Chapter 333 Reward

Zhao Xiping didn't have any ideas. He didn't even know what Sui Yu was thinking. Before entering this hall, he had never heard Sui Yu mention rescuing the camp prostitutes.

The hall was quiet for a moment. Zhao Xiping looked at Sui Yu, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind: there were few prostitutes in the camp, but there were many official slaves.

"The number of camp prostitutes is too small to fill the labor shortage for cotton planting. This can be supplemented by official slaves," Zhao Xiping said frankly. He didn't understand how much slaves benefited their owners. Limited by his vision, he spoke simply and fluently. "Take Dunhuang as an example. It's been forty or fifty years since the establishment of Dunhuang County. The official slaves who moved there have had children and children, and their number has probably doubled. From what I understand, there are more official slaves raising cattle and horses than there are horses. The few official slaves in my family were sent from cattle farms."

Emperor Xuanping sat up straight. This rough man was ignorant and fearless and dared to say anything.

"What does Shopkeeper Yu think?" he asked.

"I agree with Captain Zhao." Sui Yu was surprised that Zhao Xiping thought the same thing as her. She seized the opportunity to say, "But I think the slaves who were enslaved, especially those who were government slaves, have committed crimes. If Your Majesty is willing to pardon them, they will have to pay to redeem their slavery."

Sui Yu understood that the decree to pardon official slaves could only be implemented if it was beneficial to the court.

"Where do the slaves get their money?" asked the Minister of Agriculture.

"You can buy on credit. Most slaves who want to become good people are people with ideas and abilities. After becoming good people, they will be burdened with debts. If they cannot pay it back, they will still be slaves. It will not be a disadvantage for the court, and they can be supported less." Sui Yu said.

Emperor Xuanping was delighted and said, "If you have any other ideas, please share them with us."

Sui Yu was silent for a moment. After much deliberation, she finally spoke, "I personally believe that some of the slaves implicated in the crime could be released, depending on the severity of their crimes. These slaves will be the main force in growing cotton or grain. We have three government slaves in our family. They were enslaved more than ten years ago because their husbands and fathers were bandits. They are not vicious. One of them has been cooking for years, and the other two have been doing farm work for us and have even followed me on business trips. They are honest and capable."

Emperor Xuanping frowned. He was now certain that Sui Yu was indeed speaking up for the slaves and could even be said to have many dissatisfactions with the law.

The peaceful atmosphere in the hall quickly turned solemn.

Geng Zhongcheng glanced at Sui Yu. He knew she was bold, but he didn't expect her to be so bold.

"In your first sentence, you proposed that official slaves redeem themselves, but in your second sentence, you advised the court to pardon the slaves who were implicated in the crime?" The Minister of Agriculture felt a sense of appreciation for her talent and gave her a chance to make up for it.

"The groups of people are different. Those who can be pardoned are from the lower class. They were ordinary people before they became slaves. They don't have the ability to earn money to redeem themselves, but they have the mentality to work hard on the land." Sui Yu said tactfully that the group of people who can use money to redeem themselves are similar to those of the Sui family who were implicated and exiled. If they could have redeemed themselves at that time, the children of the Sui family could have been saved.

Emperor Xuanping was furious. He said in a deep voice, "It seems you have many complaints about the Sui clan being implicated."

"Your Majesty, I am here to share the burdens of the imperial court." Sui Yu refused to admit it. "The problems of wasteland and redundant slaves do exist. I have been involved in business and farming, and I have come up with these ideas because I think about them when I am away from home. Of course, these are just my humble opinions. I don't understand the affairs of the imperial court. If Your Majesty finds my opinions absurd, I hope you will be magnanimous and not argue with me."

Emperor Xuanping remained silent. No matter how she argued, she could not hide her little thoughts, but she could not make any big mistakes. On the other hand, she had made great contributions to the cotton industry, so he could not punish her for her words. Once he did, the censors would scold him.

"Forget it." Emperor Xuanping picked up the tea bowl and took a sip of water, obviously not intending to talk anymore.

Sui Yu lowered his eyes and said nothing.

"Shopkeeper Yu, Geng Zhongcheng reported to you two days ago that you like fame. His Majesty has taken into consideration that cotton benefits both the court and the people and that you have made great contributions, so he has conferred upon you the title of Lady of Cotton, exempted you from paying taxes for another 20 years, and bestowed upon your guesthouse a plaque written by His Majesty himself." The eunuch waiting on the side spoke at this time.

Sui Yu's eyes lit up, his listless look quickly disappeared, and he instantly became energetic.

She was so excited that she kowtowed subconsciously to express her gratitude and accept the reward.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for not being so critical of me. I will do my utmost in Dunhuang to assist the agricultural officials in ensuring that cotton is grown in all four counties of Hexi."

She was now very sincere, and Emperor Xuanping's expression calmed down. He said, "You don't need to cooperate with others. Promote Zhao Qianhu to the rank of General of the Central Army for Agriculture, and give him the jurisdiction over the cotton planting in the four counties of Hexi."

Zhao Xiping followed suit and bowed his head in thanks.

"You want fame, profit, and even promotion, but don't be too greedy about cotton. Cotton seeds cannot be sold at a high price." The Minister of Agriculture warned.

Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping responded in unison.

"I didn't intend to sell it at a high price in the first place. I was planning to go back in early April when spring arrives and sell the cotton seedlings at a low price." Sui Yu took credit for it. She looked at the person at the top and asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask who should be given priority for selling the cotton seedlings?"

"Didn't you advise the prostitutes in the camp to become good women? When the decree is passed down, the General of the Household will arrange their marriages and rent wasteland for them to grow cotton." Emperor Xuanping gave an accurate answer.

Sui Yu sighed. Emperor Xuanping allowed prostitutes in the military camp to become good women, but refused to pardon official slaves sentenced to excessive punishment. This was likely due to his conservative nature, his refusal to accept reform, and his intolerance for challenges to the laws that upheld feudal rule. Judging from his previous reactions, perhaps in another three to five years, when cotton cultivation was under pressure from land and manpower, a decree for slaves to redeem themselves might be issued.

The eunuch came down and bowed, saying, "General of the Central Army, Madam Xihua, Your Majesty should rest. I will escort you out of the palace."

Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping bowed and said goodbye. As they stood up, Sui Yu met Emperor Xuanping's gaze. She quickly lowered her eyes, her face respectful, but she said, "I once heard an old scholar mention that the First Emperor burned books and buried scholars, and after the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu advocated the supremacy of Confucianism. Therefore, I personally believe that some government orders have time limits. What I say today is not a challenge to the law, nor do I seek justice for the Sui family. Thirty years ago, the excessive number of government slaves benefited the four counties in Hexi. Now that the northwest is peaceful, the reclamation and canal construction and the construction of the Great Wall are almost complete, and some government slaves can now find their own livelihoods."

Emperor Xuanping had calmed down long ago and listened to Sui Yu's words, but this matter was of great importance and she had no clan support behind her, so it was not something he could change on his own.

"Grow cotton well. There are few farmlands in Hexi, but there are many inside the Great Wall. I am waiting for cotton to spread all over the territory of my great Han Dynasty," he said.

Sui Yu was a little disappointed, but she tried her best. She followed Zhao Xiping out of the palace.

The sky, which had been cloudy for a long time, finally cleared up. The sun dispelled the thick clouds, and the palace with carved railings and jade bricks was covered with a dazzling light.

Sui Yu stood in front of the steps and slowly let out a breath. She was finally able to face herself who had gone back on her word in order to survive.

She was not wrong, it was the law's fault.

In the side hall, a group of eunuchs brought out the rewards given by Emperor Xuanping, including five hundred taels of gold, fifty jars of wine and food, a pair of jade walls, a seal, and a plaque.