Disregarding his illness and the length of the journey, Takeshita Junichiro traveled at his fastest speed. After reaching the shore from the boat, he spent 50 strings of coins to buy two mountain horses from a farmer in the village.
If he were to go to the horse market, the two mountain horses that were usually used to transport goods and farming didn't cost 50 strings of coins. However, the farmer didn't want to sell them. It was clear that he wanted to raise the two horses as his own children.
Helpless, Takeshita Junichiro could only agree to lend the two horses. He used 50 strings of coins as a deposit. After returning, he left 10 strings of coins for the farmer's' children 'to buy fodder. The farmer thought that 50 strings of coins could buy four horses and thought that the other party would return the horses, so he lent the horses.
Takeshita Junichiro had no intention of returning the horses at all. Compared to the stability of the country, what was a few strings of coins?
Riding on the horse, Takeshita Junichiro continued to chase. Fortunately, the road wasn't as difficult as before. Even when he reached the hillside, there was still a paved road in front of him that extended into the distance.
At the same time, there was no need to worry about being attacked by wild beasts. All the wild beasts within a dozen li of each side of the road had been cleared by the group in front. Not to mention tigers and wolves, not even a single pheasant was left. They were all hunted and eaten.
As such, Takeshita Junichiro chased for seven days and finally saw the tail of the group in front of him. When he saw the tail of the group, he was also discovered and stopped by the group.
The people in the group who stopped him couldn't tell that he was Japanese. After all, he had stayed in Great Tang for many years. His attire and expression were no different from the people of Great Tang. Even if he had some Japanese characteristics, they couldn't immediately tell.
Even in Great Tang, the people of different places were different.
The people who stopped him thought that he was someone from a village and rushed over. Seeing his travel-worn appearance, they wanted to help him and let him rest first. They could talk about it slowly.
However, when they heard that he was Japanese, the expressions of the people who stopped him changed instantly. Their original concern and gentleness turned into coldness and hostility. Their gazes were filled with hostility.
Seeing the other party's expression, Takeshita Junichiro grew even more nervous. He knew that many parts of the Great Tang were beginning to distance themselves from the people of his country.
Based on the information he had obtained in Xunyang, many of the Japanese who had come to the Great Tang did not dare to casually reveal their identities. The moment someone found out that they were Japanese, although they had not yet been attacked, they would be in danger.
There was no place to eat. For example, there were two Japanese who used to live in Chu Zhou City. Their neighbors knew that they were Japanese, so they got along well with them.
In the end, after such a thing happened, the neighbors began to alienate them and did not speak to them at all. Furthermore, they did not know which one of them leaked their identities.
The two Japanese were hungry on the streets and wanted to eat something in a small shop. However, as soon as they entered, they were chased out. They wanted to drink a cup of tea, but the stall owner refused to sell it.
One by one, everyone in the surrounding area knew that the two of them were Japanese. Whenever they wanted to buy something, no one would sell it to them. Whenever they wanted to find work, no one would take it. Even if they wanted to pawn their belongings to raise money for travel expenses, the pawnbroker would not take it.
When the two of them discovered this situation, they could only cook the remaining food at home and take it with them to leave this sad place. They wanted to find a new place and hide their identities so that they could survive. Otherwise, they would starve to death.
Thus, it was normal for them to be treated coldly by others.
Thus, Takeshita Junichiro could only say that he was the person in charge of this matter from Japan. He wanted to explain to the Emperor what had happened. At the same time, he wanted to help some people hide the truth from the Emperor of Pingcheng and condemn his actions that had harmed the relationship between the Great Tang and Japan.
"Brothers, let me go and see His Majesty. We really did not know the situation. We only found out later that our country absolutely did not support Yamamoto's actions. If we had known, we would have stopped them in advance and given me a chance."
Takeshita Junichiro begged the people who had stopped him.
Of course, the people who had stopped him would not believe his words. How could the Japanese not know about the things that were used to cause destruction? The majority of Japan's goods were dependent on the Great Tang. How could the Japanese not know how much each item was sold for and how many items were exchanged for?
"It's just a word. Is His Majesty someone you can meet just because you want to? If you don't meet him, I'll give you a piece of advice. You should quickly find a chance to return to your country. Don't stay in the Great Tang any longer. In a few days … in a few days, our people will get angry, and it might harm you. "
The person who had stopped him did not give him a chance to meet the Emperor and even threatened him.
Takeshita Junichiro was anxious. He thought that if he could not meet the Emperor this time and explain things clearly, he would not have another chance in the future. Perhaps by the time he returned to his country, the Great Tang's valiant soldiers would have already landed.
Those were gunships. Once the cannons fired, who on the shore would be able to stop them? It was all those people's fault for provoking him. What about now? The Great Tang was angry and could not tolerate it at all. What did I say back then? I was testing the Great Tang's bottom line. Now you see, the Great Tang's bottom line is that if you provoke me, I will immediately send my troops.
Takeshita Junichiro did not dare to give up on this last chance. He begged bitterly, "Brothers, I …"
"Who are you calling your brothers with? We are not familiar with you. Hurry up and leave. Otherwise, we will arrest you for attempting to assassinate the Emperor. "The other party did not give him a chance.
"This sinner knows that I cannot meet the Emperor directly. Can I meet the other people who are in charge of external affairs? Take this and help me. Save my life. "
Takeshita Junichiro continued to plead. He took out a large stack of notes and forced them into the other party's hands.
The person who had stopped him quickly retracted his hands, "Take it away. I don't dare to take your money. I can take it with my life, but I can't spend it with my life. Wait, I will report to you and see if anyone is willing to come and meet you."
As he spoke, the person gave a look to the people around him, telling them to look after the Japanese. He then turned and left to report.
They were the ones who stayed behind to clean up. They were still far away from the group in front. It would take them at least two days to catch up.
When the telegram reached Li Longji, Li Longji was eating the cold shredded chicken that Zhang Xiaobao had made. They had been eating vegetarian dishes for the past few days. The weather was hot, and the mountain roads were humid.
Therefore, none of them could eat meat. Even Xiaobei and the other children did not want to eat eggs in the morning. They only drank some soy milk and ate two steamed buns with salted vegetables. Their appetite was obviously decreasing. If they were hungry, they would stuff their stomachs with fruits.
They could not eat anything else. Only Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao did not mind. The two of them still ate what they wanted. They seemed to be very adaptable to the environment.
At noon yesterday, Zhang Xiaobao noticed that his younger siblings, as well as Li Longji and the others, looked very tired. He knew that their bodies were lacking in nutrition.
At noon today, he made a few meat dishes. There was cold shredded chicken, sauced beef, and the most important mutton soup. He mixed it with sweet garlic and forced his younger siblings to eat it.
Especially the mutton soup, which was boiled with mutton bones. There was no mutton oil in it, and the dry ingredients were all cut from mutton offal. He added a lot of vinegar and pepper. He told his younger siblings that after drinking it, they would sweat and feel cool.
Xiaobei and the others gritted their teeth and tried it. In the end, after drinking a mouthful of the hot soup, they found that it was indeed more comfortable than eating stir-fried meat directly. It was not greasy. They added some chili powder into it. It was sour, numb, and spicy. It was similar to spicy. It was really good.
Li Longji also drank it well. The staple food was pasta. Zhang Xiaobao made small pancakes with corn flour. They were very small pancakes, about two centimeters in diameter. It was convenient to eat one pancake at a time. Moreover, it gave people the feeling that they could eat a lot.
If it was changed to steamed buns or pancakes, people would not be able to eat them when they saw them.
He also asked Zhang Xiaobao to refill the soup. When Li Longji poured vinegar into the soup, he praised Zhang Xiaobao, "It's all thanks to Xiao Bao following me. Otherwise, I would probably starve to death on the way here. That's why a regional commander who can't make food that people like under any conditions is definitely not a good top scorer. Isn't that right, Xiaobei?"
After Li Longji finished praising, he asked Xiaobei, who was also lowering her head and drinking the soup.
Xiaobei did not like to eat the mutton in her bowl. She felt that when she drank the soup, it was too spicy and sour. She ate a small pancake. The corn flour pancake tasted pretty good. There was honey in it, and there was a hint of honey's unique sweetness in the rich corn flavor.
She also liked the rough and delicate texture of the meat.
This was made by Zhang Xiaobao using a fine grinder. Otherwise, normal corn flour would not be so fine. It took a lot of effort to grind it with a small grinder used to grind sesame oil. He was not at ease with others doing it.
"Yes, yes, it's delicious. Let's eat this tomorrow for lunch, okay, Brother?" Xiaobei's face was scrunched up by the vinegar, but she still drank the soup. She raised her head and asked her brother, who was gnawing on the meat on the bone.
"You'll be sick of it tomorrow. I'll make spicy soup for you tomorrow. You don't have to worry about eating too much. Eat a few skewers if you can. I'll make some chicken soup for you tomorrow morning. It'll taste better when it's cooked."
Zhang Xiaobao said to his sister. He did not mind. Even if the meat on the bone looked oily, he could still swallow it.
He decided to use the method of fighting poison with poison to improve everyone's diet. The weather was hot, so they would eat spicy food. After sweating, they would feel better.
As for the other people in the team, they were still eating what they usually ate. They could not enjoy this treatment at all. They did not bring much food.
If it was really uncomfortable, they would ask the chef following the team to make rice or sorghum rice that had been soaked in water and noodles that had also been soaked in water twice to make zhajiang noodles. It was impossible to take care of them too much.
While everyone was eating and chatting, a telegram was sent. The person who sent the telegram said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Young Master, a Japanese man is chasing after us. He says he's called Takeshita Junichiro. He wants to see Her Majesty but can't. He wants to see the official in charge of foreign affairs. He says he has something important to discuss."
"Takeshita Junichiro? A very familiar name. Hehe, let's not care about him first. Let's eat. After eating, it depends on my mood. If I'm in a good mood, I'll meet him. If I'm in a bad mood, let him continue to follow behind us. I'm not in a hurry. "
When Zhang Xiaobao heard Takeshita Junichiro's name, he remembered who the other party was. He had dealt with him twice and had gotten some money from him. He did not expect that the other party could represent a part of Japan's interests and was not called back to be beheaded.
Looking at the situation, there was no one available in Japan. Therefore, even if someone made a mistake, they still insisted that the person who made the mistake continue to stay in Tang.
When Xiaobei heard the news, he drank two mouthfuls of soup and requested, "I'll go. I'll go see him. I'm in charge of foreign affairs. I'll see how much money he brought over to compensate for the loss. I'm done eating. I'll go now."
"What about the next two days of travel? You're flying now? Shuiyun can drag you over. Aren't you afraid of falling? "Wang Juan said to Xiaobei.
Xiaobei picked up the spoon again regretfully. "Oh, two days of travel. It's so far. Let him come. I still want to eat spicy hot pot for lunch tomorrow. I'm not going. When he comes, I'll see him, okay?"
"Okay, Xiaobei will go." Li Longji agreed first.
*****
A day and a half later, Takeshita Junichiro finally arrived. When he heard that he could see the official, he rushed with all his might. If it wasn't for the fact that the people in the group were blocking the way, he reckoned that he would have arrived in less than a day.
When he arrived, Xiaobei was eating steamed egg soup. Three eggs were steamed into a bowl. The steamed egg soup was drizzled with gravy and seasoned with oyster sauce. It tasted fresh and salty.
When he heard that someone came to report Takeshita Junichiro's arrival, Xiaobei thought for a moment and asked someone to call him over.
"You know who I am, right?" Xiaobei asked directly when he saw Takeshita Junichiro.
Takeshita Junichiro was stunned for a moment. When he came, he didn't know which official he was going to meet. He was thinking about who could travel with Li Longji in Tang and what hobbies they had.
At this moment, he saw a girl sitting at the folding table in front of him. When he heard the other party's question, he immediately nodded and said, "You're the Patrol Inspector of Tang. I know."
"You're very smart. Don't you feel very honored? To be able to be met by me personally? " Xiaobei scooped a piece of steamed egg soup with a spoon, blew on it twice, and put it into his mouth. He asked in a muffled voice.
Takeshita Junichiro had already smelled the fragrance. He secretly swallowed his saliva twice and nodded. "Yes, it's an honor. I've never had such an honor like today. My purpose for coming is …"
"There's no hurry. I'm eating. You didn't find a good time to come. I have a habit of not talking about business when I'm eating. You haven't eaten breakfast, right? Have you? "
Xiaobei used his chopsticks to pick up a steamed bun. It was a very, very small steamed bun. It was just enough to eat one steamed bun in one bite. Zhang Xiaobao knew that it would be unappetizing if it was big, so he had to spend some effort to make small steamed buns. Although the steamed bun was smaller than a normal steamed bun, there were many folds on the steamed bun. Furthermore, the steamed bun could be made with thin skin and large stuffing.
The steamed bun was also well stuffed. It had a glossy luster and was crystal clear. When placed on the plate, it looked like a piece of art. Ordinary people couldn't bear to eat such a steamed bun.
Takeshita Junichiro saw the steamed bun and smelled the fragrance. He swallowed his saliva twice and said, "Yes, I've eaten. I ate it on the way here."
He was actually lying. He had only eaten something at noon yesterday. Until now, he hadn't eaten anything. He hadn't even rested during the journey.
He wanted to have a good sleep, but he knew that the Tang Empire's army wouldn't wait for him to wake up before advancing.
Xiaobei seemed to be very regretful. He ate another steamed bun and said, "You ate? I thought you didn't eat, so I'll sell you breakfast. Unfortunately, I won't be able to earn money. "
"I ate, but I'm not full. Now that I'm hungry, why don't you sell me a portion?" Takeshita Junichiro was very smart. When he heard Xiaobei's words, he knew that the opportunity to give him money had come. Not to mention that he was really hungry, even if he was full, he would continue stuffing food into his stomach.
"Okay, I'll give you five steamed buns. My brother made them himself. How much do you think they're worth? Look at the steamed bun carefully. You haven't seen this kind of craftsmanship before, right? Think of a good price. "
Xiaobei looked very reluctant. He took another pair of chopsticks and a small plate. He carefully picked out five steamed buns from the plate in front of him and pushed them to the other side of the table. He gestured for someone to bring them to Takeshita Junichiro.
Takeshita Junichiro received the steamed bun and carefully looked at it. He had to admit that the steamed bun was really well made. If he could eat it normally, he would be in a good mood. However, at this moment, he wasn't in the mood to taste it.
After thinking for a while, Takeshita Junichiro asked Xiaobei, "It's priceless. I don't think you should buy it with money. How much do you think it's worth?"
He spoke very respectfully, as if he didn't treat the girl in front of him as a child. There were too many stories about Xiao Bei, so many that people were calling him a god.
"You want me to state the price? Okay, one copper coin for one. Do you want to buy it? "Xiaobei gave a price.
"Ah? One copper coin? Not even one copper coin. "Takeshita Junichiro shook his head. If it was really one copper coin for one, how was he going to bribe people? Needless to say, the steamed buns were made by Zhang Xiaobao for his sister. The price of an ordinary steamed bun was enough to make people willing to spend countless amounts of money to buy it.
Xiaobei stopped eating and asked, "If one copper coin is not enough, how many copper coins will do? Ten thousand copper coins? "
"Copper coins are not enough. It should be copper coins." Takeshita Junichiro gritted his teeth and said. He had already thought of how much he would pay.
"Ten thousand copper coins for one? Okay, take out fifty thousand copper coins. "Xiaobei generously agreed.
"I don't have much cash. I have the proof of the Great Tang Bank. Here … here is one … there is one for fifty-seven thousand copper coins. What do you think?"
Takeshita Junichiro took out a handful of proof of existence and found one with about the same amount. He held it in his hand and asked.
"I won't take advantage of you. Give it to me. If it's a large amount, others won't be able to take it out. If you give it to me, I can take it out. There's still seven thousand copper coins left. I'll give you a plate of soy sauce. How about dipping it in soy sauce to eat the steamed buns?
Which one do you prefer? "Xiaobei waved her hand and someone immediately brought over soy sauce and vinegar. There was none on her table, but the brine in the steamed egg soup was just right. There was also some brine in the steamed buns.
"Vinegar, soy sauce is better." When Takeshita Junichiro heard that seven thousand copper coins for a plate of soy sauce, he felt that this was the most expensive soy sauce in the world. Furthermore, it was not like the steamed buns. The steamed buns were made by Zhang Xiaobao, but the soy sauce was definitely not made by Zhang Xiaobao himself.
He usually liked to eat with vinegar, but now he had no choice but to choose soy sauce. His body was almost dehydrated, and if he did not replenish his salt, he would probably faint before he could say anything.
Another plate was brought over. Takeshita Junichiro took it and poured the soy sauce into the plate with the steamed buns. He put the two plates together so that he could use his hands to eat the steamed buns.
Xiaobei also took the bank's proof of deposit and looked at it. It was not fake. She put it aside and said to Takeshita Junichiro, "Eat, I'll eat too. After eating, we can discuss other things."
After saying that, she lowered her head and ate, ignoring Takeshita Junichiro.
Takeshita Junichiro held the steamed buns in his hands and ate them, but he did not eat too quickly. The steamed buns could be eaten one bite at a time, so he used his teeth to shave them bit by bit. He needed to watch Xiaobei's eating speed so that he could finish them together.
The moment the steamed buns entered his mouth, Takeshita Junichiro took a deep breath and admitted in his heart that the food Zhang Xiaobao made for his sister was indeed good. The steamed buns were filled with pork and shrimp. Half a shrimp, and there was also a bit of pork in the steamed buns. It was fresh and fragrant.
He had never eaten such delicious steamed buns before. Indeed, rich people lived meticulously. It could no longer be described as extravagant.
Xiaobei ate at a moderate pace. After she finished eating, she rinsed her mouth and wiped her mouth. Only then did she look at Takeshita Junichiro, who had just finished five steamed buns and felt even hungrier, and said, "Why are you looking for me?"
Takeshita Junichiro returned the plate to the person beside him and put on an 'I've been wronged' expression. He replied, "I'm here to clarify a misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding?" Xiaobei asked anxiously.
"It's about disobedient people from our country coming to the Tang Empire and causing losses to the Tang Empire. Our country has never been clear about what they did, and they didn't tell us at all. I've always been representing Japan in the Tang Empire. If our country knew about it, I would know as well.
Since they have caused losses to your country, I want to emphasize that it wasn't our emperor who allowed it. It was their own actions. Please don't retaliate against our country. "
Takeshita Junichiro pushed the blame away as he stared at Xiaobei. He wanted to see Xiaobei's reaction. He would never admit that he knew about it and didn't stop it.
Recently, Xiaobei had been with her brother and learned a lot of knowledge. She specialized in diplomacy and appeared to be much calmer. If it was in the past, she would definitely shout angrily and say that it wasn't a misunderstanding.
But today, she nodded as though she agreed with Takeshita Junichiro's words. Then, her expression turned to one of pain as she said, "Someone did come to cause trouble. Not only did your country come, they even joined forces with other countries to find an opportunity to scheme against us in the Tang Empire.
"They have caused huge losses to us. Their actions are very vile and their motives are not simple. This is an organized and premeditated war between countries.
"Not only did they cause direct losses to the Tang Empire in terms of wealth, but they also caused losses to the lives of the people of the Tang Empire. In terms of wealth, we lost 100 million strings of strings in one go. As for the losses in other aspects, they are immeasurable.
"This makes us very sad and angry. Regarding this, I express strong condemnation and protest. At the same time, I emphasize that this is an act of war. We have the ability and determination to make up for this loss through other actions and give the people of the Tang Empire an explanation.
"You should return to your country as soon as possible and tell your emperor about our intentions. Let him give us a satisfactory explanation and promise that the same thing won't happen again."
Takeshita Junichiro already had a high opinion of Xiaobei, but at this moment, he still revealed a shocked expression. Was this still a child? Even an official from the Imperial Court wouldn't be able to say such words. Could it be that she had memorized them in advance?
As he pondered, Takeshita Junichiro revealed the same sad expression. He lowered his head and said, "Yes, we are willing to think of a way to compensate for the losses caused to Shang Nation. But 100 million strings of cash …"
"The direct financial loss is a hundred million strings of string of cash. There are also indirect losses. When a place is in chaos, it's not just possible to calm it down with money. It requires time and more energy. It will delay many other important matters and disrupt the original plan.
At the same time, because of your actions, the people of my dynasty have lost the support of the people, and it will take a long time to make up for it. The people are like water, and the ruler is like a boat. The water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it. Perhaps there will be unrest in the future.
Thus, we won't just accept a hundred million strings of strings of cash as compensation for the loss. What we need is even more spiritual compensation. This is not something that can be done with a little bit of money. For example, when I first went over, he blew me up. Although he didn't blow me to death, he left behind a wound in my young heart that is difficult to heal.
The people of Xunyang have already banded together to resist the Imperial Court. Just comforting them is already exhausting. There's also Dochang, Hangzhou, and the hearts of the other people in Jiangnan that have fallen into chaos. You must give even more compensation.
Otherwise, it will have a very bad effect on the relationship between our two countries. We love peace, but we absolutely do not fear war. For the sake of our dignity, we are willing to shed our last drop of blood. "
Xiao Bei did not wait for Takeshita Junichiro to finish speaking. She interrupted him from talking about how Japan had no money and repeated the losses her country had suffered. At the same time, she expressed a vague attitude.
Takeshita Junichiro was dumbfounded. He had already confirmed that the child in front of him had not been taught to recite the words she had first said. They had all been thought out by her.
Otherwise, the person who had taught her to recite them would have to be able to calculate every word he said.
With a shocked heart, Takeshita Junichiro felt that this was also an opportunity. If he could answer correctly and satisfy Xiaobei, he might be able to stabilize Japan and avoid war.
But he didn't dare to agree with such a large loss. The one hundred million strings of strings from before simply wasn't right. One hundred million strings of strings of strings, not one hundred million copper coins. It was just a small area from Jiangnan. If one hundred million strings of strings of strings of strings were lost over such a minor matter, how much of the annual income of the Great Tang? Wouldn't that be trillions of strings of coins?
As for the rumor that the common people of Xunyang were huddling together, he had indeed seen it. But the reason the common people of Xunyang were huddling together was not to rebel, but to make the entire place even better.
There was no need to say much about the other aspects. It gave people the feeling that they had not encountered anything. They were stable and united. If one had to say what had changed, it was definitely that they had become more united than before.
Though this was what he thought, Takeshita Junichiro knew that he could not say it out loud. Thus, he said, "Yes, we have caused a large loss to your country. We are willing to compensate, but our country doesn't have much money. Moreover, you should also know that much of the power in our country is not completely controlled by the Emperor. There are also internal struggles, so we can't gather enough money in a short time.
But we are willing to use everything we have to compensate. What do you think we should do? The important thing is that your country does not continue to wage war against us. "
"Willing to compensate? Alright, I'll have to go back and ask Uncle Emperor. I also don't know what to use in exchange, but you don't need to worry. There are only two points. One is to cede land, and the other is to compensate. We won't ask for all of your Japanese land. As for war, I just said that we love peace and will not lightly start wars. "
As Xiaobei spoke, he felt thirsty. He glanced at the person beside him. That person did not need Xiaobei's instructions and immediately knew what Xiaobei needed. He quickly brought over the iced sour plum soup.
Takeshita Junichiro swallowed his saliva again. Before he came, he had not drunk water for a long time. When he ate the steamed buns earlier, he realized that he had been tricked. The steamed buns were salty, but he had poured soy sauce on them. He had no choice but to eat it. After eating it, he realized that he was even more thirsty.
"Do you want a bowl? Brother personally made it for me. I'll give you a discount. 30,000 strings of cash. Do you have it? Let's discuss matters while drinking. "
Xiaobei could tell that the other party was thirsty as well, so he asked with concern.
Takeshita Junichiro's goal was to bribe. He nodded and took out the money. He found two vouchers for 20,000 strings of cash and said, "40,000 strings of cash. I don't have zero."
"I won't take advantage of you. I'll add two more pieces of ice in it. It's 10,000 strings of cash. Drink it. If you didn't meet me, you would only be able to eat ice in your dreams. Although the price is a little high, it's not too much.
When you're in the desert and about to die of thirst, I'll give you a bowl of life-saving water. How much do you think it's worth? If you lose your life, your money will be taken away by others, right? "
Xiaobei took a sip of the sour plum soup and explained that it was not expensive.
"It's not expensive, but life is the most important thing. We've talked about compensation earlier, and we're willing to do so. We hope that your country will withdraw your troops and not attack us."
Takeshita Junichiro spoke of his purpose in coming here.
"We didn't attack you, and we didn't send any troops. What makes you say that?" Xiaobei blinked and asked in confusion.
"How can that be? Lu Zhou has mobilized two fleets. Ji Li Province's fleet is moving toward the outer seas. You Province's soldiers are heading toward Bo Hai's Commander-In-Chief's Mansion. Shannan Dong Province's soldiers are advancing toward Huainan Province as well. In addition, your logistics company is transporting goods to Hangzhou. There are even hot air balloons in the sky.
With such a lineup, if you're not attacking us, are you really protecting your mother and going to Bo Hai's Commander-In-Chief's Mansion to pick pine nuts? "
Takeshita Junichiro no longer cared about anything else. He immediately told Xiaobei everything he knew.
Xiaobei blinked. "Is there such a thing? Oh, you're right. It's as you've guessed, we have no intention of attacking you. Otherwise, we would've withdrawn our men from your territory before making a move. What if you killed them when we made a move?
It's a misunderstanding. You must believe us, just like how I believed you when you said it was a misunderstanding. We have to get along peacefully. Don't worry. Come with us. I'll bring you to Lu Zhou to see the sea.
I was born in Lu Zhou. Back then, I didn't know how to appreciate the scenery so I don't have any recollection of it. In my dreams, I often heard the sound of waves and the chirping of birds in the sky. Let's go. I think the money you brought along should be enough for the trip. "
Takeshita Junichiro broke out in cold sweat. It did cool his body. He looked at Xiaobei in shock and said, "We know we're in the wrong. Stop fighting. It's not a misunderstanding. It's definitely not a misunderstanding. Do you believe that you've mobilized so many men just because it's a misunderstanding?"
"Why not? Even I believe you. You should believe me as well. Put yourself in my shoes. Are you saying that it's a misunderstanding as well? This isn't Yamamoto's decision. Did you arrange for them to start a war? "
Xiaobei retorted.
For a moment, Takeshita Junichiro was speechless. Xiaobei had tricked him again. Why did he not kill this shrewd child in front of him with an explosion? "You're speechless.
As expected, you did it on purpose. This won't do. I'll talk to my big brother and ask him and my big sister to mobilize the troops. You're too evil. You knew about it, yet you played dumb with me. You wanted to trick a child like me. Hmph! "
Xiaobei stood up and was about to leave as he spoke.
Takeshita Junichiro hastily stopped him. "No, we're not lying to you. We really didn't know. I only found out after that. Even if we were a hundred times braver, we wouldn't dare to cause trouble for you."
"It's a war," Xiaobei emphasized.
"Yes, yes, it's a war. We wouldn't dare. Let's talk about it. Everything can be discussed," Takeshita Junichiro agreed with Xiaobei.
Inwardly, he hated those who supported Yamamoto. 'Didn't you say that Tang wants to fight Duishi and can't spare the troops to fight Japan? What should we do now? Look at their reaction. They've just captured Yamamoto, and they're already mobilized. '
"You really didn't do it on purpose? Then … fine, I'll give you a chance. Go back immediately and tell your emperor that we won't start a war lightly. However, we'll be cautious when dispatching troops. If you can't give us a satisfactory answer, we can't guarantee that there won't be any disobedient soldiers who will disobey orders and go to war personally. "
Xiaobei expressed his understanding and helplessness.
"Of course, of course. However, there's not enough time. It takes me a long time to travel from here to Hangzhou. If I have to return from Hangzhou, it'll take me a lot of time. If your troops, oh, I mean disobedient soldiers and soldiers, selfishly charge over, what should we do?
Can you strengthen the discipline of your troops and persuade those soldiers who have other thoughts to stop them? Give me some time to return. "
Takeshita Junichiro pleaded. He was really afraid that Tang would launch an attack regardless of the cost. Even if the cannons couldn't reach land, they would lose the coast. Tang's troops would be sent over continuously. How could a body of flesh and blood face guns and cannons?
Xiaobei also appeared anxious and helped him think. After thinking for a while, he said, "I'll give you an idea. Do you have money? We'll rent you a hot air balloon so that you can fly to Hangzhou quickly. Once you're there, we'll rent you a fast boat so that you can rush back to your country and discuss with your people.
While you're on the way, we'll sort out the losses and tell you the amount of compensation. You can pass it to your people and see if they can accept it. Don't worry. Before you return and have a result, we'll try our best to suppress the soldiers and not let them panic.
However, you have to be quick. Three months at most. We hope that you can return to Tang with sincerity and discuss with us. What do you think? A million strings of coins. We'll be responsible for your safety on the way. "
When Takeshita Junichiro heard the amount, he knew that the other party was deliberately asking for more money. However, there was nothing he could do. Originally, he wanted to bribe them and express his attitude so that Tang would immediately withdraw their troops.
Now, it seemed that he was too naive. The money he brought wasn't enough to change the other party's mind. They were asking for more.
However, other than this, there was no other way. Perhaps no one in the country had discovered Tang's actions. It was best for him to return quickly and let the people who supported Yamamoto understand the seriousness of the matter.
Takeshita Junichiro took out all the money and counted it. Together with the banknotes on his body, he handed it to the person beside him and said, "I don't have a million strings of coins on me. Now, I have 350,000 strings of coins on me. Can I put the rest on credit first and put it in the compensation later?"
"Owe? That's fine, but not put it in the compensation. It has nothing to do with the compensation. I'm the one who arranged it for you. The money belongs to me. Write an IOU. If you don't return to give me the money, I'll mobilize my protection team and personally go to Japan to ask for it. If you can't take it out, I'll ask the Emperor. Even if you die, he'll have to give me the money. "
Xiaobei waved his hand regretfully. Someone brought over a pen, ink, paper, and an inkstone and asked Takeshita Junichiro to write the IOU.
Takeshita Junichiro sighed and lowered his head to write. He felt very sad in his heart. A weak country was like this. They knew that they were being bullied, but they didn't dare to resist. Otherwise, the country would be destroyed. However, if they did that, it would be difficult for the Tang Empire to attack Toshi after attacking Japan. It would give Toshi more time to prepare.
However, who knew what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were thinking?
After writing the IOU, Takeshita Junichiro suddenly felt that it couldn't be just his country being bullied. Hence, he said to Xiaobei, "I heard about this before I came. There are other countries involved. We can't let them go. Ours is a misunderstanding, but theirs is definitely not."
"I don't care. I have to ask my brother and sister. I'll pass on your message. See if there's anything else to pack. If there's nothing else, I'll get someone to raise the hot air balloon."
Xiaobei took the proof of deposit, the money, and the IOU written by Takeshita Junichiro and said to him.
Takeshita Junichiro was burning with anxiety. He didn't need to pack anything. He immediately left with the others and took the hot air balloon. He wanted to rush back as fast as possible. As for what compensation he could get from the Tang Empire on the way back, he didn't need to think about it. Anyway, he had done what he had to do. Life and death depended on the thoughts of the people in his country.
Seeing Takeshita Junichiro leave, Xiaobei excitedly counted the money. After counting twice, she grabbed the money and ran to find the others.
The money was indeed hers. This was what she had agreed before coming. It was up to her to get as much money as she could from Takeshita Junichiro.
"Let's go, let's go. We're rich. We're rich. Brother, quickly think about how much compensation we want from the Japanese. They probably took out a lot of money. We can only ask for things. Come, everyone has a share.
Let's split it. "Xiaobei waved the money in her hand and ran to the team. She shouted happily to her brother and the others. She showed the proof worth more than 400,000 strings of coins to the other eight people.
"Xiaobei, are you still short of money?" Li Longji asked.
"Yes, very much. Although I have four thousand precious chain candy houses in the Tang Empire, I still have to take out a lot of the money I earn to help improve the lives of the children. I don't dare to use the remaining money casually. If something urgent happens, I can't be without a single cent, right?
Today, I got extra money from outside. Of course, I'm happy. Our precious candy house is going to develop new candy. Not only will it suit the tastes of the children in the Tang Empire, but when we occupy other places in the future, we will also give it to the children there. "
Xiaobei explained. She lowered her head and looked at the money in her hand. She revealed a satisfied smile.
Li Longji looked at the puzzle-like Xiaobei and shook his head helplessly. He said, "You also have to take care of the children in other places?"
"Take care of them? Why should I take care of them? I want to earn their money. You guys go earn the adults' money, and I'll earn the children's money. At the same time, I'll help sell some medicine to treat children's diseases so that they can grow up healthily. "
Xiaobei didn't hide her obsession with earning money.
"You still plan to let them grow up healthily? When they grow up, are you going to let them form an army and rebel? "Li Longji asked.
"Of course not. When they grow up, we'll have more manpower to build the railway and mine. Big Brother and Big Sister said that no matter how advanced the technology is, there will always be danger when mining underground. It can take lives.
Besides, our current technology is still far from enough. There are always people who die in the mines in the Tang Empire. Every time I hear about a mine that has a problem, I feel my heart ache.
If other people don't mine and don't raise their children, when our own children grow up and continue to mine, people will still die. How sad will their families be? "
Xiao Bei bemoaned the state of the universe and the fate of mankind.
Li Longji nodded speechlessly. He realized that Xiaobei only treated the people of the Tang Empire as humans. The people of other places were like livestock. When they grew up, they would work, and when they couldn't work, they would be killed for meat. He didn't know how Xiao Bao and Cuckoo taught Xiaobei.
Turning his head, Li Longji looked at Zhang Xiaobao and asked, "What kind of compensation do you plan to ask for? We won't discuss it with the ministers. What you say is correct. "
Zhang Xiaobao already had a plan. He replied, "It's simple. If they can't take out the money, there's no need for them to take out the money. I also don't want the goods. I'll leave the goods for them to exchange for money in the future. It's not easy for them.
I only have two requests. First, cede land. Cut out the good parts of Japan and form a concession for our people. They are not allowed to go there without permission. Also, it must be written that Japanese people and dogs are not allowed to enter.
Second, accompany people. Since we don't want anything, we'll use people as collateral. Ship them to Huainan Province and help build the railway there. However, after the railway is built, there will be no points. These people have to be treated well and don't die so easily. "
"What's the use of keeping them?" Li Longji didn't understand Zhang Xiaobao's purpose.
Zhang Xiaobao smiled and said, "To prepare for the future. My Tang Empire is a peace-loving country."
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