Zhao Jinmin not only came himself, but brought his entire family along.
When the carriage arrived at the South Gate and they saw the straight, wide main road, everyone was stunned.
The trusted subordinate sent by Gu Zhongxun sat dumbfounded in the carriage.
He scrambled down from the carriage, feeling the hardness and smoothness beneath his feet, then looked up at the straight, broad road stretching ahead, unable to move for a long time.
The bluestone-paved streets of the capital were unparalleled, yet this road was far superior to even bluestone.
His lips trembling, he muttered to himself, "What kind of road is this? It wasn't like this the last time I came here."
The constable in charge of guarding the city gate, upon hearing this, said with a face full of pride, "This is a cement road. It was only opened for traffic a few days ago."
"County Princess put up the money, and Lord Prefect led us in building it."
Zhao Jinmin's eyes lit up, and he pressed excitedly, "Is that County Princess Linghui and Song Qiming?"
The constable's brows furrowed, and he looked Zhao Jinmin up and down with displeasure.
"Who are you people? How dare you speak the Lord Prefect's personal name?"
Zhao Jinmin puffed out his chest, "This official is the newly appointed magistrate of Qingxia County. I was once a classmate of your Lord Prefect."
The displeasure on the constable's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a burst of joy.
"You must be Magistrate Zhao?"
Zhao Jinmin froze, "You know me?"
The constables quickly cupped their fists and bowed in salute.
"The day before yesterday, Lord Prefect specifically instructed us that you were coming and told us to keep an eye out for you."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinmin felt utterly delighted—Song Qiming hadn't forgotten him.
He gestured toward the man beside him and said to the constable, "This is Magistrate Li of Songzhou City."
The constable cupped his fists and bowed his head, "Greetings, Magistrate Li."
Li Zhidao pointed at the ground and asked, "What is this 'cement' you mentioned? Who invented it?"
The constable replied with a smile, "County Princess Linghui did."
Li Zhidao lowered his hands.
The constable gestured for them to board the carriage, "Allow me to lead the way for you two gentlemen."
Li Zhidao shook his head, looking dazed.
"It's not far from here to the government office—we'll walk."
The smile on the constable's face stiffened for a moment.
Walking from the South Gate to the government office would take half an hour—they certainly didn't mind the fatigue.
Zhao Jinmin and Li Zhidao walked side by side in front, while the constable followed half a step behind Zhao Jinmin.
As he walked, looking at the surroundings, Li Zhidao asked, "The side streets haven't been paved yet?"
The constable, slightly hunched, replied, "We need to pave eight main streets before winter. We've only just finished the first one. The side streets probably won't be done until next year."
Zhao Jinmin walked to the roadside and examined the drainage ditch beneath it, which was plastered with cement and very clean.
"How much does this cement road cost?"
The constable scratched his head, "We dug the sand and stones ourselves. The cement was donated by County Princess. I hear it's not expensive, but I don't know the exact amount in silver."
After about two ke of walking, they saw people working on a road near an intersection.
Li Zhidao and Zhao Jinmin stopped and went over to take a look.
As far as the eye could see, everyone was busy.
There were people mixing, paving, and nailing boards, with constables and corvée laborers each making up half the workforce.
The two men stood there watching for a long time before leaving.
It didn't look difficult—it was all about the materials.
Halfway there, Li Zhidao could no longer walk. At the constable's suggestion, they climbed back into the carriage, and the pace picked up again.
The group stopped at the entrance of the government office. By the time Song Qiming learned of their arrival, they were already in the second hall.
"Brother Zhao." Song Qiming stepped over the threshold and paused, his voice rising loudly.
Zhao Jinmin turned his head, and the moment he clearly saw the other's face, the teacup in his hand nearly tipped over.
He quickly stood up and called out, "Brother Song."
Seeing the two of them acting like reunited old friends, Li Zhidao couldn't help but envy Zhao Jinmin's good fortune.
With such a superior, if Zhao Jinmin ever encountered any difficulties in Qingxia County, Song Qiming would surely help out.
And when Song Qiming was later promoted back to the capital, he might even recommend Zhao Jinmin, possibly getting him transferred out of the Southwest.
