The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Jiang Lin's plan sounded absurd, but Su Shi still chose to believe him unconditionally.

The next day, an extremely strange scene unfolded in Hangzhou.

In the western part of the city, in the area most severely affected by the siltation of West Lake, thousands of newly recruited workers, under the command of Shen Kuo and Qian Duoduo, were working enthusiastically.

The scene was bustling with activity: people dredging silt, carrying stones, and mixing cement.

Jiang Lin's "work-for-relief" model once again demonstrated its tremendous power.

Those refugees and impoverished people who were originally starving, upon hearing that they could not only receive thirty coins a day to work for Lord Su, but also have two meals of white flour steamed buns provided, all rushed to sign up as if they had gone mad.

They put in more effort than if they were building their own house.

At the other end of the construction site, by the scenic West Lake, Su Shi actually moved a deck chair and leisurely lay on it.

Beside him was a small table with fine Longjing tea and delicate pastries.

Sometimes he would sip tea, sometimes he would gaze at the scenery of the lake and mountains, and sometimes he would pick up a pen and write or draw on paper, looking like a carefree and detached immortal.

This stark contrast amazed everyone who saw it.

"Look, look! That's Lord Su!"

"My goodness, while they're working feverishly over there, he's just sitting here drinking tea and enjoying the scenery. His official job is way too comfortable!"

"What do you know! This is called strategizing within the command tent and winning battles a thousand miles away! Truly great people don't need to lift a finger!"

"That's right! Lord Su is clearly confident and has everything under control!"

The discussions among the people quickly reached the ears of the Lin family head and Prefect Liu.

"What? He's drinking tea and writing poetry by the lake?"

After hearing his subordinate's report, Prefect Liu was so angry that he almost ripped his beard off.

He thought that the obstacles he had set up would soon give Su Shi a headache.

For example, he had already spoken to all the stone and timber merchants in the city, forbidding them from selling Su Shi a single piece of wood or stone.

But the result?

Shen Kuo led his fleet directly to the mountains dozens of miles away to quarry stone himself! Although the cost was a bit higher, the quality was much better than what was available on the market.

For example, he instructed the canal gang and the salt gang to spread the word that no ships were allowed to help Su Shi transport materials.

The results of it?

Jiang Lin directly selected several merchants who owned boats from among those who participated in the auction and formed a "West Lake Construction and Transportation Team." This not only solved the transportation problem but also brought these merchants more closely to his cause.

As for the thugs and ruffians sent by the Lin family head to cause trouble, their fate was even worse.

Before they even got close to the construction site, Niu Aihua and a group of guards wielding sabers beat them so badly they cried for their parents, and threw them out with broken arms and legs.

Niu Aihua even threatened that anyone who dared to cause trouble again would not only have their hands and feet broken, but would be chopped up and thrown into West Lake to feed the fish!

For a time, the entire underground forces in Hangzhou felt a deep fear of this murderous girl and the seemingly harmless academy behind her.

All schemes and tricks seem so pale and powerless in the face of Jiang Lin's unpredictable and absolute strength.

"Master, what should we do? Our men can't even get close to them!" Butler Lin reported to the head of the Lin family with a mournful face.

The Lin family head's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

He stared intently out the window at the rising heat from the West Lake construction site, his eyes filled with resentment and bitterness.

He couldn't understand why the network of relationships he had cultivated over decades was so easily torn apart by this outsider, like a piece of paper.

"Don't rush." ​​The Lin family head took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "A little skirmish won't hurt him. We still have our last trump card."

He looked north, his eyes becoming deep and unfathomable.

"Grand Tutor Cai's letter from the capital should be arriving soon."

……

half a month later.

The restoration project of West Lake is progressing rapidly.

Thanks to Shen Kuo's extraordinary engineering talent and the efforts of countless workers, the first long dike spanning the north and south of West Lake was beginning to take shape.

This long embankment was designed entirely according to Jiang Lin's specifications, using dredged silt as its base, paved with stone slabs, and planted with peach and willow trees on both sides. At regular intervals, an exquisite stone bridge and a viewing pavilion were built.

Although it is not yet fully completed, the stunning scenery of "Su Causeway in Spring Dawn" in the future can already be seen.

Meanwhile, the merchants who won the land at the auction couldn't wait to hire the best craftsmen and start building all sorts of restaurants and villas on their plots.

The entire West Lake area has been transformed into a huge and orderly construction site.

What was once a stinking ditch is being transformed at a visible speed.

Su Shi's reputation also reached its peak during these two weeks.

The local people spontaneously named the long causeway under construction "Su Causeway".

Every day, countless people flock to the lakeside just to catch a glimpse of how their beloved Lord Su calmly and confidently surveys the land.

Su Shi initially felt awkward, but gradually got used to it.

He discovered that he didn't have to do anything; just sitting there every day could bring tremendous spiritual encouragement to the workers.

This feeling is wonderful.

That day, Su Shi was writing a report on the progress of the project by the lake, as usual, preparing to submit it to the capital.

Jiang Lin suddenly walked over and handed him an invitation.

"Zizhan, stop writing. There's a dinner party tonight; you have to go."

Su Shi accepted the invitation, opened it, and was stunned.

"The 'Hangzhou Poetry Gathering'? Organized by Lord Wang of the Salt Transport Commissioner?"

The Salt Commissioner was a key official directly appointed by the imperial court to oversee salt administration. His position was exceptional, and even Prefect Liu had to give him some leeway.

Su Shi had heard of this Lord Wang; he was a notoriously stubborn old man who looked down on those practical scholars who engaged in "strange skills and tricks."

Why would he suddenly invite me to a poetry gathering?

"A Feast at Hongmen?" Su Shi immediately became alert.

"More or less," Jiang Lin smiled. "However, you absolutely must attend this banquet."

Why?

"Because the real fish is about to take the bait." Jiang Lin's gaze fell on the "Su Causeway," which was already taking shape, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Now that the dike is repaired, someone has to come and cut the ribbon. This Lord Wang is the 'ribbon-cutting guest' sent to us from the capital."