Gu Moran pointed to the middle section of the sand and charcoal layer again.
"Sand, broken charcoal, and fine gravel must be filled in layers, and there's a specific method to it."
Fang Bi had already taken out a folded booklet from his sleeve, unfolded it, picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write down every single word.
Gu Moran slowed down her speech, saying each point one by one, while Fang Bi kept writing them down, his wrist never stopping.
The two talked for a good half hour.
Uncle Fu came in to refill the tea and saw an old man and a young man in the study, one drawing and the other taking notes, the charcoal pencil scratching on the paper.
Finally, Fang Bi put the booklet away, looked up, and his expression was as solemn as if he were going to pay respects to his ancestors.
"Your Highness, if this succeeds, the people of Yi Prefecture will remember your kindness."
Gu Moran waved his hand, picked up the medicine bowl on the table, shoveled a mouthful of the already cold medicine into his mouth, and frowned.
"Don't talk about such a big thing yet. The bamboo tubes need to be protected from insects and cracks, and to open them up, you need to heat them with fire. Let Commandant Zhen's men do this; he has the iron tools ready-made."
Fang Bi stood up, solemnly cupped his hands in greeting, carefully put away the booklet and the approval documents, and stepped out the door, his steps quickening considerably from when he arrived.
Uncle Fu watched him leave through the gate, then turned around and saw Gu Moran put the empty medicine bowl back on the corner of the table, casually take out a candied fruit from his sleeve, and toss it into his mouth.
Uncle Fu couldn't help but laugh, "The medicine has cooled down; it's become quite bitter."
Gu Moran on the candied fruit, pressed the sketch back under the document, lowered his head, and continued reading the " Record of Yi Prefecture Agricultural Administration ".
" Fang Bi came here on Si Renyou's orders to sound him out." He didn't even look up. "Lord Si will come tomorrow; we'll show him the complete pipeline plan then."
Uncle Fu understood and withdrew.
Outside Yi Prefecture City, at Bluestone Ridge.
In the center of the village's main hall stood a square table. Under the beams, blackened by cooking oil, more than a hundred men stood in a dense crowd, stretching from the main hall to the stone platform at the entrance. They were all burly and strong, leaning on knives, and the hot breath they exhaled from their nostrils condensed into a white mist in the winter air.
In the main seat sat a man in his thirties.
Xue Huan.
He was a retired brigade commander of the Central Plains Regular Army's Vanguard Brigade. He fought in seven major battles in the Northwest and had six knife wounds on his body. The deepest one was on his left shoulder, which would ache slightly on cloudy or damp days.
Unable to bear the corrupt and despicable life in the military, he angrily returned to his hometown. After two years in the city, he suffered oppression from the government and lost his livelihood.
They marched up Bluestone Ridge in one go, brought the original few small mountain strongholds under their command, reorganized their troops, and strictly enforced orders, transforming a ragtag group into the most formidable mountain force in Yi Prefecture.
This is something Xue Huan is very proud of.
But today, he sat in the main seat, with three things on the table in front of him: a flyer for Mixue Ice City, a new storybook, and the latest intelligence brought back from the city's spies.
Xue Huan slammed his hand on the table.
"I'm talking to you guys about serious business, so listen up."
The buzzing from below the hall stopped abruptly.
All 108 men looked up in unison, their eyes filled with a hint of doubt.
Their village has never lacked money, nor was it short of food for the winter.
The boss has summoned everyone today; I wonder what idea he'll come up with this time.
Xue Huan picked up the Mixue Ice City flyer, slammed it on the table, placed the storybook on top, and then piled the intelligence report on top of it.
"Has anyone seen this thing before?"
There was a moment of silence in the audience.
In the third row from the left, a man wearing a headscarf askew slowly raised his hand.
"Boss, I've seen it. The kids in Yi Prefecture City are singing 'I love tigers' all over the streets. I sang along for two days, and now I'm still thinking about that melody when I go to sleep. It's driving me crazy."
Xue Huan nodded.
Who else?
This time, more hands were raised, just a handful, about a dozen.
One of the burly men, with a face full of scars, added, "Boss, I bought some grain in town and casually drank a cup of that white, sweet liquid from that shop. It's called Snow Milk Tea, and it's ten times better than the ginger and sugar water our village chef makes."
I drank three bowls in a row, and the shopkeeper smiled and asked me if I wanted to get a wooden plaque...
Another man chimed in, "I bought that storybook. It's about a prince and his wife governing the prefecture. It's quite a story, with all sorts of backs and forth, and something like that—"
He stammered, "The part about the divine physician chasing after the prince to force-feed him medicine—I almost spat out the wine in my bowl when I read that part."
The audience burst into laughter.
Xue Huan slammed his hand on the table again, and the laughter stopped.
He stood up, unfolded the intelligence report, and held it up in his hand.
"You think this is a joke? Let me tell you, it's not a joke, it's a golden opportunity."
Xue Huan turned around and pointed to a map of Yi Prefecture that was pasted on the wall behind him.
Does anyone know where those Black Wind Stronghold guys are now?
Silence fell over the hall once more.
"At Prince Yi's Residence."
Xue Huan lowered her hand. "Food and lodging are provided, there are bonuses at the end of the month, children go to school, and the elderly see doctors. Everyone is living comfortably."
People in the audience began to whisper among themselves.
Xue Huan continued, "You know what kind of people those are. The village is full of the old and weak, that's all they've got. Now that they're in the Prince's mansion, they're even running errands."
He glanced at the people below.
"Let's look at ourselves again."
Xue Huan put his hands behind his back and turned around in front of the table.
"One hundred and eight men, trained in proper battle formations, not a single one of them is useless."
Our military discipline is probably unmatched by any regular army in Yi Prefecture.
Our food supplies have never run out.
Our knives are so bright they can reflect a person's image.
He paused, his voice becoming deep.
"But let me ask you, do you want to stay on this mountain until you die?"
How many more times do you want to be suppressed by the government to suppress bandits?
The noise from below the hall completely stopped.
None of them had thought about this problem.
Perhaps many people have thought about this, but just haven't said it aloud.
Xue Huan walked back to the main seat, sat down again, and gathered the three items on the table.
" Prince Yi is undertaking massive construction projects in Yi Prefecture: building granaries, improving waterways, opening tea shops, and implementing some kind of general agricultural policy. I've also heard he plans to build roads."
"What kind of person do you think he is?"
[This is an extra chapter. As for the "tap water method" (a term used to describe a method of generating water in online games), just enjoy the fun and don't take it too seriously. Hehe, love you all~~~]
[Thanks to Ghost Doctor, Cat Ears and Four Emperors for the likes, Shi Lian for the character summoning, Zhu Rui, Different Flower, Ran Xue, Hippo, 10295616, Silent Inspiration Capsule, 25249243 for the update reminder x2, Cai Mei for the milk tea x2, thank you! And thank you everyone for your love and support!]
After I made the list, I received a lot of negative reviews and comments. I didn't expect you guys to be so supportive.
Please point out any problematic parts, and I will definitely continue updating and write until the very end. Thank you so much!