Zhang Ju displayed the same reaction speed as when he was guarding the Fengzhou Pass. His legs alternated rapidly while his eyes looked forward. He very naturally dodged the pedestrians one by one and ran quickly toward the west gate.
He didn't lose his mind and foolishly ran toward the east gate, which was the furthest away from the store. Instead, he instinctively chose the shortest path, which was the west gate, due to his high level of excitement.
As a captain who was good at guarding, judging the situation was a basic skill. Physical strength, horsepower, distance, speed, obstacles, enemy reaction, and so on. Even if the enemy launched a surprise attack, he had to quickly respond. Of course, most of the time, he was on the defensive. This was because when it came time to return to the flag, he had to lead two groups of people and stand under the "mountain" flag.
Being as immovable as a mountain wasn't a tortoise. It was stability and scheming.
At this moment, he had already calculated the distance and his physical strength. He controlled his speed to the optimum level and ran toward the west gate.
The passersby who were overtaken by him all raised their eyebrows and praised his good leg strength.
After running for nearly half an hour, Zhang Ju stood at the west gate of Chang'an, which was also the Gate of Golden Light. He even crossed a bridge along the way.
After adjusting his breathing, Zhang Ju walked toward the outside of the city. As he looked around, he could already see the dust flying in the air.
He continued to walk forward. After another quarter of an hour, he was even closer to the construction site. From time to time, carriages carrying thick planks and sand would pass by him.
Zhang Ju didn't care about the dust at all. He closed his mouth and breathed through his nose. With his eyelids closed, he could even endure the wind blowing through the grassland, let alone the dust from the construction site.
As he strolled around, Zhang Ju felt a sense of familiarity toward everyone he saw. Even the boil-ridden wooden planks appeared so unique and full of artistic aura.
He recalled what Zhang Xiaobao said last night. He said that it wasn't worth it to think of a solution for him alone. It would be even easier to gift him a courtyard. Today, he finally understood the meaning of those words. Zhang Xiaobao would either not do anything, or if he did, it would definitely be a big deal. No matter how amiable he was, no matter how good his singing was, his status as a person above everyone else was unshakable.
Along the way, Zhang Ju wasn't stopped by anyone. It wasn't because of his status as an official, but rather because he wasn't wearing an official's uniform. In the capital, other than Xiaobei and the others who would swagger through the streets wearing official's uniforms, it was very rare to see someone wearing an official's uniform.
A Rank 6 official was a County Magistrate in Shangxian. What was he in the capital? He couldn't even enter the morning court, let alone a minor official like Zhang Ju.
The others didn't stop him because he couldn't take much away, and they didn't dare to cause trouble.
The Imperial Army and the soldiers from Fan Di were in charge of the construction here, so how could ordinary people dare to find trouble with them?
Zhang Ju had assessed the situation himself, and the Imperial Guard had seen it as well. He believed that the other party dared to fight to the death, but in terms of fighting prowess, he could tell from the other party's eyes that he was far from being a match for the other party.
The most threatening ones were the people who came from the countryside. Their pupils were always shrinking to the smallest degree, and the flesh on their cheekbones moved slightly. With one look, he knew that they were all people who had killed before, just like him.
'This is the present that Zhang Xiaobao gave to Wang Juan during their engagement. It is indeed extraordinary,' Zhang Ju thought to himself. He had seen the scene of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's engagement, and the shock it gave him was indescribable.
Who would dare to steal in such a place?
Zhang Ju continued walking and arrived at the construction site where the workers were hired from. Individually, their skills were pretty good, but when they were organized, they couldn't compare to the military.
After walking around for half an hour, Zhang Ju arrived at a new construction site. He was shocked by the efficiency of the other party. It was fast, steady, and accurate. Building a house was like a child playing with building blocks. It was very easy, and it even gave people a feeling that it was as smooth as flowing water. The rhythm of the construction made people feel comfortable and beautiful.
When he saw the flag erected at the construction site, Zhang Ju was no longer surprised. This was because the word 'Zheng' was written on the flag. This word represented the Zhengzheng Construction Group, a group set up by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. This was what they usually played with.
This was a group that didn't purposely pursue profits. Instead, it created a brand for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's other businesses. Zhang Ju understood, and he also understood that many people understood as well. Zhang Xiaobao had said that a business group that only pursued profits in the livelihood of the people had to be suppressed.
This was because there were too many smart people, and they would always be able to think of good ways to reduce costs. Those that were achieved through technology could be supported, but those that were done through materials were unforgivable.
Zhang Ju stopped walking and stood at the side of the construction site, admiring it. He decided that when his wife and children came over, he would settle down here.
He found an excuse for himself. 'It's not that I don't believe in the houses built by the Imperial Army and others, but I'm more willing to believe in Zhengzheng Construction's reputation and capability. What if there's a missing wedge somewhere else?'
Zhang Ju looked and waited. He knew that when his family arrived, the houses here would definitely be completed, and the facilities inside wouldn't be bad.
Zhang Ju looked and looked and wanted to enter the construction site, intending to see how Zhengzheng Construction was doing with his own eyes. However, he was stopped by the people guarding the entrance of the construction site, telling him that it was dangerous inside.
Not daring to challenge the authority of Zhengzheng Construction, Zhang Ju could only move to the side and look through the fence. He saw the people inside working busily and calmly. He imagined the situation after his family arrived, and he felt the sun getting warmer and the sky getting bluer.
Zhang Ju wasn't the only one who came to join in the fun. There were old people who came out for a stroll, women who had just finished their chores at home, and toddlers who were carried to the side of the construction site. The servants who came out to buy things from the large mansions also wanted to take a look so that they could inform their masters when they returned.
"Those who are carrying the child, hurry up and leave. A few people come here and ask those who are carrying the child to leave. With the sky full of dust, whose responsibility will it be if they fall ill from choking? I'm talking about you. Why are you stuffing things into your child's hands? What if you put the wooden wedge in his mouth and swallow it? "
Zhang Ju was dreaming of his own dreams when a voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned around and saw a person ordering people to chase away those who were carrying the child.
This person's bearing was much better than ordinary people. Most likely, he was in charge of more people.
The person carrying the child felt as if he had committed a crime. He didn't dare to say a word and protected the child as he walked out.
"Wait." Zhang Ju saw that person speak again.
"I told you to wait. I have candy on me. Everyone, take a piece and put it in your mouth. It's fate that we met. You have to watch the child carefully. Doesn't the Deyi Hospital in the capital give out free booklets? Why don't you go get one and read it properly when you go back?"
Zhang Ju saw that the person who spoke stopped three people carrying the child and took out the candy from his pocket. It was obvious from the beautiful packaging that it came from Precious Candy House.
"In reply to this big brother, I'm illiterate." A woman carrying a child took the candy and said to the man. She peeled off the candy wrapper and took a look. She bit off a corner of the candy and stuffed it into the child's mouth. The child who tasted the sweetness closed his mouth tightly and raised his eyebrows with a smile on his face.
"If you're illiterate, ask someone. There are many examinees in the capital. Ask the examinees who have words on their chests and white clouds on their chests. If anyone dares to not answer, drag them to the Savant's Pavilion and tell them that they will be disqualified from the imperial examinations. Even if they pass, they will be removed."
Zhang Ju was shocked this time. From the words of this person, it seemed that he could decide the future of the examinees of Jianjia Academy. Who was this person?
After the woman happily expressed her thanks and told her child that she had met a noble person and that she would be rich in the future, she left. Before Zhang Ju could approach the man himself, the man turned his head and smiled at Zhang Ju.
"Lord Zhang, you're really here. It took me a long time to find you."
"Ah? You're looking for me? "Zhang Ju was surprised.
"Yes. Why else would I go to the construction site? It's not my turn to be a supervisor. Lord Zhang, are you here to look at houses? "that person asked politely.
"You are …?" Zhang Ju was puzzled. It seemed that this person had come for him.
"You can just call me Xu Si. Lord Zhang, can you come with me?" The person who called himself Xu Si was still as polite as before.
Zhang Ju swallowed a mouthful of saliva and waved his hand repeatedly. "Don't, don't call me 'lord', and don't say 'you'. Xu … Brother Xu, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Without the other party's introduction, Zhang Ju already knew who this person was. This was an 'old man' who had followed the Zhang Family and Wang Family out of Sanshui County. He had great power in his hands. It was no wonder that he could casually take candy from the precious candy house. It was also no wonder that he felt that Jianjia Academy was alienating the examinees.
The name was ordinary, but the person was definitely not simple. How could someone who could be sent out by the Zhang Family and Wang Family be ordinary?
"Then, I'll call you Brother Ju. Let's find a place to talk."
Xu Si's voice was still as deep and gentle. When one's status reached a certain level, there was no need to deliberately pretend. Besides, he had always thought of himself as a servant who had been recognized by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Compared to his master, he couldn't show his ability.
Zhang Ju didn't expect that after meeting Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan yesterday, Xu Si would personally come looking for him today. He was really flattered.
He didn't ask how the other party found him. That was a question that only a fool would ask.
After nodding, Zhang Ju was led by Xu Si to a room not far from the construction site. Just as he sat down, someone brought in two bowls of hot vegetarian soup.
Xu Si blew on the soup and drank a spoonful before saying to Zhang Ju, "I won't treat you to tea. It's cold outside, so drink the hot soup. Actually, I haven't eaten yet, so I'll drink a bowl of soup to fill my stomach. After talking to you, I still have to drink with others."
How could Zhang Ju be picky about this? Besides, the soup was pretty good. There were actually fried potato strips in it. He had eaten potatoes once before, and it was very similar to taro. It was said that he ate more french than taro. This bowl of soup was much more expensive than the fried noodles he had just eaten.
After drinking a mouthful of soup, Zhang Ju felt a warm current flowing into his stomach. It was indeed very comfortable. He asked, "Brother Xu, why are you looking for me …?"
"Xiao Bao's eldest son asked me to come and choose a set of furniture for you. He said that you have to be comfortable when your family comes. He also said that there will be a new set of amusement facilities in a few days. It's at the Unsinking Lake, the soaking pool, the clothing, the jewelry store, and so on. In short, it's to let the children have fun."
Xu Si didn't stand on ceremony with Zhang Ju. He chewed on a piece of meat and explained.
Zhang Ju was very touched. Zhang Xiaobao was so busy all day, but he still remembered him and specially sent a trusted aide to arrange things for his family after they arrived.
He was clearly fighting for his face and letting his wife see his ability. He was also letting his child know his father's ability. He really couldn't repay this favor.
"Brother Xu, you specially came to the capital for my matter?"
"How is that possible? I've been in the capital since last month. I was busy with the matter of merchants from other countries coming to the capital for a social gathering. Just now, I was caught by Xiao Bao's eldest son. He asked me to work for the Ministry of Works and raise funds for the Ministry of Works. "
Xu Si wasn't afraid that the other party would be dissatisfied and spoke the truth.
Zhang Ju was surprised. "Isn't the Ministry of Revenue paying for the Ministry of Works?"
"Recently, the Minister of Revenue has been blocking the Ministry of Works' money. The eldest son said that there's no need for the Ministry of Revenue. Isn't it just money? Do you really think that you can take it?" Xu Si's mouth twitched.
"The Minister of Revenue, Wang Bei? Is he delaying the Ministry of Works' official business? "Zhang Ju stopped what he was doing and asked.
"Don't worry about it. It's official business. There's no need for you to assassinate him. The eldest son has plenty of ways to kill him. However, the eldest son said that there needs to be voices of opposition. It's not good for ruling a country by one person."
Xu Si's ability to read people's expressions wasn't bad. When he saw Zhang Ju's casual manner, he guessed what the other party wanted to do and hurriedly dissuaded him.
Sure enough, Zhang Ju sighed and drank a mouthful of soup. "It's still Military Governor Zhang who is benevolent and righteous."
"This … That's not it. Xiaobei made the first move, and the eldest son tacitly allowed it. After being bullied, one can't not fight back, but it's not to the extent of taking one's life."
"For people like this, not taking one's life is benevolent and righteous."
"Alright, if you say benevolent and righteous, then so be it. After all, we're good people. I'll give you a list later. You can think about the time and fill in the blanks if there's anything missing."
Xu Si didn't argue with Zhang Ju. Benevolent and righteous or vicious, that was up to the benevolent and the wise.
Just now, Zhang Ju had really planned to vent his anger for Zhang Xiaobao even if he had to give up his life after seeing his family. Even if he didn't assassinate them, there would be quite a lot of security over there. However, he could at least burn down a few houses, right?
Seeing that the other party didn't want him and wanted him to look at the list, he felt that it was embarrassing that he couldn't help much. He hurriedly said, "Big Brother Xu's arrangements definitely won't be wrong. Let's do as Big Brother Xu says. I won't look at it. Big Brother Xu still has big things to do later."
"Even if it's a small matter, you can't leave the big matters to me. I'm just here to help you out, so there's no harm in telling you.
It's just that Eldest Son Xiao Bao doesn't want Master to go to the Ministry of Revenue to ask for money. He's afraid that Eldest Son Xiao Bao won't be able to hold himself back and will seek revenge. That's why he discussed with Master during the morning court session and came up with a method to find money. I'll do the specific things. "
Since Xu Si had nothing to do, he decided to chat with the other party.
Zhang Ju nodded repeatedly. "Yes, isn't it easy for Jiedushi Zhang to kill someone? Even if it's just a minister, it's said that the previous Prime Minister was removed from office by Jiedushi Zhang. "
"Don't mention it, don't mention it. Speaking of which, the Ministry of Works has made some small gadgets that aren't very technical. If they're sold to the people, even if they don't meet the standards and can't be used in the Ministry of Works' research, they can still be used elsewhere after some slight modifications.
I'll be in charge of looking for merchants and selling them at the cost of materials, labor, technical, and other costs. It's not expensive. For example, you know about methane cooking, right? When the Ministry of Works was researching a type of gasoline engine, they made a lot of nozzles that didn't meet the standards. Even now, they still don't meet the standards.
However, the nozzles can't be used. Methane and other things are fine, but the pressure isn't too big. Therefore, they also used a mixture of ores to create something that isn't very pure.
Eldest Son Xiao Bao and Miss Cuckoo also deliberately asked people to get lead plates for protection. The main reason was that Miss Cuckoo suggested it. She said that if too much of that stuff was used, it would be life-threatening.
"Then, a new type of thing was created. It's a lamp that's lit with methane. I'm going to sell this thing to merchants at a cost. The Ministry of Works will send people to guide the installation and collect the fees.
"Also, I don't know if the things that other people make are useful. The Ministry of Works will also send technicians to check and teach them. They'll get a certain amount of money for their time.
"It's like how it's cold in winter, especially in the north. If you learn how to make an earth heater, smoke will leak out when you start the fire. Moreover, the heat won't be good. There are people in the Ministry of Works who know how to do it. It's just a small problem and they'll solve it for you.
"A portion of the money will be given to the technicians and a portion will be left for the Ministry of Works.
"The rest is up to me. I'll announce to the outside that as long as you make something that you don't understand, we'll help you solve it. If you really make something that we don't understand, we'll hand it over to Eldest Son Xiao Bao and Miss Cuckoo.
"The two of them will evaluate it and give you an evaluation. If you're good, we'll arrange for you to enter the Ministry of Works and let you enjoy very good treatment. If you're not willing to enter the Ministry of Works, we'll work with you. If you don't want to work with us, we'll support you to a certain extent. If you still want to sell your technology to other countries, then …"
"Then he deserves to die. What is the point of us soldiers risking our lives? We're risking our lives to ensure that you have a stable life so that you can research things, but you still want to sell them. Even if you go to other countries, we'll hunt you down to the end, "Zhang Ju finished for Xu Si.
"Yes, that's how it is, but that's impossible. Eldest Son Xiao Bao won't give anyone the chance to sell their technology, not even if you're the one who researched it. When you enjoy the benefits of the Great Tang, you have to be controlled by the authority of the Great Tang.
Eldest Son Xiao Bao said that he's a kind person and is willing to help anyone in the world who needs help, but he won't help them obtain weapons that can easily destroy them. "Peace. The world is filled with love and peace. It's not just the egrets that fly, but also the clouds."
Xu Si said with a solemn expression.
Zhang Ju lowered his head and drank his soup. Even if you beat him to death, he wouldn't believe that Zhang Xiaobao would be so kind to people outside the Great Tang. When Zhang Xiaobao killed people, he didn't even use a knife, just a file, tormenting them bit by bit.
"See, you also understand. Eldest Son Xiao Bao is this kind of good person. Drink your soup. After you're done, look at the list and arrange your family's affairs. You're in charge."
Xu Si also drank his soup. He, who had never blushed during negotiations, finally became embarrassed when he talked about Eldest Son's love for peace. He didn't forget to rub his nose to see if it had grown longer like the main character Pinocchio when Eldest Son told stories to Xiaobei.
While Xu Si and Zhang Ju were discussing the details of their family's trip, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, who were studying maps and generals, welcomed a guest.
Jiang Cen was a person from the Sinongsi Temple.
Jiang Cen came and left very quickly. He was in a hurry, and he carried a gift in his hand. It was covered with a cloth, so it was unknown what it was.
After being led in, he first greeted, "Hello, Lord Zhang. Hello, Lord Wang. Haha, are you busy?"
"I'm not busy. Please take a seat, Lord Jiang." Zhang Xiaobao rolled up the map, and Wang Juan went to make tea.
When the tea was served, Jiang Cen held the gift in front of him and said to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, "Today, I have something good to give to the two of you."
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