Our family has been rebelling for generations, and you've become the top scholar in the imperia

Half an hour later.

Several horse-drawn carriages were parked outside the West Ward.

Qin Feng got off the carriage ahead of time and carefully helped Zhou Zhengde down.

"Your Majesty, be careful, the ground is slippery!"

The group of officials following behind twitched at the corners of their mouths.

He cursed them inwardly for being shameless.

Even Eunuch Miao, who failed to outmaneuver Qin Feng, was stunned to the side.

Pity!

If he weren't the top scholar in the imperial examination, Qin Feng's keen eye would make him perfectly suited to become a eunuch in the palace.

The eunuchs under his command weren't so sensible.

He's cunning enough, unscrupulous in his actions, and has a keen eye for talent—he's absolutely the perfect candidate for godson.

Just as Eunuch Miao was stunned into silence...

Zhou Zhengde stepped down from the carriage and looked at the bustling crowds in the West Ward, and his mood improved considerably.

This is what the capital should be like: people with smiles on their faces, haggling with the vendors.

There were also quite a few customers inside the shop.

The streets were so clean there wasn't a single piece of litter.

It's simply unbelievable that Xifang could be transformed into this state in just one month.

"This is the West Ward? How did it become like this? I visited this place a month ago, and it was so chaotic that there wasn't even a place to put your feet down. How could this be..."

"The street is so clean, why are there so many vendors? And... why are there only vendors here, why aren't they here anywhere else?"

"Strange, look at these stalls, all lined up one after another, and they're so neat and tidy!"

"..."

The officials following behind whispered among themselves, their eyes wide with disbelief, completely unprepared for the changes that had taken place in the western district.

A month ago, it was so chaotic that no one could get in.

How exactly did Qin Feng manage to do that?

"This is strange; why are all these stalls exactly the same?"

After walking in.

Zhou Zhengde looked at the stall on his right and asked with a strange expression.

Each stall has a table instead of being placed on the ground, with a cloth tent set up on top of the table, and goods are neatly arranged on it.

The stall owners behind them sat on chairs, smiling and greeting customers.

All the stalls that sell things look like this.

Food vendors were located behind these stalls, in uniform carts with several tables and benches at the back. On the side, there was a covered wooden bucket. After someone finished eating, the stall owner would immediately come up and clean up, emptying all the trash into the bucket.

Everything was beyond Zhou Zhengde's imagination.

"Your Majesty!"

Qin Feng moved to the side.

He explained with a smile:

"Initially, the stalls in the western district were also very chaotic, scattered here and there. People who wanted to buy things often had to go to many different places. I thought, could we gather all these stalls into one place? That would make it much more convenient for people to buy things!"

"Moreover, since all the stalls are clustered together, everyone who comes here is there to buy something, which greatly increases the chances of them selling."

"Eat & Drink Minister is still cleaning up another street. Once that's finished, the entire street will be filled with food stalls. If you want to buy odds and ends, go to this street; if you want to eat, go to another street. We're precisely targeting our customers!"

unconsciously.

Officials from the rear also gathered around, including some officials from the Nanlin Party, after hearing Qin Feng's explanation.

Each of them frowned, but couldn't help nodding slightly.

That's a good idea!

By categorizing the vendors, the chances of ordinary people who are able to enter the stalls are indeed much higher.

Is there a fee?

"Your Majesty, of course, a small fee will be charged, but it's very low. It's mainly for maintaining the cleanliness of the stalls and for security. In the past, we had to take our goods back with us when we set up our stalls at night, but that's no longer necessary!"

Qin Feng pointed to a box behind the stall and said with a smile:

"Now Xifang provides these stalls with boxes and keys. After the stalls are closed, the goods are put into the boxes. There are people in charge of watching over them at night. Every day, all you have to do is open the boxes and put the goods out."

"Each stall only needs to pay ten coins per month in addition to the rental fee. Stall owners don't need to worry about hygiene or safety. If there is any theft, the West Ward will manage it, which means I will compensate for everything."

Zhou Zhengde smiled and nodded, "That's not much."

He could imagine that setting up a stall like this would save a lot of trouble, as he wouldn't have to move the goods around every day, and all he would need to do was come.

Xifang will also compensate for the theft.

If he were a street vendor, he would naturally prefer to set up his stall here in Xifang.

Let's take another look at Dongfang.

In order to build some kind of bookstore sign, they actually drove away the local people who were setting up stalls. Compared to that, the difference is simply too great.

"Look, even with ordinary people setting up stalls here, the environment can still be managed so well. Other neighborhoods should learn from this."

Many officials nodded hurriedly.

Qin Feng led the way, introducing the changes in Xifang to everyone.

Time is too tight.

If it takes three months, most of the governance can be achieved, and by then, Xifang will have been completely transformed.

"What is this?"

while walking.

Zhou Zhengde pointed to a very well-built house on the street and asked with a frown.

There was even a ring of lush green bamboo planted outside.

You can see many people rushing in with panicked expressions, only to come out a short while later looking relieved. They wash their hands in a stone trough with running water at the entrance before leaving with smiles.

This scene piqued Zhou Zhengde's curiosity.

The key point is...

The house had two doors; the woman went through the other door, while the man went through the door on the left.

They are completely offset from each other.

"What kind of house is it? Could it be a shop? But there are no goods to be seen from the outside, and there's a curtain hanging at the entrance."

"There's nowhere to pay, and why do I need to wash my hands before leaving?"

"That's strange. Shall we go in and take a look?"

"..."

Many officials were also incredibly curious.

I stood at the door and kept looking inside, but the door was blocked by a curtain, so I couldn't see what was going on inside.

but.

You can vaguely see that in each of the two houses, there is an old man holding a broom, seemingly cleaning the floor.

"Your Majesty, this is a latrine!"

Su Mo replied in a low voice.

"What? The outhouse?"

At this moment, Zhou Zhengde remembered that the notice board had indeed stated that some kind of public toilet would be built in Xifang in the future. Could it be the one in front of him?

"Yes, Your Majesty, this is a public latrine that I built in the West Ward. According to my observation, in the past, whether it was commoners or stall owners, there was nowhere to relieve themselves on the street, which led to many people urinating and defecating at will. Therefore, I built this kind of latrine on every street."

Qin Feng glanced at everyone and explained with a smile:

"Divided into men's and women's sections, each latrine is staffed with two elderly people who clean it. The work is light, and they can earn a few hundred extra coins a month to supplement their household income. The latrines are open to the public free of charge!"

"The effect is excellent. The interior is very clean, and there are dedicated personnel who inspect the hygiene every day to ensure there are no unpleasant odors!"

"Your Majesty, may I come inside with you?"

talking.

Qin Feng stood to the side at the doorway, inviting Zhou Zhengde to take a look inside the outhouse.

joke.

The public toilets were a key project in Xifang, and a lot of money was spent on a lottery to change the people's habits.