Chapter 93 Let's prepare to build the road and go home! Zhu Yuanzhang, let's go home!
Wei Zhongxian wanted to work directly for Jiang Ge, and he hinted at this many times, both openly and secretly.
However, Django dared not respond to that.
It's not a pleasant experience to be around Wei Zhongxian day and night.
This is so frustrating.
It was as if everyone else was invisible to him.
Those long, narrow eyes always seemed to be watching people with a half-smile, and the fine lines at the corners of their eyes concealed calculation. Yet, they spoke with extreme tact, leaving no room for criticism, but it still sent chills down one's spine.
It's enough to spend time together at work every day; it would be a bit uncomfortable to spend time together for a long time.
Django straightened her collar; the cover over her Adam's apple had long since been removed, and she no longer bothered to hide her gender.
She didn't want to do that anymore.
Concealing or hiding is the behavior of the weak.
Although she was still wearing an indigo men's long robe and a men's hair ornament, her slender frame and graceful neckline already revealed a touch of femininity. Her wrist bones, as delicate as jade, were faintly visible beneath her sleeves, and as she walked, the fluttering of her robes revealed a waist that was three times more slender than a man's.
Morning light streamed through the window, casting dappled golden shadows on her eyelashes. She subconsciously touched her throat; the tightness was gone, and even breathing felt much easier.
After tidying her clothes, she headed towards the clerk's office.
Early in the morning, the small space was already packed with people.
When Jiang Ge entered the room, he looked around and saw that everyone except Wei Zhongxian was already there.
Perhaps because they saw each other every day, the others did not notice anything unusual about Django. Huo Qubing even reached out and patted Django on the shoulder, saying good morning.
This is how men greet each other as a sign of friendliness.
The young general's palm was warm and strong, making her shoulder sink slightly. His armor was still damp with morning dew, and his bright white teeth gleamed when he smiled: "Magistrate Jiang, you look very well today!"
Among the group, apart from Zhuge Liang, who had a clear and calm expression, everyone else was engaged in lively conversation without pausing at all.
Mr. Kongming, gently waving his feather fan, paused for a moment at her neck, a knowing glint in his eyes, but he simply smiled and nodded. The others were engrossed in their conversation, none of them considering this possibility.
After all, how could Magistrate Jiang suddenly change his gender?
They didn't even glance at his Adam's apple, since in everyone's memory, the decisive and efficient Magistrate Jiang was already handsome. Now, he only had more refined features and a thinner build, which seemed to be due to days of hard work.
At that moment, a flash of white light appeared inside the room; it was Wei Zhongxian, who had arrived late.
Wei Zhongxian arrived at his post a little later than usual today. The troublesome affairs of the Ming court held him back, and by the time he arrived, the room was already packed with people.
Liu Ju and the others were standing right next to Zhuge Liang, looking like three fledglings nestled under their mother's wings.
To outsiders, this scene might seem heartwarming and endearing, but to Wei Zhongxian, it was an indescribable eyesore—this unseemly appearance was bound to jeopardize Magistrate Jiang's important business.
Looking up, I saw that it was Zhu Yuanzhang who had come today.
Upon seeing that figure, Wei Zhongxian involuntarily shrank back, a chill running down his spine.
He had been beaten so many times these days that he had developed this timid habit. He muttered to himself: Zheng He is clearly fine now, so why is it that the Emperor Taizu himself came today? Could it be... that he's going to make an example of him again?
As Wei Zhongxian's expression changed, Jiang Ge had already gotten up and told everyone to get back to work.
Time is running out.
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't attack Wei Zhongxian today; he went straight to the brick factory. He hadn't wanted to come today, but after hearing about the elixir of immortality, he decided to go for it!
Old Zhu is quite strong!
Zhu Yuanzhang had finally let Wei Zhongxian off the hook, but Wei Zhongxian was unwilling to let him go.
Wei Zhongxian followed Jiang Ge, constantly looking for an opportunity.
It rained last night.
Jiang Ge rode on her horse, her official robes stained with mud, and beads of sweat trickled down her temples. She raised her hand to wipe them away, but her fingertips touched the cloth binding her hair, and she stopped.
The area in front is surrounded by mountains.
Jiang Ge squinted and looked around. He saw wisps of smoke rising from the mountains, and a winding dirt road leading to the city gate. The road was so narrow that only one oxcart could pass at a time, and the surface was full of potholes and muddy from the spring rain.
“This road…” Jiang Ge couldn’t help but frown.
Wei Zhongxian said, “Songyang County is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and there is only one official road leading to other counties. During the rainy season, it is difficult for people to walk, let alone carriages and horses.”
Jiang Ge usually travels on official roads and rarely sees muddy roads on rainy days.
Django remained silent.
"To get rich, build roads first"—this familiar slogan from her past life exploded in her mind.
The city gate was close at hand, and several poorly dressed people were struggling to push a cart stuck in the mud. The cart was piled high with bamboo baskets, and one could vaguely see that they contained some kind of mountain produce.
"Go lend a hand." Jiang Ge dismounted and, before Wei Zhongxian could react, strode towards the group of farmers.
"No, Your Excellency!" Wei Zhongxian hurriedly followed, "Let this old servant help you, your official robe..."
Jiang Ge then remembered his identity, but it was too late. Seeing an official approaching, the farmers knelt down in fear, repeatedly begging for forgiveness: "Your Honor, spare us! We didn't mean to block the way, it's just that this cart..."
The corpses scattered all over the ground left a deep impression on the people. Although the battlefield was later cleaned up, it was still hard to forget. Now, they couldn't help but tremble whenever they saw Magistrate Jiang.
"Stand up and speak." Jiang Ge tried to lower his voice, making himself sound like a young man. "What's in the car?"
An older farmer replied tremblingly, "Sir, it's dried bamboo shoots and mushrooms from the mountains. We intended to transport them to the neighboring county to sell, but who knew the road..."
Django crouched down and poked the goods in the bamboo basket with his finger. The dried bamboo shoots were dark in color, and the edges of the mushrooms were already wilted, clearly not fresh.
"How long have they been transported from the mountains?"
"It's been two days, sir," the old farmer said, his face full of worry. "We should have been able to get to the county town in a day, but the road is too difficult, and it's delayed us. These mountain produce are going to spoil; the family is counting on them to exchange for some money for salt this year..."
Jiang Ge's heart tightened. The impact of transportation on the economy was evident; Songyang County was impoverished despite possessing a treasure trove of natural resources due to poor roads—this was the crux of the problem.
"Push the cart into town first and find a shady spot to dry it." Jiang Ge took out a few copper coins from his sleeve and stuffed them into the old farmer's hand. "Take these for now, I'll send someone to buy them later."
The farmers thanked him profusely, but Django, with a heavy heart, remounted his horse.
Apart from the more orderly official roads, the other roads will be muddy and impassable. The rain came too hard and too suddenly, catching people off guard. After a year of good harvest, they were caught off guard by the heavy rain.
"I'll pave this road with some pebbles later, so it will be easier for you to walk." Wei Zhongxian was always flattering him.
Django's eyes lit up: "If that's the case, why not build a road?"
Road construction?
“Road construction is extremely costly, the Songyang County treasury is empty, and the people are poor. Where will we get the money and grain? Besides, with this mountainous terrain, how easy is it to build a road…” Compared to building factories, Wei Zhongxian did not like road construction. It was a purely public service activity with no profit. The roads would be easier to travel when the weather was good.
Django did not immediately refute, but he already had a plan in mind.
To make travel easier, Jiang Ge changed into ordinary scholar's attire and only took Wei Zhongxian with him. Once outside the county town, the road conditions worsened. The so-called official road was nothing more than a dirt path worn smooth by footsteps, less than six feet wide, overgrown with weeds on both sides.
“This road probably hasn’t been repaired in ten years,” Jiang Ge said as he walked.
Wei Zhongxian was supporting her from the side.
After walking for about two hours, a stream appeared ahead. The wooden bridge was rotten, and they could only cross the river by stepping on the stones protruding from the water. Django's boots were mostly wet.
"Be careful, my lord!" Wei Zhongxian wished Jiang Ge would just ride him away.
Django waved his hand to indicate that he was alright, but noticed that several villagers were tying up a raft by the river, which was piled high with bamboo baskets.
"Fellow villager, what are you transporting?" Jiang Ge asked as he stepped forward.
Seeing that they were well-dressed, the villagers respectfully replied, "In reply to you, sir, these are some walnuts and herbs, which we plan to transport downstream to a neighboring county to sell."
Why not take the land route?
“Sir, you’re joking.” The villager pointed to the baskets. “Each basket weighs at least a hundred pounds. Given the conditions on the land, how many people would it take to carry it? It would be better to make a raft. Although it’s slower, it saves a lot of effort.”
Jiang Ge seemed thoughtful. She inspected the mountain produce; the quality was excellent, but the villagers said it wouldn't fetch a good price: "Downstream merchants know we can't get it out, so they're driving down the price drastically. A basket of walnuts can't even buy a bushel of salt."
As Django continued his journey, his mood grew increasingly heavy. He saw many abandoned fields along the way; farming was difficult, and Songyang County still had too small a population.
At noon, the group finally arrived at Qinglin Market. This was the first market in Songyang County, and it was nothing more than a settlement made up of a few muddy streets. In the center was a simple market where several out-of-town merchants were buying mountain products at shockingly low prices.
“Sir, top-quality shiitake mushrooms would sell for at least fifty coins a catty elsewhere, but here they’re only offering fifteen.” Wei Zhongxian whispered to Jiang Ge, “The merchants say the shipping costs are too high, so they can only try to lower the price.”
Django stood at the edge of the market, watching the ragged mountain people holding the mountain goods they had painstakingly collected, only to receive meager income. He felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on his chest.
"The road must be built," she said firmly.
On the way back, as dusk fell, Wei Zhongxian finally found a moment of free time. He stole a glance at Jiang Ge's profile, hesitated several times before finally speaking hesitantly: "Magistrate Jiang, there is something... this old servant is unsure whether I should say it?"
Jiang Ge was gazing absently at the deepening twilight outside the window when he heard this, and frowned: "Why do we have to beat around the bush like this? Just say what you have to say."
Wei Zhongxian coughed lightly and began to recount his prepared speech: "Songyang County is currently overwhelmed with official duties, and dealing with the court alone is enough to make people anxious. Although Prime Minister Zhuge is very talented, he is getting old and has to handle both military and political affairs, which is really too much for him. Liu Ju and his children are constantly pestering him for knowledge, and this old servant thinks..." He paused, lowering his voice, "And Lord Sanbao, he has been ill for far too long."
"After all this beating around the bush, what exactly are you trying to say?" Wei Zhongxian clenched his hands in his sleeves, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "What this old servant means is... it would be better to let them all go home and rest. Liu Ju and the others can go back to their studies, and Lord Sanbao, now that he's much better, can come to work, so as not to... so as not to burden the county government with official duties." His voice trailed off at the end. In the twilight, he could only be seen with his head bowed, his neck bent in a respectful arc.
"Let the founding emperor go home."
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Author's Note: Wei Zhongxian: "Let the founding emperor go home." [Please!]
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