Zheng Qianqian didn't want to. How could the beautiful house like a painting let the chickens and geese run freely?
These two domestic animals poop everywhere!
After Li Qiao learned about it, he waved his hand and circled a large corner specifically for placing chickens and geese.
With such lively livestock, Tao Zhu saw this and simply opened a vegetable plot next to it.
It will take a long time to build the house on the east side of the courtyard, but his hands are ready to grow vegetables and flowers, and he can't wait any longer.
He wants to plant vegetables and flowers now!
After cultivating vegetable fields, they had to fertilize with plant ash. Seeing this process, Li Xiaorui curiously asked why.
Tao Zhu and Zheng Qianqian carefully explained to him what fertilizer and fertilizing were. Of course Li Xiaorui didn't understand, but his lack of understanding didn't stop him from imitating Tao Zhu's movements.
He also wants to grow vegetables and flowers!
Taozhu is more sophisticated in growing vegetables. Instead of spreading plant ash directly on the soil, the plant ash is mixed with the soil and then spread into the vegetable field.
Li Xiaorui did as he was told, carrying a small wooden bucket to water the ashes of the plants. Li Qiao was overjoyed to see this scene.
As expected of his great nephew!
So Li Qiao actively accompanied Li Xiaorui to play with plant ashes. Two chubby friends, Li Changfeng and Li Yunfan, also joined in the game of living mud. Li Qiao guided him step by step. When he reached the last step, this afternoon In the morning, the fourth prince went to the Qiuxian Palace to discuss important matters with Sheng Hong.
This matter is indeed very important. When the fourth prince finished speaking, Li Qiao, who was sitting behind the screen reviewing the memorial, couldn't help but be stunned——
The fourth prince chose to abstain from Sheng Hong's question this time.
"You abstain?"
Sheng Hong sat behind the court case and looked at his fourth son in surprise: "Mi'er, do you know what you are talking about?"
The fourth prince's name is Sheng Zhimi.
"I know. My son made this decision after careful consideration."
The fourth prince looked calm and calmly explained the reason for his abstention:
He can't do this.
"Other than money, there is no solution to this matter, but my son doesn't have much money. If we fight for financial resources, he can't compete with his eldest brother, and he can't compete with his sixth brother. In that case, I just give up and don't bother."
"...You should think about it again."
Sheng Hong was speechless for a moment, then stretched out his hand and tapped him: "Do you want to be lazy? Don't be lazy. Please think about this matter carefully. If you can't figure it out, then find someone else to discuss it. It's only been a few days. You You just came here and said you would give up, but you didn’t take my request seriously at all.”
"I won't allow you to abstain. You must study the solution carefully for me."
As soon as these words came out, it was the fourth prince's turn to be speechless. He smiled wryly and spread his hands: "Father, my son really can't think of any other ideas. Besides, my son's dock is about to be repaired, and he is more interested in Jibei Province."
"There's no rush. I don't ask you to give me the answer tomorrow. Just think about it slowly and don't be lazy until the answers from your other brothers come out."
Sheng Hong looked serious.
The Fourth Prince: "..."
His own father told him this, what could he do?
He could only be obedient.
After the fourth prince left, Sheng Hong called Li Qiao with a straight face: "Li Aiqing, you have set a particularly bad example for the world. I really want to ask you for your guilt."
Li Qiao: "?"
He pretended to be panicked and hurriedly walked out from behind the screen, looking at Sheng Hong with a confused look on his face: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen is scared! I wonder what mistake Wei Chen made?"
"You made the mistake of being opportunistic. You don't want to do your best when things happen, but you just want to take one step more than your competitors. Is this a good culture?"
"Tell me, should I punish you?"
Sheng Hong's face was still straight.
Li Qiao: "..."
OK.
It's not considered a crime.
He looked annoyed and ashamed, lifted up his clothes and knelt down: "I know that I am guilty, please punish me."
"I will punish you for meritorious service. You should also think about this matter. You are not allowed to be lazy until the answers from other princes come out."
Sheng Hong said seriously.
"Yes. Your Majesty is so generous, and I am deeply grateful. I will definitely try my best to find a solution."
Li Qiao quickly thanked him.
"That's pretty much it."
After hearing this, Sheng Hong's expression finally softened.
Li Qiao also breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew that Sheng Hong would not really punish him. After returning home today, he would make cement from plant ash.
However, this wonderful method cannot be used for the time being.
The Seventh Prince must stand still, and he cannot disrupt the Seventh Prince's plan.
As for the fourth prince's abstention today, is this sincere?
Did the Fourth Prince do it to show him on purpose?
Everyone knows that he is close to the Seventh Prince. He belongs to the Seventh Prince's camp. Although the Seventh Prince has offended most of the civil and military officials of the dynasty, Sheng Hong has now given specific rules for selecting the prince. In case the Seventh Prince really It is not impossible to solve the problem and get the imperial edict of appreciation.
So, was the fourth prince's move today done to show him or did he really want to abstain?
Although he lived close to the Seventh Prince, Li Qiao did not go to the Seventh Prince's mansion after get off work. Instead, he made the plant ash cement according to the original plan.
Of course, after making it, he would casually throw the cement aside as garbage. After two days, the hardness of the cement would increase, and then he would perform a show of surprise and disbelief.
Li Qiao prepared the performance and went to work as usual the next day.
There was no need to go to court today, so Sheng Hong convened the ministers to discuss matters. It was time to harvest wheat again, and the progress of the Grand Canal was of great concern to him.
By the time the proceedings were over, it was already noon.
The sixth prince is here.
The sixth prince's name was Sheng Zhixu. He had a handsome face, but was a little thin in stature and had a bookish air. He also came to the capital to pay taxes on grain.
"Father, my son has thought of a way to pave all our official roads in Dasheng with adobe bricks. Compared with blue bricks and bluestone slabs, adobe bricks are cheaper and easier to obtain."
"Of course, because our Dasheng territory is vast, our son or the treasury alone cannot bear such a huge consumption. Therefore, my son thought of another way."
"Huh? What method?"
Sheng Hong, who was originally calm, suddenly became interested when he heard this.
Li Qiao, who was sitting behind the screen reviewing the memorial, also pricked up his ears.
The Sixth Prince came up with a solution so quickly?
"My son's idea is to let farmers from all over the country make adobe bricks while doing corvee service. In this way, the expenditure on the national treasury will be greatly reduced."
The Sixth Prince didn't hold back and gave the answer directly.
Seeing that Sheng Hong frowned slightly when he heard this, he explained: "Father, in many places the corvées are simply repairing official roads, digging rivers, etc. My son thinks that the farmers can be more diligent and do the original work first. After that, make adobe bricks.”
"The production method of adobe bricks is very simple. Farmers use local materials and only need simple molds and drying. There is no need to go into a kiln to bake them."
"The corvee workers make a batch of adobe bricks every year. In less than ten years, all the official roads in Dasheng will be turned into flat adobe brick roads."
"If there are not enough farmers, we can also add troops stationed in various places. It is also very easy for the troops stationed in various places to make some adobe bricks during their training."
"what do you think?"
Sheng Hong: "..."
His eyebrows furrowed even more.
Li Qiao, who was sitting behind the screen, also frowned.
Use this method to pave Dasheng with a full set of adobe bricks?
Apart from cement, this should be the most cost-effective and most feasible method.
Adobe bricks are indeed cheap and easy to make. If all the corvee workers in Dasheng are called on to work together, then maybe all the official roads in Dasheng can be paved with adobe bricks within ten years.
…
The Sixth Prince's idea is a bit clever.
Danger, danger, danger!
He couldn't help but hold his breath and raised his ears. How would Sheng Hong react?
"Xu'er, your method sounds feasible, but I have to think about it more."
Sheng Hong opened his mouth slowly.
"This is natural. The matter is serious, and my son suddenly thought of this method. Whether it can be implemented will have to be discussed by the ministers."
The Sixth Prince understood very well.
Such a big matter cannot be decided easily. It must be discussed repeatedly.
After the sixth prince finished talking about his business, he quickly left. Sheng Hong thought about it alone for a while, then turned to look at Li Qiao: "Li Aiqing, what do you think of Xu'er's method?"
Li Qiao walked out from behind the screen and said seriously: "It seems to be the most feasible way."
"Don't you have any better ideas?" Sheng Hong asked him.
"Besides the adobe brick road, I really can't think of any better way." Li Qiao looked ashamed.
Hearing this, Sheng Hong sighed softly.
No.
Apart from this method, he had no better idea.
However, asking farmers to make adobe bricks during their corvée period was a bit of a burden for them.
The corvee service in some places is quite heavy. Although there is no need to go to the battlefield to fight like the previous dynasty, you have to help the court transport various supplies, build large-scale fortifications, etc., which is not simply a matter of tinkering with officialdom.
