"Women soldiers?"
Helian Jue was studying an ancient book when he heard Xie Yuan's words and couldn't help but look up.
"Actually, she's just a female guard! Your Highness, you don't know this, but today in Crescent Moon Village, this was the first time I'd ever witnessed a fight..."
Xie Yuan briefly recounted what had happened during the day.
She was very clear about her relationship with Helian Jue; they were only husband and wife in name, more like a boss and his employee.
Moreover, this boss was not a boss in the ordinary sense of later generations; he was a member of the royal family, and he had status and military power.
Stubborn and vindictive.
Xie Yuan always kept his identity in mind and adhered to two principles: do not deceive, and do not be presumptuous!
Helian Jue was the former crown prince and is now a first-rank prince.
No matter how he is perceived by the world, Xie Yuan cannot underestimate or neglect him.
Xie Yuan is suspected of having ulterior motives in the matter of the Women Soldiers; it was her own selfish desire.
But she wouldn't deceive Helian Jue.
"Okay, I got it! If you want to do it, just go ahead and do it!"
Helian Jue nodded, his tone showing no surprise, only satisfaction.
Xie Yuan's pupils contracted slightly: I bet right! Helian Jue really did know all along.
So, it's best to be open and honest, even if you have ulterior motives, put them out in the open.
Xie Yuan's test this time was quite successful, allowing him to further understand Helian Jue's "strength"!
In addition, Xie Yuan also roughly understood Helian Jue's bottom line.
"Your Highness, the new recruits have almost finished their training. Colonel Helian has selected centurions and begun arranging for people to cultivate the salt fields."
"The imperial estate has been designated, and the tenant farmers and Duofu have also been properly arranged."
Xie Yuan acted like a manager, giving a detailed report on his work.
Incidentally, she also mentioned some of her "little tricks": "When the imperial estate was being designated, I took the opportunity to acquire some properties for the Xie family."
Helian Jue raised an eyebrow, "The Xie family?"
"That's right! The Xie family also has Ah Zhen. Although he's young, he's still a male member of the Xie family!"
The property Xie Yuan reclaimed from Xie Ze included not only her dowry but also the Xie family assets that Xie Ze had embezzled.
And half of these should belong to Xie Zhen.
When Xie Yuan left Beijing, he sold all his properties, estates, and other assets for convenience.
Except for some books, Xie Yuan converted all his property into silver and gold.
Xie Yuan borrowed the original owner's identity and enjoyed her property, so he naturally has to bear the corresponding responsibilities.
It was Xie Yuan's duty to raise Xie Zhen and leave him the family property that rightfully belonged to him.
Xie Yuan had been traveling all along and had not acquired any property.
Now that they have arrived in Yuezhou and settled down, Xie Yuan needs to consider the division of his property.
Her first business was a sugar shop. The money to buy the shop came from the Xie family, but the sugar-making secret recipe belonged to her personally. The shop was registered under the name of the Prince of Yue's mansion, and she was also required to share profits with the Prince of Yue.
Xie Yuan had specifically discussed with Helian Jue that the sugar-making business would be divided into three shares, with Xie Yuan, Xie Zhen, and Helian Jue each holding one large share.
Now that Xie Yuan wants to acquire more land, he will continue to allocate shares to Xie Zhen based on the same considerations.
Of course, before Xie Zhen grew up, these businesses were managed by Xie Yuan.
She kept the accounts very clear, not treating Xie Zhen like an outsider, but truly doing it for his own good!
Xie Yuan did not seek to be great, but he had to ensure that he could have a clear conscience.
"Xie Shi A Yuan, you are a good older sister!"
Seeing Xie Yuan's elaborate plans for Xie Zhen, Helian Jue, unusually, did not remain indifferent but instead offered a gentle compliment.
Granny Zhao secretly hugged Xie Zhen and cried bitterly, "My lord! My wife! You can rest in peace now! The eldest sister is like a mother, and the eldest young lady has done it!"
She didn't forget to remind the chubby little boy, "Young master, you must remember how kind the young lady has been to you. When you grow up, you must repay her properly!"
Xie Zhen vaguely understood and nodded her little head vigorously.
At only three years old, he had no idea what kind of inheritance his older sister had given him.
All he knew was, “Sister, you’re all I have left! What’s mine is yours! Take it all.”
He handed the land deeds, house deeds, and other documents back to Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan smiled and tapped his little nose. "Alright! Your older sister will keep these for you for now. When you grow up and get married, your older sister will give them to your new wife!"
Xie Zhen had no idea what a bride was.
He was happy to see Xie Yuan accept the gifts and continued to eat, drink, and have fun without a care in the world.
Xie Yuanze began to roll up his sleeves and start tidying up the estate.
The estates she bought were mostly wasteland and mountainous land.
There was nothing they could do; all the good places in Yuezhou had been divided up by Cui Boyong and many other powerful families.
Helian Jue, the dignified King of Yue, had such a wretched royal estate; aside from Cui Boyong's deliberate attempts to annoy him, there was truly nothing else he could do.
Xie Yuan wasn't picky at all. After buying the estate, he began to renovate it according to plan.
First, clear the land!
On his way to Yuezhou, Xie Yuan bought twenty or thirty strong yellow oxen.
Nowadays, instead of using oxen to pull carts, the oxen are sent to the village to clear land.
"...Thank you so much, Your Highness! You are so kind to lend us tenant farmers your cattle!"
Xie Yuan's estate originally had no tenant farmers.
However, she herself could not farm, so she asked Zheng Yurong to spread the word that any family willing to rent land could use oxen for free.
There is a lot of wasteland in Lingnan, and the people can reclaim it themselves.
However, ordinary people cannot afford cattle, and it is too difficult to reclaim wasteland by manpower alone.
Moreover, after the three-year tax exemption period following land reclamation, taxes had to be paid and corvée labor had to be performed.
It would be better to become a hidden tenant farmer or a tenant farmer for a powerful family or wealthy household.
The Xie family's estate was backed by the royal palace, giving them power and influence. Moreover, the princess's reputation for kindness was known far and wide, attracting many poor families to seek refuge there.
Zheng Yurong helped with the selection and kept one hundred households.
One hundred tenant farmers, each with at least one able-bodied laborer, were responsible for reclaiming more than a thousand acres of wasteland in the village.
"As long as you cherish the oxen and cultivate the land well, you will not have failed my kindness!"
Xie Yuan experienced the turmoil on the construction site and personally learned a lesson: not all people are kind; some are troublemakers.
Therefore, she is not blindly kind; when it is necessary to display the majesty of a princess, she is never stingy.
"Yes! This humble subject understands!"
Everyone responded in unison, their attitude very respectful.
Xie Yuan stood aside, watching the tenant farmers plow the land.
Then, she discovered a problem—
In those days, farmers still used relatively heavy straight-shaft plows.
This type of plow is difficult to turn, and it is time-consuming and laborious.
Although Xie Yuan's estate had no shortage of cattle, he still tried to save money wherever possible.
"How about we 'make' a copy of the curved plow?"
Looking at the busy tenant farmers, Xie Yuan fell into deep thought.
She doesn't want to always be in the limelight.
However, improving farm tools can benefit more farmers, increase farming efficiency, and consequently increase grain production!
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