Now I really have to marry the princess.

Chapter 119 Once the money is in place, work can begin.

The following day, Yang Zhengdao, along with Tan Feng, Gao Kan, and Su Hongyi, went to the county office.

Yesterday morning, Tan Feng and Gao Kan were asked to assist the county clerks in managing recruitment matters. Gao Kan's performance was outstanding; he not only had beautiful handwriting but also knew arithmetic.

After that, Yang Zhengdao intended to have Gao Kan manage the money and materials for this project.

This is similar to how in later engineering projects, finance and procurement are naturally more reliable and secure when handled by one's own people.

With nothing else to do on the way, Yang Zhengdao casually asked, "Gao Kan, have you studied mathematics?"

Gao Kan was somewhat embarrassed, and stepped forward, saying, "My lord, my grandfather left me half a copy of the 'Five Offices Mathematical Classic,' and I also copied the remaining half from your study."

Yang Zhengdao then remembered this matter and asked with a smile, "How many volumes of 'Lianping Chun' have you copied?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Kan's face turned even redder, but Tan Feng, who was standing next to him, quickly replied, "Brother, the two of us have already copied more than thirty volumes."

Yang Zhengdao was shocked: "So many?"

Tan Feng said embarrassedly, "It's alright! It's alright! But—"

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Su Hongyi.

Su Hongyi kept her eyes straight ahead, but her cheeks were already starting to flush.

Yang Zhengdao asked curiously, "But what?"

"However, more than ten volumes are about the Red-Clad Lady."

Good heavens! Su Hongyi was already skilled at shorthand, and she was the first reader. In addition, she had recently had a lot of practice, so her copying efficiency was naturally much faster.

Yang Zhengdao turned to stare at Su Hongyi's flushed face, which was trying to appear calm, and couldn't help but ask, "Hongyi, are you short of money?"

Su Hongyi avoided eye contact: "I—I just—"

Yang Zhengdao suddenly remembered that Su Hongyi had been changing her shroud, short trousers, and silk stockings quite frequently lately.

Moreover, the fabrics are becoming softer and thinner.

In the Tang Dynasty, the price of clothing was determined by the fabric. A bolt of top-quality soft silk cost several hundred coins, a bolt of top-quality soft satin cost nearly a thousand coins, and a bolt of top-quality brocade cost about twelve hundred coins.

Naza and Aba didn't receive a monthly allowance. Just like on the grasslands, they always asked Liu Zhong for whatever they needed.

Knowing that Nazha was favored, Liu Zhong naturally gave her as much as she asked for.

Su Hongyi, like Tan Feng and the others, received a monthly allowance as a guard.

It's said that when a woman falls in love, the first thing she does is buy herself new underwear. It seems that people in ancient times were also quite romantic and sensible.

Thinking of this, Yang Zhengdao couldn't help but glance at Su Hongyi.

He smirked: "Red Robe, I understand. From now on, your monthly allowance will be canceled. Just like Nazha, you can spend money directly to Ah Zhongzhi."

Su Hongyi felt her cheeks burning hot, and even the tips of her ears were getting hot.

When Nazha, that shameless Hu woman, was arguing with A-Liu, she openly claimed to be Da-Lang's concubine, which made A-Liu so angry that he stomped his feet.

It's so embarrassing for Dalang to say that now.

But at that very moment, Tan Feng recited a line from Da Lang's "Song of Everlasting Regret" with deep emotion.

"Thus, all parents in the world wish for daughters, not sons. My dear son, I only regret that I am not a daughter."

Yang Zhengdao glanced at Tan Feng, whose face was covered in a thick beard, and was so frightened that he quickly spurred his horse to keep a distance from the man.

"Tan Feng, if you were a woman, I would give you to Shi Tu in marriage."

Upon hearing this, Tan Feng couldn't help but shudder as the image of the dark-skinned man flashed through his mind.

Just then, Gao Kan suddenly asked, "Master, when will that manuscript be available for sale?"

Are you in such a hurry?

Yang Zhengdao smiled and said, "It should be soon. Once the news of the book ban spreads in the court, each of these manuscripts you have can sell for at least ten strings of cash."

Everyone was delighted.

But after everyone had finished laughing, Yang Zhengdao noticed a hint of worry in Gao Kan's eyes.

He asked suspiciously, "Gao Kan, are you short of money too?"

Gao Kan avoided eye contact: "I—I just—"

Yang Zhengdao was taken aback. What was going on?!

Don't follow the example of the woman in red!

Although you are fair-skinned and clean-looking compared to Tan Feng, I really can't understand this!

"Gao Kan, which girl at the hot spring bathhouse have you taken a fancy to?!"

As soon as Yang Zhengdao asked the question, Tan Feng and Su Hongyi immediately showed expressions of anticipation, as if they were waiting to see what would happen next.

"Ah!!" Gao Kan was stunned for a moment, then quickly denied it, "Master, I didn't!"

"Then why are you so shy?"

"I—" Gao Kan gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "My lord, the day I went to the East Market to buy paper, I saw my father's sword."

Yang Zhengdao's eyes narrowed. Gao Kan's father was Gao You, the former Left Attendant of the Palace, whose sword must have cost several hundred strings of cash!

"What kind of sword? You think you can redeem it by copying books?"

"It's not a famous sword, just an ordinary wrought iron sword, priced at one hundred strings of cash. I've already paid one string as a deposit."

If it's an ordinary wrought iron sword, asking for 100 strings of cash would be too high.

He's still too young! Gao Kan has probably been tricked.

After a moment's thought, Yang Zhengdao asked, "Gao Kan, do you resemble your father?"

Gao Kan was puzzled, but still cupped his hands and said, "I have never met my father, but I have heard from my grandfather that I look six or seven parts like him."

Sigh, he was born posthumously.

It seems that the merchant had seen Gao You before and recognized Gao Kan, which is why he deliberately raised the price.

"Gao Kan, you don't need to get involved in this matter anymore. After you finish your shift at the county office today, go find the village headwoman and have her handle this matter. The money will be drawn directly from your monthly allowance in advance."

Gao Kan immediately understood. Although he hadn't revealed his surname, the other party might have indeed guessed his identity.

Moreover, even though he had given a deposit, the other party was unwilling to sign a contract with him.

It seems that the merchant really had ulterior motives; demanding a hundred strings of cash was just a test.

If he were to actually use a hundred strings of cash to redeem the item, the merchant would likely raise the price on the spot.

Thanks to the master's reminder, he quickly bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, master! I almost fell into the trap of a villain!"

Excellent, excellent! It's easy to understand.

Yang Zhengdao nodded in satisfaction, offering further words of comfort, and confidently asserted that Gao Kan would surely achieve feats comparable to Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, bringing glory back to the family.

The group arrived at Changshoufang and entered the county office.

Yang Zhengdao was just about to go find Jiang Cheng when Jiang Cheng also sent his assistant to summon him.

Upon meeting, Jiang Cheng laid out a stack of documents on the table.

"These were sent by Magistrate Tang, and they were all addressed to the magistrate and his assistant, all inquiring about the sale of manure."

As expected, Yang Zhengdao cupped his hands in greeting: "This humble official has also come for this matter. I wonder if Magistrate Jiang could send a document to the Censorate to inform them of this matter. It would be best if an censor could be invited to attend the auction for the manure the day after tomorrow to ensure fairness."

Jiang Cheng laughed and said, "We've thought of the same thing."

After a few words of casual conversation, as Yang Zhengdao was about to leave, Jiang Cheng suddenly stopped smiling and whispered a reminder: "Eldest son, you should keep an eye on the Wei and Du families regarding the sale of manure."

Yang Zhengdao hadn't really considered this aspect.

A local saying in Chang'an goes: "Wei and Du, south of the city, are only a foot and a half from the sky."

This means that the fields of the Wei and Du families south of Chang'an were only five feet away from the emperor.

The claim of five feet is obviously an exaggeration, but the Wei and Du families were undoubtedly the largest landowners near Chang'an.

And who are the manure fertilizers sold to? Naturally, they are sold to people who own land.

Therefore, the Wei and Du families are major customers in this manure business.

Now that Yang Zhengdao is selling off half of Chang'an's manure supply for the next ten years, the Wei and Du families will naturally pay attention, and may even try to sabotage it.

In the past, manure was sold in a decentralized manner, which was a buyer's market. As major customers, Weidu and Du were essentially monopolistic in the market, and could drive down prices in bulk and control pricing power.

Now the county authorities are auctioning off the ten-year supply rights as a whole, which is equivalent to unifying and integrating the supply side to form a single seller.

This effectively breaks the buyer's pricing power of both Westbrook and Durant.

Once the bid is won, the Wei and Du families will have to pay the price set by that person when buying fertilizer in the future, thus becoming subject to their control.

Therefore, the Westbrook and Durant families will either directly bid for the auction or secretly obstruct it.

Even more troublesome than this is the fact that the original owner's father, Yang Jian, had thoroughly offended the Wei family by having an affair with a widow.

The current head of the Censorate, the Grand Censor, is Wei Ting, the brother-in-law of Yang Jian.

Yang Jian married Wei Ting's second sister, and then had an affair with Wei Ting's widowed eldest sister. After the affair was exposed, Wei Ting's eldest sister was executed.

Yang Zhengdao felt a headache just thinking about it; the legacy of Cao Cao was a killer.

However, considering that Wei Ting was the Imperial Censor, even if he harbored resentment towards the son of his enemy, he should have acted within the bounds of propriety.

We can only report this matter to the Censorate first, see Wei Ting's reaction, and then make a plan.

This matter should be addressed sooner rather than later.

Thinking of this, Yang Zhengdao cupped his hands to Jiang Cheng and said, "I would like to ask Magistrate Jiang to write a formal document immediately so that I can go to the Censorate in person and see if I can meet with Doctor Wei."

Jiang Cheng was taken aback, hesitated, and then thought that this was a safe approach. Rather than worrying about hidden attacks, it was better to face the open attacks directly, so that he could prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

He immediately wrote an official document.

Yang Zhengdao took the official document and first went to Zhang Wenhuan to write the judgment, and then went to Magistrate Tang to affix the county seal.

After completing the formalities, he led Tan Feng and Su Hongyi straight to the imperial city.

Entering the imperial city through Hanguang Gate, this was Yang Zhengdao's first time visiting the central government of the Tang Dynasty.

To the west of Hanguang Gate stands the majestic Altar of Earth and Grain, as well as the Suburban Altar of Earth and Grain.

Then, heading north, passing the offices of the Right Guard and the Right Imperial Guard, as well as the Secretariat, one arrives at the Censorate.

Unlike other ministries and government offices, the Censorate's main gate faces north, making it stand out from the crowd.

Yang Zhengdao stepped forward, cupped his hands, and handed the county magistrate's name card and the county official's certificate to the gatekeeper.

He spoke respectfully: "Yang Zhengdao, the county magistrate of Chang'an, has come to deliver this official document on the orders of the county magistrate."

The gatekeeper who received the official document looked suspicious. The county magistrate and the Censorate had no direct connection. If there was an official document, it was usually delivered by a junior official.

At this moment, Yang Zhengdao lowered his voice and asked, "I wonder if Doctor Wei has returned from court yet?"

The gatekeeper frowned: "All matters concerning Chang'an County are under the jurisdiction of the Right Inspector of the Palace Guard. Why trouble the Grand Master?"

The Censorate was divided into the Censorate, the Palace, and the Inspection Court. The Left and Right Inspectors under the Palace were responsible for the two counties of Wannian and Chang'an.

As the gatekeeper said, this official document would normally not reach Wei Ting's hands.

Yang Zhengdao's purpose in coming here was not necessarily to see Wei Ting, but to let Wei Ting know about this matter as soon as possible so that he could consider countermeasures based on Wei Ting's attitude.

After all, Wei Ting knew about this matter, and although he would face greater pressure, his methods would be more upright and honorable.

As long as the rules are followed, Yang Zhengdao is not worried about fair bidding.

He had 14,000 strings of cash at his disposal.

Therefore, all that is needed is for the gatekeeper to announce the news to Wei Ting.

He then cupped his hands and explained, "This official document has a hidden story; I must pay my respects to Doctor Wei and explain it to him in person."

The gatekeeper remained tight-lipped, bowing politely and saying, "County Magistrate Yang, please forgive me for not daring to act without authorization. Now that the official document has arrived, the authorities will handle it accordingly."

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Left with no other choice, Yang Zhengdao had to bite the bullet and bring up the original owner's less-than-honorable identity.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "I will not make things difficult for the gatekeeper. Just say that the visitor is Yang Zhengdao, the grandson of Emperor Yang of the previous dynasty, and please inform him."

The gatekeeper was taken aback, then his expression turned strange, but he had no choice but to take it seriously.

"County Lieutenant Yang, please wait a moment while I go and inform them."

Before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea is up, the gatekeeper has returned.

He bowed slightly to Yang Zhengdao and said, "County Commandant Yang, I apologize. Doctor Wei is currently discussing matters with officials from the Imperial Academy and the Palace Academy. He has given the order that he will not see any officials from the outer courts for routine official business."

As expected, Yang Zhengdao, still not entirely at ease, asked another question: "Did the gatekeeper deliver the official document to the main hall?"

Seeing that Yang Zhengdao was young and had the status of a descendant of the previous dynasty, the gatekeeper concluded that he had obtained his official position through hereditary privilege and was inexperienced in practical matters. He could only patiently explain, "Rest assured, Magistrate Yang, at your request, I broke with custom and sent you to the main hall first. The clerk also noted your request to see me."

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Yang Zhengdao was relieved and grateful, so he bowed to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper was so frightened that he quickly stepped aside, repeatedly saying, "No, no!"

Yang Zhengdao couldn't help but smile. Although he enjoyed the advantages of feudal society, he still had little sense of class hierarchy deep down.

But to outsiders, it's a different story. Those in positions of power see him as neither arrogant nor servile, while those on equal footing see him as humble and easygoing; those in lower positions see him as courteous and unassuming.

When Yang Zhengdao returned to the county office, Huang Yanshi rushed over to report the news, as if he had been asked for a reward.

In Changshoufang, where the county office is located, all the blueprints for the underground channels and cesspools have been completed. In the afternoon, they will go to Buzhengfang, where the private residence of the King of Yue is located.

Yang Zhengdao smiled and nodded, then instructed, "You still need to speed things up. Remember to start with the easy problems and move on to the difficult ones. If there are any problems you can't solve, put them aside and report them to the county office for a solution."

This project must be completed before July.

In this era, Chang'an was shrouded in continuous rain in July, making it impossible to carry out any construction projects.

At noon, Naza brought over a food box.

In fact, Yang Zhengdao could have finished his shift at noon. However, considering that he still had to see Empress Zhangsun after his shift, he could only stay at the county office until 3 p.m. before leaving.

After all, I'm working for Old Li's family, and I have to see the boss's wife in the afternoon, so it's not good to leave too early.

After Yang Zhengdao finished his lunch, Nazha packed up the food box, and would occasionally steal glances at him, her amber eyes filled with tenderness.

Although this small side room didn't even have a window, and the door was quite sturdy, Yang Zhengdao didn't have the guts to do it.

The thought of officials engaging in lewd acts and disrespecting the court is exciting, but it's just a thought.

Naza naturally had no idea what Yang Zhengdao was thinking, otherwise she would definitely have cried out that she was wronged.

Where are my eyes full of spring water?! I learned to look affectionate with my eyes from Sister Ah Wu, okay?

She saw her master's gaze growing increasingly intense, and her cheeks flushed red, but her heart felt sweet.

Yang Zhengdao took a sip of honey water and composed himself: "Nazha, when I return from the palace, I will teach you to read tonight."

"Mmm!" Naza nodded happily and emphatically.

After Naza left, Yang Zhengdao had nothing to do, so he started practicing calligraphy.

The work has been arranged; he just needs to wait for the results.

Gao Kan was in charge of budgeting, Shen Congjian was in charge of arranging workers, and Cao Shi'an also took two official craftsmen to the outskirts of the city to investigate a new material called cement.

Once the county authorities approve the use of the new materials, the cement kiln will also send craftsmen to provide support and guidance on how to use them.

Once the fundraising bidding ends and the money is in place, construction can begin.

Yang Zhengdao put down his pen, stretched his wrists, and his thoughts drifted away without him realizing it.

I wonder which renowned tutor Empress Zhangsun will find for him?

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