"Military horses?" Li Longji repeated Zhang Xiaobao's words. He lowered his head, ate the steamed bun, drank the soup, and thought hard.
Zhang Xiaobao continued to drink his soup. Wang Juan closed her eyes and rested. She also didn't know what Zhang Xiaobao wanted to do. She felt that this was very normal. If he could guess everything, who would he lie to?
Xiao Bei and the other nine people ran behind a woodworker and watched him carve. Xiao Zhu could also participate in a few words. She took a pencil and drew a cute picture of a rice seedling on a wooden board. She put it there and waited for the woodworker to finish his work and help carve it.
The officials also put down their reservations and asked for steamed buns from the people in charge of the construction site. They cut a hole in the top and put some pickles on it. They made do with it and didn't dare to drink the soup. They were afraid that if they drank too much, they would go to the toilet when the Emperor said something.
The steamed buns were very ordinary. They were made of white flour and didn't use bleach. Even if there was bleach, Zhang Xiaobao wouldn't use it to smoke the steamed buns.
The pickles were thought-provoking. In fact, they weren't really good vegetables. They were cabbage and then made into spicy cabbage. There were fine shredded radish and preserved fruit stuffed into the steamed buns. They were bright red and made the buns crispy and tender.
The officials were not surprised by the cabbage and shredded fruit, but where did the chili come from? Chili was distributed among the family, but they couldn't bear to eat it. How many people were in charge of the construction site? It was too extravagant.
Gao Lishi peeled an orange and stuffed it into the innermost part. It was too sour and definitely couldn't be compared to the word "honey orange." He ate until his face wrinkled, but he couldn't bear to throw it away.
"Aiya!" Li Longji, who had eaten more than half a steamed bun and drank more than half a bowl of soup, slapped his thigh and laughed excitedly.
Zhang Xiaobao was the closest and almost choked on the soup. He turned to look at Li Longji, confusion and surprise written on his face.
"Xiao Bao." Li Longji put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhang Xiaobao. He praised, "Smart, really smart. Normal people can't think of your ideas. Good, good idea. I also pondered and pondered before I figured it out. Cuckoo, do you admit it?"
Wang Juan had already opened her eyes. She nodded, which meant that she admitted it. However, in her heart, she said, "I admit that you are praising yourself now."
Zhang Xiaobao played along and asked, "Your Majesty, have you thought of it too?"
"You thought of it? It's not easy, it's really not easy. Apart from you, no one else would have thought of such a good idea. As expected of the top scorer, extraordinary." Li Longji continued to praise.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty is too kind. Since Your Majesty has thought of it, can you tell me more?" Zhang Xiaobao couldn't take it anymore. The officials looked over with various emotions.
"You go first," Li Longji said happily.
"Oh, okay." Zhang Xiaobao didn't ask Li Longji why he said, "If I say it first, how can you say it's your idea?" Instead, he nodded and said, "Your Majesty, this is what I think. We need military horses mainly because …"
"It's mainly for the Tubo, the Turks, and the tribes in the north of Hebei Province. Xiao Bao, am I right? "Li Longji interrupted Zhang Xiaobao's words and asked excitedly.
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty is really amazing." Zhang Xiaobao made a fist and palm salute to express his admiration.
Li Longji made a fist and palm salute back, "Please continue."
"Your Majesty just said the main use. I mean, now there are a few places that don't seem to need too many military horses, so …"
"So there are a lot of military horses idle. Am I right? Am I right? Hahaha ~! You can talk about it later. "Li Longji clapped his hands and laughed.
Zhang Xiaobao: "…"
When he was depressed, he finally felt the same emotion in the eyes of the officials. That was sympathy, deep sympathy.
Zhang Xiaobao knew that those officials must be gloating in their hearts. It's not easy for him to suffer alone, but he can bring joy to many people. Isn't this a kind of contribution?
"Say it, Xiao Bao, say it quickly." Li Longji urged.
What else could Zhang Xiaobao do? He could only continue his contribution to the cause to the end, "Your Majesty, since they are idle, I think that military horses can not only be used for war, they can also …"
This time, Zhang Xiaobao stopped himself and looked at Li Longji.
Sure enough, Li Longji continued, "They can also be used to play polo, right? Public welfare is to let everyone participate and watch for free. Isn't it a feeling that great minds think alike? "
Zhang Xiaobao was stunned. He really didn't think of using military horses to play polo, but this was a good idea. So, he shook his head first and then nodded.
"Your Majesty, I didn't think that you are better than me. You are the hero. Your Majesty, can you tell me in detail?"
"You didn't think of it? You actually didn't think of it? Hahaha! "Li Longji was surprised for a moment, then laughed happily again.
Even the sound of breathing of the officials became softer. The scene seemed very strange.
Li Longji didn't wipe his eyes for a moment and continued, "Xiao Bao, how is it? Do you admit defeat? You said military horses yourself, but you didn't think of it. Then you … then you … "
Li Longji stopped laughing, "Then you didn't think of it. You were the one who said military horses first … Let me think about it … According to this, can you say that I didn't guess it correctly?"
Zhang Xiaobao, "…"
He really couldn't answer directly. He felt that Li Longji was very happy today. It wasn't easy. Being an Emperor didn't always make him happy.
Wang Juan saw that it was time for her to come out and smooth things over, "Your Majesty guessed Xiao Bao's plan before, but later, Your Majesty came up with a better idea. Even Xiao Bao didn't think of this. Your Majesty is wise."
"Your Majesty is wise." The officials said in unison. They didn't need to practice this sentence deliberately. It had become instinctive.
At this moment, Xiao Hai pulled Da Nan and Xiao Nan over. Da Nan and Xiao Nan were more interested in the economy. They always asked Zhang Xiaobao questions. Since it was a public welfare project, it must be related to the economy.
"Your Majesty, please go first. My idea requires too much military horses. Let's talk about your project first." Zhang Xiaobao modestly declined.
Li Longji was slightly discouraged. He had been guessing for more than ten years. Why couldn't he guess correctly? But then he became happy again. After all, he had thought of a good idea. He looked around and looked at the officials.
The officials were all listening attentively. Every time they encountered a situation like this, it was a test. Who knew if the Emperor would suddenly stop and ask you questions. If you couldn't answer, it would be troublesome.
"Okay, I will speak first. Xiao Bao, you and Cuckoo can pause. If I missed anything, I will add it." Li Longji said modestly.
Some officials were smart and took out a notebook and pencil to take notes.
"I, uh! Recently, I have been thinking about how to further improve the people's livelihood. Just now, Xiao Bao said military horses. It suddenly enlightened me. Military horses can be used to fight, so naturally, they can also be used to play polo. It is a waste to leave them idle.
I plan to transfer soldiers who are usually trained in various prefectures to play polo. The people who live nearby or have leisure time can watch for free. From food, clothing, housing, and transportation, think about the happy things. Xiao Bao, what is it called again? "
Li Longji's tone became a little more formal as he asked Zhang Xiaobao.
"It is the construction of material civilization and spiritual civilization." Zhang Xiaobao replied.
"Yes, the people need spiritual civilization. Can the people also participate in polo? Xiao Bao, you say. "Li Longji probably couldn't think of the rest of the words, so he asked Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao thought to himself, Are you treating me like a secretary? Fine, I'll be a secretary today. He then said, "Your Majesty's meaning is clear. Your Majesty wants the commoners who can ride horses to learn. Those who can't ride horses can play with the buju. It's a ball that you kick with your feet. Adults and children can play with it.
Your Majesty does not plan to collect tickets, but to build a platform that is convenient for people to watch from a high place. Those who go on the platform to watch from a good position will be charged a certain amount. In addition, there will be merchants who buy and sell food, drink, and entertainment in the stadium, so they will be taxed.
With this money, one, we can build the stadium. Two, we can provide rewards to those who participate. If there is any surplus, it will be deposited in a bank to be used for the expenses and management of this matter in the future.
Your Majesty, I am slow-witted and can only think of part of it. "
"Hmm?" Li Longji didn't say anything.
The officials who were listening were really convinced. They were full of admiration for Zhang Xiaobao. It wasn't easy. The Emperor said an incomplete idea, and he was able to immediately fill in the gaps.
Li Longji came back to his senses and praised, "With Xiao Bao, the Tang Empire's economy will be fine. Cuckoo, you should also say a few words."
Wang Juan agreed with Li Longji's evaluation in her heart. Suddenly, she saw Li Longji bring the topic to her. She first looked at Xiao Bao and said,
"Your Majesty, in the past, there were places that organized lotteries. They limited the number of people who were willing to gamble. Then, they would draw the lottery and the money they earned would go to the local treasury. Later on …"
"I know. It was stopped later on. The lottery gambling industry that Xiao Bao set up in Tubo was too deceptive. Everyone in the court was afraid of it. If it wasn't for the fact that Xiao Bao didn't benefit from it, I would have thought that Xiao Bao wanted to harm the Tang Empire."
Li Longji thought of what happened in Tubo. It was also from then on that he saw how one could harm a country without using force.
Wang Juan smiled and continued, "The situation in Tubo is different from the Tang Empire. Now, the telegram can quickly send messages to all parts of the Tang Empire. It is time to integrate the gambling industry. There can be a sports gambling industry that will be managed by the capital. The money will be given to the banks and be used for sports.
Sports, as the name suggests, is education that strengthens the body. The money earned will not only be used for competitions. In the future, there will be a lot of sports equipment that can be bought and sent to the schools. That's all. "
"Lord Wang, I have something to say. That is …" An official stood out from the crowd. Before he could finish his sentence, Li Longji glared at him. He was so scared that he continued, "That's it. I support it."
The other officials felt bad for him. They all understood and thought about it clearly. The gambling industry involved a lot of money. Can the Imperial Court send officials to manage it instead of leaving it in the banks?
The Emperor stared at him as if asking, 'Who should I send to manage it? Can you guarantee that no one will be greedy? '
So, that official stepped down. He could not find anyone other than Zhang Xiaobao who could guarantee that no one would be greedy for money. Money was a good thing. Other than Zhang Xiaobao, who was good at making money and did not treat money as money, others might not be able to suppress their greed.
Li Longji nodded happily, "Good. Let's start the Tang Empire's gambling industry. Xiao Bao, tell me your idea. I have created a very profitable gambling industry from a military horse. With your operation, I believe it will be very beneficial to the people. You can't be worse than me."
Zhang Xiaobao once again felt the sympathetic gazes from the crowd.
'Are you still being reasonable? Is this what you said? You only know how to play polo. ' Zhang Xiaobao cursed in his heart.
Even Xiaohai, Dannan, and Xiaonan were worried.
Only Wang Juan was not worried. She was still calm.
Gao Lishi looked at his adopted son with expectation and worry.
Zhang Xiaobao was not in a hurry. He picked up the bowl of soup and intended to drink two mouthfuls, but was stopped by Li Longji.
"Xiao Bao, you are not in good health. You can't drink cold things for the time being. Tell me your idea first."
Zhang Xiaobao put down the bowl resentfully. He followed Li Longji's example, coughed softly and said, "His Majesty just said that military horses can not only be used for fighting, but also for playing polo.
I also think that they can not only be used for fighting, but also for plowing and pulling carriages.
Let's talk about plowing first. When plowing dry land, horses are much faster than oxen. We just need to improve the tools. It's simple. In the past, we used people and oxen to plough because horses were too precious. Now there are too many warhorses, so it's better to use them for plowing.
Let's talk about pulling carriages. In fact, next year, our Tang Empire will have at least 30,000 miles of railway. His Majesty promised to find me one million laborers. I will solve the problem of money. I believe you don't doubt it, right? "
The officials nodded. Horses plowed dry land really fast. There were too many horses left. After Tufan and Turkic surrendered, in addition to the Tang Empire's own horses, there were also many horses from the two places.
If they wanted to continue the war, it was estimated that Zhang Xiaobao, Wang Juan, and the Emperor had the final say.
As for the problem of money, since Zhang Xiaobao said it was okay, there was absolutely no problem.
Seeing that the officials agreed, Zhang Xiaobao said, "Even if the railway is built, the main road is connected by the railway. There is still a big gap in local transportation. Therefore, horses can further replace manpower and speed up the logistics.
The consequence of speeding up the logistics is that when the productivity can't keep up, it will also accelerate the inflation. After all, the taxes from the imperial court will also have to be spent. Uh, I digress. I will solve this problem. Everyone, don't worry. It's simple, very simple. "
Zhang Xiaobao smiled embarrassedly. However, the officials really wanted to hear about this. Among the officials, there were students of Zhang Xiaobao. They had just found a little bit of the feeling when they were in class, but it suddenly disappeared. It was very awkward.
"With these two applications, we can use up a lot of the remaining horse resources. Perhaps it is still not enough to further promote the raising of horses. Before the new farming and transportation methods are popularized, horses can't be replaced. Furthermore, the new technology can't be brought out immediately to the people's livelihood. Yes, it's still very far away."
Zhang Xiaobao stopped talking and waited for others to ask. It wasn't that he couldn't continue, but he had to stimulate the thoughts of the officials.
Sure enough, a student in his class stood up and asked, "Lord Zhang, there is something this student doesn't understand."
"Speak." Zhang Xiaobao looked over.
"Then … this student would like to ask, how can horses be used by people? Buy? How much is the price? During the non-farming period, when the demand for logistics is not big, can the people who buy the horses afford to raise them? "
This person was very nervous. He was afraid that his question would make Zhang Xiaobao difficult. However, he was secretly looking forward to Zhang Xiaobao's solution. After all, in his heart, Zhang Xiaobao was omnipotent in the field of economics.
Li Longji and the other officials looked at Zhang Xiaobao and waited for his answer. It was indeed a question.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded to the person who asked the question, which meant that he was not bad. Then he said, "This question … is a good question. Since it is for public welfare, we naturally can't let the people not be able to raise horses.
Previously, Lord Jiang Cen of the Sinongsi Temple came and gave me and Cuckoo some vermicelli. Yes, vermicelli. Vermicelli is actually not the main point. The important thing is that we discussed the functions of the Sinongsi Temple.
In order to strengthen the function of the Sinongsi Temple, there is an aspect called Qing Chu, which is very good for raising livestock. If the Qing Chu is done well, it can even increase the fattiness of the main feed in the northern winter.
In addition, I intend to take out part of the aquaculture technology at home and give it to the people of the Tang Empire for free. As the production increases, the logistics will be increased. "
At this point, all the officials and Li Longji showed the same expression as Wang Juan did at that time. "You are so kind?"
Even Xiaohai didn't believe it. She looked at Da Nan and Xiao Nan and found that they had reached a consensus.
Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xiaobao wanted to say, "What do you mean? Can't I be a good person for once? "But he knew that he absolutely couldn't ask, because they would not believe him.
"The problem of feed is not a big problem. The Sinongsi Temple will speed up the cultivation of corn. Corn has a high yield and rich nutrition. Before it is fully mature, it is a good material for Qing Chu. The quantity is large and the effect is outstanding."
Zhang Xiaobao followed the previous words.
At this time, Wang Juan interrupted, "Xiao Bao, it's really hard on you. You have to consider so many things together."
"It's what I should do. If an economic official thinks about a problem alone, he will lose a lot. It's time to talk about money. Money. The people who are willing to raise horses only need to take out the money for a horse. They don't need to buy, rent, or pay rent. They just need to be responsible for raising the horses.
For the people who don't know how to raise horses, let the Sinongsi Temple send out technical personnel to print the method of raising horses into a book and distribute it for free. Let the medical centers of the Deyi Hospital in various places help to summarize and treat the diseases. "
Zhang Xiaobao didn't think that it was wrong to think more. It was normal. If you patted your head and came up with an idea, then the officials who weren't in charge of sales and management of pests and diseases would be beheaded.
At this time, the person who asked the previous question asked again, "Lord Zhang, I have a question. From what you said, if the money is not used to buy horses, who will it be given to?"
"It will be given to the bank. The people who really don't have money can borrow it themselves. The bank will be responsible for lending it to them with low interest. The people will then put the money in the bank without interest. The bank will be responsible for providing horses for the people.
When this money is enough, I can operate it. Not only will the bank not lose money, but it will also make money. You can rest assured about this.
If the people raise horses and they die, we will send people to take a look. The people won't have to bear the responsibility for the horses that die of illness or old age. Unless they killed the horses themselves, then the money won't be given.
If they use things as low-interest mortgages, then the things won't be returned. Unless they directly take the money, then the things will be given to them.
If the people raise horses and they die, they can continue to rent horses. If the people are willing to plant crops designated by the imperial court, the bank will also give a portion of the Emperor's money as a reward.
In fact, the policies are all good. The main thing is the local officials. If there is a situation where an official makes a false report, then … "
Zhang Xiaobao stopped and looked at Li Longji.
"Kill." Li Longji's answer was very simple. It was only one word.
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