When the Great Tang started its autumn harvest, Tubo was also having its autumn harvest. However, this year's harvest was too little.
In the end, the locusts were finally exterminated. As for how many of them laid eggs in the soil, it was not clear. The domestic animals all ate well, but when the Tubo nobles saw the pitiful amount of barley and rice in the fields, they wanted to cry but had no tears.
During the autumn harvest, the slaves were much more relaxed. A large amount of food was eaten by the locusts, so they did not have to work as hard as before. However, none of the slaves were happy about this. They knew that if there was not enough food, their masters would not starve to death. They could only work hard.
The Tubo commoners were also not happy. After the harvest, they still carefully searched the fields to see if they had missed any food. Some even tried their best to find wild vegetables. Even if the wild vegetables were already old, they would still dig them out and save them for when there was no food to eat.
The entire Tubo people were in a bleak state. The people who bought Han Xuanfeng's casino and lottery tickets were also miserable. There was no more food, so they did not dare to spend like before. They were all waiting to buy some food from the Great Tang.
At Jin Chuan, Sonri Nigan was also commanding people to harvest. When he came here, he had people replant many things. They were all wheat and barley that grew faster than rice.
Although there was also a locust plague here, it was not serious. The few locusts that flew over were quickly wiped out.
He also knew about the situation at Jin Chuan and felt very fortunate. It was all thanks to Han Xuanfeng's words. Therefore, during this period of time, he ran over to Han Xuanfeng's place every day. Han Xuanfeng only reported to Yingzhou for a while before returning to lead the slaves to carry out a large-scale construction here.
At the same time, he was training the army at a place further away from Pengzhou. Out of the seven thousand slaves, he selected two thousand strong men. Without weapons, they would first train in formation and then work. Working could also train their bodies. However, in the past, the slaves could not eat enough to keep up with the work.
Now that they did not have to worry about food, all of them worked very hard. Naturally, their bodies were strong.
Originally, there was no need to specifically wear sandbags while running. The soldiers here only needed to carry their weapons, leather armor, and food. They were already heavy enough. During military training, as long as they picked up their weapons, they would be carrying weights.
The slaves didn't have many decent weapons, so Han Xuanfeng could only ask someone to make sandbags for the slaves to wear. The two thousand people had to run twice a day for twenty miles each time.
Before dinner, Han Xuanfeng led 2000 people and started running. As they were running, Sonri Nigan came looking for them. He rode on his horse and followed Han Xuanfeng at the same time as he said, "Brother Han Xuanfeng.
"Today, someone from Tubo came to look for me, saying that they want to buy back the land I sold to them. I only need to pay 70% of the original price, but I need to pay with food. Do you think I still want the land over there?"
Han Xuanfeng waved his hand and continued to run. Songri Nigan didn't understand what Han Xuanfeng meant. Did he not want to talk or did he not want to talk anymore? So he asked, "They even said that as long as I go, they are willing to sell me slaves. I don't have many slaves here. If they are willing to sell, I think it's better to buy them.
What do you think? "" Wait for me to finish running, there's no hurry. " Han Xuanfeng was also carrying sandbags. When he was about to run twenty miles, his body was clearly exhausted. Moreover, it was very strenuous for him to breathe. Songri Nigan stood beside him and told him to talk.
After saying this, Han Xuanfeng's footsteps became disordered. Sonri Nigan obediently shut his mouth. After finishing his run, he handed Han Xuanfeng a bowl of water and waited for Han Xuanfeng to catch his breath before continuing.
After drinking a bowl of water, Han Xuanfeng felt much better. He massaged his legs and said to Songri Nigan, "We can't ask for that land anymore. I reckon there will be a locust plague next year. Besides, if you go back, do you think they will let you go so easily? If they are willing to sell the slaves, we can buy them.
As long as they are willing to sell, we can buy as many as they have. However, we can't give them too high a price. They are currently in need of food. One dan of food worth a thousand can be sold as two dan or five dan. The little gongzi has already made preparations and is gathering food for the entire Jiannan Circuit.
You must not act on your own accord. You can freely enter and leave Pengzhou. If you transport the food and sell it to the Tubo people, the little gongzi will let you make up for the loss. The little gongzi said that this year is very important. If we control it well, Tubo will not be able to recover from this setback.
When we want to deal with them in the future, it will be easy. If we let them get through this easily, we will have to spend a lot of effort in the future. "
Songri Nigan really did want to buy food from the Great Tang and sell it at a high price in Tubo. That way, he could make a lot of money. He didn't expect that this idea couldn't be realized. It seemed that the Great Tang didn't just want to make money by dealing with Tubo. There should also be political benefits involved.
After hearing Han Xuanfeng's words, Songri Nigan replied, "Then I will contact them to buy slaves. What's the price?"
"According to the weight, if a slave weighs a hundred jin, then give them two hundred jin of food. No more, no less." This time, Han Xuanfeng didn't listen to Zhang Xiaobao's instructions and said according to his own thoughts.
Songri Nigan didn't understand, "Why do we have to calculate by weight? This price is indeed enough to buy a slave, especially now that Tubo is lacking in food. I reckon that they will be willing to sell food that is slightly lighter than a slave. After all, slaves still need to eat food. "
"That's because if the weight of food is not as heavy as a slave, they might as well kill the slave and let other slaves eat it. Furthermore, it's better than just eating food. That's why I told you to prepare double the amount of food. This way, they will feel that it's not worth it to kill slaves and let other slaves eat it. Naturally, they will be willing to trade."
Han Xuanfeng said something that made people feel helpless, but it really happened. Compared to hard work, perhaps animals were more valuable. When people were hungry, it wasn't impossible for people to eat people.
When Han Xuanfeng spoke, his voice wasn't soft. After the slave beside him heard it, he seemed to have thought of something and couldn't help but tremble a few times. Songri Nigan also nodded helplessly.
"I knew it would be like this. Then we will use food to trade for slaves. If they are willing to sell horses, cows, and sheep, do we have to use three times the weight to trade?"
"Maybe we can trade for cows and sheep, but if we trade for horses, once we trade for them, they will have to sell to us. Then we might as well trade for them ourselves. Why do we have to buy from you? I will write a letter to the young master and young lady and ask them. Now, you should prepare some food first.
But we have to agree that three-quarters of the slaves you trade for must be sold to me. I can give you 10% more than what you trade for. I have a use for slaves. "
Han Xuanfeng thought for a moment and agreed to the trade, but he had to have a choice.
After Songri Nigan and Han Xuanfeng finished their discussion, they went to meet the people sent by Tubo to discuss the slave trade. They were waiting for more people to arrive.
*****
In Lu Zhou's mansion, Zhang Pingwang was packing his luggage. He was going to leave soon, and he also brought the rental tax here with him. When he returned, he would be able to arrange another official position for him. The person who would replace him had already been decided and was on his way. It would probably take a few days for him to arrive.
After looking at everything and having someone pack them up, Zhang Pingwang didn't want to stay in the house anymore. He led his little attendant out again and walked on the widest street in Lu Zhou's mansion. His eyes kept looking at the scenery around him as though he wanted to remember everything.
"Master, why do I suddenly not want to leave? It's better to stay here. The food is good, the clothes are good, and the accommodation is good. Moreover, we don't have to worry about the people causing trouble." The attendant had the same thoughts and said what was on his mind.
"Sigh! It's precisely because this place is good that there are more people who want to occupy this place. If we don't leave, how will others be willing? Moreover, we'll get a lot of money if we leave this place. When we return, we can buy more land. It's just troublesome to transport it. "
Zhang Pingwang sighed. When he looked at the scenery on both sides of the street again, he remembered more carefully. He didn't want to forget what this place was like. He didn't know when he would come back in the future. Unless he was no longer an official, he wouldn't be sent here even if he was sent away.
The two of them talked as they walked. At the same time, they kept smiling at the people who saw them. They were about to leave. It was not easy to see such people in other places.
Last month, they didn't think much of it, but now, they were very reluctant to leave.
While they were walking, they suddenly heard the sound of firecrackers in front of them. The crackling sound was not soft at all. From time to time, two firecrackers would fly up and explode in the sky.
"Let's go and take a look." Zhang Pingwang, who didn't know what was going on, called out to his attendant and sped up.
It wasn't just the two of them. The people who didn't have anything to do also curiously ran over. This shouldn't be a wedding. If it was a wedding, it shouldn't be in the morning. It should be in the evening when it was almost dark. Could it be that a shop opened?
But all the shops here were occupied. No one would casually sell. With all kinds of doubts, people gathered over there.
When they reached the place, Zhang Pingwang looked at the plaque and muttered, "Great Tang Bank, what is this place for? Could it be a pawn shop? "
The attendant shook his head, indicating that he didn't know. Soon, the sound of firecrackers faded away, and the manager of the Great Tang Bank walked out. He first bowed to the crowd, and then began to talk. He talked about the use of the bank, and it was better to deposit money and lend money. He emphasized the matter of foreign currency exchange.
After the manager of the bank finished speaking, the surrounding people finally understood. So this was what he was doing. This was of no use to ordinary people. It was better to have some money at home. There was no need to leave it in the bank and let others take away a portion of it.
The eyes of the businessmen lit up. This was a good thing. In the future, as long as they went to the same bank, they could withdraw the money they had saved here. They didn't have to worry about wasting time. Even if the certificate was lost, they wouldn't be afraid. There was a special mark on the certificate, and no one could take it out.
This involved the cut corresponding to the number of the bill issued by the bank at the border. Unless he was stupid and told others about the cut, or someone in the bank leaked this information.
It was probably impossible. After all, the people who checked the cut were sent by the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. As long as the corresponding code book was not lost, they didn't have to worry about it.
Zhang Pingwang was also very happy. This was because the people in the bank had just mentioned that from now on, not only could they carry out foreign exchange for merchants, they could also deposit the tax they had to pay to the government and then take it out and hand it over when they went to the capital.
"Master, this will save a lot of trouble. After all, it's easy to make mistakes when escorting money. What if someone intercepts it? Now, we just need to put the tax we have to pay this year in the bank and put the money we get. We only need to escort a part of the food.
Moreover, the food will not be sent all the way to the capital. When it reaches the east of Jiangnan, we will give it to them. They will send the food to the capital. Master, should we do this? "
Zhang Pingwang's attendant said happily. The last sentence was to ask if they should put their money in the bank. After all, they had to pay 2% of the annual fee.
"Of course, we have to put it in the bank. The Zhang Family and the Wang Family are really capable to make such a business. Oh, this is one of their rice shops."
Zhang Pingwang didn't think much about it. 2% of the fee was really not much. Moreover, it was a year's fee. If they went back quickly, they could reach the destination in three months. It was a little more money, but it was better than bringing it with him.
The merchants began to gather around and carefully asked the manager of the bank where there was a similar Tang bank so that they could prepare in advance.
Some merchants from the east of Jiangnan also asked if there would be a Tang bank on Xinyuan Island in the future. At that time, they could directly put their gold in the bank and come back here to get it, saving the trouble of transporting it back and forth.
Of course, copper coins were not allowed. Unless they wanted to be punished, who would dare to make copper coins and deposit them there?
*****
At this time, Xinyuan Island, which was the focus of the merchants, was in the midst of a war. Those who had been to Xinyuan Island had seen how good the Tang Empire was. After returning, they began to spread the news in their own tribes. Not only did they tell others what they had seen and heard, they also distributed the gifts that the Tang Empire had given them.
In this way, the people of this tribe yearned for the Tang Empire even more. When the Tang Empire sent troops and ships to support them at a place on the shore, they joined forces with several other tribes to deal with the people who wanted to drive the Tang Empire away.
The war on the island had never stopped. This group of people who yearned for the Tang Empire not only received things provided by the Tang Empire, but also had better weapons than the other side, although these weapons had to be exchanged with local products.
In the enemy camp, there was a person sitting there. His eyes were looking at the map drawn by the people on his side. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something unhappy. Beside him, there were two 'beautiful' women massaging his shoulders.
The house he was in was the best. The other people's houses could only shelter them from the wind and rain. Just as he was looking at the map, a person suddenly came in and spoke to him very respectfully.
"Takeshita Kun, they are fighting again. This time, the arrows they used are more powerful than the last time. There is also that thing called fireworks, which blew up many of our people. Takeshita Kun, when will the reinforcements from your country arrive? If they don't come soon, we won't be able to hold on.
The other tribes that have allied with us don't want to continue fighting like this. Even if the Tang Empire you mentioned is a small country, we can't beat them. We still want to continue exchanging with them. "
In fact, this person also didn't understand why Takeshita Kun said that the Tang Empire was a small country that existed by relying on Japan. In the end, the Tang Empire's ships circled the island outside, while Japan's ships couldn't come over.
Takeshita Sanshi's eyes finally moved away from the map. He looked at the person who came in and said, "The Tang Empire is a small country that was originally a vassal of Japan. Not only did they send a ship to occupy this place, they also allied with another country, Silla.
It is very easy for Japan to deal with a small country like the Tang Empire, but we have to be on guard against Silla. Do you understand?
A small country like the Great Tang isn't trying to be nice to you. They're giving you the worst things, things that our Japan doesn't even want, but they're taking away your good things. As a country, we should help you so that you won't be bullied. "
The person who was listening to Sanshi Takeshita's words kept nodding. He thought to himself that there was actually a country called Silla. The Tang Dynasty, this small country, must be on good terms with Silla while also submitting to Japan. Such a country was really too hateful.
Although it was hateful, the matter here still had to be resolved. Hence, this person asked Takeshita Sanshi, "Takeshita Kun, then what should we do now?"
"Yes, there are not only a few tribes on your side on the island. If you continue to head over there, there will be more tribes. Send someone to tell them that as long as they come over to help defeat this small country, the Great Tang, our Japan will be able to find a chance to restrain Xinluo.
"I will send you our domestic exquisite porcelain, better than what you are using now. There is also beautiful silk, better than what the small country of the Tang Empire has exchanged with you."
Takeshita Sanshi looked as if he had a card up his sleeve. The person who came in kept nodding. He agreed and went out to send people.
Takeshita Sanshi heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at the messy map in front of him and thought to himself, 'If only Japan was really a country, I wouldn't have to lie here. I would have sent troops from my country to deal with the Tang Empire. Unfortunately, they lost again and again in the naval battle. They lost so much that they don't dare to fight the Tang Empire anymore. They can only submit to the Tang Empire.'
Takeshita Sanshi planned to find more helpers. Lu Zhou's people also thought the same. They brought people who could communicate with the other party and began to travel on the sea by boat. They stayed close to the sea and made contact with the tribes on the island. Every time they arrived at a tribe, they would send silk and local specialties that were not available here as a sign of friendship.
Then, they raised the matter of future exchanges. The people of the tribes here were not all so fierce that they would kill without saying anything. Many of them were willing to exchange goods with the Tang Empire. Moreover, they had promised to send troops to help in the war. However, they wanted benefits. After helping, they had to give the benefits.
Naturally, Lu Zhou's people would not refuse. They even gave a portion of the goods in advance. This made these local tribesmen very happy.
The Tang Empire's fleet was slightly faster than Takeshita Sanshi's. Hence, they obtained a result. After Takeshita Sanshi's people went over to persuade the tribesmen, the tribesmen who received the goods from the Tang Empire looked at the tribesmen sent by the tribesmen who asked them to help in the war and captured them as trophies.
One side came on a big boat and gave the tribesmen something in advance. The other side did not even have a small boat. They came on land and did not take anything. There was no need to ask who was stronger and who was weaker. Moreover, the things in their hands were theirs.
Under such circumstances, there was a reversal in the war. The tribesmen who had joined forces to 'drive' the Tang Empire's army and merchants away were finally attacked from both sides. The more they fought, the more they were defeated. They could only hide in the mountains or the forest.
After a few battles, Takeshita Sanshi was slightly injured. He also hid in the forest and swore to fight back. He said many encouraging words. However, apart from the tribesmen who listened to him in the beginning, the other tribesmen who joined forces became less and less convinced of his words.
The Great Tang did not have to spend too many resources to successfully occupy the area outside the forest. Then, they organized people here and began to reclaim the land. They brought good tools from Great Tang and gathered the wood and herbs that were hundreds of years old here. Then, they shipped them to Lu Zhou one ship after another.
The cleared land was used for the local people to plant cotton. The coconut oil was also refined. The price they paid was less than one-fiftieth of the value of the goods they brought back. For example, a piece of silk that was very common in the Tang Empire and a ham made from pork that was not a wild boar.
These things were not valuable in the Tang Empire, but the people on Luzon Island did not know that. As long as they felt that they did not have something, they would consider it a good thing, especially the various spices and ceramics that were still very rare.
The merchants of the Jiangnan East Road were active again. Some of them traveled between the Tang Empire and Xinyuan Island, while others traveled along the shore and went farther away, hoping to find more useful resources.
*****
Time passed in a hurry. When the new year was approaching, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan received a large ingot of gold sent from Xinyuan Island. It was so big that it was almost the size of a vat of water. It was not obtained from an exchange. It was a tribute to Zhang Xiaobao from the locals.
Although the natives of Xinyuan Island could still talk about the Tang Empire, they only knew about Lu Zhou's Chamber of Commerce, which was run by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. To them, it was right to listen to the Chamber of Commerce.
Therefore, when Lu Zhou's men mentioned when the new year would be here, how lively it would be here, and how they wanted to find good things on the island as gifts for the little young master and the little lady, the locals worked together to refine this large ingot of gold.
This ingot of gold was set off early. It was not until the new year that it was sent to Boxin County. Little Bei and the others, who knew what gold was, opened their mouths in shock.
Little Bei stroked the ingot of gold that was taller than her as she said honestly, "Wow, this is such a large ingot of gold. It's as big as a rock. If it's made into jewelry for me, I won't be able to wear it."
Little Hai, who was standing at the side, looked at the ingot of gold and said, "They're so stupid. With such a large ingot of gold, I reckon the ship will leak. They don't even know how to break it down. This ingot of gold weighs at least 30 tons, right? I wonder where they got it from. "
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not weigh this ingot of gold, but it did not look small. Even if it was not pure, its density could reach 18 grams per cubic centimeter. Moreover, it was irregular. When the time came, they could only throw it into the pond and see how much the water level rose before they could judge.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan felt that they had seen a lot of the world, but they had never seen such a large ingot of gold. Both of them touched it with their hands.
This was not a problem of how much money it was, but this ingot of gold could scare people. It was just like how many people did not put their money in the bank, but put it under their bed. It was a lot, and it was very comfortable to look at.
"Xiao Bao, I reckon that those tribes took out all the gold and ores they had accumulated over the years and sent them to us. I think this is at least one cubic meter, which is close to 20 tons of pure gold, and 18 to 19 tons of impure gold."
Wang Juan felt the coolness of the ingot of gold and said to Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded and said, "I reckon it's not light. One cubic meter is just one meter in length, width, and height. This height is definitely more than one meter, and I reckon it's 1.3 meters tall. It's taller than Little Bei and the others, and its width is not narrow either. We must try it. When the time comes, it can be used as the treasure of the bank.
If there is a sudden run on the bank one day, as long as we let them see this ingot of gold, they will believe in the strength of our bank. Yes, we must keep it for our own bank, not the Tang Bank. "
While they were talking, Xiaoyuan had already opened his mouth and was looking for an angle to bite this ingot of gold to see if it was real.
However, he could not find a place to bite, so he said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Brother, can you ask someone to separate this ingot of gold? Then let me have a look. I have bitten gold and silver before, so I will know if it is real or not."
"When we go back, I will dig it out for you and let you have a taste. This year, we specially sent gold as a gift. It's not called gold, but called it a dish. It's called red prawns stewed on a golden plate. Let's see who can afford it."
Zhang Xiaobao touched Xiaoyuan's head and also joked.
When Xiaoyuan heard that they were going back, he was very happy. However, just when he was happy, he said, "We have to change places again. We can't stay in any place for long. I don't know if the people in Boxin County will send us off like they did in Yizhou and send us dozens of miles away."
"No, this time we have to leave secretly. County Magistrate He will be the last to leave. He will be in charge of the handover procedures. We will leave first. We can't disturb the people anymore."
Zhang Xiaobao was also afraid. If they had to go to a place again, no one would be able to stand it. The main thing was public opinion. In case someone found trouble in this regard, they had to hide. Even if they knew that after they left, the people would send them a mass apology.
Xiaozhu looked at her brother and sister and suddenly asked, "Where is the next place? Can't my parents come with us? "
Wang Juan nodded. "We haven't decided on the next place. We originally planned to go to Ci Zhou, but after thinking about it, it's better to go to the northeast. It's not very stable there. It's easy for something to happen there in the future. Besides, there's a lot of ginseng there that we need to use as medicine.
Our family still has to stay in Luoyang for a year and wait for Zhang Shuo to continue. It's a mess. It's a complete mess. They are actually going to hold a pilgrimage at the beginning of spring next year. I believe Zhang Shuo will be there soon. You have to follow us. The northeast is very cold. "
The children nodded, indicating that they understood. They were already used to running around. After all, they had such a family. When they enjoyed benefits, they had to give something in return.
The day of departure finally arrived. In order to prevent the people from noticing, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not directly take the children's house. They even left behind the large piece of gold, waiting for the people behind them to transport it away. The group secretly left in batches under the cover of the night. Zhang Xiaobao's group left first, followed by the others.
At daybreak, the people only knew that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had left. All of them felt helpless and sad. Since they could not find Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, they found He Yiwei and questioned him, asking him why he did not warn them.
What could He Yiwei say? Since they did not allow him to warn them, how could he dare speak of it casually? He could only keep explaining that he did not know either. He had seen a letter left behind when he woke up in the morning and it was too late to warn them.
In fact, the people did not specially come to question He Yiwei. They were waiting for He Yiwei to become impressive so that they could send him off. After so many years, it was not easy to meet a good official.
The people gathered to press their handprints. They unrolled a white silk cloth and found someone to write the words of the people. Then, the people pressed their handprints on it. There were three copies. One was for He Yiwei, and the other two were for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Although the two of them were together, they still needed two copies.
He Yiwei looked at the white silk cloth as the people took turns to press their red handprints on it. He looked up and did not let his tears fall. He muttered, "My life was worth it."
When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were returning to Luoyang, they received a letter from Tubo. It was written by Han Xuanfeng.
In the letter, he first said that he wished Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, as well as Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan families a happy new year. He then said that he would not be returning. Mi Fan and Wang Juan were the same.
They were preparing to spend the new year there. He hoped that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan could send some Tubo specialties back home to make his family happy.
He then told Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan that Tubo did not have many livestock to exchange this year. However, there was a lot of saffron, and they had basically bought them all. There were also slaves. The slaves that were exchanged with food had already increased the number of slaves to 34,000.
He said that there would be more next year, especially after it snowed. He asked Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to think of a way to settle them down. They could not let so many people stay in Jinchuan County.
"It seems that Tubo will not have a good time this year. They probably won't send any more troops. Otherwise, they won't have enough food and morale. Once they come, they will be defeated. Our plan can continue."
Zhang Xiaobao put away the letter and said to Wang Juan.
Wang Juan let out a long breath and said, "It's good that there is no war. To be honest, I don't want to fight either. As long as there is a war, people will die. Although a general should be used to seeing life and death, I still don't feel good.
Think of more ideas and try your best to use other methods to take Tubo into Tang Empire's territory. Back then, Tibet was conquered, and the losses were huge. "
"Yes, I will try my best to solve it through economic means. If it really doesn't work, we can buy land from them. Without land, they will gradually weaken. Once we have arranged for the slaves to be bought, we can make a move on their population."
Zhang Xiaobao did not like people dying, especially people on his side. He decided not to use force to solve the problem. However, force could not be lacking. They must have a strong force as a deterrent to let other methods continue.
"Xiao Bao, do you think Li Longji can send us to the northeast? Isn't the northeast very chaotic now? The local people there are not easy to govern."
Wang Juan asked about other things.
Zhang Xiaobao thought for a while and said, "No problem, Li Longji will definitely agree. When the time comes, we just need to beat around the bush. Didn't we say that we were going to Ci Zhou? This time, we will let him think that we are using Ci Zhou as a cover. As long as he is not sure, our plan can continue.
It's best to go to Dalian in the northeast. There's a sea there. We won't go to Gourd Island or Jinzhou for now. Dalian is close to Shandong. Don't think that it will take a long time to get there by land. It's very convenient to go by sea. It's a straight line. "
Wang Juan nodded. "We need to discuss this properly when we get back. Li Longji has become smarter. It won't be easy to trick him anymore. He probably just wants to win this one time. Is there a place called Fushun in the northeast that has a lot of coal? It's said that there is the most amber there.
Let's go there and take a look. Dalian should be a small fishing village right now. There are not many people in the northeast, so who would want to run to a fishing village? "" We can add one more person.
If we continue north, Li Longji won't care about Fazheng. Let's get the Russians here. What's their name again? When we get back, we can take over Fazheng as well. It doesn't matter who takes over. Why care about political power? As long as the people can live a good life, the Great Tang can do it as well. "
As Zhang Xiaobao spoke, he looked toward the northeast. There had 'once' been an extremely powerful country there. There had been both friendship and enmity, but in the end, it was just a matter of interests.
Wang Juan also looked over. Suddenly, she blinked and said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Xiao Bao, do you know the shortest way to get to North America? We can go from there, to the place we bought in America. That'll save us a lot of trouble. There's no need to take such a long and dangerous detour. What do you think? "
Zhang Xiaobao froze for a moment before vigorously nodding. "I think so. That's right. There's a strait there. It's very convenient to get there. It's also very convenient to get to South America. Both sides are very close."
If Zhang Xiaobao hadn't heard Wang Juan mention it, he wouldn't have thought of this matter. He was influenced by his habitual thinking, thinking that the appearance of the Age of Discovery was the discovery of America by the Europeans. Therefore, he had always planned to take the ship there and look for all kinds of seeds to grow back and make delicious food.
But now, he realized that Russia was close to America. It was much more comfortable and less dangerous than going to the sea.
Ships had to be built. There would definitely be naval battles in the future. But getting potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and corn seeds first did not conflict with building ships.
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