Bi Gou pestered Zhang Xiaobao and asked Zhang Xiaobao to tell him all his plans.
Zhang Xiaobao, on the other hand, insisted that life was not easy. When he was asked too much, he would answer perfunctorily. For example, the purpose was to let a group of elders find local specialties during their trip and bring them back to him so that he could consider whether he could plant them, especially the precious medicinal herbs.
Such a small matter was not worth Zhang Xiaobao's attention.
As for whether there were more important matters, of course, there were, but Zhang Xiaobao did not want to tell Bi Gou everything. Otherwise, when traveling, there would be too many things on his mind and the elders would not have a good time.
Only when there was a need, Zhang Xiaobao would ask someone to send a message to the elders and ask them to help.
Bi Gou saw that he could not get an answer, so he could only give up temporarily and continue fishing. Today, he caught a grass carp and consecutively caught a few more grass carps. Finally, his interest was exhausted. He said that the other fish in the water had been eaten by the black fish and went back with Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao accompanied Bi Gou back to the yamen. At the same time, he asked someone to pull the net and catch a lot of fish. All kinds of freshwater fish added up to 300 catties. They brought it back as an extra dish for the guards at noon.
In fact, Zhang Xiaobao was not the only one who ate fish. Hong Nong also specially formed a team to catch fish. When the water rushed, many fish directly flowed into the fields. When the water receded, it would be even more difficult for them to come out again.
In places where the water was deep, they directly used nets. In places where the water was shallow, they rolled up their trousers and used hooks to fish. In other places, before the food Zhang Xiaobao gathered arrived, they boiled the fish into soup and let the labourers eat it with steamed buns or rice.
Bi Gou came in a hurry and received an answer. However, he could not rush back immediately. He found a job in the yamen as an accountant and used his remaining energy. During the day, he took an hour or so to walk around the streets where the water receded and see the bustling scene at the construction site.
Every time he saw a commoner who worked hard, he would first sigh with emotion. Their families had been destroyed, and they had lost their relatives. Not a single one of them had ever complained. They were all working hard.
The more this was the case, the more Bi Gou gritted his teeth as he looked at Yan Zheng who was standing outside the South Gate. He wished that he could use his knife to slice off Yan Zheng's flesh and cook it. However, he knew that it would only benefit Yan Zheng.
"Xiao Bei is really smart. She's a good child." Another day, Bi Gou arrived at the South Gate. He looked at Yan Zheng, who was firmly tied up and exposed to the elements. Yan Zheng's hair was messy, his skin was cracked, his eyes were lifeless, and his mouth was puckered. He felt very relieved.
The reason he praised Xiao Bei was because when Xiao Bei first saw Yan Zheng, he had his teeth knocked out and said that he would not let him die a quick death.
If Xiao Bei hadn't been sensible at that time, it would have been too easy for him to kill Yan Zheng with one sentence.
Yan Zheng was behind the South Gate and had never seen Bi Gou up close. At this time, he saw that there was another person beside him who was still standing there. He thought that it was another person who had come to scold him. He struggled to turn his head to take a look. Perhaps he could gain some sympathy and leave a way out for his family.
He saw an old man with a head full of white hair and a frosty beard. He stood there with his hands behind his back. He knew that he was not an ordinary person. He said in a hoarse voice that was almost inaudible, "One person's crime, one person's punishment. His family does not know."
Bi Gou saw that the other party did not even know who he was and sighed, "Yan Zheng, do you still remember me?"
"You … you are …?" Yan Zheng opened his eyes and looked at the person beside him. He suddenly realized, "You, you are the Minister of Revenue, Crown Prince Zhan Shi, Bi Gou, Bi … Long Ze. You are … you are responsible for your own actions."
"I am the former, the former Minister of Revenue. I was also the Henan Magistrate. When I was the Henan Magistrate, I did not encounter anything like Hong Nong. I admit that I am not a good person, but I am not as cruel as you. Don't tell me about your crimes. I don't care."
Bi Gou had planned to scold him, but suddenly he was not in the mood.
"But … protect my … children? In the next life … "
"Don't mention the next life to me. I only ask about this life. I am a farmer. I can't protect anyone, let alone your children. If it were anyone else, I would not dare to protect them. His Majesty personally appointed Zhang Xiaobei and the other nine people here. Who dares to interfere?
His Majesty's edict has been sent to Japan. His Majesty's edict will come out soon. If Japan dares to not let your family come back, Wang Juan dares to gather the elites of the Tang Empire and attack Japan with the help of the gunboats. She does not care about the blood staining the mountains and rivers.
However, maybe Zhang Xiaobao will be soft-hearted and can be flexible. But you have to live like you are now. Otherwise, when you die, Zhang Xiaobao will make your family suffer for you. Eat and sleep as you should. Don't let others force you. "
Bi Gou threatened Yan Zheng and his family. Then he walked away with his hands behind his back.
A glimmer of hope appeared in Yan Zheng's dim eyes. He shouted, "I want to eat porridge, eat porridge, I want to live."
Bi Gou really did not know. When they were on the train, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had discussed the countermeasures. They would pretend to drown Yan Zheng's family, but in fact, they would take them far away from the Tang Empire.
Zhang Xiaobao really did not want to kill Yan Zheng's daughter. But he was afraid that if he did not destroy the whole family, it would not be a deterrent.
Bi Gou was afraid that Yan Zheng's mind could not keep up and he would die. In that case, he would not be able to show others. He needed him to live so that every official who worked in the local government could see him.
In the yamen, Zhang Xiaobao had just sorted out the files. This time, the officials of Henan Province were involved in the case. There were a total of 613 people, from the top to the bottom, from the top to the bottom, from the top to the bottom, from the bottom to the bottom. Their crimes were different, and they could be sentenced to life or death. However, all of them had to be sent to Chang 'an. Some were already on the way, while some nearby were temporarily locked up.
"A large number of people will be sent down. No matter how light their crimes are, after Li Longji's edict, he can't continue to be an official. I plan to put the people who passed the entrance exam of Jianjia Academy in important positions. How should I tell Li Longji?"
Zhang Xiaobao put the list on the table and was worried.
Wang Juan touched the list with her hand and shook her head. "More than 600 people. It's shocking. It's really shocking."
"Okay, okay, don't say that it's shocking. Henan Province is not Henan Province. There are other places, such as Shandong. There are only 600 people. In the whole Henan Province, there are no less than 10,000 officials. I'm very relieved. It's not a big proportion, so I still dare to arrest them.
What I'm most afraid of is that there is not a good official, which makes me worry about whom to arrest. Of course, if we meet an international swindler, we must arrest him. He is rich, but he doesn't have the foundation of the higher-ups. I'm not afraid of him because the higher-ups can clear his name.
But this time, I won't arrest the Japanese. If I do, it will make me look too incompetent. Do I need to arrest them to deal with them? I can cooperate with you to attack Japan because I don't like it, but I will never admit that I don't have the ability to directly attack a small figure who can't be found wrong. In the great Tang, we must destroy a country when we attack, instead of fighting with words. "
Zhang Xiaobao's face was full of disdain. He shook his head like a teacher.
"Go and cook. Yesterday, Xiaobei asked people to send a lot of willow mushrooms from Old Willow Village. I want to eat willow mushrooms stewed with chicken." When Wang Juan heard that Zhang Xiaobao was going to talk about something else, she quickly asked him to cook.
When Zhang Xiaobao walked to the back kitchen, she said, "If the country is not good, who do you blame? Every man has a responsibility. If the country is righteous, it will not change. If the country is not righteous, it will not change until death. "
"I'm just saying. I didn't change. Don't you know how I spent the money I swindled? Some officials are not as good as me. They changed first.
Willow mushrooms stewed with chicken? Even Xiaobei can't say such a stupid thing. If willow mushrooms stewed chicken, what about hazel mushrooms and pine mushrooms? These are mushrooms that grow on real willow trees. The children of Old Willow Village gave them to Xiaobei. On average, several willow trees can produce one mushroom, and I stewed it?
Wait, I'll make Malatang today. People say that there are three thousand willow branches, willow mushrooms should be boiled to eat, stewed dishes should be eaten with the soup, boiled dishes should be eaten fresh, boiled dishes should be eaten fresh, and eaten with willow mushrooms should be eaten fresh and tender. If you don't believe me, you can boil the pine mushrooms, which are red mushrooms, to see how they taste and taste.
How is this the Tang Dynasty? I'm a man full of talent, but I'm actually ordered around as a cook. The human heart is not what it used to be, it's really not what it used to be. "
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head and pushed the door open, leaving Wang Juan sitting there and laughing. After laughing, she looked at the back of the kitchen and murmured sweetly, "I'm bullying you. Full of talent? I think you're full of evil tricks. Not to mention the Tang Dynasty, even if you run to the primitive society, you'll still have to cook for me. I'm depending on you, hmph!"
Since they said they were going to eat Malatang for lunch, they definitely had to eat it. However, Zhang Xiaobao was not stupid enough to make all the skewers himself. He found a few helpers to make the skewers, and he made the Malatang soup himself.
All kinds of things that could be used as traditional Chinese medicine were fried as seasonings. He also asked someone to extract pepper oil. He didn't use oil to fry pepper, but squeezed out pepper oil like how he squeezed bean oil.
After that, he used lamb bones to make soup. When the soup was done, he used chicken to make soup. Then, he used another pot to make Crucian Carp soup. Finally, he mixed them together and used them to make Malatang soup. Zhang Xiaobao didn't want to make soup with water and seasonings.
Zhang Xiaobao was busy preparing the ingredients for the Malatang soup. Just then, Bi Shu came back. As soon as he entered the door, he took a deep breath and praised, "It smells good. The Crucian Carp that I caught with great difficulty yesterday is not cooked, right? I plan to raise it in a wooden basin and eat it. "
"Grandpa Bi, the Crucian Carp you mentioned was made into soup by Xiao Bao." Wang Juan immediately complained.
Bi Shu looked at the soup and shook his head, "No, the Crucian Carp is milky white. Don't bully this old man because I don't understand. Your soup doesn't count the color of the seasonings and chili oil. It should be clear soup."
Zhang Xiaobao came in with a plate of mushrooms. He pursed his lips and said, "Grandpa Bi, have you ever seen anyone who doesn't have clear soup? If you don't believe me, don't eat it first. I will continue to make the soup into clear soup for you. "
"I believe you, I believe you. This old man is hungry and can't afford it. Even if you say you're going to change the lake you and Caijuan bought in Anxi from a saltwater lake to a freshwater lake, this old man will believe you."
Bi Shu didn't care how Xiao Bao made it. As long as there was something to eat, he believed that Xiao Bao would make it delicious even if it was a simple scrambled egg with garlic sprouts.
A small plate was placed in front of Bi Shu, who had just freshened up. There were tahini sauce, shrimp sauce, oyster sauce, a little bit of yellow wine and fermented bean curd, as well as chopped green onions and minced garlic. There were also rows of small bowls with various things in them, such as ginger juice for seafood, coriander and pepper paste for mutton, wasabi and soy sauce for sashimi, and so on.
Wang Juan chose the seasonings herself. Zhang Xiaobao's plate was simple. There was only garlic sauce.
Although hundreds of seasonings were made by him, he didn't like to eat them. He put some soy sauce and garlic because there was mutton liver in the mutton soup. Otherwise, he wouldn't put anything. If it was bland, he would put some salt.
If it wasn't for the fact that Wang Juan had a heavy appetite and liked to eat things with strong flavors, he would have made a seafood hotpot with clear soup. He would only eat that fresh and not even salt, or eat it raw after killing the bacteria and parasites.
Bi Shu was enjoying himself. He didn't care how little Xiao Bao put in the seasonings. He knew that Xiao Bao's mastery of seasonings was unparalleled. It was the same for cooking. He didn't put in things if he could. He emphasized that the big things were invisible and the big things were silent.
"Ha! Hoo! Wine, put more ice fish. Ah! Spicy, Xiao Bao, there are only five days left until the fall imperial examination. You should be back in the capital, right? Ah! "
Bi Shu put sesame oil and chili oil in the plate and kept breathing. Beside him, someone also had to serve him wine with ice at any time.
Zhang Xiaobao was very helpless with Bi Shu's behavior. He said, "I'll be back tomorrow." Then he got up and went to make cucumber skin and stir-fried bamboo shoots for Bi Shu. He was really afraid that Bi Shu would have problems with the spiciness.
*****
All kinds of materials had been sent to Hong Nong. Zhang Xiaobao didn't have time to follow them, so the inner courtyard took over.
The people of the Sinongsi Temple came early and signed a contract with the local people who had land. After the new seeds were planted, no matter how much they were produced, they couldn't be eaten by the people. Secondly, they couldn't be sold by the people. They had to be handed over to the people of the Sinongsi Temple. If the yield was high, they would spread it elsewhere next year. If the yield was low, they would bring it back for research.
The people only had to serve and get paid. The Sinongsi Temple had money.
The people in charge of building the railway had already planned the place. Wherever the railway passed, no farming, no building, and no deliberate destruction or digging.
There was also a large area where the market would be built in the future. They circled a large area for farming temporarily. If necessary, they could dig it up at any time.
In Old Willow Village, Xiaobei and the others waited for the person in charge of taking care of the children. They packed their bags and brought many dolls to be sold in the capital. They said goodbye to the other children with tears in their eyes.
Xiaobei made an agreement with the other party. When the weather warmed up next year, either the nine of them would come or get the children to play in the place where she lived. In the future, every time someone came to pick up the dolls and send them elsewhere to be sold, they would bring all kinds of seafood.
Early the next morning, Xiaobei's team rushed to the train station and met up with her brother's team. They boarded the train and headed for the capital amidst the rumbling sound.
"Brother, didn't you see that guy called Shuichiro Watanabe? He's a fool and wants to treat others as fools. He wants to bribe us with 300,000 strings of cash every year. Tell me, what can I do?"
Xiaobei sat opposite her brother and rolled a boiled egg on the table in the middle, showing off her cleverness to her brother. "You can't do it.
Our family's Xiaobei isn't stupid. Eat it quickly. You promised to eat a boiled egg a day. I heard that you didn't do it thoroughly when you were in Old Willow Village. "Zhang Xiaobao pointed at the egg in his sister's hand and wanted to take it and peel it.
Xiaobei hurriedly stretched out her hands to protect it. "Wait, wait, wait a moment. Let me adjust my mood and eat it with spicy sauce, okay? Brother, who told you that I didn't eat the egg? "
"I said it was a joint report and a fingerprint. Do you want to take a look? Do you need to adjust your mood to eat a boiled egg? Throw it outside the train. I'll make you steamed egg cream. "Zhang Xiaobao was about to get up and go to the dining car of the train.
"No, I don't like to eat the yolk of boiled eggs. I like to eat salted eggs. I'll drink some water and eat it. I can't throw it away. I won't look at the joint name anymore. Actually, I know who it is. Whoever cares about me is the one who told you first. Brother, can you think of a way to make the yolk of boiled eggs better? You're so good."
Xiaobei couldn't bear to throw away an egg. She knew that there were people who couldn't eat eggs, so she turned around and gave her brother a difficult problem. She felt that it was very difficult.
Unexpectedly, her brother Zhang Xiaobao didn't think much and immediately nodded. "Yes, it's very simple. Cut the boiled egg and take out the yolk first. Stuff the concave area between the two egg whites with meat stuffing and cover the yolk. Put the yolk where the egg whites are fried until they're golden brown. Steam the stuffing and pour the juice over them after they're cooked. Both the yolk and the yolk will be delicious. Do this in the future and make all nine of you together."
Xiaobei nodded repeatedly as she listened. Her eyes were full of worship. For the sake of eating yolk, they could do so much.
Wang Juan took Xiaobei's egg and peeled it. She said to Xiaobei, "Look at how much your brother spoils you. Xiaobei, I heard that you almost compromised with that Shuichiro Watanabe."
Xiaobei took the peeled egg and dipped it in the chili sauce that was brought over. She took a bite and swallowed it. She said, "I thought he was going to take out 100 million strings of cash, not 100 million wen. I was so happy at first, but who knew that a poor thing like him couldn't take it out. It made me angry."
"In the future, if there's a situation like this where someone really gives you 100 million strings of cash, we don't want it," Zhang Xiaobao said.
Xiaobei didn't understand. "Why? He gave me 100 million strings of cash to atone for his crime. It'd be a waste not to take it. "
"Xiaobei, let Big Sister ask you. Did he take out money to bribe the people of the Tang Empire because he harmed them?" Wang Juan asked.
Xiaobei nodded.
"That's why we can't take that money. Look at your brother. He's never used the premise of harming the people of the Tang Empire to earn money." Wang Juan continued to teach.
"What's the connection?" Xiaobei clearly didn't understand.
"There's a connection. Xiaobei, Xiaohai, all of you, remember this. Your brother has countless unconventional methods to earn money, but he hasn't used any of them in the Tang Empire.
If he's really using methods that harm the interests of the Tang Empire to earn money, your brother doesn't need to borrow the hands of others. Their little tricks are not worth mentioning in front of your brother. "
Wang Juan smiled smugly and pointed at Zhang Xiaobao as she spoke to the nine children.
"Really? So the Japanese aren't powerful? "Xiaobei looked at her brother as if she had found a new toy.
"Japanese? Your brother doesn't even need to do anything about the Japanese's little tricks. I'll deal with them. It's just a small trick. But I've never seen futures and warrants before. Moreover, the Japanese's are full of loopholes. Xiaobei, do you still remember the world in the story I told you? "
Wang Juan looked down on the Japanese and asked Xiaobei.
"I remember. They're so powerful. The people from that world have huge iron birds in the sky that can even throw things to the moon. If a few people from that world come to our Great Tang, will you and Big Brother be able to deal with them?"
Xiaobei blinked her eyes. Her mind was filled with the pictures that Wang Juan had described to her. She was very worried.
Wang Juan curled her lips and said disdainfully, "There are indeed powerful people there, but even they tremble when they know that their opponent is your brother. Among that group of people, your brother may not be the first, but no one dares to treat him as the second.
Over there, if your brother were to go bankrupt, countless of his enemies would follow him and lose everything.
So, in the future, if someone uses the premise of harming the interests of the Tang Empire to bribe you, we won't accept any amount of money. Our family's money needs to be earned steadily. When the land produces more, there are more livestock and poultry, and there are more things we plunder from the outside, our family's money will naturally increase. "
Xiaobei's blood boiled when she heard this. "Sister, so my brother is so powerful, but how did you know? We haven't competed. Ha, you and my brother don't come from that world, do you? "
Xiaobei told the truth.
"You guessed right. Your brother and I come from that world to protect you guys. If we don't come, who will pamper you, right?" Wang Juan followed Xiaobei's words.
"Yes, yes, then you can go to a more powerful world. Remember to take me with you. I want to compete with them. I want to stand on the sword and fly to the world where the stars are. At that time, I will have the Universe Sea-Suppressing Wheel in my left hand, the Star Eight Trigrams Banner in my right hand, and my feet …"
Xiao Bei entered her own fantasy and told her brother and sister about the dream she had created.
The full moon shone in the sky. As soon as the train arrived at the station, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan immediately led their younger siblings into the palace. The palace gate, which should have been closed, was left open. Li Longji was still awake and waiting in Xingqing Palace.
He wanted to get the latest news and the most accurate details from Zhang Xiaobao and the rest. After all, the news that came previously couldn't be too specific.
Xiaobei represented the nine children and was the first to speak. She told Li Longji how she received the order to rush to Hong Nong immediately, how she swam across the water and saw a child from the school. Then, she told him how Yan Zheng tried to cheat her and how she taught him a lesson. She even promoted the dolls from Old Willow Village to Li Longji. Finally, she mentioned that she had lent him 1.3 million strings of cash.
Li Longji listened to Xiaobei's introduction and was furious. He said a few harsh words directed at the officials and praised Xiaobei and the rest. However, he seemed to have forgotten about the 1.3 million strings of cash that Xiaobei had mentioned.
When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan began to explain the reconstruction situation to Li Longji, Xiaobei stuck close to Xiaoyuan and muttered, "It's obvious that he doesn't want to return the money to us. Let's bring a few more dolls tomorrow and exchange them with the concubines in the palace. Even the worst of their things cost more than dolls."
"I knew he wouldn't give it to us. He'll probably stay at home and study tomorrow. Don't think about coming out. How much money can we get by exchanging dolls? When we were on the train, didn't brother say that he wanted to build an amusement park under our management? That's the most profitable. After the Japanese compensate us, perhaps brother will give us the money."
Xiaoyuan had an expression that said 'I understand'.
Xiaobei hesitated and said, "Brother, if you really give us the money, let's not take it. When I said that I would take the money, I didn't expect anyone to return it. You guys support me, right?"
"Yes, we support you. But if the Japanese compensate us, why don't we take it? We have money. The next time no one pays us back, we'll take it out. Otherwise, if we encounter an emergency again, we won't have any money to use." Xiaoyuan expressed her opinion.
"Alright, if they really compensate us, we'll take it. Tonight, we'll go back and sleep. After we've slept enough, we'll discuss the matter of the amusement park tomorrow. I plan to take out our small house and rent it out." Xiaobei also began to plan to work hard to earn money.
"That's agarwood. We can build it according to our house using other wood. As for the decorations inside, we can replace them with cheap things." Xiaoyuan was obviously reluctant to rent the house to other children.
"That's true. We'll think of other ways." Xiaobei lowered her head and fell into deep thought.
Zhang Xiaobao was still talking to Li Longji. He didn't mention too much about the captured officials. He didn't need to care about them when they were sent to the capital.
He needed Li Longji to cooperate and put pressure on the Japanese to send 200,000 railway workers to the Great Tang as soon as possible. He also needed to improve the tariff system so that they could engage in unequal economic trade and plunder more.
Li Longji listened attentively and had people take note of it one by one. Now, under the influence of Zhang Xiaobao, he had become more pragmatic.
He wasn't good at boasting about his reputation. He was willing to build up his reputation.
The so-called building up his reputation was what Zhang Xiaobao told him. If he had money, he could build as tall as he wanted and as grand as possible.
When he had nothing to do, he could travel and experience the magnificence of the rivers and mountains. He could go to Hainan and experience the winter and summer scenery. He could also play sea fishing and personally go to Lake Tai to fish for crabs. He could also look at the tides in Qiantang and go to the grasslands to admire the clear skies.
This was his reputation. Compared to giving a lot of money to his subordinates and having them call him a fool behind his back, it was better to spend the money himself.
Li Longji was fooled just like that. If someone were to ask him who was the best person in Great Tang, he would definitely say himself. The next person would be Zhang Xiaobao.
The other officials were all afraid of him spending money. They had to persuade him to build a garden or go out for a stroll. How could they be compared to Zhang Xiaobao? Not only did he not persuade him, he even encouraged him and thought of ways to get money. Even if the imperial court couldn't fork out the money, he was willing to fork out the money himself.
Thus, in order to go against that powerful country in the future, in order to be able to travel and build beautiful houses, Li Longji placed more and more importance on technology and money. Oh, he was placing more and more importance on the development of technology and economy.
As for the construction of spiritual civilization, Zhang Xiaobao wasn't worried about it. Great Tang had very strict requirements in this regard. If a person did something immoral and was criticized by others, their face would turn red. The emperor also knew that if an official didn't do a good job and the people in the area suffered, he would have to issue an edict of guilt.
Li Longji hadn't learned the ability to be righteous and not admit his wrongdoings. In Zhang Xiaobao's heart, he was a good emperor.
"Xiao Bao." While Li Longji was imagining how fragrant the pie Zhang Xiaobao painted for him was, he asked, "Is it because once the railway is built, it will take less time to go from the capital to the north of Hebei Province, and there won't be too many guards?"
"Your Majesty, you can't just think about going to the north of Hebei Province. There aren't many good sceneries there. You can see the ice shallows, the fish breaking through the ice, the snow and dew, the tigers roaring, the mountains quiet, and the horses galloping."
Zhang Xiaobao belittled the northeast. Wang Juan immediately played along, "Xiao Bao is right. Moreover, the north of Hebei Province isn't very beautiful. It's nothing more than the scenery of the northern country. Thousands of miles are covered in ice and thousands of miles are fluttering in snow. The mountains and rivers there aren't very beautiful, although it has attracted countless heroes."
"Xiao Bao, tell me the truth. How long will it take to go there? After the railway is built." Li Longji was tempted by the two people's words.
"Let me estimate. According to the current power of the steam engine, it will take about ten days to go from Chang 'an to Jili Province. There is a place in Jili Province where the sand is fine and the distance to the shallow water is very long. There are white seagulls as light as clouds and silver fish as hanging quilts under them. The reef is not beyond the horizon and pearls are in the clam everywhere."
Zhang Xiaobao said casually and then said to Wang Juan, "You've seen too much of it, right?"
Wang Juan nodded.
"Not far, not far. It's only ten days. Plus the sightseeing, one month is enough. We can go there next time." At this moment, Li Longji wished he could grow a pair of wings and fly there to have a look.
Zhang Xiaobao struck while the iron was hot. "Your Majesty, the Tang Empire is yours. Isn't it easy for you to go there? You're the Emperor. It's normal for the Emperor to look at his own empire. Ten days is too slow to travel to Jili Province. The new steam engine is coming out soon. When the time comes, even if you go to Lu Zhou, as long as the railway is built, I guarantee that you'll reach there in five days. "
"That's right, Your Majesty. When you reach Lu Zhou, you'll be able to see the real blue sea and silver sand. You'll be able to see the coconut grove at night, the sea and the sky merging into one, and the fishing boats singing at night," Wang Juan chimed in.
Li Longji knew that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were tempting him, but he also knew that they were not lying. The place they were talking about was indeed beautiful. 'That's right. I'm the Emperor of Tang. Why can't I go there and have a look?'
It was just money. The imperial court's treasury was getting more and more money. Even if the officials objected, Xiao Bao's family was rich. Spending some of his money would not make him poor. Especially with the radio station, where could he not govern?
With that thought in mind, Li Longji asked Zhang Xiaobao, "Xiao Bao, if the imperial court can't pay for the railway, will your family …"
Li Longji did not finish his words, but his meaning was clear.
Xiao Bei pouted at the side. "Xiao Yuan, how can you do that? Uncle Emperor didn't mention our money, and he wants our family to pay for it. Fortunately, I can make money. What if I can't?"
Xiao Yuan smacked his lips. "If brother can't make money, we'll have to live a hard life. We won't have so many guards when we go out. The inner court can't change shifts every few hours. We'll have to work from morning to night. It's terrifying just thinking about it."
Perhaps Xiao Bei was thinking about the consequences of not having money. He was so scared that his face turned pale. He said fearfully, "Fortunately, life now is not a dream."
Zhang Xiaobao could not hear his younger brother and sister's words. After Li Longji finished speaking, he replied, "Your Majesty, if you need my family to pay for it, my family will definitely do so. However, my family and the national treasury do not need to spend money. It's very simple to raise the cost of the railway. Money is not a problem."
Li Longji nodded. "We like to hear Xiao Bao speak."
The servants around them agreed. Who wouldn't like to hear Zhang Xiaobao say that 'money is not a problem'?
"Then … go and get it done as soon as possible." Li Longji urged.
"Your Majesty, the matter of money is easy to solve. The Great Tang Bank has a lot of money. If you don't want the money, I'll help you with the operation. The annual profits won't be any less than the national treasury. Furthermore, when the deposit, withdrawal, and loan reserves reach a certain ratio, there's a lot of money that can be withdrawn at any time.
In fact, the railway can be directly issued with bonds. Once the railway is built, the trains can be operated. Whether it's transporting people or goods, as long as there's not too much personal profit involved, and there's not too much that's harmful to the public's interests, the railway can be quickly recovered. So …. "
Wang Juan continued, "So, Your Majesty, in the future, when you look for Xiao Bao, don't worry about money. Xiao Bao is afraid of many things, but he's not afraid of a lack of money. Xiao Bao's meaning is that if the railway is built, people will die. Parents will lose their children, wives will lose their husbands, and children will lose their fathers. For a family, this is too heavy a burden.
The reason why I fight so viciously is because I want to intimidate others so that in the future, I won't fight so many battles. Not fighting doesn't mean that I'm afraid. I just don't want to do it. If you force me to do it, Great Tang's men don't lack hot-bloodedness. If Great Tang's soldiers arrive at a city and surrender, they will be provided with food, clothing, medical care, and education. If Great Tang's soldiers arrive at a city and don't surrender, the city will be destroyed and slaughtered. "
Wang Juan's first words made Li Longji feel very gratified, but the second half was a bit frightening.
Li Longji knew that Wang Juan valued the lives of her soldiers. She gave them a lot of compensation, so much so that some people were willing to take the initiative to die in battle. And Zhang Xiaobao was ruthless, not caring about internal matters.
Thus, he said, "With Cuckoo here, I'm worried about Great Tang. Didn't you say that two hundred thousand people would come from Japan to build the railway? Not enough? How about this, there are still the strong Kunlun slaves. I'll think of a way to get people from other places to help build the railway. My Great Tang's people can just watch from the side. How about it? "
Zhang Xiaobao didn't care about how history evaluated Li Longji. He only knew that the Li Longji in front of him made him feel very comfortable. He was the Emperor, so he had to act like one. What kind of Emperor was an Emperor if he didn't love the people?
"With Your Majesty's words, this subject will forge steel. Even if I have to use part of Great Tang's reserves, if Your Majesty can mobilize one million non-Tang Tang craftsmen for this subject, this subject will make a military pledge. Within a year, this subject will build thirty thousand li of railway. This subject isn't worried about money, but this subject is afraid that there won't be enough manpower."
Zhang Xiaobao said fiercely. One million workers to build thirty thousand li of railway? On average, one hundred people would need to build three li of railway a year. Three li, not three kilometers, was less than one thousand five hundred meters, or one thousand four hundred meters. A hundred people couldn't build four meters in a day?
Li Longji did not want Zhang Xiaobao to make a military pledge. He said, "There's no need for that. Just do your best. How far can you go with thirty thousand li of railway?"
"From the capital to Ji Li Province, and from the capital to Lu Zhou, we can still build other places." Zhang Xiaobao did some calculations and felt that there was still some left.
"Can we go to Tubo?" Li Longji asked again.
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head like a rattle-drum. "That place doesn't have the technology to build railways. If you want to go, it's better to take a boat."
Wang Juan nodded as well. "Tubo won't do. Moreover, it's impossible to cross the Yellow River and the Yangtze River by bridge. We'll have to change to a boat."
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