On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the first snow fell in the capital.
The four little ones, bundled up in thick sweaters, wobbled around in the yard, playing in the snow with their uncle.
Xie Zhen was really having a blast.
He didn't remember much before he was three years old.
By the time he was old enough to remember things, he had already gone to Lingnan with his older sister.
In that far south, you can wear only a single layer of clothing in winter, let alone when it snows.
It wasn't until he returned to the capital that he saw snow.
Large snowflakes, like willow catkins or scraps of paper, drifted down gently.
When the snow stops and the sun comes out, it will melt into ice.
ice!
In Beijing, you can even enjoy ice skating in winter.
The vast lake surface froze into a single block of ice, allowing people to glide across it and even ride sleds.
Xie Zhen constantly reminded herself: I am no longer a child, I am the head of the Xie family, I should be mature and steady.
But ice skating is really fun.
I really look forward to snow, so I can have a snowball fight and build a snowman.
His older sister pulled him along and said, "You're still a child, and you don't need to carry such a heavy burden."
"Besides, the Xie family still has me! How dare you, a little brat, act like an adult?"
Xie Zhen: ...Uh, okay, I know, my sister is just worried about me, she doesn't mean to compete with him for the position of head of the Xie family.
Despite secretly grumbling to herself, Xie Zhen still happily played with the four little ones.
It snowed, it froze, and the children were overjoyed, but some in the imperial court were frowning with worry.
Excessive snowfall can easily cause snow disasters.
The weather was too cold, which could easily freeze poor people to death.
"The Empress was kind and knew the people's suffering. She specially ordered the Imperial Workshop to rush to make a batch of iron furnaces."
In the imperial court, Helian Jue proudly showed off his wife.
The iron furnace and coal were prepared more than a month ago.
Now that we've entered the twelfth lunar month, the coldest time of the year, these supplies have begun to be distributed.
In addition to these, there were also heated brick beds, which were promoted by minor officials from the Ministry of Works.
Meanwhile, coal merchants in the western states were already eager to try their luck.
This year may just be a trial run, and we won't be able to reap generous rewards yet.
However, this business is long-term and can be done every year.
Therefore, both the government and merchants cooperated very actively.
Wang Yu and other court officials had become accustomed to having two figures on the throne.
As for Helian Jue's loving way of treating his wife, everyone was used to it.
They still couldn't understand how an emperor could be so "affectionate" as to actually be willing to share his power with his wife.
But the facts are right in front of them, and they can only accept their fate.
So be it, two emperors ruling together. At least Empress Xie is clear-headed and extremely capable.
After taking control of the court, he did not make any foolish decisions.
At times, like right now, she also has many benevolent policies that benefit the people.
"Your Majesty is merciful!"
Wang Yu offered a somewhat insincere compliment, then abruptly changed the subject, asking, "Due to the severe winter cold and icy roads, plans to transport grain from various regions to the official granaries have been somewhat hampered!"
Compared to the deaths of a few civilians from freezing, the inability to deliver grain to the government granaries in a timely manner was a much bigger problem.
Not to mention other places, even the capital city relies on the supply from the official granaries.
The grain stored in the official granaries had been almost entirely depleted by Helian Jue's expedition against the Turks.
There was supposed to be more grain coming, but unexpectedly, there was another upheaval in the capital.
...Too many unexpected events prevented the grain transportation plan from being completed on schedule.
If this problem isn't resolved in time, the entire capital city will likely face a food crisis.
Of course, it's not to the point of actually starving.
After all, the government granaries were empty, while private grain shops had ample stock.
There is probably a lot of grain stored in the imperial estates as well.
However, the problem of the official granaries still needs to be solved.
That's the real big deal.
"Icy roads make it difficult for trucks to travel, which is indeed a problem!"
Helian Jue could distinguish between what was important and what was not, and he still attached great importance to serious political affairs.
"Land routes are difficult to travel, but what about water routes?"
Xie Yuan suddenly spoke.
Helian Jue's eyes lit up. Oh wow, my A Yuan has another idea?
etc!
waterway?
water? ocean?
Helian Jue had spent several years in Lingnan and was very familiar with the sea.
He also knew that his son, A-Yuan, had a great passion for the sea and for exploring the overseas world.
A Yuan also annexed the shipyard of a powerful family in Lingnan, intending to build large ships capable of venturing into the deep sea!
Oh, right, I heard her mention before that the treasure ship had already been built.
The guards who remained in Yuezhou formed a navy and are intensifying their navigation and training.
Could it be—
Helian Jue knew Xie Yuan too well, so just from hearing one sentence from her, she knew that Xie Yuan had a very reliable solution.
Although Wang Yu and the others knew that Empress Xie was "not to be trifled with," they still trusted Xie Yuan more than Helian Jue did.
Therefore, upon hearing Empress Xie's words, several high-ranking officials in the court revealed expressions that read, "She really is a woman; she has no common sense."
waterway?
Haha, who doesn't know about waterways?
The problem is, which major river can run through the entire distance from south to north, spanning thousands of miles?
Especially in the north, there are fewer rivers and lakes than in the south.
Relying on waterways?
Absolutely impossible!
Of course, there are also canals dug in the north, but they are basically just small sections.
Without a connection, there is no smooth operation.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
