boyutpedia Chapter 104 The Selection of Personnel to Go to the Capital
Chapter 104 The Selection of Personnel to Go to the Capital
Coal cannot be mined out in a short time. Xia Yichen asked Li Jiating to build workers' quarters around the foot of the mountain. Li Jiating nodded in agreement, then asked with some doubt, "If it's all built as workers' quarters, are you going to live with the workers?"
The workers' quarters were low and small, built in rows along the foot of the mountain, without even a courtyard wall. Li Jiating didn't believe Xia Yichen would live there.
Xia Yichen's look of disdain made Li Jiating extremely uncomfortable. He waved his hand and said as he walked away, "You're the one guarding this place for mining. You can live wherever you want. I'll find someone to build you a house."
Xia Yichen shouted at Li Jiating's retreating figure, "You have a ready-made mansion, why are you living in the servants' quarters? Are you stupid enough to drag me along?"
Li Jiating curled his lip: "Yuxia's house has become your exclusive residence. Shameless, all you know is how to take advantage."
Workers' quarters were built one by one at the foot of the mountain, and the miners moved in with their luggage. A canteen was established at the mine, and the miners ate in the canteen using meal tickets.
The idea of a mess hall and meal tickets came from Wen Yuxia. She told Xia Yichen that everyone's appetite was different, and eating with tickets would be fair.
Meal tickets are issued in fixed quantities each month. If you don't have enough to eat, you have to pay the difference yourself. At the end of the month, you can use the meal tickets to exchange for other living supplies in the cafeteria.
Of course, to ensure that every worker is well-fed, the food portions are set at the highest standard, and no one will have to pay extra due to insufficient food.
Xia Yichen thought this suggestion was good, as it would prevent workers from wasting food by overeating and drinking. So he personally wrote out a sample meal ticket and had his subordinates copy it.
Each meal ticket was stamped with the seal of the Royal Coal Mine, which was kept by Xie Qianlian, and the stamping was done by her maid.
Xia Yichen originally named the coal mine Royal Burning Stone Mine, but Wen Yuxia thought the name was a bit awkward, so she told Xia Yichen that she had a dream in which burning stone had a nice name: coal.
Xia Yichen believed that coal was indeed a more fitting name than burning stone, so he wrote to the emperor to officially change the name of burning stone to coal. Thus, the two mines were given an official name: Royal Coal Mine.
At Wen Yuxia's suggestion, the Emperor also established a Surveying Department. The department's employees were sent in teams to travel throughout the Great Xia Dynasty. They were required to report any unusual land, mountains, or rivers they encountered to the court.
Gazing at the bustling mining scene, Xia Yichen murmured to himself, "Yuxia, it's so good to have you."
Standing beside him, Li Jiating nodded in deep agreement. Wen Yuxia had made an indispensable contribution to the establishment of the Surveying Department by the Emperor. The colorless, transparent, and pure rock salt at the bottom of Black Eagle Cliff was discovered by the Surveying Department.
After returning to Beijing, Zhang Jinxuan stayed at Xia Yichen's farm on the outskirts of the city to build a factory. A month later, the pharmaceutical factory was completed, and Zhang Jinxuan quickly sent a letter to Xia Yichen, who was far away in Mengzhong County, to share the good news.
Upon receiving the letter, Xia Yichen immediately rode to Lingyuan Village in Xinchuan County.
After two months of systematic learning, Wen Yuxia taught Du Kui and others how to make twenty kinds of pills and five kinds of medicinal powders. Through diligent study and practice, Du Kui and the others have become proficient in making the pills and powders.
Seeing the pills made by Du Kui and the others, Xia Yichen said excitedly, "Jia Ting, take them back to the capital immediately!"
On the way here, Xia Yichen had mentioned to Li Jiating that until a suitable person in charge of the pharmaceutical factory was found, Li Jiating would be in charge of all affairs of the factory.
"Okay," Li Jiating replied reluctantly.
He had just met Wen Yuxia and wanted to find an opportunity to explain to her that he and Zhang Jinxuan were only pretending to be close friends to avoid pressure to get married, and that what they did that day was purely for fun.
Sigh, the Crown Prince gave the order, and he had to endure it even if he ran himself ragged. Fine, he'd take the people back to the capital. Once they were there, his mother could arrange marriages, and then everything would be cleared up.
Having figured it out, Li Jiating smiled brightly and said, "Goodbye, Sister Yuxia!"
Du Kui and the others put their luggage in the car, then walked up to Wen Yuxia and stood in several rows. Du Kui spoke first: "Thank you, sir. Take care, sir!"
Everyone shouted in unison, "Thank you, sir! Take care, sir!" Then, everyone bowed deeply to Wen Yuxia.
Xia Yichen happened to be standing next to Wen Yuxia at that moment. He stood there calmly, enjoying the thanks from others thanks to his sister Yuxia. It seemed like a good feeling.
"Sister Yuxia, the Emperor has granted you a place to study at the Imperial Academy. Have you forgotten?" Xia Yichen suddenly remembered that Wen Yuxia had received the imperial decree more than two months ago, and Wen Yunhong still hadn't set off for the capital.
Wen Yuxia gently patted her forehead. She'd been spending all her time at the manor teaching Du Kui and the others, and had completely forgotten about it. "Brother Chen, could you please send someone to inform Brother Jia Ting and ask him to wait for Hong'er?"
She had other matters to attend to, so she could only put her mind at ease if Wen Yunhong went to the capital first and traveled with Li Jiating and the others.
Xia Yichen nodded in agreement and instructed the guards beside him to inform Li Jiating to wait outside Xinchuan County. He then said to Wen Yuxia, "I will have Qianlian return to the capital with me. Hong'er will stay in my residence for the time being. With Qianlian protecting him, no one in the capital will dare to bully him."
Wen Yuxia took a few steps back, gave Xia Yichen a curtsy, and said in a clear voice, "Thank you, Brother Chen!"
The two left Lingyuan Manor together; one went to the county academy to find Wen Yunhong, while the other returned to Mengzhong County to inform his wife to return to the capital.
On the way back to the city, Wen Yuxia finalized the list of people who would accompany Wen Yunhong to the capital: Nan Yi, Nan Er, Nan San, Bei Yi, Bei Er, the pageboy Xiao Tang, and Xiao Tang's parents, the housekeeper and his wife.
"Bei Yi, go to the horse farm and inform Nan Er and Nan San to come to the capital with Hong'er. Tell them to wait outside the city. Also, have Bei San and Bei Si replace you two; you two will go with Hong'er as well."
"Yes, Princess," Bei Yi bowed respectfully, leaped off the mule cart, and galloped towards the horse farm. Wen Yuxia continued to give instructions to Bei Er, who was driving the cart.
The princess's mansion bestowed upon her by the emperor has been renovated. On her way to the capital, Wen Yunhong will stay temporarily at Xia Yichen's mansion. Nan Yi, Nan Er, and Xiao Tang must stay with him, while Bei Er and the others will move into the princess's mansion.
Bei Er said with some reluctance, "Princess, rest assured, I will definitely protect the young master."
She was reluctant to leave Wen Yuxia, but among the four brothers, she and Bei Yi were the oldest. Only if she and Bei Yi went to the capital with Wen Yunhong could Wen Yuxia feel at ease.
Wen Yuxia reassured them, "It won't be long before I, the princess, also go to the capital to join you."
She plans to hand over the businesses in Xinchuan County to Steward Li for management. Once Steward Li is in charge, she can go to the capital to develop her business.