Chapter 110 Celebration (Part 1) Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome...

A group of merchants from Pingzhou entered the city of Jinzhou.

Looking at the newly built brick houses along the road, the newly paved blue brick road underfoot, the newly planted trees and flowers, and the red decorations hanging all over the city, the merchants were filled with emotion.

"Truly, a new year brings a new look."

"It's completely different from when I last came here."

"It's still a bit inferior to Anling County. Have you ever been to Anling? Anling has changed dramatically now."

"Why go to Anling? What good things does Anling have?"

"My God, you guys don't know? Anling is where He Qinglan made her fortune!"

As they walked toward the market, they chatted and remarked that the people here looked healthier than those they had seen along the way.

His complexion was rosy, and he had flesh on his arms and legs, unlike the people in other places who were either skin and bones or pale and emaciated.

"And it looks much cleaner too."

The others nodded: Indeed, their faces, hair, and hands all looked like they were regularly washed, even cleaner than the servants in their own household.

"It's to reduce the likelihood of getting sick."

A merchant whose second son had been to an epidemic area explained, "When the doctor from Anling came to our area to treat him, he said that taking hot baths, washing hands, and washing hair regularly can reduce the chances of getting sick."

Other merchants were puzzled.

One traveling merchant noticed something: "What? Is it possible that the firewood in Jinzhou is enough for the people to regularly boil water?"

"Jinzhou has a lot of trees..."

"But it's impossible to use it all for boiling water; they're building houses, bridges, and making furniture..."

Several children wearing red cotton-padded coats ran towards them, brushing past them.

The little boy running in front was holding a full paper bag.

The other children shouted, "Stop right there!"

"Super Dog, you're not even human!"

The little boy laughed triumphantly, "A bunch of turtles, catch me first! The slow ones won't get any food!"

Merchants: "..."

Kids are so lively!

“I’ve wanted to say this for a while,” a merchant said, turning his gaze away from the children, “the clothing of the people of Jinzhou seems quite different.”

Like these outsiders, these Jinzhou locals wore two separate pieces of clothing: a short-sleeved top and long trousers.

Those children were wearing fluffy undershirts of various colors, with fluffy and soft outer garments on top. I don't know how they were made.

A merchant who had previously visited Anling replied, "Their clothing is influenced by their new governor. And you know what, the trousers are quite practical."

He briefly introduced the sweater and cotton-padded coat, "...the sweater is made of wool yarn, and the cotton-padded coat and quilt are made of cotton, which is what I wear underneath."

Other merchants were curious: "Yarn and cotton, these sound like great things, perfect for winter. Why didn't you wholesale them back to Pingzhou before?"

The merchant chuckled. "I'm not stupid. How much can the best cotton sell for? How much can my tea and wine sell for?"

When traveling between Anling and Pingzhou, I would naturally choose tea and alcohol – they're incredibly profitable!

During their conversation, the group arrived at the market.

The streets are filled with red lanterns, red couplets, and red "Fu" characters, creating a festive atmosphere.

The crowds surged, and the shouts of merchants and the haggling of customers filled the air.

"Then let's part ways here," a merchant said with a smile. "We'll go to Zuixianlou for drinks at 7 PM."

"Okay, okay."

"See you at the restaurant later."

They went their separate ways and entered the bustling market to choose the goods they wanted.

afternoon.

The propaganda department and [unclear] went to the city gate to welcome the guests from Ningzhou.

Curious, the people randomly pulled aside a staff member to ask what was going on.

The staff member simply replied, "The Ningzhou herdsmen have come to participate in our New Year celebration!"

The Governor of Ningzhou? "They're not spending the New Year at home, but here with us?"

The staff member thought for a moment, "Maybe they also want to see our soldiers?"

The staff from both departments arrived at the city gate and immediately began making arrangements.

A red carpet was laid on the ground, and staff members stood in two neat rows, holding banners and holding semi-circular flower poles made of paper flowers.

Gu Lanying and Qian Shiwen stood in the middle with their men, waiting for the guests' convoy to arrive.

Qian Shiwen: "Will Cao Ruheng and his wife come together?"

Gu Lanying: "Probably not. If the couple comes to Jinzhou at the same time, we'll detain them and then send troops to attack Jinzhou..."

Qian Shiwen glanced at her and said, "Why do you talk like a villain?"

Gu Lanying laughed and said, "Just because we won't do it doesn't mean they won't be worried."

Qian Shiwen laughed too, and asked in return, "Can't we do it?"

Gu Lanying: "..." She actually fell silent.

The two men took the opportunity to whisper among themselves, "If it's worth it, there's no harm in pulling off a heist."

"That's right, Ningzhou is a good place too."

"Given General Hu's personality, there's a good chance he might try to take advantage of the situation..."

Gu Lanying quickly coughed loudly to signal everyone to be quiet.

Qian Shiwen: "So the couple certainly won't come together. I wonder if it will be Cao Ruheng or Ye Hui who comes?"

Anyway, the people from Ningzhou hadn't arrived yet, so everyone whispered among themselves.

"It must be Cao Ruheng, after all, he is the governor of the state."

"But isn't Cao Ruheng in poor health?"

"Although Ye Hui is in charge of Ningzhou, isn't it... that she's being sent on a diplomatic mission..."

"I think that since Ye Hui is in charge, she may not leave Ningzhou."

"Hey, hey, hey, are you implying that Ningzhou can do without Cao Ruheng, but it can't do without Ye Hui?"

"Isn't that right?"

"That being said, Cao Ruheng is a member of the Cao family and the rightful governor."

"He's just the figurehead; everyone knows that Ye Hui is in charge of all affairs in Ningzhou."

“If Cao Ruheng dies one day, Ye Hui, as the mistress of the house, can use the young emperor to control Ningzhou.”

"...How did you study history? That's called ruling from behind the curtain."

"Ye Hui doesn't even need to lower the curtain, so to the people of Ningzhou, it's as if the master hasn't changed."

"That's right, it's all Ye Hui who makes the decisions."

As everyone's ramblings went further and further off track, Gu Lanying coughed heavily again, signaling for quiet.

They're chattering away; it would be so embarrassing if the people of Ningzhou heard them.

The convoy from Ningzhou arrived two incense sticks later.

The waiting staff were so bored that they secretly made a bet on whether Cao or Ye would arrive, with the stake being the cleanliness of the office.

Their eyes were fixed on what looked like the most expensive carriage, watching a man nearing forty years old get off with the help of a servant.

Oh ho, it's Cao Ruheng here!

The winner of the bet shouted "Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!" while giving his colleagues a smug look that said, "You're in charge of cleaning the office tomorrow."

The delegation from Ningzhou included the governor, strategists, military officers, and a large contingent of Ningzhou soldiers.

Before Cao Ruheng even got out of the carriage, he heard many people shouting "Welcome!" He cleared his throat, straightened his clothes, and got off the carriage with a friendly smile.

Gu Lanying, Qian Shiwen and others warmly greeted them.

Qian Shiwen bowed and said, "Governor Cao, welcome to Jinzhou. You must be tired from your journey!"

Gu Lanying smiled brightly, "Was the journey smooth? We have prepared accommodations for you."

They also prepared a doctor, just in case.

Cao Ruheng smiled and said, "The journey was relatively smooth. The official roads within your Jinzhou area are well-maintained, and the journey was faster than we expected."

After exchanging greetings, Gu Lanying and Qian Shiwen each made a "please" gesture, inviting the guests from Ningzhou to rest at the reception area.

The reception area was located near the administrative hall. It was built by the Ministry of Construction after they sent out the invitation letter to Ningzhou Mu to attend the New Year celebration. They urgently called a meeting to draw up the design drawings and then found someone to build it.

"When our administrative office invites people to visit, we can't just arrange for them to stay in a hotel; we need our own reception area!" the Minister of Construction said.

With special approval from the Ministry of Finance, Yun Youning made the final decision: "Build it! There may be other guests in the future, and all guests from the Administrative Office can stay here!"

The reception area is adorned with flowers and shaded by green trees.

Cao Ruheng stood at the entrance and admired the overall style. After entering, he also praised the design of the courtyard.

He especially loved the viewing pavilion outside his house.

Gu Lanying smiled. Several staff members from the Ministry of Construction, who were skilled in drawing, had thoroughly studied architectural design books from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign. When designing the Goddess Palace, they pursued prosperity and mystery; when designing the administrative hall, they pursued simplicity and grandeur; and when designing the reception area, they pursued green harmony.

"The reception area is a place for people to rest. It shouldn't be too complicated, since it's not for tourists. But it also shouldn't be too simple, as that wouldn't reflect the grandeur of Jinzhou."

The Minister of Construction's few words made the person in charge of the painting want to stab him with their eyes.

But many hands make light work. By pooling everyone's wisdom and revising the version several times, they arrived at a final version that satisfied everyone.

After escorting the guests to the reception area to rest, Gu Lanying and the others returned to the administration office to report and prepare for the next steps.

Gu Lanying smiled, "It really is Cao Ruheng who has arrived."

Qian Shiwen: "You could say that Cao Ruheng valued Jinzhou as a partner and came here personally; or you could say that Ye Hui is the indispensable leader of Ningzhou."

Gu Lanying thought for a moment, "Tell Doctor Mei to ask Dr. Zhu to take on the task. Cao Ruheng can't have anything happen to him here."

Qian Shiwen nodded, "Also, tell the city guards to strengthen defenses and patrols."

The goddess said: It's alright, I'll keep an eye on things for you and make sure he doesn't get stuck on my territory.

No one can stop us from having a New Year celebration in Jinzhou.

The military camp began rehearsing for the parade, going through the entire process from entering to exiting the field.

They also started discussing which programs to keep and the order in which they would appear.

With the deadline fast approaching, everyone is incredibly busy.

Many people came to watch the Jinzhou New Year celebration, some of whom were wealthy people from other places, and others were ordinary people living in the county.

The city was bustling with activity; the market was open from day to night, with vendors taking turns working day and night shifts.

The city guards and the army sent to assist them remained highly vigilant, fearing that someone might cause trouble.

Those responsible for street and market sanitation have also increased the frequency of cleaning.

Everyone was happily waiting for New Year's Eve to arrive.

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Author's Note: 6000/15000