Follow Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the country

Chapter 78 Wang Guangyang: I want to see Mr. Zhang immediately!
  Wang Guangyang was stunned and couldn't help but open his mouth wide. He didn't shut up for a long time, and he suddenly felt guilty for this.

"Thinking of me as a distinguished scholar, I only lament that people's livelihood is difficult, and babies are left without a care and left to be eaten by wild dogs. However, they no longer have the courage to adopt them, and they are no longer as benevolent and righteous as a profit-seeking businessman!"

Wang Guangyang sighed secretly.

In the current troubled times.

Saving babies and young children is indeed something that requires courage.

Because the cost of raising rescue babies is high and the risks are also high.

After all, the infant mortality rate in this era is very high, and no one is sure whether the baby will grow up after being fed with a lot of rice milk.

Therefore, no matter how wealthy a family is, no one is willing to take in infants, but only older children as slaves.

Those who sell children and girls are basically not buying or selling very small babies.

What's more, the richer the family, the more they care about the gain and loss of interests.

Even though Wang Guangyang was a scholar, like most conscientious scholars and officials, he could only lament the hardship of the people's livelihood, and indeed he had no intention of taking in these babies.

Who let him actually live on the support of his clan?

They are not real labor producers.

In other words, a Confucian scholar like him does not directly produce wealth, so he cannot ignore the feelings of other people in the clan and use money to take care of babies and children without authorization.

Li Menggeng and Guo Jingxiang dared to divide their fields, but they could also force the clan members with status to accept the division of fields on the grounds that the whole clan might be implicated because of their close relationship with Ren Qiande.

Wang Guangyang had no reason to convince his tribe to take in the babies left behind by the common people.

Therefore, Wang Guangyang could only sigh, and now he could only feel guilty after seeing that businessmen were more benevolent than himself.

But Wang Guangyang didn't expect that the merchant in front of him would be so kind and take in the baby regardless of gain or loss.

He knows how profitable businessmen can be.

In his opinion, few people who dare to do business these days are not profit-hungry, and may even be ruthless to the point of disregarding family ties for the sake of profit.

But in front of me, this caravan was actually taking in babies, and it also brought women to provide milk for these babies.

It was impossible for Wang Guangyang not to be shocked by this.

and.

Wang Guangyang also caught a glimpse of several babies inside the car!

Wang Guangyang was even more shocked.

He could naturally guess that these babies must have been picked up along the way, otherwise, who would have nothing to do with babies on the way to business.

to this end.

Wang Guangyang decided to take the initiative to contact these merchants for the first time, and actually came forward to ask to meet Cheng Renmo, the owner of this caravan.

Wang Guangyang, who has always looked down upon businessmen, took the initiative to bow to Cheng Renmo and asked, "I'd be so bold to ask, why did your businessman take in the infant?"

"I am doing good deeds, and I am also following the orders of Mr. Mu Zhang of Chuzhou Prefecture, and in accordance with Chuzhou official orders, I will take in infants and children along the way and hand them over to the Chuzhou Rebel Army, so that they can be used as tax deductions."

Cheng Renmo saw that Wang Guangyang was a scholar and respected him, so he took the initiative to get out of the car, saluted in return, and explained the reason.

After Wang Guangyang heard what Cheng Renmo said, he couldn't help but sneered:
  "It's Mr. Zhang again!"

in fact.

While Wang Guangyang was on the road, he had already heard rumors about Zhang Cheng no less than ten times, such as saying that he stopped killing and brought the rebel army to peace and order, and that he imposed heavy taxes on powerful officials and cracked down on powerful people.

Now, Wang Guangyang heard businessman Cheng Renmo say that he took in babies along the way because he responded to Zhang Cheng's call and because Zhang Cheng's rebel army allowed businessmen to use found babies as tax deductions. Naturally, he became more curious about Zhang Cheng.

"Thank you for informing me, Your Majesty."

Wang Guangyang then saluted Cheng Renmo again.

Then, he hurried away in the direction of Chuzhou City.

Gao You, the boy servant beside Wang Guangyang, couldn't help but hurriedly chased after him and asked, "Why are you leaving in such a hurry!"

"Since this caravan is showing mercy to Mr. Zhang from Chuzhou City because of his kindness, then why should I stay here?"

"Instead of talking to him as a profit-seeking businessman, it is better to go to Chuzhou City as soon as possible and meet this Mr. Zhang as soon as possible!"

As Wang Guangyang spoke, he ignored the scorching sun and just lifted his feet frequently.
-
  Chuzhou City at this time.

It's the time when there are endless carriages and horses and a lot of people.

People from high to low are actively participating in projects such as dredging the clear water flowing through the city, strengthening the dams, and building more canals.

Some time ago, the government-run trading houses, due to grain speculation by officials, gentry and merchants, not only absorbed a lot of grain and cloth for military pay, but also added a large amount of grain and cloth. Even if they wanted to transport the grain to places with high grain prices for sale, it would be too late. Monetize large amounts of food.

In addition, many of the refugees in Chuzhou City were not immediately given the opportunity to farm and work, but still relied on relief from the rebels, and more and more refugees came.

Therefore, Zhang Cheng simply used the large amount of old grain obtained from house raids that could no longer be swallowed by the government-run trading houses to prepare for projects and large-scale infrastructure construction, and implemented a work-for-relief approach to increase cultivated land and smooth trade routes. After all, there are many refugees coming to Chuzhou now, and there is no shortage of labor. They only need to be given a full meal to help them contribute.

And here.

The most suitable and most needed infrastructure project is to dredge the clear water that passes through Chuzhou City at this time. Once it and the Yangtze River system in the south are dredged, not only can more farmland be irrigated, but more trade routes can be opened, solving Chuzhou's problems. The city is currently closed to boats.

The waterways of this era have the characteristics of the most convenient transportation, the lowest transportation cost, relative safety, and very high economic value.

It can be said.

The waterways of this era were equivalent to the railways of later generations. Basically, places connected to waterways would be more prosperous.

Therefore, if Chuzhou City really opens up the waterway to the outside, it will undoubtedly bring great commercial benefits.

Simultaneously.

The rebels can also achieve their goal of crossing the river as soon as possible in the future militarily.

So Zhang Cheng decided to dredge the river first.

Zhu Yuanzhang also supported this kind of water conservancy project that was conducive to settlement and communication of trade routes.

For this reason, because as the general manager, Zhu Yuanzhang did not have to deal with specific matters personally, so he had more time, so he would personally come to the construction site to pick rocks and transport mud.

For Zhu Yuanzhang, who has been doing all kinds of manual work since he was a child, and still digs the ground to grow vegetables, he has no qualms about doing this kind of manual work, and he doesn't feel that it loses his identity.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang basically came to work on the construction site whenever he had time.

This made Zhang Cheng have no choice but to come to the construction site to find him every time he came to see him.

this day.

When the red sun sets in the west.

Zhang Cheng just finished his work and thought that he needed to talk to Zhu Yuanzhang about setting up a factory after dredging the river, so he also brought a group of subordinates to the river, found Zhu Yuanzhang who was picking up soil, and said: "Your Majesty, Take a rest!"

"Wait until we finish picking out this pile of soil."

"Although those young men aged sixteen or seventeen eat more food than us, they are really not as good at work as us."

"It's been a day, and the work in front of me is not over yet."

Zhu Yuanzhang held on to the two swaying loads of earth and walked forward.

Seeing this, Zhang Cheng glanced at Li Shanchang, Feng Guoyong and other scribes behind him, and noticed their frowning expressions because of Zhu Yuanzhang's behavior. He felt that he should perhaps take them with him to get close to the lower-class workers, so as not to waste time. They and themselves gradually forget the hard work of workers.

So, Zhang Cheng said: "Let's go and help too. Let's relax after the paperwork is exhausted!"

Zhang Cheng asked someone to bring several pairs of poles and baskets of soil, and he dug two baskets of soil first and carried them in the direction of Zhu Yuanzhang.

When Zhu Yuanzhang looked back and saw it, he laughed happily.

Li Shanchang hurriedly picked up the two halves of the basket of soil and said with a smile: "As Mr. Zhang said, those who work hard with paperwork should also move their muscles and bones. By the way, they can also experience the hard work of public service." .”

"Yes!"

"With these two loads of soil on our shoulders, we understand the hardships of the people even more."

"And when you think that they can only get two full meals after working so hard for a whole day, it becomes even more difficult for the people."

Feng Guoyong also picked up two baskets with more soil than Li Shanchang carried, gritted his teeth and chased Zhang Cheng, and also said a few words in agreement.

Zhang Mian pursed his lips here, and then followed up with more dirt than Feng Guoyong pretended to be, followed tremblingly, and said:
  "When I was an official in Hu Yuan, the governor of Hu Yuan did not have such personal experience of the hardships of the people. If so, why did he end up like this!"

"However, he won't. After all, how can he compare to Mr. Zhang's love for the people and his kindness!"

Guo Jingxiang knows that he is still regarded by Zhang Cheng as Ren Qiande's accomplice, and he has a grudge against him.

For this reason, he felt that since he now wanted Zhang Cheng to experience the beauty of being a master, he had to perform better than others, so that Zhang Cheng could see his diligent and hardworking side, and then have a better impression of him.

So he picked more soil than Zhang Mian.

Li Menggeng thought to himself whether the suspicion of collusion between himself and Ren Qiande had not been eliminated, and his brother had just recently gotten into trouble. He was afraid that he would like Mr. Zhang, knowing that power would make people like him more attractive. In order to be afraid of him, it is better to pick more dirt than Guo Jingxiang.

So, he simply picked the equivalent of four baskets of soil.

Zhang Mian couldn't stop breathing when he came to follow him, Guo Jingxiang's feet were shaking, and Li Menggeng found it extremely difficult to even move his legs, and his lips were pale and bloodless.

Bang!
  Moreover, not long after, Li Menggeng fell to the ground with the basket first, causing dirt everywhere.

Therefore, Guo Jingxiang turned around and took a look. As a result, when he turned around, because of his unstable standing, he and the basket fell to the ground, and he also directly pulled a basket carried by Zhang Mian in front of him.

Zhang Mian was struggling to carry the load, so he fell to the ground after being pulled like this. His face was covered with dirt, and the basket under the load flew out, killing Feng who was walking quickly without looking at the road. Guoyong tripped and fell to the ground.

Feng Guoyong also tripped Li Shanchang behind him.

(End of this chapter)