canal to facilitate water transportation.
If they were delayed for a month, how much would the imperial court lose? After Xiao Bao and Cuckoo came back, the four people who were caught only needed to be given important positions in Hangzhou, like Yan Zheng.
It was better than directly killing them. If they died directly, after a period of time, the officials would choose to forget. Living, making people live painfully, could constantly remind the officials what they should do and what they should not do.
When he thought about Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, Li Longji said to Gao Lishi, who was beside him, "I wonder how Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are doing. The enemy is hiding very well. The two of them are unfamiliar with the place. I think it will take them some time to get there, just like in Hangzhou."
When Gao Lishi thought of his godson, a trace of melancholy appeared on his face. He echoed, "It is indeed going to be delayed. They have not sent any news over yet. They want to continue hiding their identities, just like opening a shop not far from the Prince's Mansion. However, this official thinks that it is going to be difficult. Xiaobao and Yaojuan's abilities are there for all to see.
No matter how cunning the enemy is, the two of them will definitely be able to find a loophole and capture them. The terrain of Jiang Province is more complicated than Hangzhou. There are many lakes and mountains. I think it will take one or two months. However, Your Majesty, I don't think you can continue to visit Lu Zhou. "
Li Longji was worried as well. He was not worried that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would not be able to find them. He was worried because he had not been to Lu Zhou and had not seen the models, the scenery, and the people in the paintings.
The more he saw the models changing every once in a while, the more he wanted to see it with his own eyes. If it were in the past, he would have accepted it even if he could not see it. After all, it was too far away. The officials in the court would also object.
This year, the financial situation of the court was better and more stable. There was basically nothing important that he had to deal with personally. Moreover, the surrounding countries were not a threat, and there were also things like telegrams.
Under the urging of Xiao Bao and Cuckoo, the objections of the other officials were suppressed. That was why he could come. Who would have thought that something would happen as soon as he arrived? This was originally a small matter, but it turned out to be a big deal. Several countries were involved.
He had already been delayed in Hangzhou for some time. If he delayed for another two months, the officials in the capital would find all kinds of excuses to ask him to go back. For example, they would say that it was dangerous, that the journey was uneven, that it was too long, and so on.
When would he be able to visit Lu Zhou again? Moreover, there were many places in Great Tang that he had not been to. What was the point of looking at the models all the time?
"Your Majesty, there's no need to worry. I think that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo will be able to deal with the matters in Jiang Province soon. We were delayed in Hangzhou for a long time because we didn't find any clues about them. Now that we've found the clues, we'll be able to hear news that will make Your Majesty happy in a few days."
Empress Wang comforted him. She also wanted to travel to various places in Great Tang. Who would want to stay in the palace all day? In the past, she did not have the opportunity to go out. Now, she could go out, and she had gone out before. She was addicted to going out once.
With Xiao Bao and Cuckoo around, there was no need to waste money and manpower. It was much easier to travel. If they were delayed for too long, there was no point in going back.
Wu Huifei also reached an agreement with Empress Wang in this regard. She said, "Sister is right. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are personally involved. I've never seen them fail. Your Majesty, you're a loser."
"I'm letting them win. I won't lower myself to their level. They're still children. If I keep beating them down, they'll lose their enthusiasm. Let's go see the lotus tomorrow. There are more lotus flowers in West Lake. The willows are gentle, the lotus flowers are swaying, and the fish are swimming in the clear water."
Li Longji would never admit that he had always lost to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan in terms of scheming. He defended himself and immediately changed the topic.
Empress Wang and Wu Huifei agreed. Suddenly, Li Longji said angrily, "There are actually so many countries that want to cause trouble for Great Tang. When they're all captured, I'd like to see how they explain it, especially those small countries in the southwest. Do they really think that I can't deal with them just because they have a geographical advantage?
Do they really think that if something really happens, they'll just do what they did in the past. They'll apologize, admit their mistakes, and then give me a lot of things. Furthermore, they'll push the blame to me, and I won't be able to do anything to them? "
"Your Majesty's words are extremely correct. We can't let them go so easily. In the past, it was because of the local people and climate that other people couldn't rule over for long periods of time. The terrain is complex, and the climate is unbearable. We could only go over and finish the war, and then retreat back.
Now, they want to rely on us. Hmph, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo definitely have a way to deal with them. It's just that we don't know when Xiao Bao and Wang Juan want to attack, and how they want to attack. If they attack now, what will happen to Duoshi in the northwest?
And before the end of this year, Xiao Bao said that he wants to take over Japan. What will we do? Perhaps Japan also feels that time is tight and has noticed Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's movements. Thus, they sent people to cause trouble and distract Great Tang. They'll delay Xiao Bao and Cuckoo to buy time. "
Gao Lishi also helped to analyze the situation.
Li Longji's expression became very ugly. He also hated the surrounding countries for causing trouble, but he also knew that it was not up to him to decide who to attack, and how to attack. It was up to Xiao Bao and Cuckoo to decide on the order.
If he had to decide who to attack first, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo could also agree. However, his decision could disrupt the two's plans. It was not worth it to do so for his own sake.
For a moment, everyone's thoughts turned to the common people on both sides of the street.
This time, the significance of the publicity had to be greater than the practical significance. Through personal publicity, they first had to let the people of Hangzhou believe in this matter. Because of the importance of transportation in Hangzhou, this news would quickly spread to even further places.
Spending money to send gifts to the local pregnant women was to let others see how they looked in maternity clothes. They would definitely not just wear it at home. They would take it out to show off and prove that they were blessed by Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's mother.
Everyone walked along the street for a few li, turned around, and turned back. After a while, they had to return to the Wang Residence. Next to them was the braised food shop.
The braised food shop was still operating. A chef from the Zhang Family and the Wang Family came over. The recipe was naturally provided by Zhang Xiaobao. After the taste had stabilized, the people who came to eat realized that the taste was different every day, so they did not get sick of it.
Now that the taste had stabilized, they felt that something was missing. If it was alive before, then it was dead now. Wang Ju also realized this. When she was fishing, she ate a roll and started to lose her appetite.
"Sigh! The food made by Xiao Bao is so delicious. It has a spiritual nature. Even if other people have the recipe, they can't make the same thing. Come back quickly and make more for me, your grandfather. "
Wang Ju looked at the bustling situation in the small shop and smacked her lips. Then, she shook her head and said.
"Master, why are there still so many people in the shop?" Maid Wang Luhe heard Wang Ju's words and asked for help.
Wang Ju rubbed Wang Luhe's head and said with a smile, "Haha, you obviously know, but you still want to ask. I'll tell you. The taste is bad, but no matter how bad it is, it's better than the braised food shop. Although other shops have followed suit and tried to use different ingredients to sell different kinds of braised food, the appearance is similar, but the spirit is not.
No matter where you go to eat, the difference in price isn't big, that's why people come here. More importantly, this shop was opened by Xiaobao and Yaojuan, not to mention that the taste isn't bad, even if the food is disgusting, with their reputation, people will still come to squeeze in a spot. "
"This servant doesn't know. When Master mentioned it, this servant thought about it and found that it was indeed so. According to this, if Young Master and the others were to open shops everywhere, wouldn't all the shops be doing well?" Wang Lvhe still pretended not to know.
"Haha, how can they have time to open shops everywhere? The money earned by opening a shop is small, but the money earned for the Tang Empire is big. If it wasn't for the fact that the spies didn't do anything, they wouldn't have to spend so much effort. "
Wang Ju said with a proud expression on his face.
"Reporting! Report from Jiangzhou. "As soon as Wang Ju finished speaking, a person rushed over from the front.
The person shouted and went straight to Li Longji. He bowed and handed a folded piece of paper to Li Longji. At the same time, he said, "Your Majesty, a call from Jiangzhou. There's an important matter."
Li Longji and the others were shocked at first, thinking that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo had encountered some big trouble or even danger in Jiangzhou.
Li Longji didn't ask any more questions. He 'snatched' the folded paper and unfolded it. His eyes fell on it.
After a few glances, joy appeared on his face. When he finished reading, he suddenly laughed, "Hahahaha! Good, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are really amazing. They caught them on the third day in Jiangzhou. Hahaha, good, good, everyone, take a look. "
Li Longji was so happy that he didn't know where he was anymore. He handed the paper to Gao Lishi, meaning that he wanted him to pass it to Jang Wong Clan. They were waiting anxiously for news of their son and daughter.
Jang Wong Clan and Jang Wong Clan gathered together to take a look. After reading it, Jang Wong smiled, but Madam Wang wasn't as calm as Jang Wong Clan. She said happily, "Our Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are still the best. The other party thought that they had set things up very well, but they were still caught."
"Let me have a look." Wang Ju was also anxious. After reading it, her eyes narrowed into slits as she grinned from ear to ear.
Then, Gao Lishi, Empress Wang, and the others read it one by one. Everyone who read it couldn't hide the joy in their hearts.
After reading it, Empress Wang said, "The other party is also amazing. They actually came up with such a plan. No wonder the spies couldn't find them. Who would have thought that the other party's surname Qi is so cautious? If Xiao Bao and Cuckoo didn't go there, they would still be hiding in the reeds.
When the time comes, once their plan is carried out and we take action, the Tang Empire will definitely suffer a lot of losses. Unfortunately, they are still one step behind. They are really talented. "
Empress Wang praised the other party first, so that it could show the power of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
After reading it, Wu Huifei shook her head and said, "How did that Qi guy come up with it? What a pity …"
After the others finished reading it, they began to praise. In addition to giving face to the Emperor and the others, they did admit that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were really capable.
If it weren't for the detailed information, who would have thought that the other party could arrange the way to the reeds in such a way? If it were them, they wouldn't be able to follow them to the mountain, let alone catch them. They wouldn't even be able to find any clues.
Even if they found them, they wouldn't know that the other party was going to go up the mountain next unless they caught the person surnamed Xu immediately. They could also ask about the sound of water and the other party was somewhere in the reeds.
But the lake there was huge, and the reeds were everywhere. It would take a lot of manpower and resources. If they really had time to find them, the people on Mount Lu would have gotten the news in advance.
When the crowd was sighing and flattering, the people around them also heard it. They were all happy. Some shouted good, some clapped their hands, and some pulled the people next to them and said, as if they were the ones who had caught the other party.
It didn't take long for the whole of Hangzhou to know. From time to time, the sound of firecrackers could be heard to celebrate Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Some shops also began to advertise, saying that they were selling something for free and at a discount.
Back then, the soup pancake restaurant that Zhang Xiaobao had guided had even advertised that it was open 24 hours a day and would give away a thousand soup pancakes for free. He was truly happy for Zhang Xiaobao. It was as if a huge rock that had been pressing down on his heart had suddenly been lifted.
When night came, there were even more sounds of firecrackers. After many people heard the news, they went to buy good things and came back to make delicious food. Before noon, they were busy all the way until dinner time. They prepared a table full of things, many of which required time.
Just like the New Year's Eve dinner, they chose to light the firecrackers at dinner time. The people of Hangzhou had long known that Xiaobei and the others had stopped for a day and went to Jiangzhou. They also knew that they had almost been blown up.
Now that they had caught them, Xiaobei and the others were safe. In their hearts, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo were as powerful as ever. They could be said to be invincible.
They had once again witnessed their magic. As long as the two of them were around, the Tang Empire would definitely not have any problems. Their lives would continue to get better and better.
The children didn't know much about this. They just felt that if the adults were happy, they should be happy too. Moreover, they could eat a lot of food that they couldn't eat normally.
After they finished eating, they went out to play with their friends and bought firecrackers to set off. Usually, they were not allowed to go out at this time. However, today was special. The entire Hangzhou was like a city without night. It was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
Ning Tian was imprisoned in the government office. He had no right to enter the Wang Mansion. It was Zhang Xiaobao's idea to let the local government office take care of him.
When he was sent to the prison, Ning Tian's heart was in suspense. He could guess Zhang Xiaobao's idea. It was to give his subordinates a chance to save him.
If he was imprisoned in the Wang Mansion, with the protective measures there, not even a fly could get in, let alone a person.
Ning Tian, who didn't know how many of his people had been captured, prayed over and over again in his heart that no one would come to save him. Tonight, when he was worried, he suddenly heard the sound of firecrackers. He asked the prison guard who came to deliver food, "What's going on outside?"
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