Peach blossoms fell one after another.
Meng Gexing looked very serious, and the wind made his sleeves flutter gently.
Qingchen blocked his chest with her arm and said seriously, "I don't want to try!" After saying that, she slipped out of his grasp and turned to leave.
Meng Gexing didn't chase after her, but just quietly watched her back.
Under the moonlight, that figure stood solemnly, slender and elegant.
He just felt a little sorry.
Such a beautiful moment; if I could kiss her, it would be a truly unique feeling. Unfortunately, she refused.
Actually, he could have chosen not to ask her. Given his personality, he would do whatever he wanted; if he wanted to kiss her, he could have simply lowered his head and kissed her.
But he still asked her first, and as expected, he received a negative answer.
Meng Gexing smiled helplessly.
When did he become a reasonable person?
When he was starving her, when he was inciting the people to cause her trouble, he showed no mercy, attacking like a wolf, ruthless and precise. But after their reunion tonight, he has become tender.
This is a bit worrying.
As Qingchen's figure disappeared from Meng Gexing's sight, he casually picked a peach blossom and sniffed it. It smelled so good, as if the fragrance lingered on her. Then he shook his head, facing the direction she had left, a smile appearing on his face, his eyes shining brightly.
Well, there's always another chance.
Further progress is inevitable.
Thinking this, Meng Gexing summoned his men and ordered, "Go, take Lord Shen and his father to the best room to rest. Burn more charcoal and warm the room up."
"Yes, boss."
...
The next morning, Qingchen woke up to the sound of firecrackers.
In Yunnan, there's a custom of setting off firecrackers early on the first day of the Lunar New Year, symbolizing a joyous start to the year. Actually, it wasn't that early; Meng Gexing had already asked someone to delay lighting the firecrackers by half an hour. But Qingchen slept so well that night, sleeping soundly until dawn without even dreaming.
Before the Lunar New Year, she had been working hard for days, with too many things on her mind and worrying about, so she didn't sleep well. Unexpectedly, last night, even though she wasn't in familiar surroundings, she slept exceptionally soundly.
She lingered in the warm bed for a while before rubbing her eyes, lifting the covers, and getting out of bed.
After washing up, Qingchen helped his father into the yard. The weather was lovely today; the sun was warm, carrying a lazy, festive feel, and the slightly chilly air was filled with the refreshing scent of peach blossoms.
"Good morning, Lord Shen." Meng Gexing's voice came from behind.
After a night, it sounded somewhat familiar.
Qingchen turned her head and smiled slightly at him, "Good morning."
Meng Gexing seemed to be wearing new clothes today; the close-fitting garments were without a single wrinkle, making his figure appear very upright. His hair was also neatly tied up today, and he looked refreshed and incredibly handsome.
Did you sleep well last night?
"I slept very well." Qingchen nodded. "Thank you for the hospitality."
"You're welcome." He crossed his arms, leaned forward slightly, and said with a playful tone, "Were you dreaming? Did you dream about me?"
She glanced at him helplessly, "No, I didn't dream at all last night."
He deliberately let out a long sigh, "Alas, that's truly a pity. A beautiful day, a lovely view, it would be even better if it were combined with... a dream of lovers."
He whispered the last three words close to her ear, in a very ambiguous way. After he finished speaking, he gave a sly smile, "Want to know what I dreamed about last night?"
"In no mood!"
This person's reckless and frivolous behavior so early in the morning is truly speechless. I wonder what the White Lotus sect members would think if they knew that their leader, the reincarnation of Amitabha Buddha, was thinking about breaking the precept against lust all day long.
Seeing that Qingchen was a little embarrassed, Meng Gexing chuckled and gestured "please," saying, "Let's have breakfast together, Lord Shen."
When they had almost finished eating, Qingchen took the initiative to say, "Meng Gexing, let's get down to business."
If they finished their business sooner, she could go home sooner. He had given her a very lively New Year's Eve, for which she was grateful, but she was also afraid of becoming too attached to the festivities and her contact with him. After all, they were officials and bandits; getting too close wouldn't be good.
Meng Gexing was drinking porridge when he heard this, and only raised his eyelids to look at her, "Are you full?"
"Um."
“Alright.” He put down his bowl, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said seriously, “If rice is planted in September, it can be harvested in December. So, can we understand it this way: three seasons of rice can be planted in a year?” That’s the kind of demeanor a leader of the White Lotus Sect should have.
"It depends on the climate and sunlight," Qingchen said truthfully. "In Yunnan, two rice harvests a year can be guaranteed, but three harvests a year is still uncertain."
He nodded. "Okay. Even if it's two rice harvests a year, and you found someone surnamed Yuan who increased the rice yield, if there's no major disaster, the annual income should be much higher than before, right? How much can you harvest?"
"Two bushels of grain can be turned into four bushels of grain, which is at least double the price, not even counting wheat and beans."
“Quite a lot, indeed.” He nodded thoughtfully, then looked at her. “You know what I want to say… will you agree?”
Qingchen knew what was going on, and only slightly curled her lips, "I want to hear you say it to me yourself."
"Ha!" Meng Gexing suddenly laughed exaggeratedly, leaning back in his chair and adopting his usual arrogant yet wary posture. "Lord Shen is indeed a clever man. Your haughty manner, taking advantage of others' weaknesses, is truly... both hateful and endearing."
"Speak."
"Give me some of these seeds that ripen in three months, and teach my men how to plant them."
Qingchen guessed what he was going to say, raised an eyebrow, and said unhurriedly, "Why should I give it to you? Didn't you incite the people to leave the fields and devote themselves to Christianity? Why do you want to return to the fields now?"
"There's no point in asking like that... You obviously already know," Meng Gexing said with an awkward smile. "How about this, you tell me my reasons, and I'll see how many you can guess correctly. If you get them all right, I can consider the conditions you're going to mention later..."
Qingchen smiled slightly, without showing her teeth.
This guy really cares about saving face. He asked her for seedlings and planting methods, and he had no choice but to agree to her conditions. He was just saying this to save face... but she didn't care. Let him say what he wanted; the result was the same anyway.
"First, with increased rice production, people will see that the land can sustain them, and naturally some will want to return to farming, leading to a decrease in your followers—something you don't want. Second, you have so many followers to feed. Farming wasn't profitable before; after taxes, there wasn't much left. If you didn't pay taxes, the government would frequently cause trouble, leading to unrest among your followers and making your ranks difficult to manage. Therefore, you preferred them to engage in other trades or petty theft rather than farm. But now it's different. With higher rice yields, your followers, if willing to farm, can certainly support themselves and provide extra food for your sect. This allows you to attract even more followers. Chief Meng, am I right?"
After a moment of silence, Meng Gexing tilted his head and smiled, "Well said, but..."
"Third," Qingchen continued before he could finish speaking, "and this is also your main objective. You're a merchant, and profit is your primary concern. Naturally, you wouldn't want to miss out on the grain trade. Right now, the Ming Dynasty is fighting the Tatars in the north and defending against the Japanese pirates in the south. Military rations are in short supply year-round, to the point that generals sometimes have to buy from private individuals. You can grow and stockpile grain first, and then sell it when the war at the front intensifies and grain prices skyrocket. That way, you can make a fortune. Right?"
With money, they would have the means to revolt, even though Qingchen did not want the outbreak of war to happen. But if it was an inevitable trend in the course of history, she could not stop it.
“…Tsk.” Meng Gexing stared at her intently, his gaze filled with complex emotions. “Perfect.”
"Wow, my Lord Shen is truly amazing."
Qingchen continued, "My condition is that you must pay the full amount of taxes according to the law."
With increased grain yields per mu, Meng Gexing began to make his own calculations. For Qingchen, however, this deal wasn't necessarily a bad thing. With the White Lotus Cult members all engaged in farming, there would be fewer troublemakers, and the country would become much more stable. Moreover, she could collect taxes from him, which would somewhat replenish the national treasury. For both of them, it was actually a win-win situation.
That's why she said the former prefect of Yuanjiang had put the cart before the horse. Instead of approaching Meng Gexing with no confidence, it would be better to first increase the grain yield per mu. Faced with such benefits, he would naturally be tempted and come knocking on her door.
"Don't you think this is a bit excessive, Lord Shen? You know very well who I am. If you expect me to pay taxes like an ordinary citizen, then what's the point of us even talking?" Although he liked the person in front of him, liking was one thing, business was another, and even brothers had to keep clear accounts.
Qingchen naturally understood that it was impossible to get this bandit, who had never paid taxes before, to pay the full amount, and she didn't expect him to agree.
The Ming Dynasty implemented a fixed-quota tax system. From the founding of the dynasty, the amount of tax each province was required to pay each year was fixed. At that time, the Taizu Emperor dispatched officials from various ministries, students of the Imperial Academy, and eunuchs to inspect more than one hundred tax bureaus throughout the country, fixing their tax collection quotas. He also ordered that the annual tax quotas of each province and prefecture be engraved on stone slabs and erected in the hall of the Ministry of Revenue.
In other words, although the grain yield per mu in Yunnan has increased, the amount of tax silver that Qingchen needs to pay to the national treasury is fixed, which means that she has greater flexibility in the collection of taxes in Yunnan Province.
This year's increased grain production means that the tax burden on each individual is much lighter than last year. Provided that the national treasury is satisfied, Qingchen can collect more taxes to supplement various expenditures in Yunnan province, or it can collect less to allow people to retain more grain and live a better life.
Meng Gexing didn't know exactly how much to levy. All Qingchen needed to do was make him think he was paying less than other people, giving him a way out.
"Don't worry," Qingchen comforted him. "When I say 'pay according to the law,' I mean pay according to the proportion of the land you own. However, according to the laws of our dynasty, newly reclaimed land is exempt from taxation for the first three years."
"you mean……"
“You and your followers own a lot of land that has been abandoned for several years, haven’t you? If you replant this year, it will be considered newly cultivated land, and this portion of the tax will be waived,” Qingchen said. “This way, the tax you have to pay per acre will be less…”
He was originally a bandit, so it was already good enough that he was willing to farm; to also be willing to pay taxes was something other officials wouldn't dare to hope for. As a "major taxpayer" with numerous followers and land, it was only right to give him some preferential treatment.
For Qingchen, taking as much as he could is better than nothing.
Meng Gexing was actually quite tempted, but on the surface he still pretended to be unwilling and bargained, saying, "No, no, that's still too much, less is better."
Qingchen shook his head resolutely.
"A little less..." He adopted a pitiful posture, looking at her with feigned innocence, "Lord Shen has always been compassionate towards the suffering of us common people. You have no idea, I'm actually very poor..."
She smiled, stood up, and said, "Goodbye."
"No!" He suddenly grabbed her hand. "Deal! Don't go."
Qingchen withdrew his hand and helped his father up. "The deal is done, but I have to go back. I still have things to do at the yamen."
"Are you really leaving?" he asked reluctantly, looking up at her with his handsome face. "It's only been one night, and today is only the first day of the Lunar New Year. The festival isn't over yet, and there are fireworks in the village tonight. Let's stay one more night."
He bought so many fireworks that he couldn't finish setting them off in ten days or half a month, just to make her smile, but he never expected her to leave so soon.
Qingchen shook his head again, "There really is something else."
Meng Gexing felt a little down and sighed, "Okay."
In the past, if he didn't want her to leave, he could have easily forced her to comply. But the situation has changed now, and he's unwilling to do that anymore, both professionally and personally.
In April, flowers were in full bloom all over Yunnan Province. Everywhere in the fields, lush green rice seedlings could be seen, including those in Menggexing's fields.
That day, Qingchen had some free time, so she took Xie Wenyuan and Yuan Song to the fields to check on the rice production. Although she had successful experience, people's livelihood was a matter that could not be neglected. She had to keep an eye on the situation in the fields at all times so that she could make timely adjustments if anything happened.
Yuan Song and others skilled in agriculture continued their research as instructed by Qing Chen. In addition to rice, they also studied ways to increase the yield of wheat, corn, soybeans, and other crops in order to make better use of this precious land.
The weather was sunny and the sun wasn't too strong. A gentle breeze was blowing through the fields, making the weather very pleasant. The group walked and discussed things. Xie Wenyuan recorded the growth of the rice, while Yuan Song introduced his newly improved planting plan to Qingchen. Just then, Qingchen spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
"You guys go down to the ground first, I'll be there in a bit."
Xie Wenyuan and Yuan Song got down to the ground as instructed, while Qingchen continued walking along the ridge for a while before stopping behind someone, "Meng Gexing."
Upon hearing this, Meng Gexing turned around abruptly, his handsome face filled with surprise and delight. "It's you!"
"Is this your land?"
He nodded, grinning, "Nothing much, just checking on my silver. Didn't expect to run into Lord Shen..."
"The rice is growing well," Qingchen replied with a smile. "Look, it's all green, isn't it wonderful?"
Meng Gexing didn't respond, but instead squinted at the person he hadn't seen for over three months. She was still as beautiful as ever, with delicate features, clear eyes, cheeks slightly flushed by the sunlight, and thin lips like cherry blossoms.
After three months apart, I realized how much I had missed seeing him when we finally met again.
“Yes,” he said.
Qingchen: "Hmm?"
Meng Gexing didn't say anything, but suddenly grabbed her hand and led her to the back of a nearby thatched hut.
Qingchen frowned. "What are you doing?"
He suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying, "I missed you."
Having learned her lesson, Qingchen was already on guard. She twisted her body, preventing him from succeeding. "Why are you trying to touch me? Can't you talk properly?"
This person is truly incorrigible!
Meng Gexing chuckled after his mishap, "You've gotten smarter, huh..."
Qingchen remained noncommittal. "I just came to say hello. I'm leaving now."
"Wait a minute." He looked at her. "I have something important to say."
"Speak."
"Well, I told you before that I was planning a rebellion. I've been thinking about it these past few days, and actually..." He stopped halfway through his sentence.
"Actually what?" Qingchen asked, intrigued.
"Actually..." He stopped mid-sentence, then suddenly lowered his head and quickly kissed her cheek!
Qingchen paused for a moment, took two steps back, and glared at him. "Shameless bastard! We're both men, what's there to kiss!"
Fortunately, the thatched hut shielded them from view; otherwise, if they had been seen, she would have been unable to explain herself no matter how hard she tried.
"I just want to kiss you!" Meng Gexing laughed "shamelessly," his long eyelashes covering his half-closed peach blossom eyes. "I've wanted to kiss you for a long time, especially at night, I really want to."
"Don't expect him to speak properly when you're with a scoundrel like him!" Qingchen was furious and ignored him, turning and leaving.
"I haven't finished speaking yet," Meng Gexing called out from behind her.
"Stop it!" she said without turning her head.
"What I'm trying to say is, you wait for me, I will definitely overthrow this Ming Dynasty!" Otherwise, she is an official and he is a bandit, and they will never be able to be together.
Qingchen didn't say anything more.
The rice seedlings in the field swayed gently in the breeze, looking hopeful and beautiful. Although, who knows, one day it might become a battlefield…
...
After checking on the growth of the rice, Qingchen returned to the yamen.
As soon as she entered the hall, she saw someone waiting for her.
The man stood up and said, "Lord Shen has finally returned. Congratulations, Lord Shen! Please receive the imperial decree..."
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