Unlimited Resources: Raising a Minister with a Space Supermarket-Chapter 490 - 438: Deliberate Acts?

County Magistrate Qian left in anger.

The court was unwilling to allocate funds, yet this newly arrived top scholar actually decided to use his own money to save the common people. This...

County Magistrate Qian really couldn’t understand Su Jingchen’s method.

Could it be that the Emperor sent Su Jingchen to Yangcheng, seeing as his private treasury was well off, knowing he would selflessly give to the people?

County Magistrate Qian was bewildered. You might say Su Jingchen is foolish, but he’s a top scholar winning three rounds in a row. You might say he’s shrewd, but he throws his money around to the masses.

County Magistrate Qian really didn’t know the purpose of Su Jingchen’s actions. He thought even if it was for fame, there was no need to throw money away like that, because no one would remember his goodwill.

When Yu Xiaolian entered the study, Su Jingchen was examining the map of Yangcheng County.

Yangcheng County only has four towns and twenty-one villages, along with a few dozen mountains and two rivers. That’s all that there is to Yangcheng County.

Yu Xiaolian saw how focused Su Jingchen was and asked, "Is there a problem with the map?"

Su Jingchen shook his head, "No, it’s just that some places are not very detailed, but it will suffice for now."

Once he’s done with this phase and things are back on track, he’ll redraw a detailed map of Yangcheng.

For now, aside from the epidemic, the imminent autumn harvest is the priority, followed by winter chores.

Every winter, Yangcheng County had to repair roads due to the summer rains causing them to become muddy, with deep ruts. When winter set in, the cold made the roads difficult to traverse.

"If we use stone slabs, cement, or bricks to pave the roads, we could achieve a lasting solution," Yu Xiaolian suggested to Su Jingchen.

"What is cement?" Paving roads with stone slabs isn’t very feasible. If it’s just a short stretch, perhaps, but to connect north to Linzhou and south to Bohai and Jinzhou, stone slabs wouldn’t work.

While official kilns could fire bricks, paving roads with bricks would be too extravagant. Imagine how many bricks that would require?

The manpower and funds needed just to fire those bricks would be a significant drain.

Yu Xiaolian thought for a moment, "The simplest cement is made by grinding limestone and clay into powder, then firing it into clinker. Grinding the clinker with slag left over from iron smelting gives you cement."

Yu Xiaolian described the simplest method for making cement. Industrial cement production is more complex and success is uncertain if the proportion isn’t well adjusted.

But the method she mentioned was both simple and practical. In ancient times, without heavy trucks, the heaviest traffic was horse carts, so her local cement-making method wouldn’t face issues like being crushed by heavy trucks.

Once cement roads are built, Yangcheng County won’t need to assign winter chores every year, sparing the people from working hard in harsh weather.

In conclusion, cement roads would greatly benefit the people.

Upon hearing Yu Xiaolian’s suggestion, Su Jingchen’s eyes brightened. Since arriving in Yangcheng, this was finally something worth getting excited about.

"Can you mix the right proportion for this cement?" Su Jingchen asked excitedly.

Yu Xiaolian, a bit uncertain, said, "Give me some time, I’ll try. It should be feasible!"

"Then tomorrow, I’ll have Cao Gen assist you. You direct him, and we’ll make the cement as soon as possible!" Su Jingchen was already a bit impatient.

Yu Xiaolian nodded, also eager to do something for the people of Yangcheng, who had suffered too much.

The next day, Su Jingchen had Cao Gen move all the materials needed for making cement to the backyard of the county government.

Yu Xiaolian began experimenting with the proportions and, after countless failures, finally made cement on the tenth day.

Eager to share her joy with Su Jingchen, Yu Xiaolian couldn’t wait any longer.

Su Jingchen was also impatient to know what this cement was like. Was it as sturdy as Yu Xiaolian claimed?

Yu Xiaolian placed the successfully tested cement block into Su Jingchen’s hand, and he tried to use his inner strength on it.

"This..." Su Jingchen was excited.

The hardness of this cement was comparable to stone.

If this cement could be shaped into any solid form he desired, wouldn’t that be...

Su Jingchen, in his excitement, impulsively embraced Yu Xiaolian and kissed her cheek.

Yu Xiaolian was also a bit stunned.

Su Jingchen had always been mature and rarely joked or lost composure. Yet today, in front of the servants, he acted out of character, showing just how excited he was.

"Let’s go indoors and select a site for the cement kiln!" Su Jingchen, in his heightened excitement, took Yu Xiaolian’s hand and led her away, completely oblivious to the shocked gazes around them.

In her moment of bewilderment, Su Jingchen led Yu Xiaolian into the study.

Spreading the map out, Su Jingchen pointed with a finger, "Why not build it next to the brick kiln?"

"The cement kiln should be located near the limestone mines, for convenient transportation and to reduce costs.

Do you know if that mountain has limestone?" Yu Xiaolian, influenced by Su Jingchen’s joyful mood, also felt happy.

It turns out that once you become a local official, your heart truly cares for the people as if they were your own children.

Happiness isn’t only found in doing things for oneself.

One can also find joy and happiness in doing things for others.

And this happiness and joy can even surpass the joy found in doing things for oneself.

"Nanyuan Mountain!" Su Jingchen pointed to another spot.

Nanyuan Mountain indeed had limestone mines.

As Su Jingchen and Yu Xiaolian were discussing road access issues around Nanyuan Mountain, Li Wenyuan suddenly knocked on the door in a panic.

"Master Su, the Princely Heir of Prince Huainan, no, Prince of Linzhou, has arrived."

Since Jun Tingye became Emperor, to divide and distance Jun Mobai and Jun Yian’s close relationship and influence, he symbolically titled Jun Mobai as the Prince of Linzhou, placing him north and Jun Yian south, neither able to leave their fiefdoms without summons.

Jun Mobai, as the Prince of Linzhou, was different from Prince Jin and Prince Yu, who were direct sons of the late Emperor and legitimate princes, each with three prefectures under their domain.

Jun Mobai as a Prince, however, only had Linzhou as his fiefdom. He was essentially tasked to handle a mess.

Jun Mobai thought, well, he’s here now, regardless of the size of the land, he is still a Prince, but ever since arriving in Linzhou, he’s been busy with no happy occasions.

Therefore, when County Magistrate Qian sent riders informing him of Su Jingchen’s altruistic act, where he used his own funds to treat the people with epidemic illness, he became interested in this newly arrived scholar.

Top scholars usually stayed and assumed positions at the capital, so why was Su Jingchen sent to Linzhou?

Could it be the Emperor’s deliberate intention?

Jun Mobai decided to test and explore Su Jingchen’s real intentions.