Tianliangyuan

Chapter 222 Accelerating Construction

The manpower shortage that Xu Zhaozhao was worried about was not a problem at all.

After Lantian was granted to the Lord of Anle County as his fief, many people in Lantian felt that their opportunity had come.

They might not have heard of Xu Zhaozhao's Midas touch, but they did know that the elder brother of the Princess of Anle had once presented superior seeds.

Now that the county magistrate is building his manor and estate here, it's like handing them an opportunity.

So, just as Yan Shu and Li Sheng were conducting an on-site investigation here, many people came over with their families.

Some even brought their own pots, pans, and dishes.

Yan Shu hadn't expected that the county princess would have such a good reputation.

Yan Shu and Li Sheng decided to divide the work: he would select the overall location of the estate, while Li Sheng would take charge of settling the people there.

In just three days, they took in more than seventy families.

Wow, I've never seen this speed before.

Xu Zhaozhao had no particular requirements regarding the location of the estate; as long as it did not occupy arable land, everything else was negotiable.

Moreover, although Xu Zhaozhao herself loves to enjoy life, she is not short of money or a place to live. Therefore, since the manor is built in the countryside, there is no need to build it in a magnificent style. It is enough to have enough rooms and to make it spacious and bright.

Yan Shu took the money and manpower and began to make arrangements. In just one day, the money given by the county magistrate was all spent.

In addition to the pre-ordered bricks and tiles, we also need to hire some skilled builders, since this is a manor, not the county magistrate's residence, and the Ministry of Works cannot send people to undertake the construction.

Furthermore, with so many people here, they all need to eat and sleep, so preparing all sorts of supplies also costs a lot of money.

The arrival of Changsheng and Gao Shouxin was a timely help.

The two men brought more than twenty guards from the Marquis's residence, over a dozen carts of grain, and two carts of copper coins, with each box overflowing.

Seeing the money immediately eased Yan Shu's mood.

With the right people and the right money, efficiency in getting things done will improve.

Besides hiring some experienced workers, only about ten people were assigned to help build the house; the rest of the people went to till the land and farm.

The master said that we can plant spring corn now, and it will be ready to harvest around summer.

Tender corn will be a rare commodity in the market then, and it will definitely fetch a good price when sold!

Xu Zhaozhao had indeed planned all of this out.

A fief of one thousand households means that these one thousand households will have to support her, the county lord.

However, before everything takes shape, she, as the county magistrate, must also ensure that these thousand households can live in peace and stability.

Would you call this a case of mutual benefit?

Moreover, Xu Zhaozhao knew that these thousand households were her subjects in normal times, and in times of war or any emergency, she could directly draw able-bodied men from these thousand households.

That's impressive!

Therefore, Xu Zhaozhao naturally had to first demonstrate her benevolence and magnanimity as the master. As soon as more than a dozen carts of grain were brought over, the people who were originally a little uneasy immediately felt at ease.

Having surplus grain at home means you won't panic!

They were willing to abandon their families and homes to come and seek refuge with the county magistrate, simply because they could no longer make a living in their previous lives.

Now that they see so much grain being transported here, what else do they have to worry about?

In addition to having people oversee the construction of the new house, Yan Shu also specially invited two groups of people from Chang'an County to help build an extension workshop.

This time, the workshop that Xu Zhaozhao wants to build is a weaving workshop.

The Ministry of Works had already begun mass production of the latest looms, and Xu Junting had also obtained an imperial decree for himself that they could manufacture them themselves or build their own workshops, but if the court needed them, they would definitely prioritize fulfilling the court's orders.

Of course, the imperial court wouldn't let them work for nothing.

Now, as long as the building is completed, the looms from Baiguoyuan can be delivered directly over.

The weaving workshops in Lantian are even larger than those in Wannian County, because this is Xu Zhaozhao's fiefdom. So, she naturally prioritizes getting the benefits herself.

The workshop was built very quickly, and it was basically completed in just over ten days. The remaining work consisted of some minor repairs, which were delicate tasks and would not affect the normal use of the workshop.

Xu Zhaozhao originally intended to get the glass out, but now that the Emperor was watching her, she dared not make any big moves. Besides, there was plenty of time, and nothing could be rushed.

She'll have plenty of time to do what she wants from now on.

Once the weaving workshop was completed, looms from Wannian County were delivered, along with more than ten weavers.

Their mission here is to teach the female workers here.

With the establishment of weaving workshops, it meant that the women here could have work and receive wages, and would no longer be idle at home.

Moreover, for these ordinary farmers, this is absolutely a great joy.

Xu Zhaozhao ordered several carts of medicine to be loaded. In addition, the few people who carried the pills on their bodies traveled light and rode quickly towards the north city.

Xu Zhaozhao received Xie Zheng's letter the day before yesterday, confirming that they were currently safe and that he had indeed fought the enemy twice, and that everything was fine.

As for the army from Daxing, they have already arrived in the north city smoothly. After a short period of reorganization, it is likely that a major battle will begin.

After the medicine was delivered, Xu Zhaozhao returned to the Marquis's residence.

In fact, the old lady had already sent someone to urge her to return to the mansion, but Xu Zhaozhao refused, citing that the medicine for her injuries had not yet been fully prepared.

Even though the old lady was furious, she couldn't openly express it, since her children and grandchildren were all far away on the battlefield.

Before returning to the Marquis's residence, Xu Zhaozhao first summoned Shaoyao and made sure she understood all the recent people and events in the residence before returning herself.

When Wang Ruolan learned that her daughter was coming back, she ordered the kitchen to prepare her daughter's favorite dishes in advance. At the same time, she also ordered people to clean the Ziyuan Garden thoroughly.

In fact, even without the Madam's order, the cleaning and sweeping of the Purple Garden never stopped.

Anyone with a brain knows who the most dangerous person in this Marquis's mansion is.

Before Xu Zhaozhao returned to Ziyuan, she first saw a young man of medium build, accompanied by Xu Junqing.

"Greetings, Fourth Brother."

Xu Junqing smiled and asked, "Zhaozhao, can you still recognize who this is?"

Xu Zhaozhao blinked, a guess forming in her mind, but she was also worried about mistaking him, since the person in front of her was not fat.

Chen Cong laughed heartily: "Sister Zhao Zhao, who can resist me?"

Xu Zhaozhao then raised an eyebrow: "Brother Chen Pang?"

A simple form of address quickly bridged the gap between the two parties.

If someone called him Fatty Chen, Chen Cong would definitely be furious, but his little cousin calling him Fatty Brother instantly brought him back to his old self!