Three Kingdoms: My Wife Is Diao Chan

Chapter 181 Luoyang Wasn't Built in a Day
Chapter 182 Luoyang Wasn't Built in a Day
"I thought you would sleep until noon today, little son. You came to the county government office so early! Why don't you stay warm for a while?" Cao Yan jokingly met Cao Chong who was furious at the county government office.

"Hmph! With your laziness, can you stop staring at you for a day? Are you all here? A meeting!"

When everyone arrived, Cao Chong said first, "I have received a reply from Xu Du, and this year's Luoyang autumn tax can all be withheld."

"Great!"

"There should be enough food now, right? I think the food outside the city is growing pretty well, and we should be able to harvest a lot."

Cao Chong ignored everyone's discussion, and asked Wenjiao, "How is the account book of the household department?"

"It's finished, but it's useless. The population and field account books of the two counties left in the county government are all fake, and they don't match the numbers reported by the village chiefs and pavilion chiefs below." Wen Jiao reported with a frown.

"It's like this. I sent people to the countryside to check the population records given by the Ministry of Household Affairs. Those village chiefs and pavilion chiefs didn't admit it at all, and even a few pavilions couldn't be found at all!" Cao Tai confirmed Wen Jiao's words.

"Have you found the previous county magistrate?" Cao Chong asked while patting the table.

"Don't mention it, the county magistrate and county lieutenant disappeared the next day after you dismissed them. Those who were in charge of the grain tax, the grain cao, and even the grain chiefs in the countryside either ran away or died..." Cao Yan said depressedly.

"That is to say, my Luoyang Commander's eyes are smeared! I don't even know how many people and how many acres I have under my rule?"

Everyone looked at me, I looked at you, and didn't speak.

"However, the tax ledgers handed in by the two counties last year and the year before are still there. They handed them over to Henan Yin, and there is Henan Yin's receipt on it. It should be correct." In the end, Wen Jiao broke the embarrassment.

"Okay! This is enough." Cao Chong heaved a sigh of relief.

"Wen Jiao, you give the account book to Cao Tai, and you don't have to deal with the food tax."

The population, farm account books, and autumn taxes are a big trouble for other county magistrates, but not for Cao Chong.

The gentry wanted to use this method to embarrass Cao Chong, it was too naive!
With five thousand Shence troops in hand, let me see who dares not pay taxes!
Cao Chong then looked at the little transparent Xia Houshang who had been pretending that he didn't exist.

"How is the Ministry of Industry's survey of canals and roads? And how is the recruitment of craftsmen and young labor?"

Xia Houshang grinned: "It's almost done, I'll give it to you tomorrow. Isn't it the post-autumn conscription of civilian husbands? Why do you want to recruit young and strong laborers yourself?"

Cao Chong covered his head and said in pain: "It's a mistake to let you be the minister of the Ministry of Industry!"

Xia Houshang smiled and said, "Yeah, I also don't think I'm suitable for this job. Young master, why don't you let me go to the military camp?"

Cao Chong looked at Xia Houshang: "You want to go to the barracks, right? Okay!"

Xia Houshang was overjoyed immediately, stood up and said, "Thank you, young master, for your success!"

Cao Chong said again slowly: "Zhao Yun, Ling Tong, Xiahouba, you three go out to practice with him, whoever is defeated by Xiahoushang will change seats with him!"

Xia Houshang immediately withered!
"I also received a letter from Uncle Xia Houyuan yesterday, asking me about your situation here, hum! I will reply later..."

"Young master, please spare me!" Xia Houshang begged for mercy.

"Didn't the work start after autumn? Young master, why are you in such a hurry to build roads and dig canals? You pay for recruiting people yourself, and now it's almost autumn harvest, so you can't recruit people at all!" Xia Houshang argued while begging for mercy.

"Do you know how much stone, wood, bricks and tiles are needed to build a city? If you don't dig a canal, do you rely on land transportation? Then you will be responsible for transporting stones from Xiong'er Mountain!" Cao Chong has had enough of Xiahou's lazy attitude!
"If you don't fix the road first and transport a batch of materials and tools to the construction site, why don't you wait for you to get the building materials at the construction site after they arrive?"

"Young master, don't worry!"

Seeing that Cao Chong was impatient, Xia Houshang quickly explained: "The blueprint of the Caoqu Canal will be given to you tomorrow. After you approve it, dig it immediately. The road is already being repaired."

"It's just that the manpower is a bit tight. The autumn harvest is coming soon, and people are going to work as short-term labor for the landlord to collect grain, and they don't want to come to the construction site."

"Then add more money! You don't have to worry about the autumn harvest, you just need to do the preparatory work for building a new city. If you delay the start of work after the autumn, you can go back and explain to Uncle Xiahouyuan."

After Cao Chong explained the preparations for the autumn harvest and building the city, he went to Kong Rong to discuss the matter of running the school. He was busy until evening before dragging his tired body home.

Diao Chan, Zhen Ji, Wen Jiao, and Cao Chong ate dinner together. Wen Jiao seemed to have forgotten that she was the Minister of the Household Department, and she still maintained the living habits of when she was an accompanying student. Of course, Cao Chong was happy to see it!
"Husband, let's take a day off tomorrow. Since I came to Luoyang, I saw that you are busy in the Yamen every day and come back very late. You will be exhausted!" Diao Chan cared.

Well, it's quite tiring to be busy with business during the day and exercise at night!

"Brother, you've been too busy recently, and the new Luoyang City won't be completed in a while..." Zhen Ji also persuaded.

"Why don't you talk? Don't you persuade me together?" Cao Chong asked curiously while looking at the silent Wen Jiao.

"I think you should focus on the autumn harvest at the moment. As you said, you don't even know how many people and acres you have under your control. How do you collect the autumn tax?" Wen Jiao didn't answer directly.

"I have my own methods for counting household registration, land acres and collecting autumn taxes."

Cao Chong went on to say: "I thought you would also persuade me to slow down the matter of building the city. It seems that everyone thinks that this matter should wait until the arrival of the civil servants after autumn."

"Xia Houshang is not lazy, he just doesn't understand why you would rather pay for it yourself than meet the deadline, and I can't figure out why you are in such a hurry?" Wen Jiao frowned.

Cao Chong sighed secretly, it's not that I'm in a hurry.

Time doesn't wait, if you miss this quiet period, what might happen in the future!

"Also, the plan you set for New Luoyang City is too large and luxurious. If according to your setting, it is not enough to put all your family assets into it, you should know that the imperial court cannot give you too much support. Something I don't understand." Wen Jiao looked at Cao Chong puzzled.

"I never thought of simply building a city for the imperial court. I still have to work hard to manage this place. I will make this place ten times more prosperous than the former Luoyang..."

This was the first time Cao Chong revealed his goal and aspirations to the three women, and the three were taken aback.

"But, husband, don't you need to be so anxious? It's not something that can be completed in three to five years." Diao Chan whispered.

The other two girls also looked suspicious.

Although the three beauties in front of me are all extremely intelligent, they don't have heavenly eyes and cannot make a clear judgment on the situation in the world.

Cao Chong decided to explain it to them, lest they worry, whispered.

"Come on! Let me tell you why you have to rush the construction period?"

(End of this chapter)