The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Wan Lianxing looked at Shang Xi, and Shang Xi's eyes grew long. She raised her right hand and said, "Uncle, I swear, I won't make sweet potato noodles."

Shang Xi is not omnipotent. She knows a lot, but she has never made sweet potato flour herself.

Yan Qilian was afraid that this plan would fail, so he hurriedly asked, "Can the people here do it?"

Wan Lianxing said: "Since you know how to make it, why don't you make flour from the sweet potatoes in your own fields and sell it for money."

Yan Qilian said, "My Lord, there is no place to sell it. People in the city have limited food."

Wan Lianxing said, "Then eat it yourself. It's better than boiling the sweet potatoes."

Cheng Feng whispered, "Uncle, sweet potato flour is not flour. It can't be used to make steamed buns. It's used for cooking."

Wan Lianxing cleared his throat and said, "Since this thing is useless, let's not build it."

Yan Qilian said, "My Lord, that thing is very useful. It can be used to make many dishes. My Lord, please be merciful and build a sweet potato noodle farm."

Wan Lianxing said, "Then build it, so that the people don't have to go out and rob houses."

Yan Qilian said, "My Lord, how do we build this sugar factory and sweet potato flour factory?"

Wan Lianxing said: "Start from the simple to the complex, build as you go, and give the people something to do as soon as possible."

Two days passed in a blink of an eye, and on the fourteenth day of the lunar calendar of this month, officials of all ranks in Fengying gathered at the door of Wan Lianxing's house early in the morning.

Butler La called Wan Lianxing softly from the window: "My Lord, wake up, it's time to come."

"Hmm? What time is it? Who's here?"

"My Lord, it is the time of the year, and all the officials who have come are from all the counties."

Wan Lianxing said, "Why did Cai Yinzheng call me up? I'm still dreaming."

He closed his eyes and wanted to sleep, but the old steward said, "My Lord, today you are going to bring the officials and people of Fengying to pray for rain."

Wan Lianxing said: "I haven't forgotten what happened at noon."

The old butler said, "My Lord, since everyone is here, please get up."

Wan Lianxing said, "It's just dawn now, why are you getting up? It's still four hours before we can pray for rain, it's too early."

The old housekeeper said, "Since everyone is here, let's meet them. We will meet sooner or later."

Wan Lianxing sat up from the bed and yawned loudly, "You won't let me have any rest so early in the morning."

The old butler found Wan Lianxing's official uniform. When Wan Lianxing saw the stone-blue clothes, his face was filled with disdain.

The old butler said, "My Lord, today is such an important day, and it is such a big occasion, you must wear this to look majestic."

Wan Lian walked over to the chair and sat down listlessly: "Ridiculous, ridiculous, I'm not the Dragon King, what's the point of praying for rain?"

The old butler said, "My Lord, this is the custom over the years. Since everyone believes in it, please condescend to kowtow a few times."

Wan Lianxing yawned again, and the old butler said, "My Lord, please wash up. So many people are waiting to see you."

Wan Lianxing snorted, "Just wait, it's like chasing my life all day, it's so annoying."

By the time Wan Lianxing got dressed and went to the hall, the huge hall of his prefectural mansion was already full of people. Each and every one of them looked impatient and had something to say when they saw him.

Before Wan Lianxing sat down, a group of people came to pay him respects.

Wan Lianxing said, "No need to be polite, just sit down." He was annoyed by the unnecessary formalities.

Below were the county magistrates, county secretaries and county lieutenants from twenty counties. There were more than fifty or sixty people at a glance.

Everyone had something to report to Wan Lianxing at the same time. For a moment, Wan Lianxing couldn't tell who was talking, nor could he hear what everyone was saying.

Wan Lianxing said: "Speak one by one, you have dozens of mouths, but I only have a pair of ears."

Despite this, everyone was vying to speak as if they were in a war, and no one wanted to fall behind.

Wan Lianxing said, "You should speak first. I think you have the sharpest tongue."

"My Lord, my Tongchun County suffers from drought every year, and the crops are not abundant. The people are starving and living in poverty. The taxes are heavy and the suffering is unbearable..."

Many county magistrates talked about this matter, and Wan Lianxing's ears were almost callused from hearing it.

"The taxes are a bit heavy, but they are not collected, which is equivalent to nothing. So the people are not poor because of the taxes. Besides, I have heard the county magistrate's response to what you said, and we are also trying to find a solution."

The magistrate of a county said, "My Lord, I heard that you built a sugar factory and a sweet potato flour factory in Fengying City."

Wan Lianxing nodded and said, "It is true, but strictly speaking it happened outside the city."

“Can you build a sugar factory and sweet potato flour factory for our county?”

"My Lord, our county also wants to build a sugar factory..."

"..."

Wan Lianxing finally understood what these people were up to. When everyone had finished speaking, Wan Lianxing spoke up, "The entire Fengying has only over 50,000 people, less than 60,000. There are 20 counties, large and small, under it. I heard that some counties have a population of less than 1,000. I just paid to build a sugar factory, but your county town doesn't look like a county town, and your villages don't look like villages. Is there anyone working there?"

"Have."

Everyone said yes in unison.

Wan Lianxing said: "You guys only know how to deceive me. What's the use of having a sugar factory when you don't have any people?"

"My Lord, our county has a large population, a full two thousand."

Wan Lianxing said, "Two thousand people is also called a county? Currently, the city with the largest population is Fengying. You don't need to discuss it with me. Let's wait until the Fengying sugar factory recruits people."

The people below were not happy. "My Lord, once you build this sugar factory, it will definitely attract people from our county. Our county is the closest to Fengying City. If they all move here, our county will be empty."

This sugar factory had just started when it encountered this kind of thing. Wan Lianxing said, "On the one hand, you said that the people can't have enough food to eat, and on the other hand, you asked me to find a solution. I have thought of this solution and paid for it, but you said it is not good for your other counties. So, what should we do?"

At this time, the county magistrate Yan Qilian stood up and said, "My Lord, I think we should build a few more sugar factories."

"Yes, Lord Yan is right. Please build a few more sugar factories, Your Majesty." Yan Qilian's words were supported by everyone, as if they had been discussed in advance.

When Wan Lianxing saw this situation, he felt that these people were here to plot against him. He tapped his palms with his fan and looked at the people below. Everyone was also looking at him, waiting for him to give a clear answer.

Wan Lianxing asked, "Have you guys discussed this?"

"Absolutely not." Yan Qilian denied it flatly. In fact, the officials who came from various places in the past two days had already met Yan Qilian, and they had discussed many things. Everyone was forcing Wan Lianxing to pay for setting up the sugar factory first.

Wan Lianxing said, "I asked you and Captain Sha to clear my name, but it didn't work. The sugar canes blocking the gate of my prefecture mansion once a day only increased in number, which shows that the people's misunderstanding of me has not decreased at all. You two are of no use in this. You two have done everything else with all your heart, and I have spent a lot of money."