Chapter 35: Buying High-Yield Potato Seeds (Additional...)
The welcoming banquet lasted until it was getting dark.
Qi Chengming left without any hesitation, packing up the food from the restaurant. After all, it was a treat from the Liuzhou officials, so why not take it with him? He had already spent a lot of money on the restaurant—now he could let everyone who stayed behind have a good meal too.
When Qi Chengming returned to the palace with a sumptuous meal, the vast building was finally filled with people, lights illuminating the scene, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
"—Sprinkle the pesticide powder! Bugs are coming!!"
"The roof over there needs fixing too; it looks like it's leaking."
"Cough cough... How long has it been since anyone lived here?" "Shut up, aren't you choking?!"
Everyone arrived in Liuzhou after a long and arduous journey, but they couldn't rest on their first night. They had to set up their rooms for the night, which was exhausting.
Qi Chengming laughed when he saw this.
He clapped his hands, signaling Xiao Dezi to gather all the important people around. He now had far too many men under his command, and it was no longer possible to gather everyone together for a speech as he had done in the Second Prince's residence.
—Now, after entering the main gate of the Prince Rui's Mansion, you pass through the hanging flower gate to reach the main hall, and then pass through the covered corridor and flower hall to arrive at the central courtyard.
This is undoubtedly where Qi Chengming lives.
He summoned all his trusted men to the open space in the main courtyard and decisively announced some great news: "You've all had a hard journey! Now we've finally arrived in Liuzhou. I won't treat you all poorly; take this money and divide it among yourselves."
Piled on the table was a huge heap of gleaming silver, its impact deafening.
Xiao Chengzi shrank to the side, smiling and concealing his merits and fame.
"...!!" Aunt Fang suddenly held her breath. Zhao the Craftsman's face lit up with disbelief. Bi Shu's lips pursed slightly, her smile somewhat shy and adorable. Commander Mao also chuckled; the alcohol he'd been drinking tonight had completely dissipated, leaving him perfectly sober.
Who doesn't like receiving money?
They never expected that His Highness would suddenly give them such a big surprise after arriving in Liuzhou!
Now no one felt tired from the work. Everyone happily tallied up the wages for everyone. Each person received twenty taels of silver, while the hardworking and diligent Imperial Guards received thirty taels of silver each.
This is a huge sum of money!
It's no exaggeration to say that Qi Chengming's generous distribution this time cost more than the money spent on buying the land deed for Prince Rui's mansion. On the spot, some eunuchs, palace maids, or artisans who received the money knelt on the ground, weeping and kowtowing repeatedly to express their gratitude, and they couldn't be pulled up.
"Stop pulling, let's not talk about them anymore... I even want to kowtow to His Highness a few times." A guard tried hard to hold back his tears, his eyes wide open, and he said in a very unnatural voice.
What is the concept of the "reward money" that His Highness issued? It is their salary for several years or even more than ten years! Didn't you see that even the imperial physicians were silent, bowing their heads and stroking the silver, counting it over and over again with trembling lips?
They are incredibly fortunate to have such a ruler!
Song Gu sat to the side, watching the endless stream of people, and looked around with a hearty laugh.
He particularly liked this scene.
Everyone's expression was one of fervor and gratitude, so loyal they would give their lives for each other. Some were weeping bitterly, while others were laughing heartily, but all of them looked like men who would die for their confidants, just like him.
It is worth mentioning that Song Gu received five taels more silver than others.
After thinking about it carefully, he guessed the reason and felt a warmth in his heart.
...
The atmosphere in the main courtyard was not as relaxed as in other places.
While everyone else was busy, Qi Chengming was having a serious private talk with Qin Liusong in the study. In the main courtyard, the main house facing south was his bedroom, the left side room was used as a study, and the right side room was given to Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi to live nearby.
"Starting tomorrow, there will be a lot of construction work to be done at our palace. The county government can help us publish the recruitment notice. Remember to make it clear that we are not serving in the military, but are paid. Try to recruit people in every village and every alley."
Qi Chengming could easily see that it was impossible for them, as newcomers, to mobilize a large number of people to work. They could only rely on the deterrent power of the local county government (because they had no credibility).
"Understood," Qin Liusong replied easily.
Making him a secretary was a waste of his talents. Now, reassigned to Liuzhou, he's merely sidelining a county magistrate and dealing with a few minor difficulties. This is an easy task assigned to him only after the lord personally dealt with his superior, the prefect... He'd be a fool to fail at this.
Qin Liusong felt he was now the hope of the entire prefecture (?). His Highness had placed him here, certainly not just to have him serve the prefecture's personal interests. Cleaning up the county government and upholding justice for the people—that was the true duty of a county government. Therefore, the burden on Qin Liusong's shoulders grew heavier.
He twisted his wrists a couple of times, secretly making up his mind, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
After he'd subdued everyone in the Liuzhou county government over the next few days, he pulled up the case files and quickly reopened those old cases. The executions were scheduled for October, and if any wrongful convictions or miscarriages of justice occurred in the meantime, he wouldn't have much time left…!
the next day.
The Prince Rui's Mansion officially took root in Liuzhou, and this massive ancient machine began to operate efficiently under Qi Chengming's wishes.
Everyone was given a task.
First, the first group of people: Huang Dong and Xiao Dezi went out of the city to recruit carpenters and laborers. Master Huang had already stayed up all night writing out the design drawings for the new palace, and the list of timber and other materials needed was very long. After obtaining approval from Bi Shu and Steward Song, they went to assemble their infrastructure team.
The list of infrastructure teams that Qi Chengming wrote in the capital is no longer applicable. The Imperial Guard only has a total of one hundred men, and manpower is needed in various places. Only ten men can be assigned to accompany, supervise, and guard the area. The remaining men will be recruited.
The second group was led by Steward Song.
His tasks today were very heavy. He needed to scout locations, buying suitable shops for a restaurant and soap business, as well as a site for a soap factory. He also needed to negotiate the purchase of several courtyards next to the Prince's mansion for future expansion. He also needed to buy several estates outside the city that produced grain, vegetables, and fruits to ensure the mansion's daily needs. Finally, he had to go to the labor market to purchase many servants…
Guazi was the little eunuch who told Qi Chengming the recipe for palace bath powder on the way. It was obvious that he was trying to learn it and wanted to secretly make these things himself.
So he was now appointed by Qi Chengming as the deputy consul of the soap factory, working alongside Zhao, the head consul, to keep the soap factory afloat. The two of them, looking rather foolish, followed behind Steward Song, waiting to buy the soap factory. Aunt Fang and Eunuch Zhang were also following behind for the same reason.
The third group of people...
It was Qi Chengming himself.
He left Bishu, who was very good at math, at home just in case. In such a large mansion, there would always be times when money was needed, and she could handle the accounting and management.
Qi Chengming personally took Xiao Chengzi and Lao Hua to the outskirts of the city.
"Your Highness, please be careful. The road up the mountain is very rugged and difficult to walk. The carriage will have to stop here, and we'll have to walk," Old Hua rarely spoke up to remind you. "There are many miasma and poisonous insects on the mountain, so you must carry a medicine kit with you at all times. I will go ahead and scout the way for Your Highness."
Qi Chengming agreed.
Liuzhou is located in a remote area, with many mountains and rainforests, making the roads very rugged. Apart from Liuzhou city and its suburbs, which are barely habitable and have been developed into farmland, the rest of the area is still pristine. Even Qi Chengming and his group, who came with a purpose today, did not dare to venture too far and could only proceed along the mountain road they already knew well.
After turning several corners, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a village. Five or six men, missing limbs and clearly retired soldiers, came forward and respectfully knelt down to pay their respects: "Greetings, Your Highness!"
Behind them knelt a dozen or so farmers, their faces filled with fear, too terrified to even lift their heads.
"No need for formalities, get up quickly." Qi Chengming hurriedly called out, carefully examining the one-eyed veteran at the head of the group. "You must be Uncle Huang, right?"
Of the group of people that the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion had previously sent to Qi Chengming, the liaison officer Lao Hua had been with the convoy. He was responsible for contacting the group of veterans who were now disguised as merchants. At the same time, five other families had arrived in Liuzhou ahead of time, led by this Uncle Huang.
"Your Highness, this estate was arranged for you by the old lord," Uncle Huang said, his voice neither humble nor arrogant, yet subtly revealing a hint of kindness. Years ago, he had been a soldier fighting alongside the lord and his uncle, and this time, his entire family had willingly come to Liuzhou to help. The lord had only brought them silver; the estate was something Uncle Huang had arranged for Your Highness after considering the matter upon arrival.
Unexpectedly, when His Highness arrived, he needed a place to conduct some kind of "experimental field." Uncle Huang was overjoyed, as this useless man could finally still play a role.
Logically speaking, they should address him as "Your Highness," but Uncle Huang only recognizes his own grandfather and his grandfather's grandson, the Second Prince, so he always addresses him as "Your Highness."
"Take me to see the land quickly." After recognizing the faces and the original farmers in the village, Qi Chengming couldn't wait to get to the fields.
Uncle Huang led the way. Having arrived in Liuzhou so far in advance, he knew this land like the back of his hand: "The dozen or so acres here are medium-grade fields, originally planted with rice, which has already been harvested. The four or five acres scattered over there are low-grade fields, very barren, where the farmers grow some vegetables and mustard greens, just enough to fill their stomachs... There is a grove of citrus trees behind, and a small lake on the mountain that can be fed down, so... There is less than an acre of high-grade fields here, which are very precious."
Qi Chengming's body still needs more exercise; he became breathless after walking for only a short while, and then started sweating profusely.
He looked at Xiao Chengzi, who was slightly out of breath, and at Uncle Huang, who was old and thin but not red-faced or panting, and made a fierce decision in his heart:
exercise!
He needs to get back in shape! He's been traveling a lot for the past two months, so he needs to take good care of his health. Otherwise, how can he be a construction worker?
"Your Highness, shall we rest for a while?" Xiao Chengzi asked worriedly from the side.
But Qi Chengming would rather he not be so considerate right now, and refused while panting: "...No need, I've already seen the place."
Although the climb was arduous, Qi Chengming now felt quite refreshed as he looked around.
In the pristine green mountains and fields, the view suddenly opens up, with terraced fields scattered across the mountains or forming continuous stretches. Small lakes ripple in the breeze, a landscape completely different from the rural scenery of the capital.
“The lower-grade and middle-grade fields can now be harvested to free up space, but what about the upper-grade fields…” Uncle Huang pondered, then asked with some difficulty, “I wonder how much Your Highness plans to plant?”
He only knew that His Highness needed several different fields for comparison, but he didn't even know what to plant. Moreover, it was autumn now, and the late rice in the superior fields was almost ripe. If they were to pull them up and replant new crops... he would obey the order, but he couldn't help feeling heartbroken.
These crops are life itself to the farmers.
"We can't plant too many, and they don't need to take up much land. We can just dig some soil next to the prime fields and make ridges," Qi Chengming estimated. Potatoes are not suitable for planting on flat land.
Uncle Huang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Without saying a word, Qi Chengming clicked into the infrastructure system's shop and bought potato seeds!
He had 120 points and 100 points for potato seeds, which was just enough to buy one sack. Next... he needed to find an opportunity to avoid the familiar Xiao Chengzi and figure out how to bring the seeds to the manor to plant them.
Qi Chengming looked at the potatoes that were automatically stored in the infrastructure system space, and couldn't wait to see... the shocked expressions on the faces of the others when the harvest was complete.
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Author's note: This is the second update today!
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