"Have you gathered everything the princess requested?"
"Besides the rice seeds, those seeds of unknown origin should also be sent back to the Princess!"
"...She likes it!"
After reading the letter, Helian Jue summoned several guards and questioned them carefully.
Li Lizhi was dressed in a Hu-style outfit, her hair tied in a ponytail, and she looked incredibly heroic.
Unlike other women who simply cling on, she knew how to use her advantages very well—
She was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, and she was familiar with the geography, customs and traditions of the Lingnan region.
Therefore, she became Helian Jue's "strategist" despite being a woman.
However, she did not take advantage of being a woman, nor did she act pretentiously. Instead, she was capable and independent like a man.
Li Lizhi firmly believed that she was "special" to Helian Jue.
Ignoring everything else, just looking at how much he valued her, Li Lizhi was absolutely certain.
Although the restrictions on women are not very strict these days, it is still a patriarchal society.
If Helian Jue didn't have any other thoughts about her, why would he allow a woman like her to stay by his side?
Li Lizhi never expected that the person who would make Helian Jue take women's power seriously was not her, but the Princess Xie, whom she disliked and envied.
"She likes? Who? The Xie family?"
Just as Li Lizhi reached the central command tent, she heard Helian Jue say, "She likes it."
Li Lizhi immediately felt as if she had eaten a lemon, her whole being exuding a sour taste.
"Your Highness, everything is ready."
The guards had long known how important the princess was to their lord, so they were extra careful in their work.
They fought while simultaneously gathering seeds.
It's not for any other reason than to make the Princess Consort happy.
"In addition, the gold, silver, jewelry, spices, and wood have all been prepared!"
The guard continued to report.
Helian Jue nodded in satisfaction, "That's good. Send some reliable people to deliver everything back to the Princess."
Helian Jue was full of pride and high spirits.
He successfully occupied Jiaozhou, which now connects all the prefectures and counties along the Lingnan coast.
If he can take Yuezhou, the area south of Lingnan will be his territory.
Even during the war, Helian Jue did not forget to continue recruiting soldiers.
His army quickly expanded to 10,000 men.
With 2,000 people remaining in each of Jiaozhou and Huangzhou, he still had 6,000 people around him.
These six thousand people were enough for him to "annex" Yuezhou.
"Ah Yuan, just bear with it a little longer!"
"When I return with my troops, I will make you the most honored woman in Yuezhou!"
At that time, let alone a minor county magistrate like Zheng, even Cui Boyong could be killed by Xie Yuan at will.
Instead of racking their brains to use any tricks or schemes.
In Helian Jue's heart, Xie Yuan had always been a kind and tolerant person.
She was of noble birth, yet she possessed a compassionate heart.
County Magistrate Zheng was the first person she killed.
Upon receiving the news, Helian Jue's first reaction was not to Xie Yuantai's arrogance, but rather: What exactly did that scoundrel surnamed Zheng do to force my princess to this point?
County Magistrate Zheng: ...Meow meow meow? I was just a little arrogant, but I didn't offend Princess Xie too much, did I?
I never even saw this master in person!
Helian Jue didn't care about any of that; he was convinced that County Magistrate Zheng deserved to die and that Xie Yuan had been wronged.
"It's my fault. If I hadn't kept showing weakness, Princess A Yuan, a first-rank princess consort, wouldn't have been so disrespected!"
Helian Jue was filled with self-reproach.
"However, the time has finally come. Ah Yuan no longer needs to compromise or be so low-key!"
Helian Jue conquered two prefectures in succession, and his sharpness was as evident as a sword drawn from its sheath.
And he certainly had the right to be high-profile.
Standing outside the central command tent, Li Lizhi saw Helian Jue, who was spirited and handsome, through the half-open tent flap.
My heart started pounding even harder.
The way she looked at Helian Jue was filled with tenderness and affection, almost to the point of being overflowing with sweetness.
"Your Highness is so noble, capable, and has an ethereal air; you are truly the finest young man in the world."
"It's just that Xie Shi is a bit of an eyesore. No, I want His Highness to know that I, Li Lizhi, am the woman who loves him the most in the world, and the one who is most worthy of him."
Li Lizhi clenched her fists, her eyes flashing.
...
Time flies, and when Xie Yuan received the "dividend" sent back by Helian Jue for the second time, it was already March.
Spring plowing has begun, and Yuezhou is bustling with an almost pathological level of activity.
The "crazy sugarcane" craze continues.
It's not just the powerful and wealthy; even ordinary farmers know that sugarcane can fetch a high price.
Therefore, a large number of people not only planted sugarcane in marginal areas such as mountains and slopes, but also used their own fertile land.
Actually, fewer people are growing real food crops.
"Why grow grains? Sugarcane is better."
"Yes! Last year, sugarcane was being sold for over ten yuan a kilogram, which is much more profitable than growing grain."
“That’s right! I heard that there’s a village called Xianjia by the sea, and the whole village got rich by growing sugarcane.”
"It wasn't just Xianjia Village, but also several other small villages nearby. After the hurricane, they were all about to sell their children, but they turned their lives around completely because they happened to plant some sugarcane."
"Really? You can make money growing sugarcane?"
"Of course it's true! Not just making money! Making a lot of money!"
"Think about it, last year only the Yue Wangfu family was harvesting sugarcane, but this year there are more than a dozen."
"Yes! Yes! I heard that even some nobles from the inland have sent people to Lingnan to buy sugarcane."
"..."
The people were talking about it.
Influenced by these rumors, whether true or false, even some people who were originally determined to continue growing crops began to waver.
Growing grain doesn't make money.
And the examples of people getting rich through sugarcane are so inspiring.
No question, just one word—Let's do it!
As a result, an even more frenzied sugarcane planting campaign began throughout Yuezhou.
"The situation is getting out of control!"
Xie Yuan heard the news outside and became even more worried.
She knew things would turn out this way, but she still didn't expect those people to be so crazy.
Instead of growing grains, they all went to grow sugarcane.
What will happen to everyone's food supply?
Putting aside the food crisis, the fact that everyone rushed to plant sugarcane ultimately failed to make money.
Low grain prices hurt farmers.
"No! We need to find a way to end this chaos as soon as possible."
When Yuezhou fell into chaos, it was the ordinary people at the bottom of society who truly suffered.
Even if Xie Yuan cannot solve the "crazy sugarcane" problem, he must find a way to ensure the food supply for the people of Yuezhou.
Just then, Helian Jue sent back box after box of jade and jewelry, spices and wood, as well as many seeds, including Champa rice.
"Great! That's wonderful!"
Helian Jue proved to be reliable, not only sending back rice seeds to Xie Yuan, but also getting some old farmers from Jiaozhou who grew Champa rice.
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