On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The capital city was covered with a thin layer of frost at the end of winter. The remaining snow huddled in the cracks of the bluestone slabs, and was trampled into dark brown mud by passers-by.

Lin Zhen held Chu Xiling's hand, and the warmth from his palm penetrated through the fox fur cuffs, dispelling some of the coldness.

Chu Xiling bit off half of a candied haws, the crystal sugar shell shattered between her teeth, and the sour and sweet hawthorn juice burst out.

Her eyebrows curved into crescents, her light blue skirt swayed slightly with her steps, and her white fox fur brushed against the frozen red lantern, startling a few wisps of remaining snow.

"Don't tell me, this frosting is so cleverly wrapped, it tastes even better than what the imperial kitchen makes."

She spoke with a bamboo stick in her mouth, and her voice was as clear as the ice breaking through a spring stream.

Lin Zhen looked at the corners of her mouth covered with candy crumbs, and his throat moved slightly.

He also thinks the food at street stalls tastes better than that in big hotels.

Often when we travel and want to eat some authentic local food, we have to go to those remote little restaurants.

Just like the capital city in later generations.

Restaurants everywhere have signs of the old capital.

There are such things as Old Beijing Noodles with Soybean Sauce, Old Beijing Soybean Juice, Old Beijing Crayfish... The restaurants are bigger and more luxurious than each other, but what is the result?

You will find that the fried noodles worth 68 yuan a bowl tastes not as good as the noodles cooked by your ex-girlfriend.

From then on, no matter where Lin Zhen traveled, he would look for those small, dirty and messy restaurants hidden in the alleys.

"The food in the imperial kitchen is for the people in the palace to eat. Isn't it the same for you in Nanchu?"

"That's true. The food made in the imperial kitchen isn't tasty. The food made by the common people is better."

“Things made by ordinary people always have a sense of familiarity.”

A cold wind carried the sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes from the street corner. Lin Zhen suppressed the ripples in his heart and said seriously, "Is the wool-pulling machine ready? I've asked Zhang Li to send people to Manmeng to purchase wool. A large quantity of wool will arrive soon. And His Majesty has also agreed to send the unused palace maids to be pulverized. This is a matter of great importance to the long-term interests of both countries."

Chu Xiling's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her almond-shaped eyes shone surprisingly brightly. "I've prepared it a long time ago, and it's still in the trial stage. I wanted to try knitting a piece of clothing with a small amount of wool, but I didn't expect you to be so quick."

She stood on tiptoe to brush away the snow on Lin Zhen's shoulders. The sweet and sour scent lingering on her fingertips mixed with the soft fur of the fox fur and spread in the cold air.

Lin Zhen's eyes were blazing: "How's the result? Have you finished weaving it?"

"How can it be that easy?" Chu Xiling sighed, tugging at the collar of her fox fur coat. "The embroiderers don't even know what a wool sweater is. The wool can only be spun by hand, and the progress is very slow."

As she spoke, she exhaled white mist, which condensed into a hazy veil between the two of them.

Lin Zhen stroked the jade pendant at his waist, pondered for a moment, and said, "I will ask His Majesty to order all the palace maids to live in the academy, and you will teach them personally. Once they have learned, you can disperse them to teach their skills. In this way, one will teach ten, and ten will teach a hundred. The wool factories in the Wuqing Development Zone will be able to pick up the wool soon. In the future, wool weaving will be the pillar industry of Daqian."

Chu Xiling raised her head suddenly, tears welling in her eyes. "If this really works, the people of Daqian won't have to worry about freezing to death anymore."

She clenched Lin Zhen's hand, her knuckles turning white from the force. "My dear husband, to be honest, over 3,000 people froze to death in Northern Xinjiang last year. I felt really bad when I heard that, because neither in Nanchu nor in your former world, such a thing has ever happened."

Having said this, her voice stopped abruptly. She turned her face away, and the tassels of the fox fur brushed across the back of Lin Zhen's hand.

Lin Zhen also suddenly felt depressed.

We people are the most simple and honest, yet we have to suffer this kind of torture.

The two of them strolled to the small arch bridge in the west of the city. The stream under the bridge had thawed long ago, but it was a turbid gray-green color.

Rotten leaves and broken porcelain pieces swirled on the water, and a layer of shiny black ice formed on the shore. The fishy smell wrapped in the cold air penetrated into the nostrils.

Lin Zhen frowned and tightened his grip on the leather belt around his waist, veins bulging between his knuckles. "Damn it! I told the Ministry of Works last year about cleaning up the river and maintaining the water source, and they haven't made any progress this year."

He pointed downstream and saw several people dumping feces, urine and filth from wooden barrels into the river.

The yellowish-brown liquid broke through the water surface, startling a flock of gray crows.

"Look, the people are just dumping their waste into the river so carelessly. If this continues, the entire moat will be ruined!"

Lin Zhen shook off Chu Xiling's hand and strode towards the Ministry of Works.

He wanted to ask the people in the Ministry of Works whether his words were still effective.

Chu Xiling hurriedly chased after him, the hem of her fox fur brushing against the broken ice on the ground. "Husband! Don't be impulsive!"

She grabbed Lin Zhen's sleeve, the hem of her light blue skirt brushing against the icy stone steps. "Minister Song is incredibly busy right now with road construction across the country. Building Daqian won't happen overnight, so don't cause trouble at this critical juncture."

Lin Zhen paused and turned to look at Chu Xiling.

The pearl hairpin hanging in her hair swayed gently in the cold wind, reflecting the determined light in her eyes.

"I know. I handed this matter over to the Minister of Works. Since he didn't do it, there must be a punishment."

After saying that, Lin Zhen continued to walk forward, and Chu Xiling took a few quick steps and followed closely behind.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from afar, startling the crows perched on the withered willows and breaking the dead silence of the capital city in late winter.

......

As dusk fell, the remaining snow cast a cold glow on the green tiles of the Ministry of Works.

Lin Zhen held Chu Xiling's hand and walked over the white marble steps. The fox fur brushed against the gilded door nails, startling the crows perched on the eaves.

The stone slabs in front of the door were spotless, the words "Ministry of Works" on the plaque gleamed brightly under the lanterns, and even the sharp claws of the bronze Bi'an beast in front of the steps were polished enough to reflect a person's shadow.

The moat stank to high heaven, but the lintels of the industrial departments were spotless.

This made Lin Zhen think of future generations.

A majestic imperial office building is surrounded by dilapidated old residential areas and dusty road construction sites.

The buildings of the imperial court are always so perfect, but no one ever cares about the people’s things.

Even the money and subsidies from higher authorities are of no use to them except for building roads and digging ditches.

Lin Zhen remembered that there was a road in the city where he lived.

They dig and repair every year, but it never ends.

It seems more difficult than building a subway.

But that remote sixth-tier city doesn't need a subway at all.

"Prince!" The two guards in black armor suddenly straightened their backs, and their swords made crisp sounds.

The bearded man in the lead stepped forward quickly, and a faint pine scent emanated from his sleeves as he clasped his fists.

"Lord Shangshu is going to inspect the South City Gate today, and Lord Sun, the Minister of the Court, is on duty."

Lin Zhen nodded, and the soles of his boots rolled over the thin ice on the floor tiles, making a slight crackling sound.

As she walked through the corridor, Chu Xiling's eyes were attracted by the newly painted vermilion lacquer on the corridor.

The smell of lacquer mixed with the subtle fragrance of plum branches in the corner of the wall, forming a strange smell in the cold wind.

"This Ministry of Works is quite diligent," she quipped softly, her fingertips tracing the cool pillars. "Even the door lintel is three times brighter than elsewhere."

Lin Zhen sneered, his palm gripping her soft hand tightly: "It's all show and no substance. The stench of the Yongding River is almost reaching the palace walls."

In the main hall, a yellowed map was spread out on a large huanghuali desk, and a wolf-hair brush was placed in a jade brush washer, the ink of which had mostly dried up.

The hem of Sun Kai's blue robe was stained with ink. He was hunched over copying official documents. He looked up hurriedly when he heard footsteps.

Seeing Lin Zhen's gloomy face, the wolf hair brush in his hand dropped "click" on the rice paper, spreading a large ink ball.

"Greetings to the Crown Prince! Madam Chu!" Sun Kai staggered to his feet, his official hat tilted, and he almost knocked over the bronze Boshan furnace on the table.

As the scent of agarwood lingered, beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead.

"I didn't know the prince was coming, and I'm sorry for not welcoming you!"

Lin Zhen's eyes swept over the pile of files on his desk, and he suddenly grabbed a memorial regarding river repairs. The paper made a harsh tearing sound between his fingers. "The water in the Yongding River stinks like a swill jar. Can't you fucking smell it? What did I tell you during last year's autumn hunt?"

Sun Kai's legs went weak and he knelt down on the green bricks, his python-patterned robe shivering in the cold wind.

"Prince, please forgive me! How dare I forget your instructions? As soon as the glacier thawed ten days ago, I mobilized 300 people to dredge the river and set up signboards along the riverbank..." He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and his voice became more choked.

"But those fools wouldn't listen! They cleaned it up during the day, and then dumped their excrement in there again at night. They even smashed the signboard!"

Chu Xiling frowned slightly and stepped forward to help Sun Kai up.

Her fox fur brushed against his trembling shoulders, bringing with it a faint orchid fragrance: "Minister Sun, please stand up."

Sun Kai was frightened by her action and stood up awkwardly.

Chu Xiling looked at Lin Zhen's tense jawline and said softly, "My husband, river management is a slow and tedious process. If we can't fundamentally change the habits of the people, even if we send thousands of people to clean up day and night, it will be in vain."

Lin Zhen's throat rolled and he swallowed the rebuke that was about to come out.

He glanced at the mud on the hem of Sun Kai's official uniform, and his anger subsided a little. He walked to the rosewood chair and sat down, tapping his knuckles on the armrests. "Tell me, how is the Ministry of Works' staffing now?"

Sun Kai hurriedly adjusted his official hat and personally brought out the celadon teacup.

Two tender green pieces of Longjing tea floated in the tea soup. Amidst the hot steam, his voice sounded somewhat helpless.

"To be honest, Your Highness, I am indeed in charge of water conservancy, but the country is so large now, and the Ministry of Works has limited manpower. Most of them have already been occupied by repairing the Liaodong water conservancy project alone. Now there are only 20 people left to inspect the river, and even the task of repairing the imperial mausoleum is..."

Chu Xiling picked up the teacup and took a sip, when she suddenly caught a glimpse of the brick carving on the screen wall outside the window - it was a pattern of "Yu the Great Controlling the Flood", but due to years of disrepair, the plow in Dayu's hand was missing a corner.

An idea suddenly struck her, and she put down her teacup and said, "My husband, I have a plan. We can recruit civilians and set up 'River Cleaning Guards' along the river. The Ministry of Works will provide them with salaries. This will not only solve the manpower problem, but also encourage the people to consciously maintain the river."

Lin Zhen stroked the jade pendant on his waist, his eyes lighting up.

But then he imagined it and shook his head: "Not appropriate. Ordinary people must not have the power to enforce the law."

Lin Zhen didn't understand anything else, but he understood the people. He had to find a way to maximize any ounce of power he had.

Don't let the river not be managed properly and create more corrupt officials who take bribes.

"It's a good idea! But we can't let the common people do this Jinghe Guard. We should send people from the Military Affairs Department."

Chu Xiling rolled her eyes. "Look at what you're saying. Are the Military Commission no longer the people's children? It's all the same. We just need to set up a reward and punishment system. Reporting polluters will be rewarded, and those who refuse to change their ways will be punished by having to repair the embankment. The Ministry of Works can also set up a reporting box so that the people can supervise each other. Over time, the river will naturally become clean."

There is some truth to that.

Lin Zhen nodded, agreeing.

Then he suddenly remembered something and turned to Sun Kai: "By the way, let me ask you about the 'septic tank' I mentioned last time. How is the promotion going?"

Sun Kai wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a wry smile, "People think that stuff is unlucky, saying that gathering filth together will offend the Earth God. The owner of Li Ji Tofu Shop in the west of the city would rather pour the slop into the river than..."

"Stupid! The septic tanks are full of fertile water. We can transfer it to the fields and grow crops. What do they know?"

Lin Zhen slammed the table, sending the teacup splattering. "Starting tomorrow, have the Jingzhao government cooperate. Anyone who refuses to use the septic tank will have their material subsidies stopped! I want to see if they still eat!"

Yan Ba ​​looked at Chu Xiling and saw that she was wiping the tea that splashed on her sleeves with a silk handkerchief, her eyes full of thought.

"Ling'er, do you want to add more?"

Chu Xiling folded the wet silk handkerchief and suddenly thought of the bewildered peasant woman during the day.

She stood up and walked to the map, her slender fingertips pointing to a tributary of the Yongding River. "In addition to punishment, I think we should also teach the people the value of 'profit.' Encourage them to plant reeds and calamus along the riverbanks. This will not only purify the water, but also allow them to weave mats for profit."

When she turned around, the pearl tassels on the fox fur cast a tiny light.

"Husband, I suddenly discovered something."

"You said."

"The water in Daqian Capital freezes in mid-November and thaws in February. In other words, the river freezes for no more than three months. And our current method of transporting supplies is still horse-drawn carriages, which not only has high transportation costs but also low throughput... Hmm..."

Chu Xiling's throughput directly confused Sun Kai.

Lin Zhen was the only person in this world who could understand this term. He almost instantly grasped Chu Xiling's meaning and said, "You mean to say, dig a few canals to promote grain transport in the capital?"

"Yes, if there were four canals running through the capital, the throughput would be greatly increased and the cost would be greatly reduced."

"That's a good idea! Four canals will go in different directions, connecting several large and spacious rivers. This way, goods from all directions can flow freely into and out of the capital, increasing trade volume exponentially. It will also provide jobs for young men who come to the capital looking for work, solving the employment problem."

"That's right!"

Lin Zhen looked at the map and said, "Let's start with the Yongding River. Sun Kai, you must immediately issue a recruitment notice to widen the Yongding River. We will dismantle all the low bridges on the river one by one and rebuild them. The cost will be 50% each between me and the national treasury."

"Husband, you can't do that!" Chu Xiling hurriedly stopped him. "What we're doing is like doing charity. No matter how rich we are, we can't spend it like that!"

Lin Zhen smiled ghostly: "Hehe, don't worry, ma'am, I am quite experienced in making money."