He knelt down facing Sheng Hong's back: "I thank you, Lord, for your kindness."
After saying that, Ma Liu stood up, told Li Liang a few words, and then quickly followed.
Waiting to get on the carriage back to the city, Sheng Hong lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the scenery on both sides of the road through the window.
There are farmlands on both sides of the road, and either wheat or corn and sweet potatoes are grown in the fields. The yellow of wheat and the green of corn and sweet potatoes are intertwined. This natural primary color is very pleasing to the eye.
The carriage was driving quickly, causing a slight breeze. Some hot breeze penetrated into the carriage through the window, dispelling the stuffiness and dryness in the carriage.
Sheng Hong's face looked better than when he arrived.
He took off the straw hat on his head and looked up at Li Qiao sitting at the door of the carriage: "Li Aiqing, do you think the drought will continue today?"
It has been more than half a month since the last rain.
At this time, the crops in the fields were short of water again.
"If we go back to the Holy Land, the wheat will be harvested soon. It's a good thing if it doesn't rain at this time. It will only hurt the farmers. After all, other crops need water."
Li Qiao also took off his straw hat and replied.
"According to what you say, there will be another drought in the future?" Sheng Hong frowned with the word "Sichuan" between his eyebrows and couldn't help but hold on to the straw hat in his hand.
"Weichen doesn't understand the weather and doesn't know whether the drought will continue."
Li Qiao said with a look of shame on his face.
He really doesn't understand weather.
Sheng Hong couldn't help but sigh: "You said what if the drought really continues?"
Looking at Li Aiqing's behavior from last winter to this year, he always felt that something was wrong...
Although Li Aiqing has always valued the people and has a benevolent heart that is rare in the world, he couldn't help but think too much when he counted on his hands what Li Aiqing had done in the past six months.
Build a charity hall.
Build a school dedicated to teaching medicine.
Under Li Aiqing's influence, the Xin family and the Fan family both carried out water conservancy projects in their fields.
Take the initiative to get involved in his second question, take the initiative! And the advice given to his sons was also to develop water conservancy, build waterwheels, ensure irrigation, so as to increase crop production.
Shantang Academy was established, focusing on teaching craftsmanship and cultivating a large number of carpenters.
Purchase large quantities of cotton in personal name.
He was allowed to teach the prefects in various places how to make stucco.
The advice given to his second son was to grow a variety of yam, taro, and chestnuts. These can actually be used as staple foods.
They also sent people to open a shop in Peng County, a small southern county.
These actions may seem insignificant on their own, but they are in line with Li Aiqing's generous and selfless character who cares about the world.
But combined with his nightmare, he felt butterflies in his heart.
Therefore, his seemingly unintentional words at this time were actually a temptation.
Although Li Qiao's sixth sense has always been accurate, Sheng Hong showed no ill will toward him. He really didn't know that Sheng Hong was testing him at this time.
He was always cautious, but this was a good time to hint at Sheng Hong.
Therefore, after thinking about it for a while, he still said: "The drought should not continue forever. There is no way out. But droughts have existed since ancient times. Counting from the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, there are thousands of droughts recorded in history books alone. started, and the most serious one lasted for seven years. Since the founding of Dasheng, there have been droughts of varying sizes every year."
"The drought disaster can be eliminated, but Wei Chen feels that as long as sufficient manpower, material and financial resources are invested, the impact of the drought on the people will definitely be reduced."
He combined it with the history books, so Sheng Hong shouldn't have any doubts.
Sheng Hong really didn't suspect anything. When Sheng Hong heard these words, he felt chills all over his body in the summer.
The focus of Li Aiqing's words is drought resistance.
Drought resistant!
Combined with his nightmare, it means there will still be a drought!
He immediately frowned and rubbed the straw hat in his hand: "This sounds easy to say, but it is too difficult to practice in practice."
"It must be difficult, but Wei Chen feels that even if it is difficult, it must be done. The drought cannot disappear. The wells and rivers dug by the court will always be useful."
"Although Wei Chen's abilities are limited, he is fortunate to have some money at home. Wei Chen will try his best to prevent his tenants and long-term workers from suffering from irrigation."
Li Qiao said with a look of embarrassment on his face: "Your Majesty, if I want to divert river water into my farmland from now on, I will have to dig trenches and rivers. I will need the cooperation of local magistrates."
"Wei Chen is afraid that I will bother you often because of this matter."
He would definitely inform Sheng Hong about such a big project.
Sheng Hong: "..."
His body felt cold again and again in the scorching summer sun.
Li Aiqing wanted to start a big battle, and he was afraid.
Sighing again, he said: "Li Aiqing, since you have to dig the river at your own expense, I will inevitably reward you with land again."
"I will give you another 80,000 acres of land, and I will give you a round number. You can do whatever you want in your own land. Not to mention digging a river, but even digging a lake, that's fine."
These words came so suddenly, the embarrassment on Li Qiao's face solidified: "...Huh?"
Directly reward 80,000 acres? !
Adding the above, that’s 100,000 acres.
Sheng Hong is not crazy either. Why would he be rewarded with so much land?
After staring at Sheng Hong's face for a moment, he covered his heart with a look of fear on his face: "Your Majesty, I am afraid."
"You have to dig the river out of your own pocket, so I'm embarrassed to take advantage of you in vain. After all, the river water not only flows through your family's fields, but other people can also benefit."
Moreover, with Li Aiqing's benevolence, if a disaster really happened, Li Aiqing would definitely open a warehouse to stockpile grain.
He said that this field was given to Li Aiqing, but when necessary, well, the grain harvested in this field must be given to the people.
His purpose is actually not very pure...
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Chapter 209 Governor Ming returns to Beijing, and 200,000 acres of cultivated land arouses jealousy
Sheng Hong insisted on a reward, but Li Qiao was naturally disrespectful.
Because they want to open a shop in Peng County, Li Qiao and Tao Zhu have discussed buying some land there these days.
The rice, glutinous rice, taro paste and other crops grown there are all used by their family. Regardless of whether they are used in the shop or consumed by their own family, it is cheaper than buying them.
As a result, Sheng Hong rewarded so many fields before the two of them decided where to buy them.
Save money again.
This time, at least half of the 100,000 acres of farmland must be placed near Peng County.
Li Qiao came home from get off work and told Tao Zhu the good news. Tao Zhu was very happy. These 100,000 acres of cultivated land were worth three million taels of silver!
Since the Holy Spirit rewarded so much land because his family had to dig rivers and ditches, then their family must handle this matter well so that the people along the river can have more convenience during irrigation.
Li Liang came home only after dark. When he heard the news, his legs became weak with joy and he almost knelt down again.
Be good!
Mother!
I was so happy that I almost fainted!
He wished he could walk like Li Xiaorui and vent his joy by jumping up and down.
Wang Guihua was also very happy.
I heard that Li Qiao wanted to put the 100,000 acres of cultivated land in the south. She agreed very much, but there were too few people in the family.
Not being able to supervise in person would be a worry.
Li Qiao and Tao Zhu looked at Dasheng's map for two days and finally decided on their own land. The newly acquired 100,000 acres of land was divided into two, of which 50,000 acres were all placed in Peng County.
The south of the Yangtze River was rich, and there were countless nobles and rich people, especially in places like Suzhou and Hangzhou. The wasteland belonging to the imperial court had long been divided up. If Li Qiao wanted to choose a large piece of land, he could only go to the surrounding counties.
Peng County happened to be on the border of Jiangshu Province. It used to be a small and inconspicuous county. Therefore, Peng County still had a lot of wasteland belonging to the imperial court.
Li Qiao placed 50,000 acres of cultivated land in Peng County, and the remaining 50,000 acres in Qiu'an Prefecture, which belongs to Weiqing County.
Now half of the construction of the Grand Canal has been completed. It has passed through Jibei Province and entered Dongshan Province from Shengjing. It will reach Weiqing County by the end of this year.
He placed the cultivated land in Qiu'an Mansion, so his family's granary is in Weiqing County. Weiqing County has a cement road and a Grand Canal, and the transportation is convenient. If there is any disaster, grain can be released in time for disaster relief.
The news that Li Qiao was rewarded with 100,000 acres of farmland spread throughout the court as quickly as possible. Now even the prince could not sit still.
This kind of generosity has never happened to a prince. Isn't this a bit too much?
In just four months, Sheng Hong first rewarded 20,000 acres of buckwheat, and then 60,000 acres. Later, he said that it was to compensate for the loss of mortar and rewarded another 20,000 acres. In addition to the 100,000 acres this time, That's a total of two hundred thousand acres.
So many first-class fields, converted into silver, would be six million taels of silver.
Except for the seventh prince and the eldest prince who had a good relationship with Li Qiao, the remaining sixth, fourth and second princes were a little puzzled.
They can see Li Qiao's contribution. He is indeed a talented person, but is it too exaggerated to directly reward him with 200,000 acres of arable land?
However, when they thought about Li Qiao donating money to the charity hall every month and making plaster, and of course, there are two gold-fishing beasts, the Royal Confectionery Shop and the Gambling House, the confusion in their hearts was suppressed. Go down.
What Li Qiao brought to the court was far more than the six million taels of silver.
The three princes could find reasons to explain themselves, and the ministers could naturally think of the reasons, but when they thought about it, they thought that it was 200,000 acres of cultivated land. Who wouldn't be jealous of this?
After work that day, Xin Zhi stood at the gate of the inner city waiting for Li Qiao. He and Xiao Yu'an had been cultivating their relationship for half a year. His family had been urging them to get married as soon as possible. He also wanted to bring his sweetheart home as soon as possible, so He planned to test Li Qiao's tone today.
Speaking of which, Xiao Yu'an is not too young. She is sixteen this year and seventeen next year, which is a good age to get married.
Not only was the Xin family urging Xin Zhi to marry Li Yuan as soon as possible, but the Fan family was also anxious to get Fan Yuanyuan and Li Ershan married to avoid any mishaps.
Judging from Li Qiao's favor, it is certain that he will become a powerful official in the future. As Li Qiao's second nephew, Li Ershan's net worth has skyrocketed like a flying monkey. If Fan Yuanyuan gets married, then the Fan family will not be able to live at ease for a day!
