Shen Jia'an's approach is quite good. As for farm tools, well, if they are too expensive, ordinary people would probably rather work harder than buy them.
They don't understand what saving effort means; they only know that the money saved can make their families live a better life.
The government provides subsidies for the improvement and refurbishment of old farm tools, which is really good. It saves some iron and also benefits ordinary people.
Firstly, it shows that Shen Jia'an has a heart for the people; secondly, the fact that the government can provide this subsidy suggests that Sanbo County is developing well; and thirdly, the fact that he came up with this idea shows that he is quick-witted.
Kangxi thought that Shen Jia'an was a useful person.
After spending about ten days in Sanbo County, having investigated what needed to be investigated, seen what needed to be seen, and learned what needed to be learned, Kangxi led his men to visit the Shen residence in person.
"My lord, a young master has arrived at the door. He says he is a friend of Young Master You and wishes to pay a visit."
You Qing's friend?
Shen Jia'an had never heard of it, but since he was here, what if it really was? If it was someone else's friend, that would be one thing, but since it was You Qing's friend, Shen Jia'an decided to meet him.
"Please invite them in."
"Yes, sir."
Kangxi entered the Shen residence and went to the main hall in the front courtyard.
When Shen Jia'an arrived, he saw Kangxi standing in the hall, looking around.
Shen Jia'an was completely stunned. He had seen Emperor Kangxi before. During the palace examination, Emperor Kangxi came down to inspect the palace once, and Shen Jia'an never forgot his appearance after seeing it just once.
"Your Majesty..." He was about to kneel down to pay his respects when the Emperor, Kangxi, stopped him before he could finish speaking, saying, "Lord Shen, there's no need to be so polite. Let's sit down and have some private conversation."
A private conversation?
Shen Jia'an understood.
Then all the servants of the Shen family in the hall were sent away.
"Your Majesty has arrived, and I was unable to greet you. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
"I am traveling incognito and have no intention of making a big fuss. What crime have you committed? Don't be so reserved. Sit down and let's talk."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I have been here for a few days now, and you have done a good job governing Sanbo County."
"These are all my duties."
After discussing some normal questions, Kangxi began to ask some questions that revealed his "favoritism."
"I've heard that a young master You has emerged in Sanbo County in the past two years. His business is thriving, and he seems to have a close relationship with you?"
"That's true. This young master You has donated money to Sanbo County to build bridges and roads, as well as many orphanages, almshouses, and pharmacies. Such a businessman has greatly helped the development of Sanbo County, so it's inevitable that we're somewhat close to him."
Shen Jia'an did not deliberately avoid his relationship with You Qing. He had a clear conscience and was not afraid of being investigated.
"That's a decent businessman."
"Indeed, I often lament that if two out of ten merchants in the world were like Young Master You, how wonderful that would be."
"Hearing you say that, I am somewhat inclined to meet this Young Master You."
"That's a bit of a coincidence. Young Master You likes to travel around and doesn't like to bring anyone with him, so it's hard to find him."
"Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles, this young master You is certainly a practitioner of these principles."
“Who says otherwise? I thought that now that he has a family fortune, he should also consider settling down. My wife even wanted to snatch Young Master You as her son-in-law, but her heart is not in it.”
Kangxi was stunned when he heard this. Why hadn't the secret guards told him about this?
Youqing is a woman; making her a son-in-law is putting her in a difficult position! Could it be that she ran away because she didn't want to get married?
If his wife really marries someone else's daughter, wouldn't he be considered cuckolded?
"Everyone has their own ideas."
"That's natural."
The two talked for a long time, and when they parted, Kangxi specifically instructed, "I don't want anyone else to know that I came here."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After seeing Kangxi off, Shen Jia'an was extremely excited. This was the emperor! He had learned both literary and martial arts, and now he was offering his skills to the imperial family.
Since he intended to pursue a career in government, he naturally thought that one day he could hold a high position in the imperial court and worry about the country and its people.
"Sir, you seem particularly happy today."
“There is something to be happy about, my lady. You have worked hard following me all these years. I will definitely earn you an imperial title in the future.”
Madam Shen glanced at him and said, "What's with all this talk about hardship? As long as you have a clear conscience, that's all that matters. As for the title of Imperial Noblewoman, that doesn't matter."
Madam Shen felt that the title of Imperial Noblewoman was unimportant, but Shen Jia'an felt it was important.
On the other side, after leaving the Shen residence, Kangxi went directly to the Wutong Garden. He had heard of this place countless times, but had never actually been inside.
"Make arrangements for everyone to go to Wutong Garden and see what kind of wonderful place it is."
"Yes, this servant will arrange it immediately."
In the Wutong Garden, someone came over and said, "Manager, a group of people came today. They seem to have an extraordinary air about them and plan to stay here for ten days to half a month."
"How many people were in the group?"
"More than twenty or thirty."
What kind of room do you need?
"We'll take everything we can from the yard to the house."
Jiang Baiqing was taken aback. Where did this tycoon come from?
"Take good care of them. Their identity is not a problem. Just give them money."
"yes."
It was only after living in the Wutong Garden for three days that Kangxi truly understood what enjoyment meant. To be honest, the facilities in the Wutong Garden were exactly what one could want.
The food was no worse than that of the imperial kitchen, and the drinks were more varied than those he had in the Qianqing Palace. He enjoyed himself immensely, with ceramics, flower arranging, listening to music and tasting tea, playing chess and discussing poetry, and even watching operas. The operas were all pieces that were not available in Beijing, and they would compose a few new ones every now and then to ensure that you would have something new to hear.
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