After Xu Mingyang asked the question, he stared at the person with a puzzled expression, wondering the purpose of the other party's visit.
At the same time, he was very vigilant and faintly afraid.
He was not afraid that the person would steal anything from him, but he was worried that his whereabouts would be exposed, which would attract people with ulterior motives.
If that was the case, he would rather go back and continue to eat rice with salted vegetables than wait here and look for an opportunity.
Li Jiancheng was also puzzled. He came here to meet the madams of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family to discuss the matter over there, hoping to get a chance to repent.
Why was there another person here? It was the Provincial Governor of this province. If it were the Provincial Governor of other places, he might be a little worried, but it was Lu Zhou. Lu Zhou had never had any power in the past few years, so there was no need to be afraid.
Therefore, Li Jiancheng puffed out his chest and said to Xu Mingyang, "I'm the President of the Nanzhao Office in the Great Tang Nation. I'm here to discuss national affairs. It's not convenient for me to tell you the details. You … It's best for you to go back and continue to recuperate, so as not to ruin the important matter."
Xu Mingyang was shocked at first, but then he was relieved. He was shocked because he thought that the people of the country who caused trouble in Great Tang had been arrested in the news he received two days ago. There were still people who did not give up and wanted to continue to assassinate the madams of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family.
This was what he was afraid of just now. It was not easy for him to contact the people of the Chamber of Commerce. He even said a lot of good words to get a chance to meet the madams of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family.
She wanted to say something soft and let her off. Otherwise, she would have to continue eating. She couldn't buy anything else except for salted vegetables. Ever since she went out to buy things twice, her method had been seen through. There were people watching every door in her residence.
Every person who went out to buy things was followed all the way. When he said that he wanted to buy something, the person who followed him would immediately tell the identity of the person in the mansion to the seller.
As a result, he could not eat the dishes cooked by others.
He planned to wait for the Emperor and then plead with him. Who would have thought that the Emperor would go to sea and not return for a few days?
He could not stand it anymore. Apart from the children in his family who could go out to buy candy, no one else could eat anything.
It was precisely because there were children who were able to buy candy that they deduced that the Zhang Family and Wang Family were lenient and did not intend to exterminate them. Otherwise, why would their precious candy house sell candy to their own children?
After racking his brains, he contacted the people from the Chamber of Commerce and said that he would wait here today. If someone came to harm the madams of the Zhang Family and Wang Family, the madams would naturally not be in any danger. No matter how powerful a person was, they would not be able to break through the defense line formed by the guards.
However, he would definitely be crippled. Everyone would think that he was the one who leaked the news. At that time, he wouldn't be able to explain himself even if he had a mouth.
Fortunately, the person who had come was from Nanzhao and had already stated his identity. There would probably be people who would specifically investigate. He seemed to be very familiar with this name. However, there was a slight difference. It was different from what he remembered.
After thinking about it, Xu Mingyang finally knew what the difference was. He asked with uncertainty, "You said your name is Li Jiancheng? But why have I only heard of the name Zhang Jiancheng? You came to the Great Tang before? Are you sure you're not a spy? "
He only asked Li Jiancheng about this matter and did not ask about the office. Now, the names were all messed up. There were all kinds of names that he had learned from the Zhang Family and Wang Family.
For example, if a business had to be called a group, how could a person who sold breakfast in the county have a group? The name was impressive, but the problem was that his strength was not up to par.
If he were to talk about Xiaobei and the other children, it was still acceptable to call his precious candy house a group. After all, they opened many shops.
Sigh, people were really hard to understand.
Xu Mingyang shook his head helplessly, but he had no intention of leaving. He was not allowed to listen to what national affairs. Nanzhao could be considered a country. In the past, it was a very honest place, unlike other places. In the past, it was always flirting with Tubo.
But now it had changed. They actually joined forces with other places and came to the Great Tang to cause trouble. Were the Zhang Family and Wang Family so easy to deal with? He was just disrespectful with his words, and as a result, he was facing the situation of starvation. You came to cause trouble, and now you dare to be so self-righteous?
How could Li Jiancheng know how much this provincial governor, who had no actual power, was thinking? Seeing that the other party had no intention of leaving and asked if he was a spy, he puffed out his chest and replied,
"Zhang Jiancheng is me, Li Jiancheng is also me. Names are just names. I am still me. Is the surname Li not good? Today, I want to see the madams of the Zhang Family and Wang Family. Do you want to steal information? "
"Don't set a trap for me. Why do you mention the surname Li? Is the surname Zhang not good? If you insist on changing it, I will steal information. I am an official of the imperial court. Who am I stealing information for? When you see people coming, stay 50 steps away from them. You are not allowed to come closer. Otherwise, I will arrest you on the spot. "
Xu Mingyang was not fooled. The Emperor's surname was Li. Who dared to say that it was not good?
Li Jiancheng glared at Xu Mingyang but did not say anything else. He felt that the other party did not have any power and he could not use him. It was not worth it to waste time on the other party, let alone give him a gift.
For a moment, the two of them fell silent at the same time. Both of them had thought of what was going on. The madams of the Zhang Family and Wang Family had probably arranged the time of the meeting at the same time. Who told the other party to be so heavy? Once he came out, he had to solve two problems at the same time.
The two of them waited for a while. The sun seemed to be shining brighter. Although it could not shine on the pavilion, it was still stuffy and unbearable.
Just as the two of them were thinking about whether or not they should find a place to drink some water, a group appeared on the main road that they had just passed through.
Some of them were riding horses, some were running on the ground with weapons, and some were in charge of drying water on the road in front. There was no smoke or dust at all.
At this time, apart from the madams of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family, there was no one else in Lu Zhou. Not to mention that they could not command the army, even if they pretended to be dressed in the army's uniform, they would not dare to put on such a show. That would be a provocation to the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. Without the Zhang Family and the Wang Family, the local people would tear them apart.
As expected, when the group got closer, the flags could be seen clearly. It was the group of the two madams.
After a while, the people in front of them came to the pavilion and said to Xu Mingyang and Li Jiancheng, "Search them. When there is no danger, step back twenty steps and talk to the madams. Don't look up and don't take a step forward. Otherwise, you will be suspected of having the intention to harm the madams."
As soon as the voice fell, a few people came over and began to search them.
The two of them were prepared. They did not bring anything with them. They even took off all their decorations, afraid that they would be misunderstood.
After they were searched and confirmed that there was no danger, the two of them retreated from the pavilion. As expected, they stood twenty steps away from the pavilion and basked in the warmth of the sunny afternoon.
When everything was ready, the two madams of the Jang Wong Clan, with their big bellies, entered the pavilion with the help of the maidservants. However, they did not hide in the shade. Instead, they sat in a spot where the sun shone in slightly and covered their heads with a thin layer of gauze.
It was sunbathing. A pregnant woman could not stay in a cold place for too long. Otherwise, she would get sick.
Jang Wong Clan whispered a few words to Madam Wang. Madam Wang sat at the side and listened attentively. She could only watch the Jang Wong Clan deal with matters related to the country and learn from them.
Jang Wong Clan turned around and looked at Xu Mingyang. She asked softly, "Lord Xu, why are you looking for me?"
Xu Mingyang watched as Jang Wong Clan's mouth moved. He tried to guess what the other party said. Twenty steps was not far, but it was impossible to hear if they spoke in a low voice.
Fortunately, he did not have to guess blindly. Someone passed the words to him and repeated what Jang Wong Clan said.
Xu Mingyang felt very sullen. The current situation was that he, a third-rank official, was not treated as a third-rank official. It was as if he was a seventh-rank official. Even a woman could step on his head.
Dissatisfaction rose in his heart, but he tried to suppress it. He was afraid that someone would see through it.
He put on a respectful expression and said loudly, "This official has a request. When madam came, this official's words offended you. Now, I can't spend money to buy food. If you don't let this official go, this official's family will starve to death.
This official also knows that this matter has nothing to do with madam. It was the people who acted on their own initiative. Please help me say something. Sigh, this official really has no other choice. "
When Xu Mingyang spoke, his face was red. Even his neck was red. Of course, it had nothing to do with the hot weather. It was because he was begging for help. Moreover, it was too embarrassing to lower his status.
However, even if it was embarrassing, he had to say it loudly. It was not only for the Zhang Clan and Wang Clan to hear, but also for the people of Lu Zhou. Otherwise, even if he survived the current crisis, the people would still hate him after he left.
The people's hearts were too powerful. He could not mobilize the army to help him. He did not have the authority. The only people he could order around were the yamen runners. However, he could not do that now. The yamen runners were recruited from the local area.
Moreover, when he thought about it, it was not too embarrassing. Even if other people bowed to the madam of the Zhang Clan and Wang Clan, it was normal. After all, their son and daughter were powerful and influential.
Jang Wong Clan did not know that Xu Mingyang, the Provincial Governor of Lu Zhou, was almost starved to death by the people under his rule. It was hard to believe.
Even the informant did not tell her clearly. He only said that Xu Mingyang wanted to see him. It was not a big deal. He just wanted to see him.
At this moment, both Jang Wong Clan members knew about it. They felt helpless and touched. As expected, Lu Zhou was their Lu Zhou. Their efforts in the past were not in vain. The people were always supporting them.
"I see. I'm sorry to have troubled Lord Xu. When I return, I'll talk to the person in charge of Sea Cloud Sect. How could they treat an official of the imperial court like this? I'll ask them to prepare a special banquet for Lord Xu as an apology."
Since it was not a big deal, Jang Wong Clan did not plan to say much. She had no intention of continuing to be close to Xu Mingyang. She did not expect him to be grateful.
After she finished speaking, Jang Wong Clan looked at Li Jiancheng again. She studied him carefully. In her mind, she was going over the things she had thought of earlier. She wanted to see if there was anything she had missed out.
Her son and daughter-in-law wanted to temporarily let go of the power in the southwest. If that was the case, she had to be careful when she spoke. She could not let the other party think that it was impossible, but she could not let the other party feel too relaxed. After all, she had done something wrong.
While she was thinking, Xu Mingyang knew that it was time for him to leave. He immediately said something respectfully and left.
As soon as he left, the guards who belonged to him came over. They looked very loyal and protected him. When he came here, he was alone. The guards would not follow him. He did not dare to bring his own family members with him. It was better for him to be humble.
Now that he saw the guards appear again, he knew that they came with the madams of Zhang Clan and Wang Clan. Xu Mingyang did not even feel angry. He sat back in the carriage that he came here personally. Without saying anything, he ordered the guards to go in the direction of the mansion.
Li Jiancheng lowered his head. He wanted to raise his head to look at the madams of Zhang Clan and Wang Clan. However, he was worried that if he raised his head, he would not be able to lower it anymore. Or rather, his head would fall to the ground and he would never need to raise it again. Yes, that was very likely.
Therefore, he could only tilt his head slightly to the side and look at them from the corner of his eyes. However, he could not see anything clearly. It was just a blurry image. He only knew the general location.
He waited for Jang Wong Clan to ask him.
As he waited, he felt that time passed very slowly. It was only a few seconds, but it seemed like he had waited for a long time. He was anxious and worried that he would not be able to achieve his goal.
"Li Jiancheng? From Nanzhao? What is it? When I was in Hangzhou, I heard a lot about you. "
Finally, Zhang Wangshi spoke. As soon as she spoke, she had the intention of condemning him.
Li Jiancheng directly knelt down. The guards who were staring at him were shocked. They thought that he was going to do something.
"Replying to Madam, my tribe did not intend to offend the Great Tang. Instead, there were various people who acted on their own initiative and were deceived. They came to the Great Tang and colluded with people from Japan, Duoshi, and other places to harm the Great Tang. At this time, my lord has already learned of this and will severely punish them. This lowly one has come this time to ask for punishment.
Li Jiancheng did not dare to say that he was not guilty. Instead, he explained what he had done.
When Jang Wong Clan heard this, she did not immediately say anything. Instead, she stretched her hand to the side. Immediately, a maid beside her brought over warm water.
After drinking two mouthfuls of water, Jang Wong Clan said to the sweating Li Jiancheng, "They did not intend to hurt the Tang Empire, but they have already caused the Tang Empire to suffer heavy losses. Besides direct economic losses, they have also caused the Tang Empire to lose many lives. They have also disrupted many of our arrangements, making it impossible for us to make timely adjustments.
Logically speaking, we should have sent soldiers, but His Majesty was soft-hearted. My son also felt that Nanzhao was not easy, so this matter was delayed. You do not need to worry too much right now. As for how to deal with this matter, you just need to wait patiently. "
Jang Wong Clan deliberately said this. She already knew why Li Jiancheng had come. Her son and daughter-in-law had accompanied the Emperor to play, but they had been misunderstood. They did not intend to send soldiers to the southwest, and they certainly did not intend to scare them now. However, the Emperor's every move affected the hearts of many people.
As expected, when Li Jiancheng heard Jang Wong Clan's words, he was even more skeptical. He believed that they were delaying and deceiving him. Then, they would not agree to anything and would only let him know when someone really went to fight.
He wanted to wait, but did he dare to continue waiting? If he waited, he would probably receive news of the country's destruction.
Although he was anxious, Li Jiancheng did not dare to say that they had sent soldiers. He had no evidence. Since they had said that they were going out to play, he could only hint at them indirectly.
After thinking hard, Li Jiancheng carefully said, "Many thanks for Madam's information, but this lowly one is unable to calm down and is panicking. On the way here, my lord repeatedly told this lowly one that this lowly one must not forget to tell the people of the Great Tang that we, Nanzhao, will do our utmost to compensate the Great Tang.
If we hurt the common people and need to use blood and human heads as consolation, my lord's head can be offered at any time. There is no need for the Great Tang to send soldiers, and it will be even more costly and costly. This lowly one does not dare to forget. "
Li Jiancheng's meaning was very clear. He meant to say, 'Don't hit me. I'm already willing to let you kill me, so what's the point? In any case, I'm just lying down and waiting to be slaughtered, so please be merciful.'
Jang Wong Clan yawned and thought about it again. She felt that she should give Li Jiancheng some hope. Otherwise, the plans of her son and daughter-in-law would be easily disrupted. If the Great Tang had other ideas, it would be troublesome if it was always trembling and could not cooperate so well.
She then said to Li Jiancheng, "I already know about this matter. How about this, I'll lend you a telegram. You can go and contact His Majesty. At the same time, rest more and wait for the future."
"Many thanks, Madam. This lowly one is very grateful. Many thanks, Madam …" Li Jiancheng began to kowtow and thank her.
He was afraid that he would not even have a chance. Now, he was a little relieved.
"Go and talk to the Provincial Governor. The Provincial Governor will arrange for you. You can stay in the residence for the next few days. Think of a way to contact your side so that the other tribes will not be too worried."
Jang Wong Clan wanted to lean back, but immediately, someone blocked in front of her to block the sun. This was considered an audience.
The reason why she did not use her identity to send the telegram was because she did not want a woman to be involved in politics at this time.
Li Jiancheng also knew this reason, but he did not agree. There was no need to worry about the madams of the Zhang Clan and Wang Clan. He thanked her again and got up to chase after Xu Mingyang. But at this time, Jang Wong Clan suddenly spoke again.
"Logically speaking, we should kill a few more people to appease the public. But us two sisters are pregnant. It is really for the sake of the child."
"Yes, yes, it must be a blessing from the heavens." Li Jiancheng hurriedly said. He already knew what to do.
After compensating for the loss of the Tang Empire, they would have to take out more things to give the two pregnant women. The value of the things could not be lower. Perhaps they would have to take out a few years of the clan's savings.
Thinking about how to give out the things, he walked around the outside and looked in the direction of the state capital. He found that Xu Mingyang's group had become a black dot. He sighed helplessly and chased after them.
If he knew it would be like this, he would not have let Xu Mingyang leave first. He was clearly tormenting him. Sigh, tormenting him is better than not giving him a chance to torment himself.
After Li Jiancheng left, Jang Wong Clan revealed a smile. She said to Wang Shi, "Sister, that's good. When the child is born, there will be a lot of toys. I still remember that Xiao Bei used pearls to hit the marble floor like a rubber ball. It was so fun."
"Sister, you're right. We need to save some extra money for our children." Wang Shi paused for a moment and immediately followed up.
She did not expect that her in-law would learn from Xiao Bao and start to calculate other people's money. Who would believe her if she told others?
*****
Li Jiancheng found Xu Mingyang. Soon, he contacted Li Longji in the name of the Provincial Governor.
When he contacted him, Li Longji was swimming with his two women. He kept playing in the water as if he had never seen water before.
The people around him all stayed far away. In order to not let Li Longji drown, they even sent people to spread sand under the area where he was swimming. Unless he put his head in the water himself, otherwise, when he stood up straight, the water would only reach Wu Huifei's neck. She was the shortest person.
When the telegram arrived, Zhang Xiaobao took it to Li Longji and ruined his happy mood.
"What made you come in such a hurry?" Li Longji asked unhappily.
He had already seen the paper in Zhang Xiaobao's hand. Needless to say, it was a telegram.
Zhang Xiaobao had already strolled over. When he heard Li Longji's words, he knew that he was having a good time and had disturbed him.
But, to what extent could he do? Could it be that Li Longji dared to have sex in broad daylight? 'What a joke!'
Zhang Xiaobao cursed inwardly. He shook the paper in his hand and said to Li Longji, "Your Majesty, Lu Zhou sent a report saying that a man named Li Jiancheng from Nanzhao has arrived in Lu Zhou. However, when he heard that we were here, he thought that we were secretly sending troops to attack Nanzhao. Hence, he looked for my mother and asked her to plead for mercy. He's currently in the mansion, worried …"
"Why did you come to me for such a small matter? Didn't you and Cuckoo already make arrangements? Why bother me? " Li Longji was surprised to hear that Li Jiancheng was here. He remembered that Li Jiancheng's surname was Zhang when he first arrived. Hence, he came to deal with Li Jiancheng. However, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo had already made the decision.
Zhang Xiaobao was not anxious, nor was he angry. He acted as though he already knew what was going on. He said, "You're right, Your Majesty. Cuckoo and I have already discussed this. Hence, I wanted to speak to you about it."
"Speak, speak. I'll listen and see if you can tell me anything. What I mean is that if there's anything you need to do in the future, just do it. There's no need to talk to me about it, especially under such circumstances. Understand?"
Li Longji sighed and walked out of the water. He knew that things would not be simple. Otherwise, the two of them would have made arrangements immediately.
Zhang Xiaobao waited for Li Longji to come up. He hastily brought a bucket of fresh water to Li Longji so that he could rinse himself. This was to prevent the seawater from drying up and the salt from damaging his skin.
"It's like this, Your Majesty. The result of my discussion with Cuckoo is that Your Majesty will personally issue an edict and order the leaders of the Southwest Zhao to personally come here and ask for forgiveness. Then, you can talk to them about cooperating with them. That is, helping them develop.
Anyway, this place isn't too far from there, and you'll arrive in a few days. It just so happens that you can also play some other things there and walk around more. If you want to come back again in the future, who knows when it will be. "
Zhang Xiaobao waited for Li Longji to finish rinsing himself. As he spoke, he passed a towel to Li Longji.
Li Longji took the towel and paused. "Not too far? It'll take at least a month to come here from Nanzhao, right? Can We play for that long? Why are you tormenting them? Just tell them that you're scheming against them. Oh, I mean cooperating with them.
The sooner we cooperate, the sooner we'll have more resources to use. Besides, it's not certain if they'll dare to come. They'll have to be worried that they won't be able to return alive. "
"Do you think they'll be able to live if they don't come? Their life or death doesn't depend on where they are. It depends on whether we want to kill them or not. A month is a month. It's not that long anyway. Cuckoo and I aren't in a hurry. Your Majesty, you don't have anything else to do in the capital, right? "
Zhang Xiaobao continued to persuade Li Longji.
Li Longji, indeed, wanted to play more. However, he had a feeling that Zhang Xiaobao's motives were not as simple as they seemed. After mulling over it for a moment, realization dawned on him. "Oh! I get it now. You want to stay here until your younger brothers and sisters are born.
If I'm not here, you're worried that I'll have to look for you on my way back. You're worried that I'll ask you to go back and discuss it with me. So, you want me to stay here so that you won't have to worry about me, right? "
"Not at all." Zhang Xiaobao shook his head vigorously. He firmly denied Li Longji's words. "This subject is wholeheartedly serving the country. How can I not know my priorities? Besides, this subject is not a doctor. Even if there's a need for surgery, this subject can't personally perform it. Hence, this subject has never considered my own interests. This subject's loyalty …"
"Alright, alright. You don't have to continue. I'm getting goosebumps from listening to you. If your words came from Xiaobei and the others, I might be able to believe them. As for you … You know what I mean. Give me two more reasons. I'll listen to them and stay. Otherwise, I'll leave immediately and take you with me."
Li Longji did not wait for Zhang Xiaobao to finish his mushy words. He hastily interrupted him and took the piece of paper from Zhang Xiaobao's hand. Without looking at the contents, he folded the paper twice and fanned it like a small fan.
When Zhang Xiaobao saw that Li Longji did not believe him, he had no choice but to explain, "This subject wants them to come over. When they come, they can't cross mountains like the special forces. At the very least, the roads have to be repaired. Even if they're close to the sea, they can't possibly arrange for their accommodation to be near the sea.
If they repair the roads, it'll save us a lot of trouble. When they see you, you can tell them the benefits and the importance of transportation. When they return, they'll carefully repair the roads. Even if it takes a long time, it won't be a waste of our time. Isn't that a good thing? "
"That's it?" Li Longji asked again. He did not believe that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's plan would be so simple.
"In addition, you can put on a show for the Japanese to make them feel that the pressure is great. This isn't something that can be resolved with a simple compensation. You can have the Japanese send their own ministers over to ask for punishment, just like what happened in the southwest.
With the people in the southwest serving as an example, and you not doing anything to them, instead giving them benefits, the Japanese will be much more at ease after hearing this news. I can also speak to them indirectly and ask them to send someone over. When the time comes, the matter with my mother will be more or less resolved. "
Zhang Xiaobao passed another cup of wine to Li Longji as he explained his other objectives.
Li Longji narrowed his eyes and thought hard. What did he mean by having the Japanese come over? Did he really not punish them for their crimes? And give them benefits?
That didn't seem right. Back then, they had agreed to give the Japanese a serious blow, not use a soft knife to stab them like they did in the southwest.
As he pondered what benefits the Japanese would bring to the Great Tang, Li Longji stared at Zhang Xiaobao's face as if he wanted to see the answer from Zhang Xiaobao's face.
At this time, Wu Huifei had also finished showering and came over to listen. When she heard this, she clapped her hands and looked at Zhang Xiaobao and praised, "Xiaobao is so smart. Indeed, if we want the Japanese to come over without worry, it has to be someone designated by us.
As for how they'll be treated once they arrive in the Great Tang, isn't it still up to Your Majesty to decide? We agreed that they would ask for punishment, and the people from the southwest would be sent back safely. Does Japan have to do the same? "
Li Longji felt that he had become stupid, so he could only ask Wu Huifei, "Beloved Consort, do you know what's going on?"
Wu Huifei smiled and said, "Last night, Your Majesty said to this concubine that not everyone in Japan is so obedient to our Great Tang. Even if they're captured this time, some of them will think of ways to prevent our people from going over and taking advantage of us.
They'll find all sorts of reasons to delay our arrangements in Japan, and it won't be that easy for our people to move around in Japan. Last night, Your Majesty said more than once that those who are hostile to our Great Tang should come to the Great Tang and take drastic measures against the Japanese.
By the time they return, our arrangements will have been made, and they'll be powerless to reverse the situation. We can even keep them in the Great Tang for a year. The rest of them will be much easier to deal with. Isn't that right, Big Sister? "
Wu Huifei asked Empress Wang, who had also come over.
Empress Wang Weiwei was taken aback, and then she nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty has already thought of this. Right now, we're testing Xiao Bao."
When Zhang Xiaobao heard this, he didn't need to think too much to understand. Li Longji didn't say anything at all. Wu Huifei had just thought of it, but she gave the credit to Li Longji.
It wasn't surprising that Wu Huifei could think of this. She was of that bloodline and was very proficient in scheming.
Zhang Xiaobao showed a look of admiration and said to Li Longji, "Your Majesty is still the best. It can be said that you're far-sighted. This subject really didn't think of keeping the Japanese in the Great Tang. I just thought that if they came, we'd have to spend some money and increase the Great Tang's income.
Now that Your Majesty has said it, this subject is suddenly enlightened. Your Majesty is indeed extraordinary. This subject has learned a lot. "
"Aiya!" Li Longji sighed helplessly. He really didn't know what to do with Zhang Xiaobao. When other subjects said these words, he could feel that at least there was a trace of sincerity in their words.
But when these words came out of Zhang Xiaobao's mouth, he felt like they were mocking him. 'You didn't think of it? You didn't think of it, so now you're spouting nonsense. This is too much of a coincidence.
"Okay, okay, Xiao Bao, don't continue to belittle Us, or else We will punish you. Look at that exaggerated expression of yours. It's too fake. I don't know how so many people were fooled when you opened a braised food store in Hangzhou. This expression of yours doesn't qualify at all."
Li Longji waved his hand and interrupted Zhang Xiaobao's disgusting words. At the same time, he also mocked Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao readily agreed. "Yes, yes, this subject isn't pretending, but that's because this subject isn't pretending. Everything I say comes from the bottom of my heart. Your Majesty, please test me again."
"Okay, I'll test you. Tell me, what other reason do you have for having all the people from the southwest come here? We already have a plan in mind. We just want to see if you can think of it. "
Since Zhang Xiaobao had already said so, Li Longji might as well hit the snake with the pole. It didn't matter how thick-skinned he was.
Zhang Xiaobao cooperated and pretended to be deep in thought. After a while, when Li Longji felt that his skin was about to be burnt, he finally said, "This subject isn't sure. It's just a guess.
It's like this. In the past, the people of the Six Zhao in the south were always flirting with Tubo. Now that we're playing with Duoshi and training the troops, it's likely that there will be times when we'll shift our strategy and avoid the enemy's limelight to reduce casualties and try not to meet force with force.
So, if some of them feel that an opportunity has come and want to calmly arrange things and play some small tricks, it won't be good. If we call them over now, they won't have time to make any arrangements.
At the same time, once they leave their own places, their local people will become active. We'll immediately send people to contact them and foster and divide them. At the same time, it's also an opportunity to win over the local people.
Once benefits are given, because they're not in the local area, the people won't think that they're getting benefits because of their relationship. This will reduce their trust in them and affect their status as spiritual leaders.
This subject can only think of this at the moment. I don't know if it's right or wrong. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty. "
Li Longji understood. It turned out that even in such a situation, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan still maintained the necessary caution and caution, not giving the other side any opportunities so that their plan could be carried out smoothly.
"Yes, very correct. This is what We thought. However, there are still some shortcomings. Think carefully again. What other aspects are there? If we don't plan more, wouldn't it be a waste of Our time?"
Li Longji felt that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan shouldn't have only done this. There must be more, but he couldn't think of anything, so he continued to ask questions.
Zhang Xiaobao and Weiwei opened their mouths and frowned slightly. "Your Majesty, there's more? No more, right? This subject really can't think of anything else. "
"There is. This Emperor's plans are flawless, strategizing and deciding victory from a thousand li away. How could there not be? If there isn't, why would I ask you?" Li Longji said very roguishly.
"Ah? There really is? Alright, let me think about it. Your Majesty, your consideration is really too thorough. Your Majesty, it's beyond the reach of ordinary people. I'll think about it. "Zhang Xiaobao said helplessly. He looked like he was thinking about something very hard.
After thinking for a while, he finally said, "This subject has thought of something else. This subject hopes that Your Majesty can point it out. That is, the Six Zhao were originally not a harmonious group, each with their own interests. Thus, when providing them with assistance, we should do our best to minimize the conflicts and secret struggles between them.
This should allow them to focus their energy on the happiness of the people of the world, and not on scheming and plotting against one another. Otherwise, many places would be owned by several tribes, and in the future, the products produced might have to go through other tribes in order to be sent to the Great Tang as quickly as possible.
Call them over in advance and give them a heads up. At that time, they will naturally listen to Your Majesty's words and not do anything else to delay others. Isn't that right? "
After saying all this in one breath, Zhang Xiaobao felt that his throat was uncomfortable, so he poured himself a cup of wine and began to sip it.
Li Longji nodded. "Yes, very correct. You've finally guessed a little of Our thoughts. Not bad. Continue."
"This subject truly cannot think of anything else. Your Majesty, why don't this subject go back and ask Cuckoo and see if Cuckoo can cooperate with this subject and guess Your Majesty's plans. There is no need to guess all of them. Even ten or twenty percent will be enough for this subject to use for a long time."
Zhang Xiaobao himself couldn't think of anything else, so he could only find an excuse to leave. He was afraid that Li Longji wouldn't stop asking. Coming up with a plan was already very tiring, and explaining it to Li Longji would be even more tiring. Moreover, Li Longji didn't need to know too much. He just needed to keep up with his train of thought.
Li Longji clinked his cup with Zhang Xiaobao's and downed the wine in one gulp. "Since that's the case, you should go back and discuss it with Cuckoo. After you've finished your discussion and guessed Our intentions, you can come back. We can give you a reminder. Besides the things you've guessed, there are at least three other uses.
You must think carefully. There are three uses, not one less. If you can't think of all three, don't come looking for Us. If We tell you the answer directly, it will be detrimental to your growth. Come, let's continue swimming. "
Li Longji turned around and walked back into the water.
Empress Wang and Wu Huifei naturally followed behind him.
Zhang Xiaobao pursed his lips. 'Seriously, all I did was disturb you. Is there a need for you to think of three more ways to get back at me? You clearly don't want me to disturb you again.'
'Swim, swim, swim. Try your best to interact with your two women and start a fire. I'll put laxatives in your food tonight. Let's see what you can do then. Hmph! '
Zhang Xiaobao's mood improved after he was done with Ah Q. He finished the wine in his cup and walked toward Wang Juan in a relaxed manner. He wanted to tell her about Li Longji's shamelessness and treat it as a form of entertainment in his spare time.
*****
While Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were in charge of Li Longji Entertainment, they sent the decision back to Lu Zhou and asked Li Jiancheng to make the decision. They believed that Li Jiancheng was capable of handling this matter well. The tone of the message was very firm. It meant that if the people who were called did not show up, they did not need to show up. When the time came, the emperor would personally visit.
When Li Jiancheng received the news, he felt relieved. Then, he felt anxious again.
He did not know what the Emperor of Great Tang, Zhang Xiaobao, and Wang Juan were thinking. If they were planning to lure the people here and cut off their heads, it would be troublesome.
At that time, the clan would definitely be in chaos. If it was only the death of a clan leader, it wouldn't be a big deal. Chaos would only be within the clan. As long as an external enemy appeared, such as a few other clans joining forces to annex the clan, the clan would immediately unite.
What he was worried about was that if all the leaders died, the tribes would fall into chaos. Then, there would be continuous annexations and battles in their original territories.
However, he had no choice but to come. After all, the people who were sent to cause trouble in Great Tang were caught and their plan failed. Since they had done something wrong, they had to do as they were told. Otherwise, Great Tang's army would arrive soon.
Unfortunately, if the people who went to cause trouble were not caught, not only would the invincible status of the Wang and Zhang Xiaobao Families in the hearts of the people of Great Tang be shaken, even if Great Tang knew who was the culprit, it would not be able to organize an army immediately. If the people who went to cause trouble were to carry out the plan, it would still cause great damage to Great Tang.
Li Jiancheng considered the gains and losses and calculated the various consequences. He could not calm down. He ordered his men to rest and return early the next morning. At the same time, he was thinking about who to ask for help.
While he was feeling sad, Xu Mingyang, who was also helping him receive and send telegrams, ordered a lot of food and wine from Hai Yunjian. This time, they did not have to worry about Hai Yunjian's attitude. Since the madam of the main family had spoken, they did not dare to starve themselves.
The food and wine were soon delivered. Xu Mingyang invited Li Jiancheng to eat with him. To be precise, he planned to drink with him. Today, he could finally let go of one of his worries.
As for the rest of the family, they would eat the apology banquet prepared by the Zhang Xiaobao Clan.
Li Jiancheng really did not have any other place to eat. Since he was in contact with Xu Mingyang, he felt that they were in the same boat. After happily agreeing to the invitation to drink with him, he drank three cups of wine in a row. Then, he had a flash of inspiration and asked Xu Mingyang,
"Brother Xu, I want to ask you something. I wonder if you can tell me? This is very important to Nanzhao. In the future, we will definitely repay you. We will not let you down. We will get more than the people of the Chamber of Commerce from the Zhang Xiaobao Family. "
Li Jiancheng thought that since the people of the Chamber of Commerce had received the money, Xu Mingyang should be easy to talk to. Moreover, he did not want to inquire about any confidential matters.
Who would have thought that after he said these words and told Xu Mingyang the tempting conditions, Xu Mingyang did not show a happy expression. Instead, he was very vigilant.
He lowered his voice and said to Li Jiancheng, "I don't dare to accept anything from you. Otherwise, once it is discovered, I still have something to do with it. It is very likely that the things I receive will become my death warrant.
It is not easy for you to save up these things. It is better to save them for critical situations. I am not short of money. I appreciate your kindness, but I must warn you, the people of the Chamber of Commerce are not people you can bribe with small gifts. They are all inner court members of the Zhang Xiaobao Family. "
"Can't be bribed? If someone has already taken benefits from me and helped me complete the task, brother Xu, do you think it is possible? "
Li Jiancheng thought of the bribery before. It was very successful. How could he say that it was useless?
Xu Mingyang heard Li Jiancheng's certainty and shook his head with a smile. "Brother Li, you have been fooled. Even if they accept the things you give them, they have to file a record with their main family. They can't keep it and not report it. Otherwise, how many people of the Zhang Xiaobao Family have been bribed?
Can our Great Tang be as stable as it is now? In fact, even if you don't give the people of the Chamber of Commerce any benefits, as long as you tell them your purpose, they will arrange for you to meet with the madams of the two families.
That is why they dare to accept the money. If you really give me something and I take it, I also have to give an explanation to the Zhang Xiaobao Family. In particular, not only can I not use the things myself, I can't even sell them.
I need to wait for His Majesty to come back from his trip and give an explanation to Xiao Bei and the others in the group. Otherwise, not to mention my official position, I will not even be able to keep my life. "
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