"Filling up the explosives depot? Is that less important than my two younger sisters? Brother Mutai, you can rest assured about that. As long as you nod, I will immediately write to Dongfu Kingdom and dispatch a fleet to transport the best gunpowder for the use of Danu Kingdom."
“Alright, since Prince Takumi is a straightforward person, I won’t hold back anymore. As long as the gunpowder depot is established, I am willing to work together with Prince Takumi to send Qiao Lian’er to hell.”
Mu Tai narrowed his eyes: "She has lived far too long."
Now that Prince Takumi is helping him, and Pang You has also passed the imperial examination, his future looks very promising. He doesn't believe he will really lose to Qiao Lian'er.
The irrigation problem in Queyuan Prefecture and its two counties was almost solved. Qiao Lian'er looked at the other counties and found that there were no problems for the time being, so she went to Jinglang Prefecture.
In comparison, Jinglang Prefecture is located in the northernmost part of the Great Swamp Kingdom, bordering the northern tribal states. Its geographical location is very important, and governing it is more risky. Northern cavalry would frequently invade the south, harassing the border and even continuing to probe inland. The people of Jinglang Prefecture did not live a stable life, and in severe years, it could even be said that the people were living in misery.
The garrison troops of Jinglang Prefecture were already used to such situations. As long as they did not launch a large-scale invasion that would cause great unrest and alert the capital, they would only make a show of fighting back, and sometimes they would even turn a blind eye.
After all, there are several lines of defense outside the capital, which are generally impossible to breach.
Therefore, when the emperor entrusted this prefecture to her, it was as if he had placed a burden on her shoulders.
Although the Great Lakes are now peaceful and the people live and work in peace, this is the general situation. The specific situation in different regions is another matter entirely.
Several years ago, the northern tribal states united and launched a major invasion southward. After being repelled by the Great Swamp Kingdom, the two sides signed a reparations agreement stipulating a fifty-year non-aggression pact. While things seemed to be at peace, relations between the two sides had become strained.
However, the border trade continued, with people from both sides selling agricultural products and handicrafts they needed, creating a lively exchange of goods.
Qiao Lian'er and Pei Shijiu walked through the market, passing through the bustling crowd. The market was full of life and the atmosphere of everyday life, yet it also had the exotic feel of the desert grasslands. When Qiao Lian'er saw something that interested her, she would buy it. Before she knew it, she had bought a lot of things, but luckily there was space to put them all.
As she strolled around, Qiao Lian'er almost forgot that she had come to manage Jinglang Prefecture.
The temperature here is a bit colder than in the capital. At this moment, the rising sun casts a warm orange hue on the withered yellow grassland, and the light shines on the faces of the people traveling between the two places, which are both weathered by time and exceptionally peaceful.
Despite the bustling crowd, Qiao Lian'er felt a tranquility that transcended the world, allowing her busy mind to find rest.
Pei Shijiu suddenly frowned, clearly displeased.
"What's wrong?" Qiao Lian'er asked when she noticed this, as she had been somewhat distracted.
"Listen," Pei Shijiu said in a low voice.
Qiao Lian'er concentrated and heard some piercing sounds.
“Exorbitant taxes? That can’t be right. Isn’t it said that Princess Zhenguo is a good person who brings good fortune to wherever she goes? We’re hoping that Princess Zhenguo will make our lives better.”
"You actually believe this? Those in power are all wolves who eat people without spitting out the bones. Those who seem kind are just putting on a good show. We have never encountered such harsh taxes in Jinglang Prefecture, no matter how many prefects we have had. As soon as she came, she wanted to collect five times the original amount. She is like a vicious wolf who wants to drink our blood dry."
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