After drinking the cold tea and watermelon, the fatigue from the journey was immediately relieved.
After Fu Xiaoguan finished talking about canned food, Dong Shulan's mind started working quickly.
"How about...let the harem run this canning workshop? Otherwise, it's not a good thing to have too much idle time all day."
"Of course you can do it if you want, but what I mean is that the canning method must be made public. It can't become a royal monopoly, because the demand for this stuff will be huge, not just on the oceans, but also in the military and among ordinary people."
"We can encourage private capital to invest in this canning factory. There are many varieties of canned goods, and the market is huge, so there can be fair competition."
Dong Shulan nodded. There are nearly 100 million silver coins in the treasury now, but since the Wu Dynasty came, the amount of silver has only decreased and not increased.
All the industries that I had in the Yu Dynasty were gone, and I felt it was not a good idea not to do something.
At this time, Xiaoqi came over and bowed to Fu Xiaoguan: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the hot water is ready. Please take a bath."
After taking a rest and cooling down, the most comfortable thing to do is of course to take a hot bath.
But just as Fu Xiaoguan stood up, Yang Hua, the proprietress of Siyang Inn, hurried in.
"Gentlemen, our County Magistrate Bai is outside, asking to see you."
Fu Xiaoguan was startled and winked at Ning Siyan, "Let him wait outside."
Ning Siyan stood up and walked out. Yang Hua couldn't help but look at Fu Xiaoguan twice more, and was extremely surprised - County Magistrate Bai and General Ma came in a hurry and said they wanted to see the guest who booked the inn. If it were in the past, they would go in directly, but today they asked me to go and inform him.
Now that it has been announced, I thought these gentlemen would definitely go out to greet the county magistrate when they heard that he was coming, but I didn't expect that the young master actually told the county magistrate to wait outside... Then the status of this young master must be much higher than that of County Magistrate Bai. Could he be the son of the provincial governor or the prefectural governor?
Yang Hua didn't dare to speak and hurriedly retreated. She happened to see Ning Siyan standing in the hall. He didn't show any fear of meeting the county magistrate. He actually put his hands behind his back and said to the county magistrate in a very cold tone: "You are well-informed. The boss asked you to wait here."
Then Yang Hua's eyes widened. She saw that County Magistrate Bai and General Ma were actually smiling apologetically, bowing and politely saying to the young man, "Your subordinates, I'll wait here!"
Then Yang Hua saw the young man turn around and leave, leaving County Magistrate Bai and General Ma looking at each other. Their faces were covered with sweat, and even the backs of their clothes were soaked.
My God, what is the identity of that gentleman inside?
Yang Hua swallowed her saliva. She didn't dare to ask County Magistrate Bai. She quickly took two cups of cold tea and handed them to County Magistrate Bai and General Ma. The two of them took them and gulped down two big gulps.
"Shopkeeper Yang's,"
"ah,"
"I'm telling you, if you serve those people well, I'll exempt you from taxes for three years!"
Yang Hua was startled and nodded quickly, "Do you want me to go to the brothel to find some Hu girls?"
"Ridiculous!" County Magistrate Bai chuckled, startling Yang Hua. "Only do what the people inside need. Never act on your own."
Yang Hua nodded, but couldn't help but ask, "Sir, the young man inside..."
"Shut up! Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask!"
"oh."
Yang Hua really shut up. She sat behind the counter, but her eyes glanced towards the backyard from time to time, becoming more and more curious about the identity of the young man inside.
…
…
In the bathroom, Dong Shulan rubbed Fu Xiaoguan's back and said, "I thought you wouldn't meet the county magistrate."
"Originally, I didn't want to meet him, but now that I've thought about the canned food, I'll meet him later and ask him about the customs and culture of Siyang County. Besides bayberries, what other specialties does this place have?"
"Husband."
"Um."
"How on earth do you know all this?"
Dong Shulan's hand stopped on Fu Xiaoguan's back. She tilted her head and looked at Fu Xiaoguan's face with curiosity.
Fu Xiaoguan grinned, "You wouldn't believe it, but after your guard hit me on the head, a lot of things suddenly appeared in my head."
"Were those poems and essays also typed out?"
"It's true. See, you won't believe it."
"Humph, how could such a thing happen in the world? Just don't tell me," Dong Shulan began to rub his back carefully again. "Anyway, you are my husband. It is my honor that you have such great abilities."
After taking a bath, Fu Xiaoguan was in a good mood.
He came to the pavilion in a snow-white silk shirt, took a sip of cold tea, and then said to Ning Siyan, "Go call them over."
The sweat that had just subsided for County Magistrate Bai and Ma Ji broke out again. The two of them bent their bodies and followed Ning Siyan tremblingly to the front of Fu Xiaoguan, and knelt down with a thud.
"I, Bai Qiusheng, the magistrate of Siyang County, pay my respects to His Majesty. I was unaware of your arrival and failed to greet you. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!"
At the same time, Ma Ji also hurriedly said: "Your Ma Ji, the governor of Siyang County, pays homage to the emperor."
Official Fu put down the cup in his hand and suddenly smiled. "I remember issuing an edict last year prohibiting all towns from collecting entry taxes. Is it because Siyang County is so remote that my edict didn't reach you?"
County Magistrate Bai was horrified and turned to look at Ma Ji. Ma Ji had not told him about this. He felt a chill in his heart. What the hell, could it be that the taxes collected by Ma Ji's men into the city had been put on His Majesty's head?
Ma Ji was even more panicked. He kowtowed three times and said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to die!"
This damn Ma Ji is hurting me!
County Magistrate Bai felt like dying. He kowtowed three times in a panic, "Your Majesty, I have received your command. I have been negligent and I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
Yang Hua couldn't bear the curiosity in her heart, so she tiptoed to the moon gate in the backyard, hid behind it and listened with her ears perked up.
At this moment, she took a breath of cold air. Oh my God, that young man turned out to be the current emperor!
She didn't even catch her breath, a rush of hot blood rushed to her head, and with a "bang", she was so scared that she fainted.
Ning Siyan walked out. Fu Xiaoguan looked at the two people kneeling on the ground and said, "Get up."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty dare not!"
"Then kneel down."
"...Thank you, Your Majesty. I kneel."
"How many people are there in Siyang County? How much arable land is there? What are the specialties? What is the annual tax revenue?"
County Magistrate Bai was speechless. He had been so flustered when he arrived that he hadn't even asked his advisor. How could he know about all this? He hesitated for a long time, unable to answer a single question.
His face was pale and cold sweat was pouring down his forehead.
Fu Xiaoguan's face suddenly turned dark.
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