Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

Gu Mingli brought up the navigation map, and a light screen visible only to the two of them slowly unfolded on the table.

Gu Mingyue reached out and zoomed in on the map, her gaze moving south along the main river after it had been cleaned up, finally settling on a branch waterway.

It was a small river that branched off from the main river. The river was not wide, but the current was just right for boats to navigate.

It meanders through three adjacent towns and counties, with gentle terrain on both banks and several wide bays naturally formed where the river bends.

In the past, this place would have been a densely populated area with people living along the river.

Unfortunately, the flood that occurred more than a month ago devastated these three counties.

Currently, only ruins remain on both sides of the river. Seven or eight out of ten residents have moved out, the fields are barren, and land prices have plummeted.

Gu Mingyue circled the area on the map with her fingertip, becoming more and more satisfied with what she saw.

This small river flows through the town, with shallow waterways along the way, and is only twenty miles away by water from the main wharf of Pujitang planned by her brother.

If you walk north for half a day, you will reach the south gate of Jiangzhou City.

What's most interesting is that there are still large areas of barren land on both sides of this river. After the flood, no one was interested in it, and the land price was so low that it was practically given away for free.

Once her brother's water conservancy project is completed, there will be no more worries about the riverbanks collapsing, and the value of the land along the river will increase exponentially.

Gu Mingyue withdrew her finger, her eyes slightly dimming.

"Brother, after you've finished cleaning up this river, can you guarantee it won't breach its banks and flood again?"

Gu Mingli was always confident in his professional skills, and upon hearing this, he patted his chest confidently.

"Don't worry, it's completely safe. My plan is designed for a once-in-a-century event, unless God is against me."

Gu Mingyue nodded and circled that area heavily on the map.

"Okay. I'll take this land."

……

The next day.

As soon as the first hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, Gu Mingyue had already tidied herself up efficiently.

Taozhi followed behind, carrying a bundle, while Gong Huo led the horses and harnessed the cart.

Yi Wu stood at the gate of the courtyard, dressed in black, arms crossed, back straight, looking like a pillar growing next to the door frame.

Gu Mingyue glanced at him as she passed by, and couldn't help but stop in her tracks.

Daytime! Wearing night clothes?!

Such a large and eye-catching bag?!

Gu Mingyue couldn't help but ask, "You went out dressed like this?"

Yi Wu looked down at himself.

He was dressed entirely in black, with a black mask draped around his neck, three short blades strapped to his waist, and a narrow longsword slung diagonally behind his back.

I don't see anything wrong with it.

Yi Wu remained expressionless and silent for a moment.

"This is the standard military uniform issued by the Prince's Palace for official duties."

Gu Mingyue was too lazy to argue with him about the aesthetics of the Prince Qi's residence.

"Gong Huo, go and get him a regular short jacket and have him change into it."

Gong Huo responded and quickly ran into the courtyard. A moment later, he came out with a brand-new gray cloth jacket and handed it over.

"Just wear this for now, and I'll get you a proper one later."

Yi Wu picked up the worn gray coat, examined it for a long time, and then awkwardly put it on. The long sword at his waist was still hanging, and the frost on his face had not yet dissipated; he did not look like an ordinary passerby.

But this kind of attire was barely enough to allow one to enter and exit the marketplace.

"Where's Yi Shi?" Gu Mingyue asked casually as she boarded the carriage.

Yi Wu gestured with his chin towards the backyard, unusually speaking a few extra words:

"I've gone to the construction site with Lord Gu. We set off before dawn."

Gu Mingyue hummed in response, neither confirming nor denying.

Yi Shi's optimistic nature complemented her brother's personality quite well.

After all, her brother spends all day rolling around in the mud of the river and needs an energetic companion to accompany him.

The carriage left Su Town and headed south along the official road.

Gu Mingyue leaned against the soft cushions in the carriage, a map spread out on her lap.

This is a partial topographic map that she ordered Gu Mingli to extract from the system navigation last night, which she then copied onto rice paper with a brush.

The outlines of the three counties of Qingshui, Baihe, and Liuqiao are clearly visible in the ink.

These are all areas that suffered the most severe damage in last month's floods.

Qingshui County has the best location, and Gu Mingyue will give it priority.

She traced the winding river on the map with her fingertip, marking more than a dozen points along both banks.

That was the plot of land she had selected after repeatedly analyzing the terrain last night.

Some are abandoned house sites, some are fields destroyed by floods, and there are also several ruins that were originally market shops.

Without exception, these places are all located by water, flat and situated in natural harbors where river channels meander.

It is the most suitable place to build docks, ferry crossings and shops.

Once her brother's water conservancy project is completed, there will be no more risk of the riverbank collapsing.

At that time, the banks of the river will be brightly lit, with taverns, teahouses, cloth shops, dye houses, inns and trading companies standing side by side.

Of course, the premise is to take advantage of the current land prices being as cheap as dirt and buy them all.

The carriage bumped along for nearly an hour before arriving at the border of Qingshui County.

At the entrance to the county town, half of a stone archway had collapsed, and the vermilion lacquer on the crossbeams was blurred by the flood. Looking along the way, six or seven out of ten houses had not yet been repaired.

Some are just half a mud wall, hastily covered with straw and wooden planks, barely enough to keep out the wind and rain.

Some simply use bamboo poles to prop up a piece of oilcloth, and the whole family huddles under it to live out their days.

There were no crops in the fields, only tangled water plants and clumps of soil that had cracked and splintered from the dried mud.

Occasionally, you can see people cooking over a fire by the roadside. The steam rising from the pots is thin and tasteless, conveying a sense of weariness.

Taozhi lifted the carriage curtain and looked around the whole way, her expression growing increasingly solemn.

"Miss, this place... is far too desolate."

Gu Mingyue withdrew her gaze and folded the map neatly.

"Yes, the region has suffered from disasters year after year, there are no economic growth points, people can't find a way to make a living, and the local GDP can't be boosted."

"This kind of place is suitable for..."

Before the words "spend money" even finished, Gu Mingyue met Yi Wu's staring gaze.

She cleared her throat and shut her mouth.

Taozhi couldn't understand, but that didn't stop her from being deeply moved.

These days, I feel that my young lady's temperament is very different from before. She has begun to care about people's livelihood and has the world in her heart.

Yi Wu remained expressionless, but silently made a mental note of it.

There are no new sources of growth in the disaster area.

[This place is so remote it barely produces anything.]

"This is the kind of place you want, Miss."

Yi Wu: "..."

Miss Gu's ideas are really strange.

The Qingshui County Government Office still stands, but the vermilion paint on the main gate is peeling and mottled, and the stone lions at the entrance are missing an ear, making it look somewhat desolate.

Gu Mingyue got off the carriage and went straight inside.

Zhou Peiyuan, the magistrate of Qingshui County, was over thirty years old. His face was dark, and his eyes were sunken in their sockets, showing signs of fatigue.

He clearly hadn't expected anyone to venture into such a desolate place, and when he saw the calling card Gu Mingyue handed him, he was stunned for a long time.

"Puji Hall?"

Zhou Peiyuan read the words on the name card over and over again, his beard trembling slightly.

"Is that the Puji Hall in Jiangzhou City that sheltered disaster victims and distributed ducklings?"

"Exactly."

"Then...who is the master of this house?"

"Gu Mingyue, owner of Pujitang."

"Oh my! It's Master Gu! You've actually graced my Qingshui County with your presence!"

Zhou Peiyuan quickly straightened his posture and subconsciously adjusted his official robe, which had three patches on it.

She then looked Gu Mingyue up and down with a smile.

"The master has a kind face. I wonder if he has any connection with Minister Gu of the capital?"

Gu Mingyue's eyes narrowed slightly, but her expression remained unchanged.

She did not respond.

Who could have predicted whether the county magistrate and her biological father were enemies or friends?

She was on a business trip and had no intention of getting involved in court intrigues.