Chapter 59 Retirement and Return to Hometown
After leaving Shiqiao Village, Xiao Mo took office as the governor of Beihai Prefecture.
Beihai Prefecture is close to Beihai, hence its name.
In recent years, Xiao Mo would read some local chronicles whenever he had free time, and compare them with the mountains and rivers feng shui map of Da Qi, intending to make a river map.
After Ruxue wakes up, she wants to go to the river.
The best route is to take Ganyuebo as the entrance, then enter Siming Lake, go to Chunsong River, finally pass Luoshui River and Yunya River, and finally enter Beihai.
According to what Xiao Mo learned from reading literature over the years, the further back you go along the river, the more difficult it becomes. Therefore, he must carefully survey this last section of the Yunya River and be prepared for Ruxue.
Three months later, Xiao Mo came to Beihai.
Because Zhang Qianzhi had served as the prefect of Beihai Prefecture for several years and had accumulated a lot of reputation.
And Xiao Mo is Zhang Qianzhi's student, not to mention that Xiao Mo's reputation has long spread throughout Qi State.
Therefore, the noble families and officials of Beihai Prefecture were very cooperative in allowing Xiao Mo to serve as the prefect.
However, in the second year after Xiao Mo came to Beihaizhou, Xiao Mo received a letter.
Mr. Zhang felt that he was dying, so he called Xiao Mo over and wanted to see Xiao Mo and Fang Ling for the last time.
Xiao Mo traveled day and night and arrived at Zhang's house within half a month.
When Xiao Mo walked into Mr. Zhang's residence, everyone had a sad look on their face.
At the door of the old man's room, his descendants, servants and maids were all wiping away tears quietly.
"Xiao Mo, come in, the teacher is waiting for you in the room." Fang Ling just walked out of the room and said to Xiao Mo.
"Yes, brother."
Xiao Mo bowed to Fang Ling and walked into the house.
On the bed, Mr. Zhang saw Xiao Mo walk in, and his old eyes suddenly lit up: "Xiao Mo, you are here."
"Teacher." Xiao Mo hurried forward and sat beside Mr. Zhang's bed with a sad look on his face.
"Hehehe," Mr. Zhang looked at Xiao Mo and smiled. "When we first met, you were still a young man under 20. Now look at you, your hair is all white, you are almost 50, and you haven't even married yet."
Xiao Mo shook his head and said self-deprecatingly: "I'm already so old now. I'm used to being alone."
“You.”
Mr. Zhang sighed.
In the past, Mr. Zhang had said that he wanted to marry his daughter to him, but Xiao Mowan refused.
The late emperor had wanted to find a wife for Xiao Mo several times, but Xiao Mo declined politely every time.
After that, Zhang Qianzhi knew that he was determined to wait for that woman to come back.
"An immortal is still an immortal, and a human is still a human. The world of immortals and mortals is not just a saying." Mr. Zhang took Xiao Mo's hand, "But most of my life has passed. If I tell you this now, you won't listen, and it's useless."
Xiao Mo lowered his head and said nothing.
Mr. Zhang continued, "I believe that it won't be long before His Majesty will reuse you and Fang Ling. His Majesty is just young and immature, but in fact, if His Majesty is determined, he will definitely be no worse than the late emperor. His Majesty can see the accumulated problems of Qi.
You just need to do your job well and serve the people wholeheartedly."
Xiao Mo nodded: "Students understand."
Mr. Zhang raised his head and looked at the ceiling, his pupils gradually dilated:
"Xiao Mo, a hundred years of life is really too short. I have lived long enough, but I still feel that there are many things that are left undone.
Don't be like the old man.
Keep going.
Worthy of the people.
Worthy of heaven and earth.
I am not ashamed of myself. "
As Mr. Zhang finished his last words, the hand he was holding, Xiao Mo's, fell to the edge of the bed.
"Father!"
"Father!"
"grandfather!"
Mr. Zhang's children burst into tears.
Xiao Mo stood up and bowed deeply to the gentleman.
Four years later, Xiao Mo was over fifty years old.
Big flood in Beihai Prefecture!
Xiao Mo immediately braved the heavy rain to go to the hardest-hit areas and dangerous sections of the embankment to personally inspect the disaster situation, water level, breach location, and flooded area.
Xiao Mo mobilized yamen runners, postmen, and even recruited fishermen and boatmen who were familiar with water to report the disaster situation, water level changes, and dam conditions upstream and downstream and in various villages. He quickly drew a sketch of the disaster-stricken area, marked dangerous areas, high ground, supply points, and major transportation routes, and personally presided over the opening of warehouses for disaster relief, the resettlement of disaster victims, and focused on epidemic prevention.
In addition, Xiao Mo used work-for-relief to dig canals, divert water, flush sand, and build cofferdams in sections.
In this flood disaster that occurs once in ten years, the speed with which the victims were appeased and the minimal impact were both the best since the founding of the State of Qi.
Afterwards, Xiao Mo conducted an in-depth investigation of the rivers in Beihai Prefecture, developed water conservancy projects, and diverted water for irrigation.
The areas that were originally easily destroyed have been transformed into acres of fertile fields.
Xiao Mo also wrote the book "Essentials of Water Conservancy in Qi State", which explained various methods of managing rivers, as well as countermeasures when encountering floods, and even established relatively detailed standards.
Since then, Xiao Mo's reputation in the world has reached its peak.
When he was fifty-three years old, Xiao Mo suddenly heard the bad news that his senior brother Fang Ling had passed away in his former residence.
Holding the letter sent by his senior brother, Xiao Mo sat in the yard, silent for a long time.
The following year, Xiao Mo received the news that County Magistrate Sun was seriously ill and set off immediately, but in the end he was unable to see County Magistrate Sun for the last time.
In the twelfth year of Jianle, Xiao Mo, who was over fifty-five years old, received an imperial edict.
The King of Qi summoned Xiao Mo back to the capital.
In the 13th year of Jianle, Xiao Mo served as the Prime Minister of Qi State and started reforms again!
Xiao Mo paved the way with his own reputation. No matter what aristocratic family or clan, they had to be wary of such a prime minister who was so kind to the world and had already been called a "sage".
Moreover, Da Qi is not yet terminally ill. With the support of Your Majesty, Xiao Mo has recruited many people with lofty ideals to carry out reforms.
Xiao Mo knew that he didn't have much time left. He wanted to do as much as he could in this life, so as to live up to the trust of the late emperor, teacher and senior brothers.
In the 16th year of Jianle, new laws were implemented in Qi State.
In the 20th year of Jianle, four years after the implementation of the new law, the world had a brand new atmosphere. At this time, Xiao Mo was already 63 years old.
In the 24th year of Jianle, Xiao Mo was already 67 years old, and the turmoil in the court had subsided.
The following year, the sixty-eight-year-old Xiao Mo submitted a memorial to the emperor, requesting to retire and return home.
The Lord of Qi tried to persuade Xiao Mo to stay many times, but Xiao Mo was determined to leave.
He could feel that he didn't have two years left and just wanted to return to his hometown.
The King of Qi finally had to agree.
However, Prime Minister Xiao Mo's position was not removed, and the Minister of Personnel Zheng Mohan temporarily took over the post of Prime Minister.
The reason why Xiao Mo was not removed from the position of Prime Minister.
It’s because Xiao Mo offended too many aristocratic clans.
As long as he retains the position of prime minister and is blessed by the fortune of mountains and rivers, Xiao Mo can spend his old age in peace.
On this day, when Xiao Mo had packed up his luggage at home, he wrote his last memorial to His Majesty.
Xiao Mo paused writing.
The elderly man, who was nearly 70 years old, seemed to have sensed something and looked in one direction.
There is a mountain in that direction.
Outside a cave halfway up the mountain, there are purple sunflowers and green taki flowers in full bloom.
Inside the cave, a white anaconda gradually changed.
Finally, a woman in a white dress was lying on the ground.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly.
(End of this chapter)
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