Early the next morning, Qin Mubai arranged for a warship to board Xiao Yu and some accompanying officials and craftsmen, and they went to Xihe Cao to inspect the terrain.
When he arrived at the fork of the river port and was about to transfer to the small Lengzi boat, Xiao Yu's legs were trembling and he felt scared. In such a narrow boat, if someone accidentally fell into the river, someone would protect him from the side and he would not die, but it would be too embarrassing. Therefore, he sat cautiously in the cabin, holding his breath as if facing a formidable enemy, not daring to move his buttocks. It made everyone on the boat sneer and laugh.
Several shuttle boats passed through the harbor for an hour, which made Xiao Yu and others' heads spin, and finally arrived at Shizi Slope. Xiao Yu was already dumbfounded. When he got off the boat, he kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and murmured: "With such a complex terrain and criss-crossed harbor, how can the ships, carriages and horses transporting stone and building materials come in? It's not necessary." Lost your way? If you want to build a royal cemetery and palace here, it is simply a dream! "
"Mr. Xiao Ge, now you know what I said is true, right?" Qin Mubai stamped his feet vigorously and pointed to the ground and said, "Rivers are just one of the vast swamps, and the ground here is all made of hard rocks. , if you want to build a palace here, you can't even bury the foundation. How to do it? Furthermore, if you want to build a palace above, it will inevitably collapse the underground palace below. Therefore, it is impossible to do it unless it takes several years of miraculous work. ”
Xiao Yu calmly picked up a stone and knocked it hard on the ground. He shook his head in embarrassment: "It's really a hard stone. I think when Yang Guang built the mausoleum here, he must have used big stones to solidify the top wall of the underground palace. , it is really impossible to build a palace on top of it now.”
"In this case, we had to change the plan." Qin Mubai said, "In fact, this was once a snake island, and tens of thousands of snakes lived on the island."
"What?!" Xiao Yu was horrified when he heard this. He almost jumped up and shouted: "Snake!!!"
"Mr. Xiao Ge, don't panic. Just listen to what I have to say." Qin Mubai suppressed his laughter and said, "In the past half month, I have sent nearly a thousand civilians and sergeants who are good at catching snakes to the island. The snakes have been hunted and driven away, and a lot of snake repellent powder has been sprinkled across the island. Now, there are basically no snakes on this small island. "
"Oh, I see, that's it..." Xiao Yu, still wiping his forehead with some fear, murmured, "No wonder you haven't started construction. It turns out you are dealing with the snake problem on the island."
"Exactly." Qin Mubai said, "If these beasts are not dealt with, it will be a big deal if they bite the prince or the king of Jiangxia. What do you think? - We just talked about it , I want to change my plan. Mr. Xiao Ge, are you willing to listen to me?"
"Well, you tell me." Xiao Yu nodded.
"The meaning of the humble job is to clean up the island, place plants and flowers, lay carpets, and build a temporary altar for the ceremony. As for the river channel, I can use corvees to recruit people and dig a channel that can pass through the river. The river for warships leads directly to this place, so the prince and the king of Jiangxia can be exempted from taking the shuttle boat. "
"Okay, okay... But, this is Emperor Yang's mausoleum after all, so you just made such hasty arrangements?" Xiao Yu said still unwilling to give up.
Qin Mubai moved his eyes and signaled him to step aside, and said in a low voice: "Old Xiao Ge, please forgive me for speaking in such a humble position. Although Yang Guang is the emperor, he is also the emperor of the previous dynasty. The reason why your majesty is willing to sacrifice him is It's because of his broad-minded and generous mind, and secondly, it's because of Chuanguo Yuxi's face. Do you think His Majesty really admires and likes Yang Guang so much? That's absolutely impossible! My brother-in-law, your status is inherently sensitive. His Majesty the Emperor sent you to preside over the sacrifice, but it is actually to show your selflessness. However, if you are too sincere, you will make this sacrifice a grand event, and its scale will even exceed that of the late emperor. Gaozu, will your Majesty be happy? By then, the civil and military officials of the entire court will say that you, Xiao Ge, are the remnants of the former Sui Dynasty, and they will never forget Yang Guang. "This is not a good idea!
After listening to Qin Mubai's words, Xiao Yu's expression did not change much. After all, he is also an old man who has been in the court for decades. Although he has a straightforward and strong personality, it does not mean that he is really stupid. When faced with critical issues, he is very good at hiding his emotions.
"General Qin, I think you are worrying too much." Xiao Yu said, "Yang Guang is my brother-in-law, but isn't he also the cousin of His Majesty the current emperor? I have an order to do, and I will fulfill it as the emperor assigns it. , There is no second thought. If someone really makes assumptions and accusations against me, I will not be afraid at all and will not take it seriously. "
Qin Mubai blinked and cursed secretly in his heart: Old fox, you have such a tough mouth!
"But having said that, the old minister's plan in Chang'an was indeed made without detecting the terrain here in advance. Moreover, three months is really too hasty. However, the three plans I made - Qinghe Road , Jianming Palace, and Xiuxian Yuan, you didn’t do anything and you overturned it all, which is too unreasonable.” Xiao Yu frowned, stroked his long beard, and said, “Let’s do this, I won’t embarrass you. , please let me make an explanation to His Majesty the Emperor. Let’s find a compromise.”
"What plan?" Qin Mubai asked.
"There is no need to clean up all the rivers for the time being. As you said, it is enough to dig a river channel that can allow large warships to enter. The prince and the King of Jiangxia can also be frugal in their travels, but if they are questioned by then..." Xiao Yu stopped. Got the words.
"Don't worry, it's my responsibility." Qin Mubai said coldly, "If there's anything else, go on."
"Also, I have no objection to building a temporary altar. But in the future, the Ming Palace will be built sooner or later. As for how to build it, that is a matter for the craftsmen, and you don't need to worry about it, General Qin." Xiao Yu said, "Furthermore, Now, you’re just the acting governor, aren’t you?”
Qin Mubai couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. This Xiao Yu really wanted to save face and didn't care about other people's feelings. No wonder his popularity was so bad. But right now, it's really pointless to argue with him, so it's better to just agree to him.
"Okay, we can only leave it at that." Qin Mubai nodded and said, "When King Wu comes back, I will hand over the state affairs to him. For now, I just build a temporary altar."
"Okay, let's do this!" Xiao Yu straightened his expression and said loudly, "Return!"
"Mr. Xiao Ge, don't you want to go into the underground palace to worship Emperor Yang?" Qin Mubai asked deliberately.
Xiao Yu made a serious face: "He is the former Sui Dynasty, and I am a minister of the Tang Dynasty. Do you want to worship in private? - Stop talking nonsense and go back!"
Qin Mubai and the people next to him were dumbfounded, and they cursed in their hearts: If your brother-in-law, Yang Guang, who is lying down there, hears this, he will jump up and tear your mouth apart! This Xiao Yu really has a troublesome mouth, no wonder he is often demoted!
In the next more than two months, the entire Xiangzhou was busy. The state government mobilized corvees and mobilized more than 20,000 civilians to work day and night to dig river channels. A large river that is more than 20 miles long connects the Han River to Shizi Slope, directly razing the former "Qifeng Wutong Mountain" to the ground.
Qin Mubai personally designed the river course to level Wutong Mountain, and his intentions were profound.
The person who selected the site for this mausoleum must have been an expert in Feng Shui, and the location of the mausoleum must have been artificially transformed and laid out, making the place full of imperial aura where heaven and man are one.
Imperial Feng Shui does not take advantage of the stability of the Tang Dynasty. It's one thing to believe it or not, but now that Li Ke knows about it, Qin Mubai will also give him an explanation. When he got to the emperor, it made sense. All this going back and forth, in the final analysis, was to make the emperor feel at ease.
Invisibly, Qin Mubai "did a great thing for the Tang Dynasty."
But that's strange to say. After Wutong Mountain was leveled, most of the waterfowl in the West River Channel disappeared, and there were no more snakes on the gravel slopes. Could it be that, as Li Ke said, the snake is in the shape of a dragon, and the snake is full of imperial energy
Work on the gravel slope has also begun. Countless lingzi boats travel through the river day and night, transporting plants, flowers, trees and building materials. Although it is just a "temporary altar", its scale is not small. On the gravel slope that was originally barren of grass, tens of thousands of rocks of soil were forcefully moved and then planted with grass, flowers and trees. The towering forest of steles, the stone paths made of white marble, and the murals of the Heavenly Palace of Stone Horses and Stone Men are all here.
Two months later, the small gravel slope almost "changed the world." What was once a bare and desolate area is now almost transformed into a peaceful place like a paradise, without losing its solemnity and splendor.
In the past two months, Qin Mubai has certainly been extremely busy. But his work was not in vain. By accident, he took advantage of this opportunity and made a small fortune.
Such a large-scale project in Xiangzhou involves tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, and it costs a lot of money to eat and drink every day. Xiao Yu brought a lot of money from Chang'an specially allocated by the court for sacrifices. Of course, he had to be responsible for paying for the food, clothing, housing and transportation of the corvee slaves and craftsmen and sergeants. In this way, the hundreds of thousands of stones of grain and salt Qin Mubai held in his hands would be marketable.
Instead of going to other states and counties to buy grain, it’s better to use what you have nearby! The nearly 20,000 soldiers and civilians involved in the project had to eat 400 dan in a day, 12,000 dan in a month, and nearly 25,000 dan in two months.
So, Qin Mubai accepted the money from Xiao Yu with his left hand, handed him the grain and salt stored in his treasury with his right hand, and then put the money into his pocket.
This money is easy and comfortable. There is no need to pay taxes or worry about bad debts. It even saves stores and manpower. In two months, more than two million yuan was easily obtained.
Although the money is not much, it is enough to finance the store and pay the rent.
As for that store, Qin Mubai had already looked down upon it. Nowhere else but in Chengbeigang, the most prosperous and lively city in Xiangyang, the two most prosperous shops are the two large shops across the street that Duan Rongji and Ouyang Jun had previously run - Zhengchang Lianghao and Yongchang Lianghao. Industry salt workshop!
After Duan Rongji, Ouyang Jun, Zhao Chong and others were arrested together, these two prosperous shops were closed down by the prefectural government, and the houses and shops were taken over by the government. These days, businessmen from far and near have crossed the threshold of the state capital and have tried every means to buy or rent these two stores, but to no avail.
The reason is very simple. Li Ke and Qin Mubai have already made an agreement, and that place is reserved for Wu Meiniang! Qin Mubai has also been waiting for Wu Meiniang to come to Xiangzhou, so that he can open a shop there again, but it will have to bear the name of "Wu" family from now on.
These two shops are not small, especially the extremely hot and prosperous shops, and the rent is quite expensive. How could Qin Mubai, a poor official, find the money to pay the rent, so the shop remained vacant.
It's fine now. All I got from selling grain to Xiao Yu was cash. After getting the money, Qin Mubai did not cover it up, but handed it directly to Cao Zheng, the Yincao of Xiangzhou Prefecture, and paid the rent for five years.
Of course, "discount" is a must.
In two months, Qin Mubai was clearing the river, building the altar, selling food, and stocking the storefronts. He played the pipa like a pipa, pushing his hands to play the pipa and leading his hands to play the lute, and he had a great time playing through clouds and rain.
The news that Xiangzhou discovered the tomb of Emperor Yang and held a grand ceremony spread like wildfire, and soon spread throughout the world. Many tourists and officials came here to watch this grand event. This is just like now we are holding a large-scale sports meeting or expo in a certain city, attracting countless business opportunities.
Xiangzhou is a port city with an active commercial port. There is an endless stream of merchants and travelers coming and going all year round, like crucian carp. Now it is even more prosperous, with ships docking and leaving the port day and night, either loaded with goods or full of passengers.
After two months, the inns in the port city in the north of Xiangyang were packed every day. Even the madams and girls in Yingyuan could not rest at night, feeling pain and happiness.
When Yincao officials came to show Qin Mubai the tax accounts, their faces almost broke out in laughter. He said that since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Xiangzhou has never been as lively as it is now, nor has it collected so many taxes.
"Compared with the previous year, the tax revenue this month is more than three times that of that time!"
Qin Mubai just smiled and said to himself: Who would have thought that Zhao Chong just gave me a few maps hidden in night incense barrels, and now the entire Xiangzhou is about to explode? This should be considered Li Ke’s political achievement, right? ... Well, the emperor sent me to assist Li Ke, and that is my political achievement. Not bad, not bad, the blind cat dragged the dead mouse!
A few days later.
Qin Mubai went back to the military mansion to take care of some military affairs. Not long after he sat down, two royal sergeants hurried to the military mansion to find Qin Mubai, saying that the King of Jiangxia had arrived in Xiangzhou!
Qin Mubai was immediately stunned: No way, it's coming so soon, there's still half a month before the sacrifice! Besides, shouldn't the King of Jiangxia come at the same time as the Prince? If they are coming, why don't they tell them in advance and let us greet them
"General Qin, Mr. Xiao Ge asked me to invite the general to the post to meet His Highness the King of Jiangxia! Get ready and go!" the sergeant said anxiously.
"That's fine." Qin Mubai had no choice but to mount his horse and head towards Xiangyang County towards Guanyi.
When he arrived at Guanyi, Qin Mubai saw the cars displayed in the courtyard at a glance. Qin Mubai didn't think much about the ordinary purple and green cars that princes and princes used to travel. When I walked into Guanyi and passed through the three-way corridor to the outside of the hall, I happened to hear Xiao Yu saying inside:
"Your Majesty, the travel arrangements for you and the Crown Prince have been arranged. I will ask you to move to your car later. You will be more comfortable there."
"It doesn't matter." The voice of King Li Daozong of Jiangxia was as loud and heroic as ever, and he laughed twice and said, "Mr. Xiao Ge, you must not be living well when you reach Xiangzhou. Is it possible that Qin Mubai is not doing well? You brat didn't treat you well? You look like this, tsk tsk, your face is sallow and skinny, and you're covered in scabies. Could it be that you were bitten by mosquitoes?"
"Hey, don't mention it!" Xiao Yu smiled bitterly and said, "I really have something I want to apologize to the prince for."
"What's the matter?"
"That's it... the residences of the prince and the prince were renovated from requisitioned houses. Moreover, these two houses were left by Duan Rongji and Ouyang Jun, the criminals in the Xiangzhou case." Xiao Yu's voice became lower. , seemed a little embarrassed, and whispered, "If there is anything wrong, please forgive me."
"Let the prince and I live in the prisoner's old house?" There was indeed some displeasure in Li Daozong's voice.
Qin Mubai frowned a little angrily and stood by the window outside the door without going in. I just want to hear what Xiao Yu wants to say. Most of the sergeants guarding the gate recognized Qin Mubai, so they did not dare to publicize it.
"This... this is actually not the intention of the old minister." Xiao Yu said, "The old minister had insisted on building a residence for the prince and the prince. But Qin Mubai had to disagree, saying that it was too late to waste time and money. Qin Yun said Mu Bai is a local official and holds the power, but the old minister is under the roof and has to bow his head, so he has to let him take care of things. "
"Ha, you are suing Qin Mubai, Mr. Xiao Ge!" Li Daozong laughed loudly.
Qin Mubai could hear a hint of teasing in his laughter, as if he was teasing Xiao Yu.
"Uh, this... that's not what I meant, that's not what I meant!" Xiao Yu's behavior was also quite strange, and he suddenly regretted begging for mercy.
"Mr. Xiao Ge, you are so shameless!" - Suddenly, a clear and gentle female voice with a few domineering and charming sounds sounded in the hall!
Qin Mubai was so familiar with this voice that he felt his heart tremble when he heard it - "My dear, why did King Jiang Xia come so early? He must have been coaxed into it by this girl!"
Who else could it be? —Of course it’s Princess Gaoyang and the little devil Ling’er!
"Uh!... Your Highness, why did you say that?" Xiao Yu was scolded by Princess Gao Yang and asked in dissatisfaction.
"You are the prime minister, or the official appointed by the emperor to be in charge of the ceremony. How can you say that 'people have to bow their heads under the eaves'? How dare you, Mu Bai, to disrespect your superiors and bully an old man like you? Or else? , Are you so incompetent that you can't even control the small officials in a small place like Xiangzhou?" Princess Gaoyang said in a flurry, "Speaking of which, building a new palace is indeed a waste of people and money. Mu Bai is Xiangzhou. A state official should think about the local people. Do you think he has done something wrong? Do you want him to plunder and torture tens of thousands of people in Xiangzhou just to please the prince brother and the king of Jiangxia? The gain is not worth the loss? So, even if the prince brother and the prince of Jiangxia live in a brand-new palace, can they live in peace of mind? You are still a veteran of the three dynasties. I don’t understand. If my father knew it, do you think he would praise Mu Bai or refute you?”
"Haha!" Jiangxia King Li Daozong laughed from the side, "Gao Yang, your clever mouth is getting more and more sharp. I want to ask, is there a difference between praising Bai and refuting Mr. Xiao Ge?"
"That's right!" Princess Gaoyang was so powerful that she didn't give Xiao Yu a chance to speak. She took advantage of the victory and pursued her, "What happened to the prisoner's mansion? After checking and confiscating the officials, it belongs to the Tang Dynasty government. We Since you are a member of the royal family, it is perfect to live in an official house. I don’t think there is anything wrong with Mu Bai. Mr. Xiao Ge, is there anything wrong with you that you rush to say bad things about Mu Bai as soon as you enter the house? Did he offend you? Or, you saw that he was too capable, so you were anxious to destroy his prestige because he was afraid of overshadowing you? Wow! Mr. Xiao Ge, you were not the kind of person who was jealous of talents before. How did you become like this now? La?"
"Uh... um... this, this!" Xiao Yu was speechless by Princess Gao Yang's call. He was so anxious that he kept mumbling.
"Okay, Gao Yang, please spare Mr. Xiao Ge!" Li Daozong laughed, came out to smooth things over, and said, "He didn't say anything bad about Qin Mubai, he just discussed the matter. Look at you, you haven't married yet. As for me, if I accidentally scold Qin Mubai, why don't you stab me with a knife? "
"Hehe, of course not!" Princess Gaoyang began to act coquettishly and said, "How can I be willing to stab such a cute little old man like King Jiangxia with a knife? At most... I can bite him with my teeth!"
Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing when he heard it outside the door. Then he turned around and walked in. He said with a smile: "It seems that I came at the right time. Everyone had a great time chatting!"
"Wow, Mu Bai, you are finally here!!"
Princess Gao Yang suddenly jumped up with excitement. Without hesitation, she threw away Li Daozong's arm that she had just taken, and rushed towards Qin Mubai!
…
Xiao Yu, who was beside him, felt like he was being pardoned. He took advantage of the situation and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He smiled bitterly at Li Daozong and said in a low voice: "I am not afraid of anything. I even dare to reach out and peel off three dragon scales on His Majesty's neck. Only... I’m afraid of this girl!”
"Then you still dare to slander Qin Mubai in front of him? You really don't know how to live or die!" Li Daozong whispered happily, "I advise you to be careful from now on. In case you are remembered by that girl. , That's terrible! - Don't look at me like that, let alone expect me to do anything for you. There are probably only two people in the world who can deal with that girl. One is in Chang'an; the other is in this room. inside."
Xiao Yu's old face was so frightened that he started to feel anxious.