Moma Liangshan

Chapter 139 A Legendary Couple, Embarking on a Major Construction Project

Li Tong smiled and nodded, saying, "Wang Hao is more eager than Brother Defu to build an official road connecting the Bohai and Yellow Seas!" At this point, Zhao Mingcheng finally gained confidence, saying, "Building an official road over two hundred li long is extremely expensive; Wang Hao might not be willing to spend so much money in Mizhou!" Li Tong disagreed, saying, "Wang Hao is a man with the world in his heart; his vision won't be limited to Jiaozhou County. Brother Defu's proactive cooperation is a golden opportunity for Wang Hao; he can't refuse it under any circumstances!" Zhao Mingcheng hesitated, saying, "Wouldn't our actions be seen as using our power to intimidate him?" Li Tong shook his head helplessly, saying, "Jiaozhou is wealthy..." "Wang Hao has good relations with wealthy merchants across the land, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to allocate hundreds of thousands of strings of cash annually to repair the official road!" Zhao Mingcheng suddenly realized, saying, "Brother Yanping is absolutely right! Although the entire official road would cost a fortune to complete, phased construction is the most suitable approach for the current situation!" Li Tong nodded, saying, "The people of Laizhou are much better off than those in Jiaozhou before Wang Hao's time. Brother Defu only needs to conscript people to repair the official road during the lean season each year to ensure peace throughout Laizhou." Zhao Mingcheng pondered for a moment, then said, "Repairing the official road during the lean season can also significantly reduce labor costs. At that time, as long as we pay the people some grain, we won't have to worry about a lack of workers!"

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Zhao Mingcheng noticed that Li Tong looked tired and said, "Brother Yanping, you must be tired from your journey. You can go to the other courtyard to rest first. I will treat you to a welcome dinner tonight!" Li Tong did not refuse and said, "Then I will have to ask Brother Defu for help!" After saying that, Li Tong went to the other courtyard with the help of his servants.

After Li Tong left, a woman came out from the inner room and said, "It's been a few years, Yanping has matured quite a bit!" The woman was none other than Li Qingzhao, Zhao Mingcheng's first wife. Zhao Mingcheng said, "Yanping is almost thirty, so naturally he's lost the youthful idealism of his earlier years!" Li Qingzhao nodded and continued, "Husband, are you ready to cooperate with Wang Hao?" Zhao Mingcheng sighed helplessly and said, "With Cai Jing in power and Uncle Cui alone in Qingzhou, is there any other way out besides cooperating with Wang Hao?" Li Qingzhao knew her husband very well and said, "Although Wang Hao didn't come from a scholarly background, he's upright and honest, and someone worth befriending!" Zhao Mingcheng looked troubled and said, "Wang Hao's age is almost equivalent to ours, but to ask me to address him as a brother is really too much for me." "This is difficult!" Li Qingzhao, knowing her husband's pride, said, "Cai Jing and Tong Guan are much older than you, sir. Would they dare treat Wang Hao as a junior?" Zhao Mingcheng shook his head and said, "They wouldn't dare!" Li Qingzhao continued, "Cooperating with Wang Hao, both publicly and privately, will ultimately benefit not only us but also the people of Laizhou. If you, sir, cannot get along with Wang Hao simply because you are a few years older, you will truly become a laughingstock!" In later generations, Zhao Mingcheng would be best suited to be a university professor, imparting his vast knowledge to countless students; however, Zhao Mingcheng lacked Li Tong's indifference to fame and fortune, hoping to revive his family's fortune through an official career.

Zhao Mingcheng remained silent for a long time before saying, "Both Madam and Yanping suggested that I cooperate with Wang Hao. Naturally, I won't let trivial matters ruin the important matter!" Li Qingzhao nodded and said, "These past years have been hard on you, my husband. I truly miss the days of 'betting on books and splashing tea' in Tokyo!" Scholars are often sentimental, and Zhao Mingcheng unconsciously looked out the window at the sky, saying, "Roughly speaking, it's been almost ten years since we left Tokyo!" Li Qingzhao nodded and said, "Sometimes I really feel that rather than struggling in the officialdom, it would be better to choose a city to live out one's days in!" Zhao Mingcheng looked dejected and said, "Do you also think that I am not suited to be an official?" Li Qingzhao, afraid of hurting her husband's pride, said, "It's not that I'm not suited to be an official, my husband, it's just that I'm not suited to be a prefect!" Zhao Mingcheng understood Li Qingzhao's meaning and said, "If Cai Jing hadn't been in power in Tokyo, I might have been able to request a transfer to the Hanlin Academy to focus on compiling books and catalogs, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned!" Li Qingzhao said, "The book has been completed for four years, but unfortunately, it can only be circulated among a few people!"

Zhao Mingcheng suddenly had an idea and said, "If we want it to be circulated throughout the world, Wang Hao might be able to help us!" Li Qingzhao, however, was not optimistic about this, saying, "But it's something we've written as husband and wife. Asking Wang Hao to engrave and print it for us might invite criticism from the world!" Zhao Mingcheng was unwilling to give up, saying, "It's the culmination of our decades of hard work; it's like our child. I really can't bear to see my child gathering dust!" Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no offspring. Not being able to continue the Zhao family line was Li Qingzhao's greatest pain, and she said, "In that case, I'll ask Wang Hao for help!" Zhao Mingcheng understood his wife's good intentions. If anything unpleasant happened, Li Qingzhao would rather suffer humiliation herself than let her husband's reputation be compromised. Zhao Mingcheng shook his head, saying, "Although you are well-read, it's ultimately not suitable for you to show your face in public. I'll go and ask Wang Hao for help!"

However, at this moment, Wang Hao was summoning Qin Guanhai, the chief engineer of Jiaozhou. Wang Hao pointed to an empty plot of land on the Jiaozhou map and said, "I want to build the largest library in the world here!" Qin Guanhai didn't react immediately, muttering, "A library?" Wang Hao realized his misunderstanding and said, "It's roughly equivalent to a library!" Qin Guanhai quickly understood and said, "Building a library isn't difficult, but making it the largest in the world is not so easy!" This time, Wang Hao was very determined, saying, "This library must not only be the largest in the world, but the main structure must also be made of earth, stone, and bricks, and it must guarantee good lighting and ventilation!" Qin Guanhai didn't understand why Wang Hao insisted on using earth, stone, and bricks, and asked, "Why does Your Excellency want to abandon wood?" Wang Hao smiled casually and said, "It's not that I'm completely abandoning wood, it's just for fire prevention!" Qin Guanhai suddenly understood. Da Wu said, "But this would at least double the construction cost and time!" Wang Hao didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Do you know the difference between a library and a collection of books?" Qin Guanhai shook his head and replied, "No!" Wang Hao explained, "Collected books are often exclusively for the powerful and wealthy, making it difficult for poor students to access their collections. However, whether a book is privately owned by one person or circulated among thousands, the knowledge and principles it carries will not be diminished in the slightest; on the contrary, they will be better developed and passed on. After the library is built, it will be open to everyone free of charge!" Wang Hao's last casual remark stirred up a storm in Qin Guanhai's heart: "If this library is completed on schedule, Jiaozhou will surely become a sacred place that countless students will flock to visit, because it is a source of knowledge and learning!"