"The recent cement road incident has certainly made you famous; even I am less prestigious than you."
Youqing was taken aback by his words, then asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
He wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but Kangxi was also puzzled. He had been a diligent and conscientious emperor, but despite doing so much, he hadn't seen the people remember him so well.
Even after fertilizers increase grain production, this situation does not occur.
However, he also knew the reason.
"I am not uncomfortable. If I do my job well for the people, that is what I should do. If I do it poorly, that is what I should not do. I have received the most honorable position in the world, so this is how I should act. You are the Empress, and what you are doing is not your duty. The people understand this in their hearts, and naturally they are even more grateful."
After all, few empresses throughout history have done such things.
Only someone as wealthy and powerful as the Qing Dynasty would dare to do such a thing.
Youqing smiled; it was she who had misunderstood.
Cement roads were being built one after another. With better roads, the people of Beijing naturally wanted to travel on them. As a result, the businesses in the streets near the first few main roads that were completed were booming like never before.
The road behind is still under construction and won't be finished anytime soon.
Several well-known merchants in the capital city keenly noticed the changes in their business. Business in the nearby streets, where the road was not yet repaired, could not be said to have plummeted, but it was certainly not doing well.
Merchants are driven by profit, and every day is a money-making opportunity. But the capital is not small, and as long as the road is not repaired, business will not be good. If the road is repaired slowly, merchants elsewhere will have already accumulated regular customers. People always prefer to buy things where they like.
This forced them to take it seriously.
...
"Master, I have received many invitations from merchants, all inviting me to dinner. I have found out that they all want me to talk to them and expedite the road construction process, and to prioritize the construction of their own roads."
Youqing was not surprised.
"Let it air dry for a few days, then go back in a few days. You can leave it like this then..."
Cheng Ying's eyes lit up after hearing this: "I understand what you've said, Master, and I've already done it."
"Thanks a lot."
Chengying felt full of energy and not tired at all.
After waiting for a few days, Cheng Ying finally went to meet those merchants. Of course, he didn't meet them all at once, but one by one.
The first person I was to meet was Cao Guangming, a famous wealthy merchant in the capital.
"There was a slight mishap on the way, so I'm late. I'm really sorry to have kept Master Cao waiting."
Cao Guangming smiled and said, "It's only right to wait for Miss Cheng. Please sit down. I've ordered some food. Your arrival is just in time. Let's eat and talk."
Chengying sat down.
Because Chengying was a woman, and a trusted confidante of the Empress, Cao Guangming didn't use the business tactics of pressuring people to drink; when he said it was a meal, he meant it.
After the food was served and they ate a few bites, they started talking about serious business.
“Miss Cheng, you know there are two streets to the east, and almost all of my family’s properties are there. I wonder when the cement road that Her Majesty the Empress was in charge of repairing will be extended to the east?”
Cheng Ying took a bite of food and said calmly, "Master Cao, don't worry! This road will have to be repaired sooner or later, and it will eventually reach the east side."
How can we not be anxious? If this continues, all the business will be snatched away by the merchants in the west.
“It’s not that I’m in a hurry, you know, this cement road is great! People like to walk on it, but as a result, fewer people are around the old road, and no one comes to do business. Isn’t that making things difficult for people?”
Cheng Ying's expression froze, and he suddenly asked, "Does Master Cao think Her Majesty the Empress has done something wrong?"
Cao Guangming immediately looked terrified and said, "Your Majesty's road construction is a good thing that benefits the country and the people. How could it be wrong? I just want Miss Cheng to be lenient. If business is good, Miss Cheng will certainly not be treated unfairly."
Cheng Ying's expression softened.
However, she quickly looked at Cao Guangming with a troubled expression and said, "Master Cao, it's not that I'm unwilling to make an exception. Since you've put it this way, I'll tell you the truth. The road construction was originally planned to start from the west and proceed eastward. Our Empress dislikes those who betray their country. I would like to help you, Master Cao, but I'm powerless to do so!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Guangming looked disappointed: "Can't you really make an exception?"
“Master Cao, this really won’t work. If I were to tell you, you might not be able to see me again.”
"Miss Cheng is too kind. Everyone knows you are a favorite of the Empress."
"Alas, you can't say that. Even the most favored person, the Empress, doesn't like her subordinates doing things that cross the line. The Empress is the one who values rules the most."
When Cheng Ying said "the most important thing is rules", he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. It was really hard to believe that his master was such a person. If his master was such a person, then there probably wouldn't be anyone in the world who didn't respect rules.
Any one of the things Youqing is doing now would be criticized as improper.
It was only because of Kangxi's attitude that Youqing was criticized by so many people.
“Miss Cheng is right. Her Majesty the Empress values rules the most, and I had no intention of breaking them. You say this road has to be repaired sooner or later. Whether we repair the west side first or the east side first, it’s still repaired. Can’t we just try to make peace?”
Cao Guangming felt that Cheng Ying was not telling the truth, and he did not believe her explanation.
Cheng Ying said, "Master Cao said that it doesn't matter which side is repaired first. The master plans to repair the west side first and then the east side. Isn't that the same as repairing the east side? Don't you think that makes sense?"
Of course not, but Cao Guangming couldn't say it directly.
The two went back and forth, but Cao Guangming failed to achieve his goal.
As the meal was almost over, Cheng Ying said, "If Master Cao is concerned about his business, I have an idea, but it will inevitably require Master Cao to spend some money."
At this point, Cao Guangming didn't care about anything else; the most important thing was not to lose the customers he had built up over the years.
"Please speak, Miss Cheng."
“Our mistress values rules, but there’s one thing she likes: kind-hearted people.”
Cao Guangming was puzzled: "A kind-hearted person? Then what does Miss Cheng mean?"
Cheng Ying then said earnestly, "This time it's not simple. The master likes kind-hearted people, so Master Cao should just be that kind-hearted person."
Kind-hearted people do good deeds, but there are many things in the world that can be called good deeds, and one cannot do everything.
"Please enlighten me, Miss."
Cheng Ying then said, "I heard that the two streets to the east of Master Cao still use the old roads?"
Cao Guangming nodded: "That's natural."
Under normal circumstances, who would bother thinking about road repairs, especially cement roads, since those are said to be very expensive?
Cheng Ying continued, "It is true that cement roads are expensive, but if we only repair the two roads in your street, it won't cost too much money. Repairing roads is also a good deed. If you can repair the road in front of your own house, the people will definitely see your kindness, Master Cao."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
