"Huh?" The topic jumped so quickly that Qin Fang was caught off guard.
Xiao Jinhan, who had been listening attentively, glanced at the girl and said, "Among the scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants are the lowest in status. They don't lack money, but they lack status. What they want most is status and prestige."
“Zichen is right.” Su Hua smiled. “The wealthy households in Tangshan Prefecture are not short of money, but they have always been at the bottom. If we want them to willingly spend money to donate to disaster relief, we should give them what they want most as an incentive.”
Qin Fang was not stupid, and after a little thought he understood her meaning. "Hua'er is right. However, status and prestige are not something that can be given away so easily. I wonder if Hua'er has any good ideas?"
Although it was a question, having dealt with her for so long, I already knew her personality. Since she was asking, she must already have a plan in mind.
Su Hua raised her eyes, “Hail and rain fell from the sky, causing a great flood that breached the dikes and harmed countless people. At this time, those who are willing to donate are all people who have made contributions to Tangshan Prefecture. If they were to quietly hand over silver to the government office, the wealthy families would certainly not be happy.”
However, if a monument of merit is built, all those who donate can leave their names on it.
Furthermore, donations are ranked in order of amount.
As for the location of this merit monument, the city gate is an excellent spot. Anyone entering or leaving the city will see the merits of the donors, thus enhancing the merchant's reputation and status.
Qin Fang's eyes lit up as he listened. "Hua'er is absolutely right. Steles and plaques are usually erected by the imperial court, but our Tangshan Prefecture can learn from this and build a merit stele. This would solve the problem that wealthy households lack most in one go. Moreover, by ranking them in order of merit, we can encourage wealthy households to donate more and more. Hua'er's idea is brilliant."
Xiao Jinhan smiled, only she could come up with such a direct and effective solution.
Su Hua smiled and then added, "There are different levels of wealthy households. We need to not only mobilize the money of the smaller wealthy households, but also take more money from the larger wealthy households."
Hua'er heard that Uncle Qin's calligraphy and painting skills are exceptional. He can set the top seven, top ten, and so on based on the situation of wealthy households in Tangshan Prefecture. Then, Uncle Qin, the current Prefect of Tangshan Prefecture, will personally write a charity plaque for them.
Furthermore, this can be recorded in the Tangshan Prefecture Annals for future generations to praise and pass on for generations to come.
In this way, with a monument commemorating their merits upon entering the city, a plaque for their charity upon entering their homes, and their names recorded in the local gazetteer, wealthy families would surely be eager to compete for such recognition!
The girl's voice was soft and gentle, but each word struck Qin's heart like a drumbeat, making him tremble with shock. His eyes shone brightly. "Princess Le'an is truly ingenious and exceptionally intelligent. I have learned a great deal from you."
The problem that had troubled him for two days was solved by her in the blink of an eye.
Her vision and knowledge are far beyond what ordinary people can match. If she were a man, she would surely be able to make great strides and achieve great things in the court of Yu the Great.
Xiao Jinhan gave a thumbs-up with an air of importance, "Prefect Qin is right, Princess Le'an is very capable!"
Su Hua smiled and glanced at him lightly, “General Zhennan is truly remarkable. Despite a month of drought and another month of hail and flood, the price of grain in Tangshan Prefecture and the surrounding prefectures has never increased by a single coin. General Zhennan’s thoughts and ideas are far beyond what ordinary people can comprehend.”
"Actually, it was just a coincidence." Xiao Jinhan smiled indulgently. "It was originally prepared for the drought, but the drought didn't come. Instead, we had a flood, so it served its purpose somewhat."
Looking at the expressions of the two men, Qin Fang couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
These two are truly a match made in heaven; his silly son probably won't have a chance in this lifetime.
After speaking, Su Hua looked up at the crowd of disaster victims at the city gate. "Tangshan Prefecture has a well-developed water system and is prone to floods of all sizes. Uncle Qin, have you ever thought about how to completely solve the flood problem in Tangshan Prefecture?"
"What? Completely solve the flood problem in Tangshan Prefecture?" Qin Fang was stunned, thinking he had misheard.
Even before Yu the Great established his kingdom, and before Tangshan Prefecture was called Tangshan Prefecture, floods had been a frequent occurrence here. There would be a small flood every three to five years, and a major flood every hundred years. There was no other way to deal with such natural disasters except to pray for God's mercy.
How can we talk about a complete solution?
Su Hua pursed her lips. "I have a preliminary idea. I wonder if Uncle Qin has any maps of the mountains, rivers, lakes, and rivers of Yu the Great?"
Seeing her solemn expression, Qin Fang didn't ask any more questions, but nodded in agreement, "Yes, but the landscape map isn't on me, it's in the government office. I'll take you there now."
The three boarded the carriage, entered the city gate, and headed towards the government office.
As soon as the carriage reached the corner of the government office, it saw a commotion at the entrance.
The woman's screams echoed through the street, "You lowly, filthy yamen runners, get out of my way! I am the daughter of the prefect, and anyone who dares to touch me will be killed by me!"
Su Hua's brow twitched slightly. This voice... seemed to be Liu Yuxian's?
Qin Fang was the first to get off the carriage and said coldly, "Chief Huang, what's going on here?"
Upon hearing the voice, Huang, the squad leader, jogged forward to report, "Sir, Liu Wenchu has been imprisoned, and the Liu family has been expelled from Tangshan Prefecture. We are currently escorting them out of the city, but Miss Liu is not cooperating."
"Not cooperating?" Qin Fang narrowed his eyes slightly. "If Miss Liu really doesn't want to leave, then send her to Gucheng to dig up the city wall! That way, she can contribute to the cause of the Great Yu."
"Qin Fang! You despicable scoundrel..." Liu Yuxian suddenly looked up, about to curse back angrily, but when she saw the sky-blue figure in the carriage, hatred suddenly surged from her chest, and her eyes instantly turned blood red.
"Su Hua! Su Hua! You've ruined me! It's all because of you! If it weren't for you, my father wouldn't have been stripped of his official position by the Emperor, and I wouldn't have ended up like this! You're a wicked devil! Why don't you just die?!"
"Insolence!" Xiao Jinhan's face turned cold, and he moved his wide sleeves—
But he was gently pulled back by the person beside him and shook his head.
Upon hearing that the person before them was Su Hua, the Lady of Le'an County, the crowd of people widened their eyes in astonishment, and before they could react, they all knelt down on the ground.
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