After Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan promised some benefits, they brought a group of promoted youngsters back to their own ranks. It was time for them to get new uniforms made. Sixth-rank officials were not allowed to wear seventh-rank uniforms, and they also had to change their seals. The two families were already used to preparing their own uniforms and seals.
"You can actually shoot so accurately. It would be great if someone came to assassinate us when we were climbing Mount Tai." Looking at the group of children leaving, Li Longji's sudden words almost scared Gao Lishi to death.
"Your Majesty, please don't think like that. When the time comes, you will be safe and sound, but the bodyguards in charge of protecting you will be beheaded."
"Yes, when we go back, we will build a shooting range for handguns. We will train to be better than Xiao Bao and Cuckoo." Li Longji said unconvinced.
After Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan left, Zhang Shuo came in. He was still thinking about the handguns. As soon as he entered the Emperor's carriage, he did not have time to admire the luxury of the carriage and said, "Your Majesty, what do you want to do about the handguns?"
Li Longji knew what Zhang Shuo was thinking. The head of the secretariat had something that he could not control. He felt uncomfortable, but he also felt uncomfortable. The Pilgrimage of Mount Tai this time was actually all Zhang Shuo's people. When he was drafting the list, he knew that Zhang Shuo and Xiao Bao had a conflict with Cuckoo.
He did not expect that Zhang Shuo would dare to disregard others and force his own people to join. When he thought about how Xiao Bao and Cuckoo had drafted the list, it was obviously for the sake of balance. It was not their own people, but Zhang Shuo did not see through it. It was too unreasonable.
The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable Li Longji felt. When he saw Zhang Shuo mention the handguns, he asked, "Official Zhang, what do you suggest?"
"Your Majesty, handguns are sharp weapons. They can kill people almost invisibly. Compared to arrows, they have a shorter range. However, they have a fast firing speed and are easy to carry. They are lighter than bows, and bullets are lighter than arrows. They are invincible when attacking cities. If this weapon falls into the hands of others, it will be a threat to the Imperial Court. Your Majesty should personally watch over them."
Zhang Shuo made the handguns sound very powerful to make the Emperor feel threatened.
"Watch over them personally? Am I the one who stares at the pistol workshop all day? Then who is in charge of the court? "Li Longji asked.
"Naturally, there is no need for Your Majesty to watch over him all day long. You can send a loyal person to do it." Zhang Shuo realized that the Emperor seemed to have some opinions about him today.
"Xiao Bao was unfaithful to Cuckoo? Someone from the Zhang Family and the Wang Family was disloyal? In the end, someone else had to take care of it. So what if it was placed in the hands of Xiao Bao and Cuckoo? Could it be that he was going to be placed in the Head of the Secretariat? Can Zhang Qing lead someone to make a better pistol? "
Li Longji asked one question after another. With each question, his tone became more and more severe.
At this time, Gao Lishi spoke. He was not talking about Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. He was talking about himself. "Your Majesty, this subject is guilty. This subject's adopted son is not at ease. This subject did not teach him well. Why don't you remove their official positions and transfer them back from Jili Prefecture? This subject will carefully teach them and be loyal."
Hearing Gao Lishi's words, Zhang Shuo regretted it. Just now, he had rushed over impulsively. The Emperor kept calling them Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. It was very clear that these two children had a place in the Emperor's heart.
"En, it's what An Lishi said. Transfer Xiao Bao and Cuckoo back from Jili Prefecture to teach them. Also, put the pistol manufacturing under the Palace Secretariat. Zhang Qing will recommend the two to Jili Prefecture."
Li Longji spoke while Zhang Shuo was thinking about how to eliminate the consequences of rushing over in a hurry.
Zhang Shuo suddenly felt a chill on his back. His clothes were immediately wet and his scalp was numb. He was not afraid that the pistol manufacturing would be under the Palace Secretariat. Even if the Emperor was slightly dissatisfied, as long as he found a good craftsman and studied it carefully, he believed that the pistol would be better.
What he was afraid of was Gao Lishi's resentment. He did not know how fierce the Emperor's revenge would be in the future. What he was more afraid of was that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would be transferred back from Jili Prefecture.
Even if he was unwilling to admit it, he had to think about what would happen to Jili Prefecture without Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Except for the two of them, it seemed that no one could guard that place well. If he let the people he recommended, who could nail that place firmly like a nail and suppress the entire northern Hebei Province so that no one dared to make a move?
Who would be willing to take out so much money to send daily necessities to 130,000 people? If it were two people who went over, and it was him who recommended them, but suddenly saw an opportunity and started a war, would the people he arranged be able to lead the soldiers of Jili Prefecture to victory?
Seeing that Zhang Shuo was speechless, Li Longji also did not make a sound. How could he not know the role of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan? Looking at the two of them through Tufan, Boxin County, and now Jili Prefecture, wherever the two of them were, it was very stable. The two of them, one in the military and one in the government, cooperated very well.
The most important thing was that the two of them, as well as Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, did not seem to have any ambition. Once they had something good, they immediately took it out and showed it to him like it was a treasure.
Now, he could take the opportunity to knock some sense into Zhang Shuo and make him restrain himself.
In this stalemate, Luo Bin came back and congratulated Li Longji, "Your Majesty, congratulations, congratulations, Your Majesty. There is news from Yaowang Mountain in Huayuan County. The Empress is about to give birth after the New Year. The doctor said that it is twins."
"Oh? Is that so? " Originally, Li Longji was prepared to give up on Empress Wang and wanted to depose her. Later on, Empress Wang went to Huayuan County and came back. Not only did she become more beautiful, her performance in bed had also improved. She was also more sensible than before. She was no longer the Empress Wang who only knew how to practice martial arts and fight.
Now that he heard that Empress Wang was pregnant with two children, Li Longji, who had given up on the idea of dethroning the Empress, was very happy.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the doctor from De Yi Medical College would not lie. However, the Empress cannot come back for the New Year. She is currently receiving prenatal education at Yaowang Mountain." Luo Bin did not understand what prenatal education was. The letter sent by the person said so, so he just replied like that.
Li Longji, who wanted to see Empress Wang very much, had to give up on the idea of letting Empress Wang come back. He was also afraid that something would happen on the way. It was better to leave her at Yaowang Mountain. That place was controlled by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
Without waiting for Li Longji to speak, Zhang Shuo, who felt that he had found an opportunity, spoke first, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. I will go back now and have someone choose a gift and send it to Yaowang Mountain."
"Yes, Minister Zhang, thank you for your efforts." Li Longji no longer had the intention to continue beating Zhang Shuo. He was only looking forward to the birth of the child.
Zhang Shuo, who was completely drenched, finally left the carriage. He came outside and let out a long breath. He was afraid and jealous.
He understood that once Empress Wang gave birth to the child, she would definitely take care of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan more. With Gao Lishi, it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens to touch the two of them.
Gao Lishi was also happy for Empress Wang. He was not in favor of dethroning the Empress. In the past, Empress Wang did not have any other abilities, but she managed the harem very well. According to Xiao Bao's words, this was called charisma. Now that she had a child, there was no reason to dethrone her.
"Your Majesty, this is a happy occasion from the heavens. Are you going to reward the three armies? In the future, Xiao Bei will have more playmates. The Empress will be safe at Yaowang Mountain. "
"Reward, of course, there must be a reward." Li Longji happily agreed. At the same time, he was also considering whether to teach his two children to Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. It could be seen from Xiao Bei and the others that under Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's guidance, they were smarter and cuter than ordinary children.
The most important thing was that the Zhang Family and Wang Family seemed to have a set of things that were specially used to teach their children. Just look at the nutrition that Xiao Bei and the others ate every day. Until now, none of their children had died. In addition, they had the best doctors to watch over them and the most stringent protection. There was no need to worry that the two children would die early like Li Yi.
"This subject will go and arrange it." Gao Lishi, who was also happy, left behind a sentence and went out of the carriage to arrange the reward for the three armies.
When Luo Bin saw that he had not received a reward yet, he had no choice but to continue talking about things that would make the Emperor happy.
"Your Majesty, when we were on our way back, Provincial Governor Zhang and Adjunct Officer Wang met me. They said that they have prepared many things for the babies and have already sent them to Yaowang Mountain in Hua Yuan County. They have also sent medical personnel from Lu Zhou to rush over as soon as possible. Your Majesty, don't worry."
When Li Longji heard this, he remembered that there was still a person who was announcing the good news. He glanced at the other palace maids and eunuchs before he said, "Reward the people in the carriage today with 100,000 coins and 20 bolts of silk. Reward Provincial Governor Zhang … If you don't reward the two of them, reward Xiao Bei and the others with money … If you don't give them money, I'll make Xiao Bei and the others with the title of Imperial Grandee."
After rewarding the people in the carriage, Li Longji remembered Zhang Xiaobao, Wang Juan, and the others. He wanted to reward the two of them, but he found that there was nothing to reward. In the end, he could only give them to Xiao Bei and the others.
Xiao Bei and the others who had just been promoted to a rank-6 official had not even finished making their clothes when they lost their rank-6 official rank and became a rank-5 official.
Luo Bin acknowledged the order and hastily ran out to report the good news to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
At this moment, Xiao Bei and the others were choosing cloth. Originally, they were wearing light green clothes, rank-7 official rank. Now, they were choosing dark green clothes. They were considering whether they should use Sichuan brocade or Suzhou brocade. They should wear silk, muslin, or satin.
When Luo Bin came, he was rewarded with a pair of beautiful glass apples and a large ingot of gold.
"I'll wear light red clothes and get a silver fish pouch." Xiao Bei, who had been promoted again, already knew what color the clothes should be. He tossed the dark green cloth aside and did not want it anymore.
"Xiao Bao, it seems that we have to strengthen the defenses at Yaowang Mountain. No problems are allowed to happen there," Wang Juan said to Zhang Xiaobao as she looked at her happy younger siblings.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded. "Seal the mountain. From now on, until Empress Wang gives birth, no one is allowed to go up the mountain. Explain to the outside world that it is undergoing renovation. Put some projects that can be moved down under Yaowang Mountain. Send 20 members of Team Zero to guard it.
Also, all the restaurants Between the Clouds and the Water and the Sea and Clouds are located in various places. Don't bring the money back in the near future. Just put it in their area, the most remote and farthest Tang Bank. Send the money over and have people build good relations with the local wealthy families. Carry out other business cooperation first. "
"What? Are you worried that something will happen? "
"It's not that I'm worried, but that something will happen soon. It will probably happen after the Spring Festival. Write a letter back and ask the Tang Bank to increase the reserve ratio. Prepare to open the deposit account with interest at any time. Ask Li Xun and the businessmen we first cooperated with not to make big investments recently and to keep the money in hand. The deposits of the banks in the capital this year have increased abnormally in the past month."
Zhang Xiaobao nodded and continued to make arrangements.
"Run on the bank?" Wang Juan asked.
"Yes, they're using a single point to expose the truth. That's what they're trying to do. Once they're able to hold on, they'll be safe in the future. Tomorrow or the day after, tell Li Longji that we're going to issue three-year government bonds.
"Ji Li Province should have already started the plan for Song Sha Commandery. Is there anything else to add? Write a letter as soon as possible. "
"Not at the moment. Let the people Between the Clouds and the Water gather supplies as quickly as possible. I think Li Longji will do something at the last minute. It must be fast, no matter how much it costs."
*****
Li Longji's reward made the soldiers happy, and they all did their work more seriously.
When they found out that the Empress was going to have a child, many people sent their 'blessings'. The news spread as quickly as possible, and then a large amount of supplies were sent to Huayuan County.
This was done for the Emperor and Empress Wang to see. Perhaps they wouldn't get any benefits from the gifts, but if there was trouble, they might be taken care of because of the gifts they sent today. The people who sent the gifts might not remember them, but if they didn't send the gifts, they definitely wouldn't care when there was trouble.
Overjoyed, Li Longji held a grand bonfire party that very night. Fortunately, Zhang Xiaobao had predicted his intentions in advance, so the bonfire party went off without a hitch.
The red flames made Li Longji's face red. He stood up and looked at the flames from afar. Li Longji held a cup of wine and urged the officials to drink.
Li Shaogu drank the hot wine, but his heart was cold. He didn't care that Empress Wang was going to have a child, and he didn't care whether the soldiers were happy or not.
What he cared about was how the people Between the Clouds and the Water could get all the supplies ready when Li Longji suddenly proposed to hold a bonfire party. This was the most frightening part.
Could it be that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, who were in charge of Jili Province, had such a strong foundation? If they could prepare a bonfire party today, they could also prepare the logistics during a war.
He hoped that Ke Tuyu wouldn't make trouble for him. Otherwise, he would see again how powerful the famous logistics camp in Yizhou Province was.
Li Longji also knew how much pressure Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would have to hold a bonfire party at the last minute. He was waiting for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to come to him and ask him to mobilize the supplies from the provincial government.
He didn't expect that the people Between the Clouds and the Water would immediately send all the supplies over when he proposed it in the evening. They didn't even lack wood for the bonfire.
"Could it be that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo have learned how to predict the enemy's advance and calculate my last plans so well?" Li Longji drank the wine in his cup and said to Gao Lishi when Gao Lishi poured him another cup.
"Your Majesty, if not, how could the northern part of Hebei Province be suppressed and not dare to do anything? The gunboats that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo mobilized just now blew up the army of Daxing City. "
Gao Lishi didn't expect that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo could do so well. He explained to the emperor when he was happy for them.
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