Chapter 662 The Grand Canal of Xiao Qin
Before we knew it, the end of the twelfth lunar month had arrived.
The routine dividend distribution in Dahe Town goes without saying, but this year's focus is on the canal.
After six months of hard work, the third phase of the canal project was completed, opening up the waterway from Yangzhou to Huzhou.
The original river in Dahe Town has been widened by more than five times, allowing the Cao family's largest boats to sail in unimpeded, and even two boats can sail side by side, demonstrating the river's width.
Four docks were built along the river, allowing merchant ships to enter in an orderly manner without causing congestion.
Near the four docks, a long warehouse was built on a piece of land. Merchant ships could rent the warehouse directly after unloading their cargo, which not only facilitated the coming and going of merchants but also brought additional income to Dahe Town. At the same time, it also created many new jobs, attracting men from other areas to come and work as porters carrying heavy loads.
On the day the canal was completed, Dahe Town held an unveiling ceremony, inviting prominent figures from nearby counties and towns.
The northeast wind was howling, and the sunshine dispelled some of the winter gloom.
The river dock was crowded with people: locals from Dahe Town, workers from Nanyang City who had come to dig the canal, and merchants who had come from all over to hear about it...
Magistrate Wei, as the primary person in charge of the canal, stood at the highest point.
"Today is an auspicious day, and also the day the Grand Canal in Dahe Town was completed. Two years ago, on a certain day, Sui Gongren and Lord Shen proposed the idea of building the canal. Two years later, today, that idea has become a reality... This canal connects Qingzhou in the south, Nanyang in the west, Yangzhou in the east, and can directly lead north to the capital..."
"The canal was made possible thanks to everyone who contributed. First and foremost, the people of Suigong. If it weren't for their idea, the canal wouldn't have existed for at least ten years. Secondly, we thank everyone in Dahe Town, as the initial funding came from all its residents. Thirdly, we thank all the merchants in Huzhou who donated; thank you for contributing to Huzhou's development. Fourthly, we thank the foreign merchants from Yangzhou, Qingzhou, Quanzhou, and other places. Finally, we must also thank the local governments along the canal's route for their strong support..."
"Of course, we also have to thank the most important person, and that is—"
Magistrate Wei turned to the side, respectfully cupped his hands, and looked at the magnificent screen behind him. "Please invite the King of Qin."
Cheng Wanwan stood to the side, slightly surprised. Why was the King of Qin here too?
In the autumn, she accompanied Si Dan to Huzhou to take the imperial examination. She refused the Prince of Qin twice, and she thought that the Prince of Qin would not let it go. Later, she heard from the prefect that the capital had sent an official to supervise the canal to check the Prince of Qin. That official was the emperor's confidant. He came to Huzhou not to monitor the progress of the canal, but to keep an eye on the Prince of Qin so that he would not cause any trouble.
Therefore, for so long, the King of Qin simply didn't have time to cause her any trouble, and she had already forgotten about this person.
Unexpectedly, when the canal was completed, the King of Qin actually came to Dahe Town.
The King of Qin was dressed in a purplish-blue brocade robe with python patterns, a gold and jade crown on his head, and a magnificent and exquisite belt around his waist. He also wore a white jade pendant and a sachet. He looked elegant and refined.
He strode out with an imposing aura, and everyone present immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Greetings, King Qin..."
With a warm smile, he raised his hand and said, "Fellow villagers, there's no need for you to bow. Please get up."
As he said this, his gaze fell slightly on Cheng Wanwan's head, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
If it weren't for his elder brother sending people to keep an eye on him, he would have come to Dahe Town long ago. Fortunately, the task assigned by his elder brother has been completed, and he can finally take care of his own private matters.
He glanced at Cheng Wanwan once before looking away, adopting a humble and polite demeanor: "Lord Wei, let's proceed with the ceremony."
Magistrate Wei immediately stepped forward and announced loudly, "Next, we invite the Prince of Qin and Lady Sui to unveil the red cloth to officially launch the Grand Canal!"
Cheng Wanwan's fingers paused.
Originally, it was agreed that she and Prefect Zhu would come to unveil the red cloth, but now it has become the Prince of Qin.
It seems that the King of Qin suddenly intervened, and it's unclear whether he wanted to reap the rewards or had some other purpose.
That's fine, we'll deal with whatever comes our way.
She dusted off non-existent dust from her sleeves and walked toward the center.
The King of Qin stood to the side waiting for her, then made a gentlemanly gesture: "Lady Sui, please."
Cheng Wanwan smiled faintly at him and nodded, then stood to the left of Magistrate Wei.
The King of Qin did not take it seriously and stood on the right.
In the very center was a huge stone tablet covered with a red cloth. Cheng Wanwan had never seen this before and didn't know when it had been brought here. However, she was too busy and it was normal for her to overlook these things.
As Magistrate Wei announced the auspicious time, Cheng Wanwan and the King of Qin worked together to tear down the red cloth from the stone tablet.
The red cloth was lifted, revealing a huge, naturally fluorescent yellow stone standing on the riverbank, with five characters engraved on it: "Xiao Qin Grand Canal".
Cheng Wanwan: "..."
This must have been the most speechless moment for her.
In this era, roads and canals were named by taking one character from each of the two originating locations. For example, the canal from Yangzhou to the capital was called the Jingyang Grand Canal, and the official road from Jizhou to the capital was called the Jingji Grand Road. Even if the canal built by Dahe Town didn't take a character from Dahe Town, it should at least use the character "Hu" from Huzhou, and then combine it with "Yang" from Yangzhou to call it Huyang, or Yanghu Grand Canal would be fine.
However, he was referred to as Xiao Qin.
Xiao is the surname of the current royal family, and Qin is the title of the King of Qin.
Xiao Qin, that is, the King of Qin himself.
Excuse me, besides holding the nominal position of Grand Minister of Works, what exactly did the King of Qin have to do with this canal?
This man's contribution to the Grand Canal is less than that of any random villager in Dahe Town!
How dare he name the canal like that!
Cheng Wanwan was internally ranting, but she didn't show it on her face.
With a smile on her face, she raised her hand and clapped along with all the ordinary people.
At the same time, countless luxurious merchant ships appeared on the river, standing side by side in a magnificent display, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.
"I have arranged a banquet at Jiangyue Restaurant. Please, Your Highness, Lady Sui, and all other officials, take your seats." Magistrate Wei gestured for them to enter, while Assistant Magistrate Zhao led the way.
Cheng Wanwan did not want to dine at the same table as the Prince of Qin. Under the pretext of receiving female relatives, she sat in another private room with the Prefect's wife, as well as other officials' wives such as Madam Lin and Madam Zheng.
The group sat down at the table and started talking about the canal, gradually opening up a conversation.
"This may be the last time I dine with you all," Madam Zheng said with a smile, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. "After the New Year, I will have to go to the capital to prepare for my son's wedding."
The prefect's wife picked up the conversation and asked, "Young Master Zheng is about to get married, how come I've never heard Madam Zheng mention it?"
"We hadn't made a decision before, so we didn't announce it. Yesterday, Feng wrote back saying that we've exchanged birth dates and times, and we'll get married in the spring after the New Year." Madam Zheng said with a beaming smile. "My son is marrying the second daughter of a fourth-rank official in the capital. This is a great honor for our Zheng family."
"
Many people in the private room looked on with envy. Everyone in the neighborhood knew about Zheng Wangfeng. Three years ago, he took a concubine and had an illegitimate son. No one expected that someone like him would be noticed by a high-ranking official in the capital. With his father-in-law's support, the Zheng family will be extraordinary in the future.
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