Wan Qijun's people were taken away to be beaten with sticks. The people from the Four Seas Academy were so scared that they didn't dare to move.
"Sell quickly, don't waste time." Wang Juan shouted.
"Sell, sell!" The commoners also shouted. They were proud of being a member of the county. The Emperor had indeed sent the most powerful people to Boxin County. Other counties didn't have them, only this county had them. No one dared to show off in the county, not even Wan Qijun's people.
The people from the Four Seas Academy were afraid, but they didn't dare to disobey. In the end, Feng Teng from Tang Dynasty stood up and said, "Sell. There are a total of ten piles today, all of them must be sold. The third pile, the starting price is 260 strings of coins. Is there anyone who wants to increase the price?"
"I'll take 260 strings of coins." Zhang Xiaobao knew that the pile was only 270 or so taels of silver. The other party knew that they couldn't wait for others to add the money bit by bit, so they directly offered a high price and bought it.
As soon as Zhang Xiaobao spoke, the others stopped moving. The third pile was sold, followed by the fourth, fifth, and so on. As long as the price estimated by the craftsmen was above the asking price, Zhang Xiaobao would buy them all.
There were a total of ten piles, some more and some less. Adding them together, it was estimated that they could be refined into 3000 taels of silver. Zhang Xiaobao paid 2700 taels of silver, and the yamen also collected 270 taels of silver as tax. A lot of silk was also transferred out.
The people from the Four Seas Academy didn't make much money. The transportation fee and tax paid offset the normal price. Although Japanese silver wasn't expensive, and they had lost a lot in the beginning, they didn't even make back their capital. Just as they were preparing to leave dejectedly, Zhang Xiaobao said to them,
"My family still wants to buy more ores. As long as you send them over, we can give you 800 strings of coins or goods at the price of Tang Dynasty's 1000 taels of silver. We'll take as much as you have."
"What about the technology?" Yamamoto asked boldly.
"This is not under this official's control. You can think of a way yourself. The wine and dishes at the Fengwu Pavilion are pretty good. Why don't this official treat you to a meal to celebrate the deal?"
Zhang Xiaobao didn't accept the matter of selling the technology and invited everyone to the Fengwu Pavilion to eat.
The people from the Four Seas Academy still had matters to discuss, so they tactfully declined and hurriedly left.
Zhang Xiaobao did not urge them to stay. Seeing the people from the Four Seas Academy leave, he waved his hand at the surrounding people. The surrounding people immediately responded with happy shouts.
"Registrar Zhang, should we find a place to store these silver ores?" He Yiwei came over and asked. He was also very happy. The yamen had received another two hundred and seventy strings of cash, which he could use to realize his plan.
"Yes, isn't there a place in the county where there is no one around? Get someone to bring them over there and prepare to refine silver, "Zhang Xiaobao replied.
At this time, Old Man Pi was also talking to Wang Juan. "Cuckoo, why don't I give all my subordinates to you? They will listen to you. Once you give the order, they won't even look at me and will rush to the front. I can't do anything about it."
"Ah? Does Grandpa Bi think that they are disloyal? Then kill them all, so that they won't listen to other people and not listen to the master. I will kill some people later. Grandpa Bi, you, Grandpa Yao, and Grandpa Zhang can always command my people. They can't be left alive. "
Wang Juan immediately gave an idea with an indignant look.
"Don't, don't kill them. Your people listen to us because you and Xiao Bao are good to us. We … Sigh ~! You brat, you made a whole set for me to drill. Forget it, we are good to you. I won't deal with them. They are so cunning, they don't want to suffer any losses. I am praising you for your ability to lead the army.
You beat up the people of the Ten Thousand Cavalry Army, aren't you afraid that their leader will find trouble with you? He is a close official. You have to be careful not to let others find your weakness. "
Old Man Pi didn't care whether his subordinates listened to Wang Juan or not. He mainly wanted to remind Wang Juan.
Wang Juan didn't care at all. She said to Old Man Pi, "Ge Fushun is a close official, but he is an adult and I am a child. The people of the Ten Thousand Cavalry Army didn't stay in their own territory and came to my place to conspire with others to harm the interests of the county. Does it mean that I have to be bullied by the people who have been in charge of the army for many years?
If that's the case, I shouldn't have handed over the military power so quickly. Only with soldiers can the imperial court value them. If they bully people without soldiers, the imperial court won't dare to interfere and will have to side with them. Otherwise, it will easily cause a mutiny. It's good to have soldiers, even the imperial court is afraid of them. The Xuanwu Gate is a good place, isn't it, Grandpa Bi? "
Old Man Pi was scared when he heard Wang Juan's words. It sounded like Wang Juan regretted handing over the military power, but in fact, she was slandering Ge Fushun. He was really worried for Ge Fushun. If he wanted to find trouble with Cuckoo, and Cuckoo directly went to the palace and said this, the Emperor would listen to the grievance of the child on one hand, and hear the persecution of the adult on the other hand, who would he believe more?
At that time, the first one to be dealt with would be Ge Fushun. The child complained that you have too much respect for the army. Do you want the Ten Thousand Cavalry Army to cause trouble again? Isn't the Xuanwu Gate just right?
Old Man Pi thought about the result and quickly advised, "Cuckoo, you can't do that. If you attack like this, the imperial court will be in chaos. Don't worry, no one will dare to do anything to you. The Emperor didn't let anyone test the poison first when he ate the food that you and Xiao Bao made. You can't use this kind of trust to harm others."
Wang Juan replied with a smile. This was the advantage of age and the way to advance and retreat. Why did she hand over the military power? It would be easy to deal with if she handed it over. The longer the person who held the military power, the greater the crisis. Gossip was a fearful thing, and three people could make a tiger.
She nodded, "Grandpa Bi, don't worry. As long as no one comes looking for trouble, I won't care about them. However, if they really come looking for trouble, they should think about the consequences. I'm not the kind of person who won't fight back after being beaten. My family is going to raise horses in Feng Province. With the new technology, horses can run on the grassland, and there's also a desert nearby.
The place to train the horses' endurance is actually the desert that Xiao Bao and I occupy in Tubo. There's enough water and sand there. The horses can run on it and train better. I gave Grandpa Bi a few horses to pull the carriage. There's no better place to raise horses than Feng Province, especially after I occupy the desert. "
"You mean to say that you and Xiao Bao originally planned to go to Feng Province, and not Hebei Province or Jiannan Province? You specifically looked for people to resist the cold in Yi Province just to deal with the heavy snow in Feng Province? "
Old Man Pi analyzed this matter from Wang Juan's words.
"No, I didn't say anything. I only know how to fight. What do I know? Isn't that right, Grandpa Bi?" Wang Juan wasn't afraid that others would guess her and Zhang Xiaobao's initial plan. She had already given them the land, so how could she go back on her words? Besides, it was indeed difficult for others to manage there.
Old Man Pi sighed, "I'm old, I'm really old. How can you not know anything else when you're fighting? At least you know that there's no such thing as too much deception in war. You're indeed the person who made the entire Tubo country tremble in fear. You used a diversion well. Good. When you have horses, you must remember to give Grandpa Bi a few. You have horses but no soldiers. "
"I don't want soldiers. That's a disaster. I'm not going to rebel. Raising horses is enough. In the future, when we really need cavalry, just give me a unit. As long as they aren't old, weak, or disabled soldiers, it's not too late for me to equip them with horses. After two months of training, I'll be able to bring people to charge and break through enemy lines.
Other than raising horses, I'll also raise cows and sheep. I won't add anything else. When the time comes, I'll make milk powder for the children of Great Tang to drink. Five years. Within five years, Xiao Bao and I will be able to provide 100,000 horses for Great Tang.
How about this, Grandpa Bi, you can discuss with your friends and have their families raise more cavalry. If there's really a need to fight, you can call up the cavalry from their families and form a large unit. Then, you can give me command. I'll lead them to London in one breath. Yes, we'll have to cross the sea. "
Wang Juan spoke of her thoughts. The most important thing was to raise cows and sheep, and then make milk powder for the children.
"Where's London?" Old Man Pi approved of Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao from the bottom of his heart. Although the two children were young, they knew how to act appropriately. Furthermore, they were wholeheartedly devoted to the people. Perhaps they were a little less respectful to the Emperor, but they were very loyal to the people of Great Tang. After sighing inwardly, he asked about London.
"It means a place that's very far away. I randomly gave it a name. It's the farthest place. Grandpa Bi, you didn't sleep yesterday. Why don't you rest early and eat the toad that Xiao Bao made when you wake up?"
Wang Juan casually found an excuse to brush him off.
Old Man Pi and the others all went to sleep. Xiang 'er also found a place to sleep.
He Yiwei began to think about how to use the tax that had just been collected. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan returned to their room to discuss matters.
"Xiao Bao, you're buying coal to smelt silver ore?" Wang Juan pulled Zhang Xiaobao back to the room and asked as soon as they returned.
"No, I'm just acting. Who uses the soot-blowing method to smelt silver ore? I've also learned a bit of smelting theory. Do you think it's so easy to be a liar in order to deceive people? The coal is used to deal with the Four Seas Academy. They took away the straw, occupied the land with trees, and transported silver ore. What do you think they want to do? "
Zhang Xiaobao didn't want to smelt silver now. His family didn't lack money. He would keep it and use it when the time came. When the technology developed to a certain extent, the consumption during the smelting process would be reduced. When the smelting process was taken out for others to smelt, the consumption would be reduced.
Japan had a lot of silver, but it was also a non-renewable resource. If he bought more, it could be considered as a reserve.
Wang Juan suddenly understood, "So this is what you're talking about. They want to buy all the things that can be used to smelt silver, and then release the silver ore. They can make a profit from other aspects. The idea is not bad, but they are too unlucky. Why did they have to come to Boxin County and hit the muzzle of the gun?
What other plans do you have? Tell me again. Let me hear it and make me happy. They're full of evil ideas all day long, but they're still secretly happy. Are they really going to draw a big river here? "
"Draw? Otherwise, the river will also flow into the sea. The sea doesn't need our little water. Sometimes the river exists for transportation, and sometimes it exists for irrigation. However, the river's function is not only that, it can also be used to decorate the place. There aren't many rivers here, so if we draw a big river, we can guarantee the needs of transportation and decorations."
Zhang Xiaobao was determined to draw a river through the whole county. He said to Wang Juan, "When they bought the land, they didn't buy barren hills, but real land. They need to pay taxes. They originally hoped to use the wood to make a lot of money and sell it to the local people who bought the silver ore.
At the same time, they also wanted to monopolize the local firewood market. If they transported firewood from other places, the transportation cost is too high. Ordinary people can't afford it. We will transport the coal first, put it there and not sell it. When the county needs firewood, we will take it out and sell it at a fair price. The water must be drawn quickly, and it needs to be transported by water. "
"So that's how it is. In the end, they can't afford to pay the rent and taxes every year, so they can only sell the wood at a low price. Then you can buy the good wood at the price of firewood. Otherwise, they will lose money every year. Because no one will buy their land after transporting the coal, they have to find a way to sell it. You want to burn charcoal?
But we can't buy good coal. Good coal is too expensive, and it's all used to smelt metals. The smelting technology now is not as good as back then. It'll cause a lot of wastage. It's impossible for the people to buy expensive coal. We can't give them subsidies, right? "
Wang Juan followed Zhang Xiaobao's train of thought and found the problem.
Zhang Xiaobao looked at Wang Juan in surprise and asked, "Could it be that you've been here for too long and have forgotten that there's something called honeycomb briquettes? That thing is simple to make, low to cost, and relatively high burning efficiency. Just make some honeycomb coal. The stove is also simple. It is just a piece of iron with mud inside. Rich people can buy a full iron stove.
It can be used to cook, heat, and barbecue when you have nothing to do. As long as you tell them how to make it, let alone adults, even children can make it. We can teach others how to make it. When the time comes, we can transport the coal and let them do it themselves. We don't earn money, and the technology is too low. Others can learn it quickly. "
"Oh, yes, there is also honeycomb coal. This is more economical than the coal that is mined. Huayuan County is too far away. Otherwise, it would be more cost-effective to transport the coal from there."
It was true that Wang Juan had never used honeycomb briquettes before, but she had seen them before. A stove with a few honeycomb briquettes would not have a bad smell if they did not add too many things to save money. They were very good for heating and cooking.
*****
When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were discussing what to do next, He Yiwei started his new plan again. This time, he wanted to make something that didn't exist in other places.
That was to raise tortoises. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan specifically mentioned that tortoises were good things. The dishes they made were very nutritious, but many times, they were difficult to catch. There were some in the river. Except for the small ones, it was very dangerous for children to catch the big ones. It was easy to be bitten.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had a big fish tank in the yard. In addition to raising fish, there were also a few tortoises in the separated area. The water was not deep, and the tortoises could be seen looking around all day.
This made him think. He wanted to learn from Zhang Xiaobao and the Wang Family to develop the local industry. Therefore, he took out 20 strings of money and asked people to catch the tortoises. There was a small piece of land in the county. He asked people to dig holes and wait for water to be filled so that he could raise the tortoises.
He Yiwei personally took care of this matter. The place he chose was not far from the county. It could be reached in an hour. It took less than four hours to go and come back, including observation.
He spent the money and collected the tortoises. He asked people what the tortoises usually ate and asked people to send them to the place outside the county.
He was going to take a look today. He heard that two tortoises crawled over by themselves, which made him happy and worried. He was happy because this place could attract tortoises. Of course, he didn't know that it was very coincidental and thought that it should be so.
He was worried that the tortoises wouldn't want to stay and would crawl out by themselves. Sitting in the car, he asked the housekeeper, "What do you think can make the tortoises outside come in by themselves, and the tortoises here can't run away?"
"Master, it doesn't matter how many tortoises come in from outside, right? You want to raise tortoises, not seduce them. You just need to put something outside, dig a ditch, set up a net, and bury the bottom. "
The housekeeper felt that the master had thought wrongly and didn't grasp the key point, so he reminded him.
He Yiwei also realized that he had thought wrongly. He smiled and said, "Yes, yes, it's raising, not seducing. Pay attention to what you say next time. What do you mean by seducing? It sounds bad. What else do you need? "
The housekeeper didn't know this time. He had never raised a tortoise, but he had eaten it before. Someone caught it and sent it to the restaurant. At that time, he ate it well. He drank a little bit of the tortoise's blood and ate the meat. Even the tortoise's shell was roasted with tiles and eaten with water.
Hearing the master's question, he couldn't not answer, so he said, "Master, shouldn't we take out another reward for people who know how to raise tortoises?"
"There are people who specialize in raising tortoises? Why haven't I heard of it? " He Yiwei thought about it and found that usually no one mentioned who raised tortoises well, but people who raised chickens and ducks knew.
Just as the two of them were talking, the sound of a horse's hooves came from outside. After a while, the sound followed beside the car, and a woman's voice was heard.
"Stop, let me in. You don't know how to spend the money you have. It's fine if you torment yourself, but you even implicate others. Hurry up, let me in the car."
He Yiwei and the housekeeper were stunned. It seemed that she wanted to get in the car they were in. A woman? She wanted to get in the car? Who was it?
The car stopped, and the door opened. The two of them saw a woman get in the car and sit directly opposite them.
As soon as the woman came in, her eyes stared at He Yiwei. She seemed to be very dissatisfied, but also seemed to have a strong complaint. Her eyes were not good.
He Yiwei's eyes were blinded by the light when the car door opened. When he recovered, he was shocked and leaned back with all his might, afraid that he would be too close to the other party. He said in a trembling voice, "Miss Cherry, what are you doing? I haven't done anything to you. Don't you want to get out of the car first? "
"What else do you want to do to me? Haven't you done enough? I have never seen someone like you. You have to be responsible. You have a good life, why do you want to do this? "
Cherries asked angrily. Her overbearing look made people feel that this matter was not going to be easy to deal with.
After hearing Cherries's words, He Yiwei was dumbfounded. He said with a crying face, "Miss Cherries, don't talk nonsense. Yes, I am a womanizer. I don't have many concubines at home. You are also beautiful, but I have never dared to have any ideas about you. I even want to kill you. You are the person around Registrar Zhang and Deputy Wang. How dare I do anything to you?
If you really admire me, why don't we go to Registrar Zhang and Deputy Wang first? If they agree, I … I will give you a good position. "
"Bah! I have seen shameless people, but I have never seen someone as shameless as you. I admire you? Do you know how many subordinates I have? Xiao Hong and I are together. Even if there are thousands of soldiers and horses, we dare to fight. Who do you think you are? "
Cherries was furious. She did not know why He Yiwei thought of her admiring him. What a joke. With her family background, he could not afford to marry her. It seemed that he wanted her to be his concubine. She really should have brought Xiao Hong and her army here and let Rongrong bite him to death.
After being scolded, He Yiwei was relieved. As long as Cherries did not find him, it was fine. They were indeed not a good match. This Cherries was not only capable, but also had a good literary talent. It was not easy for ordinary people to find her as a concubine.
So he asked carefully, "Since that is not the case, what do you want to do here, Miss Cherries?"
"What else can I do? Of course, I want to accompany you to raise the tortoise. Why did you think of this? After the young master and young lady heard about it, they said that you can't raise it well. It is fine to spend money for nothing, but they are afraid that you will make a mistake and disappoint the people. Now is a special time. What you do must be successful to cultivate the people's confidence.
Let me ask you, do you know how the tortoise came out? Where did it come out? How much temperature does it need? Do you think that if you catch a group of tortoises and put them there, there will be a lot of tortoises in the future? Look at the place you chose. It is all mud. Why don't you get some sand? And the surroundings, even the grass and whatnot were cleaned up by you.
You still want to raise the tortoise like this? It is useless even if you become a tortoise. I was sent out by the young master and young lady. They said that I will cooperate with you. Don't you think that I blame you? I was still writing the next book, but I was delayed by you. "
Cherries pouted and asked one question after another. He Yiwei was confused.
After a while, He Yiwei happily asked Yingtao, "So you know all about it? Can you raise the tortoise well? That's great. Don't worry, Miss Cherries. As long as you help me, I will definitely repay you. "
"Do I need you to repay me? I have saved a few thousand strings of coins. Now, I am asking Xin Er to help me do business. In a few years, I will have tens of thousands of strings of coins. How much money do you have?
Let me tell you, tortoises have eggs. If you want the eggs to become little tortoises, the temperature must be high enough. I will come over and find a way to raise the temperature so that you can give birth to more little tortoises. Go to the place and take a look. Bring more sand and dead leaves. If the temperature is not high enough, add some lime or feces. "
Cherries was unwilling to come over. She followed the young master and young lady all day. This time, because of He Yiwei's idea, she was arranged to come here. It would be strange if she was not angry.
He Yiwei felt uncomfortable. What did she mean by giving birth to more little tortoises? But he did not dare to refute. After all, Cherries's identity was there. She was in charge of breeding. She was very good. Her books were bought by others. She was better than many scholars.
Thinking that she came over and did not want to have anything to do with him, he felt relieved and said, "In that case, I will listen to Miss Cherries. I just want to give birth to more tortoises. The more the better."
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