Chapter 502: Ugly

In the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the sun is hot in the sky.
The atmosphere of the capital is as lively as this weather!
From the court to the people, it is lively.
The court is in a lawsuit again, and the people are watching it.
In fact, these two things are, in the final analysis, one thing, the cement road.
Gu Jiu provoked the hustle and bustle of the court and the people, and the cement road turned out to refresh the people's understanding of the world.
"Oh! This road can still be repaired like this!"
"It's flat and smooth, it was raining the day before, and when I walked on the concrete road, there was no muddy spots on the upper."
"Really? It's good to dare. Whenever the roads in the city are covered with cement, it will not be so difficult to go out on rainy days."
Outside the Nancheng Gate, the official road.
The road is divided in the middle, and half of it has been built into a concrete road. In a few days, five or six miles have been repaired. This is still delaying the construction period, so the repair will be so slow.
The other half of the official road is still the same, paving the road with yellow mud. On a rainy day, the legs are full of yellow mud. On a sunny day, when the horses and carriages pass, the dust is flying, which can choke people to death.
Why did the emperor go out of a palace, wherever he went, he had to cover it with loess and sprinkle it with water?
The purpose of laying loess is to level the road surface and fill up various potholes on the road surface.
Sprinkling water is to suppress the floating soil and avoid the dusty and dusty movement.
Think about it, the emperor was walking through a patch of flying dust, bumping into a pit from time to time, and the picture was too beautiful to look at.
Gu Jiu asked the engineering team to slowly build half a concrete road outside the Nancheng Gate, without any rush, as a model road.
Because of this cement road that turned out to be, the people in Beijing recently added a hobby, and went out of the Nancheng Gate when nothing happened, and walked back and forth on the cement road.
Really strong, really flat and really clean.
If the other half of the official road is also built into cement road, this road can be cleaner.
A horse-drawn carriage came and drove steadily on half of the concrete road without any bumps.
The hawker with that burden, when the carriage passed by, stepped on the cement road from the Huangniba official road, bringing all kinds of dust by the way. Hey, walking on this road is more comfortable than the yellow mud road.
The hawker held his head high, his face sullen.
Some farmers from the countryside came to the big locust tree market outside Nancheng Gate to set up a stall with agricultural products on their backs.
They dare not step on the concrete pavement for fear that it will be broken. Still walking on the other half of the Yellow Mud Official Road.
"My fellow, go up and take the concrete road. This road is comfortable."
The old man smiled and shook his head, still insisting on walking the dirt road. Just look at it as a surprise, the cement road is so valuable, how can you walk casually.
The kids in the capital were the most excited, calling friends and calling friends, walking back and forth along the concrete road a few times every day.
"The cement road has been repaired to Shiliting!"
"Listen to the manager, if the court agrees, this road can be built to Luozhou next year."
"Gosh, how much does it cost to repair to Luozhou."
"The steward said that when the road is officially built, a lot of people need to be recruited. Two meals a day are included, plus ten copper plates. Anyone who is willing to suffer this hardship should go to Dahuaishubazi outside Nancheng Gate to sign up. If so If you are willing to learn technology, your salary can be higher."
"Really?"
"The steward of the Sihai Road and Bridge Commercial Bank said it himself, of course, there can be no fakes."
"What is the road and bridge firm you just said, what is it?"
"Any road and bridge repairs are under the supervision of the road and bridge business. If anyone has the doorway and wants to sell goods, he can also go to the road and bridge business."
"People have cement, what can we sell?"
"Selling meat, vegetables, snacks, and ready-to-wear clothes, everything can be sold. Those who build roads have to follow the road and bridge shops. Can they not buy something to eat if they get the money? If the clothes are broken, they must not buy two decent clothes. Wear it? The shoes are worn out. Shouldn't you sell new shoes to wear?"
"Is that so?"
"Hey, the little ones in the Li family run out every day, and I didn't expect to have gained some knowledge."
Li Dalang smiled triumphantly. After laughing, I was a little worried.
Seeing that he was running fast, the steward of Sihai Road and Bridge gave him a chance.
If he can organize a road construction team of thirty people, let him be a small leader.
As long as they do a good job, the Four Seas Commercial Bank can sign a ten-year contract with him, and they can earn 20 to 30 taels in a year. You can also buy a house at an internal price.
The work of the Four Seas Commercial Bank is an excellent choice for those who do not have the talent to study and cannot go to the imperial examination, and who are unwilling to serve as soldiers and pay.
For Li Dalang's future, this time he was fighting.
He talked to neighbors in his neighbourhood and talked about how good road construction was and what the future was like.
But I don’t know that the neighbors in the neighbourhood have served in corvee in the early years, repairing city walls and roads, digging ditches and opening mountains.
How hard it is to build roads, they have a clear mind.
This suffering is not something ordinary people can eat.
In the early years, when the imperial court was unstable, it would be good if there were a hundred people who went out to serve in the conscripts.
Those roads, rivers, and border fortresses were all filled with people’s lives.
Now the small people in Beijing are doing a living. I would rather take the money to redeem the corvee every year, and refuse to perform the corvee personally. Where would you be fooled by Li Dalang, follow him to repair the road.
After Li Dalang spent a few days, no one was willing to follow him to repair the road.
He was discouraged and depressed.
He still couldn't see it and gave him an idea.
"People in the city have a livelihood, so naturally they will not follow you to build roads. You go to the countryside, the more remote the poorer the place, let alone 30 people, 300 people can come."
Li Dalang looked at his father blankly, "Can people believe me?"
"Stupid! Gyeonggi area, who doesn't know Sihai Trading Company. Tonight, you will live outside the city, get up in the middle of the night, and go to the big locust tree market Sihai meat and vegetable shop to block people. Those people from remote countryside, you know them well , They can help you get as many people as you need to build a road."
Li Dalang jumped three feet high after being urged.
Packed up, went outside the city and opened a Chase shop to rest.
Li's mother asked Li's father, "You can think of a way that Sihai Commercial Bank can't think of? Don't get to the end, Da Lang is busy for nothing."
Father Li chuckled, "Commercial firms from all over the world want to build roads, how can they not find people, for fear that the mud legs in the countryside will have to go.
I have been pondering over the past few days, and I guessed that the reason why Sihai Commercial Bank gave up the opportunity was to give everyone a way out.
If Da Lang can really take care of this after this incident, maybe he can really do a small job in the four seas firm. At any rate, Da Lang also knew a few words. "
"Is Sihai Commercial Bank so good? They also take the initiative to give people opportunities."
"Hey, you don't understand this. I heard that the cement road is going to be built in Luozhou. The Four Seas Trading Company started in the capital. In Luozhou, the strong dragon can't beat the local snakes. Don't bring more people from your hometown. To be pinched by the local tycoons in Luozhou. The road of hard work has become a wedding dress for others."
"According to what you said, does Sihai Commercial Bank want to attract people from Beijing to Luozhou Town?"
"I guess that's the reason."
Father Li still has some knowledge. Of course, the actual operation is of course not as simple as he said.
What kind of place can a group of road construction workers?
The real people in the town are naturally the local heroes of Luozhou.
Gu Jiu recently posted no less than 500 invitations in Beijing and Luozhou.
Many people in Luozhou are officials in the capital. These people hold their own status and are not willing to deal with business firms. But they don't mind letting the family send someone over to attend Gu Jiu's business tea party.
Considering that it would take them 10 to 20 days for those people to travel from Luozhou to Beijing, Gu Jiu tentatively set the tea party on the fifth day of June.
By then, the quarrel at the court should almost have a result.
In private, according to the order of the Shaofu Family, the Ministry of Households still contacted officials from Luozhou to create momentum for this road.
Most officials outside of Luozhou are opposed to road construction.
In fact, they are not really opposed to it.
All the civil and military officials sneaked around the half-built concrete model road outside the city, and sat in the carriage to feel it.
Is this way good?
it is good!
very good!
Fast and stable. Once repaired, the time to take a carriage from Luozhou to Beijing can be shortened to five or six days.
Why object to it?
Some people have crooked buttocks, and they object for the sake of opposition.
Part of it is a conflict of interests and is unwilling to build roads in Luozhou. Why are you cheap Luozhou bastards?
Can’t we go to Hedong, Hexi, or to build roads to the northwest? Dare to love that everyone is raised by a stepmother, but Luozhou was born to his mother?
Ever since, Chaotang should never build concrete roads, shouldn't let privates pay for roads and set up toll stations, and quarreled whether they should go to Luozhou to build roads.
Those who are officials these days have very strong regional awareness.
In fact, in modern society, officials also have a strong regional awareness.
The advantages of cement roads can be seen by anyone with eyes.
Therefore, everyone wants to build a cement road from Beijing to hometown.
Even people from Jiangnan, Lingnan, Southwest, and Central and Southern regions came to join in the fun.
They also don't want to think about how far the capital is from their place, how can they be repaired in one breath.
But it does not prevent everyone from drawing in these southern officials and opposing the construction of the road from Beijing to Luozhou.
For this matter, the court went up and down, arguing for ten or twenty days.
When the news spread to the place, countless local officials became excited and wrote memorials one after another, begging to build a road from the capital to reach them.
In fact, these local officials have not even figured out what concrete roads are.
They just have the same idea, since it is a good thing, since it can shorten the travel time, they will argue and rob.
It's not too big to watch the excitement.
Even if Emperor Wen De was upset and wanted to punish a few people, they would not have the turn of local officials.
Local officials have high sky and long roads, and are easily forgotten by the emperor. This is a disadvantage.
The advantage is that the risk of becoming an official is lower than that of a Beijing official, and the income is higher than that of a Beijing official.
Parents and officials in a place, just a little on hand, is enough to feed the family and save money for the elderly.
Be cruel, you can make a fortune by being a magistrate for a few years. To lay a solid foundation for the family to become a wealthy one day.
From the capital to the local area, it was all riotous because of road construction, and it was extremely lively.
Buzzing, buzzing, all kinds of buzzing in Wende's ears.
Seeing that June is coming soon, Gu Jiu's investment promotion tea party will soon be held. Emperor Wen De coughed and quieted down immediately.
Emperor Wende said in a hurry: "I know that you all want to build a road to your hometown. But I have to remind you that the Household Department has no money, and there is no money to build a road for you.
The road from Beijing to Luozhou is all funded by the private sector, so toll stations will be set up. For all the costs of road construction, the court did not have to bear a penny and had the best road in the world. Can I object to such a good thing? Can you object?
It is not impossible for you to build roads. If anyone can spend hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars in food, I can now approve the construction of a concrete road from the capital to your hometown.
If you can't get it out, stop talking nonsense. If you have the ability to persuade the private sector to fund and build a road to your hometown for you, I will also be happy for you. "
The officials looked at each other.
Someone finally came forward, "Your Majesty, private funds are required to build roads and toll stations are set up. It is not proper. It also loses the face of the court."
Other officials echoed.
As a result, the problem went back to its original point, and it began to quarrel whether the four seas commercial banks were eligible to fund road repairs and set up toll stations.
Some people are willing to pay to build roads, but in fact everyone agrees with a hundred.
The only disapproval is the establishment of toll stations.
Setting up a toll station is too ugly to eat.
Dignified wife, do you want to be so greedy for money?
Although no one has said it, everyone knows that the owner behind Sihai Commercial Bank is Gu Jiu.
When everyone was tired from the noise, Emperor Wende sneered, and immediately made the courtiers aroused.
Emperor Wende smiled, but sneered at what he said, poking his heart every word, "The face of the court? The treasury of the household is too poor to run the mouse, does the court still have a face?
Someone took out millions of dollars to build roads for the imperial court, shouldn't they set up several toll stations?
You guys, it's too ugly to eat. He told the horses to run, and refused to feed the horses. According to you, this road will not be built for a hundred years. "
"Your Majesty, don't you want the court to be decent?"
Emperor Wen De took a sip of tea, "Go out and turn left, go to the street and ask the people, is it important for the court to be decent or a concrete road? Can the court be decent to eat and wear as clothes?"
"Your Majesty, how can you do this?"
How can you talk like a rascal, and lose face.
You are the emperor!
What about the system?
Decent?
The dignified emperor, by acting like this, the ancestor Liu's face was lost.
Emperor Wen De didn't care a little, and what he said, like a knife, struck everyone's cheeks.
"Am I wrong? If you have a proper body, you can skip eating and dressing. It is better to start from today, the court will no longer give the civil and military officials a penny of salary, and you will not give a grain of rice. Shops are not tax-exempt, and you can eat them all by yourself.
Anyway, as long as there is decent, you can discard the side. What kind of food, clothes, money, etc. How tacky. All the officials have noble morals, so they can deal with food, clothing, money and food, and beware of losing their dignity. "
Civil and military officials: mmp, what should I do if I meet an emperor who turns his face faster than a book, and who is still shameless?
Tired!
A mouthful of old blood almost came out.
"Your Majesty, I know the courtesy in a real sense. The same style of clothing, food, housing and transportation is not opposite."
Emperor Wende laughed, "Since it is not an antagonism, why can't all Aiqing accommodate a concrete road? In the hearts of all Aiqing, you can't fit a single road. Can I expect you to do something else?"
"Your Majesty!"
"You are not guilty, I am guilty. I am incompetent. The household is so poor that I can't even get the money for road construction."
"Your Majesty!"
"How can you Aiqing be guilty? You are dedicated to the court and I have to reward you. Come, every Aiqing enjoy a sip of tea."
"The minister dare not wait."
Where do you dare to drink water in the Jinluang Temple? What if you have urgency?
One must reward, a group of people must refuse.
Let it go, and the road construction quarrel is over.
Emperor Wen De sighed as if he was saying: You people, don't understand my heart.
A hundred officials of civil and military affairs: 嘤嘤嘤, the ministers are not harem concubines.
Two days later, the court issued an official document, allowing Sihai Commercial Bank to build a cement road from Beijing to Luozhou and allowing Sihai Commercial Bank to set up a toll station every fifty miles.
With this official document, it is equivalent to getting a road and bridge license.
Now everything is ready, only the east wind.
As soon as the tea party opens and enough funds have been raised, construction will begin.
Representatives from major families in Luozhou and powerful representatives from all over the country have successively arrived in the capital.
Everyone was staring at the tea party in early June, but they didn't know that it had been delayed for more than half a year, and the Cai family was involved. The murder case of 20 years ago had been judged.
Those who ordered the slaughter of the village and those who participated in the slaughter were counted as one, and all were sentenced to beheading.
A full thousand people, a thousand heads.
In addition to General Cai in the Cai family, several of his brothers were not spared, one of them counted as one, and all of them clicked.