Poverty Alleviation in Qin: A Sky-High Review of "I Am the Female Prime Minister of All Time&qu

the next day.

As dawn broke, Song led his men out of the city.

Xiao He and Zhang Liang followed behind, with able-bodied men gathered from various villages behind them. County officials carried tools to bring up the rear. The group marched through the morning mist toward the canal in the east of the city.

"My lord, you really don't need to go to the fields yourself. Just stand aside and supervise the work," Xiao He advised along the way.

"There's no harm in standing here and watching." Song continued walking, the shovel swaying gently on his shoulder.

"But this rough work..."

"If you keep nagging, you'll be punished by digging ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) by yourself today."

Xiao He immediately shut his mouth.

This canal has been silted up for many years.

During summer rains, the river overflows its banks, destroying crops on both sides.

When the water level drops in winter, the downstream fields will lack irrigation water.

Song had long had the idea of ​​dredging, but in the past, due to insufficient funds and supplies, he had not been able to start the project.

Now that the imperial reward money has been received, and some savings have been drawn from the community granary, the project can finally be launched.

Upon arriving at the construction site, Song planted his shovel into the ground and loudly instructed, "Today, we'll clear this section of silt first, and also cut the weeds on both banks. Everyone, work in your assigned groups, and be very careful not to slip and fall into the water."

Everyone responded in unison and scattered to get to work.

Song rubbed his palms together, picked up a shovel, and buried himself in digging. Soil was thrown behind him, splashing mud all over Xiao He's trousers.

"..."

Xiao He looked down at his robes, speechless with bitterness, and silently moved a few steps to the side.

After working for less than half an hour, Song's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He straightened up, wiped his face with his sleeve, and was about to continue working when he heard the sound of wheels rolling in the distance.

She turned her head and saw a horse-drawn carriage slowly approaching along the official road.

The carriage wasn't luxurious, but it was much more presentable than an ordinary oxcart, with a blue cloth curtain and copper bells under the eaves jingling as the carriage swayed.

A middle-aged coachman sat in front of the carriage, and a young servant in blue stood beside him.

There weren't many carriages coming and going in Peicheng, and Song glanced at them a few more times, secretly guessing that they were families who had moved from other places.

As the carriage approached, it slowed down.

In the instant they passed each other, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted slightly.

A young girl's face was revealed. She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features and a pair of dark, bright eyes, like a deep pool in autumn, calm yet sharp.

The carriage did not stop, and gradually drove away with the sound of bells.

Song paused for a moment, then quickly recovered, shook his head, and continued digging.

...

In the evening, Song dragged his aching arms back to the county government, his clothes still covered in mud from the canal.

Xiao He followed behind, his official robes covered in mud, and he looked utterly dejected.

The worst off was Liu Ji; no one knows who dragged him from Sishui Pavilion to work.

He was carrying a shovel, limping along at the very back, constantly groaning and complaining.

"My lord, my old bones are about to fall apart." Liu Ji threw the shovel on the ground and slumped on the steps like a dried salted fish.

Song didn't even turn his head: "How old are you? What do you mean 'old'?"

"I'm so tired," Liu Ji said weakly. "It's all because of what you've done to me."

Song ignored him and was about to go inside when Old Zhao came up to him, carrying a bamboo slip and several wooden boxes tied with red ropes.

"Sir, someone has delivered an invitation and a gift."

Song also took the bamboo slip and unfolded it to see that Lü Gong was holding a banquet to invite the county officials when he moved to a new place.

The name is unfamiliar; I've never heard of it.

The gift was not extravagant: a few bolts of cloth and a jar of wine, nothing out of the ordinary.

"Put it in the study," Song said, waving his hand dismissively.

Her mind was completely occupied with clearing the silt, so she had no interest in attending any banquet.

Liu Ji slumped on the steps, his eyes darting around. He glanced at Song Ye, then at the wooden box in Old Zhao's hand, and a slow smile crept onto his lips.

It doesn't look like anything good.

...

The next day.

Xiao He changed into a clean robe and prepared to go out.

Cao Shen, Xiahou Ying, Ren Ao, and the others were also neatly dressed and stood waiting at the entrance of the county government.

Xiao He went to ask Song Ye for instructions: "Sir, Lord Lü is hosting a banquet, are you not going?"

Song didn't even look up, scribbling the charcoal stick in his hand across the bamboo slip: "I'm not going, you guys go ahead, but give my regards."

Xiao He knew her temperament, so he didn't try to persuade her further. He cupped his hands in greeting and led Cao Can and the others outside.

Just outside the county government gate, I saw a man squatting by the wall. He was dressed more presentably than usual, and his hair was neatly combed, but his face still had that same smirking expression.

Who else could it be but Liu Ji?

"Hey, where are you all headed?" Liu Ji stood up, patted his robes, and smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits.

Xiao He paused, looked him up and down, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for someone."

Liu Ji, shameless as ever, leaned closer. "I heard that the newly moved-in Lu family is hosting a banquet. I was thinking that since you all went, and I am, after all, the head of Sishui Pavilion, wouldn't it be disrespectful of me not to go?"

Xiao He said expressionlessly, "They didn't invite you."

"So what if I didn't invite you? You'll get to know me if you go, right? More people means more food. The Lu family is so wealthy and powerful, what difference does one more person make?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Shen couldn't help but laugh.

Xiao He took a deep breath: "Liu Ji, you were howling while you were working yesterday, how come you have the energy to go freeload today?"

"That's different!"

Liu Jizhen argued, "Working is working, and eating is eating. I might work myself to death, but I still have to eat. That's called a balance between work and rest."

"..." Xiao He realized that he couldn't win an argument with him.

While Cao Can was distracted, Liu Ji had already squeezed into the line, put his arm around Cao Can's shoulder, and said with a grin, "Come on, come on, don't keep them waiting."

Xiao He sighed when he saw his shameless attitude and didn't chase him away.

More people is fine.

Anyway, it's not his face that's being embarrassed.

...

On the other side, at the Lü residence.

At this moment, Lü Gongzheng personally stood in front of the mansion gate to welcome the guests.

Although it was their first time moving to Pei County, they made quite a grand entrance.

The newly purchased house is a well-organized three-courtyard complex, with brand-new red silk tied to the lintel and the bluestone steps swept spotless.

Several servants stood on both sides, bowing and leading the way as people approached.

Xiao He walked at the front, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Lord Lü, congratulations on your move."

"Xiao Gongcao, it's an honor to meet you!" Lu Gong quickly returned the greeting, glancing around behind him. "The magistrate isn't here?"

Xiao He explained, "My lord is very busy with official duties and cannot spare the time, so he specially ordered us to convey his congratulations on his behalf."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Lu Gong's eyes, but it was quickly covered up by a smile: "It's alright, it's alright. I admire Lord Song's hard work for the people. Please come in, everyone."

Cao Can, Xiahou Ying, and Ren Ao stepped forward to pay their respects in turn, and Lü Gong greeted them one by one, displaying impeccable manners and etiquette.

When it was Liu Ji's turn, he was tilting his head to look at the pomegranate tree in the yard, chewing on a snack he had somehow gotten his hands on.

"This is..." Lu Gong's gaze fell on Liu Ji's face.

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

Liu Ji snapped out of his daze, swallowed the pastry in a few bites, cupped his hands in greeting, and grinned: "I am Liu Ji, the head of Sishui Pavilion."

"Master Lü is truly blessed; this house is wonderful!"

Lu Gong's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had seen something rare.

His gaze swept up and down Liu Ji's forehead, then his chin, then his cheekbones, then his ears, scanning him several times. The corners of his mouth widened, and his eyes almost shone with light.

Liu Ji felt uncomfortable under his gaze and touched his face: "Lord Lü, is there something on my face?"

No, no.

Lu Gong snapped out of his daze, waving his hands repeatedly and smiling even more warmly than before: "Please come in, Liu Tingzhang! Please come in! Someone, bring Liu Tingzhang a seat!"

Liu Ji was bewildered by Xiao He's sudden enthusiasm. He scratched his head and followed Xiao He inside.

After taking a couple of steps, he turned back to look at Lü Gong, muttering to himself, "What's wrong with this guy? Does he think I'm handsome?"

"..." Xiao He remained expressionless, utterly bewildered as to how there could be such a shameless person.

Lu Gong stood at the door, watching Liu Ji's figure disappear behind the screen wall, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

He turned around and instructed the servant beside him, "Go and call the young lady here, and let her peek at her from behind."

The servant was taken aback: "Who are you looking at?"

"That Liu Tingzhang from earlier."

The servant accepted the order and left.

Lu Gong stroked his beard, squinted, and only one thought kept running through his mind: Liu Ji's face was prominent and dragon-like, with the appearance of an emperor, beautiful beard, and extraordinary demeanor.

The left thigh has seventy-two black spots, symbolizing the seventy-two marquises of the Red Emperor.

Its value is beyond words, beyond words indeed.

A hidden dragon lies dormant in the abyss; chaos is inevitable when it rises!