Chapter 373: People can’t teach people, but things can teach people once

Longxi County, Didao County.

When Zhuge Liang learned that the eldest prince was going to work under him, he was worried instead of happy.

Zhuge Liang had many guesses in his mind, but he didn't guess the correct one.

It was just too abrupt.

You know, as long as Zhuge Liang completes the construction of the Great Northwest Highway, it will be a great achievement. The three dukes and nine ministers may not be enough, but the nine ministers in reserve such as Guanglu Dafu are definitely enough. As long as he has enough qualifications, the three dukes and nine ministers will be a sure thing.

As for being crowned king, there is no need to think about it. Zhuge Liang has analyzed that from now on, the King of Nanyang may be the last king. Even if the eldest prince really becomes the crown prince and ascends the throne, his brothers will at most be crowned marquises, and will not be crowned kings.

Even if there is no policy yet, Zhuge Liang predicted that within ten years, the current emperor would definitely introduce relevant policies.

Therefore, the merit of following the emperor had no appeal to Zhuge Liang. His future was bright and he did not need the eldest prince to ascend the throne to help his career. Instead, it was the eldest prince who needed his support.

After all, Zhuge Liang was only 29 years old. If he could complete the Northwest Development Plan within ten years, he would surely be one of the Nine Ministers. He would surely be able to ascend to one of the Three Dukes in his lifetime. To reach higher positions, he would have to make even more outstanding contributions.

But there were Xi Zhicai and Xun You before him and Zhou Yu after him. Zhuge Liang did not aim too high and think he could compare with his predecessors. However, they had the merit of following the emperor and could not be compared with him.

this day.

The eldest prince came to Didao County under the escort of the King of Nanyang and nine hundred followers.

Lu Xun had to guard the road in the central area, and Liu Xie was bored, so he followed Jin Lin to the northwest to see the exotic scenery.

Lu Su, together with Zhuge Liang and three other deputy directors of the Construction Bureau, came to wait outside Didao County. It was not for the eldest prince, as Jin Lin's face was not that great, but to welcome Liu Xie, the King of Nanyang.

This time, Liu Xie was holding the imperial seal to inspect the local area on behalf of Emperor Jin Mao. Apart from not being able to interfere, he also had considerable power. Lu Su did not want to offend him over a trivial matter.

"Your subject Lu Su respectfully welcomes the angel!"

“Zhuge Liang…” “…” All the ministers greeted him one after another.

Nanyang King Liu Xie quickly got off the car, came to the crowd, politely helped up each of the meritorious officials, and said modestly: "You don't have to be so polite. Your Majesty knows that the northwest is suffering from cold weather, so he specially ordered me to express his condolences."

"In addition, Your Majesty is also concerned about the people's livelihood and the stability of the border defense here, so he ordered me to bring a lot of supplies and strategies on this trip. I hope to discuss major plans with you and work together for the prosperity and tranquility of Didao and the entire Northwest." Liu Xie said as he signaled the attendants behind him to present boxes of sealed documents and lists. Each one was heavy, representing not only the court's care, but also the expectations for the future development of Didao.

Hearing this, Lu Su felt warm in his heart and bowed quickly, saying, "It is a blessing for Didao and the northwest that your Majesty has come in person. We will do our best to cooperate with your Majesty and live up to your Majesty's high expectations."

Zhuge Liang stood aside, his eyes sparkling with wisdom. He stroked his beard gently and spoke slowly: "Your Majesty's trip will surely bring many new policies and good strategies. We would like to hear the details and discuss together how to bring your majesty's benevolent policies to the benefit of the people, strengthen the border defense, and ensure long-term peace and stability in the northwest."

Liu Xie smiled and nodded when he heard this. He looked around and saw that everyone was eagerly looking forward to it. He was very pleased. He knew that this trip was a heavy responsibility. It was not only related to the prestige of the court, but also to the well-being of the people in the northwest. So, he cleared his throat and officially got to the point: "Everyone, the supplies I brought on this trip are mostly for military and people's livelihood needs, such as food, cloth, medicinal materials and some farming equipment, aimed at alleviating the current difficulties. As for the strategy, it involves border defense deployment, trade circulation, agricultural reform and other aspects. There are slight adjustments. If there is anything wrong, please feel free to point it out."

"Your Majesty is well aware of the principle of being out of reach, and the specific circumstances still need to be decided by all the wise men.

Lu Su breathed a sigh of relief, bowed to the east and said, "Your Majesty is wise and powerful!"

Then, he looked at the generals and officials present, and his tone was more solemn and expectant: "First, regarding the deployment of border defense, I propose to strengthen the construction of beacon towers and outposts along the line to ensure the timely and accurate transmission of information. At the same time, we need to form a rapid response force to deal with sudden wars. We need to move the defense line forward and use offense as defense. We must not only defend the territory, but also make the enemy afraid."

"In terms of trade and circulation, I plan to open up the north-south trade routes, especially to strengthen trade with the Central Plains and southern provinces, introduce more advanced technologies and commodities, and promote the economic development of the northwest region. At the same time, we will set up government-run markets, standardize trading order, protect the interests of merchants, attract more merchants to invest, and drive local prosperity."

"As for agricultural reform, it is the fundamental policy. We will promote advanced farming techniques and irrigation systems, encourage farmers to grow high-yield crops, and set up special agricultural schools to train agricultural technicians and guide farmers to plant scientifically. In addition, we will reduce taxes so that the people have more surplus grain and funds to invest in production, forming a virtuous circle."

At this point, he paused slightly, his eyes more determined: "I also plan to set up a special fund to help disaster victims and support poor families, to ensure that every citizen can feel the care and warmth of the court. At the same time, strengthen the construction of the medical system, especially the allocation of medical resources in remote areas, to reduce the phenomenon of poverty caused by illness and poverty caused by illness."

"Everyone, these are preliminary ideas. We still need to brainstorm and discuss the specific implementation plan. I know that the road ahead is bumpy, but as long as we think in one direction and work together, there will be no difficulties that cannot be overcome. For the peace and prosperity of the Northwest, let us work hand in hand and create brilliance together!"

"The specific matters will be described in detail by Deputy Director Zhuge Kongming."

Lu Su made way, and Zhuge Liang bowed and said, "My dear colleagues, first of all, thank you for your trust and support. Regarding the detailed plan for the construction of the medical system, I have a few suggestions. First, we should give priority to establishing or upgrading basic medical points in remote areas to ensure that every village has qualified medical staff and basic medical facilities, so that minor illnesses do not need to leave the village, and major illnesses have access to medical facilities. This requires us to increase the training of grassroots medical personnel and introduce advanced telemedicine technology to allow high-quality medical resources to transcend geographical limitations and benefit more people."

"Secondly, we need to establish and improve medical insurance and assistance mechanisms, especially for low-income families and families impoverished due to illness, and provide more precise assistance measures to ensure that they do not fall into difficulties due to medical expenses. We can explore the establishment of a multi-level and multi-channel financing mechanism, including government subsidies, social donations, and personal contributions, to form a sustainable medical security system."

“Third, strengthen public health publicity and disease prevention. Through regular health lectures, vaccinations, and the formation of hygienic habits, we can improve people’s health awareness and self-care ability, and reduce the occurrence of diseases at the source. At the same time, we will establish and improve epidemic monitoring and emergency response mechanisms to ensure that we can respond quickly and effectively to public health emergencies.”…

Liu Xie listened very seriously, and everyone held the meeting here without going into the city.

Zhuge Liang was very happy about this. As a workaholic, he hated wasting time on these unimportant things the most. If he could finish all the tasks today and start work tomorrow, he would be very happy.

However, some people couldn't keep their cool.

Just when Liu Xie and Zhuge Liang were in the heat of the negotiation, an untimely voice appeared.

"Brother, why don't you go into the city?"

Suddenly, everyone looked over and stared at Jin Lin.

Liu Xie sighed silently. Over the years, his third brother was raised by women and the current emperor also disciplined him, which caused Jin Lin to grow up crooked. He was originally a talented person, but now he has become like this.

He slowly turned around, his eyes filled with both reproach and helplessness, and looked at Jin Lin, trying to keep his tone calm: "Third brother, do you know why we are stopping here at this moment?"

Jin Lin was focused on by everyone, looking a little embarrassed, but he still raised his head stubbornly and answered: "Of course it's because the city gate is not open, we need to wait for a while." "You are only half right," Liu Xie shook his head gently, his eyes revealing some deep meaning, "We are not only waiting for the city gate to open, but also waiting for a suitable time, a best time that can make our actions more efficient and reduce unnecessary troubles. As a future leader, you need to learn to judge the situation, understand the value of time and how to use it, instead of rushing for success blindly."

Zhuge Liang nodded slightly and added: "My Lord, Your Majesty often says, 'haste makes waste'. In the world, we often need to wait patiently to seize the best opportunity. Although today's matter is small, it can reflect great wisdom. If you can understand the truth of this, you will achieve extraordinary success in the future."

Jin Lin's face changed slightly when he heard this, as if he had realized something. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment. When he looked up again, his eyes were more determined and self-reflective: "Brother, Director Zhuge taught me what you taught me. Jin Lin will study hard in the future and not be so impatient."

Seeing this, Liu Xie smiled with satisfaction and patted Jin Lin on the shoulder to encourage him: "It is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. You and I have a brotherly relationship, and we are also a master and apprentice. I naturally hope that you can become a pillar of society and live up to your prime years."

After this interruption, the people present lost interest in talking and returned to the city to continue their discussions. Jin Lin did not stay long and soon went down to the grassroots level to collect dust.

...

Three months later.

The earth is covered with snow and the cold winter has arrived.

The stone road from Longxi County to Wuwei County has been paved, and the driveway can be built once the steel arrives.

Zhuge Liang stood at the door of the Jincheng County Office in Wuwei County, raised his hand to hold a goose feather-sized snowflake, and asked: "Heavy snow is coming, who in the various units is still working outside?"

The secretary behind him said without hesitation: "Most of them have returned to the city to avoid the disaster, only one transport team has not yet returned."

"Oh?" Zhuge Liang frowned. This was a rare mistake in the past few years. Generally speaking, with great people like him and Lu Su in charge, such a low-level mistake would not occur.

"Who is the captain?"

The secretary was timid and dared not speak.

Zhuge Liang was startled: "Could it be the eldest prince?"

Shu Zuo lowered his head and said, "That's right."

"Oh no!" Zhuge Liang was rarely panicked and shouted, "Go and report to the King of Nanyang and the Director immediately."

"Come here, prepare your horses!"

During the past three months, Jin Lin has been working hard and enduring hardships, but he is also very stubborn. He does not want even a little help from Liu Xie and insists on following his own ideas.

In this way, he got along well with his subordinates, but he was very at odds with the management above and always disobeyed orders.

As his immediate superior, Zhuge Liang was in a dilemma. He could not punish him severely, but he certainly did not dare to demote him because the emperor had appointed him personally, so he had to write a letter of complaint. Plus, the Prince of Nanyang was protecting him, so Zhuge Liang had no choice but to lift him up high and put him down gently every time.

It's the same this time.

The Construction Bureau has a special meteorological department, and Zhuge Liang is one of the best among them. He had long anticipated that heavy snow might block the roads.

Therefore, orders were issued to various departments early to prevent snow disasters.

But Jin Lin refused to believe it and stubbornly carried out the task of transporting goods from Longxi to Wuwei.

By the time Zhuge Liang received the news, Jin Lin had already led his troops to set off, and he had no choice but to leave him alone.

No, trouble is coming.

Soon, King Liu Xie of Nanyang, Lu Su and others received the news and rushed over.

At this time, Zhuge Liang was ready and was about to lead a hundred cavalrymen to search along the road.

However, the snow at the city gate has piled up to the knees. At the current snowing level, it may reach the waist or even higher in a day or two. By then, even riding a horse will be useless.

Lu Su quickly stopped Zhuge Liang and said, "Kong Ming, it is unwise to travel rashly in such bad weather. The snow is so heavy that it is beyond human power to handle. If you force your way there, not only will you fail to save the eldest prince, but you will put more soldiers in danger." Lu Su looked solemn, his eyes full of worry about the unknown.

Zhuge Liang frowned upon hearing this, his eyes piercing through the falling snow, as if he could see through the situation in the distance. "Director Lu is right, but the eldest prince has a strong character, and once he makes a decision, it will be difficult to turn back. If we sit back and do nothing, he may be in danger of his life."

Nanyang King Liu Xie said solemnly, "I have a plan that may help resolve this dilemma. Mobilize all available manpower in the city and clear the roads overnight. At the same time, send scouts who are proficient in mountain and forest ways, carrying emergency supplies, to go ahead and search for the eldest prince. Once the roads are cleared, the army will follow. This way, we can seize the opportunity and ensure safety."

Zhuge Liang's eyes flashed with approval when he heard this. "Your Majesty's plan is very much to my liking. Immediately send out orders to mobilize the entire city to clear the snow, and at the same time send out elite scouts to find the Crown Prince as soon as possible."

Lu Su nodded in agreement and turned to arrange relevant matters, while Zhuge Liang continued to stay on the city wall, staring into the distance, silently praying in his heart that Jin Lin would return safely. The snow was still falling, but a fire of hope was ignited in everyone's heart, illuminating their way forward.

As time passed, there was still no good news.

Two days later, a scout finally found Jin Lin, dying, at the foot of an unknown mountain.

It is said that when Jin Lin was found, all the members of the transport team were frozen to death, but everyone protected Jin Lin in the middle, which saved the boy's life.

When Jin Lin woke up and learned what had happened, he burst into tears and kept saying, "It's all my fault!"

"If I hadn't been so stubborn, they wouldn't have died!"

(End of this chapter)