Emperor Wu re-examined the letter paper in his hand. It was slightly yellowish in color and looked ordinary. He didn't know where it came from. Apart from the opening words "Your Majesty", there was still a hint of respect.
The rest of the words went straight to the point and told Qiao Xin what she wanted to tell him, without any delay.
Qiao Xin first listed one, two, three, four, and five questions as if reporting to her leader, with clear logic and lucid language.
Emperor Wu felt that this letter was more pleasant to read than any other memorial he had ever seen.
In the letter, Qiao Xin first expressed friendly condolences and concern to her immediate superior, and then analyzed the abnormal behavior of her own rice planting.
To put it simply, the climate and topography of Wisconsin are similar to those of Qiao Xin's hometown.
In an area that is neither south nor north, you can grow winter wheat and summer rice. You can grow grains and cotton. As long as there are mountains, water and land, after a systematic analysis, it is definitely a Feng Shui treasure land.
However, only one in ten of the original inhabitants living here remain today. They have all fled here from various places, especially in the north, and the people still follow their original living habits.
After tentatively planting a season of winter wheat and getting a good harvest, I never dared to try other crops easily again.
Unlike Qiao Xin, who has both food reserves and a superb agricultural system at home, she can take risks and has a plan in mind, so she will plant whatever is profitable. It is expected that she will attract criticism before any results are achieved.
Qiao Xin comprehensively analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of Weizhou Prefecture in the letter, and told Emperor Wu that as long as the fertility of the land could keep up, the land here could try to produce two seasons, all year round.
This is why, when she was about to offer rewards, she only prayed that the government would allow the Qiao family to build free public toilets throughout Weizhou Prefecture.
Isn't it just to collect fertilizer for the land?
Qiao Xin also said that she was willing to be the first to try out the Qiao family's land to prove that what she said was true and she had no intention of flattering or exaggerating.
At the end of the letter, Qiao Xin asked tentatively: "Your Majesty, the river in Weizhou Prefecture is connected to the capital, directly shortening the distance by two-thirds and going straight to the East China Sea. Can you consider opening up water transportation? I hope that my fruit can be tasted by Your Majesty as soon as possible!
Emperor Wu immediately summoned the Minister of Works and the Director of Agriculture and asked them about the hydrology of Weizhou Prefecture and related agricultural information from the previous dynasty.
The answers were all written in Qiao Xin's letter, and they were almost correct. Qiao Xin even knew some of the information that was not recorded in the court.
How could a woman who had only been in Weizhou Prefecture for half a year know this information? Emperor Wu tapped the table with his fingers, which seemed particularly abrupt in the quiet hall.
"My dear Qiao!" A sudden voice exploded above Qiao Yunqing's head!
"Your mother knows more about the hydrology of Weizhou Prefecture than the real Minister of Agriculture!"
Qiao Yunqing replied calmly, "Your Majesty, my mother is a person who cannot sit still. She is also a person who likes to ask questions and learn. From the elderly to the three-year-old children, she always asks and learns about anything she does not understand. My mother once said that one should keep learning until the end of life, and I deeply agree with her!"
"What do you think if I send someone to open up the waterway between the two places?"
"Don't meddle in other people's business if you are not in their position. The advice of the ministers in the Ministry of Industry is the most important!"
.......
When the Minister of Works told His Majesty that there was a 20-meter-high waterfall in the lower reaches of the Qingshui River, which was the main reason for the water transport between the two places. If they wanted to open it up, they had to build a dam, which would cost a lot of money. Now the treasury was empty and they simply couldn't afford it. The Minister of Revenue also stood up and cried poor. Now there were two fronts of war, and they really couldn't come up with money for the time being. They couldn't afford to lose the big picture for the small!
The key point is that they are really unconvinced. Not only was a newly emerged country old lady suddenly conferred a second-rank title, but now a private letter has actually made His Majesty want to build water conservancy projects. If this continues, won't the other party be able to lead His Majesty by the nose?
Why?
Nanny Qin was also asking Qiao Xin this question. Yes, why would she make this suggestion when she knew it was impossible?
Qiao Xin smiled and said, "I never thought that His Majesty would agree! I made a small request at the end. If His Majesty cannot send people from the court to contribute money and manpower to build this water conservancy project, can the Qiao family build a ferry at the drop of the waterfall to transfer the goods with a large drop from top to bottom.
Your Majesty does not need to spend a penny. Half of the annual profit will be handed over to Your Majesty's private treasury. The Qiao family only rents this place for 30 years. After the time is up, everything here will belong to the court. "
Nanny Qin was not a stupid person. She understood what Qiao Xin said as soon as she heard it.
This is a psychological battle between seeking the best and getting the middle, and seeking the middle and getting the worst. Who said that the old lady only knows how to use violence and is heartless? Stand up and don't beat him to death?
"Madam, this idea is good, but that place is now a desolate mountain. If we really want to build a transit point specifically for transporting the Qiao family's things to the capital, wouldn't it be too expensive?"
"I have already asked Master Fan about this. There is a town ten miles upstream from the waterfall. It has only a few households and is isolated all year round. I plan to start a new reclamation there on the land that His Majesty has just given me. Twenty miles further up is Xianshui Town, and it is only eighty miles to our Laohu Town, which can be reached directly by water in one day.
If we don’t have money, we can build it bit by bit and get the legal procedures first, so that when everything is ready, others will take advantage of it.”
Qiao Xin couldn't help but sighed as she spoke excitedly, "Mammy, our family is still poor. What do you think? Should I wait until I'm done with my work and go to Jiang and Mobei a few times to take those energetic kids out to broaden their horizons and sell some goods?"
Nanny Qin saw Qiao Xin's eyes shining, and it was obvious that she was really moved.
He quickly stopped her and said, "My old lady, please be quiet. The three masters are not at home, and even the second wife is gone. If you leave home again, the first wife will be too busy to handle you even if she has three heads and six arms.
You forgot that the last time you went to Beijing for just a few days, your home was in a mess!"
Qiao Xin touched her nose awkwardly, feeling a little guilty: "I was just talking."
"It's no use talking about it. You definitely can't leave in the short term. Let's first get the cooperation between the Fucheng shop and Master Xu done. That's enough for now. If you really feel it's still not enough, then let Zhang Hu and his gang learn to make their own way."
The Zhang Hu that Nanny Qin mentioned was the one who came to the Qiao family with Zhang Yun and the others to serve as a guard. After Zhang Yun left, that group of people were led by Zhang Hu. They have good fighting skills, but some of them were trained as secret guards in the past, so they talk too little and are very cold.
"If it really doesn't work, we can let Shunzi go with them. After this training is over, Shunzi will be able to read, so we can let him and Zhang Hu take three or five people to explore the way!"
Qiao Xin laughed and said, "If we really send Shunzi away, Butler Cao will definitely fight with us."
Although this was a joke, Butler Cao really valued the child, and it was not an exaggeration to say that he regarded him as his own son! Butler Cao was now working diligently in the Qiao family, and Qiao Xin considered the wishes of his subordinates.
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