Under Li Longji's gaze, all of them expressed their opinions one after another. Regardless of whether they were sincere or not, at least they seemed to be sincere on the surface.
Everyone agreed, and Li Longji's proposal of 'democracy' was approved. The following details would be left to the Ministry of Rites to handle. What method would they use? Would they use the method used by the imperial clan or the method used by the commoners? There were many things involved, and it would take some time to figure it out.
Outside the Hanyuan Palace Hall, Li Bai, the Governor of the Ministry of Revenue, was standing there with a registrar accompanying him. The two of them were here to look for Zhang Zhong.
Ever since the last self-analysis, Li Bai had decided to do his job well. Today, when he heard from the registrar that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had returned, he couldn't wait to see them.
Who would have thought that when they first arrived at the Savant's Restaurant, which was open 24 hours a day, and handed in the invitation, it was like a stone sinking into the sea. No one came out to tell them to enter, nor did they say what kind of reception they would receive.
Only the registrar was quick-witted. When he saw an official turn around and leave after handing in the invitation, he immediately chased after him to ask.
When he found out that the other party was from the Ministry of War, the Left Assistant Minister, he didn't expect to be summoned. Turning around and leaving was the rule. This was because there were many officials who came to look for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. As long as the two of them were not in a hurry to go somewhere else, perhaps the Prime Minister would also come to take a look and discuss matters.
He was in a hurry to leave because he had to attend the morning court. He couldn't delay, otherwise he wouldn't be able to enter.
Only then did Li Bai and the registrar understand. They followed him to the outer wall of the Hanyuan Palace Hall and listened to the movements inside. They planned to wait until after the morning court to meet with Zhang Zhong and tell him about the feelings of Jiedushi.
At this time, Li Bai was very upset. He heard the voice of the eunuchs who were in charge of relaying messages in the courtyard, fearing that no one else could hear them. He thought of his wife and felt that he had lived in vain. He had never heard of Zhang Xiaobao having a court ceremony at his wedding.
Thinking of this, Li Bai turned around and left. The registrar hurriedly pulled him back. "Taibai, where are you going? Don't you want to see Zhang Xiaobao? "
"Write a poem, write it for my family, write it for Zhang Xiaobao. I still have a wife at home." Li Bai stopped. He looked into the distance and said, "Since I can't give her a gift, I'll give her something else. See you later."
"Sigh! Then, but … Taibai Jinxing, help me write one too. Not for Fragrant Pond House's Yu 'er, but for my family's, this side, wrong. "The registrar paused for a moment, then thought of something and followed him out.
In the Hanyuan Palace Hall, the marriage of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan was settled. When the officials thought that they were going to give Que Teqin and the others official positions, Zhang Zhong stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to discuss with you."
Pairs of eyes suddenly looked over. At this moment, Zhang Zhong was shining brightly in everyone's eyes. It was not because of his status as a minister. There were many ministers, but they had never seen a minister whose children's marriages were managed by the imperial court.
One by one, they looked at Zhang Zhong. It was hard to tell whether they were envious or jealous. In any case, they were no longer as calm as before.
Li Longji nodded and said, "Minister Zhang, please speak."
"This morning, I met with my son Xiao Bao at Savant's Restaurant. When we were eating, we talked about the Ministry of Works. Xiao Bao told me that the Ministry of Works is currently funded by the imperial court. However, there are many people in the Ministry of Works and it should be self-sufficient. Therefore, I have a plan for the Ministry of Works to do business. The first thing they should do is to rent out steam engines and ships.
I was afraid that the secret of the steam engine would be leaked, so I did not agree. However, I was worried that this matter was important, so I had to ask. If the others agree, I will ask Xiao Bao again. "
Zhang Zhong said excitedly. It was not because of the steam engine. That thing was just sitting there. It was mainly because of the marriage of his son and daughter-in-law.
Previously, he was still worried about how to carry out the series of steps. In the morning, when he heard his daughter Xiaobei say that they might use the gift of the imperial court, he was worried that the officials would not agree.
Now that the matter had come to an end, he could not control himself when he thought about the future.
Li Longji looked at Zhang Zhong and could not understand how Zhang Zhong could have such a calm son and daughter-in-law. Look at Xiao Bao. No matter what he did or said, he was always so indifferent. Yesterday, he had managed to gain the upper hand with great difficulty. In the end, his daughter-in-law, who had not married into the family, took away a pile of brocades from him.
Sighing in his heart, Li Longji did not care whether Que Teqin and the others were anxious or not. He said to Zhang Zhong, "Minister Zhang, you have worked hard. How is the research on the steam engine going? According to the rules set back then, it needs to be replaced generation after generation. Which generation is it now? "
"The second generation. We are currently researching the third generation. Xiao Bao wants to take out the second generation, put it on the ship, and send it to the entrance of the Bohai Sea to be rented. When this subject asked about it, he refused to tell this subject in detail, saying that he was afraid that this subject would worry too much."
When Zhang Zhong was speaking, he was not thinking about the steam engine at all. He was thinking about how the little immortal's son and daughter-in-law would give birth to a bunch of little immortals in the future. When that time came, their family would be even livelier.
Before Li Longji could speak, Yuanqian Yao stepped forward and stopped him, "This subject believes that this cannot be done."
If it was any other matter, he would not care. However, he had no choice but to ask about the steam engine. This was the most advanced technology in the Great Tang besides the telegraph.
He had seen ships with steam engines before. They were very fast, and most importantly, they saved on manpower. Although they could not drive the propeller perfectly and only had wheels on the side, the bottom of the ship was equipped with a propeller. At the critical moment, they could change gears. Even if the bearings could not hold on for too long, they could still charge for a short period of time. Together with the cannons, their might was immeasurable.
If this thing was rented out and another country obtained one and disassembled it to study the technology, how great of a loss would the Great Tang suffer?
No, absolutely not. No matter what, he could not listen to Zhang Xiaobao anymore.
Yuan Qianyao thought in his heart as he looked firmly at Zhang Zhong.
Zhang Zhong, on the other hand, had an indifferent attitude. If it was possible, then it was fine. If it was not, then forget it. When the time came, the Ministry of Works would still do it like before.
Li Longji frowned. It was not because he wanted to rent a ship, the Ministry of Works was earning money, or the leakage of technology. It was because he could not think of what Xiao Bao was going to do. Bohai, then the opposite should be Japan and Xinluo. Which country was he going to focus on?
"Your Majesty." Gao Lishi, who was standing at the back, leaned forward.
"Hm?" Li Longji and Weiwei turned their heads and listened.
"I reckon that Xiao Bao is going to make a big move again. Maybe it's because Your Majesty agreed to help him with the marriage yesterday, so he put more effort into the matter of the Great Tang. According to the past situation, Xiao Bao's plan will eventually form a chain. Things will definitely not be as simple as what Minister Zhang said."
Gao Lishi spoke up for his godson, meaning that he wanted Li Longji to agree.
Li Longji nodded and sat up straight. He looked at Zhang Zhong and Yuan Qianyao in front of him and said, "Minister Zhang, since it was Xiao Bao's idea, I should have agreed. However, this matter is too important. I need a detailed plan to reassure the people."
"Yes, I will remember." Zhang Zhong understood. The Emperor meant that regardless of whether there was a detailed plan or not, he would support Xiao Bao. However, in order to shut others up, he had no choice but to ask for a copy.
Yuan Qianyao opened his mouth but didn't say anything in the end. He could only wait for the plan and take a closer look at it to see what else Zhang Xiaobao could do with his devilish calculations.
This matter was considered to have been discussed. The other officials didn't interrupt and didn't dare to directly object. If Zhang Xiaobao's plan was effective, wouldn't they say too much? If Zhang Xiaobao thought that they had ulterior motives, they wouldn't be able to enjoy good things in the future.
It was only at this time that Li Longji turned his gaze to Que Teqin and the others. He began to confer official positions, praise, and made a promise to treat the people of the Great Tang well.
From the beginning to the time when Que Teqin and the others were rewarded, they didn't show any dissatisfaction. They didn't have any manpower available and couldn't raise any conditions with Li Longji. At the same time, they were more afraid that if they showed an unsuitable attitude and Zhang Xiaobao found out, he might do something.
*****
In the courtyard of the Savant's Pavilion, Xiaobei and the others were still sleeping. They were tired from eating and playing yesterday. The sun was high in the sky, but they didn't wake up.
Xiaobei, who was sharing a small bed with Xiaoyuan, squeezed Xiaoyuan until he was about to fall off. If Xiaobei didn't use Xiaoyuan's arm as a pillow, Xiaoyuan would probably be sleeping on the floor now.
"I asked you to compose a poem for me, but you didn't. If there weren't outsiders, I, I would have let you know how powerful I am." Xiaobei kept muttering in his sleep. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, who came to see their younger siblings, bent down to listen to Xiaobei's muttering. They vaguely heard this sentence.
After wiping the saliva from his sister's mouth, Zhang Xiaobao looked at Wang Juan with a smile and opened his arms.
"What? You want to be a target for me to practice my boxing? "Wang Juan asked, puzzled.
"Nothing. Just a hug." Zhang Xiaobao moved forward.
Wang Juan stood still and let Zhang Xiaobao hug her. She said, "What are you doing in broad daylight? You're like a child. How old are you? Let's go. I'll accompany you to perfect the plan. You'll solve Xinluo and weaken Japan within a year. Your goal isn't small, but you might not succeed. "
"Let's do it first. As long as Xinluo has ambition, I'm confident. Should we wait for the engagement steps to be completed? We don't have to worry about counting the days after that. Then, we can get married …? Then we can sleep together? "
Zhang Xiaobao was more straightforward when it came to other things, but he didn't know how to do this kind of thing.
Wang Juan still deliberately teased him and said, "Yes, then from today onwards, don't live together at night. Otherwise, you'll sleep like Xiaobei and be dishonest."
"I'm talking about that."
"What?"
"It's counting the stars."
"You, why didn't I collect information about this back then? You're so silly. Let's go down and see how many officials have sent us posts. See if there's anything useful in them. We have to take a good look at them."
Wang Juan's evaluation of Zhang Xiaobao in this regard was that he was cute. Just like that, she was hugged by Zhang Xiaobao and moved to the door step by step.
"There's a Li Bai here. It says that he's in charge of his position. Here, take a look. It's very interesting. He even gave an opinion."
After flipping through the names and the posts that came with them, Zhang Xiaobao found Li Bai's and handed it to Wang Juan.
"What's written? Let me take a look. Li Bai also doesn't allow it. Fortunately, his situation now is much better than in history. I really don't know if I should let you help him like this. If there really is a minister named Li Bai in the future, then won't there be one less immortal poet? "
Wang Juan took it and looked at it. She suddenly laughed and said, "This Li Bai only knows how to come up with bad ideas. When I asked him to correct the form, he actually said that it was difficult to look at it. He wants to make the form transparent and the person filling in the form has to be the same. Then, when two pieces of paper are connected, the difference can be seen.
Immortal poet Li Bai. If other people know about this, what do you think they will think? But why do I feel that this method is a bit familiar? It seems that something similar appeared in that place. "
"Of course, it's similar. When signing a contract, there are two layers. If the signed words are printed, then can't you cheat money? It's just that the technology is more advanced than this. It's nothing.
Don't think about Li Bai writing poems. Why don't we let him go through the history you said again? Since we are here, let's treat it as another place. Stories, it's all stories. The things in the stories can be said to be true or not. "
Zhang Xiaobao was still an authority in this area. When he thought of a certain historical figure that Wang Juan occasionally mentioned, he was a little absent-minded.
Wang Juan made a big cross on the method that Li Bai wrote and wrote below, "Doing things is like writing poems, slowly accumulating. If it is not cold to the bone, how can the fragrance of plum blossoms assail the nose?"
She put it aside and leaned her head on Zhang Xiaobao's shoulder. She said softly, "Fortunately, I have you. Otherwise, what would I do if I was alone? I'll get the medicine later. "
"What medicine?" Zhang Xiaobao stretched out his arm and asked Wang Juan.
"The medicine that won't leave any side effects when counting the stars tonight."
"What medicine is that?"
"I'm not getting it. You should continue counting the moons."
"What's wrong now? Counting the moons, counting the moons. Where's the plan for Xinluo? I'll let them all count the moons. "
*****
The clouds in the sky were still drifting leisurely, and the sun shone through the clouds onto the ground. Beside the pond in Xingqing Palace, Li Longji and a few important officials were sitting on empty chairs. The words' Authentic Water Cloud 'were written in gold on the sides of the chairs.
The weather was hot, and there was a fan blowing by the side. There was also a bowl of chilled plum juice being sipped from time to time, and there was even a large umbrella over their heads. This was supposed to be a relaxing and refreshing time, but everyone, including Li Longji, except for Zhang Zhong, was sweating non-stop.
Li Linfu's hand trembled as he held a piece of paper. He had just looked at it and put it back on the small table. He gasped for breath twice and raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat on his forehead. He leaned back and said as if he had lost all his strength, "Ruthless, really ruthless. I wonder who will be the next after taking care of Xinluo? Japan, or the southwestern side? "
Li Longji didn't care about Li Linfu's loss of composure. He smacked his lips twice and felt that it was still dry. He picked up the special herbal tea on the table that Zhang Xiaobao had given to Gao Lishi and was snatched by him. He took a sip and swept his eyes in front of the officials. In the end, his eyes stopped on Zhang Zhong's indifferent face.
Everyone else was sweating. Only Zhang Zhong sat there quietly, looking like he had nothing to do. He knew Zhang Xiaobao better than anyone present. That was his son. Although the plan was a little evil, his son was a little immortal. It was normal. Everything was normal.
Li Longji looked for a while and said, "Minister Zhang, has Xiao Bao mentioned anything about going back to the northern part of Hebei recently?"
"No." Zhang Zhong shook his head. "He will probably wait until autumn, when the crops are ripe before going back. His mother misses them, and Xiao Bao also wants Bei to stay in front of us for a while. At the same time, he wants to wait for the four events to end. As for the wedding date, he doesn't care. When the time comes, he will welcome the bride."
Zhang Zhong was experienced and knew his son's thoughts. At the same time, he felt that his son was indeed different from the children of other families. He had slept on the same bed since he was young. Those who were slightly more wealthy would have already done the wedding ceremony with other women. Looking at Cuckoo, he realized that nothing had happened at all.
As for the daughter of the Wang family and his son before they got married, they probably wouldn't care. They couldn't separate the two of them just because they were going to get married. Li Longji understood as well. He couldn't just ignore it.
He picked up the proposal book on the small table and flipped through it casually. He said, "I remember when I first found out about Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. At that time, the two of them were using schemes to earn money. Later on, they were providing for local construction. Now, it's fine if they don't come up with a plan. Once they do, it will definitely be a plan to destroy the country.
"From the looks of it, the Ministry of Works can install a steam engine on the ship and send it to the entrance of the Bohai Sea for rent. Whether it's Xinluo or Japan, whoever has such thoughts will be the first to be unlucky."
As Li Longji spoke, he looked at Yuan Qianyao. He had once objected.
Yuan Qianyao and Li Longji looked at each other and said, "I agree, but you have to pay attention to the safety of the people from the Great Tang who are going to take care of the steam engine."
At this moment, he couldn't say anything to refuse. It was written clearly in the plan. As the people who went far away returned, there would be something called rubber that would flow out of the tree. That thing had many uses. One of them was sealing. With the improvement of smelting technology, the copper and aluminum pads produced could allow the steam engine to reach a very high level in a short period of time.
There was also the research on the refinement of the water. As long as the two things called gasoline or diesel were produced, or even the purity of alcohol was high enough, there would immediately be another machine that was better than the steam engine. It was called the internal combustion engine.
When that time came, it would be a really good thing. It would be used in the military, and some less important technologies could be gradually opened up to the people.
The plan also mentioned that the rental of the steam engine ship would not be personally managed by the person who rented it. Instead, the Great Tang would send people to be in charge of the engine room.
One was to earn money. They could earn more money for the Ministry of Works so that the Ministry of Works would not rely too much on the imperial court's financial allocation. The other was to train the crew. At the same time, the maintenance people could also practice and provide intuitive information for the construction of new motor ships.
Of course, the most important thing was not these two but the third one. The third one was that regardless of whether Xinluo wanted to go to the island next to Xinyuan Island to get sugar or specifically wanted to obtain the Great Tang's technology, they would definitely spend money to rent it.
When the time came, they would accept the higher price. Currently, Xinluo had already cut down many trees in many places. At the same time, they were helping the Great Tang grow cotton. Their national strength seemed to be increasing, but in fact, they were more dependent on the Great Tang.
Xinluo, who did not have much savings, had to take out a portion of the money. In terms of finances, it could be said to be one disaster after another. Then, they would need manpower to grow sugar cane and sugar beets. When there was a conflict with the local people, they would need an army.
At that time, the population of Xinluo would be divided. A portion of them would run to the distant island, and their economy would become a decisive dependence. When the population decreased, Xinluo would be able to integrate into the Great Tang.
If the people of Xinluo wanted to use force to snatch the steam engine ships when they were renting them, that would be even easier. Wang Juan was about to become a lady from a noble family, but did anyone feel that the knife was not effective?
Yuan Qianyao could not find a reason to object. If he had to object, then he would object for the sake of objecting. There was a saying in front that he would do that, so there was naturally no need to talk about the result.
After some thought, Yuan Qianyao said, "Your Majesty, I still have some doubts."
"Dao Lai." Seeing that Yuan Qianyao did not object, Li Longji's attitude changed accordingly.
"I would like to ask about the follow-up plan. Anyone who knows about Jiedushi Zhang knows that when he comes out with the plan, there will definitely be a supplementary plan. The supplementary plan will be even more ruthless. I don't believe that there is only one explanatory plan."
Yuan Qianyao still wanted to ask for more. He always felt that Zhang Xiaobao was more concerned about money. No matter what he did, he would still earn money in the end.
Li Longji looked at Zhang Zhong. Zhang Zhong was still sitting there steadily. From time to time, he would pick up a grape and stuff it into his mouth. This was what his son and daughter-in-law had told him. When it was hot outside, one should not drink too much water. It was easy to lose salt, making one thirsty and dehydrated. It was best to eat fruits. They had high water content and could replenish water. It could also replenish sugar and other nutrients useful to the body. Moreover, this fruit sugar came and went quickly, so there was no need to be afraid of gaining weight.
Of course, Zhang Zhong had to listen. His son and daughter-in-law would not harm him. Therefore, in this short period of time, he ate a lot of fruits. At this moment, when he saw the Emperor looking over, he shook his head blankly. "I don't know either. As for earning money, it is also the imperial court. My family does not lack money. Even if Xiao Bao earns money for my family, it is only a little."
Old man Yuan Qianyao curled his lips. His beard also moved as he cursed in his heart. To Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family, earning a little would be a huge amount of wealth to others. Moreover, Zhang Xiaobao would not let go of any opportunity. Every time he did something, he would earn a little, and it was the kind of money that could last for a long time.
It could be said that many things made a mickle. It was estimated that the imperial court's finances were suddenly out of money. As long as they confiscated Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family, the imperial court would be able to support them for three to five years without collecting any taxes.
"I don't have anything else. I just want to know the follow-up plan. I hope that Minister Zhang will urge me." Yuan Qianyao looked at Zhang Zhong who kept eating fruits and said with some disdain.
Zhang Zhong didn't care. Could it be that he didn't lack fruits at home, but he couldn't eat them outside? Moreover, the fruits in the palace were no different from those at home. They were all quite good, and he didn't feel uncomfortable eating them.
After swallowing the grape in his mouth, Zhang Zhong nodded. Then, he shook his head. "I will ask Jiedushi Zhang, but I can't guarantee whether Jiedushi Zhang will say it or not. After all, as the Minister of Works, I can't control Jiedushi Zhang. Perhaps, Yuan Zhongshu can ask him personally?"
Yuan Qianyao was almost angered to death. He muttered, "It's good that father and son are high-ranking officials. At the crucial moment, they can still use their status to differentiate. When needed, they can be the son. When it's necessary, they can become the Jiedushi Zhang."
Li Longji didn't care about this. It was fine as long as he got the information he needed. He instructed Zhang Zhong and let the few of them leave.
After everyone left, Li Longji asked Gao Lishi, "Xiao Bao has grown up. Previously, I said that he would participate in the imperial examinations this year, but he didn't come back. He missed it and has to wait until next year. Can you think of a way? I want to transfer him back to the capital and let him enter the Secretariat. Other than not letting him be the Secretariat Head, everything else is fine.
At that time, I will be at ease. At that time, he will have the final say. Yuan Qianyao will be the person at the front. With Xiao Bao overseeing the Secretariat, I will be able to sit back and relax. As for Cuckoo, she will also be placed in the Secretariat. She will be in charge of military matters. Originally, I didn't want a woman to be an official, but Cuckoo is an exception. I reckon that when Cuckoo grows up, she will also have to be given a good position. "
Gao Lishi nodded and said, "This subject also knows that it is fine to let Xiao Bao lead the entire Tang Empire in the Secretariat. However, Xiao Bao doesn't seem to like staying in one place. Cuckoo's thoughts are more focused on Xiao Bao. This subject feels that it is better to ask the two of them first."
"En, go ahead and ask. If it really doesn't work out, add an additional autumn examination. Leave the top scorer position for him. Hasn't he been studying all this while and wants to rely on his own abilities to become the top scorer? What do you think we should give them after the engagement? We can see that Xiao Bao has been waiting for this day for a very long time. Hahahaha, he actually went to look at the moon. "
Li Longji couldn't help but laugh when he thought of Zhang Xiaobao's arrogance.
Gao Lishi also tried his best to hold back. He also couldn't understand why this godson, who was smart in other aspects and could be said to be able to scheme against the heavens and earth, would become a different person when it came to such matters.
"Your Majesty, this subject feels that ordinary gifts can't be given, let alone money. Even if the official position has not been engaged, it should be given. Shouldn't it be given to a place? For example, a lake or a mountain? "
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
