My lord, spare his life!

"However, on the other hand, the relationship between ruler and subject is indeed not as effective as that between father and son." The relationship between ruler and subject is somewhat distant, while the relationship between father and son sounds closer; they are nominally family. Xiao Sui smiled and said, "It's just a pity that our lord is a bit young, otherwise—"

"Otherwise what?"

Du Guan could predict what nonsense Xiao Sui was going to say.

Xiao Sui laughed: "Let's go and take in a bunch of godchildren too."

Du Guan: "..."

Seeing her secretly roll her eyes, Xiao Sui, for some unknown reason, burst into laughter and pounded the table: "Yuan Yi, Yuan Yi, don't disbelieve me. I've heard of a man who adopted all his ministers as his godsons and daughters. Whenever he goes to court, the ministers don't call him 'Your Majesty,' but rather 'his godmother.'"

The key point is that this adoptive mother is only in her thirties.

Among the officials, the older ones had all passed their seventies and eighties.

Du Guan rubbed his temples, his head buzzing.

"What's so laughable about a ruler not acting like a ruler and a subject not acting like a subject?" Du Guan deeply doubted that he had stayed in the countryside for too long and was out of touch with the times. How could such an outrageous thing happen in this world?

Xiao Sui smiled and said, "This is also following the example of our predecessors."

A question mark popped out on Du Guan's forehead.

Xiao Sui suppressed a laugh and explained, "They say she led troops to strangle her former lord. That lord was quite something; to ensure his own safety, he adopted sons and daughters throughout the court, using this to win over new nobles and restrain the old faction. However, the other officials who weren't adopted were unhappy and suspected the lord of favoritism, thinking they would also be biased in the future. Rather than waiting to be killed, they decided to strike first."

"Unfortunately, when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits."

Finally, a ruthless character with military power came up.

The other party, having fully learned from the lessons of their predecessors, readily adopted all the civil and military officials of the court as their own, and generously stated that in the future, they would not address her as "Lord" in court, but as "Godmother." Court meetings would then become like a family discussing how to live their lives behind closed doors.

The faces of the remnants of the New Party and the Old Party were incredibly grim.

Unfortunately, they had plenty of tricks up their sleeves, so we had no choice but to give in.

If they don't know their place, the thousands of adopted sons and daughters the new lord has taken in the army will teach them what it means to know their place.

Xiao Sui wanted to laugh when she heard about this.

Back then, she was troubled by the decaying human skin, unable to experience joy or anger freely, fearing that the fragile skin would crack and peel off. Now, without that worry, she experiences long-lost emotional freedom, laughing whenever she wants, without constantly being on edge, and without constantly worrying about the skin breaking...

After she had finished laughing heartily, she rubbed her cheeks with her fingertips.

This human skin is precious; it wouldn't be good if you laughed until you developed laugh lines.

Du Guan: "...He brought it upon himself."

It's too chaotic outside; the countryside is much more peaceful.

Xiao Sui: "This method is unorthodox, but it works."

It works very quickly and is a shortcut.

Du Guan's mind conjured up Zhang Yang's face, and for some reason, her expression turned strange. Xiao Sui asked her why; surely she hadn't gotten drunk because she couldn't hold her liquor? Du Guan waved her hand: "No, I just thought of something, something I've been neglecting for too long."

"What's the matter?"

"The Prefect... actually also has adopted sons and daughters."

Xiao Sui's smile vanished: "How many?"

The trend still reached remote and impoverished areas.

Du Guan: "...It's hard to say."

Xiao Sui: "..."

Du Guan was both amused and exasperated: "I don't know how Shu Yan persuaded her. The Prefect treats his subjects as his children and often considers himself his mother."

Xiao Sui said, "This is different."

We should cherish the common people as we cherish our own children.

The people are still the people, not adopted sons and daughters.

Du Guandao said, "Perhaps in the eyes of the Prefect, they are all the same... If you were to probe her about whether she wanted to adopt anyone as a godson or goddaughter, she might even ask you in return, 'All commoners are already my children, why should I adopt any more?'"

Am I not their mother?

Xiao Sui: "..."

Good heavens, is this the real adoption fanatic?

They drank wine and lit lamps several more times, until the moon was high in the sky before they were truly satisfied. Du Guan urged Xiao Sui not to go back, but to stay the night and sleep side-by-side with her, talking by candlelight. They had been roommates, and during their student days, they had secretly talked by lamplight to avoid the patrols.

Xiao Sui: "Your husband isn't happy about it."

Du Guandao said, "It is only natural for people to be unwilling."

No one likes it when their partner's friend is always trying to squeeze another person into their world as a couple, so it's normal for Xiao Sui to be wary of her.

Xiao Sui took a bath and washed up, eager to change into a brand new human skin.

The removed human skin was carefully folded and neatly stored away.

Dressed in her nightgown, she read the books she had brought back under the oil lamp until a cool fragrance wafted over, pulling her from her reverie. Looking up, she immediately understood the meaning of the phrase "bringing honor to my humble abode" written in the book.

Xiao Sui slowly approached: "How is it?"

They all snapped out of their daze, a lingering sense of amazement in their eyes.

Without hesitation, she blurted out, "They are like celestial beings, even making my humble dwelling seem like a fairyland."

Xiao Sui was very pleased with the praise.

Finding no bronze mirror in the bathhouse, she could only discern her reflection by the water's surface and candlelight. Although she had been quite satisfied with this appearance during the day, it wasn't yet fully on her body, and the human skin lacked the crucial human eye, so its true effect was uncertain. Only after Du Guan gave her a reaction did she finally feel relieved. Xiao Sui was certain that this human skin looked even more stunning than she had in her youth.

"Yuan Yi, please sit over there."

Xiao Sui served Zhang Yang as her master, but being a newcomer, she had no work to do. With nothing to do, she observed Du Guan handling official business. The two chatted idly, the crackling of the lamp wick occasionally echoing in the room. No one knew how long Xiao Sui had been holding back, how long it had been since she had openly spoken to anyone, their conversation seemingly endless. By the time Du Guan put down his pen, Xiao Sui had already drifted off to sleep.

Du Guan: "Asleep?"

The days of late-night candlelit talks are over; now we can only sleep side by side.

I didn't sleep a wink all night until dawn.

When Du Guan's husband saw a strange woman in his home, he felt as if the sky had fallen, his face turning a mix of colors. Only when the strange woman spoke a familiar voice did he feel his heart return to normal. Xiao Sui immediately guessed what he was thinking.

However, out of respect for Tokan, he refrained from provoking him.

"I'm not familiar with the prefectural government. Would you mind going there with me, Yuan Yi?"

"That's only natural."

The steward, who had been waiting by the supply wagon at the entrance, was stunned when he saw Xiao Sui's face. He then frantically rubbed his eyes, blinked repeatedly, and realized that he was not hallucinating. He couldn't help but shed tears.

"Parents—"

Finally, the hard times are over!

Xiao Sui looked at the steward, who was slumped at her feet, almost hugging her legs and crying tears of joy, and couldn't help but sigh: "It's over."

No one wants to get close to a fickle, charlatan.

Not only do they have to endure the other person's negative emotions, but they also have to be constantly surrounded by the stench of decay, witnessing firsthand the rotting skin peeling off to reveal flesh crawling with maggots... It's a scene that would give anyone a nightmare just by looking at it. Even so, the steward never abandons them.

There is no greater true affection in the world than this.

The steward wiped away his tears, trying hard to hold back the rest.

The temporary county government building was small, and the offices for each department weren't meticulously divided; they were simply roughly allocated a space. Since the brand-new county government building was already under construction, there was no need to invest manpower in repairing the temporary one; the money saved could be used for other things…

They all adhere to the habit of checking the time.

Good morning, Mimi.

"Hmm!"

Zhang Dami was carrying a large basket of chicken and duck eggs, followed by a long string of chickens and ducks with cloth bags around their necks. She was preparing to go out and promote chicken and duck farming. Throughout the entire prefecture, Zhang Dami only yielded to Zhang Yang; her reactions to everyone else depended on her mood.

Xiao Sui smiled and said, "Good morning, Mi Jun."

Zhang Dami recognized Xiao Sui and nodded slightly.

This was Xiao Sui's second time entering the temporary prefectural government, and her mood was completely different from yesterday. Perhaps it was because her mindset had changed, and her perspective on things was different as well. She noticed a sign hanging outside the main hall, on which were written a few rather unattractive characters. After careful examination, she could barely make out what was written. Du Guan noticed Xiao Sui's gaze and said, "It was written by the Prefect."

"Written by the lord?"

Is this the lord's handwriting?

Du Guandao: "Yes, I'm already practicing."

However, the Prefect doesn't seem to think so.

Xiao Sui: "..."

She leaned closer to the board and read it carefully.

Du Guan: "The contents of this are all the daily summaries of the Prefect. He writes them down one day and has his subordinates copy them down and memorize them the next day... Hmm, they also need to be included in the performance evaluation of his subordinates."

Zhang Yang basically writes down whatever comes to mind.

Fortunately, she didn't have a strong desire to express herself.

The small message board only appears every three to five days, and the content is mostly in simple, easy-to-understand plain language. The summary can be summarized in one sentence: prioritize ensuring the children's basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Further detailed analysis will then be conducted on these broad categories.

For example, today's board focuses on "eating".

Before the two even entered the main hall, they heard people talking inside.

Zhang Yang was the one doing most of the talking, while Yuan Xie was watching her and "listening".

"...The food structure is too unhealthy. We need vegetables, meat, and eggs. Children need to drink more milk to grow tall and strong. There are many villages near Weiyin County, and the farmland they have been allocated for planting is too monotonous. I think the county government should take the lead in making overall plans. In this way, the purchase and resale can also..." She said as she pulled something out of thin air.

The game's inventory is stockpiled with many high-quality vegetable seeds.

However, not everything is suitable for the land environment of Tianyue County.

She decided to clear out several experimental plots in the vacant land of the temporary county government, first grow these vegetables, then have people summarize the planting experience, compile these experiences into a book, record them in simple and easy-to-understand language for the common people, and then deliver a copy to each household.

With basic literacy training, reading should not be a problem.

Zhang Yang paused for a moment, then took out his notebook.

The note was filled with comments only she could understand, all of which were improvement ideas that came to her during her inspections: "Encouraging agriculture and sericulture is the responsibility of the prefectural government, but something is strange. Since the government sends people down to guide farming, animal husbandry, and silk weaving... why are the farming methods of each farmer different? And why are their skill levels different? Is someone neglecting their duties?"

Those who come from the same master's school will definitely follow the same path.

After observing for several days, Zhang Yang discovered that the farmers' skill levels varied greatly, and their methods were also quite different. This was certainly due to the fact that the refugees came from all directions, but Tianyue County was also part of the Dou Kingdom's official system, and such matters concerning people's livelihoods should be shared.

The reality was quite different from her guess.

What does this tell us?

This indicates that someone has neglected their duties and that local governments are not communicating with each other.

"...We should plan and develop a standardized process that everyone can easily learn." The problem with the officials under the prefectural government is that they have extensive teaching experience but lack practical experience. How can they possibly accomplish the task of promoting agriculture and sericulture under such circumstances?

"What's this called again?"

"What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand."

Yuan Xie waited quietly for Zhang Yang to finish speaking.

He handed her a cup of tea, saying, "What you say makes sense, my lord."

Zhang Yang said, "Okay, that's settled."

The tutorial manual needed to be written, and matching farm tools also needed to be delivered to every household. Zhang Yang thought of the farm tools in the hands of the farmers—these were all resources dropped from the homes of NPCs with red names, and the rest were taken from the Eastern Bandits—the quality varied greatly.

"The forging of new agricultural tools should also be put on the agenda."

"New farm tools?"

"Providing tutorials is not enough; we also need accompanying tools." What if the tools are incompatible and cause the steps to fail? That would be a huge hassle.

Yuan Xie nodded: "Mm."

Zhang Yang flipped through his notebook: "And..."

Xiao Sui listened for most of the day.

Although the lord's words were disjointed and rambling, every stroke of every word resonated with the same cry—

money!

Where will the money come from?

According to the lord, the cultivation manual and complete set of farming tools compiled above are not enough; he also wants to send the highest quality vegetable seeds. It is said that these seeds are resistant to pests, cold, and frost, so even if the seasons are disrupted again and winter comes suddenly, these vegetables can still survive.

High-quality grain seeds should be delivered to farmers' homes as quickly as possible.

Considering that a bumper harvest next year might lead to low grain prices and hurt farmers, she felt that the government should prepare a contingency plan in advance. This could involve either exploring ways to open up trade routes and find more downstream buyers, or figuring out how to enrich the recipes for vegetables and rice.

Xiao Sui: "..."

That's quite a far-sighted thought.

In her words, it seemed that next year would be so bountiful that there would be no food left to eat.

Is this considered worrying unnecessarily?

The same question remains—

Where does the money come from?

Yuan Xie had already noticed Xiao Sui, but only lazily cast a glance at her before turning away without any intention of greeting her. As someone who could "play deaf and dumb," he could simply pretend not to hear her.

"Xiu Ying is here? Why didn't you take a day off?"

Zhang Yang took a sip of tea to moisten his parched throat.

Their eyes lit up the moment they saw Xiao Sui.

His eyes were filled with admiration for his own masterpiece.

She truly deserves to be called the Nuwa of our time; her aesthetic sense in sculpting faces is top-notch.

Xiao Sui's mind raced, and she smiled faintly: "My lord has shown me such great kindness and virtue that I cannot rest easy until I repay it. How can I find peace of mind to rest? I heard from Yuan Yi that my lord has a lot of special human skins. I think I can use these to make some profit."

With money, the lord's plans can be implemented.

Zhang Yang: "We had this plan before."

The product itself is of high quality, but it's difficult to command a high price because the consumer group for "Painted Skin Ghosts" is too small. Without someone in the industry to guide the way, it's hard to open up the market. She claims the human skin is useful and can be bought for an exorbitant price, but consumers don't believe it, so why would they spend money?

but--

Having someone in the industry endorse it makes all the difference.

Xiao, an insider, thoughtfully presented Sui with a pillow.

??ヽ(ー_ー)ノ

The messy situation has finally come to an end.

PS: The JWR scam has caused quite a stir in Shuibei. Hopefully, there will be a result this morning. With the end of the year approaching, these scammers deserve to die.