The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

Changsun Dan's words were somewhat intended for Li Er's ears. After all, he had a major renovation plan for Dunhua Ward, which would become his base of wealth in the future. If the people supported it, Li Er probably wouldn't interfere too much.

Grandpa Zhu was deeply moved and nodded silently. Even if Old Man Zhou was really dead, if anyone talked nonsense, there were plenty of people who would tear their mouths apart.

"The Zhou family residence is not far away, magistrate, please follow me."

Li Er also wanted to see just how effective Changsun Dan's medicine was, so he glanced at Guanyinbi:

"Should we go take a look too?!"

Holding the box containing penicillin, Dongyao was silently worried. The young master had said that if they were unlucky and there were too many other bacteria in the culture process, the medicine would not only fail to cure the disease, but might also kill the patient immediately.

Now that His Majesty is here, Young Master can completely ignore this situation and find more patients to test the medicine in the future, so as not to affect their trust in the medicine.

Changsun Dan, however, thought that since it was all a gamble anyway, it would be good to let Li Er see how the medicine was used, since intramuscular injections were given in the buttocks…

Grandpa Zhu emerged from the side gate of the East Garden. Li Er, now without any reservations, followed behind Changsun Dan. Empress Changsun noticed a huge pond dug in the wasteland by the roadside. The pond had a wide opening at the bottom and a narrow opening at the bottom, with a lid placed beside it. However, the pond was currently empty. Curiosity piqued, she asked with a smile:

"Dan'er, what's the point of digging such a big pond outside this courtyard?"

Chun Chan arrived just then, carrying a jar of white medicine, and replied with a smile:

"Your Highness, this is a biogas digester built by the county magistrate. He said that in the future, a pipe can be connected to it, and the gas coming out can be used as firewood and also as lamps. The lamps will be as bright as day at night!"

Li Er listened intently. What kind of lamp could be as bright as day? If this young man truly possessed such skill, even Li Chunfeng would be far behind, and even Master Yuan might not be an expert in this field…

Changsun Dan's mind was completely focused on the matter of curing the illness, and he didn't hear a word of what Chun Chan and the Empress were talking about.

Chun Chan recounted the story of the coal mine explosion and how toxic gas in the deep mountains could burn. Li Er listened with great interest. After Chun Chan's explanation, Li Shimin also suddenly felt that the bubbles that were rising might really be able to burn, but what did this have to do with the Taoist abilities?

Li Er glanced at Changsun Dan suspiciously, increasingly convinced that the young man was hiding many secrets. However, Master Yuan's whereabouts had been elusive for years, and despite sending people to search for him everywhere, there had been no trace of him...

Zhou Yong's home is not far from Meiyuan. If you turn right onto the main road and go a few hundred meters past Yan Shigu's Yunlu, there is a large area of ​​barren gravel land with some vegetables planted sparsely, but they are almost covered by weeds.

The dilapidated farmhouses were scattered about, and the mounds behind them were barren. Li Er looked at all this and felt guilty. If it weren't for Dan Xiaozi coming here, one can imagine how difficult it would be for the people of Dunhuafang to make a living!

This was exactly what Changsun Dan hoped Li Er would see. The land here was not suitable for cultivation, but in this era, agriculture was valued over commerce, and the Tang law also had strict restrictions on the use of arable land, so many people could only guard a small piece of wasteland and starve to death.

Seeing that the Second Prince's face was pale, Empress Zhangsun quietly reached out and hugged his arm, saying softly:

"Dan'er is determined to renovate Dunhua Ward, and the people support him. I'm just afraid that the officials in the court will accuse him of annexing land again."

Not far ahead, a group of villagers had gathered in front of a dilapidated mud-brick house. Some were holding yellow paper, while others were holding freshly cut green bamboo sticks. A bonfire was also lit next to the house.

In the hearts of the villagers, Old Man Zhou was already a dying man. They were just waiting for him to take his last breath before burning paper money and setting off firecrackers to send him off on his final journey.

Li Er remained silent, covering Guanyinbi's cold hand with his own.

"Dunhua Ward, I'll let this brat do whatever he wants. Anyone who objects must guarantee the current income of these people. If they fail, I'll chop off their heads!"

Li Shimin remained silent for a few moments, then said in a low voice:

"There are still many lands like this in the Tang Dynasty. The young man's plan to plant mulberry trees in Youzhou has given me a lot to think about. If it succeeds, the law that fields must be planted with grain should also be changed. Otherwise, no matter how prosperous the era is, it is still the common people who suffer..."

Empress Zhangsun's eyes shone with hope. She believed in Erlang, and she believed in Dan'er. Even her adopted son was changing more and more. With Erlang's support, perhaps it wouldn't be long before Dan'er would bring about earth-shattering changes to Dunhuafang.

When the villagers saw Changsun Dan, their faces lit up with excitement. The dignified county magistrate was getting married the next day, yet he disregarded bad luck and personally came to the home of a lowly family to see him off. This was not only an honor for the Zhou family, but also for the people of Dunhuafang. Each of them had a solemn expression and bowed their hands in greeting.

The farmhouse rooms were small. Old Zhou had been moved by the villagers to a door panel in the main room. He was still alive, though. A thick layer of straw was placed on the door panel, and a straw mat was laid on top of it.

Zhou Yong knelt beside Old Man Zhou, sobbing uncontrollably. He was in the prime of his life, but due to old injuries and a broken arm, he could barely make ends meet despite guarding these few acres of gravelly land. He relied entirely on his grandfather's hard work to support the family. Now that the county magistrate had come, life would be better, but his grandfather was leaving. How could he not be heartbroken?

Zhou Yong's wife was thin and frail, her eyes filled with tears. She held her child tightly to her chest, watching everything helplessly.

Xu Yuanchang, the village doctor, was in his fifties or sixties. He told Zhou Yong's wife to arrange the funeral as soon as possible, then picked up his medicine box and stepped out of the house, shaking his head at the villagers.

"Old Zhou's arm is rotting and stinking, and his whole body is burning. His time is up, and he won't last another hour."

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Doctor Xu might not be the most skilled he could cure, but he was quite adept at predicting when patients would die, and his predictions were usually spot on. More and more villagers gathered, all staring intently at Changsun Dan and his group.

Old Zhu walked to the door and called out to the neighbors inside:

"Those who want to help, come out first. The county magistrate has come to see Old Man Zhou. It's dark in the room, so light a few more candles. Don't be stingy with the money."

Old Xu, the neighborhood head, also rushed over. In matters of birth, aging, sickness, and death, one must be removed from the register. Upon seeing Changsun Dan, he was more moved than surprised, and approached her, whispering:

"Sir, the room is unlucky. Just take a look from the doorway and you'll be fine. You should stay away."

When Old Zhu shouted, the villagers covered their mouths and noses and came out of the house. Zhou Yong's wife also lit all the candles in the house, and the house was brightly lit in an instant.

Changsun Dan, smelling the stench emanating from the room, said to Old Xu:

"It's alright, please ask the clerk to find some dried mugwort."

When Zhou Yong saw that even the county magistrate had arrived, he cried even louder:

"Sir, we're rich now, but my grandfather is gone..."

Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun covered their mouths and noses with scarves, so they couldn't smell much of the stench. However, Chun Chan and Dong Yao could only suppress the urge to vomit, raising their sleeves to cover half of their faces. Wang Youde frowned deeply, and his breathing became much shallower.

Changsun Dan patted Zhou Yong on the shoulder:

"Go open all the doors and windows, find a copper basin, and when the clerk brings the mugwort, light it. I want to check on your grandfather first!"