Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Single Throw of a Thousand Pieces of Gold

  Zhao Yi then talked about his next plan, he wanted to build two major roads along the canal, one horizontal and one vertical, build two bridges, and connect them with the official road. Then, on the side of the big road, choose a place with relatively high terrain to build four new villages, and let all the tenants move in.

  "Second Master, why must we repair the road and relocate? The tenants' current dwellings are still tolerable, and the road can be traversed with some difficulty!" Manager Zheng Fu asked King Wang in puzzlement.

  "I've said it before, we need to have a broader vision, not just focus on the tip of our toes. We're going to do great things, and once the road is fixed, it'll be easier for us to transport the things we grow out, and bring in the things we need. We don't just need to fix the road, but also build docks along the Bian River. As the saying goes, 'to get rich, one must first fix the roads'!" Zhao explained, "It's the same with fixing New Village. The tenants live in places that are either rented from the landlord or built by themselves on empty land. Either they're old and dilapidated, or they leak wind and rain. If you were living in such a place, would you feel at ease staying there?"

  "Second Master said it, and I understood. We are going to plant a good Paulownia tree to attract the Golden Phoenix!" Deputy Manager Zheng Luo suddenly realized.

  "Second Master, our road paving, bridge building, dam construction and canal dredging will cost a lot of money!" said Zheng Fu, the chief manager.

  "The money for this project must be spent, don't be stingy!" Zhao Ye smiled and said, "Moreover, since we're going to do it, we must do it well. I don't understand these things, so I'll leave it to you to worry about, but the standard cannot be low. The irrigation canal must be widened and deepened, and not need to be rebuilt in less than two years. The road width should ensure that two large carts can pass side by side, with stone slabs on the surface, and trees planted on both sides of the road. Roads should also be built between fields, capable of carrying 100-stone carts. Choose low-lying areas unsuitable for farming to dig ponds and store water, making it convenient to irrigate nearby fields during droughts!"

  Several people were stunned, and the king's move was a big one. However, what he said next shocked them even more: "I plan to build New Village here, here, and here. It will be convenient for villagers to work in the fields and travel between villages!" Zhao Zhe pointed on the map and said: "Each village should be able to accommodate 500 households, with a reasonable layout, easy access, and each household should have enough space for six people. Every twenty households should have a shared well... Let's discuss the details later!"

  "Second Master, if we repair the road and build a village, there are two possibilities: one is that there may not be enough manpower, and the other is that it will delay the farming season!" Zheng Luo said after calculating silently.

  "Hehe, we can start working on this according to the urgency of the tasks. We can't delay farming time, so let's first repair the dam and dredge the irrigation channels. Building a new village can wait for now, we can start after the summer harvest. But you guys can secretly spread the news!" Zhao Ke said with a light smile.

  "Yes, I'll follow the Second Master's orders!" Zheng Luowang's face showed a sly smile, and he immediately understood, secretly thinking that the master was indeed small but had a big mind.

  "Now, we currently have two things to do: Second-in-command, you work hard and immediately find experts who understand water conservancy and road construction technology to conduct calculations on how many people, how much labor, and how long it will take to complete the task. At the same time, procure tools and materials, and complete these tasks before starting work, don't delay; First-in-command, you lead a team to each village tomorrow to recruit workers, must be polite, bring cash, whoever signs up immediately register and pay wages in advance, this point cannot be ambiguous!"

  "Yes!" "Yes, we'll arrange for someone to take care of it right away!" The two nodded in response.

  "Second Master, I have another question for you, how much wages should we pay them in advance?" Zheng Fu asked.

  "How much money does a family need to spend during the Spring Festival?" Zhao asked back.

  "Three taels of silver per month is enough!" Zheng Fu said after calculating it.

  "Alright, let's go with 3 yuan advance payment. Tell them that after work begins, they'll get two meals a day and there will be rewards for good performance!" Zhao Ze immediately made the decision.

  "Second Master, this way the mansion will probably really be in deficit. According to our calculations, recruiting a thousand people, with labor costs of 100 wen and food costs of 50 wen, for a period of 100 days, expenses for just this one item will be 15,000 guan. Adding tools and materials, who knows how much more money it will take!" Zheng Fu said with a heartache, an average family's wealth is only a few hundred guan, but the young master can spend tens of thousands of guan just by opening his mouth.

  "I've already thought about this, there are still 190,000 taels in the mansion, this matter won't use up that much, besides we can think of other ways to make it back, don't worry about money matters, I'll take care of it!" Zhao Yi said with full confidence on his face, he had been considering this matter for several days, and he already thought of a way to make money, if successful, the money would flow in like running water.

  "What can you little kid do, unless you ask the emperor for help? If you can get money, what's the point of us doing our jobs?" Zheng Fu muttered to himself. The usually silent steward suddenly thought that since Wang Ye had earned nearly 10,000 taels by just building a greenhouse, maybe he really could come up with other ways to make money. Otherwise, the steward wouldn't have let him take charge. The more Zheng Fu thought about it, the more he felt uneasy, and his gaze towards Wang Ye became somewhat unfriendly.

  "Everything has been arranged by the master, everyone should do their best to get it done. This time, the master is giving you a stage, and you must perform well in this play!" Huang Jingchen casually said out the two sentences that the master often said these days, although they were common, but simple and clear.

  "Yes, the king sets the stage and we sing the opera. We will absolutely not disappoint the king's trust!" The several managers were all understanding people and immediately understood the meaning of the chief manager. This means that we want to take the lead and charge forward, while the king is in the back directing."

  "This thing is done well, and it won't let everyone down. After completion, I will reward you according to your merits!" Zhao Ke stood up with his hands behind his back and said to several people, but this posture was a bit awkward, without any official authority, and even a bit comical.

  "Thank you, Second Master!" The three of them stifled their laughter and said in unison.

  "Cough, Zheng Shou, how's the preparation for the New Year going? Don't let these things affect the celebration," Huang Jingchen also couldn't help but chuckle and coughed as he spoke to San Guan Shi.

  "The steward, all the food and other items for the New Year's celebration have been purchased, the tribute from the Zhuangzi has also been delivered, and the 'welfare' to be distributed by Master Er has been prepared. Moreover, a theater troupe and several acrobatic troupes have been invited, all of whom are somewhat famous in the capital!"

  "Alright, during the New Year's celebrations, there are many things to attend to and this year there are more people, be careful about fire safety and theft prevention, don't let anything go wrong!" Huang Jingchen reminded with a nod.

  "The general can rest assured, everything has been arranged, and more personnel have been dispatched for night patrol!" Zheng Shou replied respectfully.

  "Alright, everything is arranged for today. It's going to be tough on everyone for the next few days. I'm treating you all to dinner today as a reward!" Zhao Ke stood up and said with a smile, "Xi, order the meal to be served!"

  "Good!" Jian Xi responded with a smile and immediately went out to instruct the kitchen to serve the dishes.

  When several people entered the restaurant next door, they first saw a purple copper hot pot on the table, with boiling hot soup inside. However, when they picked up the pot, it was different from what they usually saw. The pot and stove on the table were integrated as one. Speaking of hot pots, their history is quite long. In this era, restaurants in Bianjing already had them, but they were just ordinary pots, just like modern times, where chicken, duck, fish, meat, or mountain delicacies and seafood were all cooked in one pot.

  On the table, two large plates of sliced mutton were already laid out. The thin slices of meat looked like delicate rice paper, and under the skilled hands of the cook, they seemed to bloom into a big peony flower on the plate. Several small bowls and saucers were placed around the edge, containing red and green seasonings that looked particularly appetizing. In addition, there were four small dishes to accompany the wine, arranged on a long, narrow table with tofu, spinach, cabbage, and lettuce - all fresh vegetables grown in the greenhouse.

  Several people in the know were aware of the king's 'quirk', disliking dishes like fruit platters, but today's eating method still left them bewildered, and for a moment they didn't know how to pick up their chopsticks. Even Huang Jingchen, who often ate imperial cuisine, was also stunned. They all thought that the king wanted everyone to dip the lamb and vegetables in those seasonings and eat them raw, then drink the soup afterwards.

  "Come, today I'll treat everyone to a hot pot of mutton!" Zhao Zhan's expression told him that none of them had ever had it before. He took a small bowl containing sesame sauce, quickly scooped out some coriander, scallions (he couldn't find any elsewhere, so he made do), and bean curd cream (which he had experimented with in the kitchen) from the seasoning plate, mixed them together, added a pinch of salt, and placed it in front of Huang Jingchen. Then, using a pair of chopsticks, he picked up a slice of mutton and swished it around in the simmering broth for a few moments. When the meat turned gray, he put it on Huang's plate. "Huang Bo, try some and see how it tastes!"

  Huang Jingchen hesitantly picked up a piece of mutton and dipped it in the just-adjusted dipping sauce, then put it in his mouth and chewed slowly. Without saying a word, he immediately picked up another slice of mutton and swished it around in the soup before hastily putting it in his mouth. After eating several slices in succession, he suddenly realized that everyone at the table was staring at him. "Your Highness, where did you learn this way of eating? This mutton is tender and delicious, making one reluctant to put down their chopsticks! I'm so sorry for losing my composure!" Huang Jingchen's face turned red as he spoke with embarrassment.

  "This mutton is selected from the hind legs of Shaanxi sheep, frozen and then sliced by the chefs. The soup is personally simmered by the prince, with added shiitake mushrooms, dried scallops, and most importantly, the tofu cream made by the prince himself. The dipping sauce has this special ingredient that makes it taste unique. Even the pot was painted by the prince and crafted by the artisans in the mansion!"

  "Prince Wang is actually a student of that immortal master, I heard he's famous for being a foodie!" Huang Jingchen whispered to Zhao Shi in his ear.

  "Haha" Zhao Zhan chuckled twice, without answering, and gave Huang Jingchen a knowing look.

  A few people were savoring the delicious hot pot, secretly pleased with themselves. Although they used good ingredients, they couldn't know the secret recipe of others, and the flavor was definitely inferior to modern ones. If these people at the table could live for another thousand or eight hundred years and have a meal at 'Donglai Shun', they would probably beat themselves up and start all over again. But who knows, maybe their way of eating would be passed down and revered as the orthodox ancestor by later generations!