Even if Xiao Bei didn't say anything, the onlookers didn't dare to talk nonsense. They were all clear in their hearts. Although Shuiyun's family of eagles were very well-behaved in front of Xiao Bei and the others, to the point of being docile, eagles were still eagles after all, not to mention that they were eagles that had killed their way to fame.
Therefore, although they were watching, no one spoke loudly. Occasionally, they would whisper a few words to the people around them, as if they were worried that Shuiyun would misunderstand.
Xiao Bei no longer cared about the others. While chatting with Shuiyun, she observed the other eleven 'little' eagles. Although they were all Hong Luan and Shuiyun's children, the eleven eagles were all different in color. Some were like Shuiyun, snow-white all over, like a cloud.
Some were like their mother, fiery red all over, so much so that not a single strand of other feathers could be found on their body. Some were like veins that 'dyed' red and white on their feathers. Among them, there was one whose color was the most uniform, pink.
Xiao Bei didn't know if it would still maintain its current color after changing its feathers, so she was very hesitant. Her favorite was the pink one. It wasn't as thick as the red one, nor was it as soft as the white one. The pink one was gorgeous, and when the sun shone on it, it would dazzle the eyes.
Xiao Bei planned to get it herself, but she was afraid that others would like it as well. Therefore, while chatting with Shuiyun, she didn't forget to tell her eight brothers and sisters how good the red one was and how good the white one was. She even said that the veins mixed with the two colors were like marble patterns, noble and elegant.
However, she didn't mention the pink one. Of course, she definitely wouldn't say anything bad about the pink eagle. What if it was as smart as its father and understood what she meant? It wouldn't cooperate with her in the future.
Xiao Yuan and the others weren't fools. They were usually together every day, so how could they not understand their youngest sister's thoughts? It was just that none of them exposed her. Besides, they really didn't like pink. It was too ostentatious and didn't match their personalities.
With Shuiyun's help, time was delayed. When the sky turned dark, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan finally saw their younger siblings.
At the same time, he also saw the thirteen eagles standing on the highest point of the ship. With the help of the light, Zhang Xiaobao saw the appearance of a group of 'little' guys. Filled with joy, he found a thicker stick and waved at Shui Yun.
Shui Yun also saw the comrade who had once fought side by side with her. She was also very happy. With a cry, she bent down and spread her wings, gliding towards the other party.
It flapped its wings twice and landed on the wooden stick that Zhang Xiaobao had placed on his shoulder. It then intimately rubbed its head against Zhang Xiaobao's face.
"Have you finished your work over there? Are you tired? "Zhang Xiaobao pointed in the direction of Tubo and asked Shui Yun.
He was talking about the matter of Tubo's aid. Tubo's aid had already ended. If it didn't end now, it would mean that it was snowing again. If that was the case, perhaps half of Tubo's people would freeze to death.
When he was in Hangzhou, Zhang Xiaobao had already received news that the disaster relief had already been completed. Not many people had died. Some houses had been crushed, and the loss of tents was also huge.
Coupled with the cattle, sheep, horses, and poultry that were raised there, if there was no help from the 'central government', it would probably take at least five years to recover.
When they heard the news, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were very surprised. They had never heard that Tubo had suffered such a serious disaster. Perhaps there were no records, or perhaps everything had changed.
But no matter what, Tubo now belonged to the Tang Empire, and the people of Tubo were also the people of the Tang Empire. It was impossible to leave them in the lurch. Thus, a lot of people and a lot of supplies were dispatched.
This time, the animals could be considered to have done a great job. Many people and horses couldn't walk on the road, so the dogs pulled the plows and ran like shuttles. They delivered the rescue items and at the same time, pulled the trapped people out.
Shui Yun contributed the most. He commanded a group of subordinates to be in charge of aerial reconnaissance. He told the people on the ground where they needed help and guided them from the sky.
At the same time, when they encountered places that even the dogs couldn't go, the eagles would carry the necessary supplies and medicine and airdrop them. Furthermore, the local eagles of Tubo were also gathered, forming a large force.
According to the news, many people of Tubo had to kneel down when they saw Shui Yun. They thought that he was a divine eagle sent by the Longevity God to save them.
As a result, the overall rule of the Tang Empire became more stable. It turned out that the people of Tubo were afraid of the Tang Empire's military power. They knew that the Tang Empire already had powerful things like cannons, and they could kill a lot of people with one shot.
Of course, they were more afraid of two names, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. One killed without batting an eyelid, while the other killed without spilling blood.
The situation was that they were coerced by military force. Originally, the people of Tubo were from different tribes and didn't have a clear concept of a country. They also didn't have any thoughts of loyalty to a country.
Secondly, ever since they were coerced by military force to submit, they received orders from the capital to send many things, especially various advanced cooking utensils, food and medicine that they had never eaten before, and different clothes.
This made them feel that they had plenty of supplies. After submitting, their days were better than before, so they didn't have any other thoughts in their hearts.
It was the temptation of supplies. As a result, they had a different understanding of the Tang Empire.
When a large-scale disaster occurred, they once again felt the warmth from the capital.
The most important thing was the appearance of Shui Yun, an eagle that could command all the other eagles. He was as smart as a human. In their view, this was a 'god' that belonged to the Longevity God. Even gods were under the control of the Tang Empire, let alone 'mortals' like them.
Therefore, after the coercion of military force and the temptation of supplies, there was also a spiritual guidance, related to faith. They didn't believe in any other religion now. Ever since Shui Yun led the troops to save people one after another, the people of Tubo truly regarded themselves as part of the Tang Empire.
Shui Yun had made such a great contribution in a situation that no one had expected.
After analyzing the intelligence, Li Longji had already promised that when he returned, he would personally reward Shui Yun in front of her. Not only would he raise her official rank, he would also give her a fief. He would find a good place suitable for raising cattle, and all the produce would belong to Shui Yun, and it would be the kind that didn't collect taxes.
If Shui Yun's children were as smart as Shui Yun, then after Shui Yun died of old age, the fief would continue to be taken over by her children.
Of course, if all of Shui Yun's children were like other eagles, the fief would also be taken back when Shui Yun wasn't around, because the place was useless to other eagles.
Shui Yun hadn't seen Li Longji yet, so he didn't know if he would continue to be promoted or receive additional benefits. When he heard Zhang Xiaobao's question, he raised his head and cried out twice. His body also swayed a few times. He seemed very excited.
Zhang Xiaobao stroked Shui Yun's feathers, laughed, and said, "I asked you to come this time because I have something to trouble you with. The scenery of Mount Lu is very good. I guess you found the place after looking at the model. However, the fog on Mount Lu is very thick. Some places have waterfalls, while others have clouds and fog.
There are also wild tea trees on the mountain that taste good. Cloud Fog Tea is also famous in the Tang Empire. Therefore, it's very dangerous for hot air balloons to fly up there, and it has very little surveillance effect on the ground. Go and help find them. "
Zhang Xiaobao said a lot. Shui Yun was confused. He tilted his head and squinted at Zhang Xiaobao, meaning, "What are you talking about? It's a mess. "
"I just want you to help find the enemy." Zhang Xiaobao omitted the other introductions of Mount Lu.
Shui Yun understood this time. He cried out and was about to fly up to find the enemy, but Zhang Xiaobao stopped him.
"It's late. Take a rest today. You've been flying for a long time. Have a good sleep. After dawn tomorrow, take your family there. Go to sleep and fly again when the sun comes up."
Zhang Xiaobao said and gestured. Shui Yun understood again. He moved his body and cooperated with Zhang Xiaobao's upward force. He flapped his wings and flew back to the ship, meaning that he would stay there tonight.
Wang Juan watched from the side. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him. She said to Zhang Xiaobao, "I always feel that Shui Yun is a person. Do you think the guy who blew us up turned into Shui Yun?"
"Impossible. If he really turned into Shui Yun, he would have become a spirit long ago. Why would he cooperate with us? Do you think a person who can spread his wings and fly will listen to others? I used to have a dog. In fact, it was very smart. Most of the things that I needed it to do, I just had to tell it.
Including picking up the phone, picking up the newspaper, bringing me milk with a bottle in its mouth, and even putting money on its body and writing notes. It will listen to you and run out to buy things for you. It also likes to listen to light music.
But compared to Shui Yun, I think Shui Yun is better. After all, Shui Yun is a wild dog. That dog is a good breed and has some hereditary genes in its body. "
Zhang Xiaobao looked at the boat that was not far away and said to Wang Juan while waiting for his younger brother and sister to arrive.
"Rich people can actually raise such a good dog. Let's go to the shore and see if the little guys have lost weight. They haven't eaten your food for a long time."
Wang Juan curled her lips at Zhang Xiaobao's description of his dog and walked towards the shore.
Xiaobei couldn't wait on the boat. If it weren't for the fact that she was afraid that she would have to change her clothes immediately after jumping down, she would have swum over directly.
As soon as the boat reached the shore, she was the first to jump up. She opened her arms and ran towards Zhang Xiaobao, shouting as she ran, "Brother, this is a loss. The things that we bought at various places along the way have all been lost. I reckon that we will continue to lose a lot more. We don't have any money."
Zhang Xiaobao picked up Xiaobei, kissed his sister's face hard, and said, "No money? You are a big boss. You have opened thousands of precious candy houses all over the Tang Empire. If you cry that you are poor, how can others live? "
"We don't have money, we don't have money. I was also bombed by others. My young heart has been greatly hurt. I need compensation. I want to eat good food. Make me braised pork. I want all the lean ones."
Xiaobei twisted her body and acted like a spoiled child.
"All lean braised pork. Your brother doesn't know how to make it. I only expect the fat to be fragrant. Why don't I make you some stir-fried pork and a pig's heart to nourish your soul?"
Zhang Xiaobao patted the head of Xiao Yuan, who had also run over, as he spoke to his sister.
"It's not like I'm a pig. My soul has been hurt, so what's the point of eating a pig's heart? Brother, Sister, you don't know, but before I came, I gave a speech to the people of Xunyang City. I'm really awesome. I told them that they have been doing extremely well in this period of time. Moreover, I praised their unity and told them to continue. You don't know, but after they heard that …"
Xiaobei began to show off. Whatever words that sounded good, she would use them on herself. Her little mouth would not stop talking, not giving her other brothers and sisters a chance to speak.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would occasionally cooperate and put on astonished expressions, looking like they were saying 'you're so awesome.' This made Xiaobei very satisfied.
What Xiaobei was saying was actually the matter she had discussed with the others on the boat. After those people in the toilet of the shabby temple in Xunyang City had been captured, Xunyang City was basically out of the picture.
Those people hadn't been captured because they didn't have anything to eat, but because the planks blocking the excrement from falling down were finally unable to withstand the excrement of the people using the temple as a stronghold and searching everywhere.
Once the excrement increased, with a rumbling sound, the cesspool was once more empty.
There were people relaxing inside, but when they saw this, they were very puzzled. What was going on? Could the cesspool be so advanced? Why didn't it automatically empty itself when it reached a certain amount? What kind of technique was this? Even the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Clans couldn't possibly reach this level, right?
After staring blankly for a while, they finally reacted. It wasn't that the technique was advanced, but that there was an empty space below. They could faintly hear a few cries for help, but soon after, there was no sound.
Thus, they immediately had people jump in to investigate, pulling out those people who had already drowned. After some treatment, they didn't need to interrogate them to obtain even more useful information from their mouths.
Following the information, they finally managed to capture the people hiding in Xunyang and the surrounding areas. This had happened the day before yesterday, so it was quite a coincidence. However, they didn't manage to find out anything about Mount Lu, so they probably all had their own ideas.
The operation was over, and Xunyang had to return to its original life. Xiaobei and the others set up a platform on the pier and used a loudspeaker to give a speech to the common people of Xunyang.
First, they thanked the common people of Xunyang for everything they had done for them, thanked them for their efforts, and then praised them for their great ability. They had even managed to capture those people, so of course they had the ability.
The common people weren't like the people of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's generation, who couldn't bear to hear others praise them verbally. They were rather satisfied to receive the thanks and praise of Xiaobei and the others, so much so that it even exceeded the promise of supplies.
The promise of supplies meant that besides the various things given to the common people during this period of time, they would also compensate those who had delayed the operation. As for what the compensation was, they would need to discuss it with their older brothers and sisters.
On this point, Xiaobei and the others were very smart. They didn't plan on directly giving money. The people in the inner court had warned them that if they directly gave money, the common people would have too much money, and the local production would not be able to immediately return to its original level. Prices would directly rise.
If they gave things, prices would fall. If they gave out things that were originally worth five strings of cash, if prices fell, the things would become three strings of cash. Wouldn't that be swindling the common people?
Thus, Xiaobei and the other children truly couldn't understand this problem, so they could only leave it to their older brothers and sisters. They were extremely confident that no matter how difficult a task was, it would be a small matter to their older brothers and sisters.
Besides the promise of supplies, the children also promised that they would ask their older brothers and sisters for various techniques that would help the local people. After all, teaching people how to fish.
This was what the common people desired the most. At the time, they had cried out 'good' for a very long time.
After that, it was Xiaobei's turn to speak. She repeatedly brought up the matter of the local people being united, and she hoped that this would continue and expand, that Xunyang would become a united city, that all the people of Xunyang would become one family. Under the leadership of her Imperial Uncle, they would all contribute even more to the Great Tang.
Xiaobei was most skilled at this sort of conning, because after her personality had been revealed, Zhang Xiaobao had always taught her such diplomatic and placating words. This was a very profound subject, especially in the Great Tang's current situation.
The common people really did fall for this sort of thing. As they listened to Xiaobei speak, they looked at each other and seemed to feel that this was truly the case. If they were united, there was nothing that could not be done.
In truth, the most important thing wasn't that Xiaobei was good at conning, but that when she conned, she really could do it. As an inspector, she had caught bad officials, and there had never been a situation where officials would protect each other.
The Zhang Family and Wang Family had always done what they said. If they could do it, then their conning words were not conning. If they couldn't do it, then they were conning. The common people weren't fools.
The common people liked to hear officials fantasize about their future lives, but the prerequisite was that the officials had to work hard to do it. For example, after a year, every official had to earn at least one hundred copper coins a day. If the official worked hard, the common people would see it.
After a year, if the official didn't earn one hundred copper coins, but eighty copper coins, the common people would acknowledge that the official was capable. The next time he conned them, the common people would like to hear it.
But if the official didn't earn even ten copper coins, or even less than before, and they didn't see what he did, after a few times, the common people would no longer believe him. When they heard the official's concoction again, they would feel disgusted.
As Zhang Xiaobao listened, he wondered if in the future, when the Imperial Court came up with a plan, they could use the newspapers to let the common people know about it.
If they gave the common people a guide to work hard, when the common people of Xunyang united and worked hard for the same goal, the effect would be very clear.
Then if the common people of the Great Tang also united, what would the result be?
With this thought, Zhang Xiaobao put down his sister. After informing his younger siblings, he had someone set up the kitchen and personally cooked for them. He even called over Wang Juan.
"You can't do it yourself? And you even want me to help? "Wang Juan followed in and asked Zhang Xiaobao. She still wanted to spend more time with her younger siblings.
"You're still not satisfied with making something for your family? In the past, I wanted to make something for my family, but who would eat it? "Zhang Xiaobao handed a bowl to Wang Juan, his eyes glancing at the place where the starch was placed.
Wang Juan knew that Zhang Xiaobao's dishes needed to be mixed with starch, so she walked over and fetched the starch. "They've found a job for us. We need to calculate the amount of goods that flow through Xunyang, the time it takes for production to fully recover, and the types of goods that are produced.
Then we need to calculate the types and origin of the goods to be sent, including the route and speed of the goods. Only then can we know how much money to compensate the common people of Xunyang, and how many types and quantities are appropriate.
After all, they've contributed to our younger siblings, so we can't just send them off with a bit of money. That would make them feel that we don't value them. "
Zhang Xiaobao cut the vegetables, completely ignoring what Wang Juan said. After cutting one, he placed it on the side and cut another. "It's simple. There's no need for us to do it. We can just let the inner courtyard do the calculations. What I'm worried about right now is what kind of technology to provide to Xunyang. Xiaobei's words have already been spread, so as an older brother, I have to give them face.
Besides, this is what I should do. We're different from other people. Other people travel according to their mood, but we have to observe the environment and the types of goods in every place we go. From there, we can summarize and see what kind of technology we can provide.
The Ministry of Works and the Western Agriculture Temple aren't just for show. Every so often, new technology will appear. There are many different branches, and they have to be transformed into productive forces. Otherwise, according to the current printing speed, in less than five years, the value of the currency will drop by half. "
"They're next to the Yangtze River, so of course they'll mainly rely on water. Let's build a few small hydropower plants for them so that they can use electricity. Then we'll provide them with tools that require electricity to increase their production efficiency. In any case, the small hydropower plants aren't that difficult. If we can't make a few million kilowatt hour, can we make a few hundred kilowatt hour?"
Wang Juan gave her idea.
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head. "That won't do. The technology isn't mature yet. The ones that are usually sold to the rich are very small. If they're placed in the Yangtze River, how can they store water? It's not a problem of the wattage, but a problem of how to control the flow. Wind is easier than water.
Let's not talk about this anymore. We'll slowly think about it later. It's not like we have to provide them immediately. I just thought of a problem. In the future, when the Great Tang Imperial Court makes a development plan, shouldn't we let the common people know about it and give them a direction to work towards? "
"Oh, is that what you mean?" "Yes, the people can do what they want, but they can't do what they want. It's fine to tell the common people about the plan, but what if you can't do it?
If you tell the common people that you intend to let the Great Tang's financial income reach 200 million strings of cash next year without changing the tax ratio and rent, and then take out 100 million strings of cash to invest in the local infrastructure, what will you do if you can't reach it?
You're not thinking of deceiving the common people, are you? Just say that you've reached it, and then when you use it for the infrastructure, you take out 10 million strings of cash and tell the common people that the various materials and labor used add up to 30 million strings of cash to make them happy? "
Wang Juan understood the meaning behind Zhang Xiaobao's words, but she was very worried. Not to mention now, even back then, no one had told the common people about this. It had always been ambiguous or vague.
"I'm not an idiot. We can first estimate that if we can reach 180 million strings of cash, we can tell the common people that we can reach 140 million strings of cash. At that time, even if we can't reach 180 million strings of cash, we can still reach 140 million strings of cash, right?
As for the materials needed for the infrastructure, I don't believe that the officials of the Great Tang would dare to randomly find someone to decide. We'll have all the suppliers of the raw materials bid and see who has what's best. Of course, the cement will definitely be provided by our family.
It's not because the cement can be sold for more money, but because the technology can't be handed over right now. If other countries learn it, we can use cement for many things. The most direct is to build fortifications. I don't want to waste energy and artillery shells when we need to use force.
When I was following them, I saw that the people who jumped out of the boats had water glasses over their eyes. That was glass, the glass that rich people buy to make windows. It's not as good at resisting pressure as the glasses I wear, but this shows that they're not stupid.
Today, they use glass to make water glasses. Tomorrow, they'll grind out glasses. After that, they'll make binoculars. Perhaps the troublemakers have already bought a lot of glass and shipped it back. After many experiments, they've made binoculars. Although the glass is relatively thin and of poor quality, there are bubbles in it. "
Zhang Xiaobao recalled what he saw when he was chasing the people and was very surprised. They weren't stupid, but they didn't have a systematic research direction. They just needed a little guidance.
Wang Juan also knew about this. When she captured the people, she seized their water glasses. They were sealed with gum, and there was something similar to donkey-hide gelatin. It seemed to be fish glue, which was more useful.
This showed that they were already working hard to study the Great Tang's technology while marveling at it.
Hearing Zhang Xiaobao mention it again, Wang Juan said, "We definitely can't tell them that there are bubbles in the glass of the binoculars that need to be removed by stirring. Back then, a country paid a considerable price to obtain these two simple words."
"Then you're agreeing to tell the people about the future plans of the Imperial Court?" By this time, Zhang Xiaobao had already cooked two dishes. His speed was extremely fast, mainly because the fire was strong enough, and the dishes didn't require too much effort.
They didn't have time to cook laborious dishes tonight, especially soup. They had to finish the preliminary steps tonight so that they could eat it tomorrow.
"That's fine. We'll do as you say, but we have to split it up. The Imperial Court is a large area, and the local areas will be small. The most important thing is to watch over the officials. Otherwise, in order to reach a certain number of local officials, they might take extreme measures. The gains don't make up for the losses."
Wang Juan knew about the past. More than a hundred years ago, because they had a plan, they kept trying, resulting in considerable losses. Of course, they had already summarized what happened back then. She and Zhang Xiaobao wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded. "Okay, I'll tell Li Longji about it later. He has to support us first. Give me the starch and let's eat."
That night, the children ate very happily. It wasn't because the food was good or that the chef on the ship wasn't bad, but because they could eat together with their older siblings.
After the meal, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan began to read stories to their younger siblings. Only when it was almost four in the evening, or twenty-two in the morning, did the children reluctantly fall asleep.
The next morning, everything was ready. Zhang Xiaobao ate breakfast with his siblings, looked at the clear sky, and waved his hand. "Let's go. We'll torture them to death."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
