If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

"I have another suggestion."

"Sir, please speak."

Ji Yongfeng and Su Ri'an had been county magistrates for over a decade, but they still held Zhou Wu, the young imperial envoy, in high esteem.

"I suggest we build a seaport?"

Although kelp and seaweed can bring some income to Qingzhou, Zhou Wu felt that Qingzhou was by the sea, and it would be a waste not to develop the marine industry, especially after Zhou Wu saw the Qingzhou coastline and found it very suitable to build a port.

According to Zhou Wu's understanding, there is probably no other decent seaport or wharf in the entire Dalong area, except for his hometown. This is because people nowadays only have fear of the ocean and do not understand its importance at all.

The establishment of seaports and wharves can potentially impact many industries, such as marine fishing, ocean trade, shipbuilding, and even military strategy.

"A harbor dock? What's the use of that?"

Ji Yongfeng had never even heard of the term "seaport" before. He had heard of inland lake docks, but did he really need to build docks at sea?

"Lord Ji, it seems you've been out of touch with the world for a long time."

"Please enlighten me, Lord Su."

Ji Yongfeng was not annoyed by Su Jing's words; instead, he humbly asked for advice.

"Lord Ji is none other than our Lord Zhou. Back in Qingyang County, he built a large ocean-going ship that could sail the seas. It could not only fish at sea, but also trade with other countries. Now he is very popular in Dalong."

"Oh, Lord Zhou actually possesses such extraordinary skills?"

Ships capable of sailing on the open ocean were something Ji Yongfeng never dared to dream of. In his mind, ships were limited to the sampans of old men on Qingzhou Lake.

"The most urgent task now is to build houses. Kelp and seaweed can solve the current difficulties in people's income, but if we want Qingzhou to have a bright future, the dock is the key."

"My lord, I don't understand this, but I will listen to Lord Zhou."

In Ji Yongfeng's view, even if we take a step back, Qingzhou has nothing left to lose. As the imperial envoy, Zhou Wu could have handed over the money and grain and then returned to the capital to report back. However, Zhou Wu did not do so. Instead, he thought about how to help Qingzhou develop. For this reason, Ji Yongfeng obeyed Zhou Wu's orders without question.

. . . . . .

Qingzhou

Officials began posting notices on the bulletin board.

"Thump~~~Thump~~Thump~~"

The yamen runners banged their gongs loudly, and the surrounding people immediately gathered around.

"Fellow villagers, come and listen. Natural disasters are merciless, but people are compassionate. Qingzhou has suffered a once-in-a-century disaster, resulting in the destruction of our homes and hunger among our people. However, His Majesty the Emperor, unable to bear the suffering of the people, has specially dispatched an imperial envoy with money and provisions to Qingzhou to help everyone rebuild their homes."

These days, the people have been wandering aimlessly through the streets. When they are hungry, they wait for the porridge stalls to serve them porridge. When they are full, they find a corner on the street and take a nap. They have no time to think about the future. But now that the yamen runners have spoken on behalf of the government, things are different. With the government taking the lead, the people's hope has been rekindled. Their eyes, which had been lifeless, suddenly brightened.

"We will now recruit personnel in several sections. Those who are successfully recruited will not only be provided with meals, but will also be paid wages as normal employees."

"Whoosh~~~~"

The fact that there was money made the crowd even more agitated. They had initially thought it was corvée labor, but it turned out to be manual labor. The two were worlds apart. Corvée labor meant heavy physical labor with poor food and no pay. Manual labor, on the other hand, was like a normal job. You would start and end work on time, and whether or not you were provided with meals depended on the employer, but you would still receive a wage.

"I want to sign up."

"Count me in."

"Sir, don't underestimate me just because I'm a woman. I'm just as capable as any man when it comes to work."

"Sir, although I am fifty-eight years old this year, I... cough..."

After seeing hope, the people erupted with great enthusiasm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please be quiet. We haven't even explained what the job is yet. Please let me finish."

Everyone then realized that they really didn't know what kind of work to do. But no matter what kind of work it was, at this point, as long as it could earn money, no one would be picky.

"As instructed by His Majesty the Imperial Envoy, we will be recruiting the following personnel."

"First, since the houses of the people outside Qingzhou City have been destroyed, we should recruit a large number of house repairmen to rebuild the houses so that the people whose houses were destroyed can return to their homes as soon as possible."

"Second, those skilled in swimming. The Imperial Envoy has secured an industry for Qingzhou and needs people skilled in swimming to go to sea and collect kelp and laver."

Although they don't know what kelp and laver are, since they're said to be in the sea, many people who are good swimmers are already eager to try them out.

"Third, women, children and the elderly are responsible for drying and organizing kelp and seaweed."

The elderly, weak, women, and children present were overjoyed to hear that they were being specifically recruited. They lacked skills and were not as physically fit as the younger people. However, they never expected that the newly arrived imperial envoy would have thought of this and made a special exception for them.

"Fourth, dock construction workers. For the future development of Qingzhou, a seaport dock will be built. The above is all the recruitment information for Qingzhou. Please go to the corresponding yamen office to register according to your own situation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in a commotion, and then, with the assistance of the constables on site, everyone lined up in an orderly fashion and began to register.

"This recruitment is ongoing. Anyone interested can apply here."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Sir, recruitment is extremely popular right now. When shall we begin work?"

Ji Yongfeng was at the recruitment site today and saw that the people under his jurisdiction had regained their hope for life. He was extremely grateful to Zhou Wu.

"The workers harvesting kelp and laver can start work immediately. I will arrange for people to transport them. As for the construction of houses and docks, we need to plan it carefully. Since it is a reconstruction, we can't just build it haphazardly like before. We need to consider the location and scale of the docks carefully."

"As expected of Lord Zhou, your considerations are indeed comprehensive."

Ji Yongfeng has recently become extremely enamored with Zhou Wu, turning into a devoted fanboy and agreeing with everything Zhou Wu says.

"Old Su, I've told you about the kelp and laver these past two days. I'll trouble you to keep an eye on things over there and explain to the villagers how to harvest and dry them."

"Okay, my lord."

The remaining task is for Zhou Wu to plan the reconstruction of Qingzhou and the port. Once the plan is finalized, construction can begin. However, besides this, there is an even more important issue that needs to be addressed.