The guests have all left.
Emperor Feng was sitting in his study, sipping hot tea.
"Samuel will leave in two days."
"The rewards for Xiliang have been prepared."
"Xiao Ning, you will escort her out of Chang'an."
"OK."
Ning Que smiled and nodded.
He also had private dealings with Samuel.
The circumstances of his father and brother's death are still unclear.
Maybe it really has something to do with the Gu family.
There may also be someone else behind the scenes.
We still have to continue investigating.
"You did a good job this time."
"I held a banquet, received gifts, and made some money playing drinking games."
"Is Baibao Pavilion making a killing selling mahjong these days?"
"Xiao Ning, congratulations on your wealth!"
"What kind of wealth..." Ning Que waved his hands repeatedly and continued to cry poor, "I'm so poor that I'm almost begging for food. My royal brother knows that the palace needs money everywhere. Jingyang also has daily expenses. I don't think it will be easy to recover until next year."
"hehe."
Emperor Feng just smiled.
Just listen to this, don't believe it.
He mainly liked to hear Ning Que complain about his misery.
“Jingyang does cost a lot of money.”
"That's too much." Ning Que said with a bitter face, "We've caught the locusts, but the victims still have to work. The ancestral home needs repairing, the wasteland needs to be reclaimed, the farm equipment needs to be repaired, the river needs to be dredged, and workshops need to be built. We also have to survive the coming winter. I have no choice..."
"I heard from the Ministry of Revenue that you let them grow wheat?"
"Yes."
Ning Que nodded and explained, "So-called winter wheat is wheat that survives the winter. Farming requires adapting to the seasons. For example, near Chang'an, millet is the primary crop grown annually. Jingyang has been hit by a locust plague, so it's too late to continue growing millet. Planting winter wheat, which is more cold-resistant, can help us gain advantage over the weather. With winter wheat, the people can also better withstand natural disasters."
There was no mention of winter wheat in Dafeng before.
At least no one mentioned it around Chang'an.
The common people originally ate one crop per year.
Relying on winter wheat, we can have three crops in two years.
It is equivalent to one more season's harvest.
Of course there are disadvantages.
Without chemical fertilizers these days, the soil's fertility would inevitably be overdrawn in the long run. Once the fertilizer was absorbed, the soil would become hardened, easily rendering it useless. Ning Que had the river dredged so that the silt could be used as compost.
"Good."
"You will be responsible for the relevant matters."
"If it can be successfully planted, let the Ministry of Revenue pass it on."
“Promote winter wheat in appropriate areas.”
"Forget it," Ning Que advised. "If a disaster strikes a region and the timing is right, we can promote winter wheat as a disaster relief measure. This is a last resort. If we treat winter wheat as a normal practice and grow it twice a year, it will easily ruin the fields."
Emperor Feng seemed to be thinking about something.
After a long time, he sighed softly.
"Then it's just as you said."
"Is my royal brother short of food now?"
Emperor Feng casually picked up the book and said softly, "Nowadays, we are in a time of great contention, and nations are frequently at war with each other. The strong will become stronger, and the weak will perish."
"Everywhere the sun and moon shine is Dafeng's territory. You have set an extremely ambitious goal for Dafeng, and I will strive for it my entire life. It's easy to say slogans, but it's not easy to realize them. Now that we have signed an alliance with Xiliang, we can also take action against Liao. The war is about to begin, so the more food, the better."
"Too……"
Ning Que sighed softly.
It’s not that Dafeng wants to fight.
Rather, the Liao Kingdom has been increasing its military forces in recent years.
The Liao Kingdom had been developing quietly for many years and now had a large army and a strong general. Not only had they occupied the Hetao grasslands, but they were also showing signs of wanting to start a war.
Now that Dafeng has reached peace with Xiliang, it has completely freed up its hands and should strike back at the Liao. Not to mention retaking the Hetao grasslands, at least it must weaken the Liao's manpower.
Emperor Feng looked at Ning Que and said softly, "Since Emperor Gaozu founded the country, Prince Ning has always been in charge of the military. Gu Yuan is not up to the task. If the two countries go to war, you will still be responsible. However, you have never led an army before, so you may not be able to command the troops. Fortunately, it is your uncle who is guarding Yanmen Pass. When the time comes, you can lead the three guards to fight a few good battles. Then I will be able to use you again and convince the troops."
"I will listen to my brother."
Ning Que smiled.
In fact, he doesn't like fighting.
When his father and brother were still alive, Ning Que often slacked off and refused to learn military tactics, always angering his father. But now he was the only one left in the entire palace, and he had to restore the prestige of the Ning Palace!
The one currently guarding Yanmen Pass against the Liao was his uncle, Feng Wuzhe. He held the rank of Grand General, the title of Duke of Zhenguo, and was also the head of the Feng family, one of the eight great families in Chang'an. For years, he had been stationed in the northern border, responsible for defending against the Liao cavalry.
"Just be prepared."
"I have already sent troops from the western border."
"At the same time, we will send granaries from the five counties to support Yanmen."
"It's better to be careful in Xiliang."
Ning Que couldn't help but remind him.
According to Samuel, Xiliang still wants to attack Gu Yuan. However, this matter concerns the diplomatic relations between the two countries and cannot be made public. The Xiliang Crown Prince can distinguish between public and private matters and will not wage war against Dafeng.
Of course, you still have to be careful of their secret tricks.
Ning Que must be hoping that Gu Yuan will die.
But it's not that simple.
After all, Gu Yuan is now a general of Dafeng.
He also has some prestige and influence in the military.
If he was really killed by the Xiliang people, it would be like a loud slap in the face for Dafeng. Even if it was unwilling, Dafeng would have to send troops to respond.
Also, Gu Yuan knows a lot of things.
Is the death of his father and brother related to the Gu family?
Was it a frame-up, or was it the Gu family's doing?
"Yes, I know."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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