Chapter 812: To get rich, first build roads

Chen Wuji already had an idea, but officialdom differs from the army; the Qin system cannot be copied wholesale without changes, and must be combined with Nan Jun's current concrete situation, adapting to local conditions.

The Qin system will also be the soul of his governance of Nan Jun, the foundation. But the upward and downward branches need to be given Nan Jun's unique labels, adjusting according to the current situation and Nan Jun's local characteristics.

These matters are hard for someone at the top to see clearly. One must have Qin Feng and those who oversee a prefecture and a county go deep, digging out what's good and bad, what needs regulation, and other details.

In Huaxia's history, every dynasty summarizes the lessons and experiences of its predecessors, then formulates its own state policy, and uses this as a basis to adjust the court framework and its corresponding functions.

Even the barbarian tribes nurtured under the White Mountains and Black Waters know to flip through Huaxia's history books, find a suitable way to rule for themselves, and then heavily impose cultural suppression to prolong their rule.

Although this counts as a negative example.

But they all directly prove the weight of the four characters "learn from history".

Although Chen Wuji stands on the shoulders of giants and has an extraordinary vision, he still cannot avoid facing concrete problems. He must combine the mistakes people made in ancient times, the lessons learned, his own understanding of Huaxia history, and the current actual situation to triply verify the direction of Nan Jun officialdom.

Qin Feng finally became solemn, asking seriously: "My lord, what specific aspects do you need?"

"All!" Chen Wuji said, "Since we are formulating policy, we must consider every aspect."

"You can chat with Hezhou's civil and military officials, hear what they have to say, don't bother with superficial nonsense, be direct, and ask them clearly about their genuine demands."

Qin Feng nodded thoughtfully, "Subordinate understands."

Chen Wuji shook off the dust between his fingers, stepped forward, and said, "This road is well built."

A single compliment made Qin Feng instantly reveal his true colors; he smugly said, "My lord, this is the greatest achievement I aim to accomplish this year, and I've truly put effort into it—I want this road to last a hundred years without damage; even if I die, it must remain level and straight."

Chen Wuji looked at Qin Feng with interest, smiling faintly, and said, "But there's still room for improvement."

The smile on Qin Feng's face froze instantly; he said, "My lord, this shortness of breath you've caused—what else needs improvement? My lord, give the order, and I'll carry it out immediately."

"This isn't really your fault, it's mine. Earlier, with the wars busy, I didn't think of some things." Chen Wuji said, "Building a road by tamped earth probably can't reach the hundred-year durability you want; at most it'll last ten or twenty years, and without traffic, even that may be uncertain."

Qin Feng's mouth twitched slightly.

Damn it, his face hurts a little.

"The road surface currently being made can serve as the bottom layer; above it can be a layer of steam-tamped earth. It's simple: pour hot water onto the soil layer, let it cool, then tamp it down, repeat laying several layers, then lay a layer of lime and sanhe soil." Chen Wuji said while walking.

"The specific procedure, I'll write a detailed document later for you to carry out. But remember, it's best kept secret; in Dayu, probably few people know my method." Chen Wuji said.

This is legitimate black technology from the Qin dynasty, the layered laying of steam-treated earth, sanhe soil, and lime; although it may be hard to achieve a hundred-year durability, its actual quality is even a bit higher than that of roughly made hardened roads, as long as road drainage is good, there will be no wheel-sinking in rain.

Qin Feng looked at the already laid straight road of over twenty li, and at once felt unwell.

In his eyes, this road was already a finished product.

But with just a few words from Chen Wuji, the road instantly became a semi-finished product having only completed the first process.

Thus, the construction period suddenly tripled.

Qin Feng let out a faint sigh; truly, a single word from my lord makes the subordinate run his legs off.

"My lord, in that case, can this road last a hundred years?" Qin Feng asked.

Chen Wuji shook his head, "Without maintenance, it can't be guaranteed!"

Any road that people walk on will inevitably suffer wear and tear.

Before Dayu, the court had a specialized office for this, with officials like the Dao Bridge Clerk specifically responsible for the construction, maintenance, and management of roads and bridges.

But the founders of Dayu believed that office was bloated with redundant officials; roads and bridges hardly needed that many officials, nor did each segment need dedicated maintenance personnel, so they cut over ninety percent of the officials, leaving only a tiny few.

Now that office amounts to little more than a name.

That is, when a wealthy gentleman wants to do a good deed, earn merit, and undertake charitable bridge-building or road-laying, they step forward to set up a regulation and draft a document.

"Old Qin, a road without maintenance is almost impossible to last long." Chen Wuji said, "Every county and every road segment must have a dedicated person in charge of maintenance; the daily focus is the road surface and drainage, and this money cannot be spared, nor can it be saved."

"Building a road but not maintaining it is tantamount to burying this silver for ten or twenty years of convenience."

Qin Feng shook his head and sighed, "My lord, a few words have multiplied my workload four or five times; it's truly exhausting—I should have waited until the road was finished before reporting."

Chen Wuji ignored his complaint, giving him a sideways glance, "You just made grand promises, guaranteeing that even if you died, the road would stay level and straight—how can you not stand it after just a moment? Qin Gongzi, this doesn't look like the attitude for handling big affairs."

"I will still handle the matter!" Qin Feng grew arrogant again, "I will definitely make this road last a hundred years; I won't do three or five layers, I'll directly do nine layers, with a layer of rubble and gravel in between, using mature earth above and below. I, Qin Feng, either don't do it, or if I do, I must achieve the utmost extreme in the world."

Chen Wuji nodded deeply in agreement, "I have always believed that Qin Gongzi has this ability."

Those words were not just idle talk.

Although this guy Qin Feng exaggerates a bit, his ability is also genuine.

It's just that this guy is relatively lazy, not liking to take initiative on things.

As they spoke, a group entered the city in a mighty procession.

Chen Wuji had met Hezhou's civil and military officials at the government office, exchanged a few words, learned what they had been doing recently, then went to the Ciji Zhai with the gifts he had prepared beforehand.

After being away for half a year, Chen Wuji missed Zhang Lao, his nominal master, quite a bit.

With the chaos quelled, the people's lives stabilized, and Hezhou also burst forth with vibrant vitality.

On the streets, heads crowded together, pedestrians and various vehicles flowed incessantly.

Because of the three major industries—paper, iron pots, and woolen clothing—inside Hezhou City, outsiders now outnumber locals, and merchant caravans from all places can be seen everywhere on the main streets.