Here, Gu Qi finally saw the so-called "barren" scene.
Several other counties are showing the scene of the revival of all things in early spring, and everything is green and yellow as far as the eye can see.
But here, it is still a withered and yellow scene, some of the farmland has dried up, and even the weeds are lying on the ground.
Seeing such a formation, the people along the way couldn't help but follow. After a while, people from three levels inside and three outside had gathered.
Gu Qi looked back and saw dark faces, wearing tattered clothes. They always kept a distance, not daring to get close, but followed closely.
Cao Zhi waved at them and said sternly: "What are you all doing here? Let's break up! Let's break up!"
Seeing that they were motionless and still standing where they were, Cao Zhi felt a little worried on his face.
Xue Peilin said: "No problem, just follow if you want."
Cao Zhi smiled awkwardly: "Let me laugh, sir. This place has not seen strangers for many years. You two suddenly arrived, and the people are somewhat new."
"It's not a problem, I just didn't expect that Wangjiang County would have reached this point."
While leading the way, Cao Zhi said: "I don't know, sir. The situation in Qishui County is more severe than here. I'm afraid that when the time comes, government officials will have to be dispatched from various counties to escort them all the way."
Li Jinghao laughed out loud: "I have heard that the people in Wangjiang and Qishui counties are tough, but I have never encountered them before."
Along the way, Qishui County Governor Zhou Hu remained silent.
Hearing Li Jinghao's words and looking at Li Jinghao's smiling face, he was so angry that he couldn't help but reply: "If you can't live, who would want to live like this!"
Li Jinghao realized that he had made a mistake, and his face turned red.
Under the leadership of Cao Zhi, they visited two counties in Wangjiang County. According to Cao Zhi, the same was true in other counties. The farmland was withered and yellow, and the original small rivers had long since dried up. In order to make water more convenient for everyone, two deep wells were drilled in each county, but this was far from solving the people's farming and water problems.
"It used to be that people who were close to Qishan Mountain would go over the mountains to transport water to Jingshui Lake, but since there was a problem in Jingshui Lake, the water source was cut off." Cao Zhi looked at the dry and cracked land of the village and gritted his teeth in worry.
Gu Qi pointed to the wasteland in front of him and asked, "Whose farmland do these belong to?"
Cao Zhi smiled bitterly and said: "Which high-ranking official is willing to take over the farmland here? Except for a few pieces of ours, the rest belongs to these ordinary people."
Gu Qi looked at Zhou Hu: "I think it will be the same in Qishui County."
Zhou Hu frowned and nodded.
Xue Peilin sighed: "Building canals and diversion can't be completed in one go. What should we do now?"
"We have no choice but to move the village or dig out the mountain."
Gu Qi knew that as soon as he said this, he would definitely be opposed by several county guards.
But right now I really can’t think of a better way.
To build canals and divert water, we need to obtain detailed topographic maps of each county and then discuss them in detail. We also need to consider issues such as building embankments.
Relocating a village only requires the various county governors to arrange land, and digging mountains is an old method used by the former Qishui County governor Gu Yuan. I think some information will be left in the future. Following the old method can always save some time.
"This..." Cao Zhi was a little embarrassed, not knowing how to speak.
Suddenly feeling something strange, Gu Qi raised his eyes and saw Zhou Hu standing beside him with a slightly sick expression, looking at him blankly.
Taking a closer look, I found that his eyes were distracted, as if he was looking at Gu Qi, or looking at someone else through Gu Qi.
"Master Zhou, do you have other ideas?"
Zhou Hu was startled.
He sighed and replied to Gu Qi: "No."
Xue Peilin put his hands behind his back and walked forward: "Think about it again."
Gu Qi understood that Gu Yuan's matter was a knot in the hearts of Xue Peilin and the county guards.
They have concerns.
After a few days, Xue Peilin couldn't bear it.
After entering Wangjiang County, I would beat my waist for a while, rub my legs for a while, and take a few steps before taking a rest.
It was almost noon, Gu Qi looked up and said, "Let's do this, Mr. Li, send Mr. Xue back to the Governor's Mansion first, and I will go to Qishui County by myself in the afternoon."
"How can this work! You don't know that this Qishui County is in chaos!" Xue Peilin looked serious, without considering the feelings of Zhou Hu next to him.
Zhou Hu's face turned red and white, and he coughed twice and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Xue, I will definitely protect Mr. Pei."
Gu Qi smiled and said: "Master Xue, has he forgotten the common people we met on the road?"
Xue Peilin suddenly realized: "You mean..."
"Don't worry, as Master Zhou is here, nothing will go wrong."
In the afternoon, Li Jinghao accompanied Xue Peilin back to the Governor's Mansion, while Gu Qi followed Zhou Hu to Qishui County.
Gu Qi and Zhou Hu were the only two people left in the carriage.
After a moment, he asked: "Master Pei, where are you from?"
"Zezhou Meiyu Village."
"Oh," Zhou Hu frowned and asked, "Have Master Pei ever been to Tuzhou?"
Gu Qi shook his head.
"Does Mr. Pei know Mr. Gu Yuangu?"
Gu Qi shook his head again.
Zhou Hu's eyes dimmed and he stopped talking.
"On the way here, I heard Mr. Xue mention this Mr. Gu."
"Really," Zhou Hu said with a bitter smile, "It's a pity that good people don't live long."
Gu Qi sighed: "No one could have expected this kind of thing."
"If you hadn't talked about relocating villages and digging mountains, I would never have said these words to you. What you said was exactly the same as what Master Gu said at that time! I thought you knew Master Gu."
Gu Qi forced a smile and asked, "Where is Yong'an County?"
Zhou Hu was a little surprised and politely replied: "It is the county closest to the north of Qishui County. It is difficult to draw water there. A few dozen miles further north is a desert."
"Oh," Gu Qi lowered his head and thought for a moment, "Why don't we go directly to Yong'an County and then go back from Yong'an County."
Although Zhou Hu didn't know why, he still nodded.
Entering Qishui County, you can see desolate scenery along the streets. Compared with the capital, it is really a world of difference.
Who would have thought that Lan Country still has such a desolate place.
"Okay, let's give it to the one who stutters..."
There were almost no silks or satins on the street. Most of them were people in coarse linen clothes. There were also beggars kneeling or lying on the ground, with a few rags hanging on their bodies, shouting feebly.
Entering Yong'an County, a man came up to him, pointed at Gu Qi suddenly, and shouted: "Pei...Master Pei!"
Zhou Hu was startled and stuck his head out to look out.
Gu Qiben saw that his figure looked familiar, and when he shouted like this, he was even more certain that he was an acquaintance.
"Have you seen Yang Yi? Call him over!"
After listening to Gu Qi's words, the man turned around and ran towards the village.
Zhou Hu was surprised and said, "How can you know someone from Qishui County, sir?"
Gu Qi felt proud: "It's a long story."
The carriage stopped and he watched a small group of people running towards them with hoes and hammers in their hands.
"How dare you! You dare to stop your Excellency's car?"
The driver of the car roared, Zhou Hu frowned and got out of the car.
Gu Qi also got out of the car to find out.
"What are you doing? Are you going to rob a chariot or horse?" Zhou Hu's face darkened, and his anger suddenly increased.
The few people hesitated and whispered, and then a man walked out timidly from the crowd: "Mr. Zhou, is there anything to eat?"
"No!" Zhou Hu raised his finger and pointed at the man and said, "If you don't leave, I will have the government officials beat you up and put you in jail!"
Gu Qi took a step forward and raised his hand to press Zhou Hu's arm: "Why is this?"
Looking at the people gathered around him, he looked like a hungry wolf, but he didn't dare to take a step beyond his reach, probably because he was afraid of Zhou Hu.
Seeing their cowering and timid appearance, Gu Qi felt sad and pointed to the carriageway: "There are some dry food, fruits, and some water in the carriage. If you need it, take it."
A group of people looked at Zhou Hu, who sighed, closed his eyes and stood aside.
This group of people threw aside their hoes and hammers and rushed over!
Gu Qi was pushed by them and almost fell down.
Seeing this, Zhou Hu hurriedly stepped forward to support Gu Qi, and the two stood aside.
Zhou Hu raised his head and looked forward: "It's broken!"
Gu Qi looked along his line of sight and saw another group of people running over with sticks in their hands!
"Is it still too late to call the Yamen now?" Gu Qi swallowed nervously.
"Don't worry, I'm here, Ding..." Zhou Hu's voice began to tremble as he spoke: "Master Dinghu is safe!"
Gu Qi began to regret it. As long as he opened an opening, more hungry wolves would come around and they would probably eat all the bones and dregs!
Fighting for food, red eyes, even if you are an official, you can't guarantee that you will lose your fortune.
The dagger in her sleeve was firmly held in her hand. Gu Qi looked at Zhou Hu. If he had to expose his martial arts later, it would be best to silence him and the driver who was blocking him.
At this time, Zhou Hu, although timid, still firmly opened his arms and blocked Gu Qi's body with his whole body.
"Master Pei!" I heard a familiar voice.
Gu Qi looked forward and saw that it was Yang Yi and the others!
"Huh..." Gu Qi let out a long sigh of relief, put his dagger back in relief.
Zhou Hu turned his head and looked at Gu Qi.
Gu Qidui smiled: "This is Yang Yi, we know each other."
"Oh, I know you too." Zhou Hu tugged on the open skirt of his clothes and cleared his throat: "You two brothers still know how to come back? How is my mother's illness at home?"
Yang Yihan smiled and said: "Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for taking care of me. My illness is much better."
Zhou Hu stepped forward and pinched Yang Yi's arm: "I ran out for a while and came back much stronger."
Yang Sheng came up from behind and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhou, what are you doing? Are you handing out food?"
Yang Yi poked his brother with his elbow, startling Yang Sheng.
Gu Qi turned around and looked at the carriage, only to see the buttocks of several people squeezing into the carriage.
Zhou Hu sighed helplessly.
Gu Qichong said to the coachman: "You wait here, and when they finish getting food and drink, they will leave naturally. Mr. Zhou and I will go forward."
Zhou Hu nodded and stretched out his arms in a "please" gesture.
Yang Yi and the others consciously stepped aside and made way for them.
"It made Master Pei laugh. They didn't mean any harm."
"I know that Mr. Zhou's ability to stick to Qishui County shows his high righteousness. The people under your jurisdiction must be kind." After Gu Qi finished speaking, he glanced behind him. The Yang brothers and others all laughed. stand up.
"Yang Yi."
Yang Yi puffed up his chest from behind: "Yes! What are your orders, Master Pei?"
"Take me to your house to see you."
"Huh? This..." There was a whisper from behind.
Zhou Hu came over in a low voice and said, "Master Pei, what is this?"
"Visit."
Zhou Hu was a little confused, but he didn't say anything else, he just waved to Yang Yi.
Yang Yi understood and walked to the front: "Two adults, please come this way."
