The Fall Quarter Examination was just around the corner. The atmosphere in the capital suddenly became tense. It seemed that even the air was different from before. It was filled with anxiety and uneasiness.
There were obviously more people patrolling the streets. The shouting in the restaurants and inns began to become urgent. The people who sold the so-called subjects were hiding like mice.
Teams of boats from Sanshui County transported grain and meat to the capital.
The merchants were happy but helpless. If it was last year, they could sell more. However, this year, Zhang Xiaobao said that if anyone dared to raise the price by more than 10%, they should not blame him for being impolite.
Whether the rumors were true or false was unknown. In the spirit of believing that it was true rather than not, the merchants of Chang 'an secretly cried while controlling the price. With the rising and falling of the cost of goods, they timely adjusted the increase of profits from selling goods or renting houses to maintain between 9.5% and 10%.
"I didn't say that." When Zhang Xiaobao heard the news, he felt wronged when facing the merchants of Chang 'an who carefully controlled the increase of profits.
"Just take it that you said it." Wang Juan had just returned from her mother-in-law and mother's place. She had a lot of wool in her hands. She was assigned the task of knitting scarves for her three younger siblings. She asked Zhang Xiaobao to help hold the thread so that she could spin it into a ball.
Zhang Xiaobao raised his two arms and cooperated with Wang Juan's small movements back and forth. The wool brushed down. He said, "Why should I say that the price increase is temporary? How much can it increase? The profit overflow of 30% has reached the limit. The consumption demand is obvious.
The students' food and accommodation are all provided by us. I also brought things from Sanshui County. Do I need to stand up and threaten them personally? I'm not that despicable. "
"Then you go and clarify it in the newspaper." Wang Juan gave an idea.
"If I clarify it, people will misunderstand it as encouragement. They dare to increase the profit by more than 100%. No, I have to find the person who spread the news. If it's a merchant, I'll let him close down. If it's an official, I'll let Xiaobei and the others go to his house for a heart-to-heart talk."
Wang Juan quickly finished one round and changed again. She smiled and asked, "Is there a need to ban people from trading?"
Someone clearly wants to roast me on a fire. Just think about it. A single word from me, Zhang Xiaobao, is more effective than a decree from the Imperial Court. What do I need the Imperial Court for? I had nothing to do but talk to him, and everything was resolved. The problem was that the focus of talking didn't seem to be on me, but on Li Longji.
With one word, I can decide the fate of the people in Chang 'an. With another word, can I aspire for the throne? In a while, accompany me to the palace and find Li Longji to investigate. Once I find the culprit, I won't be able to sleep peacefully. "
Zhang Xiaobao said angrily and passed the message to Xiao Bei. Seeing that there was work to do, Xiao Bei was eager to give it a try.
Today, Li Longji didn't hold a court meeting. The money from the harvest was in place. The money collected by the government was deposited in the local Tang Bank. A portion of the grain was in circulation, and a portion was collected. The tax revenue was more than 135 million strings of coins, which was nearly 30 million more than last year.
With money, when Li Longji was in a good mood, he went to the royal zoo that he had originally built and devoted himself to scientific research. He used the corn that he tried to grow on his own land to feed the two large dogs sent from the distant Tubo. He wanted to change the eating habits of the two dogs.
Other dogs could eat porridge, but he didn't believe that the two dogs in front of him couldn't.
When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan came looking for him, they couldn't help but praise the two dogs in their hearts.
They were too beautiful, too mighty. They didn't need to stand up. Just by standing on all fours, they could reach the height of a person's waist. They had long hair all over their bodies, big heads, noses, and eyes. If they had to find an animal to compare them to, they were more similar to African lions.
"Are you trying to make them believe in Buddhism? Become vegetarians? These two mongrels are quite pitiful, "Zhang Xiaobao said sympathetically as he drew an inverted cross in front of himself.
Wang Juan nodded. "Mongrels should have a more specific name. What do you think of calling them Tibetan mastiffs?"
"Let's call them Tang mastiffs. I think someone fed them meat before Li Longji came this morning. Otherwise, they would've been howling by now."
Zhang Xiaobao looked at the two Tibetan mastiffs glaring at Li Longji. He tried his best not to laugh out loud. In his opinion, the two Tibetan mastiffs were ordinary. They could not compare to the black dog Wang Juan saved in Lu Zhou and its children.
Li Longji tossed out ten handfuls of corn. When he saw that the mastiffs didn't eat them, he clapped his hands in disappointment. When he turned around and saw Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, he said with a smile, "As expected, these mongrels are different from ordinary dogs."
"Actually, we can make them vegetarians. It'll just take some effort," Zhang Xiaobao suggested.
Wang Juan glared at Zhang Xiaobao.
Li Longji waved his hand. "Forget it. A vegetarian mongrel is not a mongrel. Why aren't the two of you studying at home? Do you want to see the new animals as well?"
"Your Majesty, there's a rumor recently that I don't allow the prices in Chang 'an to fluctuate too much. However, I didn't say that." Zhang Xiaobao felt wronged.
"We know. We were the ones who said it." Li Longji admitted without hesitation.
"Hm?" Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were stunned at the same time. They had found the culprit. Unfortunately, they couldn't seal the palace gates. Even if Xiaobei came, it wouldn't have much effect.
"Xiao Bao, you two worry too much. I'm afraid that the prices in Chang 'an are too high. That's why I came up with this idea. It's working." Li Longji looked very proud.
Zhang Xiaobao didn't say anything. Weiwei turned to look at her godfather, Gao Lishi.
Her meaning was very clear. 'Do you think I can let the prices reach an uncontrollable level and not do anything?'
Gao Lishi glanced at Li Longji. Li Longji and Weiwei nodded. Gao Lishi then said, "Xiao Bao, recently, a Japanese envoy came to the court. He went to all the princes and said that Zhang Xiaobao can decide the affairs of the Tang Empire with one word. The people only know of Xiao Bao's name and don't know of the Emperor's reputation.
Thus, His Majesty decided to help them and let your reputation rise again. When the time comes, all the people who should show up will show up and be dealt with in one fell swoop. Your achievements are indeed remarkable. Many people have jumped out. Xiaobao, your prestige is still there. Look at the price control, it is really amazing.
You said that the price increase can't be more than 10%. The merchants can steadily set the price increase between 9.5% and 10%. It saves them a lot of trouble. "
What else could Zhang Xiaobao say? He silently accepted the fact that he was used as a tool. However, he was still a little dissatisfied. "Your Majesty, why don't you say it in your own name? Are you afraid that you're not as good as me? "
"Tsk, I'm not as good as you? I'm afraid that Xiaobei and the others don't have time to study. Once I say it, I'm afraid that the officials below will use it for personal gain. Xiaobei will jump up and down to catch people again. I don't want Xiaobei and the others to kidnap a group of eighth to ninth rank officials to Hanyuan Palace for a stroll during the court meeting. "
Li Longji's expression was lively as he curled his lips. He looked like he was doing it for the good of his younger siblings.
Zhang Xiaobao thought about it. It was true. His words were the power of the people. Li Longji's words were called policy. With policy, there would be countermeasures. The better the policy, the better the countermeasure.
Xiaobei had just had her fun and her heart hadn't calmed down. Once she saw that there was a problem, of course she had to interfere. She didn't have other channels to deal with the officials and could only drag them to Hanyuan Palace. Was Hanyuan Palace a place to deal with small officials?
No wonder the officials that Xiaobei had caught were dealt with so viciously by Li Longji. He couldn't blame Xiaobei and could only vent his anger on the officials that were caught. Even if it was a small matter, he had to deal with the bigger ones. Otherwise, he would be letting down the name of Hanyuan Palace.
"Since that's the case, I'm relieved." Zhang Xiaobao planned to go back and teach his younger siblings.
Zhang Xiaobao wanted to leave, but Li Longji stopped him: "Xiao Bao, let's have lunch together. Recently, the people at the zoo said that there are too many animals. It's just for viewing. There's no need to eat a large group. It's too expensive. Let's eat a few first."
Zhang Xiaobao raised his head to look at the sky and pondered. After a while, he didn't reply to Li Longji. He pulled Wang Juan and whispered together.
After he finished whispering, he returned to his senses and said to Li Longji: "If there's no one else at noon, just pick a large one and kill it to eat. The others are still useful."
"What are they useful for? Winter is coming. It's not easy to feed animals that eat grass. If we really feed them fresh grass, the price of grass will be more expensive than meat. I also want to ensure a profit. The zoo's money belongs to me. I plan to build a garden at the beginning of spring next year. "
Li Longji placed more importance on his own private money. The main thing was that no officials would object if he took it out to spend. He really wanted to know how Zhang Xiaobao would find a new way to spend his private money while guaranteeing the current profits.
Zhang Xiaobao glanced at Wang Juan. Wang Juan motioned for him to speak. So he said: "Your Majesty, actually, the zoo doesn't have to pay to raise the animals."
"Then who will pay?" Li Longji pointed to a pavilion not far away and asked Zhang Xiaobao to go over and slowly explain.
The zoo wasn't open today. There was a stove in the pavilion, so it wasn't cold at all.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan sat next to each other and began to introduce the zoo to Li Longji.
"Your Majesty, in the past, we collected entrance fees and sold some animal and bird parts, such as hair and feathers, etc. When there were too many animals, we would kill one and freeze it. We would then divide it into portions and sell it to people who wanted to eat it. Together with the vendors' fees, it was quite easy to support the zoo.
Now, the scale is getting bigger and bigger. If we kill too many animals, it won't sell well. I just discussed with Cuckoo. Cuckoo's idea is to have someone else pay to raise the animals. There are two ways. One is to name it.
For example, a panda. Find a beautiful one that doesn't have a name. Between the Clouds and the Water will pay for it. If it's called Haha, then it's called Haha. If it's called Haha, then it's called Haha. If Xiaobei pays for it, then it's called Hehe.
It's an advertisement. "Li Longji thought for a moment and nodded." Okay, the second way. "
"The second way is to prepare it for someone who really likes animals. Sell the animal to him alive for a sum of money first. It belongs to him. He should also solve the problem of food and shelter. However, he can't casually take it home to raise it.
He has to keep it in the zoo. He can pay for his animals to build a 'house' and put the animals in it. He can stipulate that he has the right to let the breeder take the animals out a few times a month and let them follow him to a safe place to play.
He needs to pay the breeder a sum of money, which is to say, the zoo. Thus, his identity will be revealed. When he has nothing to do, he will take two camels out to go shopping, which will immediately attract a lot of attention. "
Zhang Xiaobao then talked about the second way he and Wang Juan came up with.
Li Longji and Gao Lishi thought for a moment. The first way was okay. The money spent on advertising was not wasted. As for the second way …
"Xiao Bao, the second way seems unreasonable. If he buys it, why can't he take it home? If he keeps it in the zoo for people to see, shouldn't he also collect some money? I can't bully people, right? "
Li Longji thought it was unreasonable. There was another sentence he didn't say. That is, if I really lack money, why should I ask random people for money? If I let you, Zhang Xiaobao, take it, will you dare to not take it? It's better to target you than to bully others.
At this time, Wang Juan said, "Your Majesty, it's different. He doesn't know how to raise animals. If he raises them himself, they will die. If he wants to raise them himself, he won't sell them.
When Xiao Bao and I were in the countryside, we saw cattle rearing. Some rich people bought cows, but they always died. I don't know if it was because the fengshui was bad or they couldn't find a good breeder. When they finally survived, the cows became thin and couldn't work anymore.
They found someone who was good at raising cattle. When they couldn't bring this person back to their home, they placed the cattle in this person's home to raise. Ten or so cattle were enough to plow a large piece of land. Jin Gui, not only were they responsible for the feed, but they also had to build a cowshed in that person's home.
"What if the cows die?" Gao Lishi asked.
"It depends on what was said before. If it's compensation, then it's compensation. But if it's compensation, the person who raised the cows also has to pay more."
"Let's try and see who's willing to buy." Li Longji was tempted. If he could sell half of them, it would be another large sum of money.
Afraid that others wouldn't be willing to buy, Li Longji waved at a palace maid and called her over. He asked, "You heard what I said just now. I ask you, if I sell you animals in my zoo, are you willing to buy them?"
The palace maid seemed a little nervous. She shook her head and nodded. "Your Majesty, this servant can't sell. This servant has to serve Your Majesty. If Your Majesty really wants to sell, this servant wants to order a tiger on behalf of Second Uncle's family."
"Your Second Uncle?" Gao Lishi asked in puzzlement.
"He's a sixth-rank military officer. When he has nothing to do, he likes to go hunting. When there's something to do, this servant will follow Second Uncle's family to take a look. Second Uncle likes to come to the zoo and likes tigers."
The palace maid told him about her mistake and looked at Gao Lishi nervously.
"Oh ~!" Li Longji nodded. He didn't care if the palace maid sneaked out of the palace. It wasn't a strange thing. Everyone knew it. He couldn't pursue it at the moment. Otherwise, who would dare to tell the truth to him?
Ignoring the palace maid's mistake, Li Longji said to the palace maid, "Find someone to send a message to your Second Uncle. Tell him that the zoo will take out animals from today. If he wants to buy them, let him go to the zoo to discuss with the manager."
The palace maid nodded again and again and carefully returned to her previous position with a nervous and excited look on her face.
Zhang Xiaobao knew that a tiger had been sold. When the palace maid's Second Uncle got the news, even if he didn't want to buy it, he had to pay for it. Moreover, he had to rush to the zoo to buy the first animal, the tiger he wanted, before everyone else.
As for how much it was worth, there was no way to say. It was said to be worth 500 strings of coins. The cost of transportation and catching the tiger was almost the same, or even less than 500 strings of coins.
If it was said to be worth 50,000 strings of coins, it wasn't expensive. He could tell others that the Emperor first thought of him and then sold him a tiger. It wouldn't be a problem for others to raise his rank to the fourth rank for the sake of the tiger's face.
Li Longji's first business was done and he was very happy. He glanced at Gao Lishi. Gao Lishi understood that he wanted him to take care of the palace maid just now. There wasn't much reason. He was just in a good mood.
"Xiao Bao, I heard that Zhang Xiaobao and the others are going to build an amusement park in Hongnong. Can you spare a place to raise animals?" Li Longji began to promote to Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao bowed forward. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Zhang Xiaobao has the same intention. He is willing to build a beautiful place in Hongnong and let Your Majesty transport the extra animals there. Half of the profits will be used to pay for the construction of the site, and the other half will be given to the zoo in the capital."
Li Longji felt that it was a bit of a loss. Half was too little. He discussed, "How will the labor costs be settled?"
"It's better to let Zhang Xiaobao talk to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, rest assured. Zhang Xiaobao doesn't care about money. He can take out 1.3 million strings of coins just like that. How can he be calculative with Your Majesty over such a small amount?" Zhang Xiaobao replied with a smile.
Li Longji paused and said, "Half is fine. There's no need to trouble Zhang Xiaobao. The weather is getting cold. It's not easy to come to the palace."
Li Longji reluctantly agreed to Zhang Xiaobao's agreement. He had to agree because Zhang Xiaobao mentioned 1.3 million strings of coins. If he really let Zhang Xiaobao come personally, he might not even get 30% of the profits. Otherwise, Zhang Xiaobao would definitely keep talking about 1.3 million strings of coins.
After discussing the matter, Zhang Xiaobao really did eat at the zoo at noon. He killed a bear and brought the bear paw back for Li Longji to eat. Otherwise, he would leave it for his brother and sister to have a change of taste.
After eating and drinking to their heart's content, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan returned to Savant's Restaurant and continued to feel the tense atmosphere.
*****
Tomorrow's imperial examination was set to be held in Hibiscus Garden. Someone had already set up the examination hall. At this time, ordinary people were not allowed to enter.
The examinees were nervous, insomniac, and excited. They all had different expressions.
Zhang Xiaobao, who had always appeared relaxed, became nervous at noon.
It wasn't because of the imperial examination, but because someone reported that two of Shuiyun's and Hong Luan's children had hatched.
Shuiyun's children were eagles, not chicks. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan both became nervous. This was because eagles would usually do one thing after hatching, which was to push down their siblings who hadn't hatched yet.
Eleven eggs represented eleven eagles. If one fell, there would be one less.
Zhang Xiaobao didn't even bother to eat. Together with Wang Juan, he brought his younger siblings and a large group of people to the artificial salt lake.
Looking up with a pair of binoculars, Zhang Xiaobao took a deep breath and asked the person next to him, "Is everything ready?"
"Yes. Next to Shuiyun's and Hong Luan's nests, there's a big circle one centimeter lower. Just use soft grass to cover it. If the eggs are pushed out of the nests, they won't fall to the ground or into the lake," the steward who was asked said with certainty.
"What's Shuiyun's and Hong Luan's reaction?" Wang Juan asked.
"Hong Luan hasn't come down. Shuiyun came down the day before yesterday and broke open the guard's house. He dragged out the quilt from inside, tore open the cloth, took out a lot of cotton, and brought it up. Today, an eagle hatched, so Shuiyun came down and called out a few times.
Zhang Ying climbed up with a bunch of raised insects and hasn't come down yet. Shuiyun is also here. He's probably discussing with Zhang Ying how to raise the children. Little Gongzi, don't worry. We will definitely guard this place and not leave any loopholes. "
The steward guaranteed. Shuiyun was a high-ranking official and had made great contributions in the Tubo battlefield in the northern part of Hebei Province. He and Hong Luan's children were probably not ordinary people.
While waiting, several eagle cries sounded from the sky and a big white eagle fell down. Zhang Xiaobao hurriedly took a leather arm glove from the side. Just as he put it on his arm, the big white bird suddenly slowed down and landed on Zhang Xiaobao's arm.
"I knew it. The two of us are still the best." Zhang Xiaobao touched Shuiyun's neck on his right arm with his left hand and said happily.
Shuiyun also seemed to be very happy. This was a comrade-in-arms who had fought side by side. If it could speak, it might even praise Zhang Xiaobao's two sharp spears when Zhang Xiaobao flew into the sky to deal with the group of eagles.
"Brother, I want to touch Shuiyun. It's so beautiful." Xiao Bei wasn't afraid at all and looked up from Zhang Xiaobao's leg.
Zhang Xiaobao squatted down and first touched Shuiyun. This was Xiao Bei, that was Xiao Yuan, and the others.
Xiao Bei boldly reached out to touch Shuiyun. Shuiyun really didn't move and allowed Xiao Bei to touch its feathers. Xiao Bei was so happy that it giggled.
"Is the house warm?" Zhang Xiaobao asked Shuiyun as if he was talking to a human. Shuiyun called out.
"Oh, it's warm. Where's the food? We're feeding the insects now. When they grow bigger, we'll have to feed them meat. I'll get someone to get some live lambs. You can choose for yourself. When the children can fly, you'll have to bring them to hunt for food. "
Zhang Xiaobao continued to talk to Shuiyun. Shuiyun nodded, which was strange. It wasn't clear if Shuiyun understood or if it was just a habit.
Zhang Xiaobao also slowly climbed down from above and let Shuiyun rub its head against his face. He said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Hong Luan has already fed the two hatchlings and is sleeping. I think five or six more hatchlings can come out today. By tomorrow, all of them will probably come out. It won't be too far away.
When all of them come out, I won't have to worry. I'm thinking that before it snows, they can start to practice flying. The lake and the ground have to be prepared. The baby eagles can fly very far with a flap of their wings. Don't get hurt. "
"It will be arranged. Xiao Bei and the others will each have one. The remaining two will be raised first. I think Her Majesty will ask." Zhang Xiaobao had already begun to plan how to divide them.
Eagles grew faster than humans. When they grew up, they might be able to carry Xiao Bei and the others into the sky. He just didn't know if Shuiyun could still carry him.
A little further away from the shelf, as the news of the birth of Shuiyun and Hong Luan's children spread, many people gathered. Some came to watch the fun, while others wondered if they could buy one. There were many rich people who thought that as long as they had money, there was nothing that couldn't be bought.
There were even people who asked Zhang Xiaobao and Zhang Xiaobao in the inner courtyard outside if they would sell one or two. The people in the inner courtyard were too lazy to answer. When they were annoyed, they replied, "Shuiyun is an official. Why don't you try to buy an official's child and raise it?"
The people who asked didn't dare to speak again. If they did, they would be arrested.
"Brother, is there a red one? I want a big red eagle. "Xiao Bei heard that she could get one and began to make her request.
"I don't know. I'll have to wait until the feathers are molted and the shape is fixed. There's a red one for you." Zhang Xiaobao rubbed his sister's head, stood up, and continued to look up.
Seeing that there were no big problems, he ordered, "Give the order. No unrelated people are allowed to come close. Enforce martial law within a thousand meters. Other than Her Majesty, all other princes and princesses are to be stopped. Especially during my exam. If anyone dares to come over and cause trouble, shoot them on the spot. If they die, it's on me."
As soon as Zhang Xiaobao's voice fell, the sound of orderly running came from the road leading to this place. Most people turned their heads to look and saw a group of strong men running over. They were all carrying guns.
The eunuch at the front was Luo Bin, who often interacted with Zhang Xiaobao.
Seeing the group's attire, Zhang Xiaobao was relieved. They were the Jinwu Guards, Li Longji's personal guards. With a rough look, there were two hundred people.
Luo Bin ran to the front and panted twice. He said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Lord Zhang, Her Majesty heard that Shui Yun and Hong Luan's child was born. She ordered this little one to bring two hundred Jinwu Guards to protect them. Whoever dares to wantonly harm the son of an official will be severely punished. Enforce martial law within a radius of three li. No one is allowed to pass or approach.
Luo Bin's voice was very loud, no quieter than Zhang Xiaobao's. When the surrounding people heard this, they thought, Great, Zhang Xiaobao only wanted to enforce martial law within a thousand meters. The Emperor actually directly cordoned off an area of three li and even sent out the Jinwu Guards. If Shui Yun was a human, she would be satisfied with her life.
Zhang Xiaobao was happy. "Good, let me thank Her Majesty for her grace."
"Lord Zhang, this little one can't go back. This little one wants to stay here. Her Majesty said that if Shui Yun's child's life is in danger because of other people's disturbance, she will chop off this little one's head. Therefore, Lord Zhang, this little one also needs to use your family's guards. If anyone dares to barge in, this little one will first beat them to death for the sake of my head."
Luo Bin put his hand on his neck and gestured, as if he was afraid of death.
Zhang Xiaobao stretched out his hand to Wang Juan. Wang Juan took out a few banknotes from her bag and handed them to Luo Bin. She said, "Then I'll trouble you."
Luo Bin happily took the money. He didn't look at the exact amount, thinking that it couldn't be bad. Seeing that Zhang Xiaobao was about to leave, he hurriedly said, "Lord Zhang, Her Majesty said that you should keep two. If you want to give the rest away, you can distribute it."
"Your Majesty." Zhang Xiaobao agreed and walked back with his people. He secretly cursed Li Longji. No wonder he sent the Jinwu Guards. He actually only asked for two and even said that the rest would be distributed. He didn't believe that Li Longji couldn't guess that the rest just happened to be one for each of Xiaobei and the others. Two wasn't too much or too little. Shui Yun and Hong Luan's children were all gone.
"Wife, do you think this counts as our dear Her Majesty's kindness to Shui Yun?" Zhang Xiaobao saw that there were no outsiders around and said to Wang Juan.
Wang Juan was also very helpless. "Forget it, forget it. It's mainly because Shui Yun's ability is too dazzling. Who doesn't want to get one? For the next nest, there will be a prince or something to greet us. I don't know if Shui Yun is convinced or sad to be valued so much."
"It should be. I've never heard that the little eagles have to live with their parents when they grow up and have their own families. Let's go. No matter how big they get, we still want a nest of children. We can't let Shui Yun outshine us."
"You can go give birth with the pigs."
*****
Shui Yun's storm could be said to have just started. The princes, princes, and their sons were in a powerless situation. They couldn't compete with the Emperor and could only continue to look forward to the next nest.
The civil officials felt that the Emperor's care for Shui Yun was excessive and discussed spiritedly. The military officials, on the other hand, were gratified. In their eyes, Shui Yun was a similar species. Back then, it was able to fly thousands of li to deliver news, which was incomparable to an urgent report from eight hundred li away. The Emperor's care for it was a meritorious service that must be rewarded.
The military officials knew that without Shui Yun, Wang Juan wouldn't have been able to achieve such impressive results. Shui Yun not only cooperated with small groups to launch sneak attacks, but also observed the enemy's situation and was responsible for air control.
People said, "Guan Shan's endless blade glints coldly, throwing away heads to fight for their lives on the battlefield. In Lingtian, who dares to flap their wings, guarding a thousand li alone, an eagle soars."
Therefore, the military officials regarded Shui Yun as a hero. At the very least, there was no one in the heavens who could match up to her. Could it be that such a hero needed someone to disturb her when she gave birth to a child?
Zhang Xiaobao didn't know that the civil and military officials of the imperial court were divided into two factions. They were fighting a war of words in front of Li Longji. The civil officials spoke in a genteel manner, quoting classics and classics. The military officials were more heroic, cursing as soon as they opened their mouths. They rolled up their sleeves, and their spittle flew everywhere. If it wasn't for Li Longji, they probably would have gone all out to fight. They wanted Shui Yun to see that they were also no match for the civil officials on the ground.
After returning to Savant's Pavilion, Zhang Xiaobao and the others ate first. Their hearts settled back into their stomachs, and their appetite gradually increased. Xiao Bei and Xiao Yuan worked together to gnaw off more than half of the lamb leg. They rubbed their stomachs and said that it was for Shui Yun's child to try what kind of lamb tasted good. In the next few days, they planned to try a few more breeds of lamb.
After the meal, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan sat in front of a tea set and drank tea.
Zhang Xiaobao drank six teacups in a row, and his mouth became even more astringent. He asked Wang Juan, "What questions do you think will be tested tomorrow?"
"How would I know? I didn't ask, so it doesn't matter. Are you worried that you won't be able to pass?" Wang Juan continued to pour tea for Zhang Xiaobao, not worried at all.
"I'm not afraid. I have nothing better to do. Everyone else is guessing the questions, so I'll do the same. You have to prepare. After the civil examination, it will be the military examination. If you have two days of rest, you can call all the commanders at home over and come up with a good plan. It's difficult for cold soldiers to fight hot weapons."
Zhang Xiaobao had been arrogant when he had accompanied Wang Juan to shout at the generals, but in his heart, he really did not have any confidence. There were two sets of rules for cold weapons and hot weapons. You couldn't say that if you slashed out with a knife, you could instantly appear three miles away and cut off the enemy general's head as easily as taking something out of your pocket.
Wang Juan raised her teacup and stopped it in front of her chest. She said, "It's also impossible for everyone to have a submachine gun for hot weapons. The weapons we make are purely handmade. Only our own troops and Li Longji's personal guards have one each.
There are also very few handguns. The rifling for handguns is harder to make than for rifles. Most of them are rifles. Rifles are powerful at a distance, but in close combat, can bayonets compete with cold weapons? It's also impossible for me to foolishly arrange my troops in an open field and wait for the enemy to fire their guns and cannons.
Using cold weapons does not mean that I've taken out the enemy's troops. I can't use their guns. It's just that when determining the losses, the people who use cold weapons are not familiar with them, so the enemy's losses are small.
This time, I'll let those arrogant generals who think that they have guns and cannons understand that guns and cannons are not omnipotent. Otherwise, sooner or later, they will suffer a great loss. "
Zhang Xiaobao also understood that in theory, there was no such thing as an invincible soldier. However, he felt that it would be very troublesome for him to deal with it. He drank another cup of tea and indicated to Wang Juan that he was full.
He said, "I've got the information on all the generals. After the literary exam, I'll make a list and evaluate everyone."
"Okay, I'll leave the logistics to you. I may have to frequently move long distances to find opportunities. You can't make any mistakes about how to distribute the logistics and how to hide them." Wang Juan placed a lot of importance on this sand table exercise. She had to win.
Zhang Xiaobao also said seriously, "Don't worry, I like to do this. I'll let the logistics cooperate very well. Give me the map, I'll study it again."
Zhang Xiaobao said as he went to get the map.
"You're not guessing the exam questions anymore?" Wang Juan asked with a smile.
"What's there to guess? I'm the top scorer. If they don't give me the top scorer, I won't be an official anymore. I'll leave behind a huge mess. Let's see who can clean it up. Whoever is the top scorer will take over. Just the Great Tang Bank alone is enough to tire him to death."
Zhang Xiaobao puffed out his chest and went to the study to look for the map. Wang Juan sat there and kept laughing.
*****
The next day, the day of the imperial examination finally arrived.
Some impatient examinees hurriedly finished their lunch and headed to the Hibiscus Garden. They just had to wear their clothes. When the time came, there would be soldiers searching their bodies. As for lunch, the imperial court would be responsible for the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.
To be more precise, the restaurants that sold food and the shops that sold the four treasures of the study were responsible for it. The bowls and plates that held the food would have the imprint of the restaurant. The same went for the four treasures of the study.
If it was in the past, the imperial court wouldn't give them anything. Now that Li Longji knew how to do business, some of the examinees would become officials. Whoever could provide them with things, even if they wouldn't be taken care of in the future, they would at least have a good memory.
Therefore, there were many restaurants that were willing to provide food and stationery. Therefore, Li Longji charged them. Yes, you had to provide food and stationery, and you still had to pay. If you didn't pay, then your things wouldn't be used.
The examinees all left with solemn expressions. Only Zhang Xiaobao, Wang Juan, and the examinees of Jianjia Academy were not in a hurry. The people of the academy would follow Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Even if the time passed, they would still be able to enter.
After Zhang Xiaobao finished his meal, he sat there and drank some tea to help with digestion. Only then did he lead the group to Hibiscus Garden.
When they arrived outside Hibiscus Garden, the soldiers were waiting in formation. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan went straight in. The students of the academy had to stop and be checked.
Regarding this, the other examinees who came around the same time did not feel that this was inappropriate. Who would dare to search Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan? No one would believe that the two of them would cheat. If they wanted to cheat, they would have already memorized the answers to the questions.
After entering the examination hall, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan found their seats according to their numbers. The two of them were next to each other, and there was only a wooden wall between them. There was a soldier with a gun standing outside every single room.
Of course, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were different outside. There were at least 20 people outside. In name, they were invigilators, but in fact, they were there to protect them.
Wang Juan was also taking the imperial examination. She planned to give Zhang Xiaobao some pressure. It wouldn't be good to be compared to her wife, right?
As the door outside closed, it was time for the examination.
The official in charge of the examination first nodded to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Then, he praised Li Longji and emphasized the discipline of the examination hall. Only then did he walk in front of Zhang Xiaobao and ask, "Lord Zhang, is it ready?"
Zhang Xiaobao glared at the examiner, which meant, 'Are you stupid? You asked me. '
The examiner understood and immediately announced the start of the examination. When the examination papers were opened, they were not read aloud like before. Instead, they were given out. If they did not have enough paper, they could ask the examiner for more.
Zhang Xiaobao opened the paper. The first question was about sutra. The Jinshi examination was about sutra. It was actually a fill-in-the-blank question. The so-called sutra was full of blanks, and the blanks were linked together.
Zhang Xiaobao glanced at it and saw that it said, 'I, Wang Ke, was born with the mandate of heaven to comfort Fang Xia.' As for the rest of the paper, it was full of blanks.
'I thought it would be difficult. It's just Shangshu. If I knew it would be like this, I would have let Xiao Yuan do it. He can also get a good result.' Zhang Xiaobao cursed in his heart and filled in the blanks at the back.
After he finished, he continued to look at the next one. It was an essay, which was a question. The examiner had to write a poem and an essay according to the meaning of the question. Zhang Xiaobao went over first. Writing poems and essays was a waste of time, so he finished the simple ones first.
After that, it was the current affairs policy, also known as policy theory. The examiner was given a question and then discussed it. However, there were five questions.
Zhang Xiaobao glanced at the questions. They were really related to him. There were questions about Henan Province, foreign wars, domestic economic construction, railway construction, and river layout.
Zhang Xiaobao looked at the questions, pondered for a while, and knocked on the wooden board next door.
"What are you doing? Are you cheating?" Wang Juan asked softly. The soldiers outside were deaf and didn't see or hear.
However, the person next door to Wang Juan heard it and felt indignant. If you want to copy, just ask for the questions directly. Why are you asking each other at this time?
Zhang Xiaobao didn't care about these things and said, "Don't answer the current affairs policy. If you don't write the real thing, that's lying to the emperor. If you write the real thing and the examiner sees it, aren't you afraid that the secret will be revealed?"
"Oh, that's right." Wang Juan responded and asked, "If you don't answer, your score will be low."
"Who dares to say that my current affairs policy is bad? Whoever wants to know, come and ask me. I will tell him. I will tell him all the secrets and layout. I will scare him to death. "Zhang Xiaobao said disdainfully.
"Alright, I won't answer either." Wang Juan responded.
At this time, the indignation in the hearts of the examinees who heard it disappeared and was replaced by understanding and admiration. Look at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. It wasn't that they didn't know how to write, it was that they didn't dare to.
The current affairs policy that they were answering was to see if their ideas were compatible or not. The closer they were to the emperor, the higher the evaluation they would get. They were giving advice to the emperor. If they had any ideas, they would directly tell the emperor. How could they write it for many people to see?
Zhang Xiaobao relaxed. There were a total of three major questions. Now, there was only a poem and an essay left. He picked up the brush and was about to write, but he wanted to know what Wang Juan was thinking, so he knocked on the wooden board again. "Are you going to write a seven-word or five-word essay? Poem or quatrains? "
"Don't disturb the others. I won't write a poem or quatrains. I will write a song." Wang Juan was annoyed.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
