Chapter 82: Planning and Layout Sincerity
After the autumn harvest began, Gu Youan took the time to visit the fields. He first went to Linshan Village and then to Beihuang Village.
The government has issued a notice that after this year's grain harvest is completed, Beihuang Village will be renamed Beihuang County. At that time, several towns will be built under Beihuang County, and ordinary people who come here to open up wasteland and the families of convicted officials can choose a place to settle down.
Tian Jiaxuan had been busy harvesting grain in Beihuang Village for the past few days. He had heard the princess had arrived, so he came to greet her. As they walked, he said, "Just like when we first arrived in the neighboring mountain village, the families of officials who have been pardoned can rent houses from the government, just like other civilians. These houses were built with government funds when the land was being reclaimed, and now that they're no longer needed, they're rented to the people at a very low price."
Gu Youan sighed and said, "Five years."
Yes, five years.
The five years were very difficult for the families of the convicted officials who were working to open up the wasteland.
Tian Jiaxuan met Li Hongwen's two sons a few days ago. They were only a few years older than him. Now they all had hunched backs and white hair, and they looked like two generations apart from him.
Tian Jiaxuan thought of his family. If An An had not been smart enough to find someone to save them in time and make a contribution, and if the Tian family had not been able to get rid of the label of criminal officials, how could they have the life they have today?
There were many people following behind him. Tian Jiaxuan didn't want to mention An An's previous exile in front of others, but his expression could not hide his feelings.
Gu Youan smiled when he saw it and said, "It's all in the past."
The past is gone, people still have to look forward, everything will get better and better.
Tian Jiaxuan nodded and pointed to the field on the right. "The wasteland you've reclaimed is all over that area," he said. "According to the official demarcation, a town will be built where that land meets the neighboring village. This town will then be under the jurisdiction of Ping'an County."
"Is Ping'an Town, our neighboring mountain village, going to be changed into a county?"
"If we change it, by next year, Songjiang City will have three county towns: Dongyuan County, Ping'an County, and Beihuang County."
Gu Youan said: "In this case, we will be short of manpower for official appointments."
Originally, the construction of the official road was a major project that required the transfer of many officials, and two more counties would be established in the autumn. There was a shortage of people everywhere.
"Zhou Changshi is currently discussing with the officials at the Songjiang City Yamen about moving the official selection date forward to the beginning of spring to avoid delaying next year's farming season. The date hasn't been set yet, so I haven't informed you yet."
Gu Youan nodded and didn't care.
Gu Youan is a person who is willing to delegate power to those below her. She takes charge of the overall situation and leaves the details to her subordinates. She only judges the results.
Even if she doesn't care about the details, Tian Qingde in the yamen and Liu Zhong in the palace will keep an eye on her. If anyone dares to do anything wrong, she will be the first to know.
After walking a little further, they arrived at her farm. Zhang Gui was standing alone at the farm gate to greet her. "Princess, please forgive me. It's been so busy these past few days. Everyone has gone to work in the fields, so I wasn't able to come and greet you."
Gu Youan smiled and said, "Don't worry about these empty formalities. The work in the fields is the most important. You've done a good job."
Zhang Gui has become much stronger this year. He is wearing a half-worn indigo shorts and his hair is neatly combed. He looks like a respectable manager. Compared with the miserable appearance when he was bought by Gu Youan, he is a world of difference.
Zhang Gui bowed his head and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Master. I will lead the way for you. Would you like to go into the farm and take a look?"
"Then let's take a look."
The farm was expanded this summer and now has more than a hundred people living in it, so it's quite spacious.
"There are two more manors at the foot of the mountain to the north. They're not as big as this one, but they're about the same size as the one in the neighboring mountain village."
"A few days ago, Manager Han bought all the official slaves from the south and placed them in the farm in the neighboring mountain village. There's not much land there, so it's easier for them to work there."
Gu Youan said, "You arranged it very well. They just came. Please take good care of them after the autumn harvest and make sure they are well so they can work again next year."
"Yes, I think so too."
Gu Youan had many servants working for her, and there were also many farms. It was impossible for her to inspect them one by one while she was pregnant. She was tired after walking through two courtyards, so Zhang Gui hurriedly arranged a place for her to rest.
The servants brought some snacks and tea. Gu Youan sat down to take a break and asked Zhang Gui to sit down too.
Xiaoju served tea and water to Zhang Gui, and Zhang Gui hurriedly thanked her.
Gu Youan drank a cup of tea and rested for a while before saying to Zhang Gui, "Since you came under my wing, I've relied on you to manage the farmland under my name. The grain yield has been improving year by year, which shows how dedicated you are."
"I've also asked people to investigate the people you're in charge of. Aside from those who've shared the good and bad times with you, you've treated all new official slaves equally, never bullying anyone. Your subordinates are very respectful of you."
"I'm very pleased with you as the village head. After the autumn harvest this year, I'll have Liu Zhong take you to the government office to have your entire family's slavery expunged. From now on, you'll be free."
Hearing that his master was going to abolish his slave status, Zhang Gui's eyes immediately turned red. He knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly: "Thank you, master. I, the shopkeeper, would like to thank you for your great kindness!"
After the spring of this year, Gao Jin and several guards were freed from slavery and became officials in the city defense army. Zhang Gui and other official slaves who came to Songjiang City with Gao Jin also had the desire to be freed from slavery one day.
But at that time, Zhang Gui felt that they were not as skilled as Gao Jin and the others, and he probably had no hope of showing his face in front of the princess.
They only know how to farm. What's the point of farming? Which farmer doesn't know how to farm?
For them, getting rid of slavery seemed like a futile goal, but even though there was no hope of getting rid of slavery, they cherished their current days.
They were the servants of Princess Qi. Although farming was hard work, they were able to eat and dress warmly and were not bullied by others. They could not have lived such a good life before they sold themselves into slavery.
Zhang Gui was a literate man and more sensible than others. He thought so in his heart and used such words to scold his lazy subordinates.
He didn't expect that he just did what he should do, but the princess actually freed his family from slavery.
Zhang Gui's forehead was red from the knock, and he grinned when he was helped up. He was so happy that he didn't know what to say.
Gu Youan smiled and said, "You've done a good job, so you'll be rewarded. Next year, I want you to take some people to the lower reaches of the Songjiang River to open up wasteland. You can then select a few capable village heads to help you manage the farms in Beihuang Village and the neighboring mountain villages."
"Yes, I will select the person as soon as possible."
Gu Youan came to see Zhang Gui today not only to see the harvest and the farm, but also to talk to Zhang Gui about land reclamation. After that, she had a good rest and prepared to go back.
Before leaving, Gu Youan said, "Zhang Gui, in the future, this princess will have more land under her name, and more people will be added, but no matter how many more people come, you will be their chief steward."
This weighty promise warmed Zhang Gui's heart, and he immediately said, "I am willing to manage the land and farm for the princess and grow more food for her."
Gu Youan smiled and nodded, then took the girl's hand and walked away.
Liu Zhong, who was a few steps behind, said to Zhang Gui with a smile, "Master Zhang, please stay. No need to see me off. After the autumn harvest is over, I will take Master Zhang and his family to the government office to have their slave status removed."
Whether it was the title of Zhang Zongguan or the words of eliminating slavery, they all gave rise to a sense of pride in Zhang Gui's heart. Although he, Zhang Gui, was a small person who was lowly in the dust, he would also stand out from now on.
Liu Zhong smiled and looked at Zhang Gui. Zhang Gui's loyalty did not seem fake. When he turned around and followed his master's carriage, he thought in his heart that the princess knew how to judge people and how to use them.
Even in Songjiang City, Gu Youan now had a grand procession when he went out. There were more than a hundred maids, servants, guards, etc., plus carriages and horses accompanying him. The team stretched for two miles, and people working in the fields could see it from a distance.
The weather was hot and they had to work quickly. The people in the fields were hot and tired and didn't want to talk. But now there was something exciting to watch, so they all stretched their necks to look towards the convoy.
After the carriage left, someone said, "The general's carriage came from Princess Qi's farm. The person sitting in the carriage that just passed by must be Princess Qi."
"Of course it is. Apart from the master of the palace, who else would have such a grand display?"
"Ah, the Gu family is so lucky. They were all exiled here. They didn't have to endure slavery and open up the wasteland for five years like us. They even married their daughter to the royal palace and became a princess. Sigh."
"Don't be so jealous, Li Laosan. The Gu family must have been blessed by their ancestors who did good deeds. If you don't have this blessing, you should think about whether you did too many bad things when you were an official."
"Hey, how can you talk like that? What evil could a mere official like me do? Wasn't it all because of my superiors that I was implicated?"
"Those who were exiled here all claim to be innocent, that they were wronged. But when you say that, you're just deceiving yourself."
Just now I was watching the convoy of Prince Qi's Mansion and envying the Gu family, but now they started arguing after a few words.
Li Chengfeng, the eldest son of the Li family, was busy working without saying a word. Who knew that the Li family and the Gu family were exiled together?
The Gu family, the Tian family, and the Su family all have princesses, officials, ladies, ladies, and gentlemen.
When they came here, people called them a family, saying that they were all descendants of convicted officials and country people. No one had respectfully addressed their names in recent years, no matter who was the man or who was the woman.
One is in heaven and the other is in hell!
Different, very different!
Li Chengfeng picked up basket after basket of corn cobs, feeling so tired that his waist and shoulders ached. A cool breeze blew across the fields, and he thought, since life is so tiring, it would be better to die and let the wind blow away.
"Boss Li, would you like to rent a house from the government?"
A familiar family member of a convicted official called out to him, and Boss Li quickly turned around and said with a smile, "Looking for a place to rent? I was just about to talk to you yesterday. It would be perfect for our two families to rent a place together, and it would save us some money."
"Hahaha, we're thinking the same thing. Okay, after the autumn harvest is over, we'll go find the village head and rent a house. Then we can live a good life from now on."
"That's right."
A sigh is blown away by the wind, and life is the best.
Prince Qi's Mansion.
After a visit to the farm and returning home, Gu Youan rested for a day before feeling better. A letter was delivered from the grassland. Zhou Qi asked her if she had a good appetite and slept well these days. Gu Youan felt very happy when she saw his handwriting.
After being happy, he continued reading. He said that they had checked in Luoyang and found that Zhou Xuan did not ask anyone to use those evil methods to harm her and the child.
Gu Youan couldn't help laughing again. This man actually asked the secret guards to go to Luoyang to investigate.
At the end of the letter, Zhou Qi talked about how busy he had been recently, and also said that the food and wages from the court had arrived. It can be seen that Zhou Xuan is stupid but not completely stupid, cruel but cautious, and he also praised Zhou Xuan for being a sensible person.
Gu Youan burst into laughter and praised Zhou Xuan for his sensible thinking. This was actually the opposite of what he meant.
Xiaoyue had just come from the small kitchen with some snacks. Before she even entered the room, she heard the princess laugh twice. She brought the snacks to the table in front of her master and asked with a smile, "Master, is there any good news?"
After laughing enough, Gu Youan wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief and said with a smile: "It's a good thing, your prince is doing well in the Northeast Army."
"Will the prince come back early?"
"I'm afraid I can't."
Zhou Qi wants to attack the Tatar tribe near the northeastern grassland. Everything is ready. He probably won't be able to return until the threat from the northeast is eliminated.
Gu Youan touched his belly and smiled, "I'm fine at home, and I don't need him to stay by my side every day."
Rather than having him by her side every day, she would rather he expand the territory and consolidate the power of Prince Qi's Mansion. Anyway, these benefits will be in the hands of her children in the future.
Zhou Qi was busy outside, so she couldn't be idle either. On September 24th, the Gu family held a full-moon banquet. Gu Youan returned to her parents' home early in the morning because she got the news that Hu Changpu and his grandfather were coming to the banquet.
Gu Youan hadn't seen Mr. Hu for two years. When he saw him today, he didn't look old at all. He looked almost the same as when he met him two years ago.
Old Master Hu smiled and said, "You are too polite, Princess. No one will ever age. My Changpu is married and has a son. As the child grows up, we old folks should also grow old."
Gu Youan was speaking from the heart. She smiled and said, "Your way of keeping healthy is definitely different from others. When I have some free time, I will definitely ask you for advice so that my parents can be as healthy and energetic as you."
"When it comes to health preservation, we are still no match for the Taoist priests at Tianyi Temple. Taoist Priest Li and his fellow disciples are still able to walk up and down mountains with swift movements even in their seventies and eighties. We ordinary people can't compare to them."
Mr. Hu changed the subject and continued, "We are all ordinary people. Life is bound to have ups and downs. We all have families to take care of. We must not offend our relatives and friends. You never know when we will have to come to their door and ask for help."
"I don't understand what you're saying, old man. I'm not some bandit or bully. Business is definitely a win-win situation. How can you say it's an offense?"
Gu Youan made his point clear, and Old Man Hu said, "Princess, don't be upset. What I say may not be right. Please listen to it first. If you think what I say is unreasonable, you can kick us out."
Gu Youan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Grandpa, is this the kind of person I am in your heart?"
Mr. Hu smiled and said, "Let's get the ugly stuff out of the way first."
Hu Changpu glanced at his grandfather, then looked up at Princess Qi sitting at the top, then lowered his head again.
Gu Youan saw Hu Changpu's actions and her heart sank. Could it be that the Hu family really didn't want to?
Whatever he was thinking, he didn't show it on his face. Gu Youan smiled and instructed Xiaoyue, "Go ask the kitchen if they have made jujube paste cake. If they do, bring a plate over. I remember that the old man loves it."
Mr. Hu thanked him and said, "I didn't eat much for breakfast. I'm hungry now. Please bring me another bowl of sugar-soaked eggs."
Xiaoyue went out, and only Xiaoju, a maid, was serving in the room. Gu Youan waved his hand and sent Xiaoju away.
After Xiaoju went out, Liu Zhong, who was waiting outside, closed the door quietly.
The light in the room dimmed. Old Master Hu sighed and said, "Princess, please forgive me. Your Majesty, you are willing to support the Hu family because you think highly of us. We should have agreed to your proposal immediately. However, our Hu family is large, and our scattered members have relatives and old friends in the local area. It is inevitable that we are deeply entangled with the local powerful families. You are in me and I am in you, and it is difficult to tear them apart easily."
"My abilities are limited. Not to mention that I can't just write a letter and ask the clansmen from all over to come to Prince Qi's mansion, even if I go there in person, it will only make things difficult for everyone."
Old Master Hu spoke sincerely, and did not hold back when talking about the forces involved with the Hu family members in various places. Even his grandson Hu Changpu heard many of his words for the first time.
"We, the Hu family of Songjiang City, will certainly obey your orders. However, we cannot influence the Hu family members from other places. Please forgive us, Princess."
Gu Youan is not an unreasonable person. After listening to Mr. Hu’s difficulties, she understood what was going on.
Gu Youan glanced at Hu Changpu and said, "Go outside and ask someone to bring paper and pen."
Hu Changpu hurried to the door to call for help, but Liu Zhong told him to wait a moment and he would be there soon.
After a while, Liu Zhong personally brought the pen, ink, paper and inkstone. Hu Changpu took them and handed them to Gu Youan, and the door behind him closed again.
Just now, when Gu Youan heard Old Man Hu talking about the forces behind the Hu family in various places, all that ran through her mind were the family trees of the aristocratic families from the previous dynasty to the present, which she had memorized.
It is still flourishing in the capital Luoyang.
Those who have fallen on hard times live together in their respective ancestral hometowns.
She wrote: The eldest son of the Hu family in Wumeng Prefecture married the second daughter of the Cao family. In the second year of Ruixing, the third master of the second branch of the Cao family, Cao Yun, was transferred to Wuchang Prefecture as the prefect. In the first year of Ruixing, Cao Yun became a disciple of Tao Zhongwen, who was then the chief academician of the Imperial College. Tao Zhongwen is now the Minister of Works.
Gu Youan picked up his pen and said, "When Tao Zhongwen was the Imperial College's chief academician, he taught Zhou Xuan, who was then the emperor's grandson. So, Tao Zhongwen can also be considered the emperor's teacher now."
Hu Changpu was stunned when he saw the network of relationships she wrote. Could it be that there were such complicated relationships behind their Hu family?
"Show it to your grandfather."
Hu Changpu quickly handed the paper, the ink still wet, to his grandfather. After reading it, Old Man Hu sighed, "The princess is indeed very knowledgeable."
Putting down his pen, Gu Youan flexed his wrist and said, "The ones who really hold power in the court right now are Liu Yong, the Minister of Rites, and Yang Qing, the President of the Hanlin Academy and Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Palace. Tao Zhongwen, the Minister of Works, doesn't enjoy the emperor's favor. Plus, he's old, so he'll probably retire in the next two years. Once he retires, he won't be able to take care of his disciples like Cao Yun."
"The Cao Yun family still had some influence during the previous dynasty, but by the time of the Great Zhou Dynasty, they had long since fallen. The Cao family was only able to wield power in Wumeng Prefecture and, together with several other local families, control the shipping traffic on several rivers in Yunnan Prefecture. Outside of Wumeng Prefecture and Yunnan Prefecture, the Cao family was nothing more than an ordinary official family."
"He's the most promising of Cao Yun's generation. He's only fifty now, and it's time for him to move up the ladder. But if he wants to rely on Tao Zhongwen to get into Luoyang, he'll forget it in his lifetime."
"What do you mean?"
Gu Youan said, "The Prince Qi's Mansion still has some connections in Luoyang. If the Cao family wants to switch to someone else, the Prince Qi's Mansion can give them a way."
Hu Changpu was shocked and confused: "Is this possible?"
He was shocked at how well Prince Qi's Mansion knew about court officials and local powerful families, and was also bewildered that Princess Qi was willing to use so many connections to win over the Hu family and start a medicinal materials business.
Gu Youan smiled and said, "Why not this?"
The Prince Qi's Mansion employs so many people and manages such a huge power, isn't it just to have manpower available when needed?
Besides, on the surface, she only put so much effort into the Hu family's medicinal materials business, but if Cao Yun took the bait and entered Luoyang through the Qi Wang Mansion, he would be tied to the Qi Wang Mansion's boat, and the southwestern rivers and waterways controlled by the Cao family would be used by the Qi Wang Mansion.
Cao Yun went to Luoyang, and the key position of the prefect of Wuchang Prefecture, a key node on the Yangtze River waterway, became vacant. The Prince Qi's Mansion could also make preparations early and put their people there.
In Gu Youan's opinion, this move kills three birds with one stone and is very cost-effective for Prince Qi's Mansion.
For the Hu family, compared with the Cao family, the relationship between the Hu family and the Prince Qi's Mansion is closer. In the past, the Hu family of Wumeng Mansion was afraid of the Cao family, the local tyrant, but now that the positions have changed, it will be the Cao family that respects the Hu family.
After saying it all, Gu Youan did not urge him.
Old Master Hu thought about it carefully and said, "I think your idea is feasible. At least the Hu family in Wumeng Prefecture will definitely be of use to you. But the Hu family members in other places..."
Gu Youan said: "Don't worry, let's take our time. As long as they want something, we can always find a way to get it done."
Mr. Hu bowed his head and said, "The Hu family is entirely under the control of the princess."
For an old man like Mr. Hu, who had lived for decades and seen many ups and downs, he knew that the young lady of the Gu family was clever, but he had only considered her cleverness to be that of a young person. But after witnessing her scheming and cunning today, and seeing how she effortlessly figured things out, he realized how unfathomable she was.
The Hu family was lucky to have been able to make friends with this woman when she was still young and living in a remote corner. This was the Hu family's luck.
Today is the hundred-day banquet for the eldest granddaughter of the Gu family. There are many guests coming, and many guests want to pay their respects to the princess. The Hu family’s grandfather and grandson said goodbye after they finished their business.
After leaving the house and walking to a deserted place, Old Man Hu looked at his eldest grandson and sighed, "Grandfather only told you before that the young lady of the Gu family is smart and kind, and you won't suffer any loss if you do business with her, but?"
Hu Chang Lu nodded.
"Now, Grandfather will teach you one more thing: Don't play tricks on people like this. Once you choose one, you must follow him for life. Don't switch to someone else halfway."
"Grandfather, I understand what you mean."
No, you don't understand. You only see her smiling at you. If you truly become her enemy, you will know what a dead end is.
It's hard to say these things outside. Old Man Hu patted his grandson's hand and said, "I, your grandfather, need to take good care of myself. If I don't keep an eye on you, I'm really afraid that you will bring the Hu family to ruin."
Especially the Hu family members inside the pass. If someone is a two-timing person, it would be fine if the boat capsizes and he dies, but what would happen if he drags down other members of the Hu family?
The Hu family is a close friend of the Gu family. Although the Hu family's grandparents and grandchildren do not hold official positions, at the full moon banquet at noon, the Hu family sat together with the Tian family, the Zhang family, and the Han family. The families all knew each other, and there was no shortage of topics to talk about at the table.
Originally, Zhang Shinan was only acquaintances of the Hu family, but because of the Gu family, Zhang Shinan's relationship with the Hu family became increasingly close. When Zhang Shinan and Mr. Hu talked about medicinal materials, both of them talked endlessly.
Mr. Hu said, "Last time you asked me about the two herbs, aconite and turmeric. The best of these two herbs are those produced in Wumeng Mountain."
Zhang Shinan praised: "That's natural, but it's a pity that the authentic medicinal herbs from Wumeng Mountain are hard to come by here. The few kilograms of aconite I have here were brought to me from the southwest by Du Qing last year."
Mr. Hu smiled and said, "If Doctor Du can come from the southwest, that would be convenient. If Doctor Du can't come, that's fine. A branch of my Hu family is collecting herbs in Wumeng Mountain. I, the old man, would write a letter and ask someone to bring some over, which would be convenient."
Zhang Shinan said, "I don't feel comfortable traveling thousands of miles just to ask someone to deliver some medicinal herbs."
"Hahaha, it's okay, it's just a small matter."
Zhang Shinan said hurriedly, "If it's convenient, maybe you could ask someone to send some Gastrodia elata from Wumeng Mountain? The Gastrodia elata produced there is large, thick, and plump, and is a top-grade product for treating headaches, numbness of the limbs, and infantile convulsions. Unfortunately, the production is small, and the good ones have all been sent to the palace. It's hard to find outside, even at a high price."
Mr. Hu smiled and responded, "Are we herbalists still short of good herbs?"
It was the first time that Zhang Shinan saw Mr. Hu speak so cheerfully. He smiled and toasted him: "Old man, drink my wine, but don't forget my good medicinal herbs."
Everyone at the table laughed. Except for the Hu family's grandparents and grandchildren, no one else at the table knew what path the Hu family would take in the future.
Since the Hu family has agreed, they should show some sincerity.
Serving Princess Qi is just a small thing and nothing to worry about.
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