Xu Decai said, "Perhaps Secretary Lu already knows the history of Long 'an, so I won't repeat it. I'll focus on the ancient city of Lower Xiao Guan. Historically, this was the place where troops and provisions were stored. There was a pass built at Tongyuan Town, which was the first line of defense to enter Long'an. Further in was Dachuan Village, the second line of defense, and also the main battlefield. Back then, the famous Battle of Heaven Pass had erupted in Dachuan Village. The State of Zheng defeated the State of Zhou in one fell swoop. The Duke of Zheng Zhuang's son, Xiao, was stationed there and later changed the name to Xiao, which has been used ever since. "
"Ever since the Spring and Autumn Period, this place has always been a battleground for the military. According to statistics, from the Spring and Autumn Period all the way to the Ming Dynasty, there had been more than 100 major and minor battles, and it was only in the late Ming Dynasty that it stabilized. During the reign of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, the county magistrate of Xiaoguan County, Wang Yizhi, presided over the reconstruction of the ancient city. Most of what we see now was built during that era. In the Qing Dynasty, it was renovated and expanded one after another, which resulted in its current scale. The sparrow may be small, but it has all the essentials. There used to be an ancient city wall, a moat, a bell tower, a drum tower, a Confucian temple, and so on. The Donghua Gate that we are looking at now was the eastern gate of the ancient city. Unfortunately, when the Four Olds were destroyed, all the historical relics were destroyed, and only this door is left. "
Lu Yiwei's heart ached as he listened, but he did not comment on history. He asked, "Where is the ancient city wall located?"
Xu Decai pointed and said, "Look, it's the area around Hero's Street. After Hero's Street, there's a moat. Later, it was filled in and houses were built. It's really a pity."
As far as Lu Yiwei could see, both sides of the road were densely packed with houses. The majestic moat of the past could not be seen at all.
Xu Decai continued, "Although the ancient city is destroyed, many of the guest houses are still there. As you walk further in, you will find many well-preserved courtyards. Among them, the Liu, Xu, and Zheng family courtyards are preserved. They are extremely precious. "
"Really? Take me there."
All along, Lu Yiwei had a strong interest in traditional and folk culture. After walking into the Zheng Residence, he was shocked by the exquisite architecture in front of him.
Xu Decai explained, "The Zheng Residence is the most well-preserved and also the largest. Back then, I presided over the emergency rescue, and that's how it is now. We lack funds to maintain this place, and we don't have a lot of publicity. Otherwise, this place could become a tourist attraction. If it were restored to its original state, it wouldn't be any worse than the Qiao family's courtyard in Shanxi. "
"What did it look like?"
Xu Decai led a group of people to climb up to the platform on the roof. He pointed and said, "This area used to belong to the Zheng Family Compound, but they demolished it to build a house. Moreover, they used the bricks and tiles from back then, so it's at least a quarter smaller. That's the Xu Family's compound, and the northwest corner is the Liu Family's compound. "
"Oh, where did they come from?"
"In Long'an County, the surnames Liu, Xu, and Zheng are the most common surnames. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the ancestors of the Zheng family were salt merchants. They made a lot of money and built a large courtyard. The next few generations were all doing business, and there were even a few high-ranking officials. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the family began to decline. The seventh generation heir of the Zheng family, Zheng Ruixi, was a gambling addict. He squandered all his ancestral assets and sold them to a foreigner named Wang Ziheng. After liberation, the family was nationalized and continues to this day. "
"As for the Xu Family and the Zheng Family, they are the natives of Long'an and have lived here for thousands of years. The Liu Family, on the other hand, are outsiders. Their ancestors were carpenters, and several generations of them have been carpenters. Mayor Liu's father is also a carpenter … "
Halfway through, Xu Decai saw Liu Zhanhui's face turn blue and quickly shut up.
Lu Yiwei understood what he meant. He turned around and said, "Director Liu, so you also came from the Liu Family Compound?"
Liu Zhanhui thought for a moment and said, "You can say that. My great-grandfather was the third son of Liu Zengnian. Liu Zengnian was the one who built the Liu Family Compound. We worship him as our ancestor, but we have never lived in the compound. It has always been the residence of my Third Master's children."
"Then who does the Liu Family Compound belong to now?"
"Uh … this …"
Lu Yiwei did not continue to ask. He went downstairs to visit the Zheng Family Compound, and when he came out, he saw a few well-preserved siheyuan. He had already formed a prototype in his mind. Restoring the ancient city was also one of his tourism plans. However, the old city was densely populated, and it would be difficult to demolish it in the future.
His plan had been set and would not change. During his time in office, he was able to do a good job in agriculture and tourism. This was his political achievement. However, no one could do these two things without a strong assistant. After observing for a while, Huang Xiaonian and Xing Bingwen from Wanlong Mountain were the best candidates. However, when he thought about how Liu Zhankui wanted to replace them, he could not help but worry about the future of Wanlong Mountain.
Lu Yiwei did not want to fall out with Liu Zhankui for the time being, but he would not go along with his wishes either. If he chose to compromise, either Huang Xiaonian or Xing Bingwen had to stay.
After visiting the ancient city, it was already past four in the afternoon. When he returned to his office, he saw Zhao Liming and Huang Xiaonian from the Committee of Agriculture waiting for him. Lu Yiwei nodded to greet them and called Zhao Liming in first.
Zhao Liming handed over the completed form and said, "Secretary Lu, I have filled it out. Please take a look."
Lu Yiwei took the form and looked through it before he frowned. "Two hundred greenhouses. Is this a mandatory rule?"
"Yeah, that's what the document says. The number and scale of greenhouses in the demonstration counties must meet the requirements, and they are required to import Israel's drip irrigation technology. At the same time, 20 farms, 3 doctorate workstations, 2 seedling bases, 5 ecological gardens, 10 small-scale family farms, and no less than 10 agricultural enterprises must be built. I have submitted the Wanlong Mountain's herb and flower base. I wonder if it's okay? "
Lu Yiwei took the document and looked through it a few more times. "Did the higher-ups say how much funding they can provide?"
Zhao Liming shook his head. "No, but based on the scale, it should be quite a lot. I have asked around, and the funding is split into four levels: national, provincial, and county. The Ministry of Agriculture will bear 40%, the province 30%, the city 10%, and the county 20%. "
"Oh, alright. You can contact Mayor Ye and submit it like this first. If it doesn't work, we can make changes."
"Alright."
Lu Yiwei reminded again, "Director Zhao, you must keep a close eye on this matter. Don't let your guard down. This is the county's key project next year. If it is aborted, no one will look good. "
Zhao Liming was the kind of person who did not want to do anything, but the responsibility fell on him. He gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I will do my best."
After he left, Lu Yiwei could not help but worry. He decided to let Hu Peng participate in this matter. For now, he did not trust anyone except Hu Peng. He picked up the phone and dialed Hu Peng's number.
After a while, Hu Peng came in. Lu Yiwei went straight to the point. "You, Ye Huchen, and Zhao Liming will be in charge of the Agriculture Department's project. Remember, report to me immediately if there are any changes. Do not make decisions on your own."
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