Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1233 Something Happened at the Government Office

If a county school wants to be established, it cannot rely solely on teachers who educate children.

Shen Zheng and Yin Wencai both understood this point, but what puzzled Shen Zheng was: "You wouldn't tell me this unless I asked you about it?"

Yin Wencai opened his mouth, then lowered his head again: "You've already helped Baiyun County too much..."

The implication was that he didn't want to bother Shen Zheng with these trivial matters anymore.

"Moreover, you are now the Prefect of Liuyang, with countless matters to worry about. I really don't want to cause you any more trouble..."

"You even know that I am the Prefect of Liuyang?" Shen Zheng interrupted Yin Wencai before he finished speaking, "Do you know how the Tong'an County School was established last year? And where did the teachers of the county school come from?"

Yin Wencai was taken aback.

He seemed to have indeed heard about this.

"Have you heard of it?" Shen Zheng looked at Yin Wencai and chuckled. "Except for the headmaster Li Hongmao, all the other teachers in the county school were obtained by me from Lord Yu, who shamelessly asked me to do so."

Shen Zheng didn't give Yin Wencai a chance to speak and continued, "What's wrong with asking for help? Everyone looks out for themselves. As the magistrate of Baiyun County, you should naturally put the people of Baiyun County first. Can't find a teacher at the county school? Ask the government office for one."

Yin Wencai was stunned by the series of righteous and assertive words.

Anyone who didn't know better would think the prefect of Liuyang was someone else entirely...

"Alright, let me give you a heads-up." Seeing Yin Wencai's stunned expression, Shen Zheng couldn't help but say a few more words: "The prefectural government is already planning to help the six counties in the prefecture that do not yet have county schools to establish them, including your Baiyun County."

Yin Wencai watched helplessly as a bolt of lightning struck him, unable to dodge in time, and was charred black and blue.

"County...county school?" He stared blankly at Shen Zheng, as if he hadn't heard clearly: "Prefectural...prefectural government assistance?"

After a long while, he seemed to finally realize what was happening. "Lord Shen, what you said... is it true?"

Shen Zheng chuckled softly and said sarcastically, "What, do I have to make up a lie to trick you into asking the government office for your release so you'll have the nerve to do so?"

Hearing the undisguised laughter in Shen Zheng's words, Yin Wencai finally confirmed the truth of what she had said: "No, no... I just didn't expect the government office to have such a scheme..."

With the help of the government, Baiyun County School will probably be able to officially enroll students before the end of the year!

Looking at the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, how many prefectural governments were willing to assist the county government in establishing a county school?

Unconsciously, Yin Wencai began to imagine the scene of the start of school. As he thought about it, his nose tingled and his eyes welled up with tears again.

He was lucky enough to be appointed as the magistrate of Liuyang Prefecture.

The people of Baiyun County were even luckier, as they were fortunate enough to have Lord Shen appointed as the prefect...

"Lord Shen..." Yin Wencai looked at Shen Zheng with a burning respect in his eyes.

Fearing he might say something cheesy, Shen Zheng immediately interrupted, "After the county school is established, the government will also help you set up introductory classes and literacy classes. This will be a considerable expense, so you should keep the mine profits you mentioned earlier."

"No, Lord Shen..."

Yin Wencai was about to try to persuade her again, but Shen Zheng didn't give him a chance: "I have already refused you once, and I will never accept it again. You must use this money wisely. Listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

Seeing Shen Zheng's serious expression, Yin Wencai subconsciously sat up straight and dared not argue any further.

“First, if you want to get rich, build roads first.” Shen Zheng thought about the roads she had traveled today and slowly said, “The main roads between villages, between villages and towns, and between counties should all be paved with rammed earth. Only when the roads are open can the stones from the mines and the grains of the people be transported out, and only then can trade be revitalized.”

Yin Wencai was taken aback upon hearing this, and immediately took out paper and pen, listening and taking notes.

Shen Zheng added, "Second, ensure sufficient working capital for the mine."

"Mine...turnover?" Yin Wencai paused slightly, seemingly puzzled.

Nowadays, the feldspar mines in the county are thriving money trees, so why... is it necessary to specifically reserve money for the mines?

“Don’t quite understand?” Shen Zheng looked out of the hall. “Nowadays, there are far more feldspar mines in the Great Zhou than just your Baiyun County. Although their refining technology is not as good as yours, they may have longer ore veins, more manpower, and even lower costs and wider sales channels. So… you must take a long-term view and not think that just because the mines are profitable now, you can rest easy.”

Shen Zheng's words were a wake-up call for Yin Wencai.

yes......

What makes him think that their mines can have a monopoly?

The world is never short of people who can climb the ladder by seizing the slightest opportunity.

After six months of peaceful life, he unconsciously lowered his guard and ignored these potential crises...

If it weren't for Lord Shen's reminder, he would have led the people of Baiyun County to suffer a great loss sooner or later!

After realizing this, Yin Wencai's back was soaked with cold sweat.

Shen Zheng continued, "The tools need to be replaced, and the skilled craftsmen who have mastered the core techniques shouldn't be neglected..."

Shen Zheng spoke slowly, word by word, and not only Yin Wencai, but also Yu Nanshu and Cui Jinyin listened very attentively.

Before we knew it, the sun began to set in the west, and the sunlight streaming into the hall was no longer glaring.

Shen Zheng's mouth was dry from talking. After drinking two cups of tea, he stood up and said, "To be honest, I haven't been to the mine yet. Let's take a look while it's still early."

After carefully putting away the thin sheet of paper with the notes, Yin Wencai got up and quickly followed.

......

Baiyun County Mining Kiln.

Compared to when Shen Zheng last visited, the mine has undergone tremendous changes, but there are only a handful of people on the entire site.

Yin Wencai led the way, reminding Shen Zheng to watch her step as he said, "These past two days, the people have been busy harvesting, so I've had the kilns suspend operations. After all, the autumn harvest is the most important thing for the people..."

Shen Zheng nodded in understanding, and then asked Yin Wencai to take her to the refining workshop.

The workshop is located near the mine. It is not large, occupying only about one-fifth of the area of ​​Tong'an Cloth Workshop, but the interior layout is compact, and every piece of land is used to the fullest extent.

Seeing this, Shen Zheng nodded secretly. Just as she was about to ask Yin Wencai to bring out some refined feldspar, a yamen runner came running over.

"Lord Shen!" The yamen runner looked anxious, even forgetting to greet Yin Wencai, and hurriedly said to Shen Zheng, "Lord Shen, someone from the prefectural government is looking for you. They say... they say something has happened at the yamen..."

Shen Zheng's smile vanished instantly, and her heart sank: "What happened at the government office?"