Chapter 83: Pan Jungui wins
If Songjiang City wants to develop, the grasslands in the west must be stable, and the east must be connected to the sea by building a mobile official road.
The couple each took charge of one side. Zhou Qi went to the Northeast Army, and Gu Youan's task was to promote the construction of the official road.
It was estimated that the day was almost up and the autumn harvest in Songjiang City was about to end. After Gu Youan nodded, the news of repairing the official road spread throughout Songjiang City.
The official road had to be built, and every household was required to provide one able-bodied laborer. While laborers were not paid, they were provided with food by the government office during their service. Families that contributed laborers beyond the stipulated time were not only paid but also received a reduction in the rent for government residences.
With two approaches in hand, all policies are aimed at encouraging the people of Songjiang City to participate in the construction of the official road, so as to build a road to the eastern outlet as soon as possible.
Corvée labor has always been a hard job. Tian Jiaxuan, a newcomer who had just been transferred from Prince Qi's Mansion to work in the Ministry of Works, originally thought that this matter would be difficult to handle. Unexpectedly, things went much more smoothly than he expected.
On his day off, he went back to the neighboring mountain village. As soon as he entered the village, he saw that the entrance to the village was crowded with people, making a lot of noise. They were all registered for labor service, and their attitude was unusually positive.
"Lord Oda!"
The three brothers of the Luo family had just registered their names with the village head. When they squeezed out of the crowd, they saw Tian Jiaxuan and hurriedly greeted him.
Other villagers nearby also saw him and hurriedly called him "Master Oda".
Tian Jiaxuan smiled and said, "Please take your time, everyone. I'll be leaving now."
"Master Oda, take care."
"Master Oda, please wait for us brothers to leave together."
Tian Jiaxuan waited for the three Luo brothers to catch up. Tian Jiaxuan said with a smile, "Brother Luo, please stop laughing at me. Just call me Tian Dalang. Calling me Little Tian Lord is too formal."
Luo Dalang laughed heartily, patted him on the shoulder and said, "You are an official now, and we are common people. It is only natural for us to call you Sir."
Tian Jiaxuan was helpless: "Forget about it in the government office, but in the village you can still call me Tian Dalang."
"Alright, let's just shout whatever our Lord Oda says, hahahaha."
In the past few years, the Luo family has owned hundreds of acres of land, built houses, and had children. Their lives are getting better and better, and the three brothers of the Luo family are more cheerful than before.
You can tell if a person is living a good life.
Tian Jiaxuan asked with a smile, "I just passed by the village head's house. Why are you all so eager to sign up for corvée service? Like your family, three people signed up at once?"
"It's not three, it's six."
"Six? Uncle Luo is going too?"
"No, the three of us brothers and our wives are all going."
"Are you all going?"
"The children at home are taken care of by their parents. They can lock the doors at home and there is no need to worry about wild animals coming down the mountain. It won't be a problem even if we brothers are not at home."
Luo Dalang said, "You know our family. We worked hard for several years to build this house, and then we had children one after another. Although we have been able to get by in the past few years, we haven't saved much money."
"In previous years, after the autumn harvest, the three of us brothers would go up the mountain to collect firewood and bring it to Songjiang City to sell, earning some hard-earned money. This year, the government said that if we could send more people to repair the official road, we would not only get food but also wages. It was more cost-effective than chopping firewood, so after discussing it with our family, we all decided to go."
Tian Jiaxuan said, "Each family only needs to provide one able-bodied laborer for labor service. If you can provide six, five of you can earn wages. If you work hard for a month before the heavy snow falls, you can earn quite a bit of money."
"Right." Luo Sanlang said with a happy smile, "After the snow falls and the road construction work stops, we can use the money we earn to buy some delicious food for the children at home, and we can also save a lot."
"It's inconvenient to build roads in the winter. We'll have to wait until next year after the thaw and spring planting to continue building the official roads. Spring and summer are long, so you can earn more."
"Hahaha, it would be better if I could earn more."
The men walked quickly and soon reached the Tian family's house. When they were about to separate, Luo Erlang asked curiously, "I heard that Lord Gu is in charge of the road construction?"
"That's right. Lord Gu is the chief steward, and the princess asked me to do some odd jobs under Lord Gu."
Luo Erlang clapped his hands and laughed, "That's great! The adults in charge all know us. We don't have to worry about being bullied when we go to repair the official road."
Luo Dalang said, "The official road starts from the east of Songjiang City. It's so close to our home. Why should we be afraid of being bullied?"
"That's right, brother."
After the three brothers of the Luo family left, Tian Jiaxuan went home to see his mother first. His wife Qi was also in his mother's room holding their child. When he arrived, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking.
Qi smiled and said, "Just now, the maid came in to bring water and said she saw my husband talking to the Luo family at the intersection from afar?"
Tian Jiaxuan picked up his one-month-old son and smiled as he nodded, "The official road will be repaired in a few days. I saw that Brother Luo and the others were very enthusiastic about signing up, so I asked out of curiosity."
Bai said, "Prince Qi's Mansion is kind. They hire people to do work and pay them. Who wouldn't want to go?"
Tian Jiaxuan coaxed his son while speaking slowly, "According to the original plan, there was no wage. But the princess said that if you want a horse to run, you have to feed it with grass. She also said that after the official road was built, all the caravans and shops would need it, so they were asked to pay money first as wages for the people. Once the caravans were built, the money would be gradually deducted from the wages when they traveled on the official road."
"An An also has a caravan under his name. Has An An paid the money?"
Tian Jiaxuan nodded: "The princess took the lead and paid ten thousand taels of silver."
Qi was surprised: "Did you really pay 10,000 taels?"
"Well, besides the princess, several families including the Meng, Yuan, and Hu families have paid 10,000 taels of silver. Other merchants in Songjiang City have also paid quite a bit."
Tian Jiaxuan laughed and said, "Rich families like the Meng and Yuan families are willing to pay so much money just to show their favor to the palace. The merchants in Songjiang City are willing to pay money purely for the princess's face."
Bai smiled and said, "Before An An married the prince, she was the head of a medicine store. She has accumulated a lot of connections over the years. People trust her and are willing to pay more money. Otherwise, it's just to deal with the government's pressure."
"Mother is right."
The baby in his arms began to hum. Tian Jiaxuan walked around the room with his son, but it was no use. Finally, Qi reached out and held the baby. She patted him gently, and the child became obedient.
Tian Jiaxuan was so angry that he pinched his son's small, tender feet and asked, "Why are you making a fuss in my arms?"
Qi smiled gently and said, "My husband is busy outside, so the child rarely sees you. It will be fine once they get to know you better."
On August 21, when Qi gave birth, Tian Jiaxuan asked for leave from the palace and stayed at home waiting for his son to be born. Later, when Qi was in confinement, Tian Jiaxuan became very busy and could hardly go home for a few days in a month. He only stayed at home for one night for the baby's full-month banquet.
Now that the autumn harvest is over, the official road needs to be repaired. The princess obviously wants to promote him. His immediate superior is still Uncle Gu, so he will definitely be used. He has a lot of work to do, so don't expect him to go home every day.
After the family discussed it, Mrs. Bai simply took her daughter-in-law and grandson back to live in the village. The houses in the village were spacious and the kangs were wide. There was no shortage of firewood in the village, so the children would not be cold.
Tian Jiaxuan said helplessly: "I will try to come back more often in the future."
Bai instructed her son, "Your father said that it's time for you to move up. Don't worry too much about home. I'll take care of your wife and son. You just need to follow your uncle Gu and do your work well outside."
Tian Jiaxuan naturally knew that the future was important. He said, "Mom, I know. I'm just taking time off to come back and see you. I'll be back early tomorrow morning."
Qi and her husband looked at each other, and Qi lowered her head in embarrassment.
Tian Jiaxuan raised his lips slightly and turned to Bai, saying, "Mother, please take Dalang with you. Hui Niang and I have something to talk about."
"You two can go, and I will take care of the child."
Qi put her son into her mother-in-law's arms sheepishly: "Thank you for your hard work, mother."
Qi took the child and said with a smile, "It's been a long time since we last met. You and your wife should talk together."
"Hey, thank you, Mom."
After the couple went out, Tian Jiaxuan was shameless and dragged his wife to their yard.
The next morning, Tian Jiaxuan rode into the city at daybreak. When he arrived at the yamen, several familiar officials were already there.
"Master Oda is here, hurry up and report for duty."
Tian Jiaxuan saw them writing something. After checking in, he walked over and asked, "Master Zhang, what are you writing? Why are you using such a large piece of red paper?"
The elderly Mr. Zhang smiled and said, "Come and see for yourself."
Tian Jiaxuan walked to the table and saw Lord Zhang writing a list of those who had paid money on red paper. The first one on the list was the Gu caravan under the name of the princess.
“Is this going to be posted?”
"If you want to post it, just after you left yesterday evening, Zhou Changshi came to tell you that the princess said that in order to build this official road to the east, we in Songjiang City are united in our efforts. No matter who contributes labor or money, we must treat them equally." The old man's beard trembled rhythmically as he spoke.
Another adult who was on duty came over and asked with a smile, "Those who pay the money put up the red paper, and those who work hard?"
"Well, we have to wait until the official road is completed. Then we can erect a monument for the people on the road and have His Majesty write the inscription himself."
Tsk, there is no need to say more here, everyone knows how much importance the prince and princess attach to this official road.
"Hey, everyone's here."
"Master Gu, Master Tian, Master Duan!"
Gu Wen, Tian Qingde and Duan Ji appeared in the lead, followed by a group of officials, looking very imposing.
Gu Wen was the chief official. He spoke first, "The list was finalized yesterday, and all the officials involved in the construction of the official road have arrived."
Gu Wen smiled and glanced at the two people beside him, saying, "You both know Lord Duan and Lord Tian. This time, one of them is here to check our accounts, and the other is here to supervise and report us. I'm going to say this upfront: if anyone is caught misbehaving, don't come to me and beg for mercy. It's a waste of effort."
The atmosphere in the yamen had been quite harmonious just a moment ago, but now no one dared to speak. Tian Jiaxuan stepped forward and said, "Please rest assured, my three lords. We will work diligently and serve our officials with integrity."
Since Tian Jiaxuan said so, the other officials quickly agreed and accepted the warning.
These officials didn't dare to say it publicly, but they must have been discussing it in private, saying that Princess Qi was nepotism, and those who were in charge of affairs, money, and supervision were all her people. Why did she have to make such a high-sounding excuse?
Tian Jiaxuan glanced casually at everyone present, remembering that he had mentioned this to the princess a few days ago. The princess said indifferently that these details were harmless and let them talk, as they would not affect the overall situation anyway.
The princess made these arrangements so that the progress could be controlled. She even hoped that the inner official road could be completed next year.
"It's difficult, but you have to set a goal first. It's better to have a goal than not to have one."
In Prince Qi's mansion, Gu Youan, whose belly was growing bigger and bigger, walked with his back supported and said to Liu Zhong, "Even if the road can't be repaired next year, we should prepare for other things."
"Next spring, Mr. Hu and Hu Changpu will go to Wumeng Prefecture. You should go with them. I'm not asking you to keep an eye on the Cao family. I want you to go south and buy a few large boats. Then, I want you to select some capable boatmen and take them to Dongshan Port."
The name of the sea outlet east of Songjiang City has been decided, it is called Dongshan Port.
"This matter is too important. I don't trust anyone else with it, so you have to go." Gu Youan said with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't ask you to die at sea. I will give you an accurate sea chart when the time comes."
Liu Zhong lowered his head and said, "Master, please trust me. I will not let you down."
Gu Youan hummed, "I heard from your godfather that your ancestral home is in Jiangnan. Can you still speak your native dialect?"
"I entered the palace at the age of ten, so I naturally still remember my hometown dialect."
"It's good to remember it. Going back to my hometown more often and seeing the sights can help alleviate my homesickness."
It took several days to collect the corvée labor in the three counties, and then the construction was about to begin. On the first day of construction, the government office held a groundbreaking ceremony, and Gu Youan went to the east city gate.
After saying the necessary polite words, Gu Youan stressed how important this official road was to their Songjiang Prefecture, and hoped that everyone would make sure to build the official road well, as it would benefit the present and future generations!
Ordinary people could hardly understand because they were too far away from the front, and the people in front only conveyed the things they cared about, such as which rich family donated how much silver, how they had three meals a day and how much they were paid per day.
The officials and wealthy families standing in the front row, as well as the descendants of convicted officials who had some experience and were squeezing forward, were the ones who understood the importance of this official road the most.
With official roads and a coastline, as long as Prince Qi is willing, Songjiang City will have the conditions to establish an independent country, and it will even be unlikely for the imperial court to encircle Songjiang City.
With this official road, Songjiang City will soon be transformed from a small, barren fiefdom outside the Great Wall into an unshakable force.
After the groundbreaking ceremony began, some people were cutting grass and chopping trees, some were moving stones and clearing the foundation, some were frying the soil, some were ramming the soil for paving the road... They were divided into counties, towns and villages. Almost all of them were people who knew each other and worked together. They were led by the head of their own village and even competed with each other.
Someone reports the progress to Gu Youan every day, and she doesn't mind it. After listening, she writes a letter to tell Zhou Qi and asks him how things are going.
Her belly grew bigger and the baby in her belly was lively, so she felt increasingly uncomfortable. Mrs. Du, who came to the palace to take care of her daughter, felt very sad to see her daughter like this.
Gu Youan coaxed her mother and asked her about her past with a smile: "You gave birth to three of us siblings and raised us up. Was it tiring?"
"Tired, but not tired. Although raising you three took a lot of effort from me, your father always came home early after his shift every day to help. Your father and I supported each other, and even when we felt bored occasionally, we still felt that life was sweet."
Recalling the past, Mrs. Du smiled and said, "Life is all about comparison. Back then, in Huazhi Lane where we lived, besides our family, every household had at least a dozen people. A lucky young wife would only have a mother-in-law above her. If she was unlucky, she would have sisters-in-law, mothers-in-law, and grandmothers to pressure her. Young wives had to endure for decades before they could get ahead. Their lives were so difficult. Compared to them, I'm nothing."
At this point, Mrs. Du couldn't help but murmur a few words to her daughter: "A husband and wife are of one mind. When they encounter difficulties, they can discuss them together and overcome any difficulties. You are lucky to have found someone who shares your thoughts. You should continue to support each other like you do now and live a happy life together."
"Well, if he treats me well, I will naturally not let him suffer any loss."
Mrs. Du laughed and said, "Why are you talking so unpleasantly, kid? How about you say something nice?"
"Mom, neither he nor I are the type to need to be coaxed. Instead of coaxing him, it's better to make it clear from the beginning and know each other's bottom line. That way, we can have a long-lasting relationship."
"The truth is hard to hear."
"Mom, lies are the most hurtful to smart people."
"Hey, I can't convince you. You decide for yourself." Madam Du said angrily, "You too, it's fine if you do this yourself, but Axuan has also followed your lead. Sometimes the things she says don't sound like something a girl would say. When she grows up and wants to find a husband, where are your father and I going to find her a suitable one?"
Gu Youan smiled and said, "Axuan isn't unreasonable. Isn't it a good thing that she has a strong personality and doesn't suffer any losses? With you and Dad here, and me as her sister, are you still worried that she won't be able to get married in Songjiang City?"
"Is it okay for someone to say nothing about her in public but criticize her behind her back?"
"If you don't attract envy, you're a mediocre person. As long as others don't dare to talk about it in front of her, she doesn't care what people say behind her back."
Mrs. Du wanted to ask her eldest daughter to persuade the youngest daughter, but when she saw her standing on the youngest daughter's side, Mrs. Du snorted and said, "It will be difficult for Axuan to find a husband in the future. As the elder sister, you will be held responsible."
"Okay, I'll take responsibility." Gu Youan sighed and said, "Please stop nagging me and let me rest for a while."
"Rest if you can. Don't start looking at paperwork and doing other things as soon as I leave. If I catch you again, I'll scold you." "I'm not doing anything. I just want to have some peace and quiet."
Mrs. Du was so angry that she stood up and scolded, "You irritating girl, I'm going home soon, so you won't complain about my talkativeness."
Gu Youan laughed heartily and pulled her mother to act coquettishly: "Don't be angry, mother. I won't dare to do it again."
Mrs. Du tried to hold back her laughter, but finally couldn't hold it back anymore and said, "You take a rest. I'll come and have lunch with you at noon."
"Hey, Mom, you should go and have a rest too."
Gu Youan stretched his neck to look out the courtyard gate. After a while, Xiaoju ran in and said, "Madam has returned to her own courtyard."
Gu Youan ordered Xiaoyue: "Bring me my map."
"Princess, you just promised Madam." Xiaoyue didn't want to move.
"Go get it and put it on the shelf. I won't move it. I'll just take a look." Gu Youan urged again: "Go quickly."
"Will you just take a break after watching for a while?" Xiaoyue still wanted to bargain.
"Hey, are you going or not? If you don't go, I'll get it myself."
Xiaoyue had no choice but to get the map and put it on the shelf in front of the low couch so that the princess could see it even when she was half lying down.
Gu Youan stared at the map, lost in thought. After a while, she called Liu Zhong over and pointed to the location of the Yanzhou Army on the map, asking him, "Why is this location specifically marked?"
The map that Gu Youan was looking at was the one Zhou Qi brought out of the palace. It was the map left by Taizu, the founding emperor of the Zhou Dynasty.
Liu Zhong said, "I heard from my godfather that when Great Ancestor conquered the country, the north was still unpacified. Great Ancestor wanted to make Yanzhou the capital, but unfortunately, he had no money to build a capital, and the North-South Grand Canal was not dredged, making it difficult to transport food. In addition, several founding heroes and royal family members were unwilling to leave the Central Plains for the bitter cold of Yanzhou, so the idea of making Yanzhou the capital was abandoned."
"So that's how it is."
Gu Youan smiled and wrote to Zhou Qi in the evening, saying: The ancestors of your Zhou family were indeed far-sighted, but their descendants were less ambitious than the previous generation and they no longer had the courage and spirit of the founding emperor.
A few days later, the letter was delivered to Zhou Qi, who smiled and wrote back, saying that he hoped she would raise a royal descendant with the spirit of the great ancestor.
The guards who delivered the letter took the same amount of time to go back and forth, so Gu Youan knew that Zhou Qi was still in the Northeast Army and the troops had not yet been mobilized.
Zhou Qi was looking forward to the snow falling soon so that he could launch a quick battle by surprise and return to Songjiang City as soon as possible after the battle.
Gu Youan hoped that the snow would fall later this year so that the official road could be built further forward.
As we were looking forward to it, a few days before the winter solstice, it snowed in Songjiang City.
After the first snow, construction on the official road stopped, and the people received their wages and went home to spend the winter. Songjiang City gradually quieted down and began the long winter life.
It was snowing, and Gu Youan sent people to deliver letters to the grassland less frequently. With nothing to do, she was really idle now, and her mother no longer stared at her and asked her to rest.
The Winter Solstice is an important day of the year. Gu Youan was considerate of his little niece who was too young to be exposed to the wind, so he asked her mother to go home to celebrate the Winter Solstice and come to the palace after the Winter Solstice.
Mrs. Du couldn't bear to leave her daughter behind, so she said, "I remember you said that Prince Qi said he would come back before the winter solstice. Tomorrow is the winter solstice, so he probably won't be able to come back. Will you come with me back home and stay for a few days?"
Gu Youan shook his head: "It's not appropriate for me to leave when Zhou Qi is not here."
Madam Du asked, "You just want to wait for Prince Qi to come back in the mansion?"
Gu Youan smiled at her mother: "Even if he can't come back, it's not because he wants to. Whether he comes back or not, I will wait for him."
"Since you don't want to move, shall your father and I come to the palace to stay with you?"
"Oh, that's really not necessary. Please go back and let me have a quiet day."
Mrs. Du said angrily, "You little girl, it seems you dislike me again."
Gu Youan nodded randomly: "You can go back. You've been with me for such a long time. Dad, brother and sister-in-law must miss you. When you come back, bring Axuan to stay with you for a few days. She needs a break from being forced to study and practice calligraphy all day long."
"You really don't want your mother to accompany you?"
"Really? Go back. I'll take you out."
Gu Youan was about to go out with her belly bulging, but Mrs. Du didn't dare to tell her to walk around: "The snow just stopped, and the snow in the yard outside hasn't been swept yet. You can't go out. Be careful of your feet."
"Then I won't go out. I'll ask Sister Wei to take you out."
Gu Youan had already asked Liu Zhong to prepare the winter solstice gifts for his mother's family. Without Gu Youan's instructions, Liu Zhong had already asked people to load them onto the carriage.
Gu Youan asked Xiaoyue: "What are we going to eat at home on the winter solstice tomorrow?"
"Clear pheasant soup and braised mutton. The pheasants were hunted by Guo Su and her companions on the North Mountain, and the mutton was sent from the grasslands by the prince a few days ago."
Gu Youan silently counted the days. Including the days on the road, the Northeast Army was still at its base at least ten days ago. Did this battle actually take place?
Xiaoyue saw the princess staring at the snow outside the window, thought carefully and said, "Princess, how about sending a letter to the prince?"
Gu Youan shook his head. Perhaps this was a critical moment, so why should she cause trouble for him?
After figuring it out, she smiled and said, "Can we pickle bacon and sausages in the mansion this year?"
"We haven't done it in the small kitchen, but we have in the main kitchen. I heard from the maid at the gatehouse that the bacon and sausages are all smoked and flavorful. They are hung in rows on the beams of the kitchen. They are so tempting."
"Now that it's ready to eat, tell them to cut a plate of it and steam it for me to taste."
"Hey, I'll go and tell you right away."
The mansion was safe, warm, and well-fed. Gu Youan and his entire family had a happy Winter Solstice Festival. There was delicious food and rewards, and there was constant laughter in the academy.
At night, Gu Youan lay on the warm kang bed and played with the little naughty baby in her belly. She and the child were sleepy, so they closed their eyes and fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, she vaguely heard some noise and thought it was Xiaoyue coming in to look after her. She mumbled to Xiaoyue to go out and said she didn't want to go to the toilet.
A familiar low laugh suddenly sounded beside the bed, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Zhou Qi's handsome face was in front of her. He smiled and said, "It's not midnight yet, and today is the winter solstice. I didn't break my promise."
His hand touched her face. The cold wind blew on her fingers, which were cold. Her warm and soft fingers hooked around his and she smiled, "You're finally back. If you don't come back, I will drive to the grassland to pick you up with my belly bulging."
The affectionate words were said jokingly, and the couple just looked at each other as if they couldn't get enough of it.
"Win?"
"We won! From now on, we can live peacefully in the west of Songjiang City for a few years."
Gu Youan sighed, that’s great!
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