spend time

Chapter 377 Request
"With this move by the princess, Miss Lu's life will be much better in the future."

Two hours later, everyone was resting by the official road. Chen Jinyu naturally approached the princess and chatted with her.

Jiang Shaohua took a sip of water and replied with a smile: "After this incident, there should be more girls in the academy."

In the final analysis, people are snobbish. There are only two reasons why people are reluctant to let their daughters go to school. One is that they think it is useless for girls to study, and the other is that they want girls to stay at home and work.

When people discover that there are many benefits for their daughters to study, which is better than keeping them at home to grow mulberry trees and weave cloth, their ideas will naturally change slowly.

Perhaps, in three to five years, every household in Ye County will send their daughters to study in the academy.

Chen Jinyu thought of that grand scene and couldn't help but feel excited: "Unfortunately, only Ye County has opened a girls' school. The other counties don't have the ability to do so yet."

Jiang Shaohua smiled and said, "You have to eat one bite at a time, and you have to do things slowly, right? Bowang County is mining, and Biyang County is raising horses, so there is not enough manpower. The county governments in other counties are not wealthy. Now they are taking in refugees, and the top priority of the county magistrates is to fill the stomachs of the people. The matter of opening a school will have to wait until later."

"Ye County has made a good start. It has grown to its current size in just two years. Just wait and see! Soon there will be county magistrates who will follow suit."

Involution is the greatest driving force for progress.

Chen Jinyu understood what the princess meant and smiled at her.

……

Two days later, Jiang Shaohua and his group arrived in Wuyin County.

Wuyin County was the poorest county in Nanyang County. After two years of planting new crops, the harvest was good, and County Magistrate Gao was more confident. When he met the princess, he said with full energy: "I have seen the princess."

Jiang Shaohua smiled and said, "County Magistrate Gao, please stand up. Everyone, please stand up."

After entering the city gate, the people I saw along the way had rosy complexions, and their clothes were worn out, but all were clean. Every face was filled with hope and eagerness for life.

"Princess Chitose!"

I don't know who shouted first, but soon, people all over the street were shouting "Long live the princess!" The shouts were as surging as the tide, revealing the people's love and respect for the princess.

Jiang Shaohua smiled and waved to the people.

After entering the county government office, Jiang Shaohua first asked about this year's autumn harvest.

County Magistrate Gao responded in high spirits, "My lord, this autumn harvest in Wuyin County was a bumper harvest, and the harvested grain is enough for the people to eat for two years."

"The Taiping granary is full. We also sent 10,000 dan of grain to the palace."

Wuyin County was poor in the past because of water shortage, drought and low grain production. The people were hungry and couldn't even feed their children.

The emergence of drought-resistant new grain was a great joy to the people of Wuyin County. Today, the grain output of Wuyin County has increased several times. Although the new grain is not so delicious, it can fill their stomachs. In the north, which is plagued by drought, locust plagues and wars, being able to live in peace and have enough food and drink is the happiest thing in the world.

Jiang Shaohua was also pleased and happy to hear this, and asked casually with a smile: "How many children were born in Wuyin County this year? Does the county government send food every month?"

County Magistrate Gao smiled and replied, "A total of 236 babies were born in Wuyin County this year. Each one was registered in a book, and the county government sent 20 kilograms of food rations every month. With 20 kilograms of food, it is enough to feed the children."

"Don't worry, Princess! The children's towers in Wuyin County have long been razed to the ground. People can now afford to raise children, so why would they be willing to abandon them?"

Jiang Shaohua nodded with satisfaction: "That's right." County Magistrate Gao whispered again: "There are only so many newborns every year. If we want to increase the population quickly, we still have to take in hungry people. Our Wuyin County has a weak foundation. It can't compare to Bowang, Biyangye County, or Li County. However, I also hope that more hungry people can come to enrich the population."

With people, large tracts of wasteland can be reclaimed and cultivated. With people, Wuyin County can get rid of poverty and develop rapidly.

Of course, the premise for supporting County Magistrate Gao's actions is that the food rations for the hungry people who have been settled here will be supplied by the royal palace until there is a harvest.

Jiang Shaohua looked at Magistrate Gao, who had a hopeful look on his face, and couldn't help but smile: "This princess has inspected six counties. Almost every time I go to a county, the county magistrate will talk to me about taking in the hungry people. However, this matter is decided by Chen Changshi and Feng Changshi. This princess will not interfere."

Magistrate Gao had no choice but to continue pleading, "I have already written to the two chief officials to ask for your help. Please give me some more advice, my lady."

No matter what, it's always a good thing to strive for progress.

Jiang Shaohua thought about it and agreed.

Magistrate Gao was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

……

Jiang Shaohua's inspection habit was to go around and ask in person. No matter how good Magistrate Gao's words were, he had to see it in person. The next morning, Jiang Shaohua led his servants and guards to set off.

Tang Youyin had been accompanying the princess for several months and had gradually gotten used to her ways. He brought a few household registers with him, and when he arrived at the village, he could check the number of hungry people by comparing them with the registers.

No wonder County Magistrate Gao was anxious. Most other counties received two or three batches of hungry people, and Li County even had a fourth batch. Wuyin County only sent one batch of hungry people, totaling only more than 500 people.

Chen Feng, the chief secretary, made this arrangement because he took into account the poverty of Wuyin County. The palace could allocate food, but cultivating wasteland required oxen and farm tools, and Wuyin County lacked both. The granary was not full, so he arranged for fewer hungry people.

The hungry people did not mind the poverty of Wuyin County. In their view, having a house to live in, food to eat, and land to grow crops, without war, drought, locust plague, or oppression by corrupt officials, was already a life like heaven.

The men and young women all went to work in the fields, and almost all the people left in the village were old people and children.

Chen Jinyu called two old men and several children over.

Jiang Shaohua asked in a friendly manner: "Where are you originally from? How many people are there in your family? Are you used to settling down here? Is the food you are given every day enough to eat?"

Jiang Shaohua deliberately concealed his edge and smiled, but his noble demeanor could not be concealed.

The two old men's legs felt weak and they wanted to kneel down, but Chen Jinyu stopped them with a smile: "Don't be afraid, the princess came to inspect just to see how you are living. Just tell the truth."

Chen Jinyu has a pretty face and a sweet smile, which makes people feel close to her from the bottom of their hearts.

The old man finally stopped being so panicked and tremblingly answered the princess: "We are from Yan County."

"We escaped when the locust plague started."

"This place is much better than Yan County. The government sends us food every day."

"We can fill our stomachs and plant crops. We are willing to stay."

Jiang Shaohua said in a gentle voice: "The court has sent an imperial envoy to Yan County to provide relief to the people. Now Yan County is also promoting the cultivation of new crops. Are you willing to go back?"