Chapter 123

Qin Su pursed her lips, trying not to make her smile too obvious, but her eyes still curved into a smile, revealing her happiness.

She shook her hands behind her back, trying to control herself, and said, "I knew it would be like this, it's not that hard to guess."

Emperor Jingxi was secretly laughing, but his face remained solemn as he said, "It's hard for ordinary people to guess, but it's nothing for us in Zhaoyang."

Sure enough, Qin Su's eyes crinkled into a smile upon receiving the praise.

Emperor Jingxi coughed twice before saying, "There's more to road construction than meets the eye. Sun Mao is just using this method to balance the accounts."

There's something fishy going on with road construction.

The construction of roads was basically funded by the local government, which then found reliable craftsmen to start the work. The materials and labor costs were all procured locally, and the repairs were recorded and archived after completion.

So, there are loopholes to exploit regarding when a road needs repair, who the craftsmen are, what materials were used, and how much it cost.

Moreover, roads are not like other things; they are used every day, and it is difficult to assess their condition after repairs and the extent of wear and tear.

The local government can extract a great deal of profit from this.

So what did Sun Mao do with the money?

Huainan is located by the Yangtze River and suffers from floods every year. During the flood season, the river overflows, requiring the management of river sand and the compensation of the affected people along the river, which is quite expensive. Even with special funding from the imperial court, it is far from enough.

Sun Mao used the pretext of road construction to actually spend all the money on this one thing.

He didn't embezzle a single penny; in fact, he probably lost a lot of money.

Emperor Jingxi explained the whole story to Qin Su in detail, and Qin Su was stunned for a moment, feeling somewhat moved.

She asked, "So, an official lying doesn't necessarily mean he's bad. Even though he lied, he's still a good official, which is why Father isn't angry with him, right?"

Emperor Jingxi pondered for a moment and said, "I am not angry with him, not because what he did was right, but because he apologized to me in private."

He looked into Qin Su's eyes, unsure if his daughter could truly understand, "What I need is not a good official, but a useful person."

This "effectiveness" includes a high degree of control, good political performance, and the ability to manage the territory well, rather than simply being good to the people.

Qin Su found it somewhat complicated, but she did not immediately raise any questions.

She knows that there are many things she can't understand now, not because others are wrong or she is too stupid, but because she is young, has not read many books, and has limited knowledge.

It's okay, as long as she keeps these questions in mind, she will gradually understand them in the future.

Before that, she needs to ask more questions, listen more, and observe more.

"Huainan suffers greatly from floods. Why not relocate the people and let them leave their original place?"

Emperor Jingxi said, "Because this place is suitable for growing double-cropping rice."

This means that grain can be harvested twice a year.

Qin Su murmured, "More food..."

The remnants of King Mu incited the people with the promise of food, and the Huainan region, despite facing floods, continued to struggle for survival, also for the sake of food.

Emperor Jingxi said, "During the Chu-Han Contention, Li Shiqi, a general under Emperor Gaozu of Han, once said, 'The king regards the people as heaven, and the people regard food as heaven.' Agriculture is the foundation of the country, and this has remained unchanged for thousands of years from ancient times to the present."

He explained to Qin Su in detail the current land reclamation situation and grain production in Dayu.

In fact, the cultivated land area of ​​Dayu was not small, but as the saying goes, the ancestors did not accumulate virtue. The previous foolish emperors and ancestors were fond of beautiful women, fine wine and food, and wine is brewed from grain.

When the ruler has a certain preference, those below will follow suit. In the Great Yu Dynasty, the drinking culture flourished, and some people also developed a fondness for beef, leading to a sharp decline in the number of cattle and severely impacting agriculture.

After Emperor Jingxi came to power, he strictly ordered officials to limit alcohol consumption and prohibited the consumption of oxen for plowing throughout the country, which slightly improved the situation.

But it's only a slight increase. After all, agriculture depends on the weather and can't increase by dozens of times all at once. It will take many years for the country to become rich and powerful, and for every household to have surplus grain.

The morning flew by, and Qin Su learned a lot of new things in just a few hours.

She digested some of it, while others still needed some time.

Fortunately, Emperor Jingxi knew that the child was still young and that he could not force him to grow too fast, so he stopped talking in time and stopped after finishing talking about the grain situation.

"Alright, that's enough for today." Emperor Jingxi tossed the memorial back onto the table, picked up Qin Su, and walked out. "Liang Danxin!"

Liang Danxin quickly pushed open the door: "Your Majesty, this servant is here."

Emperor Jingxi said, "Today we will dine in Zhaoning Palace."

"This servant will immediately send someone to give the order." Liang Danxin agreed, then secretly glanced at the emperor and princess's expressions.

He stood at the doorway, unable to hear the conversation inside the room clearly, but even catching a few words was alarming.

The princess may not have known what Emperor Jingxi meant by what he taught her, but he, who had been with the emperor for many years, knew very well.

Needless to say, his heart was in turmoil, but on the surface he became even more respectful and said to Qin Su, "Your Highness, do you think we should send Young Master Ye back to his residence first, or...?"

Qin Su thought for a moment and asked Emperor Jingxi, "Father, may we invite Ye Yan to have dinner together?"

Emperor Jingxi chuckled and joked, "Zhaoning Palace is the princess's territory, how can I say no?"

***

Ye Yan was waiting for Qin Su in a side hall of Zhaoning Palace when he was surprised to find that Emperor Jingxi had also come along. He quickly paid his respects.

This wasn't the first time the two had met, but Emperor Jingxi had always sought out Qin Su before, only glancing briefly at Ye Yan, and the two hadn't spoken.

Now that they are in the same room, Emperor Jingxi, as the elder, will inevitably test Ye Yan's studies.

Although Ye Yan's appearance has adapted to ancient times, his soul is still that of a modern person. He has always been taught that everyone is equal and does not possess the ancient people's nature of fearing the monarch.

He respected Emperor Jingxi, but he was not timid at all; his speech and demeanor were calm and composed.

The young boy had rosy lips and white teeth, a tall and straight figure, and already possessed handsome features. His demeanor was also excellent, so Emperor Jingxi couldn't help but feel a fondness for his talent.

He said, "The young phoenix's voice is clearer than the old phoenix's. I see that you have the demeanor of a great general, and you will surely surpass your father in the future."

Ye Yan humbly replied that he dared not, but Emperor Jingxi wanted to test him on military law, but Qin Su stopped him.

Zhaoning Palace isn't a school, why are you asking so many questions? Father Emperor talks too much.

With palace servants around and his friend Ye Yan also present, Qin Su, not wanting to disobey her father, kept urging him to drink tea.

"Father, you've talked too much today. Please clear your throat."

Emperor Jingxi saw through her thoughts and said with a smile, "Zhaoyang is still the most considerate."

Qin Su poured him more water: "Of course, Father, please have another cup."

Ye Yan, unaware of the underlying reasons, thought Qin Su was genuinely concerned about Emperor Jingxi and secretly envied her.

Sigh, time flies so slowly. Su Su is still so small. When will she grow up?