Tianliangyuan

Chapter 220 The fiefdom of Lantian County

Fortunately, Xu Zhaozhao was prepared and even ordered several different looms to be made.

Now that the Emperor has summoned her, Xu Zhaozhao told him about it. Afterward, the Emperor sent people to bring those different looms into the palace.

Sure enough, they weren't exactly the same, and the loom that looked a bit old didn't seem to be weaving as fast, and the width wasn't as good either.

At this point, Emperor Yong'an believed Xu Zhaozhao's explanation.

"Your Majesty, although I had this intention, I was ultimately unfamiliar with these woodworking tools. It was thanks to my third brother and cousin who worked hard, drawing plans and finding craftsmen. After several improvements, we finally have the loom we use today. It was indeed my whimsical idea at first, but I never imagined that my two brothers could actually make it a reality."

Xu Zhaozhao's words made it clear.

The initial idea was indeed hers.

But it was the two older brothers who actually carried out this task.

Therefore, there was nothing wrong with you rewarding them before.

Emperor Yong'an was deep in thought.

He noticed Xu Zhaozhao's uniqueness more than once.

Moreover, whether it's corn, pig farming, or modern looms, almost everything bears the mark of Xu Zhaozhao, yet she acts as if she only cares about money.

Emperor Yong'an didn't think Xu Zhaozhao had much ambition; he simply thought she was a blessed and intelligent person.

Perhaps this girl is just lucky.

If that's the case, wouldn't it be a waste if we couldn't make good use of it?

Xu Zhaozhao had no idea that the Emperor had thought of so much.

After Xu Zhaozhao left, the Emperor summoned Gu Dongyang and Cui Xuanzheng.

Gu Dongyang was the Minister of Revenue, and Cui Xuanzheng was the Vice Minister of War and also the Marquis of Xinning.

The Emperor summoned these two, naturally assuming it was about the border war.

In reality, the Emperor summoned the two of them simply to consider a fiefdom.

"Your Majesty, I believe Lantian County is suitable."

Emperor Yong'an asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Cui Xuanzheng said, “Your Majesty, Lantian County has been a major road between Qin and Chu since ancient times, and it is one of the important routes from Guanzhong to the southeastern provinces. If this place can be developed, it will benefit our capital.”

Lantian County is bordered by the Qinling Mountains to the southeast, bordering Luonan County and other areas; by the Kuyu River to the west, it borders the capital; and by Mount Li to the north, it borders Lintong. This area should have been prosperous, but for some reason, its development has been sluggish for decades, failing to achieve the results expected by the Ministry of Revenue.

Gu Dongyang wholeheartedly agreed with this.

At first, he also thought that Lantian County was bound to develop. After all, since the emperor ascended the throne, he had been committed to developing agriculture and commerce. Although there were many restrictions on merchants, it was still much better than the time of the previous emperor.

But who would have thought that Lantian County has had seven or eight magistrates, and to this day, they are still not capable of being put to good use.

In terms of agriculture, if there is any disaster or calamity, don't expect Lantian County to have much stored grain.

In terms of business acumen, Lantian County clearly has a superior geographical location, but it just can't seem to thrive.

In terms of political achievements, they certainly don't come out.

When officials in Daxing, especially local officials, achieve little more than agricultural and commercial taxes, and produce a few famous scholars in their jurisdiction, such as those who pass the provincial examinations or the metropolitan examinations.

But after all these years, nothing is left.

Cui Xuanzheng chose this place because he felt that the feng shui of this place might be bad. Xu Zhaozhao was just a county princess of a different surname. If the emperor were to bestow this place upon her, the people of the world would naturally be grateful for the emperor's benevolence, and Xu Zhaozhao would also be extremely grateful.

As for how much income there will be, that's another matter.

Gu Dongyang also felt that this place was just right.

He also wanted to see what kind of results would be achieved if the magistrate of Lantian were to manage this place.

Although she was granted the title of county lord, it did not mean that the entire county belonged to her.

During the Daxing Dynasty, the fiefdoms of county lords varied, generally ranging from five hundred to one thousand households.

There were very few county lords of different surnames in the Daxing Dynasty. Even if a few were granted titles, they did not enjoy fiefs; they were merely more honored in status.

Now that the Emperor has proposed granting Xu Zhaozhao a fiefdom, Gu Dongyang and Cui Xuanzheng can naturally see that this young lady is truly favored.

Moreover, it's the kind of doting affection that elders have for younger generations.

"Then let's go with Lantian County."

The total population of Lantian County is now about 20,000, with more than 4,000 households.

Now that the fiefdom has been settled, the next step is to see how much land His Majesty intends to grant to the Princess of Anle.

"A decree is drafted to grant the Princess of Anle County the fief of Lantian County, with a fief of one thousand households, and the magistrate of Lantian County is ordered to immediately begin constructing the Princess's residence."

"Yes!"

The imperial decree came from the palace, and after Xu Zhaozhao understood it, she was completely stunned.

She had considered that the Emperor would punish her, and even that he would take back some of the rewards, but she never expected that the Emperor would actually grant her a fiefdom!

Shouldn't she be a little flattered?

Lantian County!

She knew that this place was about seventy or eighty miles away from the capital.

It's not that far, by all accounts.

But the orchard she's worked so hard to build is located in Wannian County!

Why did His Majesty send her to Lantian County again?

After calming down, Xu Zhaozhao figured it out.

She was a county lord and did not need to go to her fiefdom, but she had a fief of a thousand households, which was indeed a real benefit to her.

The county magistrate's residence is to be built in the county seat; this is not a concern.

But in reality, how her fiefdom was allocated depended on the will of those above.

Xu Zhaozhao always felt that things were not simple.

Moreover, she also heard the news that when the emperor was choosing a fief for her, he specifically summoned Cui Xuanzheng, a vice minister of the Ministry of War. What did he want with him?

Xu Zhaozhao was truly stunned when she received another imperial decree.

She felt like she was the chosen one to be a working person!

The Emperor isn't rewarding her at all; he's clearly assigning her tasks!

Lantian County allocated a large area of ​​land to Xu Zhaozhao.

Xu Zhaozhao had seen it: a hilltop, plus a thousand acres of fertile land, three thousand acres of wasteland, and two thousand acres of inferior land.

Tsk, they're sending her to Lantian County to reclaim wasteland!

Of the thousand households in the fiefdom, the Emperor and the Marquis of Xinning first sent her more than three hundred households.

Ha, now Xu Zhaozhao is being ordered to raise these two crippled soldiers!

Xu Zhaozhao is a county princess, and according to regulations, she should have personal guards.

I didn't take it seriously before, mainly because she lived in the Marquis's mansion, and it was just a nominal title, so there was no need to worry.

Things are different now. She has her own fiefdom, so naturally she should start building up her own personal guards instead of just making do with what she used to do.

Xu Zhaozhao felt that the Emperor had given her a big problem.

Her father and brothers, who were skilled at selecting and training soldiers, were no longer around, and her fiancé had also left, so who could she turn to to form her personal guard?

I can't go by myself, can I?

At this moment, Xu Zhaozhao really wanted to hit someone!