In the spring of this year, the imperial court plans to reorganize water transportation.
The Ministry of Industry was asked to conduct a river infrastructure survey two years ago, but it was delayed until the Ministry of Industry's survey was completed and was not formally submitted.
The official documents sent were either rhetorical or full of propaganda, and were of no use at all.
The emperor also understood the reason.
During the reign of the late Emperor, water transport had been controlled by several aristocratic families. It was clear that water transport was a matter of benefit to the country and the people, but as a result, it was extorted and monopolized by several aristocratic families. The state treasury was deprived of a penny, and the people along the river, especially the boatmen, lived a miserable life.
Unspeakable.
The late emperor spent a lot of effort to interrupt the water transport.
Although several major aristocratic families still wanted to profit from it and tried to open it privately, the late emperor had no choice but to make great efforts and directly had the river closed. The imperial court also provided funds to support dry road transportation.
After more than ten years of road construction and expansion, dry road transportation is now very complete. However, in order to prevent the traffic from being monopolized again, His Majesty is now preparing to restart water transportation and make it bloom in both directions.
However, aristocratic families are involved in every hub of dry road transportation. They have finally gained a little control over dry road transportation, so how can they let go and open a new transportation line.
As a result, several investigations were handled in a protracted manner.
The emperor thought about it and handed over this task to Xiao Yu privately.
The requirements are not high. For the time being, we only need to investigate the water transportation infrastructure in the Jinnan area.
Zhending is not far from Jinnan. Xiao Yu originally went to Zhending to find out the relationship between the prefects of Zhending and Jinnan. Unexpectedly, he met Su Luo in Zhending and broke off their engagement. She also didn’t expect that Su Luo wanted to avoid Chen Ding.
Heng, came directly to Chunxi Town.
Although Chunxi Town is a real town, the dock of Jinnan is only a kilometer away from the town.
For Xiao Yu, it was a blessing from heaven.
Ping An has sent people to investigate, but not much was gained in one day. "There are quite a few scrap ships parked at the dock, but after asking around, I found that those ships have no owners. Since last winter, the imperial court has sent out people who want to rebuild water transportation."
After the news, I heard that several families living near the dock in Jinnan were taken away overnight.
Someone recognized them and the person who came to take them away was Wang Chun, the steward of Zhenninghou Mansion. It is not known where they were taken.
But the purpose is definitely to prevent us from finding people who are familiar with shipping at the dock."
Water transportation is different from other things. Currently, there are no people who are proficient in the work available to the Ministry of Industry. If you are not an experienced shipbuilder, it is difficult to tell the availability of infrastructure.
Xiao Yu frowned, "You don't have to stick to the old boatmen in Jinnan. The boatmen from other places can understand it just as well. They are divided into three groups. One group traces the people taken away by the Zhenning Marquis Mansion, one group stays at Jinnan Wharf to continue the investigation, and the other group disperses
Go out and see if you can bring someone to other places to have a look, but you have to keep it a secret. Those old families have very good noses, and they will cause chaos if you let them smell the slightest smell."
Ping An naturally nodded and accepted the order, frowning, "We will live in Chunxi Town like this. People will definitely know about it as time goes by."
Xiao Yu looked unconcerned, "You know it if you know it, I'm going to take the first prize, and they can still stop me!"
Obviously what he said was the words of a sage, but this gentleman just let the gangster spirit in his bones speak out in a somewhat dissolute manner.
Xiao Yu has a bad reputation.
In recent years, people have frequently committed murder and arson. They have beheaded people in the street because of a disagreement. They have also taken the beads off people's heads and brought them to pawnshops to exchange for money. They are also frequent visitors to brothels and boats.
If he wants to take the first prize, who will believe him?
It's all fun to watch, maybe this guy is going to cause some trouble.
"By the way, find two books that are suitable for children's enlightenment. I will go next door to be a teacher tomorrow." Xiao Yu was very satisfied with his scholar character.
Ping An stood on one side and looked at him sadly, fearing that he would teach other people's good children to be like him. When he spoke, no matter what he said, it would be like a patron visiting a brothel.
Tsk~
next door.
Su Luo and Chun Xing washed all the waste, cooked it, cut it into diamond-shaped pieces of suitable size, and marinated them all with the prepared brine.
Leave it overnight and the flavor will come out in the morning.
After a day of hard work, all three of us were feeling tired and aching.
Fortunately, the bed board was spacious, and the three of them were as skinny as each other, so they were able to squeeze together and stay warm just right.
Su Zimu put her little feet on her sister's belly to keep them warm, covered herself with the new quilt and muttered happily: "Just wait another month, and I will have a baby chick."
This little chicken has almost become Su Zimu's obsession, and he has been talking about it all day long.
Su Luo lay on her side, smiled and rubbed his hair, "You want a chick so much?"
Su Zimu stared at the tent above his head in the darkness with his bright eyes, "Yes, the young master of Zhenninghou Mansion has three little chickens. They are yellow and fluffy. They are very interesting. I want to touch them.
And he beat me.
Humph, what's so great, I'm going to have chicks soon, more than him. Brother Xiao said that he also wants to raise chicks, and he asked me to help him raise them."
Su Luo stiffened when she heard this, "He hit you?"
Su Zimu hummed, pouted, and rubbed her little feet on Su Luo's belly, "Hey, he slapped me in the face and I was red for two days."
Su Luo felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
When she chased Chen Heng with a hot face, her brother was beaten in Zhenninghou Mansion? Or was it in the face?
Su Luo subconsciously wanted to sit up, but she was afraid that her reaction would be too big and frighten the child. Finally, she bit her lips to calm down, and reached out to touch Su Zimu's face. Although there was no mark on her face, she
It's so light that it can hurt a child with just a touch.
"Why didn't you tell your sister?"
Su Zimu shook her little feet.
"I told my sister that I was afraid that she would be in a dilemma because you like the prince so much."
These words hurt Su Luo's heart even more than the words just now. She was stabbed directly through the body, and her flesh and blood were mixed. "Sister, it's not good. We, Zimu, have been wronged."
Su Zimu turned over, facing Su Luo with a small face, staring at her big eyes in the dark night, "Sister, are you really not going back to Zhenninghou Mansion in the future?"
The child's tone was still a little uncertain and panicked, and the fear in his eyes made Gu Luo feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I won't come back, don't worry Zimu."
Su Zimu looked at Su Luo for a moment and nodded.
Chun Xing grinds her teeth in the dark.
"The eldest mistress's son, Chen Ming, caught some chicks from nowhere at the end of July last year and raised them in the yard, which prompted a group of children to come over and look at them.
But they all died within a few days of raising them. I heard that they were killed by the big wolf dog raised by Lord Marquis."
Su Zimu knew that Chun Xing was beaten, but at that time Su Zimu begged Chun Xing not to tell Su Luo, and Chun Xing was also afraid of Su Luo being embarrassed, so he didn't mention it.
Now that I mention it, I can’t help but gnash my teeth.
Su Luo was annoyed that she had been thinking about Chen Heng all these years and didn't even know about it.
She hugged her brother's little head, feeling guilty and scared, and kissed him on the forehead. She said to Chun Xing: "Master Marquis's wolf dog has been tied up in the outer courtyard. Chen Ming still lives in the yard of the eldest mistress. Why do you bite him?"
Already?"
Chun Xing pouted, "Who knows, maybe God got angry when he saw that he wouldn't let us kids admire the chicks, so he let the wolves and dogs bite him to death. Anyway, Chen Ming cried for three or four days.
I heard that Chen Ming also developed a rash all over his body. The doctor looked at it and said he was allergic to peach hairs, and it took him a full month to get better.
How could the young master of Zhenninghou Mansion be stained with peach hair? He must have done too many evil things and be punished by God."
Su Luo didn't care at all what happened to the other people in the Zhenning Marquis Mansion. She only knew that she had wronged her brother through blindness and blindness over the years.
If Chen Heng valued her even a little bit, Zimu would not be bullied to this extent.
The two of them talked, and the child lay there with bright eyes and listened quietly, with a small smile of success on the corner of his mouth.