Chapter 489 The Power Behind
Both Shen Yueyao and Su Xueyi understood the importance of fields to people.
Most people rely on farming for a living. Because the farmlands and villages were flooded and there was no harvest, many people had no choice but to flee from famine.
They gathered in villages to escape famine.
But escaping famine was not that easy, and many people died on the road.
If they could live and work in their hometown, those people would not leave.
Shen Yueyao pondered this and said, "It seems that we still need to set up more workshops and industries, so that everyone has work to do, can make money and have enough food to eat, and will come back first. Then we will have to arrange the land, and we will need people to re-register it later."
Su Xueyi concentrated and said, "Well, regarding these, I will hold a meeting to discuss these matters with the officials of Hezhou and mobilize manpower to handle them."
"There are also some aristocratic families entrenched in the local area, and these must also be dealt with."
As she spoke, Su Xueyi touched Shen Yueyao's hair and said, "You don't have to worry about these. I will arrange everything. Just do whatever you want."
Su Xueyi knew that Shen Yueyao also had something she wanted to do.
He would clear all obstacles for her so that she could do the business she wanted in Hezhou.
Shen Yueyao smiled sweetly, she naturally knew Su Xueyi's abilities.
She will cooperate with him.
The two men discussed things along the way as the carriage slowly headed towards the prefect's residence.
When Su Xueyi entered the prefect's residence with the documents, all the major forces in Hezhou also knew about this matter.
Everyone knows that Lord Su, the emperor's favorite, has come to Hezhou to serve as the prefect.
Many people don't know much about this Lord Su, and only know a little about him through some news from the capital.
Some people want to test it, some are afraid, and some don't care.
Su Xueyi had guessed all this a long time ago.
After Shen Yueyao, Su Xueyi and their group moved into the house, they cleaned it up for a few days, bought some things, and settled down completely before settling down.
Su Xueyi began to get busy, anxiously asking Hezhou officials and staff to hold a meeting to understand the situation in Hezhou and issue some decrees.
"This Lord Su wants to hire some refugees to repair the city walls and dikes?"
"Does the city wall still need to be repaired?"
"I don't know what this Lord Su is up to."
"What else can you sell? You just want to control the power of Hezhou in your own hands. This is also what the emperor wants."
"Lord Su called a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in the hope that we would cooperate. Humph, it's not that easy."
The people in power behind the major forces were secretly discussing Su Xueyi's actions, and many people were disdainful.
Everyone was worried that such a young Lord Su could not govern Hezhou well.
And naturally, they were unwilling to cooperate with him to do things.
However, Su Xueyi was not in a hurry and just arranged everything step by step.
Su Xueyi remained calm and composed from beginning to end, as if everything was under control.
Shen Yueyao felt relieved when she saw Su Xueyi arranging various affairs in Hezhou in an orderly manner.
She knew that Su Xueyi could handle things here, so she didn't have to worry.
On weekdays, the maids and two shadow guards protected Dabao and Erbao in the mansion, while Shen Yueyao took Su Ruoyun out to buy a farm.
The land deeds of some farms in Hezhou are all at the Yahang.
Some farm owners sold their farms because they saw that their fields were flooded and could not be used for cultivation.
If the farm is not sold, these people will not only be unable to harvest crops from the farm, but will also have to pay wages to the tenants.
It was not cost-effective for many businessmen, so Zhuangzi sold it.
When Shen Yueyao went there, the man in charge of the manor was very excited, "Young Madam, look, these are some abandoned manors nearby. The locations are very good, and the prices are much cheaper than before."
These villages are also difficult to deal with.
Farms that can be used for arable land are easier to sell.
These abandoned farms are not easy to sell even if they are in good locations.
Seeing that the young lady in front of him was very young, but her dress and temperament were very extraordinary, the broker tried hard to sell the several farms in his hands.
Others are sandy.
Normally, crops grown on normal farmland would only yield about 300 kilograms per acre, but crops could not be grown on sandy land at all.
But maybe the young lady is building something on the farm over there.
Maybe it will be useful.
Shen Yueyao was not in a hurry, but was looking at the locations of these farms.
The location is really good, backed by mountains and with water sources.
Seeing the lady's eyes fixed on the title deed of a manor, the broker hurriedly explained, "This is the manor at the foot of Zhushan Mountain."
"This farm has over 2,000 acres of land, making it very convenient for everything we do."
"Originally, there were hundreds of households in the village, but most of them fled the famine. Now, only a dozen or so families remain."
"But whatever the young lady does, she can buy some new people and arrange them for the farm."
"There are many people in Hezhou looking for work now, and many even sell their bodies to their employers, just to have food to eat and survive."
Shen Yueyao's eyes darkened when she heard these words.
"Are there many people looking for work in Hezhou now?"
The broker nodded and said, "Of course, many villages and fields have been flooded. So many people in so many villages and so many villagers have to make a living, but Hezhou is no longer what it used to be. There is no work to be done."
"Many people had no choice but to flee the famine, and some became beggars."
"A lot of people starved to death anyway."
The broker didn't know why the young lady was asking about these things.
But he also spoke out what he knew.
I also hope that this young lady can buy a farm.
If he buys a farm, he can get some money and have food to eat.
After thinking for a moment, he continued, "When the flood came, many people were drowned."
"Many people want to buy a boat, but even the cheapest, shabby boat costs three taels of silver. How can ordinary people afford three taels of silver?"
"Many people waited at the city gate before, hoping the prefect would take care of them. But they never expected that the prefect before them didn't care about their lives at all."
Speaking of this, everyone sighed.
Chen Yueyao said, "Now that a new governor has come to Hezhou, he has posted a notice hiring people to repair the city walls and embankments, paying 20 cents a day. Since those people are looking for work, why don't they do these things?"
When the broker heard this, his face turned pale and he said, "That's impossible."
"What's going on? Why do you say that?"
"Madam, you may not know that the higher-ups also called for manpower to repair the city wall, but many people who went to repair the wall committed crimes and were often beaten to death, and their wages were also withheld."
"Those in charge of building the city wall have the power of aristocratic families behind them, and no one dares to offend the local forces."
When Shen Yueyao heard this, her face turned pale.
She didn't expect this to be the reason.
No wonder Su Xueyi issued a notice to hire people to do work in exchange for relief, but not many people went.
"I'm also working here, meeting some people, and I've heard some gossip, so please don't tell anyone, ma'am."
Shen Yueyao nodded and said, "Thank you."
I'll talk to Su Xueyi about this later. Only by prescribing the right medicine can the problem be solved.
She looked at the manor on the paper and said, "You said this manor is called Xiaozhu Manor. Could it be that there are bamboos?"
Shen Yueyao felt a little excited when she thought of bamboo.
With bamboo, we can make paper.
The papermaking and printing techniques of the technological age can be demonstrated in this era.
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