After selecting a shop for the Tianlang Escort Agency in the capital, Lu Qiqi asked An Jiu to take her to the estate that the emperor had bestowed upon Song Yanqing.
She suggested that they choose a prominent estate, the more prominent the better, so that it would attract attention.
An Jiu was confused, but upon hearing her instructions, he immediately gave the order to do as she commanded.
Lu Qiqi got back into the carriage. She felt a little hungry, so she took out the pastries that Qingdai had prepared in advance to fill her stomach.
She ate a few pieces of pastry and felt a little thirsty. At that moment, Qingdai handed her a water bag.
After eating and drinking her fill, she sighed, "Qingdai is so thoughtful. Having you with me saves me a lot of trouble."
Otherwise, she would have to find an excuse to stop the car and sneak off to drink the spiritual spring water in her space.
Qingdai had never received such straightforward praise before. Her eyes crinkled with joy, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a wide smile.
However, as a maid, she still felt a sense of awe at heart, so she said softly, "You flatter me, Your Highness."
Zhuangzi was located in the eastern suburbs of the capital. After eating her fill, Lu Qiqi sat in the carriage, the swaying road making her feel a little sleepy.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but when she felt her mind was foggy, her body was gently pushed and swayed.
"Miss, Miss," Qingdai called out twice, but seeing that she showed no signs of waking up, she mustered her courage and gently shook her body.
"Um?"
Lu Qiqi slowly opened her eyes and heard Qingdai's voice.
"Girl, we've arrived at the estate."
As her thoughts gradually returned, Lu Qiqi remembered the purpose of her trip. She quickly sat up straight, rubbed her face to clear her mind, and nimbly got out of the car.
Li Changlong and the others were already waiting outside the car. As soon as Lu Qiqi got out of the car, she saw them all turn their heads.
The carriage stopped in front of a small house in the manor, which appeared to be the place where the steward checked the accounts.
Soon a middle-aged man came out of the small house.
The middle-aged man's surname was Gu, and he was a servant born into the family that accompanied Song Yanqing's mother's family as part of her dowry.
Gu Guan first bowed to An Jiu and Shi Jiu, then saw Lu Qi Qi, and turned to look at An Jiu, who nodded slightly.
He then bowed respectfully and said, "This humble one greets the Princess of Kangle County."
Lu Qiqi smiled and said, "Steward Gu, there's no need for such formalities. I've come to visit the estate, so I'd appreciate it if you could show me around and introduce me to the place."
Manager Gu was just being polite, but hearing these words still made him think that if the mistress didn't put on airs in the future, the tenants on the estate would have a much better life.
Thinking of this, Steward Gu quickly led the way for them.
Although he was supposed to be leading the way, Steward Gu only stood one step behind Lu Qiqi, which did not make anyone feel that he was overstepping his bounds.
“Your Highness, this estate is not large. Including the servants, stewards, and accountants, there are only about a hundred people.”
Ahead lies the field where the servants work; now is the perfect time for spring sowing.
The group followed Steward Gu. While listening to Steward Gu's introduction, Lu Qiqi looked around at the manor's water storage and the division of the fields.
After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lu Qiqi saw several men dressed in short clothes and women wearing headscarves in front of her, hunching over and wielding hoes in the field.
This estate was a reward bestowed upon Song Yanqing by the emperor after the army's triumphant return, but it appears to have been abandoned for a long time.
She couldn't help but be curious, so she turned to ask, "Manager Gu, who was in charge of this estate before?"
Why is such a prime location on the outskirts of Beijing so abandoned?
"This..." Manager Gu stammered, as if he had some secret he couldn't tell.
Lu Qiqi saw him secretly raise his eyes to examine An Jiu's expression, as if he wanted to determine if he could answer her questions.
Seeing his expression, Lu Qiqi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
She said, "Didn't your young master tell you that from now on, I can do whatever I want with this estate?"
Upon hearing this, Steward Gu quickly averted his pleading gaze, feeling extremely uneasy. He stammered, unable to utter a single word, as if the words he was about to say were burning his tongue.
Seeing his appearance, Shijiu quickly walked up to Lu Qiqi and said, "Princess, this estate originally belonged to the First Prince."
The eldest prince was deposed and reduced to a commoner; his residence, servants, and everything under his name were confiscated and put to public use.
"So that's how it is," Lu Qiqi glanced at Steward Gu and finally understood why he dared not speak frankly.
It also made her understand why such a good estate in the eastern suburbs could be left as a reward to Song Yanqing.
It turned out that the Ministry of Revenue had simply passed the hot potato to Song Yanqing.
After all, if the revenue of this estate were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, it would have to present the annual harvest to the emperor.
Regardless of whether the harvest is good or bad, it will remind the emperor of unpleasant memories, so it's better to get rid of this hot potato.
Thinking of this, Lu Qiqi turned to look at An Jiu, "So, it seems that the Ministry of Revenue probably stuffed quite a few of the things the Emperor bestowed this time, like the ones given to Song Yanqing, right?"
An Jiu nodded. "The county princess guessed correctly. The land deeds for the estates and shops that the young master gave you as a reward from His Majesty this time are all like this."
Upon hearing this, Steward Gu stared wide-eyed at Lu Qiqi. He had once thought that the young master would entrust her with the estate, but he never expected that the entire reward would be given to her to manage.
A strange feeling arose, and I didn't know how to put it. This was clearly a right that only the matriarch of the household should have.
He thought it was just this small village, but he never imagined it was the whole thing!
After circling the estate, Lu Qiqi mentally noted down all the parts that needed to be changed.
After preparation, a plan was drafted, and Li Changlong was instructed to lead his people to develop this estate into an experimental farm base.
After all, only by first building water conservancy projects and rationally planning the fields can we grow high-quality rice varieties.
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