After reading Yelü Dashi's letter, Lu Wanqing threw it into the fire.

It's already July, but Liaodong is as cool as autumn.

The Liaobei Highway, which connects Shenzhou to Shangjing, was completed a month ago.

With this highway, the travel time from Shenzhou to Shangjing has been reduced by half.

Even population migration has become more convenient.

On the Liaobei Highway, merchant carriages came and went in an endless stream.

Occasionally, you can see two or three fellow villagers chatting as they travel.

Sitting in the carriage, Lu Wanqing felt something was strange; there seemed to be a lot more people going to the capital lately.

Although the scale of urban construction in Shangjing is expanding, it is too cold there, and Liyouzhou is too far away, so people in Liaodong are not very willing to go there.

Lu Wanqing ordered her men to stop the carriage and block the path of the three strong young men.

The three young men looked at each other, wondering why this elegant-looking carriage would stop them.

Lu Wanqing stepped out of the car with an air of nonchalance.

As soon as she came down, her beauty immediately amazed the three vigorous young men.

"May I ask where you three gentlemen are headed?"

Upon hearing Lu Wanqing's accent, which clearly indicated she came from the Xianzhou area, the three young men felt relieved.

They were all country folk, so they dared not call themselves officials. They quickly replied with a simple smile, "You're too kind, young lady. We brothers are on our way to the capital to make a living."

"Xianzhou Prefecture is short of manpower for reclaiming wasteland, and the government is paying a good salary. Why would you want to go to the frigid capital?"

"You may not know this, but the imperial court has built a city in Heihe called Heihe City. I heard they're going to gather 300,000 people there to reclaim wasteland, with each person receiving 5 strings of cash a month! Two of my fellow villagers have already gone!"

Five strings of cash a month!

This is twice as much as the average worker who builds railways and houses!

No wonder they were so excited.

Why did Song Ting go to the Heihe area to reclaim wasteland?

Lu Wanqing was puzzled. That place was the ancestral home of the Jin royal family, a desolate place, otherwise the Jurchen people would not have been so desperate to move south.

Lu Wanqing didn't ask any more questions, as she wouldn't get any answers from these people anyway.

She boarded the carriage and continued her journey to Shangjing Prefecture.

But doubts began to creep into my mind.

Mobilize 300,000 people to reclaim a piece of wasteland?

Lu Wanqing wondered if Li Gang had lost his mind, or if the emperor of Tokyo was just bored out of his mind.

A day later, Lu Wanqing entered the territory of Shangjing Prefecture.

He was greeted by a handsome young man named Zhang Yi, a prominent young talent of the Zhang family in Youzhou.

He once studied at Youzhou University, where he learned about business and also read through His Majesty the Emperor's "Economic Treatise".

He considers himself a leading figure among the younger generation of the Song Dynasty.

He was well-known in Yanyun, Liaodong, and Liaobei. Among the common people, he was often referred to as one of the Four Gentlemen, along with Qian Pinyan of Hangzhou, Xue Donglai of Chang'an, and Tang Xuejian of Jiangling Prefecture.

Legend has it that these four men were not only handsome, but also incredibly wealthy and exceptionally talented.

But this is actually just gossip that people talk about over tea.

Zhang Yi was Zhang Yuanshan's most beloved youngest son, and Zhang Yuanshan was also a big shot in the Yanyun Cloth Business.

After quelling the rebellion in the capital, the Zhang family set their sights on business there.

Zhang Yuanshan gave Zhang Yida 100,000 strings of cash (equivalent to more than 40 million yuan) to let him gain experience first.

Zhang Yi had a particular trait: he was a womanizer. He had slept with at least two or three hundred women in Youzhou Prefecture.

When a man pursues a woman, regardless of his wealth, it takes time, even if it's just for a day.

But it is very easy for a woman to seduce a man; it only takes a moment or a single meeting.

For example, it would be too easy for Lu Wanqing to seduce Zhang Yi.

First, she sent a letter expressing her love for Zhang Yi and her willingness to compose poems under the bright moonlight and flowers.

If it gets a bit chilly at night, it's fine to do some exercise.

After exchanging letters, they began to arrange specific times and places.

When Zhang Yi first saw Lu Wanqing, he was once again certain that he must be a tough guy, otherwise how could he...

“Miss Lu, my name is Zhang Yi. It’s our first meeting, and I don’t know what to say.”

Why do you say that, Young Master Zhang?

"I have studied for more than ten years, and I really don't know what kind of poetry to use to describe your beauty."

A smile as bright as a flower immediately bloomed on Lu Wanqing's face.

“Young Master Zhang is too kind. I have long admired you and it is really presumptuous of me to come and bother you. Please forgive me.”

"No disturbance at all, Miss Lu. The food is ready, please follow me."

Lu Wanqing boarded Zhang Yi's carriage, which eventually stopped at a luxurious mansion in the capital.

Zhang Yi welcomed Lu Wanqing into the house.

The two of them started drinking in the backyard.

After a few rounds of drinks, Lu Wanqing said she felt very hot.

Coincidentally, Zhang Yi also felt very hot.

After taking off their clothes, the two said they were cold and needed to warm each other up.

Before long, he was drenched in sweat.

The two spent a few days inseparable.

Lu Wanqing is aware of many things happening in the capital.

This included the government mobilizing 300,000 people to reclaim wasteland in Heihe City.

It turned out to be an order issued by the State Council. Legend has it that the land in the Heihe Plain area is very fertile, and if it were cultivated, the food supply for the entire Liaobei and Liaonan regions could be solved.

Rumors have it that this was requested by the current emperor.

Li Gang personally organized the event.

I also heard that the imperial court will open three steel mills and a large pharmaceutical trading company in the capital.

Of course, there are also many other reports.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!