"Hey, have you guys heard?"
"The Imperial Envoy will be arriving in our Ningyuan County soon!"
An old man with a pipe was talking to a group of other old men at the city gate.
"I've heard about it, I've heard about it!"
"I heard that the Imperial Envoy has come here to inspect the government offices and to promote high-yield grain varieties and water pumps for farming!"
"What do you think those water pumps look like? Can they really irrigate high-lying land?"
Although the imperial envoy has not yet arrived, the people already know part of the purpose of his visit.
After all, the county government had already posted a notice 10 days ago to inform the people of this matter.
In preparation for welcoming the imperial envoy, the county magistrate had all the village roads repaired and the city thoroughly cleaned.
If someone's doorstep wasn't cleaned properly, the constables and yamen runners would come to advise them.
If someone is stubborn and refuses to listen, quite a few will be punished with a beating.
"We don't understand waterwheels, after all, no one has ever seen one."
"However, the rice and wheat seeds we used to grow were already high enough. I wonder what crops the magistrate has brought this time?"
"It would be best if we could get some high-yield grains like potatoes. In the past, when my family grew grains, after paying taxes, it was never enough to eat."
"Since potatoes became a staple food, our family has set aside half an acre of land every year to grow potatoes. Even after paying taxes, it's enough for the family to eat until the following year."
The old men gathered together, discussing something animatedly.
They had no idea that a group of people were standing behind them.
These people were all dressed as businessmen, and seemed to be merchants who had come from somewhere to do business.
Liu Qingyuan listened for a long time but didn't hear any complaints from the people about the county magistrate.
It seems that the magistrate of Ningyuan County is a decent person and has not done anything that would anger both heaven and man.
It's worth noting that during his inspection tour, he apprehended quite a few corrupt officials.
It seems this trip to Ningyuan County will be a bit easier.
"My lord, the magistrate of Ningyuan County is still waiting. Let's go inside first!"
They stood there for a while, and then their subordinates began to urge them on.
Liu Qingyuan did not linger and followed the others into Ningyuan County.
The magistrate of Ningyuan County was a middle-aged man in his forties. He had regular features, but his skin was dark, which showed that he had been exposed to the wind and sun for many years.
Moreover, when receiving Liu Qingyuan, they did not fawn over him like officials from other places.
From their brief encounter, Lin Qingyuan knew that this was a pragmatist.
Since the magistrate of Ningyuan County was a good official, Liu Qingyuan no longer hesitated and went straight to the point.
He then presented the grain varieties he had brought to the magistrate of Ningyuan County.
"This seed is called corn. It's a crop that's planted by digging holes. Two corn seeds are placed in each hole, with the plants spaced about the length of an adult's foot apart."
"And this is a vegetable called cucumber. Cucumber has a crisp texture and is a delicious dish on people's tables."
"Cucumbers can not only be stir-fried, but also eaten raw or in salads."
"These are chili seeds. Chili peppers are spicier than the common dogwood, and this is also a vegetable that enriches people's dining tables."
"And this..."
Liu Qingyuan introduced the seeds they had brought to the magistrate of Ningyuan County one by one.
He then explained the specific details of these seeds in detail.
The seeds will be distributed to various villages by the magistrate of Ningyuan County, but Liu Qingyuan's main purpose in coming here this time is to solve the problem of flooding.
After all, Ningyuan County is backed by the Yangtze River, and during the flood season, the fields near the river are at risk of being flooded.
Liu Qingyuan came here mainly to solve this problem.
He had already discussed with the emperor the idea of building a flood discharge channel here and reinforcing the flood control dam with cement.
This is a long job; I estimate I'll be here for one or two years.
Thinking of his two newborn sons, Liu Qingyuan felt a pang of sadness.
However, once he got completely busy, he forgot about that discomfort.
"Lord Liu, the water is about to rise. We've made so many preparations, surely we won't be flooded again this year?"
On this day, the magistrate of Ningyuan County and Liu Qingyuan stood together on the embankment, looking at the results of more than a year.
We're just waiting for the river to rise again; that will be the time to see the results.
"Lord Lin, we can just test the results here. Let's not have all the people crowding around here."
"If something goes wrong, it could be a matter of life and death."
Liu Qingyuan glanced at the embankment, then at the crowd of onlookers in the distance.
He thought these people were really brave; they used to be too afraid to go near this place, but now they were all crowding around it.
They are completely irresponsible with their own lives.
"Lord Liu, I will immediately send men to drive the people away from the riverbank!"
The magistrate of Ningyuan County also took a look. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, after all, it was a dam he had personally watched being built, so he was quite confident in it.
But since Shangguan had already said so, he had to be cautious.
After all, these are his subjects.
Just as they sent people to drive away the people, the river water began to rise slowly.
After the river water level exceeded the critical line, Liu Qingyuan directed everyone to open the sluice gates and release the water.
The river water surged out from the designated flood discharge channel, rushing along a specific route and flowing in all directions.
"Lord Liu, do you see? The river water hasn't flooded the fields."
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