Zhang Xiaobao seemed relaxed, but Li Longji was not.
The so-called islands included Xinluo and Japan. From the moment these two places were discovered, there was not a single emperor who did not want to conquer them. However, even if they fought, they had defeated Xinluo and Japan. In the end, they were unable to send people to occupy them.
This was especially true of Nippon. They could only threaten and intimidate when they were strong, but they could not rule.
If it were anyone else, Li Longji would have slapped them in the face and said that they were just making fun of him. However, when these words came out of Zhang Xiaobao's mouth, it was a different matter.
"Xiao Bao, there's no hurry. The northwest is remote and cold. Let's talk about the southeast first. Do you want to let Cuckoo lead the army and attack it?" Li Longji knew that once the two countries were settled, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would no longer have to worry about the northern part of Hebei Province. They would enter the capital and be placed in the most worrying place.
Unfortunately, the Great Tang only had these two people. He could trust them. He did not have to worry about not being able to govern the place well, and he did not have to worry about being attacked by the tribes and countries on the other side of the border. He believed that if these two were sent to Longyou Province, the people there would immediately be stable, and the Maneaters would not be able to continue their plans.
Therefore, Li Longji wanted the southeast coast to be stabilized quickly so that he could have less worries. He stared at Zhang Xiaobao, waiting for Zhang Xiaobao to come up with a feasible plan.
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head vigorously. "Your Majesty, it's still too early. This subject is just saying. If Silla wants to quickly take back Great Tang, we can let Cuckoo fight. At that time, they will have no national strength, and they will definitely be willing to submit to us. As for Nippon, to tell the truth, if they did not still have evil intentions, I would not be willing to touch them.
The terrain there was complicated, and the people there were valiant and courageous. Even the 10,000 Cavalry Battalion would not be able to do anything there, let alone an ordinary army. That was unless I mobilized a large number of Lu Zhou's wolf soldiers. They were both short and fit for mountainous terrain. They liked to jump and attack when they attacked. They were also skilled in the water and were fearless of death.
I'll equip them with better weapons, so they definitely won't have a problem one-on-one. But right now, we haven't reached the point where we can decide life and death in a single battle. Let's take it slow. First, we'll weaken their will, then cut off their courage. Three years, give me three years, and I'll be able to make them obedient. "
As he spoke, Zhang Xiaobao glanced at Wu Huifei. His meaning was obvious. Would anyone leak the secret?
Li Longji hurriedly added, "Alright, that's exactly what I want. This matter will definitely not be leaked."
Wu Huifei nodded as well. It was not that she did not want to leak the secret, but she was afraid that Zhang Xiaobao would deliberately say it and set a trap for her. When facing Zhang Xiaobao, she knew that anything could happen. She must not take his words seriously.
"Then, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave first. Oh, Your Majesty, I suddenly remembered something. There are many merchants coming to Liuqiu Island from the east of Jiangnan. I'd like to ask for an edict so that I can confer titles on the island.
After Zhang Xiaobao finished talking about the matter in Japan, he was about to leave. However, before he turned around, he seemed to have suddenly thought of something and casually mentioned it.
Li Longji had long been used to Zhang Xiaobao's way of speaking. He knew that Zhang Xiaobao would never say anything useless. When he heard Zhang Xiaobao mention Liuqiu, he thought that the island was not under the jurisdiction of the Great Tang. The Great Tang was unable to send officials to the island. If Zhang Xiaobao could help, it would be a good idea.
Thus, he nodded. "I'll send someone to deliver it to you at night. Remember, don't put yourself in danger. If there is income … use it to build roads in the east of Jiangnan."
Li Longji did not believe that Zhang Xiaobao would only invest money without any income. He wanted to collect taxes, but he had earned money on the island. It was not easy to find an excuse. In the end, he could only symbolically say one sentence.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. As long as there is income, I will definitely take out a portion to build roads in the east of Jiangnan. I will build roads and houses."
Zhang Xiaobao agreed. Then, he turned around and followed Wang Juan back.
Li Longji stood where he was. He could not figure out what Zhang Xiaobao wanted to do. He turned to Gao Lishi and asked, "Lishi, haven't Xiao Bao and Cuckoo been using the name of the Great Tang to do things? Why are they asking for power now? "
"I don't know. I think it might be useful." Gao Lishi was also puzzled. Back then, they had agreed that Zhang Xiaobao and the Wang Family could use the name of the Great Tang to do things outside of the Great Tang. For example, they could give someone an official or conduct a friendly interview. When the time came, the Great Tang would acknowledge everything.
Li Longji's head hurt from thinking, but he still could not figure it out. He turned around and said to Empress Wang and Wu Huifei, "I'll tell you about the coastal area in the southeast of the Great Tang. Within three years, this place and this place will all be part of the Great Tang's territory."
After leaving, Wang Juan pulled Zhang Xiaobao and asked, "You promised Li Longji to build roads and houses. Can you really earn money on Taiwan? When the time comes and you say that you didn't earn anything, do you think anyone will believe you? You are Zhang Xiaobao. "
"How can I not earn money? The money I earned is not the money of the people on the island, but the money of the Great Tang people who came later. I'm a man of my word. I won't keep a single cent. I'll invest as much as I earn into the Jiangnan East Road." Zhang Xiaobao looked like a man of his word, treating money like dirt.
"Really? For free? "Wang Juan asked again.
"I'll take everything. First, I have to build a dike in Hangzhou. There isn't one now. After that, I have to build roads so that it's convenient for people to go there. After that, I have to build houses, hotels, restaurants, and so on. I'll do good for the people and give tourists a place to go."
Zhang Xiaobao continued.
Wang Juan understood now. Zhang Xiaobao was using the money he earned on the island to build West Lake in Hangzhou. West Lake was the lake that he had gifted to her. It had nothing to do with doing good for the people. He was just transferring money from his left hand to his right hand. At least he had fulfilled his promise to Li Longji.
"You're not willing to lose out at all. Even if it's just a little bit of money, you still have to calculate with Li Longji," Wang Juan said helplessly.
"How is this calculating? I did invest in the Jiangnan East Road, and I did use this money to build West Lake. How can I not pay the taxes to West Lake to Li Longji? There's no difference. There's no difference at all. "
Zhang Xiaobao appeared to be very innocent.
"There's a big difference. If you invest the money in West Lake, you will incur various taxes when you invest it. But if you invest the money in the island, you don't have to pay taxes there. You don't have to pay taxes there, and the people who work there don't have to pay taxes there. When West Lake is built, you will be earning money from both sides.
Furthermore, the money you earned on the island is used to build West Lake in the name of charity. This will also reduce the taxes. Don't think that I don't know about this. Let me think about it. It's definitely not that simple. Oh ~! I understand now. When the time comes, you will immediately use the island's name to set up a tour group.
Even if you don't go to the island now, you still have such a project. Because the island doesn't belong to Tang Dynasty, you can lower the price of the tourists and increase the amount of money you spend on the island. Or you can lower the price of the tourists and increase the amount of money you spend on the island.
This way, you will have to pay less taxes for the projects you are supposed to pay, and your actual income will be listed on the tax-free island. Do you know what kind of behavior is this? "
Wang Juan continued thinking and finally found the problem. Zhang Xiaobao is trying to find a loophole to evade taxes. Oh, it's called reasonable tax avoidance. Li Longji doesn't know what's going on, and he still foolishly agreed to it.
"What behavior? I haven't done anything yet. You are the only one thinking about it. Why would I do such a thing? If I really want to avoid taxes, I just need to use the products around Mt. Tai as our own brand and get Mt. Tai to issue a certificate. The cost of the products around Mt. Tai will increase, and the taxes will decrease. How much do you think I can reduce by doing this?
During the off-season, I will ask our logistics company to help transport the goods and then find a reason to increase the price of the goods. I will use the tourism company to transfer money to the logistics company. How much do you think I can reduce by? "
Zhang Xiaobao said one by one. Wang Juan kept nodding and finally said, "Yes, there are many ways. If you really want to do it, I can do it without you. What are you trying to do?"
"Do you know you misunderstood me?" Zhang Xiaobao asked. Wang Juan nodded embarrassedly.
"Do you know I'm not doing it for money?" Zhang Xiaobao asked again. Wang Juan lowered her head even more.
"Do you know what it means to have the heart of a villain …"
"Who are you calling a villain? You said it clearly. "This time, before Zhang Xiaobao could finish, Wang Juan, who had already raised her head, couldn't take it anymore.
"I said to have the heart of a villain to do the work of an adult. A villain is a villain. What did I say just now? Oh ~! Yes, you asked me what I want to do, so I'll say it now. I want others to see this and help us solve some problems. We can't do everything ourselves. Come on, let's go home. I'll tell you the story of the big bad wolf and the little white rabbit. "
Zhang Xiaobao smiled very gently. As he explained, he pulled Wang Juan and walked faster.
"You're the only one who can say that. You're the little white rabbit."
"Yes, I'm the little white rabbit. You're the big bad wolf. It's all the same."
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