In the western suburbs of the capital, on the official road heading northwest, a group of people were pointing and talking along the road.
Someone, curious, stepped forward and asked, "What are you doing here? Do you have a pass?"
The person being questioned was stunned at first, then burst into laughter.
"Old man, you misunderstood. We are not doing anything bad. We are clerks from the Sihai Road and Bridge Company and are here to test the road."
"Kan, Kanlu?" The old man didn't quite understand what Kanlu meant.
The guy said, "Surveying the road means checking the terrain, topography, and assessing the road conditions."
More people gathered around.
"Are you going to build a road?"
"Are we finally going to build the official road to the western suburbs?"
"They only built the capital, but neglected the official roads outside the city gates. When it rained, the roads were impassable and covered in mud. When we entered the city, the gatekeepers complained that we had soiled the cement roads."
"That's right! Everyone wants to walk on clean and tidy cement roads. If the government doesn't build roads, what can we do?"
“Should we build a road?”
The clerk said loudly, "I'm just a young man from the trading company. We were sent here to check the road conditions. I'm not sure whether they're going to build the road or not. Fellow villagers, don't worry. If they really are going to build the road, we'll definitely have news in a few days. When they recruit workers, everyone should come!"
"Of course, of course! Can you also help us find out if they're planning to build a road?"
…
There are many people gathered in the tavern next to the official road to chat even though it is not yet mealtime.
They were all discussing road construction.
"Boss, you have a lot of connections, a lot of information, and you know people all over the place. Can you talk to everyone about whether or not we should build the road?"
"Yeah, boss, tell me about it."
Li Sheng, the owner of a tavern, was once a refugee, but now he is a small business owner with Beijing household registration.
He smiled cheerfully, as if to show that harmony brings wealth. "Don't worry, everyone. Since the Road and Bridge Company sent a clerk to check the road conditions, they must be doing something. If not repairing the road, then repairing something else."
"Besides repairing the road, what else can be repaired? Are they going to build a toll booth or a rest stop?"
Everyone laughed.
"It's a muddy road. I don't believe anyone has the nerve to set up a toll booth."
"Don't you think about how difficult it is to travel on the road when it rains? The carriage gets stuck in the mud and can't be moved."
"On a sunny day, if you stand by the roadside, you can eat half a pound of dust in less than an hour."
Everyone was talking about how bad the yellow mud road was.
Many years ago, no one complained about the bad officialdom.
At that time, everyone had a simple idea that as long as there was a way, no matter what it was, it was enough to make people feel satisfied.
It’s hard to walk on rainy days, just try to overcome it.
It's a sunny day, there's a lot of dust and the road is bumpy, just try to overcome it.
Until the cement road from Beijing to Luozhou was built, it was flat, clean, and there were dedicated people to maintain the road surface.
With comparison, there is a gap and there is harm.
Compared with the cement road outside the South City Gate, people in the western suburbs find the yellow mud official road in front of their homes unpleasant no matter how they look at it.
However, the imperial court had no money to build a cement road, so the people of the western suburbs could only accept their fate.
Everyone is looking forward to the road being built, but whether or not to build the road is not up to them.
…
The Minister of the Imperial Household was also worried about the official road in the western suburbs.
He looked at Gu Jiu with complicated eyes, "Xiao Jiu, why do you want to repair the official road in the western suburbs? It's a rare trip for you, so why not have some fun?"
Gu Jiu finally went out for some activities.
Great news.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I've been keeping it here for nearly two years, and it's all rusty. I've been wanting to get out and about and do something. It just so happens that the official roads in the western suburbs are getting worse and worse, having not been maintained for years. I thought the court was in trouble, so I came here specifically to help them."
The Shaofu's beard twitched. "I can do anything else, why do you want to build a road?"
"It seems that the ancestors are not happy with me building the road?" Gu Jiu smiled.
The Shaofu Household Commander didn't hide anything and asked directly, "First, tell me why you want to build the official road in the western suburbs?"
"I want to make money!" Gu Jiu said bluntly.
The Shaofu household official frowned slightly, not quite believing it.
"Even if we build a road and set up a toll booth, we won't see any immediate returns. The cement road from Beijing to Luozhou looks like it would generate a lot of revenue. However, with so many people investing money and waiting for a share of the profits, we won't get much in a year. It's better to just build houses."
Gu Jiu lowered his head and smiled. "Building a house requires someone to buy it! Building a road is different. As long as the court agrees to give me fifty years, no, I only need forty years. It's a guaranteed profit, stable, and worry-free. Once a house is sold, it's gone. Building a road is not as good as a long-term income."
The Shaofu Household Manager shook his head slightly, still not quite believing it.
He said earnestly, "Xiao Jiu, if you want me to help you, you have to tell me the truth. At least let me know what's going on. Don't wait until something goes wrong and His Majesty asks me about it and I don't know anything. By then, the position of Shaofu Household Manager will have to be replaced."
Gu Jiu leaned forward and said mysteriously, "To be honest, the reason we want to build the official road in the western suburbs is because my people discovered two mineral veins in the northwest. It's not easy to transport the minerals. Building a road is imperative."
The Shaofu Household Manager was surprised, "Did they really discover two mineral veins?"
Gu Jiu nodded and said, "I dare not deceive the old ancestor. I didn't make this public because I was afraid that if the Northwest Army found out, the mine would be taken away by Marquis Lu."
The Shaofu Housekeeper asked nervously, "Have you found out what kind of mine it is?"
Gu Jiu whispered, "One iron mine and one silver mine."
"Silver mine?"
The Shaofu Housekeeper's voice changed, "Really?"
"This is absolutely true."
After saying that, Gu Jiu took out a small piece of unrefined silver and said, "Old Ancestor, please take a look. This is a sample dug out from a silver mine. That silver mine is hidden in the mountains, making it very inconvenient to get in and out. Fortunately, this silver mine is buried relatively shallow, so it's not difficult to dig. The big problem is how to transport the silver out."
The Shaofu Housekeeper picked up the silver sample, held his breath, and examined it carefully, even using various small tools to knock and tap on it.
The Shaofu Household Manager deals with money all day long and knows the situation of each silver mine like the back of his hand.
Often, just by looking at a silver ore sample, you can tell which vein it came from.
The silver ore sample he had in his hand did not belong to any of the veins he remembered. It seemed that Gu Jiu had indeed found a silver mine in the northwest.
He put down the silver sample and said to Gu Jiu with some embarrassment, "Xiao Jiu, you should know that I must report this matter to His Majesty. Once His Majesty knows there is a silver mine in the northwest, this silver mine must be taken over by the court. You cannot mine it privately. This is the court rule, and I can't do anything about it."
"I know!" Gu Jiu said with a sensible and polite look. "I don't dare to hope for the silver mine, I only ask for the iron ore to be given to me, and I will organize a business to mine it. I also ask the ancestor to say a few good words to His Majesty.
Furthermore, the official road to the northwest is crucial for these two mineral veins. If the imperial court is short on funds, I can cover the cost of the road construction, giving the court a 20% stake, and prioritizing the resettlement of veterans.
The official road has been renovated into a cement road, which has also facilitated the transport of post stations and express delivery stations. The express delivery stations now bear the heavy responsibility of transporting large quantities of food and fodder to the Northwest Army. The Northwest official road, long ravaged by the carriages carrying food, fodder, and weapons, has become utterly rotten. Add to that the mining of two mineral veins, and the combined forces of ore and food transport, and the road to the Northwest might be unusable by horse-drawn carriages in a year or two.
The Minister of the Imperial Household nodded. "Your concerns are well-founded. The situation on the Western Suburbs' official road is not optimistic, and I am fully aware of this. However, the imperial court is short of funds and cannot spare the funds to build a cement road. Your willingness to contribute is truly remarkable. However, I am not sure whether His Majesty will be suspicious of your intentions."
Gu Jiu looked aggrieved. "I know that because I married Liu Zhao, His Majesty doesn't trust me very much. He always thinks that I do things with ulterior motives and that I am helping Liu Zhao to gain benefits. However, even if I have selfish motives in building the official road this time, it is also for the sake of the mines and businesses in the northwest.
Some might say that it's not worth spending so much money and grain to build a cement road for such a small amount of business. However, as long as the court agrees to set up toll booths and rest stops along the way, the cost of road construction can be recovered in just a few years. It can be said that building a road is a good thing that kills two birds with one stone. If Your Majesty is truly worried, I can increase the share I give to the court to 30%. The court only needs to provide a portion of the grain and fodder.
The Shaofu Household Officer frowned, "Is it necessary to build a road?"
Gu Jiu nodded aggrievedly, "Don't our ancestors want to build roads?"
The Grand Household Officer laughed heartily, "Of course I want to build a road. Once you start construction, the Grand Household's cement workshop will also make a lot of money. The only question is whether His Majesty will agree."
After a pause, the Shaofu Household Order continued, "Tell the eldest prince to keep a low profile recently. I will find time to discuss this matter with His Majesty."
Gu Jiu nodded heavily, "Thank you very much, ancestor! I will treat you to a drink someday."
"Don't think about drinking until you're well again."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, ancestor."
She said goodbye to the Shaofu's steward with a smile on her face and left the Shaofu's yamen.
After getting on the carriage, he ordered the eunuch Zhao Minfa, "Tell His Highness that the matter has been completed. He can move now."
"I obey your command!"
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