Gong Shuhe was led all the way up. When he reached the top of the ship, the path became narrower and narrower. It was only five steps wide.
Gong Shuhe, who had never been to the top of a ship before, scanned the surrounding scenery. He wanted to remember it in his heart. He might not have the chance to do it again in the future.
The only thing that made him feel at ease was that he knew he wouldn't die. He wouldn't even be imprisoned. It wasn't that his crimes were small. If he made a mistake, no matter how small, and the nine children caught him, he would be beheaded or executed. That was innocent plus five.
Of course, none of the people caught by the nine children were innocent. If they were innocent, they wouldn't catch them.
"We're here. Wait." The person leading the way told Gong Shuhe. He first pressed a button-like thing by the door. Then, there was the sound of a flute, which surprised Gong Shuhe. What was that? Someone played the flute as soon as he pressed it?
"Let him in." There was the sound of a trumpet. Gong Shuhe knew this person.
The person leading the way opened the door and gestured for Gong Shuhe to go in. Then, he turned around and left.
Gong Shuhe stepped in. He had clearly hinted that he wasn't afraid, but when he faced it, he suddenly felt an inexplicable fear.
The room wasn't very big, but it wasn't small either. When he entered, he saw that it was about six or seven steps wide. There was a high seat against the wall with sofas on both sides. In the middle was a large tea table made of frosted glass. It was heavy and elegant. On the left side of the tea table were two people, a man and a woman. The man …
After seeing the two people, Gong Shuhe didn't dare to think about anything else. He didn't dare to look at the layout of the room. He quickly lowered his head and said, "Sinner Gong Shuhe greets the two of you."
"Don't call us sinner. We are not in charge of investigating. Cuckoo and I are the governor and deputy governor of the northern part of Hebei Province. We have no right to interfere with government affairs. Sit."
Zhang Xiaobao opened his mouth and spoke. At the same time, he pointed at the chair opposite them.
Gong Shu He Weiwei looked up. His previous calmness was no longer there. His legs couldn't help but tremble. He nervously said, "This official … doesn't dare … Yes … This official … sit … sit …"
In the end, Gong Shu He walked over to Zhang Xiaobao and sat down across from him, but he only took up one-third of the seat. He had wanted to not sit, but he suddenly felt that if he didn't sit when they asked him to, he would be guilty.
Zhang Xiaobao saw him sit down and looked at Wang Juan. Wang Juan nodded and picked up a pen to take notes. Zhang Xiaobao looked at Gong Shuhe seriously and asked, "Do you know why I called you here?"
Gong Shuhe raised his head to answer. He opened his mouth but suddenly fell silent. He kept thinking. As a smart person, he knew that things were not as simple as they seemed. If he answered well, he would be fine. If he answered poorly, the two people across from him, who said they didn't care about government affairs, would not be satisfied. He would still be handed over to Xiaobei and the others to deal with according to the rules.
Faced with this opportunity, Gong Shuhe was a lot more cautious. He didn't care that the two of them were waiting for him to answer. He tried to analyze the situation at hand. He revealed everything he had done, including deceiving, bribery, colluding with colleagues, and dealing in logistics.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were not in a rush. They patiently waited, hoping for a surprise. Otherwise, they would deal with it as they should.
After a full 15 minutes, Gong Shuhe raised his head again. His eyes were resolute as he answered, "I know. I am still useful in your eyes."
"Why do you say that?" Zhang Xiaobao still asked with a straight face.
"Because my identity is not worthy of your attention. Killing me is easier than killing a chicken. To kill a chicken, you need to consider the removal of its feathers and the use of its blood to make blood tofu. Killing me is not that troublesome. When I made a mistake, the two of you realized that I had some skill in a certain area, so you could use it."
Gong Shuhe threw caution to the wind and spoke bluntly. He stared into Zhang Xiaobao's eyes, hoping to see something useful for him.
Zhang Xiaobao, on the other hand, did not reveal any emotions. The frequency of his blinking eyes did not change, the expression on his face did not change, and even the rise and fall of his chest when he breathed was not obvious. He was like a sitting monk.
While Gong Shuhe was disappointed, Zhang Xiaobao finally showed a small smile. It was like the spring wind melting snow, and it was brighter than the sunlight. It made people feel better.
Gong Shuhe immediately looked forward to it. It was good to have power. Just one expression could make the people below feel different emotions. It was a pity that he was only a ninth-rank official. This time, he didn't even have an official position. It was sad.
Thinking about that, Gong Shuhe lowered his head again.
"Are you scared? If you are scared, it means that you are not confident. You do not have the means to make a final attack. So, you need to train for a while. Otherwise, you will delay the proper business. Tell us, what do you think you are capable of? "
When Zhang Xiaobao saw Gong Shuhe's actions, he felt a little regretful. He then understood. After all, Gong Shuhe was not like him or Wang Juan. It was normal for him to be afraid. If he had been a young man back then, even if he was facing the chairman, it would not have mattered. The people on the mountaintop and the ground were the same in each other's eyes. What did the people on the mountaintop cry or laugh have to do with him?
Gong Shuhe didn't know how vast the world was. After being an official for a long time, he was more afraid of officials who were more powerful than him. When he heard Zhang Xiaobao's words, he was suddenly shocked. He immediately thought that Zhang Xiaobao was going to find a bold person to go out and do things. It was estimated that it was related to the Duo Cannibal people.
After organizing his words, Gong Shuhe slowly said, "I guess it has something to do with what I did in Jiu Yuan County. I pressed Yang Fei and took the good ideas he thought of for my own use first. I wrote letters and sent them to other logistics departments. I even sent them to the East and West Roads of Shannan. Some of them were exchanged for money, and some of them were given favors.
They took the plan provided by Yang Fei to the court and got a reward. Although I also had the opportunity to report to the court, I knew that I had to be careful about everything. I didn't dare to do it. If I didn't happen to meet you stopping in Jiu Yuan, I could still be my own ninth-rank official.
Now I was caught. At first, I just thought it was bad luck. Today, I figured it out. In fact, it was my luck. Otherwise, when Yang Fei entered the Ministry of Works with his design, the court would inevitably send people to the local area to check his background.
At that time, where would I meet you two? Without you two, I am absolutely dead. I was caught by you because there was a problem in my job. I was caught by the court because I bullied the meritorious officials of the Ministry of Works. "
Gong Shuhe said this and looked up at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Wang Juan bowed her head and wrote. Zhang Xiaobao was still the same as before. He had to continue to say, "I can give the most direct benefits to others when facing the reward of the court, which shows that I know how to endure. I can see the benefits that can be exchanged with others from Yang Fei's plan, which shows that I am smart and good at using all kinds of resources.
Tell me what you want me to do. As long as I can do it, I will do it. Oh, and if I can't do it, I will think of a way to do it. Even if I have to go to the front lines and charge. "
After saying this, Gong Shuhe sat there. His heart was completely relaxed. He had said what he needed to say, and he had done what he needed to do. He did what he needed to do.
Zhang Xiaobao finally reacted. He turned his head and looked at Wang Juan. He gave Gong Shuhe a look of certainty. He smiled and said, "That is good. You take a knife and charge to the front lines. You will be a bait for my army. Don't worry. Your life will not be in vain. The moment the enemy attacks you, our cannonballs will definitely cover your position."
"Huh?" Gong Shuhe shivered. "In that case, even if the enemy doesn't kill me, our cannonballs will kill me."
"Even if you die, you are still a hero. You are more important than Mount Tai." Zhang Xiaobao nodded.
"Please forgive me. Just pretend I didn't say the last thing," Gong Shuhe said with a smile.
Now, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were truly satisfied. They were satisfied with how quickly Gong Shuhe had adjusted his state of mind. He had only said a few words, but he had immediately turned into a cheeky smile. They had to admit that this was a good skill.
Zhang Xiaobao put away the smile on his face. He said to Gong Shuhe, "Gong Shuhe, I order that you are now a private battalion commander of Tang. You are independent of the other administrative departments of Tang. You are only responsible to the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family. You are also responsible to the Emperor. No one else has the right to question or assign you."
"What? Private battalion? I know about smuggling. It means secretly transporting goods that are subject to customs duties without paying customs duties. But … what is this private smuggling thing? It belongs to the military? It is official smuggling. "Gong Shuhe was scared. He knew how to smuggle.
Zhang Xiaobao was even happier that he knew how to smuggle. He said to him, "Smuggling is not allowed without an official sanction. Therefore, you must not be caught by the Tang Empire's people who are pursuing smugglers. Others do not know your identity at all. Only our family's spies know. I will tell His Majesty later, and His Majesty will know about you."
Gong Shuhe opened his mouth slightly. He was very clear in his heart that he was like a foreign spy. In order to hide his identity, he could only choose to run away or die when the border army chased after him. Otherwise, he would implicate other colleagues who were also abroad. They were heroes, but he did not want to be one.
"I really don't want to do it. Fine, I'll go all out. Do I need to have a superior? I can't always look for you two, and I might not be able to find you immediately. If I am caught, can I become a hero?" Gong Shuhe thought for a moment and knew what to do.
Wang Juan put down her pen and said, "You belong to the Meteor Squad. It was established last year. In the future, someone will contact you. Your code name is' Shang Yun. 'Even if you die, you cannot become a hero, at least not now. You can only get a record of' Shining. 'After many years, perhaps your name and file will appear on the list of contributions.
If you are caught and don't die, you can escape. Someone will help you escape. After all, when smuggling becomes large-scale, you will have people. When others learn that you have escaped, they will believe you. "
"Meteor Squad? I have never heard of it." Gong Shuhe was puzzled.
"In theory, anyone who has been exposed has already shone. Fortunately, it has been established for a year and has not appeared," Wang Juan explained.
Gong Shuhe took a deep breath and said, "I understand. It's just like the song 'Stargazy Sky' in the military camp. Who shines in the sky, who falls in the night? The Big Dipper may not be eternal. Meteors are just passersby. They are legends … and also silence."
"Don't be so tragic. You are a smuggler. If the Tang Empire's inspection team takes action, someone will inform you in advance. The people from other countries can't even coax you. How can they catch you?" Zhang Xiaobao curled his lips and said.
Gong Shuhe quickly clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, thank you. I have one last question. Can't you find someone to be a private battalion commander?"
"Yes, but then you will die. We can't bear to see a person with a little ability be killed. Remember, you have died once. After Xiaobei and Xiaoyuan returned to the capital, they always wanted to catch a few people to reflect the value of their existence, but others were smart enough to hide. Do you understand?" Zhang Xiaobao reminded him.
"I understand. Others are hiding. You didn't get off the ship and ran to the Jiu Yuan to rest. I was killed by a group of children. Why did they have to invite Xiaobei and the others to eat barbecue? To be exact, I died in the hands of Yang Dan Zi's sister, and that old yellow dog, his sister."
After Gong Shuhe vented the depression in his heart, he suddenly thought of something and immediately became happy again. He happily asked, "Am I a member of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang families? Food is provided 24 hours on the ship."
"Go, go, go eat, foodie." Zhang Xiaobao waved his hand like a fly.
Gong Shuhe stood up excitedly. "You two sit down. I am really hungry."
*****
After solving Gong Shuhe's problem, the fleet continued to go against the current, stopping occasionally on the way.
Before the group arrived at their destination, Yang Fei flew down with the flow of the river and arrived at the capital. His family was still in the area. He was now a menial worker and could not bring his family to live in the capital. The daily expenses were too high.
Yang Fei planned to make achievements in the Ministry of Works and then bring his relatives to enjoy life.
What he didn't know was that his family had already been brought over. For those who worked in the Ministry of Works, their family members had to be well protected. It was just like how Xiaobei and the others were surrounded by guards when they went out on a trip. Stupid plots like this where one's family members were threatened due to lack of consideration would only appear in TV series.
Yang Fei's relatives needed to wait for him to make some achievements before they were allowed to meet him, otherwise he would be even prouder.
In a place guarded by layers of troops on the outskirts of the capital, Yang Fei saw the research site of the Ministry of Works. After the 100-meter-wide ring of forest, there were bald mountains, blue water, and hot air balloons echoing the white clouds in the sky.
Without asking, Yang Fei knew that the 100-meter-wide woods were used to block the line of sight, because there were thorns between the trees. There were definitely many people hiding in them. Even if others were lucky enough to pass through the woods, it would be difficult to hide in the open place.
"So rich." Seeing such a large area in the capital's outskirts, Yang Fei sighed before he saw what was inside.
"Senior brother, you're finally here. I was so worried that you were caught. If Xiaobei and the others caught you, even if they didn't die, they would lose a layer of skin. Good, good. Where are sister-in-law and uncle?" While Yang Fei was observing his surroundings, a person ran over from the opposite side and pulled on his hand as he spoke with concern.
"Oh, it's Hongyang. They didn't come. I'll bring them over in a few days. I was also worried about you and was afraid that you would be implicated. You look good," Yang Fei said excitedly.
"What can happen to me? I was warned once, so I'll be more strict in the future. Since senior brother is here, you will definitely make some achievements. Don't be depressed. If Xiao Bao and Cuckoo really didn't like you, they wouldn't have sent you here. It's necessary to suppress you. Senior brother, follow me."
Yang Fei's junior brother grabbed Yang Fei's hand and happily led the way.
The two walked for a while and then took a boat to float on the water for an hour. Finally, they landed on solid ground and came to a hill. Then, they went up the stairs. First, they went up a flight of stairs with 354 steps and then a small platform. Then, they went up another flight of stairs with 29 steps and then another small platform. After that, they reached a flat area.
"This flight of stairs is built according to the calendar, so it says, 'Day after day, year after year'. Am I right?" Yang Fei was actually in the mood to count while walking.
His junior brother nodded repeatedly. "Senior brother is still the best. I walked by it many times before, but then I heard someone talking about it. Look at the two sides. Actually, there will be a fire lit on the pillars at night to show that scientific research will continue day and night."
"The person who designed this place really put in a lot of effort," Yang Fei praised.
"What's there to think about? I heard that Xiaobao casually mentioned it, and then he and Yaojuan spent half the night drawing it. Including the other designs, where would the two of them have the time to put in so much effort?" His junior brother explained.
"They don't count. I'm talking about people, they aren't people," Yang Fei said gloomily.
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