As the only good restaurant in Xinluo close to Tang Dynasty, Changfeng Pavilion had become the place where Li Dong and the others would discuss things.
Today, a group of businessmen were still here to invite Zhang Tie, who was a builder.
"Steward Zhang, drink up. This is shipped from Tang Dynasty. I think Steward Zhang can still drink." Li Dong said to Zhang Tie with a brilliant smile as he filled a bowl of wine for Zhang Tie.
Zhang Tie's smile was no worse than Li Dong's. He raised his bowl and clinked it with Li Dong's. Raising his head, he poured the liquor into his mouth. After drinking the liquor, Zhang Tie wiped his mouth with his hand and exhaled. He then said to Li Dong, "It's hard to refuse Boss Li's hospitality. After not seeing you for a few days, I also missed you. Originally, I planned to have a good drink with Boss Li and the others after the tariff was settled. Unexpectedly, Boss Li asked me to leave first.
"Steward Zhang, you're treating me as an outsider. Do you need to be so polite with me? It doesn't matter who invites you. As long as we're together, I will feel very comfortable. Do you agree with me? How about this braised pig's tail? "
Li Dong chuckled as he pushed Zhang Tie's favorite pig's tail in front of him.
"Great." After biting the pig's tail, Zhang Tie praised as he continued, "Steward Li's hospitality will be engraved in my mind. When the restaurant in Tang Dynasty is built, I will definitely invite you to taste it. Young master wants to build Blue Sea Silver Sand and Between the Clouds and the Water.
At that time, the two restaurants will still face each other, compete with each other, and progress together. That will be different from each other. Oh, and the newly made furniture will also be displayed. If you see a set that you like, I will make a promise and sell it to you with the capital. "
The businessmen of Xinluo didn't take it seriously. Words at the table could not be trusted. They exchanged glances with each other as they didn't know who should mention the matter of Tonghe and the bridge.
Finally, Li Dong took over the load and filled Zhang Tie's cup. Looking at the river outside, he said to Zhang Tie, "This river is really nice. The fish in it is also delicious. I suddenly remember that although the fish in the mud river is good, the fish in the river is also not bad. Have you tasted it before?"
"Of course, of course. Each has its own flavor, just like Between the Clouds and the Water and Blue Sea Silver Sand. Why? Does Boss Li want to eat the fish in the water? I'll have someone catch a basket of them and send them here. They'll definitely be fresh. "
Zhang Tie nodded.
Li Dong nodded as well, but then he shook his head and said, "It's still difficult. If we can connect the two rivers together, then wouldn't we be able to taste both? I remember that back then, the young master of the Zhang family had such a plan. Unfortunately, some unreasonable commoners ruined it.
Steward Zhang, why don't we do this? This time, I will definitely control the people and not let them cause trouble. You can continue to follow the original idea and connect the two rivers. At the same time, choose a place to build a bridge to facilitate water transportation. Last time, we were in a hurry and didn't have time to control it. It's really a pity. "
After hearing Li Dong's words, the other businessmen of Xinluo fixed their eyes on Zhang Tie, hoping to get a definite answer from him.
After hearing Li Dong's proposal, Zhang Tie suddenly revealed an embarrassed look. After letting out a sigh, he said helplessly, "No, you don't know my young master. When he thinks of something, he will do it. After a while, he will forget about it. If not for the person who was arranged to do it, he could not do anything at all.
It's the same for connecting the two rivers and building a bridge. If we ask the young master now, he will definitely lose his previous enthusiasm. Actually, it doesn't matter if we don't build it. The ships of Tang Dynasty can take a detour. Perhaps, we can change our mind and go to Japan.
Don't mention it again. I dare not tell the young master about it. Otherwise, the young master will remember that his idea was ruined. He will be unhappy and vent his anger on me. It's not worth it. Come on, let's drink. "
"Manager Zhang, how could that be? How about this? Manager Zhang, let us meet the young master of the Zhang family and make it clear to him face to face. I think the young master will agree. "
Li Dong drank another bowl of wine as he still didn't want to give up this hope.
Weiwei shook her head. After thinking for a while, she looked at Li Dong and said, "Actually, if you want to connect the two rivers, you can also build a bridge. However, you can't ask the young master for help. You only need to contact Zhengzheng Construction. Zhengzheng Construction is willing to accept the job and give you a discount on the fee.
If it weren't for the fact that many people in the group depend on this job to make a living, I wouldn't have earned a single cent. But I can guarantee that if Mr. Li pays, I will only earn a little. I hope that there will be more jobs in the future. Mr. Li, please think more about our Zhengzheng Construction. "
"Ah? We pay for it? But back then, it was your family's Little Young Master who paid for it, and he paid quite a bit. Many of the commoners have been spoiled. For example, during the construction of the roads, if it wasn't for the fact that your family's Little Young Master paid an exorbitant price at the beginning, they wouldn't have paid so much for the construction of the roads.
They can eat for five days if they work for one day. What's more, they use the goods from Tang Dynasty. You have also made a lot of money, right? If you still want us to pay for the bridge, we really can't afford it. Why don't we discuss it again? I'll ask the people who build the bridge to ask for less money and make it clear to them. "
Li Dong had already felt that it was shameful for him to agree to it now. In order to receive enough tariffs, he had accepted his fate. However, he had not expected that he would have to pay for it. It was not just a matter of shameful or not. That kind of burden was too great.
Zhang Tie nodded, "I know. It's too expensive. Therefore, you'd better not build the bridge. If you really want to meet the young master, you can. However, you can't meet the young master with Li Dong. Our young master is an official of Tang Dynasty, a provincial governor. If any businessman could meet him, wouldn't it be too troublesome? You can find a member of the imperial clan of Xinluo. You must have a high status. You can accompany him. "
"Erm … well, I'll try my best to find someone from the imperial clan. However, I might not succeed. Please put in a good word for us in front of the young master. Someone, bring the things for Steward Zhang."
Li Dong had no other choice. He shouted towards the outside. After a short while, someone came in with a tray and gently put it on the table.
Li Dong lifted the silk cloth and revealed the things that he wanted to give to Zhang Tie.
Zhang Tie glanced at them and then looked at Li Dong. Under Li Dong's expectation, Weiwei smiled and said, "What a great gift. I've not imagined that Steward Li could find six pearls as big as pigeon eggs. If you sell them, you might not be able to get them for less than 10,000 coins. I'll take them."
"You're joking, Steward Zhang. Who doesn't know that Zhang Family and Wang Family are rich? Six pearls are too little. After we succeed, we will reward you more."
Li Dong said with a smile.
"I can't guarantee whether we succeed or not. I'll try my best. Alas, I'm dizzy. I'm really sorry." Zhang Tie couldn't do it at all. He grabbed the six pearls and put them into his arms casually as if they were six stones. Then, he covered his forehead with his other hand and slightly swayed.
"Someone, help Steward Zhang to take a rest." Li Dong was very sensible and immediately asked someone to help Zhang Tie away.
Waiting until the sound of footsteps could no longer be heard, Li Dong, who had escorted them to the door, turned around and looked at the people who had also stood up. With a pained expression, he said, "This is going to be troublesome. With Zhang Xiaobao's ruthless personality, who knows what will happen this time."
"Steward Li, Zhang Tie has accepted the pearls. Can't he help us …?" someone asked.
"Didn't you hear what he said? 10,000 strings of pearls. He means that it's too little. I don't know how much money Zhang Family and Wang Family can get. Send someone to inquire about it. Next time, we'll give something else. "
Li Dong felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He also wanted to give more money. However, how much could he give? After all, he couldn't give 1 million strings of pearls as a gift. If so, he might as well spend money to get through the river.
After returning to a room, Zhang Tie took out the six pearls. Suddenly, he thought of Xiaobei and the others. Frowning, he muttered, "He really doesn't know how to give gifts. He only gave 6 pearls. If there were 9 pearls, he could give one each to Xiaobei and Xiaobei. Should I make one gift and send it over? That's worrying. "
*****
When the merchants of Xinluo were waiting, they didn't receive any news about getting through the river and building the bridge. When they looked for Zhang Tie, they were told that Zhang Tie was busy building the road from Jili Province and was not available for the time being.
Goods from Tang Dynasty were smuggled into Xinluo in batches. With the same price and better quality, Xinluo's people in the same industry were greatly shocked.
The members of the Imperial Clan of Xinluo were anxious. Originally, they planned to offset this part of the money with tariffs. However, they couldn't collect the tariffs. Xinluo's people couldn't sell their goods. As a result, they kept lowering their prices. They almost couldn't make ends meet.
The Imperial Clan of Xinluo and the merchants finally saw the threat of trade dumping. The cheap grains from Tang Dynasty made the local farmers unwilling to cultivate. They would only plant enough for themselves to eat. After that, they would think of ways to make money so that they could buy other goods at a cheaper price.
More and more people lost their jobs. When those who worked in the handicraft industry and odd jobs looked for jobs, they found that there were more and more people in the same industry. The competition was especially fierce. The employer kept lowering the price. If the price of the goods was low, they would lose money. If the price was high, they couldn't sell it.
The Xinluo people who felt the man-made economic crisis for the first time were completely dumbfounded. They didn't know how to deal with it. In the end, they could only attribute it to tariffs. The Imperial Clan found Li Dong and the others once again and put a lot of pressure on them.
Li Dong's hair almost turned white. He figured out why things had developed to this stage. How could a seemingly simple trade turn out to be so serious?
"Zhang Xiaobao, the existence outside the top ranking list, is he really that powerful? How does he work? What is the theoretical basis that the Tang people often talk about? Is tariffs really just a matter of tariffs? If you want tariffs, you have to control smuggling, build bridges, and force people to their deaths. "
At night, Li Dong stayed alone in the small dark room, thinking hard. He wanted to find a key point in Zhang Xiaobao's series of actions, but no matter what, he had to find a way to enter the door.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were happy when they received the news.
Wang Juan looked to the south and felt sorry for Xinluo. If they hadn't cooperated with the Japanese and the Turks to make trouble for Zhang Xiaobao, how could they be in this situation today?
"Xinluo is finished. If we just attribute the problem to tariffs, even if we receive tariffs, we still won't be able to withstand Xiao Bao's next move. Even big countries are very cautious in this regard, let alone small countries."
Wang Juan muttered softly and looked at Zhang Xiaobao, who was not far away with his head lowered to make a plan. She smiled at Weiwei and asked, "Xiao Bao, how far do you want to push Xinluo? Make them all lose their jobs? Create a limited situation where supply exceeds demand? "
"How can that be? After all, the people of Xinluo don't have it easy. In the spirit of internationalism, I have to help them. Now, I'm letting them buy things more cheaply. After a while, I'll help them find jobs. I'm a kind person. I can't bear to see others have a hard time.
Every time I think about how there are still places in the world where people live in poverty, I feel that I haven't done enough. I don't think of myself as great. I just believe in God who benefits his people. Amitabha. May God's light illuminate the earth. God said that there should be light, so there was light. I said that I wanted to find them a job, so they had a job. "
Zhang Xiaobao had a pious look on his face. He placed one hand in front of his chest and began to draw a cross from bottom to top with his other hand.
"Xiao Bao, I think you're only missing two horns on your head. Otherwise, you would be even more perfect. Why are you looking for a job?" Wang Juan shook her head helplessly when she saw Zhang Xiaobao begin to criticize other people's religion again.
Putting down his hand, Zhang Xiaobao scratched his head and said slowly, "It's a job. The main way to solve the current problem is to increase domestic demand and transfer internal conflicts. It's best if we can sell the produced goods abroad.
There's no need for domestic demand because the goods of Tang Empire are enough for them. The way to transfer internal conflicts is war. If they really dare to do it, then you'll take action and eliminate evil in the world. If we export goods, the price should be lower. We'll charge tariffs and increase the quality of the goods.
In this way, Xinluo still seems to be in a difficult position. Therefore, I used my smart brain and came up with a good idea. That is to adjust the industrial structure of Xinluo and turn the original farming and handicrafts into mining and processing industries. Xinluo also has a lot of mines, gold mines, silver mines, and copper mines.
I'm willing to pay to buy the mines and hire the local people to work. At the same time, I'll smelt in their local area. This requires workers. Many jobs are left for them. I can even transport some of our raw materials to Xinluo for processing, such as the match manufacturing industry and the aluminum factory in the future. This way, they can also come into contact with some technology.
Alas! I don't have the halo of God, but I have a heart that loves the world. I'm willing to work hard for the happiness of the world's people and pay everything for it. "
Zhang Xiaobao looked dignified and solemn, while Wang Juan was both angry and amused.
"Xiao Bao, you're really shameless. You're full of evil tricks. Come here, let me take a good look at you. I'll punish you on behalf of the moon." As Wang Juan spoke, she moved closer to Zhang Xiaobao and reached out to pinch his face. She tugged and tugged at his face.
"Fine, I'll let you punish me in the evening."
"Rogue, you're not allowed to touch me."
"You're the one who's touching me now."
"That's also because you're a rogue."
*****
Li Dong finally couldn't bear the pressure from the Imperial Clan. He had someone bring a message to Zhang Tie again, saying that he had agreed. The businessmen of Xinluo would pay to connect the two rivers and build a bridge. He hoped that Zhengzheng Construction could help to speed up the project.
After receiving this news, Zhang Tie came here very righteously. Not only him, he also brought many commoners of Tang to help with the project.
After getting a part of the money, Zhang Tie soon started the construction according to the original design. However, this time, the labor force was not all from Xinluo. More than half of them were from Tang. Obviously, he was making money from Xinluo.
However, the commoners of Xinluo didn't like that. They asked Li Dong why he didn't let them work. Previously, they didn't dare to let the Tang people earn money for no reason. Now that they knew that Li Dong was under great pressure, they came here.
Li Dong hated Zhang Xiaobao so much that he gritted his teeth. Didn't he just destroy the original construction? Why did he have to take revenge on him?
When the commoners of Xinluo found him, he found Zhang Tie and asked Zhang Tie to reduce the labor force of Tang and use more of Xinluo's people. He thought that Zhang Tie would find an excuse to refuse. Unexpectedly, Zhang Tie agreed very quickly.
After removing the Tang people who were building the bridge and replacing them with the commoners of Xinluo, Li Dong once again thought that the sun had risen from the west. At the same time, he became even more vigilant. There must be something wrong.
Sure enough, his premonition came true. Two days later, the commoners of Tang united and found the construction site. They even put up a banner, saying that they were willing to work for half of the wages.
Therefore, Zhang Tie found Li Dong and told him about this. He meant that he wanted the Tang people to work so that they could use the money they saved on materials.
Although it was a discussion, it was actually an ultimatum. Li Dong then told the commoners of Xinluo about this matter. In the end, the commoners of Xinluo agreed to work for only a quarter of the original wages. One day's work was enough for a family to eat for a whole day. There was still some surplus, which was much better than not being able to find work.
The commoners of Tang retreated. They could not afford such a low labor price. They ran to the side of Tang and started to help build restaurants and shops. The wage was enough for a family to eat and drink for five days.
Li Dong wandered around for two days and found that the materials to build the bridge were the same as before. Furthermore, the tools to build the bridge were still the same. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. He then found Zhang Tie.
"Manager Zhang, there seems to be no changes to the materials you mentioned. Does that mean that the budget should be reduced?"
Li Dong did not beat around the bush with Zhang Tie and asked directly.
"Oh, about that, the price has increased. Many of the materials that were supposed to be sold to Zhengzheng Construction were sold to Tang in advance because Tang was building restaurants and shops. Therefore, the money is still the same, but the materials are more expensive. I've tried my best to lower the price. It's not easy."
Zhang Tie explained to Li Dong as if he had no other choice.
Li Dong was furious. "Haha, Manager Zhang, who doesn't know that the buildings built by Tang belong to your young master? Then why do you have to involve us in your family's business?"
"That's not right. Our Zhang Family and Wang Family's transactions are all handled independently. For example, Between the Clouds and the Water and Blue Sea Silver Sand are both owned by our family. However, they compete with each other and even engage in price wars. Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case. After all, when both sides engage in price wars, our family will profit less in the end. However, because the transactions are handled independently, the result is not uniform.
The construction team in Tang is another team, not Zhengzheng Construction. The merchants who deliver the goods are also in contact with us individually. If you don't believe me, you can buy them and see if the price is lower. "
Zhang Tie laid out the facts for Li Dong and reasoned with him.
For a moment, Li Dong was at a loss for words. After gasping for breath, he finally recovered. "Then why do the Great Tang people who helped you build get a higher wage?"
"That's because the other group is willing to pay them. Otherwise, I will pay them too. However, you have to pay more when the time comes. Otherwise, it won't be enough. I also have my difficulties. You have to understand."
Zhang Tie spread out his hands and gave Li Dong such an answer.
"Well, I understand. I really understand. You don't need to pay for the processing. Our people are easy to deal with." Li Dong left in boredom.
He had thought it through. No matter how the transactions were handled and how they were handled independently, in the end, he had to pay three-quarters of the money to the commoners of Tang. This was because the overall income and expenditure of the Zhang Family and Wang Family did not change.
When they gathered again to discuss the matter, Li Dong did not hide anything and said to the businessmen, "I want to kill people. I want to kill Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. They are too much of a bully. I heard that they have been fishing on the other side of the Mud River. I really want to find a chance to take care of the two of them so that the Tang Empire will have one less powerful person."
"Oh no, the young master and the young lady are in danger. Someone tried to assassinate them. They were driven into the woods. There's still no news about them. I don't know where they went."
On the second day after Li Dong said that he wanted to assassinate Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, chaotic shouts sounded from the other side of the river. For a moment, it was chaotic over there. Numerous people rushed to the Mud River and into the woods to look for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
It didn't take long for this matter to spread to Xinluo. After hearing the news, the merchants who had gathered at Changfeng Restaurant yesterday to discuss matters all turned their gazes to Li Dong. He had said that he wanted to assassinate him.
Someone leaked this news to Zhang Tie. Therefore, the guards of Zhang Family and Wang Family rushed to Li Dong's courtyard and surrounded the entire courtyard. They aimed their guns at all the possible places where people might appear in an unfriendly manner.
Li Dong was dumbfounded. After understanding the situation, he wanted to cry but had no tears. He was wronged. Yesterday, he just said that to vent his resentment. How could such a thing happen today? It was said that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were very powerful. The two of them could shoot out a line with pistols.
According to those who had been to Mount Hua, Zhang Xiaobao could fly over roofs and vault over walls. Wang Juan could also be a general on horseback. How could the two of them suddenly disappear?
The news that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were assassinated and disappeared soon spread to all places.
Of course, the Turks and Japan couldn't receive it. They didn't have such an advanced information transmission system. Without pigeons, they couldn't count on Tubo.
The first to know about it were the people in the capital of Tang Dynasty. The pigeons quickly flew over, followed by the members of the imperial clan of Xinluo.
When the people of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family heard that their son and daughter were assassinated and disappeared, they didn't believe it at all. Those were two immortals. According to the two of them, who valued their own safety the most, it was harder to assassinate them than to reach the heavens.
Even so, the two families showed sad expressions to not let others see through them.
When Empress Wang in the palace heard the news, she fainted. She treated Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan as her own children, even though she already had a pair of cute children.
When Wu Huifei received the news, she was happy for a moment. However, it didn't take long before this happiness passed. She was very disappointed. The people that she had been trying to deal with were suddenly gone. She couldn't find any sense of accomplishment and felt that she had lost some spiritual sustenance.
Gao Lishi hurriedly found Li Longji and cried bitterly. His godson was gone, who would be filial to him in the future? How could such two cute little fellows be assassinated just like that?
Li Longji didn't cry, but he sat there in a daze as if he had lost his soul. His eyes stared straight at a certain place without the slightest focus. He muttered, "It can't be, right? It can't be, right? It can't be. If they are gone, what will happen to the Tang Empire? Who can control the entire northern Hebei Province like them? Will the surrounding countries take action?
How will the Tang Bank solve the trouble in the future? Who can lead the manufacturing of weapons? No one will send me fun things anymore, and I won't be able to taste the food they cook.
Investigate, investigate for Us, investigate thoroughly. No matter who did it, Us will destroy him. Send out the decree, Henan Circuit urgently send 30,000 strong soldiers, 10,000 navy soldiers, and 20,000 land soldiers to the Great Tang and Xinluo. If there is no news within half a month, Us will destroy Xinluo at all costs. "
The sorrowful Gao Lishi quivered and nodded vigorously. He immediately went to grind the ink and wrote the imperial edict with trembling hands. He glanced at the Emperor and saw that the Emperor was still sitting there in a daze. He stamped the imperial seal on the edict and ran out as fast as he could. He ordered the military relay station to send the imperial edict to Henan Province.
When most of the court officials heard the news, they showed a sad expression. They were looking forward to the safe return of Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. With the two of them, they would feel at ease. They didn't have to worry about economic problems, and they didn't have to worry about who dared to start a war.
A small number of people were gloating, wondering if they could take advantage of the absence of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to find an opportunity to take over their family business.
Zhang Shuo was happy and afraid. He was happy that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan finally wouldn't fight for power with him. He was afraid that the two experts of the Zhang Family and Wang Family would get angry. He knew of the existence of the experts. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were the disciples of the two experts. He hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to do.
The next morning, Li Longji came to his imperial bed with an uneasy expression. He glanced at the court officials and forced himself to calm down. He asked, "I believe that all of you already know about the matter between Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. Do you have something to say?"
The court officials looked at each other. No one dared to make a sound. If they didn't do well, they might be sent away.
"Yuan Xiang, you speak." Seeing that no one spoke, Li Longji began to call out names. He pointed to Yuan Qianyao.
Yuan Qianyao slowly walked out, took a deep breath, and said, "Your Majesty, Provincial Governor Zhang and the army have always been vigilant. I thought that nothing would happen to the two of them. Even if someone tried to assassinate them and they escaped into the forest, they would be able to return safely.
"Your Majesty, you must know that the army of Wang Juan used classic jungle tactics on the mountain of Tubo's Jinchuan. When Provincial Governor Zhang was climbing Mount Hua, he displayed the ability to leap onto roofs and vault over walls. The two of them also carried all kinds of weapons with them. Ordinary people would be lucky to be able to come out alive from their hands, let alone successfully kill them.
"I think that we can send an army to the border of Xinluo to put pressure on them. If they did it, they will definitely think of a way to withdraw the killers they sent. If they didn't do it, they will have to cooperate with the search."
"En, Minister Zhang, you speak." Li Longji nodded and asked about Zhang Zhong.
Zhang Zhong didn't want to speak. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to act well. Of course, he couldn't tell Li Longji that no one could kill his son and daughter-in-law. Hearing the Emperor's question, he could only stand up and reveal a sad expression. "Your Majesty, don't worry. I will definitely manage the Ministry of Works well and let it research more new technologies to protect Tang Empire."
"Bullshit." Li Longji suddenly scolded. After scolding, he was stunned. The court officials who heard his voice were also stunned. It was too strange. The Emperor actually scolded him.
"Xiao Bao is your son, but you don't care. You can treat your son like this today. Won't you treat my Tang Empire like this in the future?"
Li Longji was furious. Xiaobao and Juanjuan's safety was still unknown, so why did Zhang Zhong still bring up the matter of the Ministry of Works? The Ministry of Works was the real Ministry of Works with the two of them supporting it. If they were gone, would Zhang Zhong be able to come up with his own research ideas? Wouldn't the expert in your family be sad to death? It wasn't easy for him to teach two powerful disciples. If they were really lost, he would probably go crazy.
Zhang Zhong was very happy. At least the Emperor treated his son and daughter-in-law well. He quickly lowered his head. "This subject knows his mistake. In fact, this subject and this subject's family didn't rest at all last night. However, this subject didn't have any other choice. Fortunately, someone in my family helped me predict that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo would be fine. This subject could only listen and believe."
"Oh? Is that true? "Li Longji sat up straight and asked with flickering eyes.
"Yes … yes. In any case, that's what the person who told this subject said. However, the two of them didn't look too good, so this subject could only believe it." Zhang Zhong said with uncertainty.
Li Longji's mood, which had just improved, became uneasy again. He turned to Zhang Shuo and asked, "Prime Minister Zhang, do you have anything else to say?"
Zhang Shuo came out and thought hard about how to answer. This was an opportunity, and it depended on how he grasped it. In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. In the end, he gritted his teeth and said,
"Your Majesty, this subject also thinks that Provincial Governor Zhang and Adjunct Officer Wang are good people who can avoid this incident. However, the Jili Province they are in can't be without a ruler for a day. Why don't we send other officials to temporarily hold the fort and wait for the two of them to return before regaining power? This subject feels that Provincial Governor Zhang is thinking the same. The two of them are loyal to the imperial court and put the imperial court's affairs first.
If we don't send people, the two of them will return after a long time. When they see the chaos in Jili Province, they will be very sad. Your Majesty, for the sake of the two of them, should also send officials over. Lu Zhou, Tubo, and Feng Province should also block the news to avoid causing unrest. For the sake of Provincial Governor Zhang and Adjunct Officer Wang, at the same time, send people to the three places to change the local leaders.
Prime Minister Zhang, please step back. Today, we won't talk about Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. Let's talk about other things. About the new technology in the smelting factory that can smelt good steel, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo once wrote a letter to their families and Lishi, saying that they want to build a railway. When the steam engine is perfected, we will make cars to make it convenient for our Great Tang to travel around. My subjects, where should we test it first? "
When Li Longji heard Zhang Shuo's words, he did not show any other expression on his face. Just like before, he did not mention the assassination of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
Gao Lishi glared at Zhang Shuo fiercely. He was angry and relieved. He knew that Zhang Shuo was done. After following the Emperor for so long, he knew the Emperor well. As long as there was a chance, Zhang Shuo would be dealt with.
When the people of Xinluo learned that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were assassinated and went missing, the people of the imperial clan were very happy. They knew the weight of the two of them in Great Tang. The Sword Meet on Mount Hua was organized by the two of them.
It would be best if they died. That would cut off one of Li Longji's arms. The only thing they were worried about was that Great Tang would push the responsibility to them. Although they did not send anyone to assassinate them, they did have the idea, but they did not dare. Who was the one who helped them vent their anger?
Li Dong was not a member of the imperial clan. He kept saying that he wanted to assassinate Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Now that he had received the information, he was afraid. Not to mention the armed men outside, even the money invested. If something happened to the two of them and the money was not returned, who could he complain to?
"I've already been questioned three times. I'll probably have to continue. It's troublesome. If the two of them really die, the guards they brought will also kill themselves to vent their anger. I don't think the people of the imperial clan will care."
Li Dong, who had been asked three times, returned home and saw that the people at home were not allowed to leave. He walked into the house and stood by the window as he muttered to himself.
Another two days passed. This time, it was the protection team that came from Jili Province on a fast boat. There were a total of six hundred people, and they were fully armed. As soon as they entered the territory of Xinluo, they did not explain to anyone at all and directly scattered. Every five people were in a group, they changed to horses and galloped in Xinluo.
When they encountered a large number of troops from Xinluo, they only said that they suspected that Xinluo had sent people to assassinate them and came to look for them. If they were found in Xinluo's territory, Xinluo would be waiting for revenge.
Xinluo's troops were much more numerous than the six hundred protection team, but none of the soldiers dared to find trouble. They could only watch as groups of people rode their horses in all directions. Then, they would stop from time to time to look through binoculars and spread out a piece of paper to draw a map.
There were soldiers who had seen the map by chance. No matter how they looked at it, they felt that the map looked like a map. They did not know if the people from the Zhang Family and Wang Family came to look for people or to draw a map. They told the officers, and the officers went to ask. The answer they got was that they had a map so that they could estimate the location of the evil people.
The imperial clan of Xinluo knew that there were six hundred people who had rushed in, but they did not intend to care. After all, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had been assassinated and disappeared. What if they said too much and let the Tang Empire vent their anger on them? Let alone the Great Tang, even the Zhang and Wang Clans, with their wealth, could crush Silla with money regardless of the cost.
With the arrival of the six hundred people protecting the Miao, the thirty thousand soldiers of the Henan Circuit of the Great Tang did not take too long to arrive at the border in two groups. Twenty thousand land troops and ten thousand navy troops were on standby at any time, ready for a strong attack.
In the past, Xinluo had fought with the Tang Empire many times. They had fought in the Sui Dynasty and later in the Tang Dynasty. However, they had never been as timid as they were now. Not to mention sending troops to the border and asking Li Longji what he wanted to do, they did not even dare to mobilize their own troops easily. They were afraid that the Tang Empire would misunderstand.
If they really touched the taut string, it would not be just 30,000 soldiers who would fight. Lu Zhou's gunships were gathering. They could attack along the way from the Blackwater Commander-In-Chief's Mansion. There were also the local garrison in Jili State. They would be surrounded on all sides.
"Xiao Bao, let me carry you for a while. It's been so many days. It's quite tiring for you to carry me." On a mountain, Wang Juan walked in front of Zhang Xiaobao. Zhang Xiaobao followed behind with a radio on his back. Wang Juan was afraid that he would be tired, so she wanted to change.
"No need. This is just a few days. It's almost half a month. In half a month, I'll be able to see Xiaobei and the others. I miss them."
Zhang Xiaobao adjusted his straps and shook his head.
Wang Juan grinned. "Don't lie to me. You want to go from North Korea to Yingkou in half a month? Not to mention the current road conditions, even if we ran a marathon back then, we couldn't do it unless we could maintain that speed. "
"There are still three days to half a month. I promise we can get there. If we really can't, I'll send a telegram and ask Zhang Ying to send Shui Yun to pick us up. Didn't it find a companion? We can each have an eagle. You use the red one, and I'll use the white one."
Zhang Xiaobao was not in a hurry at all. He followed Wang Juan to the edge of the mountain top. Looking back, it was really quite steep.
Wang Juan heard Zhang Xiaobao mention Shui Yun and said with a smile, "I hope they can have children soon. It'll be good if they can give birth to dozens of children at once. They'll be able to perform exceptionally well. The inherited genes must be good. When the time comes, we'll make a big place for them. The protection must be strengthened so that when they push the children down, they won't fall to their deaths.
We have to give them a few more chances. Who hasn't made a fool of themselves? Don't you think so? I heard that for creatures like eagles, even if the baby eagle can fly, it's better to break its wings and let it continue to fly. One is to train the baby eagle's perseverance. The other is to let the bones grow better and tougher.
When the baby eagle is older, we can give Xiaobei and the others one each. They can be playmates at ordinary times. When they encounter danger, they can run with them, just like you in the desert in Tubo. "
Zhang Xiaobao recalled what it was like at that time and smiled. The two of them took a short rest and then rushed in the direction of Jianan.
"Uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters, listen to me. A few days ago, we watered the fields that had been planted and made a waterwheel. My brother said that the winter here is so cold, even colder than Jili Province. It can freeze people to death. Then we can't continue to plant things like before, right?"
Xiaobei, the county magistrate, gathered more than 100 people under her rule today and said in a sweet voice.
The people did not regard Xiaobei as a county magistrate at all. They just felt that Xiaobei was cute. They often saw her and were happy to talk to her.
Of course, no one would look down on her. To be precise, they looked down on her identity. After all, she was a member of the Zhang family in Sanshui County. The reason why there were so few people in Jianan was that Zhang Xiaobao was recruiting people in Jili Province and the various preferential policies given by the Tang Empire.
With such an identity, no one would doubt that Xiaobei could make people live a good life. Even if she could not lead them to build the county well, she could transfer enough materials from other places.
Some time ago, they had been following her to weed the fields and made a waterwheel according to the method of the little guys. This year's harvest would not be bad and would be enough to eat until after next year's autumn harvest.
Now that they heard Xiaobei talking, they did not know what she wanted to do.
Xiaobei felt that she had done a good job. At least, she did not make them feel disgusted. Seeing that everyone was listening, she continued, "In order to make everyone live a better life this year, I will teach you a way. That is … to make a greenhouse. There should be glass, but I don't have it yet. Let Sister Xiaozhu tell you what the first greenhouse in Sanshui County looks like. What do you think?"
"Okay!" The ones who answered were the children who had eaten the candy she gave.
"What do uncles, aunts, grandparents, what do you think?" Xiaobei felt that they were not enthusiastic enough, so she asked again.
Old man Shi was the first to express his opinion. "Okay, whatever our Xiaobei says is good. Xiaobei is a good official, the kind that is upright."
Xiaobei was satisfied. Her small face smiled like a flower. She reached out and pulled Xiaozhu. "Sister Xiaozhu, it's your turn. I can't remember what the greenhouse looks like."
Xiaozhu stood out a little nervously. Her ability to organize her words was far worse than Xiaobei's. It was not easy for her to express her meaning clearly, but she could not say the steps of building a greenhouse. In the past, she had seen her brother and sister show them how to build a greenhouse.
So, she could only take out a pen and paper and let the others gather around to watch. She would draw for them so that they could understand.
The people here really did not know how to build a greenhouse. They only heard that with a greenhouse, they could also plant in the winter. It was not like in the past, where they had to dry the vegetables in the sun or in the shade before winter. When there was nothing to eat, they could take them out and soak them in water. Then, they could eat them.
At this time, the season had just entered autumn. There was no frost yet. The leaves on the trees were still green and did not turn yellow. They swirled and fell.
The common people remembered the steps of building a greenhouse. Li Bai also watched from the side. Ever since he came here, he had not played any role. Although the nine little guys were small, they really supported the yamen's work. Xiaoyuan remembered everyone's name, including the relationship between them.
The yamen's accounts were memorized by Xiaohai. When Xiaobei asked for data, she could answer as soon as she opened her mouth. Xiaozhu was in charge of drawing the map. Big Man, Small Man, and the other three children who had not come here and should have grown up in the mountains also helped.
The population was small to begin with. The nine children worked hard together with a hundred small guards to tear down and repair the houses here in preparation for winter snow.
Through this period of observation, Li Bai was very puzzled. Could it be that the children of officials were really so powerful? Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had been talked about like gods. Now, the nine children also began to show their abilities. If one did not see it with their own eyes, no one would believe it.
It seemed that Confucius was not lying when he said that he was born with knowledge. Gan Luo also existed. He could feel it from Xiaobei and the others.
The common people surrounded Xiaozhu to look at the map. Xiaobei was free. Seeing Li Bai standing on the side, she walked over and tugged at his clothes. She said, "Brother Li Bai, building a greenhouse like this requires materials. If there is no bamboo, you have to find a way to break the wood. Also, choose the location. When the fire is burning, you can't let the smoke get in. It's best to have a chimney to guide the smoke.
Okay, okay. " Li Bai nodded and agreed. Just as he agreed, he was troubled again. He whispered to Xiaobei, "But I don't know how to do it. The heavens have fallen and the common people suffer. If they don't drink today, they will drink tomorrow. If you ask the immortals about farming, they will only say that it is in the fields. "
"Hey! Brother Li Bai, now is not the problem of the immortals. It is the common people's problem. Don't you want to be an official? You have to familiarize yourself with it. Xiaoyuan, don't you think so? "
Xiaobei was a little angry. Li Bai was always reciting poems. When it came to serious matters, he did not say anything. He even waited for his brothers and sisters to recommend him. How could he be like this?
Xiaoyuan came over and nodded. "Yes, yes. If you don't do farming, how can you accumulate wealth? If you don't do business, how can you accumulate wealth? If you don't do politics, how can you govern the people of the four seas? If you don't do fortifications, how can you make people convenient? "
Li Bai was a little embarrassed by the question. He raised his head and said, "I can flatten the four barbarians and give advice. That is enough."
Xiaobei curled his lips. "Brother Li Bai, you can't do this. I promise that my brothers and sisters will definitely not recommend you. Even if they do, they will arrange for you to sing and dance. If my brothers and sisters don't recommend you, others won't dare to. Even if they do, it will be useless. Uncle Emperor won't listen to others.
I also promise myself that even if you are recommended by a prince, I will join forces with others to impeach you. If you don't do practical things, isn't that cheating people? You say that you want to come up with a plan. Well, you can come up with one now and wait for me to send it to my brothers and sisters. "
Xiaobei was threatening him. Li Bai's expression did not look good. He believed in Xiaobei's ability. He had already learned that Xiaobei had nine people to impeach two officials. There was also a corruption official who was originally caught. Because of the nine people protecting Xiaobei, nothing happened to him at all. Instead, he was promoted.
It was too unfair for nine children to have so much power. He really couldn't do anything about it.
He seemed to be angry and said, "Okay, I'll do the greenhouse thing first. Then I'll write a memorial for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to see." "That's right.
I'm not afraid of doing wrong, but I'm afraid of not doing it. Brother Li Bai, if you really do it, it's okay if you miss a little bit. If you don't know how to do it, you can learn. I'm trying my best to learn from my brothers and sisters. Let me tell you, I'm actually very stupid. I'm not as steady as Big Boy and Little Boy, I'm not as good at calculating as Brother Xiaohai, I'm not as smart as Xiaoyuan, and I don't know how to draw.
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