"Your Highness, we are about to enter Beian County," Bai Mei reported, indicating that they were getting closer to Beiyuan.
“Beian County is indeed different,” Xiao Xuan said.
The closer we got to the prefectural capital of Kitahara County, the more changes we saw.
Everywhere you look, you see busy figures, people busily engaged in construction.
The four main roads built from Beiyuan County will connect all directions. At this time, the one heading west has reached the edge of Bei'an County and will continue to extend westward.
Ultimately, it reaches Mengzhou, then goes to Ningzhou, connecting with the border defenses.
In less than three or four months, the entire Beizhou seemed to be injected with vitality.
They had already encountered many people on the road who had come from other states to work or migrate.
Ji Bai made full use of the connections of the various strategists, asking them to help advertise, while the nearby prefectures and counties directly sent people to promote the cause, publishing articles in the official gazette, spreading nursery rhymes, distributing storybooks, and staging opera troupes.
The reform of the settlement policy means that as long as you step into Beizhou, you will receive a one-stop service including land, settlement allowance, two years of tax exemption, and job placement.
Once you've arrived, don't leave.
They racked their brains and did everything in their power to frantically recruit people.
The statistics he provided showed that the northern state had seen an increase of 150,000 new immigrants in the past two months.
Feng Zhen'er wrote to her jokingly saying that the people of Dongzhou and Beidi were almost all emptied out by Beizhou.
Suddenly, the sound of firecrackers rang out from that direction.
"It's working! It's working..."
Cheers and applause erupted as their path was blocked.
It turns out that the main road in Bei'an County has been opened up, and today the road surface has been completely paved, officially allowing people to pass through.
Not only the people of Bei'an County, but also the people of Xiling County dressed up in their finest attire, with countless respected elderly people with white hair leaning on their canes as they walked onto the smooth road.
Instantly, shouts of "Long live the prince!" rang out.
The children screamed and ran back and forth on the road, some even rolling around on the spot, which made the adults laugh.
The men, eager to start construction on the Xiling County section of the road, were rubbing their hands together in anticipation. "Hurry up, go back and have a good meal, we'll start work tomorrow!"
Countless people echoed his sentiments.
"The people are all pleased and support it; this is a good government."
As Xiao Zhixing was enjoying everyone's happiness with a smile, a donkey cart slowly came to a stop beside him, and an elderly man in his seventies climbed out of the cart, stroking his beard and sighing.
"Sir, the road is blocked right now, shall we rest here for a while?" The young man driving the carriage pointed to a clean teahouse by the roadside.
The old man got out of the car with a sprightly gait, waved his hand, and said, "Ah, I'm willing to endure being stuck in traffic for as long as I can to see such a beautiful sight. You go and make the arrangements, I'll take a walk by myself."
He strode onto the cement road, stepped on it, and then bent down to touch it.
Then exclaimed in amazement, "What a powerful weapon!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Judging from your words, you must be from Suzhou in the south. Why have you traveled all the way to this northern prefecture?"
The old man looked up and met Xiao Zhixing's eyes, which were smiling like crescent moons.
He thought to himself, "Great! I never expected to meet such a girl on the road."
She was simply dressed, and though she was smiling, she exuded an air of authority without being angry, and her demeanor was absolutely stunning.
The old man withdrew his gaze and nodded, "I am indeed from Suzhou. I've heard that Beizhou is interesting, so I came to take a look."
Xiao Zhixing also suggested that everyone go to the teahouse to rest for a while. Seeing that the old man was not an ordinary person, he followed him over to strike up a conversation.
"What's so interesting about it? The old gentleman must have been watching it the whole way."
The old man stomped his foot on the ground again. “This place is teeming with new things, and the government is good, which pleases the people. However… we still need to take a closer look.”
Xiao Zhixing was delighted, saying, "We are delighted to receive such praise from you, sir. We will continue to work hard and strive to have more renowned scholars like you to debate with us."
"Everyone says that Prince Yuansheng is arrogant, tyrannical, and bloodthirsty, and that he is arrogant and disdainful of everyone. I have seen him today and know that he is truly a man of great talent. One should not make hasty judgments without seeing him in person."
Xiao Zhixing humbly cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "I am young and impetuous, and I have certainly offended many people. I do not care about what others say about me. I judge by my actions, not my intentions. As long as I stand firm in my principles and have a clear conscience, that is enough."
She wasn't surprised that he recognized her.
The old man smiled and said, "Well said, 'Focus on actions, not intentions.' You are quite self-reliant. You are much more open-minded than I am at such a young age. You are a worthy disciple of Master Hengqu, and your reputation is well-deserved."
Seeing that the tea room was ready, Xiao Zhixing reached out his hand and said, "Master Murong, it is fate that we have met in my Northern State. Please give me a chance to invite you to have a cup of tea?"
Given his age, his status as a Heavenly Realm expert, and his ancestral home in Suzhou, she guessed his identity.
Murong Wanli stood with his hands behind his back. "Prince Yuansheng's tea is not good. I'm worried that if I drink it, I won't be able to leave."
Xiao Zhixing smiled gently, "I do wish to keep you here, sir. Beizhou is a wasteland of literature, and I yearn for any scholar to come and educate the people and enlighten them."
She bowed deeply as she spoke, “I will never force you. You are free to come and go as you please. If you like this place, you may stay for a few months. If you get tired of it, please let me know and I will personally see you off.”
This man, along with Feng Yong, was known as one of the two great families of the North and South. Compared to Feng Yong, who had a powerful family behind him, he was the true commoner from a prominent family.
Born into a farming family, he was self-taught and became the top scholar in the imperial examination. Instead of entering officialdom, he returned to his hometown to teach and establish schools, nurturing countless students.
He advocated and summarized the ideas of his predecessors regarding clear laws and strict punishments, emphasizing utilitarianism and reform for national strength, which are similar to the Legalist school of thought in China.
However, the prevailing attitude in the world today is towards the gentlemanly spirit, which is similar to Confucianism and Taoism, so his teachings are not mainstream.
However, he was also one of the top scholars in the Qian Yuan Continent, a giant in the literary world of the South, with countless disciples, such as Zhao Kun and Bai Fengmei.
He is skilled in law, Taoism, and literature, and is also a Heaven-rank martial arts master.
He was more skilled in imperial tactics and political maneuvering, and once served as Xiao Yuzhen's tutor, and it is said that the two were also close friends.
How could she let such a role model come to her door?
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