Chapter 66

The steward quickly drafted a fairly acceptable document, naturally using paper purchased from the library, and handed it to Meng Xi for approval. After a few minor revisions, the document was handed over.

I originally thought it would take some time, but unexpectedly someone came to inform me on the morning of the third day, saying that the city’s leader wanted to see me.

"So fast?" The steward was a little surprised, but he still informed the news to Meng Xi who was taking a nap in the house. After tidying up his appearance, he followed the person who came to inform him and walked to the house next to the city palace.

From the outside, this place looks no different from other shops, but when you go in, you will find that there is a lot more inside.

It looked like a place specifically used for discussing things, divided into several different halls. Each room had a small couch and a desk. Someone was boiling water and pouring tea nearby, and there were some snacks on the desk.

"Come in."

Hearing the footsteps at the door, the person in the room said.

The steward pushed the door open and saw the desk that he had become accustomed to using these days. There was a person sitting in the backlight, holding a teapot and adding water to the teacup in front of him. It seemed that he had been waiting here for some time.

Meng Xi nodded slightly, then sat down on the chair opposite. The steward originally wanted to stand at the back, but at her eye signal, he temporarily walked to the door.

"Sorry for the wait."

The visitor stood up and opened the window. The room, which was originally a little dim, became brighter and the man's face could be seen clearly. He turned out to be an elderly man who was not young and looked very kind.

Important matters should not be discussed in a confined space, but rather in a place with a wide view.

"No problem, I arrived early." He Xuan naturally knew the distance between the post house and this place. Judging from the walking speed, this person probably set off as soon as he heard the news, so there was no question of wasting time.

Normally, this kind of thing would be handed over to a few students in the academy, and at most someone would be asked to watch from the side. But this time, Song Jin asked for it specifically, as he also wanted to know what this person was famous for.

The two men looked at each other and realized that neither of them could be fooled with a few words, so they did not discuss the matter of the goods directly, but started chatting.

The steward standing at the door was also invited to drink tea at a table on the side.

*

Wen Yi coughed lightly, put away the letters, stood up and stretched his muscles.

"What about the things that were planted?"

She was now mostly focused on these plants. Some of them seemed to be ornamental plants that had bloomed, so she simply went to the garden that was still under construction in the city. There were also some that smelled familiar but looked unfamiliar, and she would have to wait until autumn to find out what they were.

"New sprouts have grown, and some of the seeds have germinated as well." The subordinate replied.

Compared to those plants, some of these seeds seem unable to germinate. I don’t know whether they are still in dormancy or the conditions are not right.

"I'll go over and take a look."

Wen Yi stood up and followed the people into the courtyard where these crops were planted.

The people here are specially recruited, skilled artisans specializing in plant care, as well as farmers with experience in planting. While there are inevitable arguments due to differing perspectives, overall the situation is quite stable.

"That's all. If some of them don't germinate, try different methods. Don't worry about damaging the seeds." These things are not precious, and there is no need to be too cautious. If they can survive, it would be best. It doesn't matter if they can't adapt to the climate and soil here.

Her goal is still cotton and other crops that taste better and can be used as food.

Although according to the rules, the better varieties may still be in the ocean, there are always similar plants, and the probability of germination in multiple places is high. It’s just that the locals have better choices and did not domesticate this crop.

Nowadays, beans and millet are still the main ingredients. Various soy products are also very popular in Pingyi and other places. They can serve as substitutes when meat is not abundant enough. Skilled chefs have also figured out how to process them into different tastes. They are considered to be extremely popular dishes in restaurants.

Of course, after the promotion of workshops and water mills, more people began to grow wheat, and pasta became a favorite of many people.

Vegetables are mainly wild vegetables and radishes from the mountains. There are also some lotus roots in the east. They are not seen in many places like Pingyi. Various melons and vegetables have not been seen yet.

Tree cotton and bombax can be found, but they're not as practical as herbaceous or upland cotton. Sesame, on her previous trip to Changyu, wasn't found. However, after she described it, a merchant from the borderland claimed to have seen it. She wondered if he'd bring some back next time.

Some time ago, Yao Wenjun asked someone to transport some saplings, mostly domesticated jujube, apricot and peach trees. Ji Di seemed to be particularly good at cultivating these things. The letter mentioned that there were many places and even mountains where there were many fruits that no one picked, as they were all pecked away by birds.

Wen Yi chewed the dried fruits in the jar. Perhaps because there were no sweet crops here, these dried fruits tasted unique. Sweet food always makes people happy.

"If there is a chance, we will still send someone to look for it." Wen Yi nodded.

Although she had spent many years in this land, she did not know much about the places outside her sphere of influence. It was extremely difficult to draw maps nowadays. There was even no habit of recording many places, and there were too many omissions and errors in the oral tradition.

Everyone also regarded these things as confidential, and unless they completely captured the city, it was difficult to obtain a certain geographical map. Some people even burned these things before their defeat to prevent the enemy from advancing quickly based on them, just like Fengyi.

However, the Xi Kingdom in the south has already fallen into chaos. Seeing that Nan Xun doesn't even need to bring soldiers with him, perhaps those guys will surrender. At that time, the people who are good at painting in the academy can take their time.

The news that came back was that the general had been betrayed by his closest associates, and his life and property were in danger. Nan Xun sighed a little, lamenting the hero's end, but also felt relieved.

After eliminating the Xi State, they had a smooth road to the south and could also plot against the surrounding areas.

*

When Meng Xi and others returned and passed by Fengyi, there were even more carriages, which were filled with various items. It seemed that they had gained a lot.

Wen Yi happened to be surveying a suitable location for building a new ditch outside the city. Seeing the manager under Meng Xi who seemed familiar to him, he walked over and greeted him.

During their time in Pingyi, the few of them finally knew Wen Yi's identity. The housekeeper was a little reserved at this moment, but Meng Xi still greeted him with a smile, and walked down to drink some rough tea with Wen Yi at a small stall on the side of the road.

"Those places are pretty good, right?"

Wen Yi glanced at the carriages behind him. Some of them were familiar styles to him. They were probably the caravans from Pingyi, and there were people he knew among them.

Although it was mostly his subordinates who praised Pingyi and other places before, Wen Yi also wanted to know what real outsiders thought of these places.

Meng Xi nodded, "It's worth the trip."

However, Wen Yi's identity was more shocking. This person had no intention of mentioning it, and she did not bring up the topic.

"It will take quite a while to go back, so we plan to rest here." Fengyi is a relatively safe place, much better than those villages with unknown origins, no city walls, and no soldiers guarding them.

Since they were carrying so many things this time, they naturally wouldn't stay in those villages. That would only attract people's covetousness and even bring disaster to the people living there.

"This trip may require a detour, but perhaps Fengyi and Changyu will be much closer soon." Wen Yi sighed casually, "It will be much more convenient then."

The meaning of this sentence was very clear, and Meng Xi nodded. She naturally knew that Wen Yi would not use this to tease people.

"It will be much easier to transport things here then." Meng Xi looked at the greatly transformed Fengyi and sighed from the bottom of his heart, "These mud and rocks are truly magical."

Wen Yi followed her gaze and saw someone using a wooden barrel to repair the damaged parts of the new city wall. He took a sip of tea.

Meng Xi and the others only stopped here for a little replenishment this time, but they didn't expect that there would be a lot more people in the team when they left. Wen Yi, who had come with them, got on a carriage that was much cleaner and more spacious than last time and set off with the caravan again.

Naturally, we brought more people this time, and with the addition of the Pingyi caravan, it was much safer than last time.

"It's my turn to treat you this time, so don't refuse." Meng Xi opened the window of the carriage and said to Wen Yi who was not far away.

"Of course I won't be polite with you, but I hope you won't be impatient."

This time, Wen Yi revised the map as he advanced, correcting certain errors. Meng Xi's subordinates also worked on this, but they mostly memorized it. Now that they had paper, they began to try to map it, and they were seeing some initial success. Even without a leader, as long as there was someone in the team who could understand the map, they could reach their destination relatively smoothly.

The team led by Meng Xi and others had much more experience in dealing with other caravans than Pingyi. Most of the bandits and robbers encountered on the road were dealt with by Wen Yi's people, which was a kind of mutual help. After a period of running-in, the managers of both sides often got together to exchange some experience in accounting.

As a fairly famous businessman, Meng Xi naturally had a yard in Changyu. He would usually keep it clean even when no one was around. When he came back, he arranged for Wen Yi and others to live in the yard.

When going out, existing relationships must be maintained, especially for businessmen like them who are already at the bottom of exploitation. If they don't use money to deal with these things in advance, they will have to suffer various losses and eventually suffer heavy losses.

Fortunately, all these can be handed over to the steward. I can just copy a gift list and send it over in the evening.

Meng Xi did not deliberately avoid Wen Yi when doing these things. She could feel that this person was more curious. Thinking that Wen Yi's identity, he should have never encountered a situation where he needed to do such a thing, he explained:

"It's a bit chaotic here in Changyu, so if we move to other cities, we can do it once a year." Most of the time it is done together with the annual tribute or on birthdays.

This was the truth. Although some people in other places were in trouble, more people would still regard her as a resource. After all, when starting a rebellion or encountering a disaster, money and manpower were indispensable. Occasionally, she would hint at providing some financial help, and the rest of the time they could live in peace.

Wen Yi said that she could understand. Meng Xi had only been back for a few days, and many people had submitted various invitations, but most of them were temporary invitations. So she sent someone to deliver gifts according to the regulations. After all, the other party didn't want her to go, as long as the gifts arrived.

This time it was thanks to the novelties brought back from Pingyi. These things are extremely valuable here. I picked out some exquisite ones and gave them to them, and both of us were happy.

This time, no one brought farm tools or water carts. Instead, they brought various products, such as soap and processed food, as well as a lot of bound books and several carts of paper. This was probably something that Song Jin and others had in mind, so Wen Yi naturally didn't say much.

"But this place is still the most suitable. No other place is as convenient as here." Wen Yi sighed. If they want to get a piece of the pie, they have to do this. After all, this is not the place like Pingyi where they can make their own decisions.