Hearing this, Minglou stroked his beard and said leisurely, "Well, since Ah Xue has pleaded for you, I will let you go."

Qin Yuan immediately retorted, "Old man, if it weren't for my wife, I would have beaten you up long ago. I'll let you know what it means to be afraid of the young!"

Minglou completely ignored Qin Yuan and sat down on the stone bench in the yard.

He picked up a piece of cake brought by Ming Zhanxue, put it in his mouth, savored it carefully, and said in amazement:

"Xiao Yuanzi, are you confined to reflect on your mistakes, or are you just enjoying your retirement?"

"Look here, there's food and drink. His Majesty treats you really well."

"Why don't you thank me quickly? If it weren't for my kindness, I'm afraid you wouldn't have enough heads to chop off for what you did."

Minglou didn't know about the ill-fated relationship between his daughter, the empress and Qin Yuan, so this story came about.

Ming Zhanxue glanced at Qin Yuan, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Dad, you really underestimated the big fool."

"Your Majesty, I'm reluctant to take his head."

"Hmm?" Minglou's brows relaxed and he smiled, "That's true. This kid is quite thoughtful and a great talent. It's understandable that Your Majesty is reluctant to kill him."

Mingzhan's cheeks were flushed, she wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingers, and laughed so hard that her body shook.

Then, under Minglou's surprised gaze, he nodded seriously and said slowly, "Dad, you are right. He is indeed a pillar! And beam! material!"

Ming Zhanxue emphasized the words "pillar of the country" very heavily, with a sly and playful smile on the corner of his mouth.

Minglou didn't understand the meaning of his daughter's words, but Qin Yuan did.

His old face flushed, he picked up a piece of cake, and brought it to Ming Zhanxue's mouth, smiling and saying:

"My lady, come and try it too. The food in the palace is really not simple and tastes really good."

It's obvious that he is preparing to shut up.

Ming Zhanxue took a sip, stared at him, and suddenly smiled with a gentle and affectionate look, like a little girl.

"Well, it's quite good. Your Majesty really takes good care of my husband."

Qin Yuan quickly changed the subject and said, "They must be good. The white salt, the labor service, and the curved plow are all great achievements. I gave them all to them."

"If we don't give them some compensation, how can we win their hearts?"

Listening to Qin Yuan's words, Ming Zhanxue covered her mouth with her hands again, and her eyes and eyebrows could not hide her peach blossom-like charm.

It's clearly saying: Do you want me to compensate you with myself, my husband?

Qin Yuan: My wife, my father-in-law is here, please let me go. I really know I was wrong...

Minglou was an old and experienced man, so he naturally noticed the abnormality of the two people.

But, children and grandchildren have their own blessings, so why worry so much?

We only have a few decades to live, so why bother too much about trivial matters?

He just pretended not to know and looked at the two of them quietly, communicating with each other through his eyes and eyebrows.

After a while, he seemed to be bored and his interest faded. He coughed a few times and said, "Xiao Yuanzi!"

"This time, what kind of scheme have you hatched to harm those people from the aristocratic families?"

"I am acting as myself, singing your last scene for you."

"Shouldn't you reveal your next plan?"

"Do you want to pull off another escape and completely make 'Qin Yuan' disappear from the face of the earth?"

"Don't worry, I know the importance of this matter and I will ensure that no one will discover the flaws and affect your plan."

After saying that, Minglou rubbed his hands together, eager to try, and the joints of his hands were cracking.

How can he still be a great scholar?

Qin Yuan rolled his eyes at Ming Lou and said unhappily, "Old man, what are you talking about!"

"When have I, Qin Yuan, ever cheated anyone?"

"I have always valued harmony. Harmony brings wealth, okay?"

"Old man, tell me honestly, can you call this a scam?"

"It's just that the people from the aristocratic families took advantage of it less."

"So what are your plans next?" Minglou couldn't help but feel curious.

Qin Yuan, this kid, never plays by the rules. Every move he makes is eye-opening and refreshing.

Qin Yuan shrugged and spread his hands, saying, "I don't have any plans. What plans can I have? All I have left is to eat and wait for death."

"You kid, you even hid it from me. That's so unkind of you." Minglou kept pointing at Qin Yuan.

"Old man, believe me, I really have no idea." Qin Yuan laid his cards on the table.

Ming Lou frowned and started to roll up his sleeves, "You kid, you want to be beaten, don't you?"

Forehead.

I am telling the truth!

Qin Yuan looked helpless. These days, no one believes the truth?

He has done everything that needs to be done.

What's left is time. What else can he do...

Seeing Minglou's expression becoming increasingly ugly, Qin Yuan had no choice but to compromise.

"Old man, listen to me."

Hearing this, Minglou's frown immediately relaxed, and he smiled brightly, "Go ahead, I'm listening."

Qin Yuan counted on his fingers and analyzed it for him.

"First of all, the land tax has been distributed and corvee labor has been abolished. The aristocratic families and local tyrants have no choice but to use this as an excuse to absorb hidden households."

"Without a steady supply of labor, the aristocratic family's most important trump card for controlling the region has been lost."

"We can only exploit the people in other ways."

Minglou listened very carefully and nodded continuously: "Not bad, you continue."

Qin Yuan continued, "Then, with the advent of the curved plow, the imperial court realized the importance of tool innovation. The status of craftsmen continued to rise. As long as new agricultural tools were continuously developed, the burden on the people would naturally be reduced."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!