Scumbag Chapter 148 The Reformed White-Eyed Wolf General (14)

The two chatted until late, and Qi Ming’s impression of Mingting underwent a drastic change. In the past, Qi Ming had assumed Mingting was j

The two chatted until late, and Qi Ming’s impression of Mingting underwent a drastic change.

In the past, Qi Ming had assumed Mingting was just a reckless brute who only knew how to fight and kill. He was brave but not wise.

But after a deep chat with him, Qi Ming felt as if they had met too late in life.

"Brother, what is this ‘cement’ you are talking about? How is it made? Although sea transport is convenient, with Eastern Sea pirates running rampant now, traveling by sea is far too dangerous."

"If we can use cement to build good roads, Yaozhou's goods can travel north and west, reaching the inland markets, while goods from the interior can also be transported here. This would boost the people's income."

"As long as merchants see business opportunities and profits, they’ll be less likely to take desperate risks and secretly take to the seas."

"Only when the people are prosperous can we gather more military resources for defense. These are mutually reinforcing steps."

"Once our military is strong, our ships are built, and we’ve defeated the pirates, maritime trade can resume. Yaozhou has many ports… whether heading to the Southern Sea or Eastern Sea, it’s all possible..."

Qi Ming grew more and more excited as he spoke.

He even considered that if official roads were paved with cement, the military could respond swiftly when Eastern Sea pirates landed, protecting the people’s lives and property.

Even if pirates might use the cement roads to penetrate deeper into Yaozhou, wouldn’t that be perfect for catching a turtle in a jar? (T/N: It’s an idiom meaning trapping the enemy with no escape.)

"Don’t get too worked up."

Seeing an old man like Qi Ming flushed with excitement like he was drunk, Mingting quickly urged him to take deep breaths and calm down.

He suggested first recruiting experienced kiln craftsmen to conduct experiments.

The earliest cement was made by calcining limestone mixed with a certain amount of clay.

Later, people added volcanic ash, slag, coal cinders, and other materials, and after countless experiments, the resulting mixture was called cement.

The Zheng State had no volcanoes, so volcanic ash was impossible to obtain.

Mingting chose the most suitable materials for the current situation, which are limestone, clay, and slag.

As for the exact ratios, he only knew approximate figures and which minerals were needed, and everything else would require trial and error.

Even if they developed a cement formula, mass production would still require careful planning and couldn’t be achieved overnight.

"No problem, leave it to me, I'll find the right people!"

If not for needing to finish his discussion with Mingting, Qi Ming would have rushed off immediately to get started.

"Brother Qi, I’ve heard that the Eastern Sea pirate threat is most severe from March to May and again in September and October? Now it happens to be October, I can still catch a wave."

Mingting remembered that in the original world, around this time, a coastal town had been attacked by Eastern Sea pirates, resulting in the massacre of over a thousand civilians.

Now that he was here, he wouldn’t let such a tragedy repeat itself.

"Yes!"

The mention of this filled Qi Ming with grief.

"A few months after Qingming Festival, the winds shift northeast, steady and strong… perfect for their landings. If you have any plans, just give the order!"

Qi Ming stared eagerly at Mingting.

He was just a frail scholar, incapable of heavy labor or combat, with nothing but patriotic fervor in his heart. When it came to fighting, he was utterly useless.

"Give me men and horses. Since I’m here, I’m going to make a big move! These waters are ours, let’s dye the blue seas and skies red with the blood of these pirates. I bet it’ll look magnificent."

Mingting raised his wine cup and downed it in one gulp.

"Good, good, good!" Qi Ming excitedly repeated the word three times.

He had assumed Mingting would take some time to settle in, but instead, the man was ready to pick up his weapons and fight the pirates immediately. It fired up Qi Ming’s blood like nothing else.

"With me here, brother, you’ll never have to worry about the rear!"

The two reached a consensus on the matter of eradication the Eastern Sea pirates.

In his previous ancient world, Mingting had been stuck with a life of toil and drudgery. Now, seeing Qi Ming, he suddenly understood how Emperor Li had felt back then.

It feels really great to have a capable minister around him who arranges everything well, does whatever he wants to do, and does it beautifully!

"Old brother, leave the fighting to me. As for the rear, I’m counting on you!"

Mingting unceremoniously dumped all the responsibilities on Qi Ming, but Qi Ming had a high level of ideological awareness, so not only was he not angry, but he was also very happy.

Mingting could see it now, that this prefect was the very model of a dedicated workhorse!

When he got home, he picked up his brush and began writing another crooked, scrawled letter to Emperor Chang.

Throughout the journey, Mingting had made it a habit to write to the emperor every half-month, as if cultivating a habit, and he planned to keep it up.

"Respected Your Majesty, I wish you strong teeth, a good appetite, and sound sleep from Ning’an..."

Mingting briefly summarized the Eastern Sea pirate situation and lavished praise on Qi Ming, saying all this information had come from him… Clearly, Magistrate Qi had put in considerable effort and research.

Mingting also mentioned that he was about to set out and ‘pull off a big job’, promising to send the Eastern Sea pirates’ heads to the capital so Emperor Chang could see what these scums looked like.

The entire letter was written with the unrefined swagger of a bandit, which was perfectly in line with the original owner's personality.

Mingting didn’t care how Emperor Chang would react upon reading his letter.

After all, his diligence of getting straight to work the moment he arrived had to be made known to his superior.

This is not called showing off, this is called stating the facts.

The next morning, Mingting informed his family that he was taking the troops out.

Upon hearing this, Huiniang’s tears immediately fell.

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but now that she was pregnant, her emotions were more fragile. Thinking of the dangers coming from the Eastern Sea pirates, Huiniang couldn't help but worry about Mingting's safety.

"I promise you I’ll come back unharmed."

Mingting patted Huiniang’s hand, "I am an ever-victorious general. With the blessing of gods and the Buddhas, I’ll definitely return with a great achievement this time!"

On the other hand, Liu Yongshan understood his son-in-law better. What man didn’t aspire to glory and accomplishment? Mingting’s title of Count had been earned through blood and battle.

Since this was his duty to serve the country and his Emperor, he had to fulfill it.

"My good son-in-law, your mother and I will take care of things at home. Just focus on your mission. We’ll take good care of Huiniang!"

Mingting also explained that from winter to early spring, the coastal regions would be relatively peaceful. During those months, he wouldn’t need to go out and could stay by Huiniang’s side.

Huiniang wasn’t an unreasonable woman. After all, she had lived like this for years.

Despite her heavily pregnant state, she insisted on packing for Mingting, but he stopped her.

"I’ll handle it."

Mingting brought very few things with him. He quickly gathered the men he brought with him and told them to say their goodbyes at home.

The female relatives were also surprised, ‘Why would they have to go out to fight the Eastern Sea pirates just after arriving in Yaozhou?’

But this was how they had lived all these years. None of them made a fuss, though their eyes were red as they urged their men to stay safe and remember that their families were waiting for them.

"Don't worry, sisters-in-law, I’ll definitely bring them all back in one piece."

"Thank you, Count!"

"My lord, please keep an eye on my man for me, don’t let him drink and mess things up!"

"You must all come back safely!"