Chapter 62 The New Prefect Delivered to the Door
"Your Highness." Huang Dong moved his lips, but said nothing.
He was the kind of person who lived in seclusion in the countryside and mountains, and was devoted to architecture. He was the one who had the most contact with wandering knights.
He knew all too well that these wandering knights were like that; they valued life as nothing, caring little for the lives of others or their own. They were loyal and righteous, possessing a strong sense of ancient values, willing to die or take risks for even the smallest matter. They were impulsive, rude, and greedy. Some of these wandering knights were simply using their titles to openly cause trouble and extort money, roaming around aimlessly.
That's why the government strictly controls this group of people, yet finds this difficult-to-manage group extremely troublesome.
Putting aside others, isn't Prince Rui also at a loss right now? Even if the Imperial Guards rush to investigate now, the clues will probably be lost.
Qi Cheng knew the chances were slim, but he still waited.
The traveler, accompanied by his skilled companions, rode swiftly to Yulin Prefecture without taking a break, spending three days on the round trip, only to return with bad news:
They found what appeared to be the remains of a family of three nearby, but they had been eaten so badly that they were almost unrecognizable.
If the two wandering knights had been more observant and cautious, and had inquired around further, they would have learned that the hunter had few neighbors, lived alone in the mountains, and that news of his whereabouts was rarely heard from others. Moreover, the hunter had a beautiful wife and young children, but his appearance did not match what the knights had seen.
There are many flaws, but the impulsive knights-errant would never have thought of them. They were blinded by the feast offered by the pitiful man, and after a hearty meal, they agreed to the matter.
"Keep them locked up," Qi Chengming said coldly. "Make several more sketches of that man and send them out to search for him." He had been holding this grudge for three days, but it hadn't subsided; instead, it felt increasingly suffocating in his chest.
"Yes." Steward Song, Master Qin, Huang Dong, Bai Xuan, Doctor Bian, and Old Hua, who was not noticeable in the shadows in the corner, as well as the honest and unassuming Uncle Huang who was pretending to be the head of the estate, all responded.
Upon closer examination, Qi Chengming's influence now extends to many places, and his impact is considerable. The Bai family's shops and escort agencies span three prefectures and cover a distance of two thousand miles, covering the entire southern region.
Dr. Bian traveled extensively, making acquaintances not only with officials and wealthy families, but also with gentry and farmers. His network of connections spanned the north and south of the country, making him both a valuable and numerous person.
Qi Chengming's own caravans traveled all over the country, their reach extending as far as Jiangnan—
He was initially wary of that prosperous and flourishing land and didn't want other people's attention to the caravan too soon. But with the Second Young Master Wen acting as a go-between, and by leveraging the power of the Wen family, even if the caravan made a fortune in Jiangnan and its novel products caused a stir and sold out quickly, it wouldn't attract any attention for a while.
Uncle Huang on the estate had maintained constant contact with the Marquis of Weiyong's household. His trained carrier pigeons would travel back and forth every three days, rain or shine. Even though the Marquis of Weiyong's household had been too weak in the past two years, they still had people secretly investigating someone in the capital.
Then we have to mention the person who surprised Qi Chengming the most—Mr. Huang.
Calling Huang Dong over to give him a few instructions was just a habit; Qi Chengming didn't actually expect him to do anything. But Huang Dong gave Qi Chengming a big shock. He wrote several letters and sent them out. When asked, they were addressed to his mentor, classmates, and teachers at the academy.
Qi Chengming: "?"
“Most of them have now been appointed as county magistrates, or are still working their way up in the Hanlin Academy.” Huang Dong explained with some shame, “Although most people look down on me for not doing my proper job, I did have a few close friends back then, or some relatives and friends who were related to my father… but I’ve lost contact with them over the years.”
Huang Dong struggled to explain.
He resolutely resigned from his official post to devote himself entirely to his passion, an act that was not accepted by the world. Even his friends were mostly shocked and heartbroken upon hearing the news. Perhaps some of them supported and understood him, but Huang Dong himself was constantly tormented by his conscience, and his immersion in architecture was also a way of escaping his own conscience. From then on, he severed ties with friends and teachers, pretending to be just an eccentric country bumpkin.
But now, he has joined the Second Prince's faction, his inner turmoil has been resolved, and he can now freely pursue his ambitions.
Huang Dong no longer cared about the past, but he lacked the courage to contact his old friend. Now, he could finally muster the courage to apologize, taking advantage of the important matter the prince had instructed him to do. Whether the prince scolded him or severed ties again, he could bear it.
The letters had all been distributed, and now all that remained was to wait for news.
Qi Chengming was still angry, so he grabbed Master Qin and made him properly restore order in Liuzhou City.
Every place has idle, unproductive people, but this is even more pronounced in a place like Liuzhou, a place of exile. Many of the newly settled people are essentially hooligans; the land is newly cultivated, and the houses were built by Master Huang and his men after the hurricane. Those who are down-to-earth and honest have already tried to settle down in Liuzhou. But what about those who are lazy, addicted to all sorts of vices, and unwilling to change their ways?
They also have their ways.
Liuzhou is mountainous, full of insects, snakes, and poisonous miasma. When troublemakers or idle hooligans encounter a period of strict government investigation, they hide in the mountains and come down to enjoy themselves when the heat dies down.
After Qi Chengming got angry this time, Master Qin also became ruthless and began to investigate the population.
This sensitive action did not arouse the vigilance or resistance of local wealthy families or officials, because although the actions taken by the Liuzhou County government were significant, they did not harm anyone:
The so-called population census did not take into account how many servants a wealthy household had, how many tenants a local gentry had, or the specific number of people in the village or alley. In other words, it did not involve any tax matters.
The population census conducted by the Liuzhou County government had only one key criterion: those who had no roots, no property, and no home in the area; outsiders; and those who had shaved their heads and had their hair shaved.
This investigation uncovered a dozen or so other cases, mostly involving bullying men and women, and swindling money. Since the group of wandering knights was prone to causing trouble, Master Qin used the perpetrators as examples, held court, and had about twenty people involved brutally beaten to death. The cheers from the crowd surrounding the yamen that day were deafening.
"What a show of making an example of someone!" a man said in a low voice.
On the day the Liuzhou County government held a hearing to adjudicate a case, he also watched the entire process from the crowd.
"Master, is all this commotion really for the sake of maintaining order? They could have conducted a thorough investigation after the disaster, but they've been so restrained... Sigh, there won't be such a good opportunity again." The servant beside the man, who seemed quite knowledgeable, said with regret.
"How do you know they didn't check?" the man retorted, turning his head to reveal sideburns and a somewhat smooth forehead beneath his clean, old cloth hat.
The man was about twenty or thirty years old, with a square face, a high nose, sparse but neat eyebrows, and bright eyes. He wore an unassuming cloth robe and had an extraordinary air about him. However, he deliberately hunched over and relaxed his posture to match the crowd of onlookers, so that he could hide in the crowd and watch secretly.
"But...?" The young servant scratched his head in confusion, only to find nothing. His forehead was even smoother now. "But if the county government investigates, will the locals be so calm? When it comes to taxes, everyone will be on high alert and hide in opposition, right?"
"Don't forget who started the reconstruction of the houses after the disaster," the man slowly reminded him. "Who hired the people? Who re-planned and rebuilt Liuzhou City? Who redistributed the land outside the city? Going through this process, there are still many things that can't be found out, but we can roughly figure it out."
"The rest is our job. Let's go, Sulai." The man turned and left; he now had a better understanding of the situation at the Liuzhou County government office.
"Master, I'll go fetch Madam and the young masters right away." The servant boy, who was used to being called "Su Lai," was relieved and quickly followed.
He knew that his master had been resentful for a long time about the inaction of the officials in Liuzhou.
...
The third day after that incident was a rare sunny day.
Qi Chengming calculated the time, summoned the people from Liuzhou County and the Prince's Mansion, and also notified the magistrates of several other counties. Together, they made a grand procession to his mountain estate—the experimental farm estate that was hidden away. Uncle Huang had already led the other veterans to hide, leaving only the villagers to nervously greet them.
The potatoes are ready to be harvested and displayed.
In fact, the potatoes had been ripe for a month. When the imperial envoys were still around, Qi Chengming had already prepared a delicious meal with potatoes and braised pork. He treated Qin Shiye and Bai Xuan to a wonderful meal, which quickly won their hearts. No one could resist it.
Especially since Qi Chengming had been away from his beloved fries for half a year, the young prince couldn't help but burst into tears when he tasted the delicious fried dough sticks.
Waaaaah... Long live Potato Gate!!
However, according to the book, mature potatoes will taste even better if they are left in the ground for three to four weeks. Qi Chengming only touched a few potatoes, but he was reluctant to leave them until now, finally ready to let them see the light of day again.
The potato harvest after the hurricane, floods, and pests is expected to be poor, but despite this, the high-yield seeds selected by the system, combined with his sterilized cultivation, should still result in a higher yield than ancient grains. Qi Chengming parted the stalk to observe the potato he had eaten, and there were three or four potatoes of varying sizes hanging from it.
The potatoes were very small and thin, probably weighing only about a pound (in modern terms) when put together.
Qi Chengming had the head farmer count the approximate number of potato plants, and he had a general idea of the situation. His sack of potato seeds had been planted in three different types of fields—high, medium, and low—and after experiencing various disasters, only about a thousand plants remained, covering less than half an acre of land—a very small number indeed. Based on the condition of the potato plant he had dug up and observed… and then converting the units of measurement between ancient and modern times…
In the end, the yield per mu will likely be between 70 and 100 shi. That is, if we calculate the actual output today as half, it will be between 35 and 50 shi.
Notice! !
This is a yield estimate after a series of unfortunate extreme disasters. Qi Chengming had no concept of this until the night before when Uncle Huang explained that in the south, where crops are suitable for planting, the highest yield per mu is now rice, which yields ten shi per mu.
Qi Chengming was immediately shocked.
Really? He thought that pulling up so many potato seedlings on the farm would ruin the crop, leaving it sparse and sparse, which wouldn't be very convincing enough to explain the high potato yield, and wouldn't have an explosive effect. He never expected that even after ruining it like that, it would still be so far ahead!
Having been shocked that night, Qi Chengming was much calmer today, having been prepared. He waved his hand, signaling everyone to get ready to dig.
He brought all the officials there to witness this moment.
He wasn't worried that the potatoes would be reported and their whereabouts would be unknown. Leaving aside the fact that everyone around him was on his side, what official would dare to rush to report on a new crop that hadn't undergone large-scale testing, without fear of something going wrong?
Even if it were reported, Qi Chengming doubted it would be taken seriously. The royal family would only care about how delicious it was, and with a wave of their hand, it would become a delicacy exclusively for the nobility...
"Your Highness!" Just as the officials had been given rakes and baskets and were excitedly preparing to follow the prince to the fields, a farmer came running up the mountain, panting, and reported, "There...there's a man who claims to be the newly appointed prefect!"
Qi Chengming's brow twitched slightly.
Oh, what a coincidence!
The only missing officials in Liuzhou right now are the prefect and the governor. The governorship is temporarily vacant, and the new governor... isn't he just the newly promoted Magistrate Mu, now called Governor Mu? He took office quickly, and the journey wasn't far, but he's been keeping quiet lately, and Qi Chengming assumed he was handling some trivial matters and handing over duties.
Their adjustment and coexistence will be crucial for the future development of Liuzhou, and Prefect Mu's arrival is just in time.
Thinking this through, Qi Chengming readily allowed them to pass: "Please, Prefect, come over here."
Come on, let's dig potatoes together!
This was not the kind of show of force Qi Chengming wanted to do.
But since you've come to me of your own accord, Lord Xiao Mu, I have no choice but to accept.
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Author's Note: Qi Chengming was secretly laughing loudly to himself.
(The specific data in this chapter comes from Baidu and Baidu Docs)
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