The children tried hard to imagine the awe-inspiring scene of Xiao Bei and the others in the imperial court, but they could not think of it. The most direct impression was when Xiao Bei faced Shuichiro Watanabe. At that moment, Xiao Bei was definitely not the same person as the Xiao Bei in front of them now.
When the girl who was holding the doll thought of Xiao Bei's dignified, noble, and official prestige, she felt uncertain. She asked Xiao Bei timidly, "Xiao Bei, are we friends?"
"No … We're not friends." Xiao Bei shook her head. "We're sisters. You can't do it, and Liu … I can't do it. Let's work together. I … am in charge of the official matters. Liu … depends on you."
Xiao Bei and the others had always been educated like this. There would not be any mistakes. Of course, Xiao Bei would not be perfunctory. For example, Zhang Qiang was the son of a mountain villager in Lu Zhou, and he adopted him. There were also Zhang Gang and Zhang Fang from Wing Province, as well as Da Nan and Xiao Nan.
The five children, no matter what their original intentions were, at least did not have any prejudice. They ate and dressed the same, and received the same education. The Zhang and Wang families treated them equally. Even if they made a mistake and got beaten up, they would only slap Xiaobei twice. They would not be slapped once, and they would still have to suffer two slaps.
Of course, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had never hit their younger siblings. It was not that they did not know how, but they did not care. Zhang Xiaobao always believed that if the children were disobedient, it was the adults who were not capable. Parents with low self-esteem would only beat their children. A child was a clean piece of white paper. If they wrote wrong or drew crooked, should they blame the paper?
Therefore, Xiao Bei, who had received such an education, was not lying. Naturally, she was this sincere.
The little girl who asked the question had not received the corresponding education. For a moment, she was touched. She bit her lip and nodded vigorously. "I'll definitely do a good job. Xiao Bei, let me ask you. During the morning court, are there so many high-ranking officials sitting on very beautiful chairs? Is it not easy for the county magistrate to get there? "
Xiao Bei was stunned for a moment and shook her head. "No, the county magistrate can't get in at all. Only grade-five officials can enter the court, let alone the chairs. Even if they stand outside, the row on the right is mostly military officials. The row on the left is mostly civil officials. There are also some who are not military officials.
Have you seen the steps? They just stood at the bottom of the stairs. When they reached the bottom where there were no stairs, they were all Rank 5 officials. When it was raining or snowing, the officials in front of them who were Rank 3 and above still had a canopy or umbrella.
They should thank my older brother and older sister. My older brother and older sister set up a heater under Hanyuan Palace Hall, otherwise, they would freeze to death in the winter. In the past, when the weather was warm, Uncle Emperor would be outside. When the weather was cold, he would be inside the hall with a heater. As for Uncle Emperor and them, there was always the Jinwu Guards between them and him.
Now, the Emperor and Uncle are all outside, sitting on big, wide, thick chairs. My family made them for us. There are many people, so we have to do this. When there are not many people, we can go to Xingqing Palace.
I don't go to Hanyuan Palace Hall often. I'm afraid that my father will beat me, saying that I'm always causing trouble. I also don't go to Xingqing Palace Hall often. It's not fun there. The place I go the most is Hibiscus Garden. When it's open to the public, there's a lot of people. "
The surrounding children blinked their big eyes and listened attentively. They had never been to the capital, let alone participate in morning court. Usually, no one would tell them. Now that they were listening to Xiao Bei speak, they naturally had to be more careful. At least Xiao Bei wouldn't lie.
"Then what does the current Emperor eat? Is it the dragon meat from the sky? "A child asked.
"What? I don't even know what a dragon looks like. The food, how should I put it? Aiya, how about this, I'll get someone to arrange and mix some ingredients. Let's taste it together. It's just that. The food is good, but there's not much. Especially when my brother cooks, Uncle Emperor eats whatever my brother cooks. "
Xiao Bei tried hard to recall the food he ate and found that it was not as good as what he ate at home. But in order to satisfy others, he had to think of ways to mix ingredients to cook.
"Little sister Xiao Bei, where do you stand when you go to court? And your brother and sister. "
"Me? I don't stand. I sit in Uncle Emperor's arms, and I usually turn my head. "
"Why?"
"I'm afraid of seeing my father. My father will glare at me when he sees me, so I can only go down and let my father hug me. Hugging is not as comfortable as sitting, right?" Xiao Bei said.
"The other officials don't object?"
"Who dares? I deliberately made a few mistakes, hoping that the Censorate will impeach me. "
"Did they impeach you?"
"No, if I didn't impeach them, they would be burning incense. A bunch of cowards."
"Then why?"
"Because I dared to stand in front of the civil and military officials in Hanyuan Palace Hall and pat my chest and say, 'I, Zhang Xiao Bei, did not take a single copper coin from the common people. I, Xiao Bei, will not compromise with any corrupt officials. I have never done anything to harm the common people. My loyalty is as clear as the sun and the moon.' But they did not dare to say the same thing as me. It's that simple."
Xiao Bei proudly puffed out his chest.
Xiao Yuan echoed from the side: "Yes, yes, elder sister said before, the officials do not fear my strictness, but fear my honesty; the common people do not fear my ability, but obey my righteousness."
The children had never heard of it before, but they could understand. They nodded one by one. One of them praised: "Elder sister Cuckoo is really amazing. What she said is so right."
Xiao Bei shook his head: "But after elder sister said it, elder brother said, 'I would rather have an official who can raise the standard of living of the common people by ten times, and who is corrupt by two or three times, than an honest official who makes the common people live a hard life and who also cannot live a happy life.'
Elder brother said, 'I don't hope for the officials to think that I am honest, I only hope that the officials will provide food and warmth to the common people. I don't ask for the common people to obey my righteousness, but to cover the children in the cold winter with duck feathers, to ruin my thousand years of reputation, to build prosperity for thousands of years. In the storm of abuse, my heart is calm.' "
The children were at a loss for a moment.
"Aiyo, look at this shaking, this old man's bones are about to fall apart." Just as the children were listening to the story, an old man's shout came from the suspension bridge.
Xiao Bei turned his head to look and was suddenly stunned.
The old man on the bridge did not seem to have any intention of shutting up. He continued to complain: "It is said that the Zhengzheng Construction Group of the Zhang Family and Wang Family make things with iron bones. Could it be that today's broken bridge also has iron bones? Aiyo, this is shaking me so badly. "
When the children heard someone complain that the Zhengzheng Construction Group's products were not good, they immediately became angry and glared at the old man. They did not care if the old man had many people protecting him or why he was not stopped by the Seedling Protection Team, but they could not speak ill of the Zhengzheng Construction Group.
"Grandpa Bi, why are you here? Haha! "Xiao Bei opened his arms and ran towards the old man. Xiaoyuan and the rest followed closely behind.
"Let Grandpa report. Aiya, so heavy. I'm old, I can't carry you." The person who had just crossed the bridge was Bi Gou. He should have died long ago, but because Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan came, he was still alive and well. He carried Xiao Bei up and weighed him, then put him on the ground. He supported his waist with both hands and said 'old'.
Even so, Bi Gou carried the other eight children one by one and patted Xiaohai's head: "Where are your elder brother and sister?"
"They are dealing with people in the county," Xiaohai replied.
"Grandpa Bi, why are you here?" Xiao Bei grabbed Bi Gou's hand and looked up to ask.
Bi Gou waved at the guards behind him and asked them to stay away so as not to scare the children. He then smiled and said: "I came to find your brother to fish. The fish Between the Clouds and the Water are too stupid. It's not fun to fish. I heard that there is a lot of water here, so there should be a lot of fish."
"The Hongnong River was man-made. That guy Yan Zheng dared to destroy the dam. He made me so angry." Xiao Bei pouted and muttered.
"Oh, that's right. When I return to the capital, I will also impeach him. I heard that there are people from the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang family here, so I came over. You are here for …?" Bi Gou thought that Zhang Xiaobao was here, but he met Xiao Bei and the rest.
"The county is going to be rebuilt. The children are in the way, so I brought them here to hide." Xiao Bei looked proud.
Bi Gou pondered. He had not seen the situation in Hongnong County with his own eyes. Before he came, he had only heard about it from others. He could not make an accurate judgment, so he asked: "Xiao Bei, tell me, are there many damaged houses in the county?"
Xiao Bei shook her head: "Not many. Most of the county is soaked in water. The highest water level is here."
As Xiao Bei spoke, she reached out her hand and gestured a position above her head. Obviously, she was telling Bi Gou that the highest water level in the county was higher than her height.
"Xiao Bei measured it with her body," Xiaohai added. The so-called measured with her body naturally meant that Xiao Bei walked to the deepest part of the water to measure.
Bi Shu rubbed Xiao Bei's head and looked at Xiao Yuan. He said, "Since everything is fine now, I think the county will be finished soon. Before I came here, someone told this old man that Hong Nong had suffered a great loss."
Xiaoyuan shook his head and then nodded: "Grandpa Bi, it's not just a great loss. Most of the county is still soaked in water. Fortunately, the rain has stopped. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Xiaohai also stood up. He was not as coquettish as Xiao Bei, so his closeness to Bi Gou was not obvious. He greeted Bi Gou out of courtesy and said:
"Grandpa Bi, my brother said that the real problem is not how Hongnong County is. Hongnong County is not like the capital Chang 'an or Luoyang. There are too many important shops and mansions there.
My brother said that if he had a choice, he would rather the county be washed away. The villages outside the county remain and the transportation of the Honglu River can be preserved. "
After saying this, Xiaohai did not say anything else. He did not mention the details, and the other children did not add anything to Bi Gou.
Bi Gou pondered for a while and figured out the reason. Zhang Xiaobao meant that if the county was washed away and the surroundings were stable, it would be easy to rebuild the county. This was because Hongnong County was an agricultural and water transportation county.
The county was nothing more than a temporary residence and negotiation location for merchants. If the county was gone, so be it. It would not affect the merchants. They could change to another place to discuss business. It would not affect the flow of agricultural products.
"Xiao Bei, tell Grandpa. Did Hong Nong lose too many crops? Also, the various livestock and poultry that your brother mentioned in the breeding plan that he came up with later also lost a lot of them."
Bi Gou thought of the severity of the situation. If the information he got from Xiao Bei was consistent with what he thought, then this winter would not be easy for Hongnong.
Xiao Bei nodded vigorously. Before she said anything, she cried. She was very sad.
Only when Bi Gou comforted her did she rub her eyes, pursed her lips, and told Bi Gou what she saw in Hongnong.
When Bi Gou heard Xiao Bei's explanation, his eyes could not help but turn red. Xiao Bei said that when she came to Hongnong, she saw a vast ocean. Bi Gou understood the ocean. He had been to the ocean before.
What Xiao Bei saw was crooked or fallen trees. In the fields that were supposed to be harvested in autumn, there was not a single grain growing. They were all gone. Some were floating on the water, and some were washed away.
There were also houses outside the county. Some had strong gables left, and some were even villages. Only floating logs could be seen squeezing together.
The water was muddy. When one swam on the water, one did not dare to breathe easily. There was white foam between the grass sticks, dead pigs, dead dogs, dead chickens, and a few scattered ducks and geese looking for food. Even the mice were floating.
Some places could not be drained, and the water became dirty and smelly. There were also a few people who were drowning.
"Grandpa Bi, if I did not know that this was Hongnong when I came, I would have thought that I came to the wrong place. Grandpa Bi, do you know? It was not a problem of how much money was lost. It was a problem of how long it would take for Hongnong to recover.
There was no grain in the surrounding area. Everyone was crowded in the county. My family transported goods here by cart. My brother had ordered to hire people from the surrounding areas to send necessities to Hongnong. The water transportation had been stopped long ago. The dam was not blocked yet. A cart of stones fell down and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
As Xiao Bei spoke, he started crying again.
Bi Gou gritted his front teeth. He finally understood the real situation from Xiao Bei's words. That was to say, the foundation of the entire Hong Nong had collapsed. If there were no corresponding strong measures, it would take many years for the people of Hong Nong to recover.
Their savings of many years were gone. Some of their family members had died. Their houses had to be rebuilt. They had to live in debt for a period of time. The most terrible thing was that the people of Hongnong had just gotten used to planting the new seeds distributed by the Sinongsi Temple. They had just increased the yield per mu.
Furthermore, they had just understood how to breed animals in sets and had started to breed livestock in large quantities. It was the year of harvest, and they knew that good days were coming. Suddenly, a man-made disaster came, and their hope turned into disappointment. The kind of heartache caused by the government's inaction, no, the persecution by the government officials was the most difficult to heal.
"Xiao Bei, don't cry. Everything will get better." Bi Gou sighed. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He patted Xiao Bei's head and comforted him.
Xiao Bei nodded vigorously. "I won't cry. Crying won't solve the problem. I will take care of the children in Old Willow Village. I promise, not only will I let them live peacefully here, I will also not affect their studies. Wait, wait for me. When I return to the capital, I will bring Yan Zheng back too. See how I will deal with him."
"That's good. Xiao Bei is the best." Bi Gou did not doubt Xiao Bei's words. He believed that Yan Zheng's disaster had come. The final outcome would be Yan Zheng going crazy.
As for the specific situation, he still needed to go to the county to see Zhang Xiaobao. He could only hope that Zhang Xiaobao could turn the tide and support the affairs of Hongnong as soon as possible. He wanted to solve the problems of the people's lives before winter came.
"Winter is not good," Bi Gou said angrily.
"It's okay. Winter is fine," Xiao Yuan said firmly.
"Oh? Why? "Bi Gou looked over and asked.
"Because, because we have spent money. We have put in our own pocket money, more than 1.3 million strings of cash. Brother is mobilizing resources from the surrounding areas. A few construction teams near Zhengzheng Construction are also rushing here. The follow-up construction materials will be delivered soon.
Brother said that this time, we must let the people of Hongnong live in warm and sturdy houses during winter. This is because the disaster this time was caused by the officials. The officials cannot lose their credibility. If there is no food, they can plant. If the houses collapsed, they can rebuild. If the people's hearts are lost, it will be very scary.
Within half a month, all the accumulated water must be drained. Within a month, the houses must be built. Within two months, all the livestock and poultry that the people lost must be compensated. At the same time, the land and water routes must be unblocked, and better than before.
If the local people in the county are not enough, they can be transferred from outside. If there are not enough people, the army will take over. Even if they have to use their mouths, they must drain the accumulated water.
This is to let the people of Hongnong know that the imperial court values them very much and has never given up. Only by doing this can we eliminate the negative influence of Yan Zheng and the other officials. "
Xiao Yuan said one thing after another to Bi Gou. His eyes were filled with confidence. It was as if what he said could be realized immediately because the decision was made by his brother.
Bi Gou was stunned. He did not expect Zhang Xiaobao to value this so much. Of course, after knowing Zhang Xiaobao's decision, he was relieved. Since Zhang Xiaobao wanted to do it, he would definitely be able to do it.
"Oh, you have put in your pocket money? Is your family unable to make ends meet? " Bi Gou was curious about this matter. Could it be that the Zhang Family and the Wang Family could not even transfer 1.3 million strings of cash?
Xiao Bei waved his hand and said, "No, how can my family not have money? I came here first and saw the disaster situation, so I made a promise to the people. Anyway, I don't need much money."
"Xiao Bei is a good child," Bi Gou praised.
"That's true." Xiao Bei nodded.
"Well, I won't stay here any longer. I'm going to the county city to see your brother. I have something to discuss with him. I'll leave the matters here to Xiao Bei. I believe he can do a good job." Bi Gou planned to leave.
"No problem. Goodbye, Grandpa Bi." Xiao Bei puffed out his chest.
After Bi Gou left, Xiao Bei and the group of children continued making dolls. All of them were even more motivated.
*****
On the road to the county city, Bi Gou saw barren fields on both sides. When he was tired of walking, he stopped to rest. He looked at the sky and sighed. "A man-made disaster is worse than a natural disaster. Xiao Bao would not do this just to appease the people. Why do you think?"
Bi Gou asked the housekeeper next to him. The housekeeper was still young and was the grandson of the old housekeeper. He was still a young man in his thirties. Bi Gou wanted to bring him to see Zhang Xiaobao. As he had just become the housekeeper not long ago, most of his understanding of Zhang Xiaobao came from other people.
Hearing Bi Gou's question, the housekeeper replied respectfully, "Master, is it because Zhang Xiaobao wants to build up his reputation? I heard that the current emperor specially added an Autumn Imperial Examination for him and Wang Juan. However, something happened and it was postponed for a month. With a reputation, he has a better chance of becoming the top scorer. "
"Hehe." Bi Gou looked at his young housekeeper and laughed.
"Chang Cheng," Bi Gou said the housekeeper's name, "Xiao Bao needs Hong Nong's reputation? The top scorer can't be anyone else. Xiao Bao has always been a scheming person. If he didn't come to Hong Nong personally and let Xiao Bei and the other nine children do the work, it might really be because he wants to rebuild Hong Nong.
However, he came, and so did Cuckoo. You're saying that Xiao Bao can't mobilize the army by himself? Don't just think of him as a civil official. Back in Tubo, he and Cuckoo cooperated with each other. Even if he didn't know how to command the army in the past, wouldn't he learn a thing or two from being with Cuckoo every day? That's a fool.
How can Xiao Bao be a fool? The reason why he doesn't show his military talent is the same reason why Cuckoo doesn't show her economic and political talent. Unless it's someone close to them, other people's impression of them is that one is a civil official and the other is a military official. When they deal with the two of them, they will target them.
They are waiting for the people who want to deal with them to feel that the time is right. The moment they make a move, they will let the other party know that civil officials can change into military officials at any time, and military officials can change into civil officials immediately. Do you understand? "
The housekeeper called Chang Cheng was frightened by Bi Gou's words. After thinking carefully, he admitted, "When the time comes, it's indeed very scary. But I still don't know what's the difference if Zhang Xiaobao comes personally."
"I thought of a few points. I'll tell you." Bi Gou didn't really approve of the new housekeeper's ability. The reason why he still used Chang Cheng was because he was loyal enough.
It had been a long time since he guessed Zhang Xiaobao's motive. Bi Gou was a little excited. In the past, he and the other old guys, including the emperor, liked to scheme against Zhang Xiaobao the most, but they always failed.
"Xiao Bao always does things with antelope horns." Bi Gou cracked a smile and said to the housekeeper.
"First, Xiao Bao wants the Fan Metro Cavalry Battalion to adapt to the environment in the interior of the Tang Empire. If I'm not wrong, the other six battalions will follow. The most terrifying soldiers are not only good at fighting in the designated environment, but also the Miao Protection Team. In their words, they are all-terrain and all-weather fighting forces.
In water battles, they can't compare to people who specialize in water battles. In mountain battles, they can't compare to soldiers who specialize in mountain battles. It's the same for grasslands and deserts.
However, they were not inferior by much. Under the command of the same general, a thousand against a thousand, they would definitely lose, but they would definitely not lose miserably. However, as long as they were given two more teams, they would have the advantage in terms of numbers and they would be able to win.
The biggest problem is that the general who is commanding them is not an ordinary person, but Cuckoo who gives military lessons to the Tang Empire's generals. Outsiders give Cuckoo the title of Devil because she kills a lot of people, and she is not soft-hearted when killing people. She often laughs when she kills people.
Our Great Tang's generals gave her the title of 'Demon Fox'. They all said that she was as cunning as a fox. When she had the advantage in numbers, there was no hope of defeating her. Even when her forces were weak, she would always find an opportunity.
So, they want to train the Iron Cavalry Battalion. They don't need the current eight battalions to go to the original Tufan area. There is no battle there. Moreover, they have transferred the eight battalions because they still have troops there. "
After saying the first point, Bi Gou paused. The housekeeper quickly served him water.
"Master, according to what you said, isn't Wang Juan invincible? Our Tang Empire can't find a general who can deal with her? "The housekeeper was not convinced.
Bi Gou waved his hand: "Cuckoo is not invincible. She also lost in the sand table simulation. Even if she lost a few times and escaped successfully, it is still a loss.
However, with Zhang Xiaobao as her adjutant, cooperating with her to carry out the sand table deduction, she must be invincible. That's why us old bastards, including the Emperor, have been studying this matter. "
"Master, have you studied it?" The housekeeper was puzzled.
"Yes, because when cooperating with Cuckoo, Xiao Bao is in charge of logistics and intelligence. Many times, it is Xiao Bao's logistics army that determines the final outcome of a battle. When Cuckoo is unable to break through the situation, what he likes to do the most is to analyze the enemy's generals for her. In the end, we found that Xiao Bao can actually calculate people's minds.
Juanjuan's ability to command and Xiaobao's grasp of people's hearts have created an invincible army in the Great Tang. If they were to arrange for their family's military commanders to be placed in the sand table as battalion commanders, captains, or company commanders, then they would be able to work together with tacit understanding.
I have seen it once, and they have only fought it once. In the capital, with the same number of soldiers, even the team leader on the generals' side was a seventh-ranked military official. In the sand table of the Shannan East Circuit, it could be said that they had sent out all their elites.
Cuckoo was the enemy's main general, and Xiao Bao was her adjutant. The leaders of the small teams under them were all commanders from their families. That battle could be said to have changed the color of the mountains and rivers. You can't even guess how savage Cuckoo's command was.
The generals' side was filled with communication soldiers, but Cuckoo didn't do much communication at all. Sometimes, she just gave a tactical order and didn't care anymore. She didn't even ask where her troops were.
In this way, without any communication, Cuckoo led her people to fight beautifully one after another. Xiao Bao's logistics team was also able to accurately deliver supplies to every key location. The generals' side could only defend and couldn't fight back.
Have you ever seen a team of more than a hundred people dare to force their way through the mountains without any orders? Have you ever seen Xiao Bao send supplies to a place without any communication, and when the generals launch a sneak attack, a large number of soldiers suddenly appear to counter the sneak attack? "
Bi Gou said excitedly to the housekeeper. When he reached the most interesting part, he started to dance as if he was the one who was commanding the troops.
The housekeeper was already dumbfounded. He shook his head blankly and kept muttering, "How can this be? How can this be? "
"You haven't seen it before, right? It's good that you haven't seen it before. When the Autumn Quarter Examination comes, maybe I can get you a place to watch it. I'll take you to see it. Cuckoo is going to be the martial arts champion of the Autumn Quarter Examination. The generals want to take revenge. Cuckoo will lead a team of cold weapons to fight the generals' gun and artillery team in the Jiangnan Circuit with the same number of people. "
Bi Gou's eyes lit up, as if he couldn't wait.
"Using cold weapons to fight guns? Why? Weren't the guns made by the Zhang Clan and Wang Clan first? They should be more familiar with it. Why don't they use it? "The housekeeper didn't understand.
"Because Cuckoo and Xiao Bao both said that weapons aren't everything. They wanted to teach the generals of Great Tang a lesson so that they can't be too proud. Losing on a sand table is better than losing in a real battle."
Bi Gou sighed again. As for why Cuckoo and Xiao Bao were able to defeat each other last time, he didn't mention it.
In fact, it was very simple. It meant that Cuckoo and Xiao Bao would usually bring the commanders at home to do sand table simulations when they had nothing to do. They had probably used the sand table to simulate every place in Great Tang. When they encountered a situation, they knew how to deal with it and how to deal with it.
Thus, they didn't need to communicate much. They were already familiar with the terrain and fighting style of each other.
"Master, I know the first reason. It's to train the soldiers. What about the second reason?" The housekeeper also looked forward to seeing it with his own eyes in the autumn.
Bi Xu stood up, stretched his legs and feet, and continued to walk in the direction of the county town. As he walked, he said to the housekeeper, "Second, I guess it's to deter people from other places who still want to scheme against us. Japan needs to pay something for this before Zhang Xiaobao will let go."
"So there are these two reasons. Master is really good." The housekeeper praised at the right time.
However, Bi Gou didn't appreciate it at all. He frowned and said, "I can only think of two reasons. But Xiao Bao definitely has more than two reasons. He won't become more stupid as he lives. When we get there and see him, you will follow me. Then you will know how good his calculations are."
*****
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan didn't know that Bi Gou was coming.
Both of them were busy. Zhang Xiaobao mobilized materials from all over the country. Wang Juan, as Bi Gou guessed, also tried to let the people of the Iron Cavalry Camp adapt to the food and climate in the interior of the Tang Empire when she commanded them to work.
As for counting the disaster and verifying the compensation, it was enough to arrange for the people in the inner court.
They were busy until the evening. They didn't have the appetite to eat a big meal. Even if they had the conditions, they didn't dare to eat a big meal. Also, the common people could only eat half of their usual food every day.
Zhang Xiaobao took out the leftovers from lunch and fried them with salty Chinese toon sprouts. He also boiled two bowls of egg soup and spicy cabbage. He and Wang Juan had a good meal. After taking a hot bath in the big wooden barrel, they sat at the two ends of the table and spread out the map to study the next step.
"From here, we can lay railway tracks all the way to the north of the river. In this way, Hongnong can be connected to the Yellow River and also become a hub for land transportation. In the past, we wanted to lay railway tracks here, but it cost too much. Now that the disaster has happened, it's time to rebuild it."
Zhang Xiaobao pointed at a place on the map and told Wang Juan his idea.
Wang Juan measured on the map with her palm. "Why not next to Luoyang? Luoyang can be the center."
"Luoyang is already the center. It's not enough to only have one distribution center for the distribution of materials. It will allow the local merchants to monopolize the distribution, which is not good for the development of the entire Tang Empire. Especially when the railway is laid to Luoyang first, Luoyang's economic and political status will be higher than Chang 'an for a period of time. It's not in Li Longji's interest.
Transportation has always been a problem. Most importantly, there is a lot of coal in Henan, which is not inferior to Shanxi. The railway needs coal, and we can use local materials. When the time comes, we can build a pier on the opposite bank of the Yellow River. When the goods are transported from the railway to Hongnong, they can immediately change to water and be transported directly to the opposite bank of the Yellow River.
We can't build a bridge to connect to the railway. It's not worth it. The cost is high, and the efficiency will not increase by much. When the time comes, the railway can be connected to the north of the Yellow River all the way to the northeast. The three provinces in the northeast will pay for this, which is the north of Hebei Province. There are many plains in Hebei Province, and that part of the railway is the easiest to lay.
There is also coal in the northeast. The most important thing is agricultural products and Dalian's sea products. If we only use the river to transport the goods, it will be too much of a delay. How can we prosper if we can't sell the goods? In the future, the northeast will become the center of heavy industry. The population there is small, so it's fine if there is more pollution. "
While Zhang Xiaobao was speaking, he had already picked up a pen and drew a line on the map. It was the line from the northeast that passed by Hebei Province, the line that he wanted to build a railway.
Wang Juan frowned. Looking at the line on the map, she couldn't feel happy. This line looked simple. It was just money. Even if the Imperial Court didn't spend money, her family's wealth was enough. Of course, she couldn't fork out the money herself.
The problem wasn't money, but the smelting technology. Most of it was used to make guns and cannons, and some was sent to the shipyard. The steel used for the railway couldn't be used, so where could they get it from?
There was another point. The line could be drawn straight, but the railway couldn't be laid out that way. There were mountains in some places, so they had to dig caves. There were also places where bridges had to be built, and large amounts of stones were needed. Blasting stones and so on would kill people.
"Xiao Bao, no matter how advanced the technology is, it can't prevent people from dying when building the railway. Not to mention, the technology now can't compare to the technology we had back then. The difference is too great. How many lives do you plan to use to make up for it?"
Wang Juan didn't want the Tang Empire to lose a lot of people at a time when it needed people and there was no war.
Zhang Xiaobao held the pen and suddenly smiled. He said to Wang Juan, "Of course I know people will die, but I can't bear to let people of the Tang Empire die. I can't be a pacifist in the world in my life. My idea is that I can't come here for nothing."
"Where are you?" Wang Juan couldn't think of a place where people could come from.
"In Japan, the Japanese have a good point. They are willing to work and do things. When they were defeated and surrendered, the women in Japan could also bear the heavy burden. Just like the women in North Korea, they are all good people."
Zhang Xiaobao pointed to the east, which meant that he was pointing to Japan.
"Then how do you plan to get the Japanese to come over? I don't feel bad for them if they die, but they are not stupid. How can a fool create futures? "Wang Juan was even more puzzled.
"Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, I'm here. Xiao Bao, come out and meet me." Before Zhang Xiaobao could explain how to get the Japanese to come over, an old man's shout came from outside.
Hearing the sound, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan looked at each other and said at the same time, "Why is he here?"
The two didn't dare to delay. They got up and went to see Bi Gou. Seeing that Bi Gou was still so healthy, they felt a sense of pride. They had changed the time of Bi Gou's life.
"You've grown taller." Bi Gou also looked at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. The smile on his face didn't stop. He looked left and right and couldn't get enough of them.
Zhang Xiaobao also laughed and walked over with Wang Juan. One on the left and one on the right, they helped Bi Gou into the house.
"Grandpa Bi, why are you here? You should stay in the capital. Why go to the disaster area and suffer? " Zhang Xiaobao helped Bi Gou into the house and arranged for him to sit down. Wang Juan brought snacks and tea, put them on the small table and asked Bi Gou.
Bi Gou was in a hurry and didn't eat. He first picked up a piece of cake and put it in his mouth. Then he blew on the tea and swallowed it. After swallowing a piece of cake, he felt much better. He said to Wang Juan, "I'm tired of staying in San Shui County. I'm also tired of fishing Between the Clouds and the Water. Look, my body is not bad, so I came to find you guys to fish."
"Don't be modest. How can you say that your body is not bad? You're young, you'll be 70 years old in a year. Grandpa Bi, if you want to fish, you have to wait. The dam has just been blocked, the water is still muddy, and the fish won't come."
Zhang Xiaobao followed by the side and picked up an orange to peel it.
Bi Gou didn't stand on ceremony. He opened his mouth and asked for a piece of orange. He smiled and swallowed it. He asked, "Xiao Bao, you didn't come here in person just to take care of the reconstruction, right?"
"That's right." Zhang Xiaobao didn't admit that he had other thoughts.
"Why? I think Cuckoo wants to train the soldiers in Japan. You also want to get some money from Japan? Could it be that this old man thought wrong? "Bi Gou asked with a look of victory in his hands.
The housekeeper who had been accompanying him and arranged for protection also went into the house to listen. He wanted to see if Zhang Xiaobao was really as magical as the old master said.
Zhang Xiaobao chuckled and said to Wang Juan, "See, I told you. We can't hide it from Grandpa Bi. With Grandpa Bi's ability, we can't hide it even if we want to. You didn't believe me."
"Don't push the blame to me. What am I hiding? But our Grandpa Bi is indeed amazing. He saw through our thoughts the moment he came. I think Grandpa Bi will be 65 next year, not 70."
Wang Juan said and filled Bi Gou's teacup with water. She smiled and asked, "Grandpa Bi, did you bring fishing gear?"
"I didn't bring it. I waited for you two masters to prepare it for me. I didn't find anything else, but I found that you two are getting better at fooling people. You can't only think of the two points that I can think of, right? Xiao Bao, tell Grandpa what other plans you have. Don't hide anything."
Bi Gou acted like a tycoon and began to ask Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao put a piece of orange into Bi Gou's mouth and said sincerely, "I really don't have anything else. Grandpa Bi, you saw through my little plan. Grandpa Bi is better than before."
"Keep fooling me. I knew it. Why am I so tired of staying in San Shui County? I'm not used to not having people fooling me."
Bi Gou was unmoved. He pretended not to see the sincerity on Zhang Xiaobao's face.
"Alright, actually there is one more thing. Since I am here, I can't come here for nothing. The reconstruction can also be done with the railway, all the way to the north bank of the Yangtze River. A large amount of goods can be transported to Hong Nong by the railway. When people see it, they will think that the railway is so convenient. It will be more convenient when the railway is laid. There will be more people supporting it."
Zhang Xiaobao said one thing, and Bi Gou nodded as he listened. He then turned to look at his housekeeper, and met his housekeeper's gaze that seemed to say, "What else?" Bi Gou asked happily.
"What else? What else? Grandpa Bi, I really can't think of anything else. I am here to provide disaster relief, not to make a fortune. That's all. "Zhang Xiaobao refused to admit.
Bi Gou was like a child. He turned his face away from Zhang Xiaobao, which meant that he did not believe him.
Wang Juan could not help but laugh, "Grandpa Bi, you are staring at the snacks. You haven't eaten, right? Let Xiao Bao cook some dishes for you. Drink some hot wine to warm up your body. "
"No need. I am in good health. I will be 60 next year. The snacks are good. They are soft and delicious. If you don't tell me the truth, I will not die in peace."
Bi Gou was stubborn. He turned his head back and stared at Zhang Xiaobao. He had to say something.
Zhang Xiaobao spread his hands helplessly. "Grandpa Bi, I really have to hand it to you. You're clearly putting a duck on a perch. Alright, since you asked, I've come up with an idea on the spot. I'll tell you."
"Not just one." Bi Gou shook his head, "Who doesn't know that Zhang Xiaobao is a serial schemer. If it were someone else, it would be good if they could think of two or three related ideas. If you, Zhang Xiaobao, did not have a series of ideas, would you come to Hong Nong personally? The Autumn Quarter Examination will be delayed for a month. All the expenses will be borne by your family. If you really do a business that is at a loss, the Tang Empire will have lost all its money. "
"Then you have to tell me one by one." Zhang Xiaobao was still so sincere.
"Say it." Bi Gou had a look of 'I am right.'
Zhang Xiaobao pondered for a moment and said, "Besides the three points just now, there is one more point. Put pressure on the Japanese and make them admit their mistakes. This way, we can increase the tariffs on Japanese exports. At the same time, we can promise to sell them more technology.
So that they can buy it back and study it, but they can only use the Tang Empire's money, and the price is very high. If they want to get more money, there are two ways. First, let the Tang Empire's businessmen go to Japan as soon as possible to open tourist attractions. When the Tang Empire's people go there, they will naturally spend the Tang Empire's money.
Second, sell more basic resources, such as silver, copper, high-end seafood, and sulfur. Otherwise, they will not be able to take out the money to buy our products and go back to study the technology.
In this way, the Tang Empire's plundering of resources in Japan will be smoother, more convenient, and faster. Now that Xinluo can no longer make waves, I will deal with Japan as soon as possible so that I can continue to expand and plunder more resources.
Otherwise, when the people in other places become smarter and more powerful, it will cause too many casualties in the Tang Empire if we want to plunder. The oil we dug out is a lot in other places. Even after many years, it is still very useful and will become a national strategic item. "
Before Bi Gou, who was listening at the side, could speak, his butler could not help but say, "I don't agree with you selling technology. What if they figure it out?"
After saying that, he saw the three people looking at him in surprise, so he immediately lowered his head. He knew that he was wrong and did not have the right to speak.
Zhang Xiaobao did not pursue the matter. The other party had good intentions. He smiled and explained, "Technology needs to be sold. Our Tang Empire's technology is developed step by step. Many of the technologies that are good for the Japanese are actually outdated.
Outdated technologies waste a lot of materials and are not worth it. Also, some technologies have a great impact on the environment and the human body. We need the movements produced by that technology to be processed by another technology, but we don't want to cause too much damage to our Tang Empire, so we can only let the Japanese do the rough processing.
When the time comes, I will provide a part of the technology that Japan needs a lot of raw materials. Japan doesn't have raw materials, but our Tang Empire doesn't. Even if we have it, we can't sell it to Japan. They have to obtain it themselves.
I rented them a ship and found a way to let them learn how to make the oldest generation of steam engines. This is to let them go overseas to search for resources. When they arrive at a new place, they will clash with the local natives. No matter how advanced the weapons are, people will die. The Japanese can be the vanguard, understand? "
"I understand. Go on." Bi Gou continued.
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