In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 828 Making mountains bow and rivers give way

As time passed, the sun gradually moved westward, and the sunlight became increasingly dazzling.

When the midday sun shines through the window and onto the desk,

Lu Yunyi looked up in a daze and checked the time.

It turned out that half an hour had passed without anyone noticing.

He didn't realize it while looking at it, but when he looked up, his eyes felt a sudden stinging sensation.
Not far away, Lü Zhengxin was still waiting there.
Seeing that he was distracted, she quickly stepped forward and handed him a cup of tea.

"My lord, I don't have any good tea. Please have this first, and I'll prepare some next time."

"No need, it doesn't matter what you drink."

Lu Yunyi picked up the teacup, sipped it, and glanced at the document in his hand.

It must be said that Lü Zhengxin, as someone who has experienced great ups and downs,

They are particularly meticulous in their observation of things, and even in their understanding of people's hearts.

The above records mostly describe arguments, disputes, or conflicts that occurred among neighbors.
There are also some government decrees from Yangzhou Prefecture, as well as the people's evaluation of these decrees.

You can't tell anything from just one or two pages.
But watching it from beginning to end at once

Lu Yunyi was able to see that people's hearts have changed!
The tendency to value money and fame is not limited to wealthy people and officials; it also applies to ordinary people.

As the world becomes more peaceful and the pressure of survival disappears...

They will then continue to pursue fame, fortune, and wealth.
This has led to increasingly fierce competition between people.

In times of war and uncertainty, there is struggle for survival.

But more than anything, they united to face the survival crisis together.

After the survival crisis disappeared, the struggle became more straightforward.

Lu Yunyi's gaze swept over the documents, and two recent cases of conflict came into view.

First, the Zhou brothers from the east of the city, less than a hundred days after their father's death, argued fiercely over a three-foot-wide plot of land facing the street in front of their ancestral home.

Because the government is widening the street, this place will become shops where rent can be collected.

The two brothers, who had no worries about food and clothing, disregarded their brotherly bond for this petty gain, much to the dismay of their neighbors.

"In years of war, the two brothers would surely depend on each other for survival."
Now that things are peaceful, they're tearing each other apart over this tiny piece of land!

Second, Chen Minzhi, a woman from the western part of the city, was betrothed to the Zhang family, who owned a southern goods store, when she was young.

After the Zhang family fell into ruin, the son of a wealthy merchant saw that Min was beautiful and offered her a large sum of money to marry him.

The Chen family immediately turned hostile, falsely accusing Zhang's son of having a hidden illness, and even ordering Minzhi to pretend to retreat to a nunnery for spiritual cultivation, but in reality, they were waiting for a better price to sell him.

Unable to bear the harassment any longer, the Zhang family annulled the engagement in resentment, rendering the marriage certificate a worthless piece of paper.

The common people's gossip boils down to the phrase "disdain for the poor and love for the rich."

"Wow."

"Wow."

Lu Yunyi turned the pages of the book, then let out a long sigh of emotion.
He put down the teacup and looked at Lü Zhengxin:
"Well done. In the future, record more mundane matters; you can see the big picture in small things."

And I've noticed that your handwriting is getting better and better.

Lu Zhengxin was taken aback, then laughed.

I rubbed my hands, which were stained black with ink, and felt a great sense of accomplishment.

"Thank you for the compliment, sir!"

Lu Yunyi closed the book and asked, "Has anyone been causing you trouble?"

Lu Zhengxin did not hide anything and honestly said:

"Yes, sir. The fruit and melon shop occupies the best location and is within the supply chain of Yingtian Trading Company."
As others put it, it's a business where you can make money while lying down, so naturally, some people are eyeing it.

But don't worry, I can handle it.

"Well, I'm a retired centurion from the army, and the yamen takes care of me."

"If you can't handle it, go find Xiang Yingyu."
He was, after all, a commander of a garrison, and could take care of things within the city.

"Yes, sir, don't worry."

In fact, the name of Yingtian Trading Company has already shielded its subordinates from a lot of trouble.

The shopkeeper often comes to the shop to check on things.

Officials from the yamen (government office) often accompanied them, their words always containing words of consideration.

Lu Yunyi nodded with great satisfaction:

"These guys did do something decent, not bad."

Having said that, Lu Yunyi stood up, took an envelope from his pocket, and handed it to Lü Zhengxin:
"You have no shortage of money. This is your admission document for Yingtian Mingdao Academy."
If your son has a talent for studying, write his name down and he can go to Yingtian to study.
Although Mingdao Academy has declined somewhat,

However, their relationship with the Imperial Academy remained very close, with many teachers traveling between the two institutions.

If he can establish himself at Mingdao Academy, then he can consider going to the Imperial Academy later.

Lu Zhengxin stared blankly at the envelope, then raised his head in disbelief and said in a trembling voice:

"grown ups."

Lu Yunyi raised his hand to stop him:
"It's just a small favor; my brothers all over the country have the same documents."
Then we'll see which of your children has a talent for studying.

If we could produce a scholar who passed the imperial examination at the provincial level, that would be incredible! We'd practically have to carry him into the Hanlin Academy.

"Hanlin Academy?"

Lu Zhengxin froze on the spot, his eyes widening suddenly. That was a place only a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) could go.

Lu Yunyi stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder:

"Alright, I've kept you from your lunch break. I'm leaving."
"By the way, the newly improved wheelchair should arrive in about two weeks. It'll be delivered through the merchant's channels, so keep an eye on it then."

Lu Zhengxin tightened his grip on the document in his hand, feeling his lips grow dry. He clasped his hands in a fist salute:
"Thank you, sir. I will never forget your kindness in this lifetime."

Lu Yunyi didn't say anything, just waved casually and slowly walked away.
Soon, Lü Chen walked in.
He glanced at the thick stack of documents on the table, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes:
"Father, is the master not satisfied with the records?"

"No"

Lü Zhengxin raised his hand and wiped his red eyes:
"The master is very satisfied and tells us to write down more."

Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Dad, what's wrong with you?"

"It's alright. Dad's happy."

Lu Zhengxin sniffed and handed over the envelope in his hand:

"Here, this is from your master."

"This is?"

Lü Chen was somewhat puzzled.

"Your admission documents for Mingdao Academy mean you can study there."

Lu Chen's body trembled, almost thinking he had misheard.
Mingdao Academy was built in the Southern Song Dynasty to commemorate Cheng Hao, the Master Mingdao. It was a very famous academy in Yingtian and even Zhili.

Apart from the Imperial College, few can consistently outperform it.

"Father, do I want to go to the academy to study?"

He was somewhat shocked and incredulous.

As a fruit merchant, he had come into contact with many scholars and heard many rumors.
They often mentioned that many students who came to the capital for the imperial examinations would arrive a year in advance, hoping to study at Mingdao Academy, but often they could not get in.

"It depends on your abilities. If you're as stupid as a pig, you might as well not go to this academy."

"Father, what are you saying? Your son will certainly do it!"

Lu Zhengxin looked at his increasingly tall son and laughed:

"Okay, okay, we'll find another helper later. After we close up shop, you won't have to work. You can study in the shop."

Upon hearing that he wouldn't have to do any work, Lü Chen nodded repeatedly, his eyes gleaming!

"it is good!"

In early October in the north, the autumn wind already carried a hint of chill.

But the fiery enthusiasm at the road construction site two hundred miles outside Daning City could not be extinguished.

As dawn broke and the first hint of light appeared in the east, the construction site was already bustling with activity.

The tents, like patches of white clouds, stretched endlessly across the vast land.

The construction site was bustling with noise, a cacophony of shouts and the clanging of metal.

Thousands of laborers, dressed in coarse cloth short coats and wearing straw hats, were busy at their respective workstations.

Some were wielding huge iron hammers.

It pounded against the hard rock again and again, sparks flying everywhere.

Some were pushing carts loaded with stones.
They ran quickly on the rough road, kicking up clouds of dust.

Others carried long rulers and ink lines.
He carefully measured the road width and slope, his expression focused and serious.

On one side of the road, several huge waterwheels are slowly turning, diverting river water into pre-dug ditches to provide a continuous water supply.

On the other side of the road, craftsmen are building a temporary bridge.
They used thick ropes to bind the huge planks together.
Then it was carefully placed on the river.

The placement of each wooden plank tugs at my heartstrings.

If a mistake is made, all previous efforts may be in vain.

But with their rich experience and superb skills, they turned danger into safety time and time again, and the prototype of the bridge gradually emerged.

Along both sides of the road, huge wooden signs stand with striking red characters that read:

"Make the mountains bow down, and make the rivers give way."

The ten large characters, like burning torches, illuminate the path ahead!
A laborer, well past fifty, put down his shovel, straightened his back,
Looking at the bustling scene before him, tears welled up in his eyes.

He said with emotion to the young laborer beside him:
"My child, I've lived this long and I've never seen such a spectacular scene before."

The young laborer simply smiled upon hearing this, then continued working with his head down.

"I've never had such a good job before."

After saying that, he picked up the shovel again and worked even harder.
He used to be a shop assistant, doing all sorts of jobs like moving goods, watching the shop, and running errands. He worked himself to the bone for a month and only earned one tael of silver, with only food provided and no lodging.

Nowadays, on construction sites, people work from sunrise to sunset.

The wages have doubled, and room and board are included.

This job was so good that he cherished it all the more.

Just then, a melodious bell rang out from afar.

A group of merchants, driving carts laden with goods, slowly approached the construction site.

They were merchants from Beiping.

They were initially exhausted, but when they saw the spectacular scene before them...

His eyes widened in shock and admiration.

A stout merchant pulled on the reins, dismounted, and muttered to himself:
"This is the road that Da Ning is going to build? It's way too..."

The merchants found it hard to believe, and the story spread like wildfire throughout Beiping, but many people did not believe it.

Because this is an 800-mile road, how could a single commander possibly manage it?
But today, witnessing this awe-inspiring scene with his own eyes, he understood Da Ning's determination.
And for some reason, he felt a little scared.

If this massive crowd were used for warfare...
The merchant shuddered and abandoned the idea.
He then walked up to a busy laborer and asked:
"Young man, what kind of road are you repairing?"

The laborer wiped the sweat from his brow, straightened up, and said with a smile:

"Sir, we are repairing the road to Beiping. Once the road is completed, it will be much more convenient for you to come to Daning."

Upon hearing this, the merchant nodded unconsciously.

"It really is this road."

"It's truly admirable that so many of you worked together so well!"

The laborer patted his chest and said proudly:

"Of course! We come from poor backgrounds, but we know we should do our part for our country."

"As long as this road can be repaired, we'll be willing to endure any hardship or toil!"

The merchant listened and nodded repeatedly, saying:

"Well said! Once this road is repaired, doing business will be much more convenient!"

After saying this, he took out some loose silver from his pocket, handed it to the laborer, and said:
"Take this small token of our appreciation and use it to buy some wine and meat to treat everyone."

The laborer quickly declined, saying:
“Sir, this is unacceptable! We are laborers, and we have already taken money from the government. We cannot take more from you, sir.”

"Oh?"

The merchants were even more shocked:

"The laborers... will the government still pay them?"

"Yes, of course I'll give it to you."

The laborer proudly puffed out his chest, and his voice became full of energy.

"Could you tell me how much it costs?"

"We don't have any special skills; we only do small jobs, not many."

"Two months' rent includes room and board, and the children can even be sent to school and looked after."

"Oh my god."

The merchant's breathing suddenly quickened.

He hired a helper in Beiping, who earned only one qian a month, but could earn two qian for road repairs.

"Does that mean they get paid more and do more work?" the merchant pressed.

The laborer laughed, revealing very obvious yellow teeth.
The dark wrinkles on his skin were the same, and he said with even greater pride:

"We laborers are here to build Daming; money is not the main thing for us."

It's mainly for our hometown, for creating more social wealth, and for all the people of Daning.

Looking at the burning light in his eyes, and seeing his clothes soaked in sweat and mud,

The merchant looked at himself; although he was dressed in brocade robes and luxurious attire, he felt that he looked somewhat pretentious.

Is this the same group of people he remembered as the ignorant masses?

"Once the road is repaired, you are welcome to visit us anytime!"

The laborer smiled and continued working with his head down.

The merchant chuckled twice, nodded, then mounted his horse and rode off slowly.

His heart remained unsettled for a long time.

The scene I just witnessed is etched into my mind like a brand.
The merchants rode their horses slowly forward, and before they had gone far, they came face to face with the Goryeo delegation.

The Goryeo delegation was now pulling over to the side of the road, their faces filled with shock and fear.

They had overheard the entire conversation between the laborers and the merchants.
A Goryeo envoy who appeared to be the leader stared wide-eyed, his lips trembling slightly, and spoke to his companion in broken Central Plains dialect:

"How could Da Ning have such popular support?"

The road repairmen were not only paid, but their children's school was also provided; these laborers were not motivated by money.

Another envoy, his face ashen and beads of sweat beading on his forehead, murmured:

"With everyone united, if they were to wage war, how could we possibly stand against them? Is the Ming Dynasty really this terrifying? Your Majesty has made a mistake!"

Even a younger official in the delegation looked on with apprehension.
"I had only heard about the new policies of Daning before, but now that I have seen them with my own eyes, I know how powerful they are."

This isn't road construction; it's a test of character!

The leading envoy took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

But his slightly trembling hands betrayed his inner panic:
"This matter must be reported to the King as soon as possible. Da Ning should not be underestimated."

At this moment, a Goryeo servant cautiously asked:

"My lord, shall we proceed with our mission as originally planned?"

The leading envoy remained silent for a moment, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes:
"Proceed according to the original plan for now, but be careful with your words and actions, and do not anger Da Ning. We will discuss countermeasures with the King after we return."

Having said that, the members of the Goryeo delegation, their expressions solemn, continued their slow, forward march.

Looking at the bustling road construction scene before them, they felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

The original intention to seek benefits and investigate the truth in Da Ning had long been dispelled by fear.

Meanwhile, the laborers at the road construction site were still busy.

Their chants and the clanging of metal instruments

It was like a stirring battle song echoing across the land of Daning, deeply moving every member of the Goryeo delegation.

At that moment, the sound of horses' hooves thundered like rolling thunder, galloping from the southwest and raising clouds of dust.

Lu Yunyi led the way, followed closely by over a thousand cavalrymen like a black torrent.
The armor reflected a cold, menacing light in the sunlight.
Long spears stood like a forest, and banners fluttered in the wind.

The warhorses galloped, their hooves shaking the earth, and the sound of horns pierced the sky, startling the birds in the forest.

This elite force, despite having undergone a long march,
Yet their morale remained high, and every step they took exuded the majesty of the Ming cavalry.

"My lord, look!"

Feng Yunfang suddenly pointed into the distance and shouted.

Lu Yunyi looked up and saw billowing smoke and dust at the end of his vision.

A giant black dragon winds its way through the towering mountains.

Once you get a clear look at the bustling road construction scene...
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by a look of relief.

"it is good!"

Lu Yunyi couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration:

"Such momentum is truly unprecedented."
"Come on, brothers, full speed ahead! Let's go home!"

(End of this chapter)