But he saw the locked and uninhabited houses with his own eyes, and he was worried that he might miss them. Yesterday, he even walked through the entire village, but he still didn't see anyone.
So I will never get it wrong.
Seeing that his son-in-law had not seen the third prince standing at the city gate, Zhong Rong could only blink at him.
Normally, Zhong Rong would have said it directly, but when he saw the third prince standing at the city gate without walking in, he didn't dare to say anything.
Lin Yuanqiu was naturally not stupid. He quickly saw the signal from his father-in-law. He followed the direction and saw the third prince in a moon-white brocade robe. Although his clothes were stained with dirt and his hair was a little messy, his whole body was The nobility is hard to conceal.
Without any time to think about why the third prince suddenly came over, Lin Yuanqiu walked over quickly, then lifted up his clothes and knelt down on his knees, "I'm here to see the third prince!"
The people's eyes had been following their Lord Zhizhou, and when they saw Lord Zhizhou suddenly kneel down and salute, and then shout "His Royal Highness the Third Prince", they were a little stunned for a moment.
Did they hear it correctly? His Highness the Third Prince actually came to Yongning City?
In fact, it is not surprising that Li Zhen was not noticed. At this time, he only brought a few close guards and Lieutenant Hong. As for the other soldiers, he had arranged to clear the battlefield with the state camp soldiers.
The people were all happy and felt that they must have burned high incense in their previous life and were lucky enough to see Long Zi.
A large number of people quickly knelt down at the city gate, and the excited people kowtowed to the third prince. The third prince once again felt the people's joy, which made his doubts deepen.
After the people dispersed, the group went to the government office.
Lin Yuanqiu had clearly noticed that the third prince's visit was evil, but he didn't seem to have done anything wrong.
Could it be that someone reported on the business of running a workshop?
Lin Yuanqiu shook his head and quickly denied it, saying that any emperor would mobilize troops and send a prince to look for him just because a minister opened a workshop.
So that's definitely not the case.
But apart from opening a workshop, Lin Yuanqiu really couldn't think of anything else to do. I have been the magistrate of the state for nearly a year, and I have never taken advantage of the people without talking about it. I have even given out a lot of money. If this is considered a mistake, wouldn't it be a big joke?
It is said that Lin Yuanqiu, who held his head straight and straightened his back with a clear conscience, had a clear and frank look on his face.
At this time, Yan Tongzhi and He Tongpan were equally magnanimous as Lin Yuanqiu. If in the past, someone suddenly came to the capital, and he was still a prince, Yan and He would probably feel angry. After all, there was another person in the military camp. There is a gap in the number of soldiers and guards. But now that the difference in number of people has been almost made up, the two naturally no longer have to worry.
Thinking of the good life of the people in the city now, Yan Tongzhi and He Tongpan's footsteps became much lighter.
After arriving at the government office lobby and sitting down, the third prince quickly asked the purpose of his trip, "Lin Zhizhou, let me ask you, where have all the villagers in the villages under Dinghu County gone?"
The third prince felt that since he had not met the villagers of Dinghu County in the village and had no place to inquire about the whole story, he might as well ask the person involved directly. Anyway, he was not a fool. He would definitely not believe it without a reasonable reason.
When Lin Yuanqiu heard that this was the case, he put his heart back in his stomach and couldn't help but mutter, someone went to the Holy Emperor to file a complaint against him, right?
As for who it is, it is not difficult to guess who it is. Since Dinghu County is specifically mentioned instead of Yongning Prefecture, and the only one who can send a report to the capital is the prefect of Shizhou.
It's just that Lin Yuanqiu doesn't understand. Although according to regulations, each county only needs to report major and minor cases to the prefect every month, but the policy of "small counties and big cities" is not hidden, especially when villagers build houses. It would be an understatement to say that it was in full swing. By the way, when it came time to buy tiles, many villagers went directly to other counties to buy them. If word of mouth spreads, it should have reached the ears of Magistrate Luo. How? Maybe I don’t know.
Furthermore, even if you really don’t know where the villagers have gone, can’t you send someone over to ask him? You have to report it directly to the Holy Spirit.
Lin Yuanqiu naturally didn't know that Magistrate Na Luo was already angry with him. At that time, he thought he had grasped the handle, and it was too late to file a complaint against him, so why would he come to ask.
To put it bluntly, the decision to relocate the entire population was so novel that no one else would have thought of it.
Just like the third prince at this moment, he was really surprised when he heard Lin Yuanqiu said that all the villagers had moved to the city, "Master Lin, did you mean that all the villagers had moved to Dinghu County?"
Lin Yuanqiu nodded, "Exactly, every winter, Shan Rong thieves often come into the village to disturb the people, rob food, livestock, and even kill people and set fires. The villagers are miserable. In order to ensure that the villagers in each village are no longer disturbed by Shan Rong thieves, In order to ensure that their lives are safe, Xiaguan decided on the strategy of "small county but big city". Dinghu County has 46 villages with a total of 23,683 villagers. They have all been relocated to Dinghu County since the end of July last year. The same is true for Dinghu County, and not only Dinghu County, but also Yongning Prefecture here. All the villagers under Yongning Prefecture also moved to Yongning City in July last year."
Yan Tongzhi and He Tongpan bowed forward together.
First, Yan Tongzhi said, "I would like to report to His Highness the Third Prince that this matter is indeed as Lord Zhizhou said. All the villagers under the jurisdiction of Yongning Prefecture have moved into the city."
He Tongpuan nodded repeatedly, "His Royal Highness the Third Prince, this is indeed the case."
The third prince, who had already believed it 100%, was stunned for a long time. He never expected that the real situation was like this. All the villagers did not flee with their families because of excessive taxes, but all moved to the city.
No wonder the people I saw today were all smiling but not at all worried.
Yes, with such a good policy to protect the people, how could we not be happy?
The third prince lamented that he was truly worthy of being the number one scholar on the Golden List. He had come up with such an unheard-of governance strategy.
Also, the name of this "small county but big city" is very appropriate.
The third prince thought that when he returned to the capital and informed his father of the result, his father would also find it incredible.
Soon, the third prince thought of the fields in the village again and hurriedly asked, "All the villagers live in the city, who will cultivate the fields in the countryside?"
Lin Yuanqiu smiled and said, "This is not difficult. During the busy farming season, the villagers will return to the village to live, and the farming work will not be delayed."
Yes, the houses in the village are still there. Of course you can live in the village during busy farming periods.
Li Zhen no longer had any doubts in his mind. He had always been an official who liked to provide for the people and provide goods, so he praised the policy without hesitation, "This policy is based on local conditions and the people's concerns. Lin Zhizhou is determined."
Lin Yuanqiu handed over his hand, "I am ashamed to be an official. Once you serve as an official, you should benefit the country. It is your duty to be a low-ranking official and to be concerned about the people. It is not worthy of the praise of His Highness the Third Prince."
Thinking of today's annihilation of the Shanrong bandits, Lin Yuanqiu thought that he needed to explain to the third prince. Although everyone with a discerning eye knew that this was a good thing, it could be seen from the fact that he was sued for no reason this time. Emperor Shan Gao If you are far away, you should report your performance to the Holy Father as early as possible, so that even if someone complains, the Holy Spirit will not be unaware of the inside story.
The imperial court has documents, and whether it is Zhili Zhizhou or Sanzhou Zhizhou, they report directly to the imperial court and receive edicts. In other words, as the Yongning Zhizhou, Lin Yuanqiu only needs to report his administrative achievements to the emperor.
In fact, Lin Yuanqiu had already planned to report the matter. Originally, he planned to wait until his term expired for one year before reporting it to the Holy Master together. Many officials do this. After all, a whole year's performance can be gathered together to fill a memorial. This way, when the Holy Father opens it and reads it, the impression will be good. But now, Lin Yuanqiu felt that he still had to report in time.
Thinking of this, Lin Yuanqiu didn't waste any more time and quickly explained the reason for today's march, "Although the policies of small counties and big cities can relieve the worries of the villagers, the cancer can't be eliminated. It's like guarding against thieves for a thousand days. The source of this source is the foundation, and that is why we are able to exterminate the Shanrong thieves today."
…
The third prince did not stay at the inn, nor did he plan to settle at the inn outside the city.
Lin Yuanqiu quickly asked people to clean up the separate small courtyard in the west. As for his father-in-law, uncle and Qin Xiucai, they temporarily moved to the front yard. There is a study room and east and west wing rooms in the front yard. They must be able to live there. Enough.
When the prince goes out, in addition to having guards to protect him, a cook is also indispensable, so Lin Yuanqiu doesn't have to worry about eating three meals a day.
There are noble people living in the house, so Mrs. Wu naturally warned her again and again, especially the servants in the family, not to break the rules in front of the noble people, otherwise no one can save you.
As for the third prince, except for a few of his close guards and Lieutenant Hong, he had arranged for hundreds of other soldiers to be sent to the inn outside the city.
Zhong Rong didn't tell anyone about saving the third prince, including his two sons.
The emperor is old, and the overt and secret fights among the princes are inevitable. Zhong Rong feels that no matter which prince he is, it is better for him to keep a certain distance as far as possible.
…
In the next few days, except for sleeping and eating, the third prince was basically busy.
He first went to Dinghu County, and then saw the neat villagers' houses, the bustling West Market, and the clean streets and alleys.
Seeing the third prince in casual clothes, the people just thought he was a foreign merchant, so they answered all their questions. In the end, they couldn't help but proudly said, "Do you think Dinghu County is very clean? Hahaha, this is not bad." Thanks to our county magistrate for your good idea. You see, there are thirty-two families living in this alley like mine. According to the county magistrate’s regulations, each family takes turns to clean the alley for a day. If any family does not Anyone who cleans the house or throws dirt or vegetables outside will be fined for an extra day of sweeping the alley."
Seeing several old men smiling while talking, the third prince knew that these people were quite satisfied with their lives today.
Since the villagers moved into the city, the streets and shops in Dinghu County have naturally become more lively. Seeing the people coming and going on the streets and the bustling crowds, Li Zhen suddenly realized that he finally knew the taxes paid by Dinghu County and Yongning Prefecture. Why is it so much better than before?
Lin Yuanqiu did not hide the matter of the workshops. Whether it was the two workshops in Dinghu County or the one in Yongning City, he took the third prince to see them and explained his original intention of opening these workshops.
Lin Yuanqiu felt that instead of keeping some things secretive and making people think too much, it was better to talk about them directly, not to mention that he opened these workshops for the livelihood of the people.
After these days of "people informing", Li Zhen naturally knew many things about Feng Ji Workshop and Zhou Ji Workshop. For example, the Lin family gave out two thousand taels of silver as a reward for the soldiers who killed Shanrong; another example is that the burned houses in Maoyan Village were rebuilt with the money from Zhouji Workshop; and if any family is not living well, It's better, the shopkeepers of the two workshops will let people work in their workshops.
So with such a workshop open, the third prince felt that he had nothing to say, not to mention that this was just the workshop of Feng Ji and Zhou Ji, and his surname was not Lin.
…
The day before the third prince was to leave, Lin Yuanqiu took the letter from Du Zhixian.
Opening the book, I saw pages and pages filled with notes about the Shanrong people coming to disturb the people, including the time they came, the villages they went to, the food they robbed, and the number of people killed and injured.
Li Zhen was confused and didn't know what Lin Yuanqiu meant when he showed this to him.
"His Royal Highness the Third Prince, I dare not hide it. The annihilation of 213 Shanrong thieves in Maoyan Village was exactly the arrangement made by me based on Mr. Du's letter. It's a pity that Mr. Du is no longer here. , if he knew that the hand prick that he spent so much effort to record actually avenged his death, he would be happy to think about it."
…
Chapter 208 Zhong Rong’s Resurrection
The carriage traveled slowly south after leaving Yongning City. Different from the worry and anger he felt when he came, when he passed by the village without any smoke, what flashed in the mind of the third prince were the satisfied smiling faces of the people.
"Captain Hong, please tell me how you feel in Yongning City these days."
Putting down the letter, the Third Prince asked Captain Hong who was riding a horse and riding alongside the carriage outside the carriage window.
More than ten days have passed, and the wound on Lieutenant Hong's arm has long since healed, but the cloth strap is still tied to prevent the wound from accidentally opening again while riding.
How do you feel?
After hearing the third prince's question, Lieutenant Hong thought for a while and quickly expressed his feelings, "Your Highness, the third prince, I feel that the people in Yongning City seem to laugh more than the people elsewhere."
Lieutenant Hong was telling the truth. These days, he accompanied the third prince to visit many places in Yongning City. The people I met during this period were all very enthusiastic and always had smiles on their faces.
To be honest, after living for more than thirty years, this was the first time that Colonel Hong had seen what it means to be a truly good official who benefits one party.
The prosperity of the city and the happiness of the people are all due to Lin Zhizhou.
Also, in Captain Hong's opinion, whether your life is going well or not can be determined by looking at the smile on your face. After all, no matter how sweet the bitter smile is, it is still frowning.
Li Zhen nodded. It is true that the people here love to laugh more. Whether they are from Dinghu County or Yongning Prefecture, they can always make others feel their joy and relaxation from the heart.
…
Although he was sure that the Shanrong people would not dare to come and cause trouble again, to be on the safe side, Lin Yuanqiu waited until the end of the first month before opening the city gate to allow the people to come and go freely.
At this time, the beginning of spring has passed, and many villagers have begun to return to the village to prepare for spring plowing. It is said that the whole year begins with spring, and there cannot be any delay in growing food.
Zhou Ji and Feng Ji started work on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. More than half a month later, there were a lot of goods piled up in the warehouse.
With the merchants coming to purchase goods years ago, Wu no longer has to worry about not being able to sell her goods.
Without the big trouble of the Shanrong people, Lin Yuanqiu not only felt a lot more at ease, but also had a lot less things on hand. After all, many things started because of the Shanrong people.
After having some free time, Lin Yuanqiu turned his attention to his wife and children. Speaking of which, from the time Bao'er was born to now, I have been busy in various ways. Now that I finally have time, I should spend more time with my child.
After walking to the backyard for about half a quarter of an hour before entering the living room, Lin Yuanqiu heard his son's cry of "Ahhhh" coming from the room. When he went to the Yamen, Baoer was still asleep, but he didn't expect that he would wake up now. .
Hearing the familiar footsteps, Zhong Yurou was a little surprised. It had only been half an hour, why did she come back so soon?
Turning his head to look at the door, he saw that his husband had stepped in.
"Ms. sir, are you back so early today?"
"Well, there's nothing going on at the office, so I'll be back early."
Lin Yuanqiu walked to the washbasin stand as he spoke, preparing to wash his hands before playing with his son.
