27. Chapter 27
Send You to the Clouds
The sun is scorching.
In the endless fields, there are green seedlings on one side and golden wheat waves on the other.
Lin Yicheng stood on the ridge of a field beside the canal, looking into the distance, with indescribable emotion on his face.
When I looked back at the shacks I used to live in, besides feeling sentimental, I actually felt a long-lost sense of pride.
Most of the original low huts had been replaced with blue-tiled houses. From the houses that were being busily repaired, from time to time one could hear the sound of men shouting and laughing, while children chased and laughed happily.
It was like two completely different worlds compared to before, with nothing but desperate cries and dead silence.
Lin Yicheng straightened his neatly-fitted official uniform and walked toward the rice seedling field along the gurgling canal.
Sure enough, in the canal, Lin Yicheng saw Qi You, wearing shorts, bending over to wash the mud off his legs. Lin Daniu was squatting beside him, smiling and talking.
Lin Daniu saw Lin Yicheng first, said something to Qi You, and quickly stood up and bowed. Lin Yicheng nodded at him, a smile on his face, and met Qi You's gaze.
Seeing this, Lin Yicheng's heart tightened involuntarily.
Qi You, tanned, was half a head taller than when he first arrived. His cheeks were no longer chubby, but rather slimmer. His eyes, which had been so bright, flashed a sharp light before becoming gentle.
Lin Yicheng couldn't help but bend down even lower and saluted: "Seventh Master, are you busy today too?"
Qi You smiled and greeted him, then continued washing the mud off his legs and said, "I just went to the fields to pull some weeds."
Seeing Lin Yicheng coming, Lin Daniu hurriedly said, "You guys are busy, I'll pick some grass and feed the cows."
Qi You nodded, and Lin Daniu left briskly with his load on his shoulder. Seeing that Qi You had washed his hands and feet, Lin Yicheng hurried forward, picked up the cloth on the stone steps and handed it to him: "Seventh Master, please wipe it."
Qi You thanked him, took the cloth and wiped the water off his legs and feet, then sat down casually on the stone steps, put on his cloth shoes, and asked, "What brings you here, County Magistrate Lin?"
Lin Yicheng looked at the clear water flowing in the canal and said with a smile, "There's nothing going on in the government office. Ever since the Seventh Master came, he's been working in the fields himself every day. The crops seem to be growing exceptionally lush, just like the people themselves. Their spirit and energy have completely changed."
Qi You glanced at Lin Yicheng indifferently. Lin Yicheng's expression froze, and he explained dryly: "Seventh Master, I am not flattering you intentionally. What I said is from the bottom of my heart."
As he spoke, Lin Yicheng simply sat down casually on the ground like Qi You, looking at the winding canal, and said solemnly: "After the spring, there was a period of drought. If the canal had not been dredged in time and the water from the Chaobai River had not been used to irrigate the crops, the crops would have been damaged by the bondservants carrying water, not to mention how many people would have died or been injured."
Lin Yicheng recalled that the weather last year was better than this year, with occasional drizzles, and the drought coincided with the rice heading.
He saw with his own eyes a bondservant who was carrying a load of water. While walking, he suddenly collapsed and never got up again.
Comparing the current situation, Lin Yicheng looked at the bondservants again, as if he saw a group of lifeless dying people who had absorbed the elixir and were revived.
In addition to the imperial farm, the farms of other powerful and wealthy people also quietly improved.
At least Lin Yicheng knew that there were countless bodies wrapped in reed mats and thrown into the deep pit caused by the earthquake.
Seeing Qi You just smiling without saying anything, Lin Yicheng came back to his senses from his trance and laughed dryly, "Seventh Master, please don't be offended. I've been a bit too talkative. If the Emperor knew about Shunyi's transformation, he would definitely reward you well."
Qi You still looked at Lin Yicheng and smiled, but didn't respond. He knew that Lin Yicheng must have something to do when he came.
Since the canal was built, Lin Yicheng and Master Xia came here every day and watched the work with great enthusiasm.
Lin Yicheng recalled Master Xia's constant reminders before he left: "Master, you must be honest. Others may have seven orifices and a keen mind, but Master Qi has opened all his or her minds and is covered in a keen mind. If Master dares to hide even a little, this business will be ruined."
After calming himself down, Lin Yicheng stood up, bowed, and said solemnly, "I want to renovate the county government office, and I beg for your help, Master Qi."
Qi You raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "County Magistrate Lin, you are embarrassing me. I have said long ago that I came here to farm and I don't care about anything else. The bondservants, the canals and the houses in the manor are all related to the manor. The construction of the county government office involves the court. Since County Magistrate Lin wants to build the county government office, it is a great thing. Just submit a memorial stating this and get permission from the Ministry of Works before you can start construction."
Lin Yicheng smiled bitterly, sighed, and said, "In front of the Seventh Master, I dare not beat around the bush. The cost of building a government office is no more than two hundred taels. But these two hundred taels are very complicated. When the memorial reaches the Ministry of Works, we will have to go back and forth with the Ministry of Revenue over the silver issue."
Mentioning those people at the imperial court, Lin Yicheng's mouth turned bitter, and he said with a gloomy face, "Even if they agree in the end, the original amount of silver will be greatly reduced. If the silver is not enough, either the people below will pay it out of their own pockets, or they will ask the gentry to raise funds. If they can't raise funds, the people below will refuse to subsidize, and the house will naturally be repaired haphazardly."
At the mention of money, Lin Yicheng's shoulders slumped. "But according to the regulations, the houses built must remain intact for fifteen years. If any damage occurs, the builder will be held responsible. The money is considered a loan and will eventually have to be written off. If it can't be written off, the people below will have to bear the cost themselves. My salary is so meager each month, it's really stretched, alas."
The government offices nowadays don't build roads or bridges, but rather maintain public order, educate the people, collect taxes, and provide education. Infrastructure construction relies entirely on the kindness of the gentry, who donate money to help.
Of course, when the gentry did these things, the officials would definitely report them and use them as their own political achievements without blushing. Only then would the Ministry of Works have local water conservancy information.
Looking at the whole Shunyi, the gentry are all powerful slaves of the rich and powerful. Lin Yicheng was given face by coming to their door, but his face is not enough to raise money.
Qi You had long known the thoughts of Lin Yicheng and a group of officials. In the 23rd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, a new palace was built in Shunyi. Emperor Kangxi went hunting on behalf of the Empress Dowager and stayed here both ways.
Qi You didn’t think much about whether Kangxi knew about Shunyi’s current situation.
When doing things, one cannot hesitate before doing anything. Taking Kangxi into consideration, one should follow the nature of court officials. If one thinks too much, one will definitely not be able to accomplish anything.
Although Lin Yicheng is cautious and submissive in his actions, he still has some conscience as an official.
What's even more rare is that he finally had some courage today and came to him to say these words, trying to do something practical.
"Master Xia asked you to come?" Qi You smiled and asked directly.
Lin Yicheng was stunned for a moment, then said with shame, "Yes, I was hesitant and cautious. It was Master Xia who gave me the advice."
Qi You smiled and said, "You are able to recognize and admit your own shortcomings, and you are also willing to listen to advice. This is better than most people. However, the county government office is gone. Where do you live now?"
Lin Yicheng's cheek twitched, and he answered honestly, "Manager Zhao of the Rabbit North Stable has an unused house and was kind enough to lend it to me."
Qi You remained silent and said calmly, "Manager Zhao is indeed very kind-hearted."
Lin Yicheng's face flushed red, and he said with determination, "Manager Zhao has no descendants, so I have made him my godfather. I will take care of him in his old age and see him to the end of his life."
Qi You hummed in agreement, then said calmly, "You have no background or connections, so you were assigned to be the county magistrate. You want to extort money from the people. There are only a few impoverished people in the entire county, and even if you took away all their belongings, they wouldn't be worth much. It's really hard on you."
Qi You frowned slightly, pressing his sore left leg. "Manager Zhao has no shortage of money, he could give it to you as achievements. But he doesn't have it, and there must be countless people eyeing his position, waiting to catch him making a mistake and pull him down. You saw that Dachun was completely obedient under my rule. So you came to me for help. Once you have achievements, it will be easier to get promoted. Manager Zhao is old, and he can retire after completing his mission, so I can follow you to another post to enjoy his retirement."
Lin Yicheng's face changed drastically. Qi You didn't ask him, but said these words in a calm tone.
Qi Youyuan was even more perceptive and intelligent than Master Xia had given him credit for. They hadn't considered this situation during their previous discussions, and Lin Yicheng was momentarily stunned.
Thinking of his lofty ambitions as a student and his ideal of serving the people as an official, Lin Yicheng closed his eyes and solemnly swore, "I am willing to continue serving in Shunyi, build walls and roads, and open schools. I hope that the people of Shunyi can live a good life."
Qi You stared at Lin Yicheng for a moment and said, "I hope you remember the oath you made today. But it doesn't matter if you don't remember it, I will remember it for you. Listen carefully, and when you go back, sort out the numbers I want. There must be no mistakes in anything, and no false reports."
Lin Yicheng's expression lit up with joy. He hurriedly took out the pen and ink from the cloth bag, sat on the ground, spread the paper on his knees, and meticulously wrote down Qi You's instructions.
After taking note, Lin Yicheng looked at Qi You's request on the paper and asked in surprise, "Seventh Master, please forgive my stupidity. What is the purpose of Qi You asking me to prepare these?"
Qi You stood up, patted the dirt on his cloth pants, and said in a casual tone: "Oh, I'll send you to the sky."
Lin Yicheng looked at Qi You in disbelief. In his excitement, he dropped the paper and pen in his hand to the ground, and spoke incoherently, saying: "Your subordinate...Seventh Grandpa..."
Qi You picked up the straw hat and put it on his head, then walked away swaying and cursing: "Get lost, who wants an old man like you!"
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