Fang Yun smiled. "You're an understanding person, more so than many people."
"Sigh, what do I understand? I only heard it from some scholars. I heard that the scholars almost fought over the papermaking workshop. "
"Oh, did the scholars agree to build the papermaking workshop?"
"Yes. Some people said that the papermaking workshop belongs to the Zhao Trading Company. Unlike the shameless Qingjiang Trading Company, the Zhao Trading Company is a trading company of the royal family. The workshop they built has a decontamination workshop that reduces waste water. The waste water discharged is only twenty to thirty percent of the normal papermaking workshop. Even if the waste water is discharged into the river, it won't be a big problem. "
"But another group disagreed. They wanted to stop the papermaking workshop no matter what. Then, those who supported the construction said that Xiangzhou had been plagued by Gyeongo for many years and could not afford to suffer any more. Xiangzhou was very rich in the past, but now, it is inferior to Jiangzhou. Even the entire Ning An County's income is comparable to half of Xiangzhou. In order to restore Xiangzhou's prosperity, some sacrifices should be made. Both sides kept quarreling. I was afraid that something would happen, so I stayed far away. "
Fang Yun nodded slightly and did not say anything.
The middle-aged carriage driver said, "Actually, the people in other parts of Baling City do not care. It's mainly the people in the towns and villages north of Baling City who are against it. The towns and villages in the north are downstream. Those who depend on the Yangtze River for their livelihood do not want to see a papermaking workshop upstream. Sigh … "
The carriage driver talked about the papermaking workshop as he drove the carriage. His tone was full of contradictions.
The carriage left Baling City's north gate and soon arrived at the northern workshop district. It then proceeded along the district.
Fang Yun opened the curtains and felt a sense of familiarity. This was because this place was very similar to the workshops by the riverbank in Ning An County. Many workshops were in operation. Many carriages and workers went in and out in a busy but orderly manner.
When the carriage was about to reach the northernmost section of the northern workshop district, Fang Yun clearly heard someone shouting.
"Chase away the waste water workshop and return Baling to its former glory!"
"Once the waste water is out, the water demons will all run away. Can people still live here?"
"Thirty years ago, my youngest son was poisoned to death by the water of the papermaking workshop. He was only thirteen years old, you bunch of animals!"
"Brothers, you are also from Baling, and you are also from Xiangzhou. Are you going to watch as the papermaking workshop harms people?"
As the curses continued, the carriage suddenly stopped.
"Master Tong Sheng, are you going to take a detour or stop here? They are blocking the road." The driver asked.
Fang Yun smiled and said, "You can go back. I just happened to arrive at the place and wanted to take a look."
The middle-aged driver hurriedly lowered his voice and said, "Please don't mess around. There are deep waters here. I suspect that things are about to get out of hand. I only said it because you're a good person. If it were someone else, I definitely wouldn't have said it. "
Fang Yun smiled and asked, "Then I have to thank you, but can you tell me more about it?"
The middle-aged coachman hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "There are many twists and turns here. Baling City was not the only city near the Yangtze River in Xiangzhou. There were also several counties and towns near the Yangtze River. It was said that when the Zhao Trading Company was choosing a location, many prefectural and county magistrates were fighting over it. After all, if the local government made money, it would be easier for them to be promoted. Later on, when the papermaking workshop was set up in Baling, the county magistrates of the other counties were not satisfied. Therefore, they have been secretly obstructing the papermaking workshop, wanting it to be built in their own counties. "
"This kind of thing is not rare." Fang Yun nodded gently.
"Not only are the other counties obstructing it, but the Qingjiang Trading Company has also hired many local ruffians to cause trouble. They really dare to make a move. I heard that if Baling City is determined to build the papermaking workshop, they might set fire to it. That's why I said that you shouldn't get involved. "The middle-aged coachman looked seriously at Fang Yun.
"Is that so? I understand. I won't get involved in their matters and will only look for my friends. Alright, I'm leaving. You can continue with your work. "Fang Yun finished speaking politely and walked forward.
The middle-aged coachman looked at Fang Yun and sighed softly. Then, he looked further away and saw thousands of people standing on the street. A few hundred yamen runners and soldiers were blocking those people. Behind them was a workshop under construction, but there was no one inside. It had already stopped work.
There were many workshops near the papermaking workshop. Under the morning sun, some workers were chatting as they watched the commotion.
As the autumn wind blew, it became cooler and cooler. Fang Yun slowly walked forward and quickly approached the crowd.
Other than a few people who glanced at Fang Yun, most of them did not care. They were either cursing or watching the commotion without saying a word.
"Move the workshop, give me back my clear water!" a student shouted excitedly. Thus, many people followed suit.
"Move the workshop, give me back my clear water!"
Thousands of people followed suit. Fang Yun thought for a moment and also shouted, "Move the workshop, give me back my clear water!" After shouting, he raised his head to look at the sky. No one knew what he was looking at.
Within the Xiangzhou yamen, the governor Dong Wencong, the head of the Trade Sector Xue Li, and the Baling magistrate Yan Xiao were holding official seals. They were using the seals to monitor the surroundings of the papermaking workshop. Dong Wencong suddenly revealed an expression of not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Official Dong, why is this?" Yan Xiao asked.
Dong Wencong's expression was still that of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He said, "Did you see that student who just arrived?"
"Yes, I saw him. He came in a carriage."
"I just happened to use my official seal to investigate the aura of those people. I discovered that that person should be our governor."
"This …" The officials in the hall hurriedly used their official seals and discovered that the person was actually a scholar. They immediately believed Dong Wencong's words.
"The governor is putting in a lot of effort in shouting slogans." Xue Li did not know whether to laugh or cry.
The Baling magistrate Yan Xiao's expression was the worst. He said, "It seems that the governor is afraid that we will not handle it well, so he personally went to take a look."
"When everyone is here, we will discuss. We will report the results to the governor to prevent him from worrying."
"Sigh …"
Fang Yun continued to stay in the crowd, occasionally shouting slogans. Most of the time, he was conversing with the people present, listening to their true thoughts and understanding the truth of the matter. He did not stand high up in the temple and boast that he understood the people.
At noon, someone specially distributed dry food and water. Fang Yun, like most people, ate dry food and drank water for lunch. Only when night fell did he leave the place.
Fang Yun walked to the back street of the government office. He removed his disguise and revealed his true self. Then he entered the government office.
The government office of the governor had not been built yet. Fang Yun could not work properly. Thus, he strolled around the government office and watched how the officials worked.
However, the officials in the government office were frightened. They thought that something big had happened. No matter where Fang Yun went, the officials all stood up and did not dare to move.
Fang Yun walked to a few places and suddenly felt bored. He was about to return to his residence when he heard the discussion coming from Dong Wencong's office. Thus, he went to the door and signaled the guards to keep quiet. He then walked in and sat in the small pavilion in the courtyard, listening to the officials in the main hall.
After listening for fifteen minutes, Fang Yun snorted coldly and said, "Ridiculous …"
The discussion in the room stopped abruptly.
"It's the governor." Dong Wencong finished speaking and hurried out with a group of officials.
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