Chapter 51: The Wonderful Use of Health Bars (Bonus Chapter...)
If you want to get rich, build roads first.
Now that the entire city is finally going to be renovated, the first thing that popped into Qi Chengming's mind was cement, the ultimate weapon.
This is the simplest and quickest method.
Because now there are formulas for paving roads and building walls using glutinous rice mixed with lime mortar, which are very strong, but extremely expensive. Cement is more convenient and cheaper in comparison. Moreover, since there is no steel reinforcement available, Qi Chengming cannot use cement to build city walls and houses, and he doesn't intend to make such things conspicuous. He plans to first use cement to repair the city's sewers and main roads.
If word gets out, it will mislead people and make them think he's extravagant.
"Mr. Huang, come to my study later and invite Zhao the craftsman." Qi Chengming gave him another look, implying that he should think about it himself.
He just opened the infrastructure system and roughly scanned the map, finding the largest iron ore mine in Liuzhou, located in Rong County.
Qi Chengming vaguely remembered that cement was made from slag, limestone, and various fragments of ceramic tiles. Clay was ground into powder, fired, and then mixed with sand, gypsum, and other materials. After being ground finely and dried, it was mixed with water in a specific ratio. He couldn't remember the exact ratio; he could only have the craftsmen experiment in shifts.
Ancient cement manufacturing could only be done in a rudimentary way.
Because of a lack of raw materials and technology, even just grinding it into fine powder... they could only achieve a rough estimate. Firing also requires a stable high temperature, and Qi Chengming wasn't sure if the furnaces in his courtyard would be up to the task. Cement is most vulnerable to moisture and needs to be as dry as possible, otherwise it will harden and crack. The kang (heated brick bed) in his courtyard, which had previously been used for making fertilizer, could come in handy again.
At that time, Mr. Huang will be in charge of the planning and construction of the entire Liuzhou city, and Zhao Jianghu will follow behind him to provide technical support and logistics.
"Yes!" Huang Dong hadn't recovered from his excitement and answered in a daze. His eyes passed through the gate in front of the main courtyard and were already looking into the distance. His attention was completely off the conversation that was about to begin.
"It's best if Steward Song and Bishu work together to allocate the funds," Qi Chengming said, looking at the two of them.
After agreeing, Bishu bowed. She was usually low-key, but now she suddenly spoke up: "Your Highness, we are busy recruiting people today... Aunt Fang asked me to ask if the maids and boys on the estate would like to go and help?"
"What girl and boy?" Qi Chengming didn't react for a moment.
"When His Highness first arrived in Liuzhou, he instructed me to buy people—gatekeepers, handymen, cooks, and managers. He also bought a group of young girls and boys and sent them to the estate to learn etiquette first, and then other skills. Some of the talented ones were sent over to learn cooking from Aunt Fang, and others are good at arithmetic and are being trained to become accountants. The two most outstanding children are still being observed for their character... They can be trained for the imperial examinations."
Manager Song knew all about this and explained it clearly in one breath: "The best batch has a solid foundation and knows basic literacy. We are short-staffed, so they can help out and gain some experience."
“…Uh, okay.” Qi Chengming hesitated for a moment, then agreed.
He had almost forgotten that there was such a group of people.
When he first arrived in Liuzhou, he felt isolated and helpless, and needed to cultivate his own trusted men as soon as possible for future use. But he was prepared for a long war, and now... these kids are all out helping?!
But it's alright...
Qi Chengming looked at the new task that had silently appeared in the infrastructure system: [Infrastructure Task: Repair Liuzhou City!] The time limit was only two months.
He was not surprised at all. Winter was just two months away, and it would be difficult to start construction if it got too cold. People couldn't live in the cold wilderness forever, so they had to race against time to get everything done before then.
Qi Chengming recalled seeing similar structures in the countryside when he was a child. His uncles and elders would work together to build the simplest mud-brick houses. A group of people could build a dozen or so houses in three or four days. They were warm in winter and cool in summer, but they weren't very aesthetically pleasing.
He had previously seen craftsmen with dedicated supervisors at different stages of the process, indicating that the concept of assembly line production already existed in ancient times. This should be much faster; he would remind Mr. Huang to follow suit later.
The brief meeting at the Prince's Palace has come to an end.
Qi Chengming then went to the study to have a private conversation with Mr. Qin. This conversation mainly focused on how to package all the actions of the Prince's Mansion as being led by the county government, and how to recommend the scholars he had recently met to the various county governments in Liuzhou Prefecture.
"Your Highness, I feel you've changed a lot lately." Qin Liusong spoke cautiously, staring in astonishment at the young man who had grown considerably taller in the ten days or so he hadn't seen him. Most importantly, his demeanor seemed to have changed, becoming more composed and reserved.
I vaguely remember that just half a month ago, His Highness was jokingly saying that he didn't know how to be a prince, that he wanted to handle everything, big and small, and that he ended up making a mess of things. He wanted to ask me for advice on the procedures in the county government. Qin Liusong agreed at the time, but before he could hand it in, he was interrupted by the hurricane.
Looking at it now... His Highness delegated tasks today in a well-organized manner, from the largest to the smallest, without keeping everything under his control.
Isn't this already quite skillful?!
"You have no idea what kind of hardship I've been going through lately." Qi Chengming wanted to complain, but looking at Mr. Qin's eyes, he held back, deciding to wait until Wen Er returned before venting. In the end, he just said indignantly,
"...If I can't learn it soon, I'll be exhausted to death."
During this period, Qi Chengming did not leave behind any capable men; they were all sent to help in the other six counties.
What about locally? The prefect and the governor are both incompetent; if they could escape, they probably wouldn't be in Liuzhou anymore. The county magistrate is only good at being greedy and not proactive in his work; he only changes positions frequently. The registrar, though experienced, is incapable of shouldering responsibility and easily becomes indecisive. The county assistant magistrate can barely cooperate with Qi Chengming in issuing orders and managing the entire county government.
But look at that time—he had to tell him about everything, even the most trivial things. The potatoes on the mountain were flooded and needed draining; the villagers were draining them, but they still had to report it to him, the person in charge. This was information gathering that he couldn't refuse.
But if the medicinal herb kudzu root is gone, they'll still have to come to him—can he really run up the mountain to collect kudzu root? Can't the manager assign tasks and organize people to go out and collect it himself?
...If it were Mr. Qin, he wouldn't bother him with something like this!
From that moment on, Qi Chengming deeply regretted his actions and came to a complete understanding.
Management is all about learning how to operate an organization efficiently. He hadn't handled things properly before, which is why he's in such a chaotic situation and exhausted himself. Even if his trusted confidants aren't around, does he have to do all the work in Liuzhou by himself? Even among the short, there's always someone who can be the tallest!
While it's acceptable to be down-to-earth in daily life, a manager shouldn't be this approachable. Qi Chengming immediately pulled up a list of talents for the infrastructure system and began selecting new employees.
Scholars who have read books and understand principles, elders of the village clan, stewards of wealthy households, managers of estates...
Qi Chengming, considering himself merely a technical expert, angrily delegated all the tasks on the spot, forcing several officials, stewards, and scholars from the city who had previously handled matters well to temporarily take charge, each distributing tasks and going off to manage them. They were to handle matters large and small themselves, only reporting back when they couldn't reach an agreement.
He wants to sleep!
Qi Chengming was so angry that he sulked for half the night before finally falling asleep.
The principles of management are so simple, but you only realize how many ridiculous and clumsy mistakes you make when you actually do it, and you only know how to gradually adjust them after you've done it.
It's a story full of bitter tears.
Back then, Qi Chengming would even have Aunt Fang bake a plate of flatbread and cut it into pieces while he ate, his eyes fixed on calculating how to divide the flatbread.
It almost scared Xiao Chengzi half to death.
"Your Highness has had a long and tiring journey." Qin Liusong said these words with genuine sincerity.
Although he had worried about what would happen to Liuzhou City, with everyone out helping the other counties implement the same countermeasures as Liuzhou City, he was too busy to think about it much. Moreover, the situation in the other counties was far worse than in Liuzhou City.
Upon his return, Qin Liusong noticed many unfamiliar faces at the Prince's residence and the county government office, seemingly taking over their duties. He felt a pang of unease; the sense of crisis he hadn't felt in a long time was now returning.
His Highness is now entrusting these important matters to them, letting them command that group of new faces.
Qin Liusong felt relieved and went back.
"I don't mind being tired, Mr. Qin, you must take care of yourself!" Qi Chengming gripped Qin Shiye's rough, calloused hand tightly, expressing his equally heartfelt concern and advice.
He was exhausted a while ago and couldn't keep up, but he still had his health bar. As long as his blood level didn't drop to a dangerous level, he would pretend it didn't exist. Anyway, there weren't enough doctors available at the time, so at most he would just look a little pale and he could recover slowly afterward.
Mr. Qin's health is not good!
The absence of the capable Mr. Qin would be a real disaster. His presence in Liuzhou is as reassuring as the crown prince left behind in the capital when the emperor goes on a campaign.
After working non-stop for so long, and now that he's back, he'll be working overtime again for days on end. Qi Chengming is really worried about his important confidant and is anxious that he'll ruin his health.
He patiently repeated what others usually said to him to Mr. Qin: "Look at your face, Mr. Qin, and the bloodshot in your eyes. Haven't you slept well for days? Get a good rest first, then you can continue working. I'll personally watch over you—you're not allowed to stay up!"
Qin Liusong: "...?!"
Qin Liusong was deeply moved, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down a few times, but he was unable to utter a word.
but.
"Your Highness," Qin Liusong hesitated for a long time before blurting out, "Your complexion is still worse! Are you not sick?" He asked suspiciously, then reluctantly declined.
"Your Highness, you don't need to stay here anymore... I'm going to sleep right away. Your Highness, you should get some rest!"
Xiao Chengzi, standing nearby, immediately became alert and uncertain.
Perhaps it's because people who spend every day together can't easily notice big changes, and since His Highness always acts as if nothing's wrong, Xiao Chengzi believed him after asking twice. Now, his suspicions have suddenly been aroused again.
Qi Chengming glanced at the health bar, and taking advantage of Xiao Dezi's absence, he confidently lied through his teeth: "It's nothing, I'm just tired, I'll be fine after a nap."
This is nothing. When he was in modern times, he was in poor health every day. After working all night for three or four years, his complexion was even worse!
And we also have to consider tinnitus, palpitations, and shortness of breath...
"It's really nothing, go to sleep." Qi Chengming didn't wait for Qin Liusong to explain and sent him to sleep. He quickly welcomed Mr. Huang, who had been waiting for half a day, back in and explained in detail how to research the proportions of the cement formula.
After handing over all this business, Qi Chengming planned to resume his relaxation activities tomorrow:
—He went on a clandestine visit!
It's a pity his good partner Wen Er isn't here. Oh wait, Wen Er's demeanor is only suitable for playing a noble young master; if he wore plain clothes, people would definitely recognize him. It's better to find a few more down-to-earth partners.
The next morning, Qi Chengming's planned trip was interrupted again.
After the hurricane, Bai Xuan came in person this time, almost in tears, asking about the prince's well-being with great concern: "Your Highness, are you alright?!"
It wasn't that he was acting; Bai Xuan had thoroughly tasted the sweetness of being associated with the prince during this period—he was the undisputed ruler within the Bai family, and outside the Bai family, his various businesses were raking in profits thanks to the new tricks provided by the merchant caravans.
Life suddenly seems to consist only of smooth sailing.
If something were to happen to the prince at a time like this... he would feel worse than if he himself were dead!
"Perfect timing, you've arrived." Qi Chengming looked Bai Xuan up and down. A merchant's son, his appearance and demeanor were just right.
"Come on—come with me on a street patrol!"
Bai Xuan, who had just arrived at the destination, was suddenly dragged away to accompany the prince: "...??"
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Author's Note: Little Dezi: Your Highness, just wait for me to come back and everything will be fine...
(Second update today! This is an extra chapter to thank everyone for all the landmines you've thrown since the beginning of the story! Muah everyone!)
...Although the next bonus chapter with nutrient solution is coming soon, the smile suddenly disappeared.
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