Zhang Xiaobao and his group arrived late. The morning court session had already started for more than an hour.
Li Longji was sitting high up in his seat and roaring at the officials.
With the development of technology, the person in charge of relaying the emperor's orders was free. Without the emperor saying a word, he would shout the original words at the top of his voice.
A microphone extended from beside Li Longji's chair. As the technology still needed to be improved, the effect of the microphone wasn't very good. It could only be placed closer to the mouth.
The loudspeakers were placed in various places. The person who placed them was probably planning to create a surround sound system, but his understanding of this technology wasn't that thorough.
As Li Longji shouted, the officials lowered their heads and listened. Occasionally, they would exchange glances with each other.
Yuan Qianyao, Li Linfu, Zhang Jiuling, Wang Bei, Jiang Cen, Wei Shu, Lv Yanzuo, Yu Wenrong, and the other officials glanced at Zhang Zhong from time to time.
As the emperor was roaring at Zhang Zhong, there should be people who were happy. Those who were close to Zhang Zhong should be worried for Zhang Zhong.
However, the emperor's words didn't sound right.
"The Ministry of Works is important. Aren't the families of the injured worried? Aren't they in pain? "Li Longji looked down and questioned the microphone. He didn't stare at Zhang Zhong.
Are you saying that if someone in the Ministry of Works is injured, their family isn't worried? Aren't they in pain? What are you doing?
"I don't want to hear excuses. The Ministry of Works should be managed by the officials. If someone is burning a mountain in the distance and sparks are flying here, why don't you expand the area? If three li of martial law isn't enough, then five li. If five li isn't enough, then you have to enclose ten li. I don't want to hear about accidents caused by flying to Mars again. "
Li Longji continued speaking.
There was something wrong with his words. Enclosing land cost money. The land didn't cost money, but the facilities needed money.
In order to keep it a secret, at the beginning, there was a man-made river in the middle of the Ministry of Works. If the land was expanded, wouldn't the man-made river have to be dug again? It was all money.
Before Li Longji could say anything, he continued, "We know that research is expensive, but we also know that the money we spend today can still be earned back when we make something tomorrow. We can't let our Great Tang's craftsmen suffer because of a lack of money.
The revenue for this year has already been released. The Ministry of Works needs to promptly manage the Ministry of Revenue. If someone deliberately obstructs and disregards the safety of the Great Tang's research and development of weapons, they will be punished even more severely. "
The people from the Ministry of Revenue lowered their heads. As the Minister of Revenue, Wang Bei was filled with grievances.
The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of money. Every time Zhang Zhong came to ask for money, he would not say anything courteous. He would always be bold and self-righteous. In the end, when he made something and made money, he would not give anything to the Ministry of Revenue other than the taxes due. He would just transfer the money away.
Even if you, Zhang Zhong, transfer it to your own account, that's fine. You're greedy, you're selfish. But you insist on transferring it to the Ministry of War and the Western Agriculture Temple, saying that it's a related research project.
If we do as you say, what do you need the Ministry of Revenue for?
It wasn't easy to wait until you ran out of money. As soon as you ran out of money, Her Majesty immediately sided with you. Why? Just because you have a son and a daughter-in-law? I still have a grandson. This is too much of a bully.
Li Longji did not have the time to care about Wang Bei's thoughts. He continued, "This year's revenue has to be at least ten million strings of cash for the Ministry of Works. Even if I have to eat one less bowl of rice, even if I have to make one less pair of boots, even if …"
Hearing this, the silent Zhang Zhong finally couldn't hold it in anymore. He wasn't moved. Rather, he was worried that the Emperor would disrupt his son Xiao Bao's plans.
Holding the ceremonial tablet, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this subject has a memorial."
"Eh?" Just as Li Longji was happily speaking, he saw Zhang Zhong interrupt him. He was surprised and a little unhappy. I'm speaking up for you. Don't be a hindrance.
"Minister Zhang, you have something to say." Li Longji glared at Zhang Zhong.
Zhang Zhong's position was closer to the front, to the left of the stairs in front of Hanyuan Palace. When he heard the Emperor's order, he looked around and took small steps toward the Emperor.
The officials stared at him. The Jinwu Guards didn't stop him. Gao Lishi even stepped aside.
Zhang Zhong spent a lot of effort to move that little bit of distance. When he arrived in front of the Emperor, he didn't block the Emperor's face.
Li Longji looked at Zhang Zhong and waited for him to speak.
Zhang Zhong reached out and covered the microphone tightly. Then, he bent down and whispered into the Emperor's ear.
Everyone was curious, but they couldn't hear anything.
When Zhang Zhong finished and released the microphone, they heard the Emperor's voice, "Is that true?"
Everyone looked at Zhang Zhong again. Zhang Zhong nodded.
"That's good. Minister Zhang, you've worked hard." The Emperor nodded and signaled Zhang Zhong to go back. The group of officials wanted to tear Zhang Zhong's mouth open and ask him what he just said.
Li Longji picked up the binoculars and looked at the officials. He coughed twice and said, "The Ministry of Revenue will temporarily suspend the allocation of funds to the Ministry of Works."
The officials were stunned. What did he say? It seemed that the reason was because of Zhang Zhong. Why didn't he want ten million strings of strings? There must be a conspiracy.
Minister of Revenue Wang Bei also thought so. Zhang Zhong didn't want the money, but it was more worrying.
After pondering for a while, Wang Bei stood up and said loudly, "Your Majesty, if the Ministry of Revenue doesn't provide funds, I'm afraid that our research will be shelved."
He stood up to be a good person. Some of the officials curled their lips.
"Minister Wang is right. Therefore, I have a way to solve the problem of the Ministry of Works' lack of funds without affecting the Ministry of Revenue." Li Longji followed Wang Bei's words.
The officials understood. No wonder Zhang Zhong didn't let His Majesty allocate funds from the Ministry of Revenue. He has another way. I heard that he went to the Hibiscus Garden's examination hall because he was worried about the examinees.
Coincidentally, his son, Zhang Xiaobao, and daughter-in-law, Wang Juan, were also there. Yes! It was indeed too much of a coincidence. Therefore, Minister Zhang didn't neglect official matters because of personal feelings. He had a cordial conversation with the two examinees.
The two examinees, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, said a lot of heartfelt words because of the kindness of the imperial court. Therefore … someone is probably going to be unlucky. '
The officials were all thinking about their own matters, and the court was silent for a while.
Li Longji wasn't in a hurry. He was still thinking about what Zhang Zhong said. He had to think of more things from it. After all, it was Xiao Bao's idea. There were many twists and turns in it.
As the head of the secretariat, Yuan Qianyao stood at the front. He didn't care about the gazes of others and moved down from behind the officials until he was behind Zhang Jiuling.
Zhang Jiuling was shocked. Ghost, you don't make a sound when you walk.
"Yuan Zhongshu, do you feel that the wind is strong?" Zhang Jiuling turned and asked.
Yuan Qianyao raised his hand and waved. "Zishou, you're too polite. I just want to talk to you."
"Okay, may I know what you want to teach me?" Zhang Jiuling saw how Yuan Qianyao addressed him so intimately and started to think.
Yuan Qianyao didn't care whether the other party was criticizing him or not. He asked kindly, "Have you met with Jiedushi Zhang recently?"
Zhang Jiuling was relieved. Yuan Qianyao wanted to get useful information from him because he had a good relationship with Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Jiuling shook his head regretfully and said, "Before Xiao Bao left the capital last month, I met him once. Xiao Bao came up with a new dish from Lingnan and asked me to taste it. The taste was really good. Xiao Bao's culinary skills are amazing."
After that, Zhang Jiuling shut up.
Yuan Qianyao was depressed. He thought to himself, 'Do you think I don't know that his culinary skills are good? Even the Emperor ate it. ' But don't you know what I'm asking? Good culinary skills can affect the imperial court. His ability to scheme is even better. '
Seeing that the other party didn't say anything, Yuan Qianyao could only continue asking, "There were a lot of things to do in the Hall of Secretaries. Unfortunately, I couldn't go. Uh ~! During the banquet, did you tell Xiao Bao about the situation in Great Tang in the near future? But you have to tell me the truth. I'll look for you for a drink later. "
"I did, but it's definitely not directly related to today's matter. Yuan Qianyao can personally talk to Xiao Bao about the situation. His Majesty is going to speak."
When Zhang Jiuling replied to Yuan Qianyao, he saw the Emperor sitting up straight and reminded him.
"Okay, I'll go back. Find some time to drink." Yuan Qianyao quickly moved back from behind the others.
Just as he returned to the first position on the left, he saw the Emperor glaring at him.
Then, the Emperor said, "I have a little spare money and left it in the hands of the Empress's adopted daughter. Today's matter suddenly reminded me of that money. I plan to take out some to show my sincerity. Does everyone agree?"
'Oh! I see. ' The officials knew what the Emperor was talking about. It was the income from Great Tang's bank. The so-called adopted daughter of the Empress was Wang Juan.
But that sum of money was definitely not a little. As for how much it was, they had to ask Zhang Xiaobao. Zhang Xiaobao's bank was really amazing. At the beginning, it was a partnership. Later on, his family withdrew first. Then, he kicked the other shareholders out one by one. Now, it was the Emperor's alone. Zhang Xiaobao helped to manage it.
Among the officials, the one who was the most upset was the Minister of Revenue, Wang Bei. He clearly knew that there was a lot of money, but he couldn't interfere.
Among most of the officials, he was the one who knew the extent of their wealth.
First, the Emperor stopped the expenses of the Imperial Palace that were supposed to be paid by the Ministry of Revenue and directly took money from the bank. As a result, the days in the Imperial Palace were several times better than before. If they wanted to build a building, they could build a building. If they wanted to build a pond, they could build a pond.
Even the office of the Ministry of Revenue had been renovated by the Emperor. It was very comfortable.
Then, when there was a small disaster in Great Tang, before the local report was submitted, the money from the Bank of Great Tang would be sent over in the name of the Emperor. When the people needed to raise money to build roads and bridges, the bank would also immediately provide subsidies.
Just this year alone, with a rough calculation, the private bank had already sent out no less than ten million strings of coins. The Ministry of Revenue was saving money, and the national treasury was ample. The money used for this calculation was calculated by the Ministry of Revenue using other local reports, but there was definitely money that was spent in other areas.
This didn't just mean that the Emperor's bank was rich. It also showed the extent of Zhang Xiaobao's intelligence network.
"His wealth is' rich and imposing ', but his intelligence network is' spread all over the world '," Wang Bei muttered helplessly.
Li Longji sat on the throne and waited for the others to digest what he said. He was very happy. You finally know that I have money.
Don't blame me for not letting you manage the bank. It's just that your families are too 'poor'. I'm afraid that you'll embezzle, and I'm even more worried that you won't be able to manage the bank well enough. In the end, someone has to manage it. Why can't I send Zhang Xiaobao?
Finally, someone stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, this subject would like to ask, how much does Your Majesty intend to give to the Ministry of Works?"
"I'm not giving, I'm investing. After the Ministry of Works produces something, it has to give a generous return to the investor. The diesel engine will be put into production very soon. Everyone knows that I don't have much money, and I still have to spend it on the palace.
Thus, I intend to take the lead. Everyone can also participate in the investment. When the time comes, according to the proportion of the investment, I plan to invest eight million strings of coins in the Ministry of Works' research project before the new year. The Ministry of Works' other expenses will still need to be supported by the Ministry of Revenue. After all, the Ministry of Works isn't a shop. Right, after the new year, I'll increase it according to the situation. What does everyone think? "
Li Longji tried his best to be modest. When he said eight million strings of coins, he tried his best to sound calm.
Suddenly, the entire Hanyuan Palace Hall was filled with sighs. "Ai ~ ~! Ai ~ ~! "
Only Zhang Zhong didn't react. Looking at the others sighing, he understood that it was a feeling of powerlessness.
They couldn't stop what their son and daughter-in-law were doing. This was because the lives of the people of Great Tang were indeed better. The Great Tang's army was also more elite, the national treasury was more abundant, and the number of literate people had increased.
This was especially so because of the relationship between the surrounding countries. A group of them had already been wiped out.
No one could find an excuse to attack their son and daughter-in-law because they wouldn't be able to do it. The truly amazing thing wasn't the Emperor's bias but the hearts of the people.
Zhang Zhong was filled with emotions. He even thought of treating Xiao Bao and Cuckoo as someone else's children. Then, he would stand on the side of justice and evaluate them.
In the end, when he thought of Xiao Bao and Cuckoo as someone else's children, he was very resistant in his heart. No other family's children could compare to his son and daughter-in-law. They didn't have the right to have them. They were his.
Even he was jealous of himself, let alone others.
Gao Lishi pondered by the side and frowned. He walked up to the Emperor and turned off the microphone. "Your Majesty, isn't it too chaotic? The Ministry of Works is a part of the Imperial Court. You're investing in it, and you're asking other officials to invest in it as well. Who does the Ministry of Works belong to?"
Li Longji also pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "It's not chaotic. The Ministry of Works isn't affected. We're investing in the research projects of the Ministry of Works, and they're independent and related.
You think that it's chaotic because there are too many things to manage. The functions of the various departments are getting more and more complete, and there's even a need to set up a new department.
In history, the people who held power ruled over the people. They hunted, farmed, woven, and built. They didn't manage much, and the punishment for those who were punished was decided by a single word from them.
As for the latter, they ruled over the country and established the Six Ministers. The ministers ruled over a hundred people, and they ruled over the people. Wasn't the food of the people at that time comparable to what we have now? "
After hearing the Emperor's words, Gao Lishi understood and replied, "Your Majesty is right. In the past, there weren't many officials, and there weren't many departments. The food and clothes of the people were the same. Now, there are more officials, and the lives of the people are better.
In the future, there might be more departments and more departments. As long as they're capable and aren't greedy, the lives of the people will be better. This subject was wrong. "
"It's fine. Lishi is also eager to protect his master. This plan was suggested by Xiao Bao. Since he said so, it means that he and Cuckoo don't think that the division of the officials isn't detailed enough. It's not to the point where they're confused."
Li Longji faintly felt that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan seemed to be very familiar with the current system of officials. They even had a system, no, several systems that they could choose from at any time.
Yes, it was a system, not a single official position. A huge system didn't only apply to official positions. It also included the military, the economy, agriculture, technology, and so on.
They could set up a set or pick out a part of it and take it out. How did they learn so much? Was the country of those two experts really so complicated?
How much did the people live in such a country? Did they eat meat every day? Did they have a carriage pulled by a steam engine every time they went out? Or a carriage pulled by a diesel engine? Did every village have a radio station to quickly transmit news? It was really scary. Life was too good. When could Great Tang be like this?
Li Longji tried his best to think about the living conditions of the people in that country, but he still couldn't think of anything. He decided to ask Xiaobao and Yaojuan for more details so that he could compare. Then, the Great Tang would try its best.
Li Longji and Gao Lishi started to chat on their own.
The officials below also had their own thoughts. Those who were in favor of the Zhang Family and Wang Family were eager to try. They were waiting for the Emperor to finish talking with General Gao and ask how much money they had to fork out so that they could participate.
The officials who remained neutral looked back and forth between those who were in favor of the Zhang Family and those who were against the Zhang Family and those who were in favor of the Zhang Family and Wang Family.
The officials who were against the Zhang Family and Wang Family were conflicted. They were angry and worried. They were angry at Zhang Zhong, but they couldn't suppress their anger anymore.
A few days ago, when Zhang Xiaobao, Wang Juan, and the nine children went to Hong Nong, they felt that there was an opportunity to get some benefits from Zhang Zhong and get some power.
Zhang Zhong was easy to talk to. As long as it didn't interfere with his official business, he would usually give up his power when it was necessary.
The people who were against the Zhang Family and Wang Family were fighting with Zhang Zhong over the distribution rights of the Ministry of Works' small products. The products developed by the Ministry of Works were naturally sold by the Ministry of Works.
When the Ministry of Works developed new technologies, all kinds of things would happen. Thus, when the main technologies were developed, there would be many side products.
The Ministry of Works chose to take out the technologies that were not 'cutting-edge', attract investors, and act as distributors. This was also why the Ministry of Works had so many projects at the same time and still had money to spare for the Agriculture Temple and the Ministry of War.
Everyone knew that when it came to making money, the Ministry of Works would definitely use Zhang Xiaobao's ideas. They didn't need to worry about losing money, but they needed to consider how much they could earn. Zhang Xiaobao was someone who was above the top tycoons list.
Why did the Ministry of Works lack money recently? It was very simple. It was because when Zhang Xiaobao went to Hong Nong, he had already thought of building an amusement park.
Thus, part of the technology that was used to connect the gears and bearings during the manufacturing of the diesel engine was temporarily stopped from auctioning the distribution rights.
Zhang Xiaobao did not use the deficit management cycle model in the development of the Ministry of Works. However, he was also very careful. If there was a mistake, the cash flow would immediately be cut off.
Wasn't it cut off now?
The day before Zhang Xiaobao asked the technology to stop auctioning the distribution rights, the people who were against the Zhang Family and Wang Family had already looked for Zhang Zhong and said that they would recommend a few distributors to Zhang Zhong.
Zhang Zhong also agreed. It didn't matter who he gave it to. His son and daughter-in-law were too strong, so he had to compromise.
Thus, the matter of selling the distribution rights was stopped. The people who were already against the Zhang Family and Wang Family hated them even more.
During the period when Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were not around, they tried to find fault with Zhang Zhong. Among them, the Minister of Revenue, Wang Bei, was especially so.
On the day when Zhang Xiaobao and the others returned, the people stopped for a while. However, when they saw that Zhang Xiaobao was busy with the imperial examinations and did not do anything to retaliate, they thought that he was scared.
When Wang Bei finally waited until Zhang Zhong came over to ask for money, he also sent someone to look for Zhang Xiaobao. That person was testing Zhang Xiaobao's reaction.
But he did not know that Zhang Xiaobao did not do anything when he returned because the diesel engine was not completed yet. The separation of oil was also not done yet. The most important time was in the next few days.
But last night, when he sent someone to look for Wang Bei, Zhang Zhong brought the news back.
Thus, the officials who were against the Zhang Family and Wang Family guessed this in the morning. At this time, they found out that Zhang Xiaobao did not do anything to retaliate because Zhang Zhong felt that the Ministry of Works was not a problem and did not want to distract his son.
Yesterday, something happened in the Ministry of Works. Zhang Zhong went to the examination hall. Zhang Xiaobao's ability to tolerate sand in his eyes was proven this morning.
Today, there was a court meeting. The officials woke up early and went to Hanyuan Palace Hall to wait for the Emperor. Before they went out, they had to eat something to fill their stomachs. However, they could not drink too much water. Otherwise, when they went to the toilet during court, what would they do if the Emperor called them?
However, if they did not drink, they would be thirsty. What could they do? Eat fruit. Eat a pear or an orange.
Since the beginning of autumn this year, the Zhang Family and Wang Family began to supply tomatoes to the officials who were qualified to attend court. There was a plot of land in the Sinongsi that belonged to the Zhang Family and Wang Family. Every day, early in the morning, they had people send the tomatoes to the officials' residences.
Today, Wang Bei ate an egg and a handful of steamed buns. He did not dare to eat anymore. After eating too much, he would feel sleepy. He reached for the tomatoes on the fruit plate. Why did they change? The tomatoes turned into oranges.
Looking at the color of the orange peel, Wang Bei understood that the oranges must have been transported from the south. After a long time, the oranges would not be fresh. As for the oranges from the north, they were not ripe yet. Even if they were, they would not taste good. If the oranges were born in Huainan, they would be oranges. The Sinongsi was trying to find a way to solve this problem.
Wang Bei did not care about this problem. He was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. What he cared about was why the tomatoes were gone today. Could it be that they were eaten by the servants?
Wang Bei's face darkened slightly. When he asked, someone answered.
It was said that the people from the Zhang Family and Wang Family came this morning and told the people who usually collected oranges that there were no tomatoes today. Because the tomatoes forgot the cold of autumn and wanted to prove that they were strong, they provoked the autumn wind. As a result, they fell ill from the cold and did not grow.
They also kindly asked us to tell Master that autumn is here and the weather is cold, so you should wear more clothes. Because where the autumn wind passes, what should be red will be red, and what should be yellow will be yellow. The autumn festival is deep, and not only the sky is high and the clouds are light.
When Wang Bei heard the servant's reply, he was immediately stunned. It was a blatant threat. Could it be that Zhang Xiaobao was also so straightforward?
He did not know that he had wronged Zhang Xiaobao. Last night, Zhang Xiaobao was still discussing the military and civilian get-together with the people from the Ministry of War.
It was Zhang Zhong's daughter who reacted first. It was Zhang Zhong's future son-in-law, Xiaoyuan, who told people to say those words.
In addition to Wang Bei, there were other officials who opposed the Zhang Family and Wang Family. They all received the same treatment in the morning.
When they saw Zhang Zhong whispering to the emperor just now, how could they not be afraid?
Xiaobei and the nine children wanted them to admit that it was all an illusion that caused the disaster. This kind of counterattack was too fast and too persistent.
Just as the atmosphere in Hanyuan Palace Hall was different from before, someone outside raised their voice to report.
"Bohai Commander-In-Chief Manor, Jiedushi Zhang Xiaobao, Deputy Wang Juan, Tang Dynasty's Patrol Inspector Zhang Xiaohai, Patrol Inspector Wang Zhu, Zhang … have arrived!"
When Li Longji, Gao Lishi, and the other officials heard the voice, they all looked at the road leading to Hanyuan Palace Hall.
If it was only Xiaobei and the others who had arrived, no one would report. If you came late, how could you be justified? However, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were both Jiedushi. They were important officials who oversaw a region. Of course, no one would care if they went to Xingqing Palace to eat, drink, and play. If they came to court with official status, they would have to report.
At the end of the road, under everyone's gaze, a group of figures slowly appeared. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were wearing the official robes that their families had hurried to send to the outside of the palace. They walked side by side at the very front.
The two of them looked indifferent. No one could tell whether they were happy or angry.
Xiaobei and the other nine people lined up in a goose formation, five steps behind their brothers and sisters. They maintained the formation, puffed out their chests and raised their heads. Their faces were full of anger.
"Hiss …" Some of the officials could not control the shock in their hearts. They quietly inhaled the cool autumn air. Weiwei lowered her head, feeling the pressure of the battle formation in front of her.
In fact, Xiaobei originally planned to arrange an arrow formation. Considering that the tip of the arrow would be pointed directly at Uncle Emperor, it was not good. Therefore, she changed it to a goose wing formation. The middle of the formation shrank back, and the two wings extended diagonally, luring the enemy to attack from the middle.
As soon as Li Longji saw Xiao Bao and the others unexpectedly arranged a battle formation, he was stunned at first, but then he could not help but chuckling. Seeing Xiao Bao and the others slowly approaching, he first whispered to Gao Lishi, who was standing next to him, "Look!
It's indeed Cuckoo, who is in charge of the army. Unexpectedly she can make a lot of changes in a goose wing formation. If it were a real battle, the most annoying thing would not be the two wings, but her and Xiao Bao. If there are two square groups of archers and shields there, it would be very awkward.
You see, if the enemy attacks, take the two wings, the square groups of archers and shields will push forward, pressing against the enemy's formation. However, the enemy's main commander will be in the middle of the goose wing, so the enemy will face the enemy head-on, while the enemy's main commander will be protected.
If the enemy attacks the two square groups, the cavalry on the two wings will move horizontally, while the two square groups will retreat slowly, encircling the enemy. If the enemy attacks one wing, the other wing will wait for the center formation to move. Look carefully at the goose wings she arranged. Is there any difference from what you usually see? "
Gao Lishi was also looking. He saw that the head of the goose wing formation behind Xiaobei was actually above the head of the character 'person'. The goose wing formation was when a person wrote, the angle of the character 'person' was facing the person writing, so it was not called the 'person' formation.
Normally, there would be a dot at the head of the character 'person', but now there were two dots next to Xiaobei. It seemed that Weiwei was retreating. This was very puzzling.
After thinking carefully, Gao Lishi said, "Could that be an artillery formation? What kind of formation is Cuckoo using? If there are artillery soldiers, it means that there are bullets in front of them. Why is there a need to arrange a formation? She could just charge forward and be done with it. I don't understand, I don't understand. "
"We don't know either. We'll ask later." Li Longji was also very puzzled.
During this short period of time, Zhang Xiaobao and the others had already reached the bottom of the stairs, where the officials were parallel to each other. They stopped in their tracks.
Li Longji turned on the microphone and asked in a very 'gentle' voice, "Did Minister Zhang and Minister Wang just come back from the examination hall?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, that's right. That's why we came late. We hope Your Majesty will forgive us." Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan bowed together and replied.
"Not guilty, not guilty. With Minister Zhang's talent, becoming the top scorer will be as easy as pie. We congratulate Minister Zhang first." Li Longji suppressed the urge to ask Zhang Xiaobao if he had a good plan and tried to speak in a calm tone.
The people who opposed the Zhang Family and the Wang Family looked nervously at the eleven people and silently cursed. The Emperor's words were too empty. What did he mean by 'becoming the top scorer'? Wasn't the Fall Quarter Examinations just for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan? If he couldn't become the top scorer, what was the point of the Fall Quarter Examinations?
Zhang Xiaobao didn't care what other people thought. He replied, "Many thanks for Your Majesty's words. This subject has come to deliver the imperial edict and report that the post-disaster reconstruction of Hongnong County in Guo Province of Henan Province has been completed. 613 Henan Province officials involved in the disaster have been escorted to the capital."
"Me too. I'm this subject." Zhang Xiaobao had just finished speaking when Xiaobei shouted from behind.
Following her words, the two wings of the Wild Goose Formation immediately separated. Xiaoyuan and Xiaohai, who were on either side of her, stood in a straight line with her. They were no longer in a horizontal line like before. Xiaoyuan was in front, Xiaobei was in the middle, and Xiaohai was at the back.
This caused the main line to become a long snake formation.
The three people directly walked towards their older brother and older sister. When they saw the position behind the two rooms, Zhang Xiaobao took a step forward to the left, while Wang Juan took a step backward to the right. Zhang Xiaobao took a step forward to the left, while Wang Juan took a step backward to the right, strengthening the main line's offense and defense.
The two wings of three people each formed a word formation. One was in front of the main line, while the other was in front of the main line. They formed a long snake formation diagonally with the main line, moving forward and backward slowly, with the main line following.
The military officials in the Imperial Court secretly cheered, while the civil officials frowned. They didn't understand why Zhang Xiaobao and his group insisted on changing the formation in Hanyuan Palace Hall.
After Li Longji saw this, he smiled and said, "Oh? Xiaobei also came to deliver the imperial edict? "
"Yes. Replying to Your Majesty, this subject and my colleagues received Your Majesty's imperial edict and traveled through the night to Hongnong County. We immediately stabilized the situation and captured the fugitives who wanted to escape. This is now done. This subject is waiting to deliver the imperial edict."
This time, Xiaobei didn't mention the one million and three hundred thousand strings of string of cash.
Li Longji breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. He agreed with Xiaobei's words. They did get up immediately after receiving the order. Whether it was day or night, not all officials could do this.
Some people curled their lips in their hearts. They didn't believe that after Zhang Xiaobao and the others returned, they didn't meet with the Emperor and insisted on coming to the Imperial Court to deliver the imperial edict.
Li Longji waved his hand at Xiaobei and said, "Minister, come to Zhen's side. Zhen has something to ask. If Jiedushi Zhang doesn't have anything important to say, please return to your seat first. Zhen will continue the Imperial Court."
Zhang Xiaobao naturally wouldn't say anything now. He and Wang Juan stood next to Zhang Zhong, squeezing the people around them down.
Xiaobei and the other nine children ran up the stairs by stepping on the carvings in the middle of the steps. Xiaobei leaned against the side of the Dragon Throne. The other eight children weren't as noisy as Xiaobei and stood at the back. The back was warmer than the front. The weather wasn't too cold, so the heater wasn't on.
"Just now, Zhen mentioned the matter of investing in the Ministry of Works. Have you all thought about it?" As Li Longji spoke, he moved to the side, indicating that Xiaobei could sit next to him. Xiaobei looked at her father with a frightened expression and shook her head. She didn't dare to sit next to him. The last time she sat next to him, she was scolded when she went back.
Not only did her father scold her, but her mother and grandparents also scolded her. Only her brothers and sisters were the best.
She didn't know that her brothers and sisters didn't care about imperial power. It was just sitting there for a while. It wasn't like they were stealing your position. It was just a country's leader. Who was afraid of who?
After Li Longji finished speaking, only Zhang Zhong glared at Xiaobei. The others pretended not to see it. The Censorate always remained silent in front of Xiaobei, because no one had a clean tail behind them.
The main issue was whether or not to participate in the investment.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to invest 1,000 strings of coins into the research of the Ministry of Works." Zhang Jiu Ling was the first to stand up.
"Your Majesty, I am also willing to invest 600 strings of coins." Li Linfu followed.
"Your Majesty, I would like to invest 2,000 strings of coins." Another person spoke. It was obvious that he came from a wealthy family.
"Your Majesty, I …" The officials began to speak one after another.
Without waiting for them to finish speaking, Li Longji coughed and said, "Everyone, please don't be anxious. After the court is dismissed, I will get someone to record the amount for the next topic."
"Your Majesty, I ~ have ~ something to say." Under Wang Bei's signal, an official from the Censorate gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
It was unknown whether it was because of the cold wind in the late autumn morning or because he wasn't feeling well, but his voice was trembling. He looked at the tablet in his hand and didn't look at Zhang Xiaobao.
"Speak." Li Longji spat out a word.
The person who stood up took two deep breaths and swallowed his saliva. His voice was still trembling as he said, "I am not accusing you. I am just casually speaking. There are too many guards around General Shui Yun's house. Your Majesty sent the Jinwu Guards, which is against the rules. I hope General Shui Yun's good friend can reduce the impact."
Li Longji sneered in his heart. Since you dare to stand up, why hide? If Shui Yun was a person, of course I wouldn't send the Jinwu Guards. But 'he' is an eagle. He doesn't have a mansion or guards. If the Jinwu Guards don't go, will Xiao Bao agree to give me two eagles?
Li Longji was, after all, the Emperor. He said, "Oh! Let me ask General Shui Yun's good friend. "
Without waiting for him to ask, Zhang Xiaobao stood up expressionlessly and said, "Your Majesty, I have been busy these past few days. Shui Yun and Hong Luan's son is still young. I planned to finish my business in the capital and take them with me when I return to Sanshui County.
Your Majesty can withdraw the Jinwu Guards first. I will shrink the defense circle and deploy more hot air balloons and small boats in the lake. When the little eagles won't be tortured to death by moving around, I will immediately take them back.
Thank you for your reminder. May I know your surname? In the future, I, Zhang Xiaobao, will return to Shui Yun's family and properly repay your kindness. "
Xiao Bei pouted. Her big eyes widened even more as she looked over angrily.
The person from the Censorate sat down on the ground and looked up at Wang Bei, hoping to get help.
However, Wang Bei lowered his head with a gloomy face and ignored everyone. He didn't expect that after testing the waters, Zhang Xiaobao would have such a big reaction. He was too arrogant. If this continued, the country would no longer be a country.
The person from the Censorate felt cold. He clenched his fists and stood up again. He first said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, this official's leg suddenly cramped. Please forgive me."
Then, he looked at Zhang Xiaobao and said, "Lord Zhang, this official is the Censorate's Attendant Censorate. Please excuse me."
After he finished speaking, he stretched out his neck and looked like he was about to be killed.
Zhang Xiaobao saw him like this and nodded, "Thank you."
He immediately said to Xiao Bei, who had left the dragon chair and was about to walk out of the Hanyuan Store, "Xiao Bei, come back. Just stay here. "
"Oh ~!" Xiao Bei stopped her stealthy movements and turned back in dissatisfaction.
The Censorate surnamed Chen was no longer cold. His whole body was drenched in sweat. He looked at Zhang Xiaobao gratefully and returned to his position.
He knew very well that he wouldn't be retaliated against. What Xiao Bei wanted to do was very simple. She wanted to go out of the palace and find someone to bring his information here. Was his butt clean? Was there a need to ask?
If he really let her go out, he would be arrested by her before the morning court ended. Even if he didn't die, he would lose a layer of skin. Zhang Xiaobao, you're a good person. You don't want to lower yourself to my level. Wang Bei, you're good. Just you wait.
Li Longji saw that Zhang Xiaobao didn't pursue the matter, so he didn't care anymore. He said, "Since that's the case, I will first withdraw the Jinwu Guards and let General Shui Yun's family be alone. She can ask her comrades to help protect them."
The so-called comrades referred to the people from Tubo. Usually, they would stay outside the city. Once Li Longji opened his mouth, it meant that they could come in and stay by the lake. This group of people was stronger than the Jinwu Guards.
Some of the officials secretly laughed, while some felt sad with Wang Bei.
"Next topic." Gao Lishi shouted from the side.
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