Chapter 58 Mud and Sand

The fact that Su Qing had repaid part of the debt caused a stir in the prefectural city.

Although it's not all paid off yet.

But at least it gave everyone hope?

Anyway, Master Hua's brows have relaxed.

Although there was a fool in the family, the second daughter and the youngest son were excellent.

Everyone knows that the Hua family has an excellent relationship with the prefect.

Thinking of this, the previous mockery of the Hua family naturally vanished.

Surprisingly, Hua Jingming, the youngest son of the Hua family, retired after achieving his goal and handed over the matters related to the weapons workshop back to his second half-sister.

Hua Jingming himself went into seclusion to study, saying he was preparing for next year's imperial examination.

This made Master Hua even happier.

Their family was wealthy and influential in Guangyue Prefecture, but no one had ever produced a high-ranking official.

Who wouldn't want to go further?

Everyone saw the Hua family's situation, and everyone envied them.

Naturally, even more people came to pay their respects to Prefect Su.

The seventh day of the second month of the fifth year of Yongsheng.

Su Qing met people in the main hall of the government office, first the officials of the government office, and then other wealthy families and gentry from the prefectural city.

Needless to say, the students from the prefectural school were also included.

Magistrates from other counties near the prefectural city also rushed over to pay their respects.

The matters Su Qing inquired about were mostly official business of the government office.

Then there's the population, land, and so on in different regions.

Guangyue Prefecture comprises one city and seventeen counties. Compared to last year, both the population and land area have increased.

This is not hard to guess.

After all, everyone knows how chaotic things are outside.

In contrast, Guangyuefu, a place where war was fought, turned out to be quite suitable for ordinary people to live in, which surprised many people.

It can be said that several surrounding prefectures have moved to Guangyue Prefecture to this day.

Each county has statistics on this.

As long as they do their jobs well, Su Qing will help them settle down.

At this time last year, according to statistics, the entire Guangyue Prefecture had approximately 300,000 hectares of arable land.

This year, the area has risen to 360,000 hectares.

This is due to both the increase in population and the role of local people in cultivating the land.

The area of ​​arable land decreased during times of chaos.

When life is stable, the area of ​​arable land will increase; this is almost an ironclad rule.

Su Qing instructed his subordinates to compile the statistics meticulously.

Make sure that our prefecture can be self-sufficient in grain.

Of course, this self-sufficiency also included 120,000 troops stationed there.

Fortunately, there is no war this year, and the garrison has already started cultivating the land, which can provide some of the food rations.

If the war is over, then the 120,000 troops stationed there should be gradually reduced.

But the imperial court remained silent, and Su Qing had no such idea either.

However, General Yan has already ordered the soldiers to take turns returning to their hometowns to visit their families.

Since General Yan is here, Su Qing doesn't need to pay much attention to military matters; he can just continue to arrange logistics.

However, with the increase in arable land and population, other problems naturally arise.

For example, the price of local seeds and seedlings has increased.

Prices for draft cattle, farm tools, and even building materials have all increased.

Su Qing nodded and said, "I heard that cattle are cheap in Shanyang Prefecture. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites will send letters to inquire whether we can get a discount if we buy in bulk."

"By the way, regarding the farm tools, tell everyone not to worry. Chief Engineer Jiang has already gone to the weapons workshop to find craftsman Dou."

The public could understand the matter of buying cattle.

The government intervened to curb cattle prices.

What about the farm tools?

Wu Husi first said, "The weapons workshop has almost stopped production. They've stopped making weapons and switched to making farm tools?"

That's a good method.

Weapons should be made of iron, leather, and fine wood.

We need farm tools too.

In this way, the weapons workshop, which had almost ceased production, was transformed into an agricultural implement workshop.

It is indeed feasible.

After Dou and Jiang made up their minds, they planned to go to other places to find some farm tool makers.

Unexpectedly, Wang Xuezheng's good friend was none other than Gong Fuzi, who claimed to be a descendant of the Mohist school, who volunteered himself.

He and his disciples were quite knowledgeable about agricultural tools.

Let them give it a try?

While everyone was still dumbfounded, Master Gong and the others had already started.

Many people have noticed this.

Everything that Guangyuefu does now is going extremely smoothly.

As soon as the farmland was mentioned, people came.

They said they didn't have enough oxen and farm tools, but they could buy them from outside or make them themselves.

There's no need to rush when it comes to talent.

Since the Guangyuefu Academy began recruiting talents, countless people have gone there to seek refuge over the past year.

Within the prefectural school, the number of students from other schools of thought even surpassed that of Confucian students.

This is of course related to Su Qing himself.

She never paid much attention to the orthodox imperial examinations, but she took great care of talents from the Mohist, Legalist, and even military schools.

Over time, those who remained naturally met the prefect's expectations.

It is said that what the superiors do, the inferiors will follow.

The same applies to the Guangyuefu.

Su Qing felt wronged after hearing this.

Especially when Hua Jingming asked her, she said directly, "Nowadays, the Confucian students in the prefectural school still make up one-third of the student body. Can this be called exclusion?"

"It used to account for 90%, now it accounts for 30%, it's just a matter of balancing things out, how is that being sidelined?"

"If it's really exclusionary, then there shouldn't be a single one."

Of course, Su Qing wasn't such an extreme person.

No matter what the doctrine is, we can take its essence and discard its dross.

It's not a matter of either/or.

Hua Jingming was relieved.

Heaven knows what he just said—that he was going into seclusion to study and had even invited a renowned scholar—and then he heard all sorts of rumors circulating outside.

So they came to find Su Hehe immediately.

Su Qing was on her way to the weapons workshop and didn't have time to chat with Hua Jingming for long, so she casually said, "I'm going to check on the agricultural tool production. Do you want to come along?"

Hua Jingming had visited the place when weapons were being produced in the past.

Now that we're making farm tools, we can go even further.

However, she thought that Hua Jingming would have to go back to his studies and wouldn't come along, but then she heard him say, "Okay, let's go."

Su Qing glanced at him, feeling a little strange, and inexplicably thought of her mother's words.

Su Qing quickly shook her head, saying, "What does this have to do with anything?"

When Su Qing went to the weapons workshop, she remembered that this piece of land was found for her by Hua Jingming and Ye Shanming.

Back then, this place was very desolate, and I even complained about the bad roads.

A year or two later, the roads were repaired and became smooth and wide, and houses were built on both sides of the roads, mostly for the workers in the workshops.

Some vendors squatted by the roadside, waiting for passersby to buy soup, rice, and fruit.

I had thought that with the war over, things would return to desolation.

Unexpectedly, the weapons workshop transformed into a farm tool production facility, much to the delight of the workers and vendors.

Even more surprising are Craftsman Dou and now Manager Jiang.

I thought I was going to lose my job.

Prefect Su's words gave them a new way to make a living.

Visible to the naked eye.

No matter the time, there will never be a shortage of sales for farm tools.

Manager Jiang and craftsman Dou greeted Prefect Su at the entrance, where they saw Prefect Su and the third young master of the Hua family arrive hand in hand.

Could it be that Hua Jingming is here to collect a debt?

They don't have that.

Even if we want to repay the money, we need to sell the farm tools first!

As the two approached, Hua Jingming said, "You should also teach me the ways of being an official, otherwise when I pass the imperial examination and become an official, won't I be blind?"

Su Qing took it as a joke and said, "Okay, then will you call me Master?"

Master?

Hua Jingming definitely wouldn't call you that: "No way, I'll call you Su Hehe, how can you change how you address me?"

Manager Jiang and craftsman Dou exchanged a glance.

ah?

However, the two quickly put the matter aside and led Prefect Su and the others to a brand-new courtyard.

"After receiving your letter at the end of last year, we began to renovate this innovation center," said Steward Jiang. "It was also personally supervised by Lord Jiang. Please take a look and see if you are satisfied."

Innovation Institute.

You can roughly tell what it does just by its name.

In modern terms, it would probably be called a design institute.

However, back then last year, everyone thought that Lord Su was going to design a new weapon.

Now we know, this was for improving farm tools.

In fact, it doesn't matter whether it's a cold weapon or an ordinary farm tool.

It has now reached a mature stage of development.

If there is any change, it is that agricultural tools must be adapted to local conditions, and plows, hoes, sickles, and other tools must be designed to better suit the local terrain and soil.

Now, the Institute of Reform already has Master Gong and his five disciples.

As a close friend of Wang Xuezheng, Gong Fuzi was indeed talented, but he only passed the county-level imperial examination and never made any further progress in his official career.

The arrival of the Guangyuefu was also a product of the times.

However, the stability of Guangyuefu left Master Gong with mixed feelings of joy and worry.

The good news is that the whole family, including the disciples, had food to eat.

What worries me is that I don't know where to put my ambitions into practice.

To be honest, he didn't really want to design farm tools; he was more interested in weapons manufacturing.

But during the war, Prefect Su absolutely forbade outsiders from entering.

In the words of the prefect, weapons manufacturing requires stability, sturdiness, and durability.

Even if new weapons are designed, not many soldiers know how to use them, and it is difficult for the soldiers to train them.

Changing weapons at the last minute is actually not a good thing.

Craftsman Dou nodded repeatedly.

It was around that time that he completely came to admire this female prefect.

It's so good not to have a boss who thinks one thing and does another.

Designing new weapons is not an option.

Improve the farm tools, and they can be let in.

Moreover, the Innovation Institute and Craftsman Dou's Weapon Institute are far apart, ensuring that neither side is disturbed.

Su Qing looked at the new farm tools that Gong Fuzi had improved, but didn't say anything else. He only asked when they would be available on the market and then asked for more details.

Su Qing was relieved to learn that a batch could be produced by early March.

As long as Guangyuefu can manufacture agricultural tools, those merchants outside won't dare to ask for high prices.

In any case, local residents can buy good quality and inexpensive goods just by waiting.

Who would still buy overpriced goods from outside?

Before leaving, Su Qing asked one last question.

That was also the purpose of her visit.

"I always feel that the current iron smelting technology is too inefficient. I wish there was a way to improve production efficiency."

Iron smelting technology?

This technology can be used to make both weapons and agricultural tools.

If this technology can be improved.

They can handle anything they make with ease.

Su Qing raised this question but did not give an answer directly. Instead, she asked everyone to study it first.

It's not that she's hiding anything.

More than anything, it was an opportunity to assess the resolve of these two individuals.

Craftsman Dou is alright; his ability to keep secrets is beyond question.

The idea of ​​Master Gong needs to be reconsidered.

What Su Qing wanted to investigate was whether the two of them were truly concerned about improving steelmaking efficiency.

If they take it seriously, an opportunity to go down in history will be right in front of them.

If they don't take it seriously, they'll definitely need to replace them with someone else.

That's right. As long as the two of them studied diligently, Su Qing would bring out the steam engine principles she had learned in junior and senior high school.

For professionals, as long as they understand the principles and are given sufficient funding, they can definitely research and develop the method.

By using steam engines to smelt steel, we can supply not only the agricultural tools and weapons of the entire Guangyue Prefecture, but also the entire country.

Su Qing didn't show it, but secretly observed everyone's expressions.

Manager Jiang was unaware of the dramatic changes that were about to occur at the weapons workshop.

However, he is very happy to be making farm tools now.

Who cares if there's a war outside?

Farm tools will always find a market.

Weapons don't make money.

Farm tools are fine.

Maybe that will be enough to pay off their workshop's debts!

Come to think of it, he held so many managerial positions.

For the first time, the workshops under my management only sold out and didn't receive any new business.

They don't get paid for raw materials, and their monthly salaries are pure expenses.

Every time he went to the account office to ask for money, he got a headache.

For Manager Jiang, all he could think about right now was how to turn the company's losses into profits.

Su Qing watched as Master Gong and Craftsman Dou fell into deep thought.

Manager Jiang's face lit up with excitement.

Okay, at least we all have the same goal?

Su Qing said to Steward Jiang, "If you have any questions, you can come to the yamen to find me at any time."

Hua Jingming watched from the side, his gaze mostly fixed on Su Qing.

Su Qing left with Hua Jingming.

In the weapons workshop, Manager Jiang spoke first: "Um, how can we improve the efficiency of iron smelting? Are there any good methods?"

"Craftsman Dou, you're an old hand at this, do you have a solution?"

“Master Gong, although we have only known each other for a short time, I know that you are a descendant of the Mohist school. Is there any way you can help me?”

Urged on by Manager Jiang, craftsman Dou, Gong Fuzi, grew a little impatient.

Do I need to urge you?

Don't we want to improve efficiency?

There's no other way.

Upon hearing this, Manager Jiang was relieved.

Then they started urging the two to come up with a solution.

Fortunately, the production of conventional farm implements is going smoothly, and profits will soon be available.

Unfortunately, the prefect wouldn't allow them to sell it at too high a price, saying that it was for the people to use for farming, and that not only would they not subsidize it, but they would also sell it at a high price, which would be against their conscience.

Manager Jiang, who came from a farming family, didn't say anything.

After serving as a manager for over ten years, he had completely forgotten the hardships he endured as a farmer.

If the local official had been Lord Su when he was a child.

His family wouldn't sell their land, much less send him to be an apprentice and be beaten and scolded every day, would they?

Manager Jiang sighed and obediently lowered the price of the farm tools.

Let's wait and see about making money.

Meanwhile, the people of the prefectural city and other counties were still worried about farm tools and oxen.

As soon as Prefect Su returns, we will immediately inform everyone.

No need to worry.

There's no need to buy expensive farm tools from other places.

They make it themselves in the prefectural city, and the price isn't high. It will be available in early March.

Upon hearing this, the vendors who were selling farm tools at high prices were dumbfounded.

Nowadays, everything is in chaos, except for Guangyuefu, where farmland is being cultivated and many people are buying farm tools.

So everyone tacitly agreed to raise prices.

I originally thought I could make some money while things were chaotic.

Who knew it would be like this?

Those who bought the farm tools at high prices were naturally dissatisfied and went directly to the government office to file a complaint.

What breaks the hearts of traffickers is...

Local government offices received orders from above.

Farmers are allowed to get a refund if the price of agricultural tools is too high.

Forget about continuing to earn money; you'll have to give back everything you've earned before.

Want to make quick money off the people of Guangyuefu?

Prefect Su absolutely will not allow it.

When local county governments received the order, they naturally complied, without listening to any complaints about the long distance or high travel expenses.

Shouldn't those who deliberately cheat people before spring planting be severely punished?

The choices left to the traffickers.

They either left with their belongings or sold their farm tools at the normal price.

Most people had no choice but to choose the latter.

After all, selling things at the normal price only means earning less profit.

If we don't sell, we'll lose everything.

When this news spread to Guangyue Prefecture, it surprised people all over the region.

More ordinary people flocked to various parts of Guangyue Prefecture.

The people aren't stupid.

Can't they tell who's good to them?

Since life here is unbearable, why not try our luck elsewhere?

At least in Guangyuefu, we won't be bullied by these peddlers who buy low and sell high.

Not to mention ordinary people, even some people's servants ran away with their money.

Why run?

It must be that the host family isn't good enough.

Anyone who wants to be a servant is a fool.

No matter how things change outside, the Guangyuefu remains unchanged.

As for what happened in Jiangnan, it had nothing to do with them.

Besides, things over there are still being done in secret.

Without wealth and connections, one wouldn't even have heard of it, let alone come into contact with it.

Jiangnan region, including Nanjing, Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Huizhou.

Families with names and surnames all closed their doors to discuss the treasures that had suddenly appeared on the market.

Whether it's jade, porcelain, or calligraphy and paintings.

They are all one in ten thousand.

Even with their keen eyesight, they couldn't take their eyes off it.

Regarding the origin of these things.

There were some guesses among the people.

Most of them were smuggled out of the capital by the rebels.

The craftsmanship, the shape, the quality.

How could ordinary people possess such a thing?

In the past, some timid people might not have dared to buy it.

But things are different now.

Ever since the Emperor visited Jinling, they had had some contact with him.

The so-called noble imperial power was not as mysterious and lofty as it seemed.

If those good-for-nothing idiots in the royal family can have such good stuff, why can't they?

Everything leaked out.

Who would send it back?

Especially those who love calligraphy and paintings.

Many paintings and calligraphy works are kept by princes, nobles, and even in the imperial palace storerooms.

It's such a shame that it hasn't seen the light of day for so long.

It's better to keep it at home.

They are the ones who know how to appreciate it.

If it's just for appreciation, that's fine.

One of the calligraphic works was even written by their ancestor.

A famous calligrapher from Jiangnan wrote a piece of calligraphy that even he himself admired.

I heard that after writing that piece of calligraphy, the calligrapher coughed up blood and was completely exhausted.

Fortunately, the calligraphy is good enough that everyone who sees it will praise it.

The calligrapher hired skilled craftsmen to mount the piece, intending it to be a family heirloom for future generations.

Unexpectedly, the skilled craftsman's guest saw it.

The guest was of high status; he was the head steward of a prince or minister in the capital.

They were also there to have their calligraphy and paintings framed, and upon seeing this calligrapher's work, they immediately became interested.

It is well known that good calligraphy is hard to come by. Even the calligrapher himself felt that he could no longer write such good calligraphy, so he politely declined the offer.

The other party naturally wouldn't give up easily and persisted for a long time.

The calligrapher was initially quite pleased.

I imagine someone is offering a fortune for my calligraphy.

However, his son, who was an official in another province, was then harassed, and his brothers and friends were also implicated.

Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that a certain prince had been behind it.

That prince even slandered the late emperor.

He said he originally intended to present that calligraphy to the emperor, but the man was shameless.

This caused resentment, which implicated the entire family.

The calligrapher had no choice but to submit the calligraphy.

But by then, he had already offended the late emperor.

Therefore, even when the gifts were sent out, they were not received with a pleasant expression.

I heard that the calligraphy was also put into the warehouse, but the emperor and that prince didn't care at all.

To think that the words I wrote with my own blood were treated this way.

The calligrapher died with resentment in his heart.

His family had to make do with a hasty funeral.

The ancients treated the dead as if they were alive.

The funeral was so hasty; I dream of my elders' reproaches.

But more than anything, it's an obsession with that calligraphy.

And in the calligraphy and paintings that have been passed down to this day.

There is this calligraphy.

No matter what this person says, we have to buy it back.

Money is nothing as long as it can comfort our deceased elders.

As for how this calligraphy came about.

Everyone tacitly kept quiet, as long as it got back into their hands.

Each of the other objects has its own origin.

How they got into the warehouses of various houses in the capital is something that cannot be said openly.

I'll only talk about one of the pearls, which is as big as a bushel.

How many pearl divers died before the pearls were brought ashore?

After being discovered by local officials, another battle ensued, and it eventually became an ornament for a female member of a high-ranking official's family.

They take every last penny, but use it like dirt.

Now that they've been replaced with gold and silver, though their whereabouts are unknown, people don't really care.

Without much discussion, the various parties proceeded with the transaction.

If you act too late, the item will be gone the next day.

Even wealthy families from Fujian came to buy them.

It was said that the goods would be loaded onto ships and sent to sea, which was also popular with many emperors overseas, as it would bring back countless spices and gold.

People are speculating about who the seller behind it all is.

But the venue setup was a secret, and the people they used were all unfamiliar faces, making it impossible to guess what was going on.

The other party also said so.

If we don't investigate further, there will be more to come.

If you insist on getting to the bottom of things, then it loses its appeal.

So, it seems like there's no problem?

The two boxes of treasures that were transported there on February 12th were completely emptied on February 23rd.

After all, there seemed to be quite a lot of stuff.

But there are even more buyers.

Fortunately, a new batch of goods arrived on February 26th.

The Ye family's manager in Nanjiang County personally escorted the shipment.

Six heavy boxes of goods were handed to him by Zhu Fangjie, the county magistrate.

The Ye family manager was cautious throughout the journey before handing the goods over to Ye Shanming, the eldest young master of the Ye family.

I believe that in less than half a month, all the treasures from the capital will be in the hands of the major families in Jiangnan.

Manager Ye did not linger and put down the six boxes of valuables and various precious medicinal herbs.

He then left with 2.54 million taels of silver.

He did not return directly to Nanjiang County, but instead made a low-key trip to the prefectural city.

On the ninth day of the third month, Su Qing received the silver notes, which were the advance payment for the six boxes of goods, as well as the list of the last transaction.

These six boxes of goods are expected to sell for 3.6 million taels of silver.

Even after deducting 10% for Ye Shanming, there are still 324 left.

However, after the last batch of goods was sold, they still owed the Ye family 700,000 taels of silver.

Therefore, it will be deducted directly from this payment.

That means there are still 2.54 million left.

There's nothing wrong with the accounts.

The problem is that Ye Shanming was too generous with the money.

Even if someone buys those items, directly prepaying over two million taels of silver is completely unlike his style.

Or rather, his sudden outburst about not letting her marry Gu Congsi was incredibly generous.

Su Qing was understandably puzzled.

The Ye family manager said, "The young master said he knew you needed the money urgently, so he made an advance payment."

"However, as the goods increase, the price of the treasures will drop. If you want to sell them for a good price, you will have to take it slow. Please don't rush."

They not only prepay for the goods, but also negotiate in advance in order to get a better price.

The contrast between Guang Lefu's situation and its debts is like night and day.

The key question is, is their young master really that kind-hearted?

Even the Ye family manager couldn't guarantee it.

After seeing the shopkeeper off, Su Qing finally began to consider Ye Shanming's thoughts.

As for marriage, it was never on her mind.

I'm so busy after time-traveling, who has time to think about this kind of thing?

She knew that Ye Shanming's so-called marriage proposal was just talk.

But this kind of generosity just doesn't seem right.

Su Qing didn't think about it for too long.

Now that she has the money in her hands, that's the important thing for her.

We still owe the Ye family 1.7 million.

The silver notes I have are enough to pay off the debt.

However, it cannot all be given away at once, otherwise it would be too conspicuous.

As for the remaining 840,000.

It can cover the troop's food and pay expenses, and also make timely payments to suppliers.

Su Qing summoned Luo, the registrar, and Wu, the head of the household affairs office.

Since they were all on the same side, Su Qing didn't say where the money came from, and the two of them tacitly refrained from asking.

In short, these two people will definitely be able to keep the accounts right, repaying debts and paying bills as owed.

They even allocated extra funds to subsidize the prices of local seeds and seedlings.

If the previous oxen and farm tools were sold at inflated prices by dealers...

There was nothing that could be done about these seeds and seedlings.

With the increase in local arable land, seedlings need to be transported from other places, which incurs costs.

Now things are much better; with government subsidies, the prices of seeds and seedlings will come down.

Su Qing also said, "We encourage our local seedling merchants to prepare more next year, and the prices should not be too high."

Subsidize local projects while simultaneously developing the local economy.

Things will be much better next year.

With money in hand, Su Qing can go about her business with more freedom.

There was also the research and development of iron smelting technology at the weapons workshop, and the restoration of Yisong County.

Maintenance of city walls in various places.

Even the funding from Gaoqing Prefecture.

After much deliberation, Clerk Luo hesitated to speak.

Wu Husi coldly replied, "Sir, this amount of silver is not enough. Please don't even think about it."

Can't I even think about it?

Every single penny has to be spent!

Iron smelting technology.

Yisong County.

City wall.

Gaoqing Prefecture.

Which one doesn't matter!

Su Qing spoke with absolute certainty.

But Wu Husi remained cold-blooded.

"Lord Su, we only have 840,000 left, not 840,000!"

After he finished speaking, Wu Husi paused for a moment.

what to do.

Has she already started to think that 840,000 is not much?

This is all the tax revenue of Guangyue Prefecture for a year.

Ultimately, it was because the Guangyuefu (a type of traditional Chinese music and dance troupe) had a weak foundation.

However, local tax revenue is expected to increase this year.

One reason is that hidden farmland in various places has been uncovered, and the other is that a considerable amount of new farmland has been added.

Income from farm tools is also a source of income.

Su Qing and the other two carefully calculated the accounts.

We can only do our best to subsidize seedlings, iron smelting technology, and Yisong County for now.

The rest will have to wait for the next "unexpected" income and after the autumn tax.

The city wall is not in a hurry to be repaired. It has been damaged in the past two years, mainly in Yisong County and Shangkou County.

However, Gao Qingzhou cannot be rushed.

General Yan was still dealing with the rebel army over there.

After the rebel leader was captured, in addition to the more than 20,000 prisoners, there were more than 30,000 casualties.

Of the remaining 40,000-plus rebels, some returned home to farm and make a living, while another 10,000 to 20,000 became outlaws and plundered various parts of Gaoqing Prefecture.

Although their numbers are not particularly large.

However, since they are all familiar with the local terrain, it will take some time to capture them all.

The three were Luo, the registrar, Wu, the head of the household, and Su Qing.

Finally, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Although they said that the money was not enough.

But this unexpected windfall really gave Guangyuefu a huge breather.

It will also make life easier for local residents.

Yun Xi and Lü Lan, who were following behind Su Qing, knew where the money came from.

Sister Su has never tried to hide anything from them.

They even touched those treasures.

Those things are indeed beautiful and precious.

When they sent it away, the two of them felt a pang of heartache.

But Sister Su said that this thing is just an inanimate object if it's left here.

Inanimate objects are meaningless.

Even the most beautiful things are still objects.

At the time, they didn't understand what it meant.

Seeing things turn into silver doesn't really make a deep impression.

Now we know that those things not only paid off the debts of Guangyuefu.

It can also help stabilize the price of local seedlings.

This allows farmers to buy seeds at low prices.

It can also develop iron smelting technology and soothe the wounded Yisong County.

So, inanimate objects have no meaning; this is what's meaningful.

Beautiful treasures, and lots of silver.

None of it matters.

Only by changing our focus to ensuring everyone has enough to eat and wear, to building cities, to providing seeds, and to developing technology can we truly achieve our goals.

Only then will it have meaning.

Because although these things don't fall into many hands for each individual.

But it can change everyone's lives.

Sure enough, news came out that the Guangyue Prefecture government was subsidizing the price of seedlings.

Let alone local farmers.

The prefects and governors of the surrounding prefectures sent letters one after another.

They all mean the same thing.

Su Qing, the Prefect?

Are you crazy?

If this continues, all the people here will have to go to your place!

Let alone ordinary people.

Their relatives and friends are all going to live in your Guang Le Mansion.

For all everyday consumer goods, you can make them all cheaper and cheaper.

Is this appropriate?!

Also, where did you get the money?

They owe money to the Ye and Hua families.

Are you not going to pay it back?

This would make it easier for Su Qing to answer.

They made a lot of money from trading medicinal herbs.

Furthermore, the rare medicinal herbs in Yaogu Village are extremely valuable.

The agricultural tools produced in the weapons workshops are also profitable now.

What?

Audit?

Who do you think you are, checking the accounts of the Guangyuefu?

The Hua and Ye families remained silent.

The Ye family's debts have been settled.

The Hua family also gave away most of the money, but everyone tacitly kept quiet.

There's no need to elaborate on the idea of ​​making a fortune quietly.

Furthermore, regardless of how Su Qing obtained the money.

She didn't even use it on herself.

Every single thing they did was for the benefit of the Guangyuefu.

But she did such a thing without saying a word, focusing solely on local development and benefiting the people.

The eldest son of the Hua family called her stupid.

Hua Youling remained silent, but Hua Jingming rarely mocked his older brother.

As for Master Hua, he remained silent.

As a native of Guangyuefu, he did less for his hometown than Su Qing, an outsider.

This left him with mixed feelings.

"If she asks you to donate anything in the future, donate more."

Su Qing can not only protect Guang Le Prefecture, but also make life better for the locals.

They can't be negligent either.

However, Hua Jingming's attitude did make Master Hua take a second look.

He was a shrewd man, and immediately questioned Hua Youling.

The local farmers, needless to say.

In this chaotic world, being able to farm in Guangyuefu was truly their good fortune.

There can be no emperor or empress dowager in this world.

But we absolutely cannot do without Su Qing!

Even the most pedantic person wouldn't think there was anything wrong with Prefect Su being appointed as prefect at this moment.

So what if I don't have any official rank? So what if I'm a woman?

No one but her can sit in this position properly.

Meanwhile, General Yan, who was far away in Gaoqing Prefecture suppressing bandits, quietly sent seven boxes of goods, which were still stored in the warehouse in Nanjiang County.

General Yan specifically mentioned that it was seized from another rebel group.

He also told Su Qing that by mid-April, Gaoqing Prefecture would be much more peaceful.

Su Qing's eyes lit up when she saw these words.

It's mid-March now.

In one more month, she will be able to go to Gaoqing Prefecture?

That place is truly a remote and inaccessible region.

No, that's not right. There's something she wants over there.

iron ore.

The reason why Prince Wuyong was able to hold out for so long was because there were iron mines there, which could continuously produce weapons.

Her biggest expenses were on various iron and steel materials.

Leaving aside the leather for now.

The pig iron delivered by the Hua family was iron ore that Hua Youling bought from the neighboring Shanyang Prefecture, which was roughly refined into pig iron and then sent to Guangle Prefecture for further refining.

As their demand from Guangyue Prefecture increased, the price of iron ore in Shanyang Prefecture rose steadily.

The Hua family and the government had both spoken with them, but it hadn't been very effective.

So Su Qing had wanted to switch sellers for a long time.

We were at war, so it was difficult to cut off the supply of goods.

Now I finally have some free time.

For this reason, she did not stop the people of Shanyang Prefecture, or even their servants, from bringing their valuables.

Not only did they not stop them, they even helped them settle down.

The neighboring, unmanaged Gaoqing Prefecture is now a prime location for iron ore mining.

How could she possibly let it go?

While the emperor had not yet sent a prefect, they took advantage of the fact that he had not yet sent a prefect.

She'll definitely claim the spot first.

This was even the reason why she tried so hard to persuade General Yan to stay.

General Yan is not only good at fighting, but also able to hold this position.

If he returns to the capital, the new prefect will arrive immediately.

It would be good if the new governor got along with her.

If things don't go well, maybe we can team up with Shanyang Prefecture and sell her iron ore at a high price.

General Yan has now almost completely wiped out the rebels over there.

Her cheap iron ore would be readily available!

One month.

It's neither long nor short.

Su Qing said to Yun Xi, "Please invite Manager Jiang from the weapons workshop, as well as craftsman Dou and Master Gong, over here."

Half a month has passed. Have they figured out how to improve the iron smelting technology?

The answer is yes.

No.

The three of them had dark circles under their eyes and couldn't think of anything.

Master Gong had many wildly imaginative ideas, but they were all stopped by everyone.

If that method doesn't work, then forget about it.

It's very easy for people to die there.

No, no, let's try a different approach.

Su Qing knew exactly where the three of them had been recently.

Manager Jiang wanted to turn the weapons workshop around and make it profitable.

The two men behind him, Master Gong, were extremely enthusiastic about these crafts and couldn't hide their desire to modify various boilers.

Craftsman Dou was more straightforward; he simply wanted to make better weapons.

Regardless of their motives, they were indeed sharing the same goal.

Improve iron smelting technology.

Of course, Prefect Su was also partly to blame.

Although Prefect Su only said it casually, everyone heard it and kept it in mind.

And I want to achieve that.

Especially recently.

Prefect Su has done so much for the people, yet they can't even follow the orders given by their superiors.

This made the three of them feel ashamed to varying degrees.

But something even more shameful happened.

Knowing their determination, Su Qing had Lü Lan hand over the blueprints for a simple steam engine to the three of them.

"This is just a concept diagram," Su Qing said directly. "I only know the general operating logic and principles."

"How to build it, what materials to use for the parts, its sealing, efficiency, and power are all up to you."

In Su Qing's study, besides Yun Xi and Lü Lan...

That is, Luo, the registrar, and Wu, the household manager.

They were all Su Qing's absolute confidants.

The three stewards, including Manager Jiang, now understood why their master's trusted confidants were all here.

It turned out that I was telling them something very important.

Prefect Su knows how to improve iron smelting technology!

But what was this steam engine used for?

“It can not only increase the boiler temperature, but also control the temperature,” Master Gong immediately said. “These two points are the most important for iron smelting technology.”

He and Craftsman Dou had been troubled by this matter for a long time.

Neither humans nor horses can achieve that level of work efficiency.

But Lord Su's steam engine can do that.

And it is definitely possible.

The craftsman Dou was very familiar with these things.

Some things are easy to understand from the start.

Therefore, the two people's reactions were within Su Qing's expectations.

Su Qing hadn't expected the ecstasy and guilt that the three of them felt.

The three were initially excited.

Finally, we can improve our iron smelting technology!

Whether it's weapons or farm tools, they can make them better!

The long-standing problem has been solved.

I feel even more guilty now.

Are they still children?

How come Prefect Su has to teach us everything we do?

Su Qing was too lazy to explain further, so she just laughed and said, "I was lucky to know these things."

"And I only have this one blueprint; the rest is all up to you."

Wu Husi then replied helplessly, "Lord Su has allocated funds for you."

"If you need research and development funding, you can apply."

They not only provide blueprints.

Give me back the silver?!

This isn't teaching them step by step; it's practically feeding them!

Luo, the registrar, thought to himself.

When they learn that Prefect Su will soon be setting off for Gaoqing Prefecture, they will cry for who knows how long.

After all, the purpose of this trip to Gaoqing Prefecture was to obtain iron ore.

We have the materials, the blueprints, and the start-up capital.

If it still can't be done.

Then we'll hire more people to do it.

Nowadays, Guangyuefu has no shortage of talented people.

But the news we have now is enough to excite the three of them.

The craftsman Dou Gongfuzi was not just a figurehead.

He spent his entire life working in a weapons workshop.

The other one is indeed a descendant of a branch of the Mohist school. Give them some time, and they will not disappoint Su Qing.

Without Su Qing needing to say much, the three of them were eager to produce their results immediately.

I want to repay Lord Su for his kindness and recognition.

If you can have a boss like this in your life, you should be secretly happy!

The local people should be secretly happy to have such a prefect!

emperor?

It's a blessing for the emperor to encounter such an official.

By April 11th, the errands at Guangyuefu were almost finished.

Su Qing still kept Luo, the registrar, and Wu, the head of the household affairs department.

She was heading to Gaoqing Prefecture.

Let's see what's going on over there.

Don't forget.

Besides iron ore, there's nothing else there.

There is another advantage.

The mountains are high and the emperor is far away.