Chapter 467 Shocking News
Zhao Yi carried the clean and tidy clothes and went behind the screen to put them on.
"Come in." Shen Qingtan called Tingxue in.
Tingxue pushed the door open and walked in, just about to close it.
"Wait." Shen Qingtan stopped Tingxue and said to the attendant standing at the door, "The prince is injured. Please come in and help him change his clothes."
The attendant responded respectfully: "Yes."
He didn't see Zhao Yi in the room, so he consciously went behind the screen.
Tingxue closed the door and handed the letter to Shen Qingtan.
Shen Qingtan opened the letter and read it word by word, making sure that no important information was missed before putting the letter back into the envelope.
At this time, Zhao Yi was already dressed and walked out from behind the screen.
Shen Qingtan heard the noise and turned his head to look over.
Zhao Yi was seen wearing a plain straight-hem robe, with his long black hair, damp and draped behind him, which made him look handsome and elegant.
Zhao Yi stood in front of Shen Qingtan. Although she was staring at him intently, her brows were furrowed and she looked like she was worried about something.
"What did Uncle Qin say in the letter?" Zhao Yi, whose left hand was injured, sat calmly to her left. "Are you having any trouble with your business?"
"You wrote to me earlier to tell me that Yongqing County was short of food, so I asked Uncle Qin to go and buy some."
"Nowadays, it's the lean season, and everyone is short of food. Only some landlords or merchants have large quantities of food stored."
"Uncle Qin had originally negotiated with several companies, but suddenly changed his mind and refused to sell to him."
Shen Qingtan threw the letter aside and sighed, "Uncle Qin felt that something was amiss, so he sent people to investigate the details of these grain merchants. Who knew that someone had paid double the price for their grain?"
Zhao Yi frowned. Although Yongqing County used silk and lead to attract merchants to transport grain from other places to sell, the demand far exceeded the supply of grain, and it could only temporarily ensure that the people of Yongqing County had enough food and clothing.
If the people of Yongqing County were to be completely free from famine, some of the mulberry fields would have to be converted into rice fields.
The rice ripening period takes at least three months and at most six months.
The imperial court could not provide so much grain.
Zhao Yi asked, "Have you found out who bought the grain?"
Shen Qingtan replied: "Uncle Qin didn't find out, he only knows that the buyer came from the mountain city."
"Mountain city..." Zhao Yi thought of the wise king.
"I got it!" Shen Qingtan thought of an idea: "Husband, Yongqing County is currently full of mulberry fields, and now is the season for raising silkworms."
"Look, mulberry fields need people to tend them, silkworms need people to feed them, and cloth needs people to weave it."
"We can rent out the mulberry fields. The only condition is to hire local people and provide them with three meals a day."
"This way, the people will have enough to eat, and we won't have to worry about food. It's like killing two birds with one stone."
"As for how to attract merchants... Yongqing County is rich in silk fabrics, and the quality is high. Merchants must know this, and this is also our advantage."
"Also, the silver that the virtuous king embezzled was originally intended to be allocated to Yongqing County for famine relief, but the people are in need of food, not silver. Even if this silver falls into the hands of the people, it won't be able to buy much food."
"In order to curb corruption, the imperial court has specially established a subsidy for officials. We can also apply this method and distribute it in the form of subsidies to support merchants who rent mulberry fields."
"Merchants are not stupid. Once they do the math, they'll realize that apart from the rent for the mulberry fields, the money for the farmhands is also paid for by the government."
"To prevent merchants from exploiting the people, subsidies are distributed monthly based on the number of people they employ. They don't have to be paid out all at once. Officials are assigned to assess merchants every month, and only merchants who pass the assessment receive the subsidies."
"If anyone fails the assessment, their qualifications will be revoked and someone else will be found to replace them."
"Of course, in addition to this, we also need to provide some practical benefits."
"For example, these silk fabrics can be supplied to the palace, or they can be exempted from taxes for one year."
Having said this, Shen Qingtan noticed that Zhao Yi was looking at her with burning eyes. Only then did she realize that she was so busy "talking big" that she forgot to ask Zhao Yi's opinion.
She twisted the handkerchief against her nose and coughed softly: "What do you think of this idea of mine?"
This was a good idea, equivalent to giving silver to merchants, and merchants providing food to feed the people. If implemented properly, perhaps Yongqing County would become prosperous again.
"Yes, madam, you have a very insightful opinion." Zhao Yi smiled and poured her a cup of tea. "How long will this policy be implemented?"
"Half a year." Shen Qingtan took the teacup uncomfortably after hearing his teasing words. He took a sip of tea and moistened his throat. "Half a year is enough time to weave cloth. Even if merchants no longer rent land, the people will be able to be self-sufficient. And merchants who are truly profitable will continue to rent land without the need for court support."
Zhao Yi nodded slightly: "Raising silkworms and weaving cloth are suitable for women. Men are good at physical labor, and mulberry fields don't need that many men."
He pondered, "The policy you mentioned could also be applied to the lead mines with a slight modification. That way, men could earn a living in the lead mines."
Shen Qingtan praised: "My husband is truly gifted and has mastered all aspects."
Zhao Yi laughed. It was obvious that the solution she came up with solved his urgent problem.
Instead of taking credit for it, she praised him for his intelligence.
But he really enjoyed her praise.
I feel inexplicably happy.
"I'm just repeating what others have said."
Zhao Yi looked at her with her curved eyebrows and smiling red lips.
Both delicate and bright.
He couldn't help but move closer to Shen Qingtan, put his right arm around her waist, and lowered his head to kiss her tender and soft lips.
Tingxue and his followers tactfully retreated and quietly closed the door.
On the other side, the wise king returned to his palace, only to hear shocking news.
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