39. Chapter 39
"none"
After following Fuquan to the horse farm for a run, Qi You not only carefully learned from Fuquan how to look after horses, but also looked at the farm grounds.
Originally, there were four horse farms in Shunyi. Later, the area was redivided and two of the horse farms were no longer within Shunyi County. Now there are only two left.
Each horse farm spanned nearly 500 mu, a vast expanse. The grass on the hayfields had already begun to turn yellow, rippling like golden waves in the sun from afar.
Qi You rode around on his horse for a few circles, frowning slightly, feeling very emotional.
Fuquan noticed that Qiyou looked a little strange, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? The horses here are all excellent, but there's nothing you like?"
Qi You shook his head and said with a smile, "The horses here lack some courage after all."
Fuquan was stunned, then thought: During the early Ming Dynasty, the horse ranch was used to train war horses. Later, after Kangxi ascended the throne and reformed the Imperial Household Department, the power of the eunuchs who had previously managed the horse ranch was withdrawn, and the horses at the ranch were supplied to the royal family for travel and ceremonial purposes.
Compared with the horses in the cavalry, no matter how fierce the horses are, they have never actually been on the battlefield. They are just like the martial artists on the stage, who are just performing tricks.
Qi You said, "The cattle, sheep, and horses in Mongolia are different from here. This large expanse of fertile land, if enclosed to raise horses, would be another matter if used for cavalry, but it's just like this... what a pity."
Seeing Qi You repeatedly say "it's a pity", Fuquan laughed and said, "There's no shortage of land in the Qing Dynasty. You're so young, but you're like a farmer, eager to use all the land to grow crops. Let's go. It's getting late. We have to go back. I still have guests to entertain you."
He couldn't take care of the horse farms in other places, but the horse farms in these two places must not be wasted like this.
Qi You already had a general idea in his mind. After choosing a horse, he followed Fuquan back to the farm.
By the evening, all the guests invited by Qi You arrived one after another.
Fuquan came out to entertain them, and Qiyou followed behind, smiling and greeting everyone he met. His words were sweeter than honey, calling them uncle and uncle, coaxing them into a comfortable state.
The complaints and dissatisfaction these people had with Qi You disappeared without a trace due to his enthusiasm and consideration.
After eating and drinking to their heart's content, they saw Fuquan took out a little more than a hundred taels of silver. Adding the old clothes and belongings that Qiyou asked for, it was really nothing to them, so they all donated generously.
After sending them away from Shunyi, Qi You calculated that he had received nearly a thousand taels of silver in total. Together with the old clothes they had sent him, he could finally allow the bondservants to have a warmer winter than in previous years.
Lin Yicheng almost cried when he saw this. "Seventh Master is indeed foresighted. The biggest problem I encountered when I was in other villages was that they also wanted clothes to wear and a house to live in. With this money, I can buy coarse cloth and old cotton and let them sew it themselves. This winter will be much easier. Next year, when they have a harvest, we can repair the house a little. If they can hold on for a year or two, their lives will surely get better and better."
Qi You pondered for a moment and said, "After the winter wheat is planted, it's time to slowly build the canals. Also, the night school I mentioned earlier should also be arranged. Build a large mud-walled thatched hut with a kang inside at the edge of each village. This is very simple and doesn't cost much money. It also provides a place for the teachers we hire to stay. At night, you can learn to read with the teacher for a little extra money for candles and oil. Regardless of gender, every child in every household must go. After learning, they can go back and teach the adults at home. Alas, there's no other way. There's not enough space, manpower, and money. Let's just take it step by step."
Next, Qi You gave Lin Yicheng and Xia Shiye a bunch of instructions. Degao and Guihe, along with their guards, were sent out and were extremely busy.
As autumn deepens and winter approaches, the entire Shunyi transforms from a stagnant pool of water into a lively stream.
In the fields, the men repairing the canals were working hard with smiles on their faces and shouting slogans.
At the old site of the Shunyi County Government Office, a new framework was erected for the new office, and an auspicious day was chosen for the beam raising.
The steward and his men came out carrying large buckets of food, shouting, "Put down what you're doing and come in groups to eat. As usual, no pushing or grabbing, everyone gets their fill. Everyone gets a big slice of fat meat with the cabbage today!"
Someone suddenly cheered loudly: "Today we have meat to eat!" Hearing his shout, the others followed suit and laughed and shouted: "Eat meat!"
Although these beggars don't have to work, their lives as street beggars are not easy. If they meet a kind person, they will give them some leftovers.
If you encounter a ferocious person, scolding him is not enough to drive him away. He might even resort to violence or release vicious dogs to bite you.
They were forcibly taken to Shunyi in ox carts by the foreign servants of the Infantry Governor's Office and thrown there. Everyone was nervous and uneasy, like a frightened bird.
After arriving in Shunyi, they were greeted by County Magistrate Lin Yicheng, who was gentle and friendly, telling them not to worry and registering them first.
Then they found that there was not only a house that could accommodate them, but even though it had thatched and mud walls, the big kang inside was very solid. In winter, when the kang was heated, they could sleep together in comfort.
Ten taels of silver a day, paid out after half a month of work. Lin Yicheng personally handed it to them, with absolutely no deductions.
For three meals a day, he would eat black-faced steamed buns, cabbage and tofu to fill himself up, and every now and then he would add some meat to his meal.
No longer suffering from beatings and hunger, no longer having a stable place to live, with money to earn, their lives became stable. Only a few of the beggars who came left, and the others stayed in Shunyi with peace of mind.
County Magistrate Lin said that after the county government office was completed, there was still a lot of work to be done. As long as they were willing to work and learn, they might learn a skill and become apprentices, and then go to other places to repair cities, houses, and roads.
Those who already had some skills were discovered by Lin Yicheng, who came to inspect the factory every day, and were quickly promoted to managers. A manager's daily salary was a full fifteen coins, which further boosted the enthusiasm of the group.
Lin Yicheng, who was secretly looking forward to moving into the new county government office, would come to take a look every day, no matter how busy he was or how thin his legs were. He was like he had never seen stone or wood before, and the smile on his face never faded.
Master Xia also laughed, but seeing Lin Yicheng's laugh was really a bit silly, his eyes always hurt.
"What is Seventh Master doing? I have to go to the farm to report today's progress." Lin Yicheng walked around in front of the county government office with his hands behind his back, talking to himself.
Here it comes again! Here it comes again! Master Xia had heard his words so many times that his ears were callused. He glanced at Lin Yicheng several times and said, "Boss, the Seventh Master has his own arrangements every day. You don't have to make trouble."
Lin Yicheng was not angry either. He smiled and said, "I don't get orders from Master Qi every day. I always feel uneasy when I hear him talk."
Master Xia, with his sleeves folded, looked at the bustling crowd ahead for a moment, and said, "Let's go to the manor."
Now it was Lin Yicheng's turn to curl his lips. "Look at your character. You're clearly just like me, yet you're still pretending in front of me. Did you get this idea of promoting capable stewards from a conversation with Master Qi?"
Master Xia was choked and speechless. He mentioned it casually when talking to Qi You about the construction of the county government building.
Qi You gave them some advice, and they selected a capable manager, who received a lot of praise.
Qi You never praises people randomly, only when they have done something well. He also doesn't scold them when they don't do well, but lets them think about where they went wrong first, and then come to him to analyze it.
After the analysis, they would then think about how to improve it. If they felt it was not good, Qi You would put forward his own ideas, and they could refute them and explain their own views.
If their idea is better, Qi You will do exactly what they want.
But so far, their ideas have not been able to surpass Qi You.
Master Xia said sincerely, "Following Master Qi, I feel like I have a direction in my work. Just follow Master Qi's instructions on one thing, and even if there are difficulties along the way, as long as the direction is right, I'll always be able to accomplish it in the end."
Lin Yicheng smiled and said, "That's before you do anything. You need to sort it out from beginning to end. It's like the fog in front of you has been cleared away, and the path you need to take becomes clear. If you fall while walking, it's pure stupidity and bad luck."
Master Xia chuckled, pondered for a moment, and then asked in a low voice, "Boss, tell me, Master Qi asked us to ask the people around us, as well as these beggars, which people in our hometown have married cousins, and whether the children born are good, and whether the descendants are good. What is the purpose of this?"
Lin Yicheng pondered for a moment, then turned around and looked around, lowering his voice and saying, "Could it be because of Master Qi's leg..."
"Boss, what are you thinking? Seventh Master's legs... Even if some people have four or five legs, they still can't compare to Seventh Master!" Master Xia looked up at the sky speechlessly, nodding his head repeatedly: "Look here, look here!"
Lin Yicheng knew he had said the wrong thing and laughed dryly, "I just couldn't figure it out. I was distracted for a moment."
Master Xia raised his sleeves again and said slowly, "The royal family's ancestors married far away. Although there are cousins in the emperor's harem, the Seventh Master's biological mother has nothing to do with it. The Seventh Master is definitely not thinking about himself. Besides, when has the Seventh Master ever planned for himself in all the big things he did?"
Lin Yicheng chuckled, called the coachman to bring the carriage, and rushed to the farm.
Qi You is busy making a planning summary for Shunyi County.
1. Shunyi’s primary goal was slave reform.
Although they were still bondservants in name, their actual situation was very different, and they had achieved initial results.
If you want to live a truly prosperous life as Lin Yicheng said, it takes ten years to grow a tree and a hundred years to cultivate a person. It’s not too late to wait until ten years later.
2. Promoting literacy through night schools, opening real schools and providing free education.
Night school literacy has begun, but real schools have not yet been established. Running a school is different from night school. All you need to do is find a teacher who can read.
Qi You planned to run a truly modern school, not just for the imperial examinations, but also to focus on teaching various technical knowledge, such as mathematics, languages, weaving, breeding, medicine and other technical classes.
The school accepts students of all genders.
The Manchus were better at separating men and women than the Han Chinese, and Manchu women did not bind their feet and could travel on horseback. The common people were not surprised by this and could immediately tell the difference between the Manchus and Han Chinese when they saw them.
Even though the imperial court strictly prohibited women from binding their feet, Han Chinese still secretly bound their feet. Despite repeated prohibitions, the imperial court eventually turned a blind eye. Even some Manchus followed suit, and by the late Qing Dynasty, the practice of foot binding had become even more prevalent.
Qi You hopes that starting with the bannermen, daughters of Han Chinese civilians in Shunyi can also go to school.
Whether it is reading and writing or learning a skill, it can motivate Han women to come out of the attic and awaken to fight.
This school needs a steady stream of financial support and various truly capable teachers.
Qi You bluntly mentioned the Forbidden City. He had the most powerful father in the world, and he was sure to betray this father.
The honorary president of the school must be Kangxi. As the president, Kangxi should contribute his efforts and money to block all kinds of criticism.
3. Manchu-Han relations.
The existence of the Council Chamber means that the laws for the Bannermen and the Han people are different. If forceful reforms are wanted, the people of the Eight Banners will probably rebel.
Today, the Qing Dynasty still relies on the Eight Banners Army to defend its territory. The Han army has the Green Camp, but the Green Camp has fewer soldiers, poorer organization, and worse treatment. Military funds are basically given to the Eight Banners Camp.
Qi You dared to propose the same laws for Manchus and Han people, which affected the dragon throne under Kangxi. His other leg would probably be broken by Kangxi.
Manchus and Han people are equal. This is the reason why Qi You asked Lin Yicheng to collect information about close relatives marrying and the impact on future generations.
Qi You is currently unable to use science to explain why close relatives cannot marry. He can only collect large amounts of data to support this view.
The Han and the Bannermen did not marry, which resulted in the Bannermen being able to marry only within their own clan. Although the rule was that people of the same clan could not marry, cousins were not included.
There are only so many Bannermen, and they have a few major surnames, all of which are related in some way.
As a joke, if Kangxi wanted to kill nine generations of a clan, he would end up killing himself.
Banner men could take Han concubines, but Banner women had no chance of marrying Han men.
Shunzhi once allowed intermarriage between Han Chinese and Manchus, setting an example himself by having a Han Chinese wife in his harem. Unfortunately, he died young, and all his plans were overturned.
Qi You believed that Shunzhi's political talents were completely buried, and the world only saw his affairs with men.
His original intention of intermarriage between the Bannermen and the Han people was very good, but he just didn't find the entry point, which was the pain point of the Bannermen nobles.
They are only willing to make changes when it concerns their own interests, such as Qi You’s reforms in Shunyi.
Qi You did not think that he was better than Shunzhi. How could Shunzhi know the harm caused by inbreeding?
The powerful and wealthy want hereditary nobility and wealth, so they will never be willing or dare to take the risk of giving birth to a bunch of fools or sick descendants.
Only after full intermarriage and the Manchus and the Han become one family will the relationship become truly harmonious and relaxed.
Only when the resistance from the Bannermen was gone could the idea of amending the law and improving the status of the Han people be implemented.
Qi You would not tell Lin Yicheng about these plans now. He just said a few perfunctory words and let them get busy.
After Lin Yicheng and Master Xia left, Qi You looked at the paper in front of him and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Kang Xiu has a cousin in his harem. If Concubine Tong and the Tong family knew about this, they would probably want to eat him alive.
I wonder if Kangxi will turn over Concubine Tong’s green card after finding out.
After dinner in the evening, Qi You was doing his homework when Gui He came in and reported, "Master, Zhang Bai and the others are here."
Qi You hummed, and without even looking up, he ordered, "Go and pack up all my candies and preserves."
Gui He agreed and stepped back. Qi You finished his homework, put away his paper and pen, and walked out.
The moonlight in the sky is faint, the night is cold, and it seems as if a thin veil is covering my eyes, with a quiet beauty in the haziness.
There is a big camphor tree to the east of Zhuangzi. Children and the elderly usually like to sit under it to chat and play.
As Qi You approached, Zhang Bai and others hurried to greet him, vying with each other to greet him.
Qi You took the bag from Gui He and said with a smile, "Old rules, everything is included."
Zhang Bai was the smartest one. He jumped to the front like a monkey, spread out his palms, and said, "I washed my hands before leaving."
Qi You placed a pine nut candy and two candied fruits in Zhang Bai's palm and asked, "Have you learned the big characters that the teacher taught you?"
Zhang Bai couldn't wait to put the candy in his mouth, sipped it, and replied with a smile: "I have learned it. I also followed the instructions of the Seventh Master and went back to teach my sister and parents. My parents can only recognize but not write. My sister has learned it all."
Qi You praised him, turned around and looked around, and asked, "Where's your sister?"
Dashan, who was standing behind Zhang Bai, stuck his head out and stared at the bag of candies and snacks in Qi You's hand. He quickly answered, "His sister was locked up at home by his mother. She said that his sister is a grown-up girl and can't come out and play with us boys all day long."
Qi You was stunned for a moment, then smiled without saying anything. Zhang Bai stepped aside, holding the candy in his mouth. Dashan walked forward and held out his hand obediently: "I have also learned to read. I will go back and teach my parents."
"Okay." Qi You praised him with a smile and put sugar and candied fruit in his palm.
There were about twenty familiar friends in total, and only two of them were girls: Xiaohua, four, and Heye, five. Zhang Song was the oldest, a little over ten, but she was absent tonight and didn't come back.
Qi You gave each of them some food to eat, and asked Gui He to wrap the rest in oil paper and let them take it back.
It was a cold night, so Zhang Bai was diligent and clever. He ran back and brought back some firewood. They built a fire in front of the stone bench and gathered around it to chat.
Qi You glanced around at the faces in the firelight, which were still thin but smiling because of the candy. He said, "Do you know the Western gentleman who followed me to Shunyi?"
"I know." Dashan was the first to raise his hand and answered loudly.
The others followed suit, and Qi You smiled and said, "Two gentlemen have been busy mapping out geomancy maps lately. You should have seen them. They've been running around in the mountains and fields, and it's very tiring. But I want to ask, are you willing to follow them and learn?"
This time even Zhang Bai was stunned. The first one to raise her hand was He Ye. Qi You looked at her encouragingly. The little girl said timidly, "I want to learn, but I don't understand what they are saying."
Qi You said with approval, "It's amazing that He Ye dares to learn. It doesn't matter if you don't understand what they say, you can learn slowly. I didn't understand them at first, but I learned it later. They came to Da Qing and didn't understand the Da Qing language, but now they are also learning. You are young, so you will definitely learn faster than the two teachers."
He Ye laughed happily and said, "I will go back and tell my parents, and they must agree."
Qi You smiled and said yes, "This is a big deal. You need to go back and discuss it with the adults at home. You can't give up after just a few days of study. You will have to do this for the rest of your life, going up and down the mountain, exposed to the sun and rain, and you can't make decisions casually."
With He Ye taking the lead, others rushed to express their desire to go and learn from Xu Risheng and others.
Qi You smiled and answered all of them, "Don't worry, this is not a fun thing, it might even be harder than farming. Not only do you have to learn the knowledge in the textbooks, you also have to understand math and learn languages. In the end, you may not even be able to learn anything."
As soon as he finished speaking, he looked around and saw that several people had shrunk their necks, obviously backing off.
I'm not afraid of hardship, but what I'm most afraid of is reading, writing, and math. Learning these is much harder than farming.
Qi You had anticipated this situation a long time ago. Some children always wanted to be heroes, riding horses and fighting wars, and they didn't like to study at all.
For example, Dashan, after having a full meal, becomes very energetic and will chase after cats and dogs whenever he sees them.
"It's okay, you can try it first. If it really doesn't work, you can't learn it, or you don't want to learn it, just tell me, I won't blame you." Qi You said gently.
After hearing what he said, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and started chattering.
Zhang Bai pondered for a while and said, "I am willing to learn. Uncle Lin said that what the Seventh Master asked us to do is definitely for our own good. Once we learn a skill, we can earn a living wherever we go in the future. I can endure hardship and I am not afraid of it. It won't be harder than before. I already have a padded jacket to wear." He lowered his head and lifted up his coarse outer jacket, revealing the quilted lining underneath.
Qi You looked up and couldn't help but smile, saying seriously: "It's good that you think this way. However, it's not enough to just be able to endure hardships, you also have to truly love it."
Zhang Bai put down his clothes and stared at Qi You blankly, his face full of confusion.
Qi You explained: "It's like you like candy the most, even more than white flour buns. Earning a living is like eating white flour buns. Passion is like earning candy. You have to like what you learn as much as you like candy."
Although the words were a bit confusing, Zhang Bai, who loved eating candy, understood them. His eyes sparkled and he nodded heavily and said "hmm".
Qi You looked at Zhang Bai and laughed with him.
They followed him, and as long as he was there, he would definitely not let them go hungry again.
But you can't be satisfied with just this. Qi You wants to be a pioneer in the surveying and mapping industry. It's not enough to rely on the instinct of survival, you have to have real love for it.
To survive, you might do one thing well. But with passion, you can do it to perfection, and at the same time, find satisfaction and enjoyment in it.
Qi You once saw a sentence, and he sincerely hoped that this group of friends who had met by chance would be able to look up and admire the moon just like they saw the sixpence on the ground.
At this moment, a trembling voice sounded from behind: "Seventh Master, can I follow you to learn?"
Qi You turned around and saw Zhang Song standing in the shadow of the tree. The firelight reflected on her thin, dark face. Her clear eyes were full of anxiety, uneasiness and anticipation.
"Of course." Qi You answered happily, pointing towards the fire, "It's cold over there, come and warm yourself by the fire. Gui He, where's her share of candy and preserves?"
Gui He hurriedly took out some sugar and candied fruit. Zhang Song trotted forward, thanked him, and took it in his hands.
Her face was tense, as if she had made up her mind. She stood in front of Qi You and said in one breath, "Seventh Prince, I want to learn to read and study. I don't like making clothes, embroidering, or getting married. Mother said that I am old and will get married in two years. She wants me to stay at home and wait for marriage. Seventh Prince, please don't arrange a marriage for me. I don't want to get married. I want to go out and work with my brothers."
Zhang Song's strong anticipation, urgency, and unwillingness made Qi You's nose sore.
He nodded solemnly at her and promised in a deep voice, "Okay! As long as you have this intention, I will definitely support you to the end and protect you to do what you want to do!"
In the firelight, Zhang Song's face gradually turned red, his eyes became moist, tears welled up in his eyes, and he spun around violently, crying and laughing.
He Ye and the other kids didn't understand what Zhang Song was doing. They just saw her spinning around and followed her to join in the fun.
Seeing this, others joined in and laughed together, and their laughter could be heard from far away.
Qi You leaned his arms on the stone bench, looking at the crescent moon in the sky with a smile on his face.
People always asked him if he was tired, if his life was suffering. After Kangxi heard Fuquan's report on his situation in Shunyi, imperial edicts came pouring in, and he was also sent countless supplements, all asking him to rest well, take it easy, and not strain himself.
No one knows that he has always been there, looking up at the moon.
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2022-10-09 21:00:01 and 2022-10-10 20:23:18~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: jackysya 5 bottles;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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