Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 887

On the third day when the fleet stopped, Xue Rengui hurried back.

When I arrived at Fang Jun’s boat to report, I saw Fang Jun’s pile of grape wine on the table, and I was not polite, I grabbed it and drank half of the jar in one go, put down the jar, and lost it to Fang Jun. A military salute.

"Xue Li reports to you!"

Fang Jun looked at Xue Rengui with a smile, although his clothes were disheveled because of rushing on the road, but the thick spring breeze on his face could not be concealed, "Xiao Biesheng is newly married, why doesn't Xiao Xue stay for two more days? Anyway, the army If you want to stay for ten days, just hurry back before the departure."

Liu Renyuan, who was checking Xue Rengui's name on the list to prove that he had returned to the barracks, said sourly, "Siblings reunite with you after a long absence. If you don't get enough food, if you are hungry and thirsty, you will be taken advantage of by those rough guys if you don't pay attention." And if you enter, that's not good..."

Men in the army don't pay much attention to etiquette, and often joke and make fun of each other with obscene words.

Xue Rengui was not angry either, and laughed with a handsome face: "A certain woman is the most chaste and nine-strength, she is a real lady from a famous family, she is so devoted to our old Xue, how could she do such a thing? Brother Ren may not be envious, you The future wife is definitely not bad either. It’s just that finding a wife often depends on luck, even though you are brave and unparalleled, but if you find a foolish person, you have to accept your fate, right?”

These words almost drove Liu Renyuan to death!
But what Xue Rengui said is really reasonable, knowing people, knowing faces but not heart, who knows what kind of character his future wife will be like?Everyone has become more ladylike, but not all of them are well-educated and virtuous.

Everyone in the navy knew Xue Rengui's situation, and they were very envious of him marrying such a virtuous wife from the Liu family.Don't look at Liu Renyuan's nasty words, but he also admires the Liu family who has not met yet.

After joking with Liu Renyuan, Xue Rengui said to Fang Jun: "The general just met Rudong county magistrate and his party at sea, and said that he is going to visit the general manager."

Fang Junqi asked, "Why did he come to visit me?"

Xue Rengui said: "I don't know about the last general, but he has probably arrived. The last general's warship is fast, so he is one step ahead."

Just as he was talking, someone outside shouted "Magistrate of Rudong County" to come to visit.

Fang Jun ordered Xue Rengui to go out to welcome him in, but he sat still.It's not that Fang Jun is showing off, his official title is ten streets higher than that of a county magistrate, if the difference is not big, he can go out and greet him, and it is called easy-going and friendly if it is spread, but the difference in status is too big, so you can't be too casual.

After a while, someone stepped onto the deck and entered the cabin.

A lean man in his thirties, dressed in a light green official robe, looks like a big praying mantis...

This person pays respects: "Sun Cheng'en, magistrate of Rudong County, has met Lord Hou."

Fang Jun cupped his hands slightly, and said with a smile: "Excuse me, please sit down and watch tea!"

That Sun Cheng'en was a little embarrassed, took a sip from the cup of tea, then put it down and stopped drinking, sat there hesitating to speak.

Fang Jun was quite funny, such a temperament can also be an official?I'm afraid he will be bullied by the old officials and local tyrants and evil gentry in the village, he is too tender.An official may not be domineering, but if he doesn't even have a thick skin, then he can't do it.

This person is thin and dark, comparable to Fang Jun himself...

The official robe is very clean, but the boots under his feet are a bit worn out, which shows that the family background is not good.An official from a poor family?
Fang Jun was thoughtful, and said bluntly: "Magistrate Sun may wish to speak directly if you have something to say. After the business is over, I will leave you to eat, so we can have a few drinks. Let me tell you, there is a top-notch restaurant here. Grape wine from the Western Regions, the kind that is hard to find."

Sun Chengen quickly thanked him, and then looked at Fang Jun and said: "I heard that Lord Marquis is the number one wealth collector in the world. He was known as the 'God of Wealth' when he was in Guanzhong. I took the liberty to come here today. I really want to ask for something. I also hope that Lord Hou can give Rudong County a way to make money, so that the people of Rudong County can have enough food and clothing, so that they will not sell their children and daughters, and have a way to survive!"

He spoke sincerely, and looked at Fang Jun, full of expectation.

Those eyes are like Guanyin Bodhisattva who is facing the problem and saving the suffering...

Fang Jun asked in surprise: "Why is this?"

Rudong County is close to the sea, and now there are abundant seafood. Even if the fishing industry is not developed due to the backwardness of fishing boats and nets, it is difficult to get rich from this, but it is not difficult to catch a few fish from the sea every day for a full meal. Bar?

Still selling children and daughters?
It's deceitful...

Seeing Fang Jun's disbelief, Sun Cheng'en didn't seem to be as expected, he gave a wry smile, full of sourness and guilt: "The lower officials are incompetent, as the parents of the people in Rudong, but they can't seek prosperity for the people under their jurisdiction, I am really ashamed of your Majesty. , I am ashamed of the court, and even more ashamed of the people of Rudong..."

He had expected it a long time ago, how could it be possible that Rudong is near the sea and can't even have a meal?Don't say that others don't believe it, he himself can't believe it!

Yet it is.

Rudong County didn't exist before the Spring and Autumn Period, it was just a vast ocean.Later, the silt in the estuary was deposited into a sandbar, which was gradually deposited into land. Only then did people inhabit it, and it was called "Fuhai Island" in history.

At the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, it was enfeoffed by Liu Bi, king of Wu.Liu Bi "boiled seawater into salt" and was the first to cook salt in Kaihuai District, and the first batch of "salt cubes" appeared in Rudong.During the Three Kingdoms period, Jianghuai was the front line of the Cao-Wu war. Cao Cao migrated the residents of the Jianghuai area, and this place was established as a county.

However, the silt on the sandbar is mostly saline-alkali land, no food is produced, and the people's life is miserable.

Originally, it was possible to go to sea to rely on fishing to supplement the family and exchange for some food, but Rudong County is too poor, there is no timber here, and if you want to build a ship, you have to go out to buy timber, and the common people can't afford it...

The only few fishing boats in the county are dilapidated small sampans, and you can’t catch a few fish even if you go out to sea. In addition, there are always sharks in the coastal waters this year, which has harmed more than a dozen fishermen. Dare to go fishing in the sea.

Fang Junlue thought for a while, Rudong has been cooking salt since ancient times, and developing the salt industry is also a strategy.

"Magistrate Sun wants me to speak for you, asking the imperial court to allow Rudong to set up a saltworks and issue a license?"

The salt field in Huating Town makes everyone in the coastal prefecture and counties jealous. Rudong County is so impoverished that if there is a salt field, the county's finances will definitely be greatly improved.Not only can it get rid of poverty in one fell swoop, it can even become a star county along the coast of Suyang and Yangzhou.

Unexpectedly, Sun Chengen shook his head and said: "Master Hou misunderstood the meaning of this official. The official came here with the audacity to ask Lord Hou to help the people of Rudong County and point out a way for everyone to eat enough and wear warm clothes, not For the future of the lower official. It’s not that the lower official is pure and noble. For the sake of the people, it’s fine to let the lower official kowtow to you, but if it’s for himself, the lower official can’t lick his face and beg you. Besides, Rudong County is now cooking sea for salt Nine times out of ten, they are all doing the work for the aristocratic family, aren’t they still starving? To put it bluntly, doing work for the imperial court is no different from doing work for the aristocratic family. Take it away, what else can be left for the people?"

Fang Jun immediately became awed, his original casual sitting posture became serious, and he straightened his back to show respect.

This is a good official!
If Fang Jun asked the court to allow Rudong County to set up a salt field, there would be almost no problem.After all, the method of drying salt was created by him, and everyone has to give him face.

But the county magistrate Sun has seen the essence of the matter.

The establishment of the saltworks has enabled the GDP of Rudong County to grow by leaps and bounds, reaching an unprecedented height in a short period of time, even surpassing some wealthy inland counties in one fell swoop.However, this does not have much to do with improving the living standards of the common people...

In later generations, China's GDP ranks second in the world. What is the ranking of per capita income?

Seventy or so...

Sun Chengen can not count on his own political achievements, but only on improving the lives of the people. Compared with 90.00% of the officials in the later generations, he has to be more responsible. Only such officials can be called "the parents of the people"!
The people of Rudong County are very fortunate!
Liu Rengui, Liu Renyuan, and Xue Rengui who were on the side were also in awe of this unremarkable county magistrate.

Fang Jun looked at this county magistrate, who was probably the first county magistrate ever to "attract investment", and made up his mind that he must come up with a good way for the people of Rudong County to make a fortune.That is for those poor people, and even more so for the parents of the noble people in front of me!
But, what method should I use?
(End of this chapter)