Why marry someone when you are reborn?

Chapter 232 Plan

It was completely dark, and Xu Yun finally waited for Zhu Qing to come back.

Zhu Qing was still wearing the whitish clothes and looked a little taciturn.

But it only looks.

After Zhu Qing came back, he met Xu Yun. The first thing he did was not to report back, but to ask: "Xu Dazhuang and his men said that you, the county magistrate, said you wanted to set up a free school?"

Xu Yun, however, did not let himself be led by the nose. He only raised his eyebrows and asked, "Have all the names been recorded? How many people gathered to cause trouble?"

Zhu Qing was silent for a moment before he said, "One hundred and twenty-eight people. All are on record. Including the sixty-year-old man."

"Are you dissatisfied?" Xu Yun didn't want to beat around the bush and leave any fig leaf for anyone, so he just blurted it out in one sentence.

Zhu Qing and Xu Yun looked at each other again.

Xu Yun was calm and gentle, and did not look very angry.

Zhu Qing emphasized: "The law does not punish the masses. And they are old people after all. They can't bear three days of hard labor at all."

"If they can't carry wood or stones, they can at least carry a kettle, right? While others are working, they can boil water and deliver it to others to drink." However, Xu Yun did not give in to Zhu Qing's opinion.

If you say three days, it will happen in three days.

Even if I can only come to add tea, I have to come!

Xu Yun did not leave any cover. At this moment, Zhu Qing also asked with a cold look: "Does County Magistrate Xu want to use these old people to establish his authority?"

In response to this question, Xu Yun admitted openly: "Yes."

After a pause, when Zhu Qing's anger began to show on his face, Xu Yun spoke again: "However, I should also thank them for giving me this opportunity, don't you think so, County Magistrate Zhu?"

Zhu Qing froze, unable to ask any more questions.

Xu Yun restrained his smile and reminded coldly: "County Magistrate Zhu, I was sent by the court. I represent the court. As the county magistrate, your first task is to help me establish my prestige and control the situation."

After the confrontation, Zhu Qing finally lowered his head and said, "Yes."

Xu Yun didn't care whether he was willing or not, and just ordered: "Go find a controlled house, larger and more spacious, to build an official school. It would be best if it is not far from the Imperial Examination Hall."

"Also, make a list tomorrow and write down all the gentry, landlords, and wealthy merchants in the county. I want to give a banquet."

"By the way, the headmen of each of the villages below must also come."

This is not a strange request, it is part of the normal process.

After all, the first step to becoming an official is to get to know the local bigwigs.

Sometimes the county magistrate doesn't really do whatever he wants.

Zhu Qing responded again.

Xu Yun gave another order: "Tell people to go door to door and register all children aged seven and above and under twelve."

Zhu Qing's heart was moved, and he couldn't help but ask again: "Do you really want to build a free school?"

Seeing that he was really concerned about this issue, Xu Yun kindly told him: "Yes. But not every child can continue to study. Most children can only study for one year. Moreover, the school does not provide pens, ink, paper and inkstone."

In other words, it's fine to follow along and learn, but the school doesn't care about other things.

“Moreover, for children who cannot attend school as a day student, they will also need to pay for accommodation and meals or provide food.”

Zhu Qing was stunned.

Xu Yun told the truth: "There is not that much money. Right now, I have asked, and the county government has no extra money except for the grain tax that can be collected immediately. But the grain tax is needed to support the people in the government office."

So, there is nothing left.

She smiled at Zhu Qing and said, "When the time comes, I will have to trouble County Magistrate Zhu to cooperate with me and invite these wealthy merchants, landlords and gentry to donate some money and goods."

Zhu Qing's face suddenly cracked: "Cooperate, how to cooperate? Is it forced, or -"

"Mr. Zhu is a good speaker. I think he will be able to persuade them to pay." Xu Yun smiled and made a deliberate comment.

Zhu Qing's expression became more complicated.

Xu Yun yawned and said that he needed to rest. He also asked Zhu Qing to go back and rest as there were still many things to do tomorrow.

Zhu Qing hesitated and turned to leave.

Xu Yun didn't think much about it, he turned around happily and waited for his noodles.

She brought her own food and cook.

We are having hand-rolled noodles tonight. The vegetables are bought from farmers outside and they are very fresh.

We were supposed to reward everyone tonight after the long journey, but the people blocking the road delayed us for nearly an hour and we were too late to buy the sheep and slaughter them.

So Xu Yun has already announced that he will buy a sheep tomorrow and stew the mutton!

This is what refreshed all the tired people.

Xu Yun and the others were having their meal, so naturally they had some discussion at the table.

Luo Li spoke first.

She had come into contact with the most people today, so she had the most to say: "From the attitudes of others today, especially Chief Clerk Liu An, they have no ill will towards us and are very cooperative."

"Even the people in the town, when they saw us, at most they would make a few comments, but there was no sign of opposition or vigilance."

Gao Yu also nodded: "Ayun and I were in the county government office, and the feeling was similar."

Xu Yun concluded: "Let's wait and see. You must control the others and not cause any trouble, let alone conflict with the locals."

After a pause, she said, "Find someone to quietly pretend to be a peddler and ask the locals about this Zhu Qing. Also, about the previous county magistrate."

Luo Li agreed.

Gao Yu couldn't help being excited and rubbed his hands: "Ah Yun, what can I do?"

Xu Yun thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you take people for a walk when you have nothing to do? Come back and tell me what you see."

Given Gao Yu's personality, if we don't find her something to do, we're afraid that she'll get into trouble.

After listening to Xu Yun's words, Gao Yu asked seriously, "So - are we just going to visit the town, or the countryside as well?"

"Let's go together. The government should send people to do the statistics, or let the villagers do the statistics themselves. You should pay more attention to this matter." Xu Yun looked at Gao Yu seriously: "Ayu, whether you can find any injustice or deception depends on you."

Gao Yu immediately promised: "I will do it well!"

After dinner, Xu Yun and the others went to bed early to recharge their energy for the next day.

On the second day, Xu Yun sent Wang Li and Chen Ku to rent a house next to the county government office.

Only rented for three months.

It’s not that she is reluctant to spend the money, but... Xu Yun only has the right to use these soldiers for more than two months.

That was all borrowed.

If Xu Yun really had to live here forever, he wouldn't be able to support himself.

But in this case, she must sort out the mess in Lingtai County within these three months.

Otherwise, when people leave, she will really become a paper tiger.

As for the thirty craftsmen, Xu Yun arranged for them to live directly in the county government office.

Among the thirty craftsmen, two were bricklayers who knew how to build kangs and repair houses.

Therefore, Xu Yun did not even bother making the bed and directly asked two craftsmen to make a kang!

By then, six people can sleep in one room without having to worry about sleeping or heating in winter.

Speaking of making a kang, people in Lingtai County have not yet developed the habit of doing so.

There are people in the county who have kangs, but they are all bricklayers hired from other counties. The wages are too high.

Xu Yun thought about it, and called Zhu Qing, Liu An and the others: "Go and find a few bricklayers who are willing to learn how to make kangs to work for us for a few days for free, with food provided. As for whether they can learn the craft, it depends on their own understanding."

This question made Liu An and the others excited: "Really?"

Xu Yun nodded: "It can't be considered teaching. Just follow them for a few days. Whether they can learn it or not depends on themselves."