The prince is more stable

Chapter 444: City Management and Investment Promotion
Love also needs a sense of boundaries. Kissing, hugging, and lifting up are okay, calling daddy is okay, but calling daddy is not.

It turns out that love is so pale and powerless.

The two girls, Nian Nian and Nian, didn't care about Zhao Xiaoqian's hurt expression at all and nodded seriously.

Yes, Dad, you can’t.

Zhao Xiaoqian was so angry that he put his arms around Niao Niao's neck and walked into the house.

"You watch me poop, and then you have to wipe my butt!"

Niao Niao struggled hard and giggled, and the two Japanese women followed behind him to join in the fun.

(Sensitive content, deeply disliked by readers, has been edited)
"I haven't seen you for a month. You've become much more rude. When we meet... Humph! I haven't had the chance to congratulate you on your command of thousands of troops and your great victory in the battle against the Liao people." Her slender fingers drew circles on his chest.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled proudly: "Fighting the Liao people is nothing. I just fought three female demons and won a great victory, didn't I?"

Niao Niao glanced at the two Japanese women who were fast asleep on the other side of the bed, and snorted uncomfortably.

"On the day of the great victory, someone rode into the city with the good news. Your Excellency was unaware of this, but the whole city was in an uproar. It's said that all the wine in the city was sold out that day, and the people were more excited than during Chinese New Year. Everyone was like crazy, having fun in the city without any restraint."

Niao Niao leaned on his chest, listening to the steady and strong heartbeat of her man, and felt extremely at peace at this moment.

"That day, many merchants and common people gathered outside our house, bowing silently to the gate. I was so scared that I almost planned to move..."

"Later, Judge Li from the government office came over to tell me that everything was fine. The people were simply expressing their respect for you, the official, and thanking you for resisting foreign aggression, defeating the powerful enemy, and protecting the people of Zhending Prefecture. Even though they knew you weren't in the city, they still kowtowed at your residence."

Niao Niao hugged Zhao Xiaoqian's neck and said affectionately, "I never knew before that you were so capable. The Song Dynasty has achieved such a great victory, which is unprecedented since the founding of the country."

"Now I have face whenever I go out, and I am respected everywhere in this city. All this glory is given to me by my master."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled faintly, "In the future, the people of Zhending Prefecture will gradually get used to the news of the Song Dynasty's victories. As the news of victory becomes more and more commonplace, the confidence and self-esteem of this country and this nation will gradually rise, and they will never become weak again."

"Back then, the people of Song, regardless of whether they were facing even the slightest injustice, would be filled with righteous indignation, seeking only war and never even considering peace. The world had changed completely, and that's what I'm doing now."

Niao Niao's eyes became increasingly confused. "I don't quite understand what you are saying, sir, but I do know that all our glory and status are given by you. My sisters and I will take good care of this family. When you come back, there will be someone waiting for you and a hot meal..."

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile: "There is a warm person on the bed..."

Niao Niao rolled her eyes at him. "Is this all a man thinks about? Sir, you've been leading troops in battle for so long. How did you get by without a woman by your side?"

Zhao Xiaoqian stretched out his hands from under the quilt and said seriously, "Come, let me introduce you. This one is my wife, and that one is my concubine. My wife and I have been childhood sweethearts and have grown up together. Come, come and meet the two sisters..."

Niao Niao was stunned, then she burst out laughing, pinched him while laughing, and kept calling him a "dog man".

…………

The battle lasted until midnight. The Zhao brothers stood up several times and fought to the death. It was not until almost the hour of Yin that the four of them fell asleep exhausted.

After sleeping until almost afternoon, Zhao Xiaoqian was in high spirits again. He was planning to drag Nian Nian and the other two girls for another fierce bare-chested fight when Chen Shou reported from outside the yard that Li Qingchen, the judge of Zhending Prefecture, wanted to see him.

"I'm busy, I don't want to see you!" Zhao Xiaoqian was busy in the house and refused without even raising his head.

But Niao Niao grabbed his evil hand and pushed him out the door.

"Sir, have you forgotten that you are still the prefect of Zhending? Go and get down to business. You are always obsessed with women and spreading gossip. Are my concubine and I going to behave like human beings?"

Zhao Xiaoqian had no choice but to give up the idea and walked to the front yard with an unhappy look on his face.

In the front yard, Li Qingchen was dressed in official uniform, with a cheerful expression and a rosy face. When he saw Zhao Xiaoqian, he took the initiative to bow deeply.

"Your humble servant pays homage to Lord Zhao and congratulates him on his great victory on the front lines. He has defended his homeland and quelled the enemy, enhancing the prestige of our nation. The officials and people of Zhending Prefecture are all indebted to you, Lord Zhao."

Zhao Xiaoqian returned the greeting with a smile, sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard, and motioned Li Qingchen to sit down as well.

The spring sunshine shines on people, and it feels warm and comfortable. The sunshine is a little dazzling, and it is a little warmer than winter. Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but squint his eyes slightly.

"Old Li, spare the polite words, they're meaningless. How are things going in the nine counties of Zhending Prefecture lately? Have the farmers been able to delay their spring planting?"

Li Qingchen smiled and said, "There's no delay. Farmers in the nine counties and villages under the jurisdiction of Zhending Prefecture have all completed their spring planting. This year's harvest is promising. Of course, that's if the Liao army doesn't come and plunder the border."

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "The Liao army will not be able to come anymore. The situation between the two countries has changed. Even if Song and Liao fight again, the battlefield will basically be within the territory of Liao and will not affect the nine counties under the jurisdiction of Zhending Prefecture."

Li Qingchen's eyes lit up, and he said happily, "After this battle, the Liao people will never dare to invade the border again? Lord, this is a great merit! The people of Zhending Prefecture can finally farm and work in peace and live their own lives." Zhao Xiaoqian nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said slowly, "I also feel that I have done a great deed. Someone as outstanding as me should have a brilliant life... It's not too much to erect a stone tablet in Zhending City to commemorate my achievements."

Li Qingchen was stunned.

This... can I ask for it myself? Are you willing to lose all your dignity just to gain fame and merit?
Are all officials in the capital so confident?
Staring at Zhao Xiaoqian's expression, I found that he was very serious. It seemed that what he said just now was not a joke. He really felt that he should erect a monument for himself...

Li Qingchen opened his mouth, not knowing whether to agree or disagree.

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian thought about it for a long time and finally shook his head and denied himself.

"Forget it. Doing this would be a bit shameless. If those quarrelsome bastards in Bianjing find out, they'll definitely impeach and scold me. I'd rather not cause trouble for myself."

Li Qingchen's expression suddenly relaxed, he let out a long breath, and blurted out, "Thank you, Lord."

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned: "What are you thanking me for?"

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, thank you, Lord."

"Although it's a bit confusing, I still accept your thanks..."

In the military camp, Zhao Xiaoqian was the commander-in-chief of an army. Back in the city, Zhao Xiaoqian was the prefect of Zhending and the governor of the western route of Hebei.

He had originally planned to return to the city and rest for a few days, but Li Qingchen had come to visit, and it would be inappropriate for Zhao Xiaoqian not to talk to him about the affairs of Zhending Prefecture, as it would make him seem lazy.

The two sat in the front yard and talked about the measurement of land in the nine counties under their jurisdiction, the resettlement of refugees, the allocation of farmland and other issues.

After Liu Qianliang, Zhang Lan and others were cleared out, tens of thousands of hectares of land under their names were confiscated.

In recent years, the people of Zhending Prefecture have been living in dire straits due to the harm done by Liu Qianliang. Many farmers have been forced to become tenants or refugees. What Li Qingchen is doing now is mainly to resettle the refugees, restore their place of origin, and redistribute the illegal land originally under the name of Liu Qianliang and others to the refugees.

This was a good policy. Zhao Xiaoqian and Li Qingchen also asked for instructions from Bian Jing, and Zhang Dun of the Council of State personally handled it. In view of the poor situation of Zhending Prefecture, the court allowed Zhending Prefecture to redistribute land to the refugees.

In addition to the issues of refugees and land, Zhao Xiaoqian also discussed the issue of attracting investment in Zhending City with Li Qingchen.

Three years of tax exemption is a major benefit and will definitely attract many merchants to flock in. The city needs to repair the streets and shops, open up a place as a fixed market, and build restaurants, inns, and even brothels and gambling houses.

Perhaps some local policies will have to be introduced in the future, such as commodity subsidies that cannot be put on the table, tax reductions for merchants after the three-year tax exemption period, etc.

Zhending City is a border town. During wartime, border towns are often avoided by merchants, but in peacetime, border towns are places where huge profits can be made, which is enough to attract many merchants.

What the government needs to do is to attract traffic, reduce taxes, and provide a good and safe business environment.

So Zhao Xiaoqian proposed many policies to attract investment, which shocked Li Qingchen again. Some of the ideas he had never thought of, such as commercial tax reductions, commodity subsidies, the establishment of chambers of commerce, the establishment of cargo transfer stations in the city, etc., were simply unheard of.

It does feel good to be admired by others. Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly that these are just normal operations.

In my previous life, I watched so much TV and newspaper news, and all the news talked about local investment promotion policies. After watching news with basically the same content for more than ten years, I could even memorize those investment promotion policies. I took them to ancient times and made some minor modifications, and it was perfect!

There were many things to do and they were complicated. Zhao Xiaoqian patiently chatted for more than an hour, but finally he couldn't stand it anymore.

"I am the prefect. If a prefect has to do so many things, what's the difference between me and you cattle and horses?" Zhao Xiaoqian glared at Li Qingchen.

Li Qingchen: “…………”

OK, damage +1, loyalty -1, cattle and horse resentment +999.

Zhao Xiaoqian also felt resentful. I came back to the city just to rest and sleep with my wife, but now I have to work. Do I really treat myself like a beast of burden?
Ignoring the resentment of Li Qingchen, a real ox and horse, Zhao Xiaoqian pushed it aside.

"I've finished explaining the general strategy. I'll leave the specifics to you. If you don't understand something, try your best to understand it. Don't bother me, no matter what..."

"Spring is here, and I'm prone to feeling sleepy. I'm young and still growing, so I need to get six hours of sleep every day. Do you understand what I mean?"

Li Qingchen smiled bitterly: "You mean you don't want me to disturb the Duke's sleep?"

"You are sensible! I will give you a raise in salary after I give you cattle and horses." Zhao Xiaoqian praised with satisfaction and made a pie in the sky.

Li Qingchen opened his mouth, seemingly hesitant to speak, but it was more like he silently swallowed the pie in the sky offered by his boss.

(End of this chapter)