After rebirth, I ran wild in the heart of His Highness the Prince

Chapter 230 Collusion between officials and businessmen

"Your Highness, it's time to eat."

Gu Siyuan stood in front of the window, looking at the gloomy sky outside. The rain poured down, blurring his vision. "It's sunny, how many days has it been raining in a row?"

Changqing made a rough calculation and replied: "It seems like more than ten days since I came to Jiangnan."

"My servant has already inquired about it. May and June in Jiangnan are the rainy season. I heard that it rained continuously for a month the year before last. People in Jiangnan are used to it. Your Highness does not need to worry."

Everyone should just treat it as an ordinary rainy season and get over it.

Gu Siyuan could smell the dampness in the air as he breathed. He slowly left from the window. Chang Qing had already placed a meal on the table, "Your Highness, take your time."

When he first came to Jiangnan, the people in Jiangnan Mansion seemed to be very respectful. There were countless tables set up for the banquet. Gu Siyuan had no intention of enjoying it and refused many banquet invitations from Jiangnan Mansion officials. Behind his back, many people were secretly blaming him for the prince's ignorance. Anyway, I don't know how to turn a blind eye.

On the second day, he and his people began to inspect the terrain. The rain fell so hard that it hit the oil-paper umbrella, making it almost unsteady to hold it.

Gu Siyuan remembered Qin Zhongwan's advice and said it to make outsiders laugh. Qin Zhongwan had not even arrived in Jiangnan, but he said it with great importance, as if he expected some disaster.

After coming back to his senses, he stood on the bank of the river and looked at

Someone in the team complained that there were probably hundreds of holes in the sky because of the rain, so why didn’t it stop for a moment?

Gu Siyuan held an umbrella and looked at the bricks and stones under his feet. The yellow mud was washed away by the rain, and the turbid muddy water mixed into the river. The rolling water splashes were all earth-colored. "How many feet did the river water rise?"

The officials following Gu Siyuan looked at each other in confusion. Magistrate Lin was bloated, and his small eyes were so crowded by the flesh on his face that they almost disappeared. "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, did not know anything when he first came here. It is common knowledge that the rain will continue in Jiangnan, and the river water will rise more than ever before." It will go down in a few days.”

He forced a flattering smile towards Gu Siyuan and said, "Your Highness, it's windy and rainy outside. I'm afraid that Your Highness's body may be wet. Why don't you go back home? When the weather clears up another day, I'll take good care of you." Come out with His Highness to enjoy the entertainment."

It sounds nice, but the underlying meaning is that no one cares and they dislike Gu Siyuan for meddling in other people's business.

The terrain in the south of the Yangtze River is flat, and Prefect Lin doesn't care about the rainy season at all. This has been the case for many years, and the officials of Jiangnan Prefecture don't care either.

Gu Siyuan turned his stern side face to Magistrate Lin and said, "Watch it?"

The heavy rain diluted the subtlety of the tone. Magistrate Lin had not noticed the danger yet and smiled happily at Gu Siyuan.Trying to get over it.

Although Gu Siyuan was unhappy, he also understood that this was not the time to break up.

He did not continue the stalemate and left with the people.

After exploring the terrain around Jiangnan one after another, the terrain was gentle, with mountains to the east. Gu Siyuan went to the foot of the mountain and sank with one foot. The soil under his feet was soft.

Looking under the oil-paper umbrella, Gu Siyuan frowned.

The mountains had been washed away by rain for several days, and the soil was so soft that even the roots of the trees were exposed.

If the weather remains unchanged and it rains continuously, the mountain may collapse and cause mudslides, which may cause disaster to the villages at the foot of the mountain.

After returning to Jiangnan Mansion that day, Gu Siyuan began to arrange for the construction of the dam.

Magistrate Lin got the news and hurried over.

"Your Highness, you must not do this!"

Before Gu Siyuan said anything more, he got the news and came over. Seeing this, Gu Siyuan sneered, "The magistrate is well informed. You came here before I informed you."

Those words made Magistrate Lin's back feel cold, and he smiled coquettishly.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty, I am eager for the moment. I heard that Your Highness wants to rebuild the embankment. Your Highness, this matter needs long-term consideration and you should not act impulsively."

"Jiangnan Mansion looks great on the outside, but His Highness doesn't know. Because the harvest in the past two years was not good and taxes were not reduced, all the grain in the warehouse was sold to provide food. Where is there any spare money in the prefect's books?"

Prefect Lin sighed in a pretentious manner, "Your Highness, building the dam is a waste of time and money. Please take back your order."

There was no money in the books, and it all went into the pockets of the officials. It seemed to Gu Siyuan that it was not that he had no money, but that he had been enriched by a group of drunkards and rice sacks.

As the prince, Gu Siyuan knew very well that the treasury in Kyoto was empty, and he must not be able to come up with this money.

At present, Jiangnan is safe and sound. His proposal to rebuild the dam at this time may be regarded as nonsense in the eyes of many people.

The gentry and local rich would not give out even half a penny. They thought they had not eaten enough, so how could they give it away in vain?

Changqing held the thin account book and was ashamed to see her master.

"Your Highness, we only raised 100 taels."

"gold?"

Changqing shook her head, "Baiyin."

Gu Siyuan was not surprised. Since Magistrate Lin dared to say those words, he must have communicated with the squires in private, hoping that those who eat people without spitting out their bones would spit out their money as if they were ascending to heaven.

Building a dam is a big project, and throwing a mere 100 taels of silver into it is just a splash.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?"

"This is a letter from Gu Xiu. Send someone to send it to Kyoto as fast as possible."

"Yes."