Chapter 1748 – Late-Stage Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Feng Zhen never expected that his well-behaved little treasure of a son would suddenly dig such a big pit for him at a critical moment.
At this time, he was still on the road.
The distance from Nanshengningzhou to Dongqing Wanzhou was quite far. Feng Zhen and his companions had been traveling for over a month, and it felt like their bones would shatter from the bumpy ride. Besides the physical exhaustion of the journey, the weather conditions from both the north and south were taking a toll on Feng Zhen. The cold in Nansheng was damp and bone-chilling, while the winter cold in Dongqing was swept by snowstorms that required full armor just to step outside.
When they reached Wanzhou, it was less than a month until New Year’s Eve, and most of the Common People were holed up at home for the winter, rarely seen in public.
Outside, it was freezing cold, but inside the carriage, it was warm and cozy.
Inside the carriage, both Feng Zhen and Qian Su, the two scholars, were fully bundled up, wearing brocade hats, draped in marten furs, and clutching warm hand stoves.
Qian Su, being a southern native from the warm water towns, had never seen so much snow in the north.
Initially, he was a bit excited, but as time passed, that sense of novelty faded, leaving only concern for the Common People in his heart.
“The snow is so deep; I wonder how the Common People will get through this winter…”
While it is said that a timely snow heralds a good year, too much snow can lead to disaster. With poor-quality housing, countless Common People find their homes collapsing under the weight of the snow every winter. How could they possibly get through such a cold winter without shelter?
Feng Zhen, in contrast, maintained a cheerful demeanor the whole way, even finding the elegance to enjoy a bit of wine, his cheeks flush from the drink.
Finally unable to take it anymore, he explained a few things to comfort Qian Su.
“Have you not noticed that we haven’t seen a single corpse of the Common People along the way?”
Not to mention the bodies of those who froze to death outside; they hadn’t even seen many livings souls—just clean roads free of snow on the official paths.
Feng Zhen praised his lord with a chuckle, saying, “Our Lord treats the Common People with kindness and compassion; how could he let them suffer even through winter? This heavy snow isn’t unprecedented; the Common People already have their methods to cope. Even if their houses get crushed by snow, the government will provide them with temporary shelter until their homes are fixed. They won’t suffer any lasting harm.”
What outsiders say can’t compare to firsthand experience, and Feng Zhen smiled, “You’ll know once we enter the city.”
In fact, Qian Su also understood that his worries were somewhat unwarranted.
Upon entering Wanzhou, Qian Su noticed a peculiar phenomenon: there were always villages near the main roads, and the houses in these villages were astonishingly neat, like a set of identical triplet siblings. It’s known that the homes of the Common People are usually hodgepodge, not only unsightly but also of poor quality and randomly positioned. Yet these villages were different—everything was arranged orderly, pleasing to the eye.
Not only that, he often spotted Common People climbing onto rooftops to clear the snow.
Though he was a bit far away to clearly see their faces, he could tell they wore thick clothing sufficient to keep warm.
Feng Zhen clarified, “The villages near the main roads were built by the government recruiting displaced people. Most of these villagers are indeed displaced, with some coming down from remote mountain villages at the government’s behest. Building near the main road is also to facilitate their grain transportation, allowing them to sell their harvested goods easily.”
This area was not far from the mountains, with cleared farmland, allowing the Common People to live independently and sustain themselves.
Of course, the upkeep of the main road was also a shared responsibility among these villages—each was in charge of clearing a certain section during winter snowfall.
At the end of winter, the government would provide a certain amount of grains or various crops for spring planting to these villages.
Qian Su questioned, “It must be hard to leave their ancestral lands; would they be willing to leave?”
“There were indeed some who initially resisted, even suspecting some underlying plot,” Feng Zhen laughed, “Having suffered through years of war, the Common People of Dongqing have endured great hardship. When the government offered them relocation, new homes, arable land, spring seeds, farming tools, and even oxen, who wouldn’t take the opportunity to improve their situation? Trees die when they don’t move; but people thrive. Once some individuals in a village become prosperous, the stubborn ones will inevitably change their minds. Our Lord has great kindness; the Common People are not ignorant of what’s good for them…”
Except for a few close Confidants, no one knew what kind of grand plan Jiang Pengji was laying out.
After hearing this, Qian Su agreed with Feng Zhen. Jiang Pengji truly was a benevolent ruler. Spending such immense resources and manpower just to improve the lives of the Common People and provide them with decent homes was indeed rare. Many lords only focused on their own development, extracting more resources from the populace to strengthen their power, but it was a rarity to find a lord willing to sacrifice personal interests for the welfare of the Common People.
The more he understood, the more Qian Su felt ashamed of his past prejudices.
Prejudice is indeed a bad thing!
Feng Zhen listened to Qian Su but merely smiled in silence.
It was true that Jiang Pengji benefited the Common People, but this construction plan was not solely for their sake.
Due to the chaos of the times, many Common People weren’t officially registered; they were effectively off the books, lacking household registration meant they couldn’t undergo population surveys.
Without accurate population statistics, how would future tax laws be enforced?
Moving the Common People to fixed villages allowed for population counting and household registration, which was not only for their benefit but also for unified management and ensuring social security. The houses weren’t free; they were still rented at low prices, encouraging the Common People to produce and create value, eventually allowing them to buy permanent residence rights… these were all hidden demographic benefits.
In Wanzhou, such villages were everywhere.
These villages were all built around farmland and government-constructed roads, with at least forty to fifty households in smaller villages, and up to a hundred in larger ones.
Of course, these constructions weren’t completed overnight; usually, one village would be established before moving in a batch of people.
At first, the Common People were reluctant, but eventually, they began to stretch their necks, eagerly waiting for their turn.
The wheels of the carriage continued to roll forward, and before long, they arrived at the magnificent Xiangyang.
Saying it was a county was a bit of a stretch; its permanent population even exceeded that of the largest state capital, and the city was constantly expanding outward.
Naturally, these expansions were systematic.
Upon entering the city and seeing the orderly houses, Qian Su fell silent once more.
If he knew there was a term called “obsessive-compulsive disorder,” he might understand the feelings deep within him.
Whether it was the construction of villages or urban development, was the person in charge’s obsession reaching an irrevocable late stage?
The houses had to be uniform; the eaves’ decorations had to match exactly, building specifications couldn’t differ in the slightest, and even the Blue Bricks laid on the ground had to follow a specific pattern… ever since Jiang Pengji promoted the Blue Brick crafting technique at the Huanshui Conference, many lords had tried to replicate it but ended up producing mere imitations. The Blue Brick paving wasn’t visually appealing or neatly organized, but here in Xiangyang, it was a whole different story!!!
After living in such an orderly place for too long, it seemed likely that even one’s personality would be subtly transformed.
