OBS Chapter 119 Old Zhu: Is Yang Shaofeng sick in the head?!
Chapter 119 Old Zhu: Is Yang Shaofeng sick in the head?!
Wang Qiong raised his hand, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and said, "Brother Yang's plan is brilliant, brilliant indeed."
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "It's just a trivial skill, nothing to brag about."
Seeing Wang Qiong wiping his sweat, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but wonder, "Brother Wang seems very hot?"
Wang Qiong chuckled and said, "A little, a little. I thought it might be cold in the north when I came, so I wore two extra layers, but I didn't expect the autumn heat in the north to be so hot. Hmm, it is indeed a bit hot."
After offering a few perfunctory explanations, Wang Qiong tried to change the subject.
After looking around a few times, Wang Qiong simply pointed to the road south of Daming Lake and said, "If Brother Yang has enough prisoners, why not build this road first? After all, we need to transport stones from the west of the city to the south, and this road will have to be built sooner or later."
Although he didn't know why Wang Qiong was so absent-minded, Yang Shaofeng didn't bother to investigate further. He simply nodded and replied, "Brother Wang is right. This road does indeed need to be built first."
“And it’s not just this road in the west of the city,” Yang Shaofeng said, pointing east and west towards Daming Lake. “All the roads leading from the county town to the eight villages outside the city will be paved with cement, and the roads in each village will be the same.”
Wang Qiong was taken aback and looked at Yang Shaofeng, asking, "Brother Yang, you want to pave all the roads in the village with cement? This... not to mention how much cement and stones it will take, just the manpower..."
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "Anyway, it's not like we'll fix it right away, we can take our time."
After a slight pause, Yang Shaofeng continued, "Actually, I was thinking that once we have enough manpower, we should first repair the threshing grounds of each village with cement. Roads like the one leading to Yanzhou and the one leading to the quarry are not in such a hurry."
Upon hearing Yang Shaofeng's words, Wang Qiong became very curious and asked, "Then why did you start repairing the road first, Brother Yang?"
Yang Shaofeng sighed softly and said meaningfully, "People are not worried about scarcity but about inequality. There are eight villages outside the city and sixteen neighborhoods inside the city. They are all citizens of the Ming Dynasty, just like the palm and back of our hands. Brother Wang, which village do you think I should build a threshing ground for first?"
"So, let's just not build a threshing ground for now. Anyway, this year's harvest isn't great, and the wheat and beans are all being dried by the people on the main street in front of the county government office. We don't need a threshing ground for the time being."
"Once we have enough manpower, we'll start construction on the threshing grounds of the eight communities and sixteen villages at the same time."
"If there's really no other way, then we'll just have to wait until next year's spring planting season to transfer some able-bodied men to repair the threshing ground."
Wang Qiong immediately wanted to slap himself—he had tried to change the subject from "lack of manpower," but how stupid of him was he to choose road repair as a new topic, only to have Magistrate Yang bring it all back to him!
While inwardly cursing himself for being stupid, Wang Qiong chuckled twice and said, "Brother Yang, rest assured, once I return to the capital, I will definitely explain the situation to His Highness the Crown Prince on your behalf."
After receiving Wang Qiong's assurance once again, Yang Shaofeng laughed twice, cupped his hands, and said, "In that case, thank you very much, Brother Wang."
……
A "complaint session"?
"Let those oppressed Yuan soldiers recall and recount how they were oppressed by Yan and the noble lords?"
"Let the oppressed Yuan soldiers act as overseers to watch over Nayan, the noble lord, and the Yuan army officers?"
"Different treatment levels?"
"Collective punishment?"
Hearing Zhu Biao relay the treacherous plot he had heard from Wang Qiong, Emperor Zhu Chongba was completely stunned.
No, does that person surnamed Yang have some serious illness?
We think he shouldn't be called Yang Shaofeng, he should be called Yang Dianfeng!
Damn it, such a good plan, and this bastard only thought of using it to manage a few prisoners of war and inmates?
What a waste of natural resources!
Emperor Zhu Chongba grew angrier the more he thought about it.
They all share the surname Yang!
Look at Yang Dian... Magistrate Yang. Although he's a bit eccentric, he's really capable. His methods for dealing with prisoners and criminals, with just a slight improvement, allowed Xu Da and Chang Yuchun to quickly quell the Mongol Yuan dynasty, ensuring that there would be no more trouble in the south and north of the Gobi Desert.
This method can even be used anywhere else, as long as it can be carried out smoothly under the guidance of the imperial court, there is no need to worry about the stability of the country.
But look at Yang Xian. Ever since he entered the Secretariat and became the Vice Chancellor, he's become a completely different person. He makes all the decisions in the province, dismisses old officials, and appoints his cronies. What the hell is he trying to do?
Thinking of this, Emperor Zhu Chongba couldn't help but sigh slightly again.
Yang Xian... Yang Xian... Let's keep him for now, he'll still be of some use eventually.
But that Yang Dian... Yang Shaofeng, if only I had known about him a few years earlier...
After sighing again, Emperor Zhu Chongba simply took Zhu Biao to the Kunning Palace where Empress Ma was staying.
Upon arriving at Kunning Palace, Emperor Zhu Chongba went straight to the point with Empress Ma, saying, "Sister, I have something I want to discuss with you—we plan to give Jin'er and Yu'er the official titles of princesses, but not by place names, but by honorific names, and a stipend of two thousand shi (a unit of grain).
Empress Ma put down her needlework upon hearing this and asked with a smile, "Tell me, what great thing has Magistrate Yang done this time that benefits the country and the people so much that you're willing to spend so much money on it?"
However, Emperor Zhu Chongba shook his head slightly and sighed, "Benefit the country and the people? To be fair, the things he did in the past could indeed be considered beneficial to the country and the people, but this time..."
After a pause, Emperor Zhu sighed again and continued, "This time he didn't do anything. It was just that when Biao sent someone to Ningyang County, he mentioned how to manage those prisoners and criminals."
Immediately afterwards, Emperor Zhu repeated the words that Zhu Biao had just spoken.
"What a waste of resources! What a waste of resources!" Emperor Zhu sighed. "You have such a good plan, but instead of offering it to the court, he only thinks about using it to manage a few prisoners and inmates. What is this if not a waste of resources?"
As Emperor Zhu Chongba finished speaking, a smile gradually appeared on Empress Ma's face.
"Where is there any waste of resources?"
Empress Ma said with a smile, "With Limpy Wu and the others in Ningyang County, and Biao'er often sending Wang Qiong to Ningyang County, you have complete control over Magistrate Yang's every move."
"No matter what trouble he stirs up or what schemes he comes up with, there's nothing you don't know about it. As long as you make good use of it, there's no such thing as wasting resources."
"You're just itching to be a magistrate in Ningyang County because you see someone like Magistrate Yang staying there."
Just as Emperor Zhu Chongba was about to say something in his defense, Empress Ma continued, "Think about what you said back then? You said you would observe him for a few years before making a decision, but look at you now, you can't wait to transfer him to the capital to serve as an official, can you?"