Yuan Bohua was in a good mood as he thought about the sharp drop in the number of people outside the city gates in the past two days. "Once the emperor's policy of using work instead of relief was announced, the pressure outside the city gates instantly decreased a lot. Only the elderly, weak, sick and lazy people were left outside the city waiting for the daily porridge from the government and wealthy families."

Zhou Qiongyue nodded in understanding, "After all, most people know that relying on a little porridge every day to survive is not a big deal."

"We must not only pay attention to corruption, but also make sure these people don't do too much work. After all, they don't have much to eat. If they are forced to do hard and tiring work and die from exhaustion, it will be difficult to deal with. It will also be very difficult."

The Second Prince sighed deeply after he finished speaking. Although the task didn't fall to him, it was he who proposed it. He might not get much credit for the achievements, but if it went wrong, it would definitely be his fault.

The second prince hoped that his brothers would behave themselves and not joke with so many lives.

Yuan Bohua listened to the second prince's words and thought about the recent work-for-relief tasks, which basically involved cleaning the Daning River. That job was not easy.

Yuan Bohua also sighed like the Second Prince, "That's going to be difficult. There's no easy job when it comes to clearing the river."

Yuan Bohua had the same idea as the Second Prince, which did not make him much happier, and even made him more worried.

The Second Prince looked at his comfortable cousin and praised her sincerely, "The work on your farm is really easy. Not only is the food provided, but you can also choose the food you want as wages."

Although many nobles and wealthy businessmen followed suit as soon as the emperor's policy of using work as a substitute for relief came out, most of them only paid wages. Although the price of grain in Yuan'an has not risen sharply, it is basically not available for purchase.

Only the government grain shop was still open, but it was crowded every day. You had to queue for a whole day and not know whether you could buy anything.

Basically, only my cousin's manor recruits talents, provides food, and even provides food. Even the manor of Prince Fu'an's palace does not have such treatment.

The main reason was that Yuan Bohua received the news late, and it was no longer possible to buy large quantities of grain at that time.

Zhou Qiongyue supplied her own small farms, and she told the outside world that the grain was bought to make wine. For this reason, Zhou Qiongyue's small winery in Yuan'an City was closed.

This is a pity for some old customers, because the wine sold by Zhou Qiongyue's winery is really delicious. You can't buy such a good value wine anywhere else.

Therefore, the palace did not store food, so it could not afford such a large consumption. It also means that a big tree attracts the wind.

"Those people are quite diligent. I heard from Gulan that the people we recruited are working very hard. The canals, roads, and houses on my farm have all been started one after another. The land has also been plowed and some drought-resistant seeds have been planted.

I don’t think I’m being kind, they really did the job.”

Zhou Qiongyue was satisfied with the work these people did, although there were inevitably a few who tried to take advantage. But most of them were grateful and kind, and they did their assigned work very well, fearing that she would suffer any loss.

Working at Zhou Qiongyue's farm was not a shared endeavor. Instead, each person received a task, and upon completion, they would receive their wages for the day and then return to their own tasks.

It usually takes a whole day for most people to finish the work. Only a few who work quickly can finish it ahead of time. As for those who are lazy, they will be paid when the work is finished.

People are unwilling to save themselves, and Zhou Qiongyue is unwilling to disrupt their life trajectories.

The Fifth Prince and Zhou Zhiquan, who were standing nearby, also heard what the three of them said and looked at Zhou Qiongyue with sparkling eyes. They both thought their cousin was both kind and capable.

"Cousin, this is the only long-term solution. Otherwise, even if these people get through this difficult time with the help of the court, there's no guarantee they won't be able to return to their old farming days."

The second prince really thought that this policy of work-for-relief was very good. Sometimes when people are used to living on charity, they are unwilling to live the hard life they used to.

Yuan Bohua also agreed with the Second Prince's words, "That's true!"

Zhou Qiongyue was about to say something when she saw the Fifth Prince and Zhou Zhiquan in the corner, looking at her expectantly.

Zhou Qiongyue thought they were longing for life outside. She turned to look at Yuan Bohua and asked, "Now that the pressure at the city gate has eased a lot, will the prince still be so busy in the next few days?"

Yuan Bohua smiled and shook his head. "It shouldn't be that busy now. The people below will just keep an eye on it. I was so busy earlier mainly because I was worried about those people storming the city gates and causing unnecessary losses. What's the matter? Does the princess need me to do something?"

Zhou Qiongyue pointed at the Fifth Prince and Zhou Zhiquan in the corner and said, "Why don't you take these two to the city gate and see the sufferings of the world."

"I don't have any objection." Yuan Bohua said this with a smile and looked at the second prince.

The Second Prince turned to look at his two younger brothers, and he could certainly see the anticipation in them. Just as he was about to agree, he heard his good brother, the Fifth Prince, say, "Don't bother my brother-in-law. Just let my second brother take us there."

The fifth prince felt that if his brother-in-law took them both out, and something happened, his cousin and cousin-in-law would not be able to bear the responsibility, so it would be better to let his second brother take on this potential risk.

The second prince understood what his younger brother meant immediately. Although he wanted to beat his younger brother up, he had to admit that his younger brother was more considerate.

The Second Prince could only take on this burden: "I'll take them both out for a stroll in a couple of days."

Yuan Bohua gave the Fifth Prince an expression of appreciation. The princess was a really good cousin who always thought about his cousin's situation.

It was only then that Zhou Qiongyue realized the inappropriateness of this matter. She rubbed her brows with her hand and sighed in her heart: "It is true that after too many comfortable days, people lose their proper caution."

No matter what happened to either of them, she couldn't explain it. After all, no matter how close they were, he wasn't her son, so she had no right to speak.

Although Zhou Qiongyue understood the stakes involved, she didn't say anything else. She had already said what she had said, and she couldn't regret it anymore. She could only remind herself not to make the same mistake again.

What makes Zhou Qiongyue most gratified is that although her fifth cousin looks ignorant, he is actually a considerate child.

Finally, Zhou Qiongyue was still worried and gave the Second Prince one more instruction, "Bring more people with you when the time comes."

The Second Prince was still confident about taking his two younger brothers to the city gate to take a look. "Don't worry, cousin."

However, the second prince touched his chin and felt that he could not bear this responsibility. He still had to go back and tell his father and mother.

After a few more small talk, everyone dispersed, as it was getting late. The Second Prince and his three companions also intended to stay a little longer so that Yuan Bohua and Zhou Qiongyue, who had finally returned, could spend some time together.

But even after the Second Prince and the others left, Zhou Qiongyue still sat in the same place without moving.