Inside the government office.
The soldiers delivered all the grain they brought from Xiangnan into the granary.
Although 10,000 dan of grain were brought from Kyoto, the Prince is now distributing porridge and steamed buns in the five northern cities and also providing food for the river workers. The grain is being consumed very quickly, and in just a few days, a considerable amount of grain has already been used up.
Fortunately, the prince had previously seized a lot of grain and gold and silver jewelry from the bandit's den and the prefect's mansion. The grain naturally filled the granaries, and the gold and silver jewelry were also exchanged for a lot of grain in other cities.
With the addition of the 30,000 dan of grain sent from Xiangnan, the northern region now has nearly 50,000 dan of grain. Even including the food and supplies for the river workers, this amount of grain should last for more than a year.
It must be said that Xiangnan was a great help this time.
Xuanyuan Zhan was very pleased that Xie Dongfang had delivered the 30,000 dan of grain in time and warmly entertained Xie Dongfang.
"Drink some water!" Xuan Yuanzhan poured Xie Dongfang a glass of water and said somewhat embarrassedly, "The north is short of water, so this water is a bit murky. Don't mind it."
Xie Dongfang was very understanding: "Your Highness is joking. The North is short of water, and this cup of water is extremely precious now! What's there to mind?"
They had witnessed the extent of water scarcity in the North along their journey, so how could they not understand the hardships faced by the North!
Not only Xie Dongfang got to drink water, but all the drivers and guards who delivered the grain also got to drink water.
Xuanyuan Zhan treated everyone to a meal, but of course, there wasn't much to offer; all he could do was serve congee and steamed buns, which everyone could eat as much as they wanted.
Seeing that Xuan Yuanzhan was eating the same congee and steamed buns as the others, Xie Dongfang was deeply moved once again: "Your Highness is still the same as ever!"
More than ten years have passed, the prince has grown up, but he hasn't changed at all.
When I first met the prince, he was only a seven-year-old child and a nobleman who had just come down from the capital to Xiangnan. As a prince, he should have been spoiled and pampered, but after arriving in Xiangnan, he showed none of the spoiled and extravagant airs of a nobleman's son from the capital. It's not that he wasn't noble enough.
To be precise, he was just too aristocratic, exuding nobility from head to toe. His appearance and temperament made him seem like a born king, and even though he was young, he was impossible to ignore.
The prince was very noble, but when he arrived in Xiangnan, he ate and slept almost all with the locals. Especially when he was managing the floods in Xiangnan, he was almost never clean. However, this did not affect his demeanor or the respect the people of Xiangnan had for him.
Xuanyuan Zhan laughed and said, "You have come from afar, so I don't have much to offer you. Please make do with this. When we arrive in Xiangnan or the capital, I will treat you all to a proper meal."
"This is already precious enough. As long as everyone has something to eat, that's enough." Xie Dongfang had witnessed too much suffering along his journey from Xiangnan to the north.
It seems that only the people of Xiangnan are doing relatively well. Apart from Xiangnan, there are more and more disaster victims going north, especially in the north, which is the complete opposite of Xiangnan!
Looking back now, the people of the North are fortunate, because the Prince has come to the North. Although the North is currently suffering, with the Prince there, the North will get better sooner or later.
These simple porridges and steamed buns are the most precious things in the North these days. The prince uses these to entertain them, so what more could they ask for?
After having dinner together, Xuan Yuanzhan had someone prepare a room for Xie Dongfang.
Xie Dongfang politely declined: "Your Highness, I cannot stay in the North for long. We will return to Xiangnan."
Xuanyuan Zhan was surprised: "So soon. It's rare for you to come to the North. It's been a long time since we've seen each other. Why don't you stay a little longer?"
Xie Dongfang also longed to spend more time with the Prince, who had been away from Xiangnan for almost a year: "I have been in Xiangnan for more than a month now. It will take another month to get back from the north. By the time I get back, I will have to plant this year's early rice and check on the seedlings I have cultivated. If I go back any later, it will be too late."
Xuanyuan Zhan knew Xie Dongfang's temperament and understood that he was a person who regarded growing rice as his life.
The reason why Xiangnan has so much surplus grain is that Xie Dongfang has researched a method of planting two rice crops. Because of the abundant rainfall in Xiangnan, it can plant one more rice crop than other places. This is the most important reason why the people of Xiangnan are becoming more and more prosperous, why Xiangnan has surplus grain, and why it pays more taxes than other places.
Xie Dongfang is the greatest blessing for Xiangnan, and perhaps not only for Xiangnan, but for the entire Eastern Chu.
Knowing Xie Dongfang's stubbornness, Xuan Yuanzhan couldn't force him to stay, so he personally escorted him out of the city.
Once outside Beian City, Xie Dongfang asked Xuan Yuanzhan to stop: "Your Highness, this is enough."
"Since I have nothing else to do, and you've come all this way to help me in my time of need, bringing so much grain, I must send you out of the North."
Xuanyuan Zhan smiled and, seeing Xie Dongfang still in a daze, went ahead to lead the way: "Let's go."
Xie Dongfang had no choice but to let Xuan Yuanzhan do as he pleased.
When passing the Beiliang River, Xie Dongfang saw countless soldiers and civilians digging the riverbed and asked curiously, "I also saw many people digging the riverbed in Baichuan before. Are they planning to connect these two rivers?"
Xuanyuan Zhan smiled and explained, "Yes, the Baichuan River is still quite full, while the Beiliang River has dried up. If we can connect the Beiliang River and the Baichuan River, it can solve the problem in the north for the time being."
Xie Dongfang frowned: "But this is not a long-term solution. The Prince's method of diverting water from the south to the north is the real solution to the drought in the north."
Xuanyuan Zhan laughed and said, "Don't worry about that. Originally, it would have taken two years to divert water from the south to the north. But as you can see, if so many people work together to dig the canal, the time can be shortened to within a year. The drought in the north will be completely resolved soon."
Seeing so many officers, soldiers, and civilians, Xie Dongfang couldn't help but smile: "Your Highness always has a way of rallying the people."
The prince had only been in the north for a short time, but he had already witnessed the unity and concerted efforts of the people there.
Xuan Yuanzhan raised an eyebrow noncommittally: "They will naturally obey orders that are good for them."
He didn't let them work for free; they not only had food but also wages, and he could solve the drought in the north as soon as possible. Everything he did was for the good of the people in the north, which is why they were willing to obey his orders.
Xie Dongfang smiled. Indeed, the prince was always the one who cared most about the people.
Xuanyuan Zhan thought of something and asked Xie Dongfang, "If the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is successful, can the North be like Xiangnan, where an extra season of rice can be grown?"
Xie Dongfang thought for a moment and said, "If the North has sufficient rainfall and abundant water resources, then theoretically it is possible. However, I am currently researching a type of dryland rice. If the research is successful, this type of dryland rice can indeed be planted in the North."
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