Chapter 339 I heard that I am the best (26)

Zhou Shichu welcomed another uninvited guest, and she had never dealt with this guest before. It was also very unexpected for her, because she really had no idea what she had done to make Mu Yunchao come to see her in person.

Could it be that he was here to vent his anger on Liu Yan because he was not polite enough to his wife? But wouldn't this make him seem too narrow-minded? Would he be such a crazy person for love?

It's hard to say. After all, the hero always takes everything about the heroine to heart. If anyone dares to be rude to his beloved, he will definitely make that person pay the price! In modern times, this kind of behavior is called "Tianliang Wangpo", so is she going to encounter the ancient version of "Tianliang Wangpo" next?

Zhou Shichu felt very complicated. If Mu Yunchao protected Liu Yan and punished her without any reason, she would have to take Zhou Shiwan away from Cuicheng and go somewhere else. In short, she would not surrender, and before leaving, she would take revenge.

"What does your lord want to see me about? I'm just an ordinary person. Is there anything worthy of your lord personally sending someone to find me?" Zhou Shichu tried to find out information from the guards who came to find her.

But the guard was very tight-lipped and didn't say a word. He didn't answer Zhou Shichu's inquiries at all. He just took her away to Fumanlou with a serious look. Coincidentally, Mu Yunchao and Liu Yan were husband and wife, and they chose Fumanlou restaurant to meet each other. They had a good tacit understanding.

When Zhou Shichu entered the box, his sight was immediately attracted by a tall and straight man in front of the table. The man had a handsome and fair face, and had the elegant demeanor of a nobleman, but also a bit of the coldness of a military general. Although these two temperaments were somewhat contradictory, they were miraculously well integrated in him. When people saw him, the idiom "both civil and military" involuntarily came to mind.

"Madam Zhou, it was inappropriate for me to invite you so rashly. I hope you can forgive my rudeness." Mu Yunchao actually apologized to Zhou Shichu first. He seemed very sincere and even drank three cups as punishment.

Zhou Shichu carefully observed his expression and felt relieved to see that he was so polite to her and didn't seem to want to settle the score with her or stand up for Liu Yan.

If possible, she still doesn't want to move. After all, Cuicheng is a rare stable and safe place. She also has her own career here. If she can avoid giving up, she naturally doesn't want to give up.

"I wonder what General Mu wants to see a civilian like me?" Zhou Shichu asked directly. She saw that Mu Yunchao was indeed a broad-minded person, so she was not afraid of offending him.

"My wife received a large sum of money from Madam Zhou yesterday. I would like to thank Madam Zhou on behalf of these disaster victims." Mu Yunchao said, praising Zhou Shichu subtly.

Zhou Shichu was not fooled by his implicit praise and said, "General Mu, you are too kind. I am just an ordinary person and can't help much. I can only donate some money to the victims. And it is for the stability of the city and for myself. General Mu, you don't have to be so polite."

"I am really surprised that Madam Zhou has this awareness. After all, many people who donated money and food would think that they are simply helping the refugees, but would not think that this is actually indirectly helping themselves. After all, only by properly handling the refugees can their own shelter remain stable and their own safety be guaranteed." Mu Yunchao said lightly.

When Zhou Shichu heard what he said, he finally began to observe him seriously. He was indeed worthy of being the future founding emperor, with profound insights, wisdom and talent.

"Mrs. Zhou, you don't have to look at me like that. I was inspired by you to think of these things." Mu Yunchao smiled and said.

Zhou Shichu was really surprised at this moment: "Get inspiration from me? What does that mean?" She was really confused this time.

"Didn't you tell my wife that the way to deal with refugees cannot be to simply give them food and clothing, but to arrange things for them to do, and that 'work-for-relief' is best? After my wife went back, she told me about your brilliant idea, which made me realize it deeply. I wonder if Mrs. Zhou could tell me in detail what 'work-for-relief' means?" Mu Yunchao asked very seriously, and sincerely sought advice from Zhou Shichu.

Zhou Shichu was stunned for a moment. Hearing the words "work-for-relief" from Mu Yunchao made her feel as if time and space were out of sync, but she was still surprised at Mu Yunchao's sharpness. Was he really a natural politician? He paid attention to the words as soon as he heard them.

"Work-for-relief, to put it simply, means that the government invests in the construction of various infrastructure projects, such as building reservoirs, dams, roads, and land reclamation, so that the suffering people can get compensation for these projects to support themselves, rather than directly providing relief to refugees with porridge.

This can motivate the refugees, so that they don’t become too dependent on government assistance and develop a habit of being lazy and gluttonous. It can also reduce the burden on the government, build good infrastructure, and bring convenience to people’s lives.”

After listening to Zhou Shichu's words, Mu Yunchao fell into deep thought. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this idea of ​​"work-for-relief" was a great idea! Isn't this killing two birds with one stone? The money and food raised can be used as a reward for hiring refugees, which will not let them have the idea of ​​getting something for nothing, and can also better build their own city.

Building reservoirs, repairing dams, reclaiming wasteland, building roads...Will the projects be passed down through the ages if completed? These are all real achievements! As a ruler, would Mu Yunchao not know the benefits of this?

Therefore, he knew how brilliant the idea of ​​"work-for-relief" was. Smart people can draw inferences from one example. Mu Yunchao could foresee that after the refugees built reservoirs and repaired dams, the people would no longer have to suffer from floods, and it would also be beneficial to the cultivation of local farmland. With more food, the population would increase, and the city would become more prosperous.

After the reclamation, the arable land increased, and more refugees were willing to stay. They multiplied and thrived here, and became the people under his rule. Now was a time of chaos, and many people died in the war. Which local power did not want to increase the population? The more people there were, the more advantageous it would be in the war, and reclamation was the best way to keep people, wasn't it?

Mu Yunchaoyue became more and more excited. He could not help but stand up and bowed sincerely to Zhou Shichu, saying, "Thank you very much, Madam Zhou, for giving me this idea! I would like to thank you on behalf of the people in the city and the refugees."

Zhou Shichu quickly stood up and avoided his greeting. She didn't dare to take credit for it, so she said quickly, "General Mu, you are too kind. This good idea was not proposed by me. It was proposed by other knowledgeable people. I am just a learner of words, so I don't deserve others' thanks."

Mu Yunchao thought she was just being modest. After all, this was a method of disaster relief in later generations. He didn't know about it, which was why he was shocked when he heard Zhou Shichu say it.

(End of this chapter)