The following afternoon, County Magistrate Zhou Yanqing personally came to the residence to invite him, and it took him almost half an hour to see him.
"Sixth Prince, the canal diversion is nearing completion, and I have come to extend my invitation."
I didn't see him at the mine all day yesterday. I heard that Lord Pei tried to persuade him many times, but he didn't even get to see the Sixth Prince.
Qin Zhaoyue dressed up specially today, with her hair styled in a nine-layered cloud phoenix bun, wearing a seven-pheasant gold and pearl crown, and dressed in a black brocade satin with gold embroidery, making her look as solemn as if she were going to court.
He still held his head slightly up and let out a haughty "hmm" from his nose.
Pei Xueqiao, standing to the side, had bloodshot eyes; one was exhausted from working in the mine, and the other was so angry that she couldn't sleep.
He accepted the task with great enthusiasm, but ended up failing to accomplish anything and even offending the Sixth Prince. He truly lost both his wife and his army.
Although the princess's entourage was not seen, she was attended by ten maids and guarded by two hundred imperial guards on light cavalry, which was quite a grand display.
Upon arriving at the mine, Qin Zhaoyue became the center of attention.
The rain continued unabated, and numerous torches were erected along both sides of the irrigation canal for illumination.
"Your Highness, would you like to strike the hammer?"
Qin Zhaoyue didn't even lift her eyelids. "I'll just knock on the hammer, hurry up." Stop with the pointless rituals.
"Yes, yes..."
At his command, the laborers immediately began work.
There was only one small section left, but we ended up waiting for half an hour.
Those selected to work were all strong and healthy, and they chanted rhythmically, one chant after another.
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the ditch was completely dug, and dark red water flowed into it.
The laborers had hemp ropes tied around their waists, and the people on the shore pulled them up together.
The water near Tiezhashan was almost ankle-deep, and the water level was dropping at a rate visible to the naked eye.
When the wet rock strata were exposed again, a thunderous roar of cheers erupted at the scene.
Qin Zhaoyue watched from a distance of thirty or forty feet, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Alright, I've finished my job.
"Your Highness, the method of digging canals to divert water has been successfully completed! It is all thanks to Your Highness's grace!"
Facing the excited magistrate, Qin Zhaoyue smiled modestly, "That's all thanks to my elder sister; I only had some credit for supervising the construction."
Zhou Yanqing: No, you didn't.
“Your Highness,” the princess’s deputy general led a general in armor forward, “this is the garrison commander, who has come to pay his respects.”
The first visit was only after the matter was settled; that's really something else.
“Well done. I will report this to the court truthfully and record your merits for now. I will ask for a reward after the disaster relief is completed.”
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Logically speaking, after three days and nights of working non-stop, one should at least be rewarded.
However, considering the disaster, it was not appropriate to ask Chiyan County to provide grain, so the deputy general did not bring it up.
Having completed their mission, the garrison needed to return immediately, and she made the arrangements herself.
It wasn't that Qin Zhaoyue was being unreasonable; she did it on purpose.
Liu Yan said that the nearby prefectures and counties are probably heavily corrupted, and who can guarantee that there are no insiders among the garrison?
If his plan is exposed, with 10,000 troops stationed in Chiyan County, safety cannot be guaranteed.
Therefore, it is wise to have the troops leave immediately after the traffic acquisition is completed.
A large number of troops began to withdraw, and the hastily produced ironware was put into storage.
All the iron ore transported from the mine, the shop where it was forged, and the final quantity of ironware produced were all recorded.
Ye Ling personally took charge of this matter, knowing full well that they had already illegally mined an unknown amount, yet he maintained a facade of utmost secrecy.
Having finished their business, they were about to leave when they discovered the pit guards gathered together, whispering among themselves.
Finally, a gaunt old man was introduced, staggering towards the princess's journey.
Even when they were still eight zhang away, they knelt down with a thud, "Your Highness! We beg Your Highness to do us justice..."
Qin Zhaoyue turned around and glanced at Zhou Yanqing beside her. "Magistrate Zhou, what's going on here?"
Zhou Yanqing's face was filled with sorrow. He took a step back and bowed deeply, "Your Highness, it's all my fault..."
When he was building the retaining wall and digging the ditch, he made a promise that if someone performed a month of labor, he would exempt one person or their descendants from slavery.
But now, at most, it's only been twenty-five days, which is naturally less than a month.
"They made tremendous contributions to Chiyan County and to water management, and many even lost their lives. I would like to plead for Keng Ding!"
His words were powerful and resounding, and everyone who heard them would praise him as a good official.
Qin Zhaoyue ignored him for a moment, then looked up and saw that there were fewer people than when she arrived on the first day.
The laborers were dressed in rags, almost all of them looked pale and sickly, and they hunched over, not daring to look directly at the man. Yet they kept raising their eyes, trying to see the expression on the face of the nobleman in the black outer robe.
Her fists, clenched tightly within her sleeves, spoke softly, "I almost forgot, my elder sister gave me some instructions before she left, Lord Pei."
Pei Xueqiao suddenly snapped to attention and stepped forward, saying, "Your humble servant is here."
"Your elder sister asked you to record the names of the pit dwellers, including those who died from serious illnesses. If they had descendants, record them as well."
As she spoke, she called Zhou Yanqing to stand up, "I cannot guarantee that I can be exempted from slavery, but I will report it to my elder sister."
"Governor Zhou's composure in the face of danger and his effective flood control measures are commendable; His Majesty will surely consider bestowing a reward upon him."
"Yes! On behalf of these laborers and the people of Chiyan County, I thank Your Highness."
Upon seeing this, the laborers nearby all knelt down as well, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness!"
Although he had used the princess's excuse, Zhou Yanqing still had some doubts.
However, seeing the undisguised joy on Qin Zhaoyue's face upon hearing this, and the slightly raised head when kneeling before Keng Ding, his suspicions immediately faded considerably.
No wonder he dressed so formally today, even more conspicuously than when he saw the princess off; it was all for this moment.
"Your Highness, shall we set off immediately to catch up with the First Prince?"
"No rush, let's rest a bit more... Let's see how effective the drainage is. We need to stay for at least another day before setting off again tomorrow."
Good heavens, he almost blurted out what was on his mind. The guard's lips twitched, but he still agreed, "Yes, sir!"
Qin Zhaoyue left the mine immediately without waiting for Pei Xueqiao's statistics.
On the carriage, he lifted the curtain and gazed at the rain, his face expressionless, neither happy nor sad.
There was naturally no "elder sister's instruction," but she didn't really think such methods would be very effective.
The emperor was far away and the people were already criminals. Even if the court granted them quotas to be freed from slavery, in the end, it was still up to the county magistrate to decide.
The mines are already heavily exploited, so those spots will probably have to be auctioned off, with the highest bidder winning.
Given the current situation, this is the best we can do; it's better than being neither entirely black nor entirely white.
Upon returning to his residence, he declined the county government's invitation to a celebratory banquet, but he did acquire a considerable amount of ingredients, making dinner particularly lavish.
At midnight, Qin Zhaoyue, who was lying down fully clothed, opened her eyes.
Liu Yan's voice rang in my ears, "Your Highness, it's time to set off..."
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