Li Xun, who had received the tactical support from Wang Juan, was completely relieved. Most of the troops retreated, except for those who had received instructions from the fleet in advance to cover the retreat. Two thousand people had already started to set fire. Li Xun left another two thousand people behind to provide support, and at the same time divided into small groups to set fire.
Billowing smoke rose from all directions, blowing here and there as the wind changed direction. The people who had finished setting the fire all hid by the seaside and did not move. They were under the protection of the gunships that could not continue to head north.
Looking at the gray sky, Li Xun sighed, as if talking to himself or to the people around him. "Unfortunately, I don't know how much wealth will be lost this time. It's all my fault. I didn't succeed in conquering the Blackwater Commander-In-Chief's Mansion. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to resort to this."
Shen Jun was beside Li Xun. Hearing Li Xun's words, he was very puzzled and comforted him. "Your Highness, why worry? Even if it's burned, it's the trees of the Blackwater Commander-In-Chief's Mansion. It's not a pity."
The others who only knew how to fight nodded in agreement.
Li Xun chuckled. "What do you know? There's no Blackwater Commander-In-Chief's Mansion. You have to look at the long-term. Now it seems to be someone else's territory, but after this is over, it will be Tang's territory. There are many trees that can be used as pillars, and the rare beasts and medicinal herbs on the mountain are all gone.
Do you know how much money has been lost? It can't be counted. If the burned land is developed, it might be able to contribute to one-fifth of Tang's territory. Damn Blackwater Commander-In-Chief's Mansion, playing hard-and-fast and guerrilla warfare with me. Isn't it because they can't adapt to the environment? "
Shen Jun was shocked. "So much money? If I had known this would happen, I would have let Wang Juan personally lead the troops. I think that with her ability, she can definitely destroy the Blackwater Commander-In-Chief's Mansion. "
Shen Jun only realized after saying this that he was belittling Commander-In-Chief Tong 'an. He was about to explain, but Li Xun waved his hand.
"Yes, I'm not as good as Cuckoo, but Cuckoo can't come here to command the troops. Wouldn't that make it seem that Tang has her as a general? That's why they only gave me advice and didn't come here personally.
This battle has to be won, no matter how many resources are lost or how many Tang soldiers are injured or killed. Not only must we win, we must get a result as quickly as possible. We can't drag this out. If we do, who knows how many people will start having other thoughts? "
The army officer sighed and echoed, "Your Highness is right. Our Tang Empire is full of talents. We can't let Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan participate in everything. Otherwise, what will others think of our Tang Empire? Let's burn it. We'd rather lose it."
Li Xun laughed, "Who said they won't participate? They just won't fight directly. When the number of casualties is about the same, Zhang Xiaobao will definitely have a way to minimize the losses. Since they came up with the idea, they will definitely have a follow-up plan."
"Can we really get any benefits from it?" Shen Jun didn't believe it. What benefits could there be if it was burned down?
"I don't know about others, but Zhang Xiaobao definitely won't just focus on destruction. Maybe it's a trick within a trick. Let's wait and see. We'll know when the time comes."
Li Xun didn't doubt Zhang Xiaobao's ability at all. He looked at the gray smoke that dyed the sky and felt much better.
*****
In the government office of Jili State, Craftsman Yan, who had become a judge, finally got together with his younger brother. They talked about various things after they parted. Although they used to communicate with each other through letters, it couldn't be compared to face-to-face communication.
His younger brother was much more honest now. He didn't think about corruption and bribery anymore. Back then, he was bold because he wanted to use his life to get more money and then provide it to his family, such as his father and brother.
Now, he was more worried about whether his actions back then would implicate his family. After learning that his brother was fine after embezzling 60,000 strings of cash, he secretly admired Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's breadth of mind and decided to be a good official in the future.
It wasn't that he didn't want to live a better life, but he knew that as long as he followed Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan and did things properly, he wouldn't be fooled by the fact that he didn't have much money now. Once he left office, whether he was promoted or transferred to another place, he would be rewarded handsomely.
Now, he didn't have much money, but he also didn't have enough to spend. All the necessities of life should be provided by the government office. The things given by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan could only be described with one word: extravagant. If he was a county magistrate somewhere else, even if he tried his best to be greedy, he wouldn't be able to get the various furniture in his house now or the refined food every day.
The two brothers met again after a long separation and had endless things to say. They sat in the Bihai Yinsha Restaurant on the main street of the government office from morning until it was time to light the lamps.
Perhaps because they knew that they couldn't eat much, the two of them ordered a few cold dishes and warmed up the wine. By the time night fell, they were already drunk, but they didn't make a fuss. There was an indescribable smoothness to them.
"Er, I heard that you've been following Governor Zhang and have a deep understanding of him. How much do you know about him?" Looking at the bustling scene of the brightly lit streets outside, Craftsman Yan felt much more energetic after drinking a large bowl of hangover soup and asked his younger brother.
The county magistrate, Yan Eryan, who was called Er, was very embarrassed at this time. In the past, when he wrote to his older brother, he didn't dare to say that he was targeted and thrown to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to deal with. He only said that he was chosen by the two, so he was transferred from another place to Xincai County, which was close to Baoxin County.
Then he was transferred to Jili County and promoted all the way from an ordinary county magistrate to the position of county magistrate. He asked people to bring back good things like fungus, ginseng, sea cucumber and so on. He also said that Zhang Xiaobao gave him because he performed well. In fact, all county magistrates had this treatment.
Hearing his older brother's question, he hesitated but still decided to tell the truth. He stood up and said a few words to the waiter in the restaurant. After a while, the waiter of the restaurant served a pot of tea.
He poured a cup for his older brother and picked up a cup for himself. He said, "Brother, try this Maojian tea. It's premium Maojian tea. It's only a little worse than the premium Maojian tea given to the Emperor and a few important people. You can't buy it outside even if you have money."
Craftsman Yan was stunned. He picked up the cup and tasted it. He nodded and said, "It's indeed better than the one I bought. The package I bought also said premium. Why is the taste different? Did they fake it? "
After drinking two sips of tea, Craftsman Yan felt like he was cheated and was angry.
Yan Eryan smiled and said, "It's not fake. The package says premium, so it's premium. It's just premium Maojian tea that can be bought and sold. It doesn't count those that can't be bought and sold. If you like it, you can take more when you leave. Oh, I'm leaving. I'm in the manor now. It's time for me to go back to Yiying County.
"Why don't you give me good tea? You said you can't buy it. Where did you get this tea?" Craftsman Yan smacked his lips and savored the bitterness and sweetness of the tea. He was very happy that his younger brother was living a good life now.
"It's from the Blue Sea Silver Sand. You're now the magistrate of Jili Province. Your benefits are better than mine. I won't use my own things to make up for it. I say I understand Governor Zhang, and I really do.
How can I not understand the so-called enemy? It's a pity that I'm too bad as an opponent. He doesn't recognize me as an opponent. I've racked my brains to create some trouble, but he doesn't even look at me. I've worked myself to death and learned some skills. It's nothing more than a fool's dream to want to deal with Governor Zhang. Big Brother, what do you want to know? I'll tell you what I know. "
After Yan Eryan told him his original thoughts, he felt much more relaxed. It was as if he had put down a heavy burden.
His words shocked Craftsman Yan. He began to look at his younger brother again. He wanted to see if his younger brother had three heads and six arms. He actually dared to go against Governor Zhang.
After looking at him for a while, he lowered his voice and said, "Eryan, didn't the letter say that Governor Zhang likes you? Why did it change? "
Yan Eryan smiled bitterly and said, "How could he like me? Any random person from his family is better than me. It was the Emperor who liked me. No, it was the Emperor who liked him. He put me, a useless official, by their side to train them.
"I'm not the first one. The first one was a man named He Yiwei. Now, he's a high-ranking official in Yaozhou. I came later. His Majesty wanted to see what they were capable of, so he threw me around them. After a while, the edges and corners in my heart were smoothed out.
Before I came to Jili Province, I wanted to make trouble for them. In the end, I didn't succeed. I didn't want to accept it, so I did my best to understand it. That's why I wrote to you about how to build the province.
Don't worry, I've already given up on my previous plans. I'm going to follow them and be a good official. I won't be as reckless as before. "
When Craftsman Yan heard the last part of his brother's words, he wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. He let out a long breath and asked, "How much do you know?"
"A lot. I know that their family has a lot of money. They have a lot of shares in the Tang Bank. They also do business Between the Clouds and the Water, Between the Clouds, Blue Sea Silver Sand, and the supermarket. They also do business on roads and bridges. They also have a fleet on the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, a fleet on the sea, and a land transport team.
Lu Zhou is their world. They also have a huge force in Tubo's Jinchuan. They have a big ranch in Feng Province. They have a winery and a ski resort in Wing Province. There's no need to mention this place.
In addition to these, I also know that they have a lot of weapons. Not all of them are exposed to the public. I know that the No. 0 Seedling Protection Team of their two families has started to form their own teams. They are trained to be generals. I know that all the servants in their family's inner court are very powerful.
I know that there is an even more important matter that others do not understand, and that is that in my observations, I have discovered that they are not thinking about fighting with the officials of the Great Tang, nor are they thinking about competing with the merchants of the Great Tang. They want to solve all their problems at once, such as … "
Yan Er told his brother what he knew, but before he could finish, his mouth was covered by his brother's hand.
Craftsman Yan looked around nervously. When he saw that there was no one else, his face turned yellow. He moved closer to his brother's ear and said, "Second, let's not talk about what they want to do. If they want to rebel, they need evidence. Otherwise, trouble comes from the mouth."
"Brother, what are you talking about? Rebel? Who's rebelling? I didn't say that the Zhang Family and the Wang Family wanted to rebel. If they wanted to rebel, they would have done so long ago. With the strength of their two families, even if they don't directly become the emperor, they can at least control half of the country.
What I want to say is, for example, they sent people to travel along the sea. It seems that they are looking for some very good things. From the people in their family's inner court, I heard that as long as they can find those things, our Tang won't have to fear any disasters in the future.
Also, they want to turn all the places they can see into our Tang's land. Xinyuan Island is one of them, but there will be more in the future. For example, the Bohai Sea Commander-In-Chief's Office. In the past, our dynasty couldn't directly control it, but now we can. They are currently attacking the Blackwater Commander-In-Chief's Office. Once they take it, they will continue to occupy the north.
What I want to say is that if you follow Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, you won't have to worry about not being able to become a high-ranking official. Wang Juan doesn't have to worry about losing a war. Even if they don't have the legendary mystical abilities, with just their weapons, others won't be able to defend their territory. Zhang Xiaobao's ability to build a territory has already reached the level of a demon.
I've studied it before. Miraculously, no matter where they go, they can always find the local resources very quickly. There are coal mines, iron mines, gold, silver, copper, and so on, as well as all kinds of local specialties. For example, when I interplanted soybeans and sesame seeds in Xincai County, they produced sesame oil. Sure enough, it's different. It tastes good and sells well. "
Yan Er's words left his brother dumbfounded.
Craftsman Yan knew of the power of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family, but he didn't know so much about it. Only after hearing from his brother did he truly understand the power of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family.
"If that's the case, doesn't that mean they can turn stone into gold? No wonder the nine children in their family can be so arrogant. At such a young age, they are already fourth-rank officials. Although they are not official, they are still officials. They can be impeached and can also be questioned. It turns out that the current Emperor is afraid of them rebelling. "
Craftsman Yan felt a lot better. He no longer cared about why Xiao Bei and the others could be such high-ranking officials. Going back to the history, such a thing had never happened before.
Yan Er shook his head. "No, no, it has nothing to do with that. His Majesty is …" Speaking of this, Yan Er lowered his voice. "His Majesty feels that he owes the Zhang Family and the Wang Family too much. The two families have countless businesses, such as the Tracker Association on the Yangtze River, the Breeders' Association in Jiannan, and the construction team in Jiannan.
"But they don't have a lot of money to spend. Little brother's' not a lot 'refers to the proportion, not the actual amount. The money for the research on all sorts of powerful weapons is from their family. Many of the soldiers' benefits are from their family, not the Imperial Court, roads, bridges, or disaster relief.
"Wherever the Great Tang needs money, their family will take it, and not a small amount. His Majesty has obtained fame, all sorts of good technology, and land, so he will naturally compensate them. Thus, their family's power is slightly greater."
Craftsman Yan suddenly understood. If his brother hadn't said this, he really wouldn't have known the situation.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "They do have a bit more power. For example, the rumors from the capital say that Zhang Zhong's position as Minister was arranged by his family. For example, the transfer of my position was done with a single word. But if they do this, can their family really support the entire Great Tang? Will His Majesty tolerate a family like theirs in the Great Tang? "
"Of course, they won't be able to support it for long. They are currently changing. One reason is to avoid His Majesty's suspicions, and the other is to gradually withdraw from this kind of financial support. For example, in Gaimou Province, they miraculously found a very large coal mine.
I don't know how they were so accurate. After they found it, they started to contact others to mine it. It's the same for aluminum and other mines. They also transported all sorts of resources back from overseas. In the future, when there are other people to be officials in this place, they can split the benefits and have money. Naturally, they can support the local army.
I heard from their family's inner court that in the future, the taxes will be directly managed by the capital and then sent back. Their family will then withdraw from this place. This way, they won't have to continue managing the conscripts, and His Majesty won't have to worry. "
Yan Er pointed to the north and told his brother about the large coal mine they found there.
Craftsman Yan nodded woodenly. "You really can turn stone into gold. You can find all sorts of mineral resources just by coming here. Amazing."
"Even more amazing is yet to come. Brother, have you heard of Kun Bu?"
"Of course, it's good stuff. Many children in school are eating it now. It's said that eating it won't make one's neck grow longer. It's also written in the medical books. Why bring it up?"
Craftsman Yan looked at his younger brother with an expression that said, "Why do you have to ask your brother such a simple question?"
"Then, do you know that Kun Bu can be planted? Do you know that the wood ear I usually ask people to bring back to my family is planted by their family? Have you seen the place where ginseng is planted? Have you seen the pearls that are planted? "
Yan Er asked one question after another. Every time he asked a question, Craftsman Yan would shake his head vigorously. When Yan Er was done, Craftsman Yan blinked and said in disbelief, "Don't tell Big Brother that they can grow these things."
Yan Er did not say anything directly. Instead, he took out a box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a necklace made of pearls. He pushed it in front of his brother.
"Brother, this is a gift from your younger brother to sister-in-law. It's a reward for doing a good job in the county. These are the pearls that Lu Zhou cultivated for three years. There are also more than ten bottles of pearl cream. I didn't bring them today. I'll ask someone to send them to you when I get back."
When Craftsman Yan saw the pearls in the box, he was completely dumbfounded. After a while, he recovered slightly. He picked up the pearls and examined them carefully. They were round and shone with a dazzling radiance. Under the illumination of the street lamps, they looked extraordinarily beautiful. Each pearl was about the same size, about five minutes long.
It was not that he had never seen bigger pearls. Although he did not own one, he had seen more than ten six-minute pearls placed together. However, those pearls were different from the ones in front of him. He had seen them before and knew that they were priceless. It was not easy to find them among the shells.
The pearls he saw today were cultivated. If they could be cultivated, the pearls would not be as valuable as before. How could pearls be cultivated? How did the Zhang Family and Wang Family do it?
When he thought of this, Craftsman Yan asked, "Have the pearls lost their value?"
"No. Apart from being used to make cosmetics and jewelry, most of the pearls are sent to the hospital and treated as medicinal herbs. Yes, medicinal herbs can also be planted. When I have time, I'll go to the seaside and take a look. I'll tell you where to plant Kun Bu. Zhang Xiaobao and the others call it kelp. One of the spices in their restaurant is obtained from kelp."
Second Yan seemed very excited. It was as if he was the one who had done all this.
Craftsman Yan nodded in a daze. "Okay, okay."
*****
The stars in the sky were sparse and the moon was bright.
Craftsman Yan had yet to recover from his shock when he returned to his own courtyard.
Today, from what his younger brother told him, he completely understood the background of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. He was not afraid of their influence. Instead, he was happy. He was so happy that his mind was in a daze.
He liked to research all kinds of things. Researching things required a lot of money. If he succeeded, it would be fine. If he failed, he did not know how much money he would need to replenish it. From now on, as long as he followed Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, money would not be a problem.
Just like what his younger brother said before they parted, if he followed the Zhang Family and the Wang Family, he would not have to think about other things. He would work hard and be loyal. In the future, as the territory expanded, he would need more officials. If he caught the eye of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family, it would be easy for him to become a provincial governor.
He would work hard, whether it was for his interests or for his future position.
Craftsman Yan made up his mind. He waved his fist and stood up, preparing to go outside to see the beauty of the Nightless City.
Unexpectedly, he met two people as soon as he stepped out of the door. It was a man and a woman. The man was handsome and the woman was beautiful. There was an indescribable indifference on his face. When he was easy-going, he gave people the feeling that he was a crane in a flock of chickens.
No matter how he looked, he found them familiar. He rubbed his eyes and looked carefully under the light of the street lamps. Yes, he knew them.
"Provincial Governor Zhang, Adjunct Officer Wang, why are you two here?" Craftsman Yan asked, puzzled.
"Magistrate Yan, you really want to go for a walk? Before I came, I made a bet with Xiao Bao. I said that after drinking with your younger brother today, you should be tired and would go to bed early and come back tomorrow. Xiao Bao said that you would definitely sit in the courtyard for a while and then want to come out. Who would have thought that you would really come out? "
Wang Juan blushed slightly as she spoke. She glanced at Zhang Xiaobao. Zhang Xiaobao had a smug look on his face. It was unknown what the bet was.
Craftsman Yan did not pay attention to other people's expressions. His own face had changed, becoming incomparably pale. Before he came out, he had been frightened by the conversation with his younger brother. He had not recovered yet. Now, he was frightened again.
Wasn't this too amazing? He could even predict whether he would go out or rest at night. Before he could even take a step out of the door, he was already blocked at the door.
What else did they not know? No wonder his younger brother was so arrogant. With this kind of ability, he would not lower himself to his younger brother's level. When his younger brother did something, he did not need to send people to monitor him. Perhaps he could predict it with his fingers.
Ah, the Heavens, the Earth, it was no wonder that they led the army to war or engaged in economic construction, and discovered all kinds of mines so smoothly. It turned out that it could be calculated. It was no wonder that His Majesty was so good to the two families. Presumably, His Majesty was aware of their abilities and might even calculate the fate of the country. The result must be good.
"Official Yan, what are you thinking about? Perfect, the two of us have something to say to you. Let's go out and take a look. To be honest, even though the two of us watched over the construction of this place, the two of us did not have much time to appreciate it. We were busy all day, running from east to west, and from west to east. "
At this time, Wang Juan spoke to wake Craftsman Yan.
"That's right, that's right. The two of you must be very tired. It must be very tiring to predict." Craftsman Yan followed up on his earlier thoughts.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were stunned. At the same time, they smiled at Weiwei. They did not explain what psychology was and walked on the street with Craftsman Yan.
Craftsman Yan was a little nervous and a little excited. He did not know how to talk to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. After walking for a few dozen steps, he seemed very bored.
It was Zhang Xiaobao who spoke first. "Official Yan, do you want to be an official or a researcher? If you want to be an official, look at the construction situation of Zhua County. As long as you don't go greedy for money to do research, I can arrange for you to be the provincial governor of a province. "
Zhang Xiaobao's words stunned Craftsman Yan. He then reacted and asked, "What if I do research?"
"If you do research, you can't be an official. You can only be a research official. It's not the Ministry of Works, nor is it the Military Weapons Administration. It's a new department that will appear soon. What you need to do is to research all kinds of technology. There will be other people taking care of your daily life."
Zhang Xiaobao told Craftsman Yan about the things he had been thinking about recently for him to choose from.
Craftsman Yan knew that if Zhang Xiaobao said that there would be a department dedicated to this in the future, there would definitely be one. No one in the imperial court could stop it.
Which aspect did he want to work on? The meaning behind his words was that as long as he became a research official, he would not be able to manage the people. He had to consider it carefully.
As he thought about it, Craftsman Yan raised his head to look at the bright street lamps. For a moment, he did not know how to answer.
Wang Juan also looked at the street lamps and explained, "The electricity used for these street lamps is driven by wind turbines. They found a vent here and set up a cluster. No matter which direction the wind blows, there will be a windmill that will turn. Usually, it will provide public services and street lamps in the provincial capital. Some merchants who are willing to spend money will also receive electricity.
"This is all due to the advancement of technology. If the steam engine is good enough and can be used to generate electricity, there won't be a need for a vent. Being a research official is a blessing to the people. In fact, researching more advanced technology will also benefit many people.
"As for the treatment of technical officials, they will be treated the same as administrative officials. At the current stage, they will be treated better than administrative officials. Our Great Tang needs the rapid development of technology to leave other countries far behind. We need to build bigger ships and search for more useful resources overseas."
As soon as Craftsman Yan heard this, he understood what Wang Juan meant. Wang Juan wanted him to be a technician because he had figured out the steam engine. He couldn't help but feel excited when he thought about how the things he made in the future could be as convenient as this electric light. He felt a great sense of achievement.
"Adjunct Wang, is my steam engine going to be used on the people soon? I will continue to improve it and try to make it smaller and easier to use. What benefits will the people get from it? "
In an instant, Craftsman Yan felt that he was very noble to be able to use the things he made on the people.
Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao also admitted that Craftsman Yan's idea was noble, but the two of them couldn't follow Craftsman Yan's suggestion and use the steam engine on the people.
Zhang Xiaobao glanced at Wang Juan and said to Craftsman Yan, "Lord Yan, the steam engine is good, but it can't be used on the people right away."
"Then where should we use it?" Craftsman Yan was surprised.
"Use it on warships. I'm sure Lord Yan has heard that we have a very powerful naval weapon called the Gunboat. Wherever it goes, even ghosts and gods will retreat. However, the speed of the ship is still too slow, and it consumes a lot of manpower. A lot of space is wasted.
If we put the steam engine on the ship, the ship will be faster and save the space needed to move the oars. We can also carry more cannonballs and hit whoever we want. "
Zhang Xiaobao explained to Craftsman Yan directly.
Craftsman Yan opened his mouth and sighed. He said, "So it's used to kill people. The invention of this technology isn't to immediately benefit the people?"
"Yes, it's used to kill people. If people don't accept it, then kill them. If they accept it, then it's a deterrent. It's not directly benefiting the people, but it's still in the category of benefiting the people. Without powerful military force, how can the people live a stable life?
Good technology should always be used on the military first, even if the creator of the technology didn't think so. For example, when my family made firecrackers, it was to prepare for cannonballs in the future.
Now, go to Tubo and say you're from the Great Tang. See if anyone dares to be disrespectful to you. Go to Xinluo and see if they dare to expel you and look down on you. "
Zhang Xiaobao was afraid that Craftsman Yan would give up being a technician. Such a talent was not easy to find, especially since Craftsman Yan's thinking was what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan needed the most. Therefore, he gave an example when persuading him.
Craftsman Yan lowered his head and thought for a moment. Then, he raised his head and looked at the people walking on the streets. He nodded and said, "They don't dare. They're already scared, especially Xinluo. Your Jili Province is so close, and you can attack from both land and water. Plus, with Adjunct Wang's vengeful personality, they don't dare.
Just like what Adjunct Wang said when he led the logistics camp in Yingzhou to kill the Tubo people, if you kill me, I'll slaughter your village. Thinking about it, the people who died in battle, the people who starved to death, and the hundreds of thousands of slaves who ran to your hands should be enough for each person to slaughter a village. "
"Then, Lord Yan, have you thought it through?" When Wang Juan heard Craftsman Yan mention her, Weiwei smiled and asked.
Nodding, Craftsman Yan's gaze became firm. "I've thought it through. I'll be a technician and strengthen the Tang army first."
Hearing his answer, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan heaved a sigh of relief.
In order to give Craftsman Yan some confidence, Zhang Xiaobao said, "Lord Yan, actually, the steam engine can not only be used on warships. If it's the mainstream of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, it can also be used for civilian transportation and carrying people. Try it on warships first.
If it's useful, we'll immediately put it on civilian ships. Then, it'll be more convenient to travel between the north and the south. Lord Yan, you should have heard of the Huayuan Express Delivery. That's actually under our management. With a fast ship, it'll be more convenient to send goods and letters to the people who need them. "
Perhaps he was numb from the shock, but when he heard that the most powerful letter delivery organization in Great Tang was under the management of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family, Craftsman Yan didn't show any surprise. Instead, he smiled.
"I know. My little brother wrote me letters in that direction. Back then, my little brother was afraid that you guys would find out about his letters, so he didn't dare to use the official route. I didn't expect that the other direction he took would still be under your control. I'll definitely study the steam engine properly."
Wang Juan suddenly had an idea and added, "Lord Yan, actually, there's one more thing that we haven't told you yet. After all, it requires too much money to support. However, I can promise you that as long as you can make the steam engine work well and not break down too often, we'll spend a lot of money on it."
"Can you tell me about it first?" Craftsman Yan was curious.
"That thing is called a train. Why is it called that? Because it needs to ignite and release steam. It travels on two tracks, and its speed is very, very fast. It can travel at least a thousand kilometers in two hours. Oh, no, it can travel at least seventy to eighty li. It's very convenient whether it's transporting people or goods."
Wang Juan almost told him the speed of the train she and Zhang Xiaobao used back then. Two hours was two hours, so it wouldn't be a problem for it to travel a thousand kilometers.
Craftsman Yan, who had already thought that he wouldn't be surprised, couldn't help but widen his eyes. "If it can travel eighty li in two hours, wouldn't it be faster than the Eight Hundred Li Express? Governor Zhang, Adjunct Wang, can you go ahead and tell this lowly official in detail? "
If someone else had said this, Craftsman Yan felt that he would have scoffed. Who were they trying to fool? Traveling seventy to eighty li in two hours meant that it would only take forty to fifty days to travel from one side of Great Tang to the other. How was that possible?
But when Wang Juan said this, and when he thought of the two's ability to calculate, even if he didn't think it was possible, it should still be possible.
For a moment, Craftsman Yan couldn't hold back his curiosity and insisted on dragging Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to a place so that they could talk about it in detail.
Zhang Xiaobao glanced at the roadside and saw a big stall in front of him. The meat skewers on the stall were emitting light green smoke. There were also bowls of rice wine being served by the waiter from time to time. Many people were eating and drinking there despite the cold of spring. He said to Craftsman Yan,
"For example, go ahead and try the meat skewers as a check. If they dare to use bad meat, I'll get Xiaobei and the others to come over."
Craftsman Yan knew that Zhang Xiaobao was joking. During the day, he had heard from his younger brother that the people of Jili Province already regarded Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan as gods. No one would violate the rules set by the two of them, let alone use bad meat when roasting meat.
Thinking of how Xiaobei and the others had come to find him not long ago, he smiled and said, "Yes, if Governor Zhang really went to find Xiaobei and the others, even if that person didn't have a problem, he would have said what he was thinking. At the time, I was so scared that I didn't even dare to hide it."
"They're just children, they only know how to fool around. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have met such a formidable person like Official Yan. Let's go, it's my treat today."
Zhang Xiaobao was also very happy to hear his younger brother and sister praised.
"Of course. Who told Governor Zhang to be so rich?" Craftsman Yan followed over and found an empty table to sit down. He first ordered a pot of hot tea to warm himself up, then randomly chose a few skewers to roast. The three of them began to talk about the train.
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