minions live

Chapter 417 The New Bridge Over the Canal
After a few more days, the two finally arrived at Hanoi County, on the edge of the Xinglan Grand Canal.

Ren Ning calculated the time and took a short rest at Dujiang Pier.

The two went to the restaurant in Linjiang, asked for a private room, and looked outside while eating.

"There are so many boats." Lei Er couldn't help feeling, "It's densely packed, one after another."

If it weren't for the fireballs flying randomly in the sky, the large and small crossbow arrows, and the desperate screams in the water, he would have thought it was the East Sea of ​​Baekje.

Ren Ning laughed dumbfounded, "It's quite a lot."

It's time for harvest and preparations for winter.In addition to the usual passenger ships and merchant ships, there are also many grain ships.

Boats coming and going on the wide canal are full of people.

Uh ~
The two gasped in surprise.

Looking west along the canal, there is a majestic bridge under construction in the distance.

There are densely packed workers working in the fields on both sides of the strait.

Those who build bridges and build roads are all very busy.

"Second Brother?" Ren Ning took out some broken silver and put it on the table, "We just came back from the north and found out that there is a new bridge. What's going on?"

His eyes flickered.

There are fertile lands on both sides of the canal, and the owners behind it are almost all high gates of Xingji City.

It is not so easy to occupy such fields to build bridges and open roads at the same time.

In previous years, even if the Ministry of Industry personally intervened to mediate, it often returned without success.

The waiter's eyes lit up.

He didn't care whether Ren Ning was from the north or the south, he decisively took the broken silver on the table.

"Guest officer is asking the right person." He smiled triumphantly, "I know the whole story about that new bridge. It's not uncommon for our boss to secretly scold it."

Ren Ning and Lei Er looked at each other, not surprised.

There is only a river crossing wharf for dozens of miles around here, where you can get on and off the boat or cross the river.People who go north and south have to squeeze through here, and the flow of people is huge.

The scale of that bridge does not look small.When it is repaired, the number of customers passing by here will inevitably decrease, and it is no wonder that the owner of the restaurant will scold her.

However, this river-crossing wharf was built early, and its area is relatively small.

As the canal became more and more busy, both the pier and the original old bridge were already overwhelmed.

For example, last fall, the Starfall Legion passed by here when they moved north.As a result, the entire army was stuck on the south bank of the canal, and it took more than ten days to cross the river.

At that time, Chu Jinding, the main striker, complained severely.

But complaints are complaints, most of the surrounding land is privately owned, and the owner behind it should not be underestimated.

Although the local county government and even the governor of Hanoi know that this place has become outdated and dilapidated, they still cannot talk about expanding it lightly.

In the end, I can only make do with it and use it all the time.

"The two guest officials are newcomers, so they probably don't know which wealthy family owns most of the land on both sides of the canal."

Lei Er winked at Ren Ning with a strange expression.

They are clear about this.

Sure enough, the shop waiter lowered his voice hesitantly.

"I heard from my boss that most of the land here belongs to the Grand Master's Mansion in Xingji City."

"Do the two guest officials know what is the Grand Master's Mansion?"

Gee.

The waiter shook his head again and again.

"That's not an ordinary family. It is said that the holy reputation left by His Majesty the founder of the country is engraved on the screen wall of the Grand Master's Mansion. It seems to be called Yongwei Dishi."

"The magistrate of the county is amazing, and the magistrate is strong, but he dare not even fart in front of the grand master's mansion..."

cough.

Ren Ning coughed softly, interrupting the bragging of the waiter.

"Little brother, let's talk about that new bridge and that road. The Taishi Mansion is too far away from our common people. We have to go north and south every year to pass here, or the bridge is more important."

Besides, he didn't spend money to hear the story of his "family".

"Yes, yes." The waiter nodded quickly, "The new bridge and road, actually, there is nothing to talk about."

"Last year, the eldest son of the Grand Master's Mansion was called Ren Sheng,"

The waiter thought for a while before remembering.

"By the way, it's called Ren Rong. He passed by here on his way back to Xingluo County to visit relatives."

"I don't know if this Ren Rong took the wrong medicine, or if the rich and powerful people thought they had nowhere to spend their money, they suddenly decided to build a bridge to the north for people to cross the river."

Ren Ning and Lei Er looked at each other again.

Ren Rong and the two of them once raced the Dragon Boat Festival together, so they know each other well.

That's not someone who likes hotheads or hot money.There must be reasons for him or Taishifu to build bridges and roads.

"The local grand master's mansion is out, what about the money for road construction?" Lei Er chewed his favorite beans, "Pull it from the household department?"

"The household department?" The waiter in the shop was full of contempt, "Those bastards who collect taxes run fast, how can they allocate money?"

Ren Ning asked stupidly: "It costs a lot to build bridges and roads. If the Ministry of Households does not pay, who will pay? Is it a local benevolent person?"

"Of course not." The shop clerk answered irrelevantly, but just sneered, "The two guest officers have read the recent newspapers."

He didn't wait for Ren Ning and the two to reply, so he pointed to the west.

"There was a big battle in Dingxi County at the end of last month. Although we drove out the people from Xiliang, there were heavy casualties. It is said that the Dingxi garrison went up to the county captain and down to the soldiers, and the whole army died in battle..."

Ugh.

While talking, the waiter in the shop let out a long sigh, his eyes turned red.

In a blink of an eye, he was gnashing his teeth again.

"But people who come and go on the canal have said recently that the Ministry of Households has been evasive, refusing to take out money and grain to ask for help in Dingxi County."

"In the beginning, they said that the news in the newspaper was unreliable. Later, General Huo of the Yanfeng Fortress finally sent back the battle report, but they also said that it took time to raise food and grass, and that no one led the team to the west."

"I don't know what's going on now."

"Fuck him." The waiter cursed angrily.

"No one leads the team? Our people are not stupid. It is clear that the Ministry of Household Affairs thinks that the people in Dingxi County are dying, and it is not worth spending money and food to save people."

cough.

Ren Ning coughed again.

"It's a little too much for the Ministry of Households to do this. When I have time, I will write an article in the newspaper to scold them to death."

Puchi.

The shop clerk was still furious at first, but now he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He looked Ren Ning up and down.

"The guest officer has to work hard. That newspaper only publishes two copies in a whole month. It is not easy to publish an article on it. Not to mention the number one scholar, at least you must have the experience and literary talent of Master Hongguang..."

As soon as Master Hongguang was mentioned, the waiter's face darkened again.

He cursed, "Jinlin Guard is really nothing. They took Master Hongguang away for no reason, and they haven't released it yet."

Seeing the strange gazes of Ren Ning and the two, the waiter in the shop scratched his head hesitantly.

"You two guest officers are really sorry. My uncle got sick when he was doing corvee service in the misty county in the west. He just met Master Hongguang and survived. So..."

Ren Ning nodded, asked a few words about Master Hongguang, and then turned the question back to the new road and new bridge.

"That road and bridge," the shop waiter slowly wiped the table, "the Ministry of Households refused to pay, and the Ministry of Works refused to send people. It was Taishifu who paid for it to find someone to repair it."

"To be honest, I really don't understand the thoughts of the nobles and gentlemen of Xingji City."

"The land that was filled in belongs to the Taishi Mansion itself. They have a lot of land, so there is nothing to say about filling it in. But the Ministry of Industry does not take action, and the laborers invited to build the road are not slaves, but they will be white. of silver."

"It can only be said that they have burned their hands with too much money."

(End of this chapter)