Chapter 80 The New Prefect: Watch Me Give a Thorough Performance! ...
Not to mention what happened later, when the list of those to be honored for ancestral worship was to be finalized at the start of the new year, the people from the Imperial Observatory also interfered, hastening the Sixth Prince's departure from the capital. For the next few years, the capital would be left with only the astonished First Prince and Third Prince fighting each other...
At this moment, Qi Chengming has no idea how the plan he is concerned about, entrusted to someone thousands of miles away, is progressing. He can only take things one step at a time, working diligently on the land before him.
Liuzhou.
As spring warms up a bit, some impatient people have already put on light clothes and are shouting slogans.
With a series of piercing or muffled sounds, the earth shook violently. From the sunken area surrounded by the crowd, murky mud gushed out, slowly turning into puddles, filthy and dirty. Yet, the onlookers erupted in deafening cheers and shouts.
"Water! It's water! We have water now!"
The man at the head of the group was none other than Huang Dong, a muscular man. He wiped the sweat from his brow, a genuine smile of joy on his face, and waved his hand with high spirits: "The rest is up to you. Let's go to the next breach!"
The soldiers around them responded, and the men who took over from the construction team began to collect stones and pile them up around the puddle with practiced ease. They had been doing this kind of work recently and were gradually becoming skilled workers.
Qi Chengming stood inconspicuously in the crowd, observing with satisfaction: "...It's truly thriving!"
Standing with him were Bai Xuan, who had moved to Liuzhou with his family; Wen Er Gongzi, who had returned after cleaning up the officialdom in Eshan County; his cousin Wang Shou, who was recovering from his injuries and was now rebuilding his health; and of course, Master Qin and Steward Song.
They had been eagerly anticipating this moment for a whole winter, making thorough preparations.
As soon as spring arrives and the weather warms up, the well-drilling plan in Liuzhou City begins. This includes the dragon-bone waterwheels that the Wangfu (Prince's Residence) and its households have been building all winter, which, combined with elevated and lower levels, can supply water to the fields and are now proving useful.
"This is the fifty-third well." Master Qin held an abacus in his hand, but he quickly obtained the data with a glance. "In another week, all the wells and dragon bone waterwheels will be able to start using them one after another. More people should come to the county government to sign contracts for reclaiming wasteland. At that time, we can open up the rental of curved plows uniformly made from the ironworks."
"We don't know what kind of connections the new prefect has yet to make. I heard he was recommended from the capital, which is quite special." Wen Zhongnan, who has many connections and influence, frowned deeply and cautiously lowered his voice, "...Let's wait and see before building the salt ponds."
Qi Chengming nodded in understanding.
Last time, he drew a reward from the system that included a recipe for salt making, but it was too important to reveal without finding a suitable time.
We need to find out what the prefect is up to first before we can make a move.
"Let's go." Qi Chengming waved his hand. "We should go to the new prefect's welcome banquet."
Although he knew he would have to make further plans, Qi Chengming was in a good mood and was not affected.
Whether the new prefect is good or bad, it won't affect the vibrant future of Liuzhou. The more wasteland is reclaimed and utilized, the more crops can be grown—in this agrarian society, the more land and grain there is, the greater the labor force that the grain production can support. His fiefdom will develop gradually like a snowball, no longer as difficult as it was last year.
Qi Chengming's heart was surging with excitement and his blood was boiling.
"I never expected they would all trust me, their prince, so much." Qi Chengming let out a soft sigh of relief, feeling a heavy weight in his heart. But it wasn't the weariness of fatigue; rather, it was a sense of peace and contentment.
He always knew that the livelihoods of many families were tied to his shoulders, but seeing the county government's initial slow encouragement of land reclamation turn into the current frenzy of people rushing to it as if they were grabbing gold, he felt incredibly happy.
They planted cotton, potatoes, tomatoes, and various kinds of peppers. These new crops were introduced by Qi Chengming. The farmers firmly believed that following the prince would ensure their safety, and now that water was plentiful, everyone was eager to cultivate more land to increase their own security.
There were also "citrus trees," "sugarcane," and "sesame," three crops that were native to the area. Qi Chengming also had the Imperial Guards spread the word and encourage planting and purchasing them, and the farmers naturally believed and followed suit.
Previously, these three things were grown locally to varying degrees: sugarcane was the most common because it was mainly used for sugar production. Citrus fruits were mostly used as medicinal herbs at this time, while sesame was a common ingredient in dishes at shops and restaurants, though it didn't have a large market, it was still grown.
What Qi Chengming needs most is sesame oil, which is essential for cooking. Eating lard every day won't keep up with the consumption, and the pig farm hasn't even expanded yet.
"Wuyou, you go to the welcome banquet... let's go somewhere else." Bai Xuan and Wen Zhongnan stopped and looked at each other. Bai Xuan warmly greeted the tall young man: "Cousin Wang, would you like to come to my house for a drink?"
"...Why are they all starting to call me cousin?" Wang Shou said helplessly. He politely declined, "Drinking makes my hands unsteady, so I won't go."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but wiggle his missing fingers a few times.
...He only has one healthy hand left, so he has to cherish it.
Ever since the idea of joining the army arose in Wang Shou's mind, he had consciously increased the intensity of his training. He used to have amazing marksmanship, not some secret technique unique to the Wang family. The Wang family hadn't even been established for more than three generations. It was the practical experience that the Wang family had accumulated over many years on the battlefield. When he used it, it only exuded killing intent, without any fancy moves.
But without fingers... his marksmanship always had flaws. In recent years, Wang Shou has switched to using his left hand as his dominant hand, and his daily practice has made him quite proficient, so he switched to using a left-handed pistol.
He cherishes his health and will never touch alcohol again.
"I'll go back and go for a walk in the orchard with Tianniang." Wang Shouwei smiled slightly, the couple's affection was low-key and reserved.
After arriving in Liuzhou, the Yang family lost their bayberry business, but they couldn't just stay at the Prince's mansion doing nothing. After Qi Chengming learned that Granny Yang had gone out to inquire about job openings, he handed over the newly established citrus orchard to the Yang family for management.
—Only at this point did Qi Chengming understand why people in ancient times were so fond of nepotism. In management situations like this, ability isn't the primary consideration, unless it's exceptionally outstanding. Those appointing people at this stage value loyalty and trustworthiness more.
Qi Chengming himself was one of them.
As long as the Yang family can manage the orange tree business well and not cause trouble, he found himself instinctively more at ease entrusting it to them.
"...Don't worry, let's go have some drinks. You can take care of me!" Young Master Wen waved happily to Qi Chengming, then put his arm around Bai Xuan and walked away.
Now it was Qi Chengming's turn to look at them with envious eyes: "..."
"That's great, I want to go play too." He sighed and complained, then suddenly became unusually hesitant, his face full of reluctance. "Why did the prefect have to choose today to take office? What a hassle."
As we all know, the worst news isn't having to attend some difficult meeting, but rather that your friends have gone off to have fun while you're there!
...and it just ran right in front of me! Isn't that going too far?!
Song Gu opened his eyes wide in astonishment: "...!"
Your Highness, new Emperor, is this some kind of coquettish act?
He had always seen His Highness as someone with a strong sense of responsibility—even an excessive one, to the point that one wanted to advise, "Your Highness, let's rest." And now he was complaining like this.
Song Gu was greatly pleased. He stepped forward and volunteered, his dimples gleaming with mischief: "Your Highness, once we get to the banquet, I might as well negotiate. You can reenact the disaster relief situation... that way you can leave rudely halfway through."
Qi Chengming pondered: "You mean, you want me to continue pretending to be a capricious and irresponsible prince?"
If the new prefect is truly a good one, this one incident of saving face won't matter much. Qi Chengming can even be free of trouble sooner and go have a drink with Bai Xuanwen.
If the new prefect is not good... Qi Chengming's negative image provides an excuse to approach people and set them up for entrapment. Bad people always collude, so there's no need to worry about him not sticking to them.
Master Qin had been distracted calculating this year's grain reserves, but he suddenly snapped back to reality: "...Wait, isn't this my duty, Steward Song?"
His gaze, sharp as a blade, turned icy as he met the still-smiling Steward Song's.
Song remained calm and unyielding, stating matter-of-factly, "This time is different; it's a private matter of the Prince's residence, and it's only right that I handle it. Besides, Mr. Qin is doing well in the county government; if he were to reveal himself as a guest advisor to His Highness right away, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
"..." Qin Liusong's eyes flashed with a sharp light in an instant, and he was rendered speechless.
Good, good, how come he never noticed that Steward Song's words were so sharp before?
Song Gu defeated his competitor in one move, and lowered his eyes with satisfaction: "..."
Normally, he didn't see the need for competition; the more people working for His Highness, the better. But this time, His Highness had finally shown some affection, and he wanted to fulfill His Highness's wish—he wanted to do it himself.
Song Gu, as a diligent and conscientious chief steward, did not care about wealth or fame, but he was not entirely without any need for compensation.
Two trusted generals of the Prince's mansion, under the watchful eyes of everyone, exchanged pleasantries while their swords flashed, neither willing to yield. Xiao Dezi couldn't help but shrink back, wondering if it was because Chief Steward Song hadn't competed with him for the position of the Prince's most favored person in the past. Now, thinking about it, he was practically grateful.
Qi Chengming didn't say anything to stop it; he was secretly amused by what he saw: "..."
Let's fight! Let's fight!
Whose vanity has surfaced? When you encounter ministers fighting tooth and nail for you... God, who wouldn't love to watch that!
Of course, this needs to be done in moderation.
Qi Chengming cleared his throat one last time, not daring to waste any more time. He led his men back to his residence, then, with great pomp and circumstance, rode in a carriage to the Bai Family Restaurant, which had been cleared out.
The welcome banquet has begun.
Sitting in the second seat, raising his glass to Prefect Mu in a toast, was a fat, big-eared man. His gaze swept over Qi Chengming, who had just entered, and his expression instantly changed, his smile widening, even more enthusiastic than when he was toasting Prefect Mu. He said eagerly, "—Prince Rui! This humble official toasts you!"
Having said that, the middle-aged official disregarded his status and voluntarily left his seat, eagerly rushing over with his wine glass in hand. The more dignified Prefect Mu immediately let out a slight sigh of relief, seemingly quite annoyed just moments before.
Qi Chengming's expression remained largely unchanged, but the corners of his mouth drooped down: "..."
Tsk.
He had a feeling that this new prefect wasn't a good person either...
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Author's Note: Prefect: This is slander! You can't judge a book by its cover! (He bangs his head on the ground)
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