night.
Kuaiji City became particularly beautiful. The Emperor's palace was brightly lit, reflecting a dazzling world on the vast lake.
The Black Dragon Banner hunts, and the sound of fighting is heard. It has the splendor of the camp, but does not have the murderous aura of the battlefield.
In the cool breeze of early summer, there is a sense of luxurious luxury.
Kuaiji County is named after Kuaiji Mountain. According to legend, during the Xia Yu period, Kuaiji Mountain was named after Kuaiji Mountain, and Kuaiji means accounting.
When the First Emperor arrived at Kuaiji County, all the officials in Kuaiji County greeted him respectfully.
But because Yang Duanhe had said hello before, saying that the First Emperor was ill and could not come to see the officials of Kuaiji County, he could only let Zhao Hao represent him to have a banquet with the officials of Kuaiji County.
Nowadays, the mountainous area where the emperor's residence is located is full of sentries, and the mountainside general ledger is brightly lit.
There were no beauties dancing in the big tent, and no guards were waiting in formation. The first to arrive were Huan Qi, the governor of Kuaiji County, Wu Fu, the lieutenant of Kuaiji County, Zhou Huaian, the lieutenant of Kuaiji County, and Yin Tong, the lieutenant of Kuaiji County, sitting silently at their desks. , staring intently, waiting for Zhao Hao's opening remarks.
Zhao Hao's desk is set on the ground, behind which is the temporarily vacant desk of the First Emperor.
Zhao Hao just came over and did not sit down directly. Instead, he stood in front of the table and bowed his hands to the ministers of Kuaiji County present: "When I first came to Kuaiji County, I caused a lot of disturbance. Hao apologized to all the ministers;
Tonight, my father sent Hao to have a banquet with all the ministers. Hao is not good at drinking, but he would like to thank all the ministers for taking care of my father. "
After saying that, he picked up the wine glass on the table, raised the glass with both heads and said, "Thank you ministers for your kindness."
After finishing his words, he drank all the wine in one gulp, his little face turned red immediately, and he choked and coughed repeatedly. However, Zhao Hao did not panic at all. He wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth with a piece of silk cloth, gave a sincere bow, and said with a smile: "Hao is a little out of his mind. I hope all ministers will forgive me!"
Hearing this, Huan Qi, the governor of Kuaiji County, laughed loudly: "Young Master makes an exception for drinking, and I, Huan Qi, will accompany you!"
After saying this, he also raised his glass and drank heavily.
"I am deeply impressed by the young master's feats in the South China Sea. Wu Fu will accompany you!" The captain of Kuaiji County also drank it all.
"I'll accompany you!" Zhou Huaian, the Prime Minister of Kuaiji County, raised his glass and drank it all expressionlessly.
"Young master, please forgive me. It's my birthday today and I drank some wine. I can only have a drink with you to avoid losing my composure later!" Cheng Yin Tong, the captain of Kuaiji County, said with some embarrassment.
"oh?"
Zhao Hao's eyes lit up, he picked up the wine glass with a smile, and gestured to Yin Tong: "It's a coincidence that Yinjun Wei Cheng is born today. I wish you long life, good health, and good career!"
"Don't dare, don't dare, how can a lower official receive the blessing of the young master?"
Yin Tong stood up from his seat in a panic, saluted Zhao Hao repeatedly, and drank the wine in his glass.
Seeing this, all the officials in Kuaiji County looked at each other in shock, secretly thinking that this old fox Yin Tong actually used his birth date to get close to the young master!
And what does the young master mean by having a prosperous official career? Could it be that the young master has some kind of relationship with this old fox?
Thinking of this possibility, Huan Qi's face became uncertain. After taking a deep look at Yin Tong, he smiled and raised his hand to Zhao Hao: "Master, please take a seat."
"good!"
Zhao Hao nodded and slowly walked to his seat.
At this time, Huan Qi's voice was concerned and he said: "Sir, your Majesty is not feeling well. As ministers, we cannot visit you. I would also like to ask you to convey our greetings to Your Majesty on our behalf. Whatever we can do for your Majesty, please feel free to do so." As ordered, we will definitely satisfy the young master."
"What the governor said is absolutely true." Yin Tong said with a smile: "It is our honor for your Majesty to come to Kuaiji County for a break. How dare we not do our best?"
Zhao Hao scanned the whole place with bright eyes, but there was a smile on his face. He knew well that Kuaiji County was a mixed place with all kinds of forces.
When the war broke out at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Kuaiji County was among the first to rebel. From the county guards to the common people, everyone followed Xiang Yu's group in revolting against Qin.
Although he doesn't know how many of these people are loyal ministers of the Qin Dynasty, he must not ask too much of them, otherwise it will easily arouse their suspicion and be detrimental to the return journey.
As for whether they will have any demands, we can only wait and see.
At the moment, he is just observing calmly and will never take the initiative to ask anything.
The reserved Huan Qi frowned at Yin Tong's flattering remarks and cursed inwardly.
But Zhao Hao didn't answer Yin Tong's words, which still made him quite surprised. Why was this rumored young master Hao so reticent? It doesn’t seem to be the same as the verbal quarrels with the ministers in the Doctor’s Palace mentioned in the newspapers!
"Sir, I've heard of your talent for a long time. Can I ask you some questions?"
Seeing that Zhao Hao was silent and the atmosphere became a little awkward, Huan Qi looked at the county magistrate Zhou Huaian calmly, who still nodded expressionlessly, and then held his hand towards Zhao Hao.
Zhao Hao was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile: "Zhou Juncheng has given me the award. Those are just Hao's false reputations. If you have any questions, please tell me!"
"Young Master, there is no need to be modest. Today's great policies for governing the country have something to do with the Young Master. If nothing else, let's talk about the prosperity of Xianyang. We are also yearning for it!"
Zhou Huaian said seriously.
Zhao Hao smiled noncommittally and did not answer.
But Zhou Huaian said again: "May I ask, Sir, how can Kuaiji County develop so that it can be as prosperous as Guanzhong?"
"oh?"
Zhao Hao raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "This is a good question!"
"Actually, Kuaiji County has a very good geographical location. It will be a top priority for the development of the imperial court in the future. Moreover, there are many coastal counties in Kuaiji County, and the port is rich in freight and fishery. It will become more prosperous!"
"this"
When the ministers heard this, they had different expressions, and none of them seemed to understand what Zhao Hao meant.
In fact, there is no need to think too much about Zhao Hao's plan for Kuaiji County. After all, it is the territory of the "Thirteen Taibao" in later generations. As long as the Age of Discovery begins, the development of Kuaiji County will definitely advance by leaps and bounds.
However, the current Kuaiji County is still relatively primitive, so it can only lay a solid foundation first and then seek development.
"Ministers, let me tell you the truth, from this battle in the South China Sea, we gained not only land, but also high-yield grains."
Zhao Hao cleared his throat and once again offered his hands to the ministers: "I want to promote high-yield rice cultivation in Kuaiji County and build new ports and shipyards."
"Sir, we have no objection to the promotion of high-yielding rice. The newly built port and shipyard will cost a lot of people and material resources. Will Your Majesty agree? Also, Langya County, not far from Kuaiji County, already has a port. , why build a new port in Kuaiji County?" Huan Qi asked with some confusion.
Zhao Hao smiled and said: "Most of the ships in Langya Port are naval warships. They will gradually be transformed into naval bases in the future. Fishing boats and cargo ships are prohibited from being used. The ports in Kuaiji County will mainly be used for ocean-going ships in the future. The stop!”
"Ocean port?"
Zhou Huaian was stunned: "Young master plans to open the sea to do business?"
Zhao Hao shook his head: "It's not that I intend to go to sea to do business. It's that my father is very satisfied with the development of Xianyang and intends to increase commercial taxes and encourage people to go to sea on the premise that agriculture can maintain people's livelihood."
Wu Fu frowned: "Even if the imperial court vigorously promotes high-yielding rice, it will be impossible to maintain the livelihood of the people in a short period of time. How can we encourage the people to go to sea?"
"hehe."
Zhao Hao smiled and explained: "I understand what you are worried about is, first, that the people will go to sea and never return. Second, the loss of personnel will lead to the waste of farmland. Third, overseas enemies and invaders."
"actually."
As he spoke, he changed the topic and continued:
"The imperial court can order that all people who go to sea must leave one male in their family and cannot go to sea. If there is only one male in the family, father and son must not go to sea.
If there are two fathers and sons in the family, the son cannot go to sea; if there are two brothers in the family, the eldest brother cannot go to sea. "
"Before going to sea, people must go to the Yamen to report and register. Officers in various places must strictly check the situation at people's homes. If any false report is made or something is concealed, severe punishment will be dealt with."
"Those who go to sea must report the time and destination of the sea trip, and the Yamen will give the return time. There must be no delay, otherwise the family members will be punished."
"Those who go to sea for business must declare the goods they carry when they go. When they come back, they must be inspected. If there is any missing goods, they must pay commercial tax according to the law."
"As for the overseas enemies and invaders, after the Great Qin Navy is reorganized, they can conduct regular maritime patrols. This can not only ensure the safety of our people in Great Qin, but also deter people who go to sea privately."
Huan Qi and others were fascinated and nodded repeatedly.
Yin Tong grinned and said, "What if there is an accident at sea and we can't return on time?"
Zhao Hao smiled and said: "What the Chief Wei Cheng said makes sense. All the people who go to sea have ships provided by the imperial court and have guards on board. One can protect the safety of the people of Da Qin, and the other can count the crew members in case of accidents at any time. Get the word out as soon as possible.”
"What if the whole boat died?"
Zhou Huaian asked expressionlessly.
Zhao Hao: "."
The rest of the ministers: "."
Zhao Hao: "If it is really so unfortunate, then we can only mourn for them."
"this"
Everyone was speechless and didn't know what to say.
At this time, a report suddenly came from outside the door: "Reporting to the county magistrate, the unsolved case in the western suburbs has been solved!"
"Cold case?"
The ministers were slightly startled and looked at Yin Tong with some confusion.
Yin Tong smiled, cupped his hands towards Zhao Hao and said, "Master, I'm really sorry. I forgot to give instructions to my subordinates. I won't handle official business today, so I'll send them away right away."
With that said, he stood up and left.
At this moment, Zhao Hao suddenly became interested and said: "What kind of unsolved case is it that makes Yinjun Wei Cheng so interested?"
This was his first time encountering ancient people solving crimes, and he couldn't help but be greatly moved.
However, Yin Tong looked at Huan Qi with a troubled expression and hesitated to speak.
"What? This unsolved case involves your county's secrets, so I can't interfere?"
Seeing Yin Tong looking towards Huan Qi, Zhao Hao also set his eyes on him.
The corner of Huan Qi's mouth twitched, and he scolded Yin Tong a hundred times in his heart. Then he took a deep breath and said with a smile: "Young master, what did you say? There is no secret in this trivial case!"
After he finished speaking, he turned around and shouted outside the tent: "Come here, tell the jailer to come over!"
"promise."
There was a promise outside the tent.
About half the time it took to burn the incense, a lean middle-aged man hurried in.
"I have met the young master, sirs."
As soon as the middle-aged man came in, he bowed respectfully to everyone present.
Huan Qi nodded lightly, raised his hand and said, "Tell the truth about this case without omitting anything."
"promise."
The jailer promised vigorously and said in detail: "Three days ago, a tenant farmer died in the field in the western suburbs. The officer sent someone to check and found that the tenant had been injured more than a dozen times with a sickle. His clothes and shoes were all there, and the copper coins he brought were also missing. If nothing was lost, it was concluded that it was a vendetta;
Later, the lower official sent someone to find the tenant's wife and asked her if her husband had any enemies.
The woman thought for a long time before saying that her husband was usually a kind man and had never had any grudges with anyone. However, the night before the incident, a scoundrel borrowed money from her husband, but when he failed to borrow it, he left in anger. "
"thus."
Having said this, he paused and then said: "The official suspected that this scoundrel was the murderer of the tenant farmers, but the scoundrel refused to admit it. He also said that the official had no evidence and had wronged him."
"However, just when the subordinate was about to let the scoundrel go because of insufficient evidence, a wanderer came to the scene of the crime. After careful observation, he was sure that the scoundrel was the murderer!"
"oh?"
Zhao Hao's eyes lit up and he couldn't help but curiously asked: "Why is he so sure that the rogue is the murderer?"
"At first, the official didn't understand very well. Later, he followed Youyou's suggestion and asked the woman to tell her neighbors, including the scoundrel, to come to the government with their sickles for inspection. Those who hid and refused to report would be punished. Treat him as a murderer!"
"Perhaps they were afraid that they would be mistaken for the murderer. After a while, the woman's neighbors, including the scoundrel, came, each with a sickle in hand."
"The sun was rising at that time. The traveler looked at the incense stick for half a day and then asked the rogue directly, why did he kill?"
"this"
When the ministers heard this, they were shocked and confused.
But Zhao Hao said excitedly: "What's the result?"
"It turned out that the scoundrel was indeed the murderer, because only his sickle was full of flies, and the sickle is used to cut grass or rice. It is clean and oil-free, has no fishy smell, and flies will not gather. , only the sickle that has killed someone will be stained with the blood and stolen goods of the deceased. This is the evidence that he killed someone!"
"Wonderful! Wonderful!"
After hearing what the jailer said, Zhao Hao couldn't help but excitedly slapped the case and laughed: "I didn't expect that there is such a person in Kuaiji County, what a talent!"
As he said that, he turned to look at Huan Qi: "Chief Huan, for such a talented person, please don't hide your clumsiness. I would like to see him, can you make it easier for me?"
"hehe."
Huan Qi stroked his beard and smiled. Although he didn't know what Yin Tong had in mind, he was honored to have such a talented person under his rule. He might be able to meet the First Emperor because of this, so he smiled and said, "Young Master, you're welcome. That's it." Talent, I also want to meet you!"
"Chu Ba, go and bring him here!"
"promise."
The warden named Chu Ba retreated as promised, and soon he slowly came to the tent with a muscular warrior with a mustache wearing armor.
"Um?"
The moment Zhao Hao saw the visitor, he suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had seen him somewhere.
However, before he could react, the warrior saluted him loudly: "Liu Ji of Pei County has met Young Master Hao."
"???" (End of chapter)
