I was fucked by Zheng Ge as soon as I crossed over

"Manage? How? How? Why?"

Li Xian stared at Li Si in disbelief.

Li Si continued to pick up the spoon, stretched it towards Li Xian's bowl, and said soothingly, "Silly child, do you know who instructed these people to do these things in the first place?"

"My son doesn't know."

"The eldest prince Fusu."

Without waiting for Li Xian to say anything, Li Si chuckled and continued, "These people will be dealt with by others. There is no need for you and me to ask any more questions. Your Majesty has only found a whetstone."

Li Xian then nodded with some understanding, and scooped up a spoonful of Li Si's milk tea with peace of mind, savoring it carefully.

Going further, you will reach the site where the Lingqu Canal was excavated.

The order had been issued for some time, and the local county magistrate did not dare to delay at all. He began to arrange the recruitment and relocation of the laborers on the day he received the order.

That's why the parade encountered long queues of workers.

They came from different counties nearby, dressed in tattered clothes, with hunched backs, dragging various wooden tools, and walking slowly on the official road with their heads down.

As soon as they met, the laborers quickly retreated to both sides of the official road, knelt on the ground with skillful movements, and waited quietly for the patrol team to pass by.

They didn't dare to look up or make any sound, they just buried their faces in the dust.

Su Jinyue sat in the spacious and luxurious carriage, staring at the scene happening outside through the thin curtains, lost in thought.

She couldn't help but lift the curtain and lean out to get a better look at the laborers.

Seeing this, Lady Dan hurriedly tried to dissuade him: "Master, you absolutely cannot do that. The wind is so strong outside, don't let it blow in your eyes."

Su Jinyue remained unmoved. She looked at the laborers and asked softly, "Are they all volunteers?"

"Most of them are here voluntarily." Dan moved closer to Su Jinyue's back, his hands outstretched, protecting her on either side, and explained in detail, "Except for some who were punished for crimes, most of them are here voluntarily to earn money, and some just to have a few full meals."

At this time, Tan, who was standing behind the two men, also joined in the conversation, saying, "The farmers have had a hard time. Even though the world has been peaceful for the past two years and His Majesty and the Master have made their lives much better, they still can't bear to eat or drink. Now that digging the canal provides two meals a day and wages, most people are willing to do it."

After hearing this, Su Jinyue felt relieved and sat back in her original seat.

She always thought that a long time had passed, but when she thought about it carefully, she had only been here for two years.

In two years, many changes have just begun.

Good things take time, and every progress is not achieved overnight.

It's very good now.

Su Jinyue sighed, but still ordered Dan and the others to give some food to the laborers in the name of Ying Zheng.

Some simple dry food was enough to make these workers happy.

They had not yet reached the place where the canal was to be dug, and most of the food they had eaten along the way was the food they had prepared themselves, so they were not willing to eat their fill.

Looking at the extra food in their hands, they were really happy. They kowtowed to the parade team and shouted words like "Thank you, Your Majesty, Your Majesty is so merciful".

Ying Zheng, who was in the golden carriage in front, felt warm in his heart when he heard the cheers, knowing that Su Jinyue must have been soft-hearted.

He sighed and gave an order in a compromising manner, asking people to distribute food to Dan and the others, including to any passing laborers.

The order was given, and soon there was another louder cheer. Ying Zheng raised the corner of his mouth in a good mood.

This feeling is actually quite good.

You can do it often in the future.

The wheels rolled over the gray-white road and slowly moved forward along the winding official road.

The patrol team encountered several groups of labor teams again. Every time they met, Ying Zheng would give them some food, which caused the laborers to cheer again and again.

After a few days of stopping and walking, the patrol team finally arrived at their destination.

"Master, we have arrived at the site where the Lingqu Canal will be excavated."

Following a soft call from Lady Dan, Tan lifted the curtain of the carriage.

The damp south wind blew in my face, carrying the fishy smell of earth, and the sound of horns came from the distance.

Then, the construction site of Lingqu Canal came into view.

The huge construction site was bustling with activity, with shouts and sounds of work intertwined.

The workers were like ants, densely packed in every corner.

Some of them were carrying huge stones, the heavy stones pressing on their thin shoulders, causing veins to bulge; some were digging the soil, holding broken wooden shovels in their hands, which were heavy and fragile, but they did not dare to stop for a moment.

The supervisors patrolled back and forth with whips in their hands. If the workers slacked off even a little, the whips would fall heavily on their backs.

Su Jinyue got off the carriage with the help of Dan and Tan. The road next to the carriage was muddy.

The continuous rain made the land soft, and the wheelchair was deeply welded to the soil, leaving two deep marks.

The accompanying guards had already brought out thick carpets and were ready to lay them on the mud floor. Su Jinyue waved her hand, signaling them to leave.

On the other side, Ying Zheng and his ministers also got off the carriages one after another. Everyone slowly gathered together, ready to set out on inspection at any time.

"Come, follow me and see these laborers with your own eyes."

After saying this, Ying Zheng stepped forward and stepped into the mud.

Everyone immediately followed, and Su Jinyue was pushed by Feng Shan and others and walked behind everyone.

In the distance, countless laborers were carrying earth and rocks.

As we got deeper into the crowd, various tools began to come into everyone's sight.

Tricycle, wheelbarrow, hammer, pickaxe...

The supervisor holding the whip disappeared, and was replaced by officials holding paper and pen to take notes.

It turns out that most of the people you see on the roadside are convicted laborers. They have to do the heaviest work and receive very little pay, almost no pay at all.

The voluntary laborers are found in the depths of the Lingqu Canal. They are paid by the piece and only need to complete the minimum required work every day. Whether to rest or continue working is entirely up to them.

However, who among those who come here on their own initiative doesn’t want to make more money?

Su Jinyue noticed a white-haired old man who was hitting a huge rock with a hammer.

His movements were slow, but each strike landed precisely on the same spot.

She gestured to Feng Shan to push her closer, and only then did she realize that the old man's hands were covered with thick calluses, and his knuckles were thick and deformed.

"Old man, how old are you this year?" Su Jinyue asked softly.

The old man raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his cloudy eyes. He hurriedly put down the hammer and tried to kneel, but Lady Tan quickly supported him.

"In reply...in reply to the Emperor, I am sixty-one years old this year." His voice trembled a little.

Su Jinyue noticed that his right leg was a little lame and asked, "What's wrong with this leg?"

"I fell while carrying rocks a few days ago." The old man smiled bitterly, then nervously explained, "But it's not a big deal. I can still work. The official was kind enough to give me this job of stonecutting. I don't have to move my legs, so I can take care of them. Your Majesty, please don't blame me, and please don't chase me away. I have two little grandchildren to support at home..."