"No wonder Lord Zhang Zhong is Lord Zhang Xiaobei's biological father. No wonder he dares to scold Xiaobei." The steward felt that it was a good thing that there was someone in the imperial court who could control Xiaobei.
"It depends on what the matter is. If Xiaobei is serious about something, she dares to go against her father. After quarreling in the imperial court, Xiaobei will go home and hide before the court is dismissed. Haha." Bi Gou laughed heartily when talking about this.
Zhang Xiaobao winked at Wang Juan and went to the kitchen to cook. After all, he couldn't let Bi Gou eat some snacks to fill his stomach.
Wang Juan accompanied Bi Gou to the table and told him the importance of building a road to the three northeastern provinces, oh, the northern part of Hebei Province.
She listed the mineral resources in the northeast and talked about the characteristics of the northeast land. She especially emphasized the benefits of planting potatoes brought back from outside in the black soil of the Commander-In-Chief's Mansion in Bohai.
She also mentioned the precious medicinal materials that liked cold weather, delicious birds and beasts, beautiful and practical animal fur. Of course, she didn't miss the important strategic locations.
"Oh! You mean, if we move the heavy industry to the northern part of Hebei Province and put the large docks around, Jili Province can be connected with Deng Province and Lai Province in Henan Province. A large area in the middle can be used for naval training and formation before meeting the enemy.
However, in the northern part of Hebei Province, only your Jili Province has some people. The other places are uninhabited or sparsely populated. Who will occupy those places when attacking the Tang Empire? What's more, except for our Tang Empire, I haven't heard of any gunboats in other places. "
Although Bi Gou's thinking was more advanced, he didn't think of the same thing as Wang Juan. He had many doubts.
Wang Juan heard Bi Gou say that the three northeastern provinces were not important. She opened her mouth and didn't know what to say for a while. She looked at the map and pondered for a while. Then she said, "Grandpa Bi, do you think it's easy for Xiao Bao and me to clean up the northern part of Hebei Province?"
Bi Gou nodded. That was exactly what he meant. It did not take much effort. There were a few small skirmishes and they only used the gunships once. Even if they did not use the gunships, it would not have been a big deal.
"Grandpa Bi, that's because Shandong, oh, the Henan Circuit, is in the hands of our Great Tang. Otherwise, even if Xiao Bao and I mobilized our elite soldiers, we wouldn't have been able to attack them. Once they had a ship like ours, or even a smaller one, it would have been connected to the Henan Circuit's Dengzhou.
"I can only lead my troops to attack Deng Province first. Deng Province is not in my hands, so I definitely don't dare to attack that place. Unless they don't resist, hiding millions of soldiers in the vast mountains to the north is like child's play."
Back then, I led the soldiers of Yi Province. Why? Why didn't I bring the soldiers from Jiangnan? Without Lu Zhou's wolf soldiers? Because I'm afraid that they will hide. If they hide until winter, the soldiers of Yi Province can still resist the cold. "
Wang Juan was not from the Northeast. To be precise, she was not a pure Northeasterner. She was originally from Beijing. The climate was the same as the Northeast, and the area was close to Hebei. However, she knew the importance of the three provinces in the Northeast.
Otherwise, how did the capital of Beijing come to be? Who built Shanhai Pass for? The two capitals were unparalleled, and the first pass of the Great Wall was just a joke.
Bi Gou lowered his head and pondered. His steward was at a loss. He did not know what the northern part of Hebei Province looked like. He only knew that the ginseng there was good, especially when Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were there. They sent a lot of ginseng to the Old Master. Oh, there was also Kunbu, which could be planted. There were also pearls, fungus, and so on.
According to the Old Master, ginseng was also planted near Jili Province. For the magical Zhang Family and Wang Family, it seemed that there was nothing they could not plant. Maybe one day, they would be able to plant millions of soldiers.
After pondering for a while, Bi Gou said, "It's indeed not easy to fight. Otherwise, it would have been directly under our control. Why would we build so many protectorates? You and Xiao Bao have been troubled."
"Grandpa Bi, you finally speak the truth. Xiao Bao, add one more dish for Grandpa Bi. Oh, add two more. Add one more dish to scold people." Wang Juan pretended to be moved and shouted to the kitchen.
Bi Gou said again, "Cuckoo, I see that you and Xiao Bao went there very easily. Didn't you go there to make money by planting Kunbu?"
"Humph, if Xiao Bao wanted to make money, why would he go to Jili Province? Jiangnan Province, Huainan Province, Shannan East Province, and Lingnan Province. Which one can't he plant Kunbu? Xiao Bao and I felt uncomfortable because there was an important place with a small population that was not under the control of the Tang Empire.
Don't doubt the importance of the north of Hebei Province. If Xiao Bao and I want to rebel, we will definitely choose to do it in the Bohai Commander-In-Chief's Office. Give Xiao Bao a million people, give me 100,000 elite soldiers, and let the imperial court gather all the soldiers of the Tang Empire to fight. Let's see if we can take it down.
When summer comes to attack, I will fight if I can. If I can't, I will retreat to the north. When winter comes, I will fight back. This winter, I will take you there for a walk and let you see what the elite soldiers are like in the snow. "
Wang Juan had heard the story told by her grandfather. Her grandfather said that her grandfather's grandfather was in the northeast. The Japanese immigrants were often bullied by the local landlords. The three provinces in the northeast held back a lot of Japanese forces.
That was because the warlords didn't see the situation clearly and adopted a passive strategy.
Every time she thought of the story and read the real historical information, Wang Juan would sigh. The North Military Camp, as long as they fought back, could form a crossfire net at any time. They didn't need to prepare during the day. Even if they were attacked at night, they could get up and quickly form a firepower position.
Not to mention people, even tanks would be trapped. Even if they lost in the end, they could eliminate the living force of the "old nose". What kind of soldiers were they? They were the direct subordinates brought out by "Zhang", just like the strong protection team in her family.
Who dared to say that they could easily attack the position defended by the protection team according to the terrain and firepower deployment?
Bi Gou didn't know that Wang Juan thought of the "history". Seeing Wang Juan's sad face, he thought that he didn't trust Wang Juan in his words and made her sad.
Then he said, "Cuckoo, what did the commander of your army look like?"
"What? Nothing. It's just the Xiang Army given by the Emperor. Oh, it's the soldiers of the Jiangnan and Western Provinces. Now they have begun to adapt to the climate. "
Wang Juan calmed down and said with a gesture.
"I'm talking about the winter clothes." Bi Gou knew that His Majesty gave Xiao Bao and Cuckoo the soldiers. The reason why he gave them soldiers they were not familiar with was that he was afraid that they would dominate.
Speaking of clothes, Wang Juan smiled. "If you go there, you will be scared. In summer, they wear the normal gray-green camouflage clothes. In winter, humph! After it snows in winter, they wear white skis, duck down, a white cloak, a snow hat, and a pair of snow glasses.
The gloves have three parts, one for the thumb, one for the index finger, and the other three fingers together to make it convenient to shoot. Everyone carries a simple medical kit, a flat bottle of strong liquor, a multi-functional white military shovel, and a pack of spicy jerky.
Grandpa Bi, I let the Tang Empire choose any general to fight with me after it snows in winter. With 10,000 soldiers, I can easily defeat 100,000 of them. I participated in three maneuvers there. At that time … I mean, I thought about how to fight many times. Anyway, it's very powerful. "
As Wang Juan spoke, her words slipped out of her mouth and she hurriedly corrected her.
Bi Gou didn't think too much about it. He thought about what Wang Juan had said about the soldiers' equipment. He thought that in the snow, they would be dressed in white from top to bottom, which should be useful for hiding. As for what Wang Juan had said about ten thousand against a hundred thousand, he still didn't quite believe it. The premise was that the one commanding the ten thousand was not Wang Juan. If it was Wang Juan, there was a high possibility of winning against a hundred thousand people in any place.
"Cuckoo, you are too modest. If you have enough space, I also believe that you can win if you fight against 200,000 with 10,000." Bi Gou commented.
"Grandpa Bi, you don't understand what I mean. Even if it's not me, Xiao Bao can also win if he commands. You don't understand the cruelty of the forest and snowfield. For people who are not used to the environment, it's good enough that they can still breathe after entering."
Wang Juan could not use words to describe the weather in the Northeast, especially after passing Liaoning and heading north. It was bone-chilling and the wind was like a knife. Droplets of water would turn into ice.
The Xiang soldiers sent by Li Longji were all men. In the first winter, how many of them cried from the cold? Their hands and faces would be covered with cuts and blackened by the wind. In the middle of the cuts, there would be fresh red flesh. That was Jili Province, which was Dalian. It was warmer and close to the sea. Let's try heading north.
Bi Gou heard Wang Juan's words and did not dare to make a conclusion. "Is it really that cold?"
"You can go and take a look during winter. I will prepare some protective measures for you and let you experience the feeling of snow in the north." When Wang Juan thought of standing under the snow without any protective measures, she could not help but shiver.
Only a group of heartless children like Xiao Bei would be able to make a snowman even when their hands were red from the cold.
Bi Gou had never experienced such a degree of coldness. He gave himself courage and said, "Okay, okay. I will leave my 50 kilograms to you. If I freeze to death, you will feel guilty for the rest of your life."
"Oh, who dares to freeze our Grandpa Bi to death? I will be the first to not let him off. Grandpa Bi, the dishes are here. "Zhang Xiaobao came out of the kitchen with a big tray and said with a smile.
There were five dishes on the tray. There was no soup because there was a northeast pig slaughtered dish in the middle. There was soup, pickled vegetables, white meat, blood sausage, vermicelli, and a smashed hind leg bone. There was also a small bowl of garlic sauce on the side.
The other four dishes were stewed meat, steamed pork knuckle with chopped green onions, potato braised eggplant, and braised chicken nuggets with mushrooms. Zhang Xiaobao originally planned to stew chicken and mushrooms, but he thought it would take too long.
The five dishes were all typical northeast dishes. Zhang Xiaobao actually planned to make them even more shabby. For example, he would change the pork knuckle into sliced salted duck eggs, change the chicken and mushrooms into egg and onion pancakes, change the stewed meat into stewed vegetables, make the potato braised eggplant into eggplant with chopped green onions, and make the pig slaughtered dish into stewed pickled vegetables.
In the end, he was too embarrassed to do so and had to serve them as planned.
When Wang Juan saw the dishes, she immediately recognized which cuisine they belonged to. It was not winter yet, so the taste and feeling of eating northeast dishes was not so good. She glanced at the five dishes and asked, "Five dishes?"
"There's also a spicy stir-fried intestine. I can only stir-fry it after boiling water and blanching the intestines. My speed is already fast enough. I turned on four stoves at the same time, so the pig slaughtered dish and pork knuckle took more time. The water for blanching the intestines hasn't been boiled yet. I'm afraid that Grandpa Bi will be anxious from waiting." Zhang Xiaobao explained.
"Alright, go back quickly. It's not easy for Grandpa Bi to come here. Even if it's a simple meal, it can't be too shabby. Grandpa Bi, I'm sorry. Xiao Bao's hands are really not fast enough."
Wang Juan chased Zhang Xiaobao back and said modestly to Bi Gou.
Bi Gou did not move his chopsticks. He waited for the wine to be warmed at the side. At the same time, he was also waiting for Zhang Xiaobao to finish the last dish so that they could eat together.
After hearing Wang Juan's words, he said to his housekeeper, "Did you see that? The dishes are slow. After returning to the residence, tell the chefs that they don't need to make five dishes in that short amount of time. If they can make four dishes in front of them, I'll consider them doing their job well. Don't learn from Xiao Bao and waste time cooking. "
"Master, if we really do that, we won't have any chefs in our residence. Master, I understand. No wonder you said that Her Majesty is willing to eat the dishes cooked by Jiedushi Zhang. How fast does he have to be to manage four stoves at the same time? Other than using a spoon, he also has to use a knife to cut, right? To be honest, if I had the money to invite Jiedushi Zhang to cook, I would be willing to pay 100 strings of cash just by looking at his knife skills. "
The housekeeper was deeply shocked. While he was speaking, five dishes were already out. Wouldn't the knife be flying?
Bi Gou chuckled and said, "100 strings of cash? Is Xiao Bao so worthless? Do you know how much money he earns when he cooks a dish? What's that saying again? Oh, it's in minutes. Tens of thousands of strings of cash. Do you think anyone can eat the dishes cooked by Xiao Bao? Have a seat. I don't know when I'll be able to eat them again. "
"Thank you, Master." The housekeeper hurriedly found a seat at the end of the table and sat down. To be able to eat a bite of Zhang Xiaobao's dishes, regardless of the taste, just based on his status, he would gain face if word got out.
Just as the housekeeper sat down, the fragrance of the hot wine wafted up. Zhang Xiaobao came back from the back with a plate in his hands.
"Grandpa Bi, don't say that. It's just a dish. It doesn't matter who cooks it. Xiaobei can make dolls with his friends in Old Willow Village. Can't I cook a few dishes with the commoners? The weight of one's status has nothing to do with being reserved. It's not difficult to eat the food I cook. Yesterday, I stood on the street and roasted more than 60 catties of meat skewers. I didn't even get a single copper coin. "
"You have the nerve to say that. I helped you roast the meat skewers. My hands are swollen. How can you manage a grill that's ten feet long? You roast big skewers. One catty of meat is 20 skewers. You roast seven to eight catties of meat at once. I have to bring six maidservants with me. How tired am I?"
Wang Juan complained. She even opened her hands for Bi Gou to see.
"Next time, let's roast properly before we roast the meat. Madam, do you find that they enjoy the food?" Zhang Xiaobao was surprised.
"I also enjoy the food. It tastes cheap. It's free." Wang Juan said.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded. "This shows that the commoners' lives are not easy. Rich people will not take advantage of this. One person can only eat one skewer, and they have to line up. Is it easy?"
"Xiao Bao, pour the wine. I will also eat meat skewers tomorrow afternoon. Find a place and accompany me to fish and roast the meat." Bi Gou had not moved his chopsticks. The master did not even serve the wine. How could he eat the food?
Zhang Xiaobao obeyed and poured the wine. He held it up and gave Bi Gou his blessings. Then, he filled Bi Gou's chopsticks with food. Only then did Bi Gou start eating.
Early the next morning, Bi Gou called Zhang Xiaobao and asked him to find a place to fish. He also brought the meat skewers that he had asked his men to roast for lunch.
Looking at the color of the meat skewers, Bi Gou was puzzled. He asked Zhang Xiaobao, "There is no mutton or beef?"
"The mutton is not here yet. We have beef, but we don't dare to eat it. The commoners are waiting for the compensation. Do you want to eat beef?" Zhang Xiaobao explained.
"No. I am afraid of being scolded behind my back. Other than transporting livestock and poultry, you also have to send food to the commoners. It's really not easy." Bi Gou was just asking. He basically listened to Zhang Xiaobao when he came here. He believed that Xiao Bao would adjust his diet.
Zhang Xiaobao carried his fishing gear and headed towards one of the water bubbles. That place should be able to hold some fish when the flood hits.
When he heard Bi Gou's question, he replied, "There is no need to prepare food for them. Humans cannot eat the food inside, but the livestock can eat it. I only need to hand over the pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, and geese to the commoners. Even if the commoners have to wade through the mud, they will still collect enough food for their livestock and poultry.
I know. With livestock, the commoners would rather be frugal and feed them well. Many commoners couldn't afford cows and sheep in the past, so they would buy pigs. They would add a cover on top of the pig and that would be their home. Only with a pig can there be a home.
If I don't represent the imperial court to compensate them, they will not be able to have a stable winter. Especially those who raise cows. They basically raise the cows as their children, so I don't dare to kill the cows.
In a few days, I will find local laborers to work and pay them. As for the old people and women who can't work, they will find ways to collect food for their livestock and poultry in the flood. I will give them some hope this year. Next autumn, there will be a bumper harvest. The rent that they should pay will not be less, so … "
"So the incompetent officials should 'get out' as soon as possible?" Bi Gou continued.
"Grandpa Bi, you know how to live. I admire you." Zhang Xiaobao praised.
"Then, when the people from Jianjia Academy come to be officials, no one can stop them, right?"
"I don't know if they can stop them. I only know that when the people from the academy come, I will skin them alive if they don't manage the place well. I have told them this before the imperial examination. Since they have acknowledged themselves as Jianjia Academy, don't make a fool of yourself if you can't be one. The mediocre ones should get out of the way and the capable ones should stay in the middle."
Zhang Xiaobao said very impolitely.
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