Chapter 1534 (1533): The Grand Finale [The End]
The northeastern kingdoms were naturally filled with lamentations.
Countries around the world are living in constant fear.
Zhai Ledao: "Aren't you afraid they'll just give up and do whatever they want?"
He knew Shen Tang was difficult to deal with, but the other kingdoms in the northeast didn't. Most of them thought Kang was just an enhanced version of Qu, and Shen Youli was just a slightly less temperamental Zhai Xiaofang. Human nature is like that: ambition breeds when the gap between friend and foe is small, but only when the gap becomes as vast as heaven and earth will they bend their backs, accept their fate, and submit.
The northeastern states clearly have not yet formed a correct understanding.
Shen Tang: "Then let them fall, I won't stop them."
No matter how much you jump around, you can't succeed.
She doesn't like fighting, but that doesn't mean she's afraid of fighting.
Shen Tang wrote a few comments on the memorial, casually tossing it aside to dry the ink. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zhai Xiaofang had eaten almost all the lychees on her table, leaving only a few. She was so angry that the veins on her forehead throbbed. Zhai Le, sensing the murderous intent, snapped to alert, meeting Shen Tang's furious gaze. Realizing something, he looked embarrassed but didn't put the lychee back; instead, he decisively took a bite.
He mumbled incoherently yet confidently, "Wasn't I just trying to help you fix it because it was about to break? It would be such a waste."
Zhai Le has eaten quite a lot of lychees.
There is also suitable soil environment for lychee growth in the southeastern mainland.
However, in the past, we could only eat lychees that were in season.
He learned by chance that Shen Sinong had sent over a hundred cartloads of lychees, so he came to find Shen Tang hoping to get lucky. To his surprise, there were indeed several plates of lychees with leaves still hanging on her table. These lychees had all been carefully selected, and each one was of uniform size.
One of them is as big as a baby's fist.
I thought these lychees, being out of season, wouldn't taste very good.
Who knew it would taste so sweet and fragrant, and become so addictive with every bite?
“I also had someone send you a basket of them.”
Zhai Le doesn't need to come over and compete with her.
"Sigh, one basket isn't enough to share."
Shen Tang: "..."
Unable to bear her gaze, Zhai Le sighed and revealed his true purpose: he had come not only to mooch off Shen Tang's special supply of lychees, but also with a "mission." This mission was also related to lychees, and on a larger scale, it could potentially affect regional stability.
Shen Tang: "Is it that serious?"
Zhai Ledao said, "It's hard to find a job these days."
Shen Tang didn't accept all of Qu Guo's staff; he selectively dismissed nearly half. Although these people were entitled to the N+1 compensation promised by Kang Guo, Kang Guo's treasury was tight and could only pay in installments over three years. On the surface, it seemed enough to support their families, but what family only has seven or eight members? Seventeen or eighteen wouldn't be enough, not to mention the servants and maids. To make matters worse, Kang Guo's land policy was extremely unfriendly to these people; the land distributed per capita couldn't even maintain a tenth of their previous standard of living…
We can live off our savings for a few more years.
The clan's members can also seek other ways to develop.
However, none of these methods can immediately alleviate the problems we face.
Zhai Le said earnestly, "As a friend, I naturally believe that your choice is right, but you also need to consider the selfishness in human nature from a human perspective. Once their interests are harmed, they are capable of anything. Don't push people too hard."
Shen Tang couldn't grant them special privileges in land policy, as that would shake the very foundation of Kangguo, but he also couldn't let them feel suffocated. These people were like wild beasts being hunted, with ropes tied around their necks; he couldn't strangle them all at once.
The best approach is to proceed gradually, step by step.
Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, it's cooked little by little.
With a slight effort of one finger, Zhai Le easily cracked the lychee shell in his hand, revealing the plump and glistening flesh inside. He enjoyed the feeling of the juice bursting in his mouth: "If you don't want to kill them, then give them some breathing room, lest they become desperate and do something rash; if you have no room for negotiation, then decisively take their lives, don't give them the chance to stab you in the back, only to cause more trouble."
Cut the Gordian knot.
Shen Tang said, "If I intended to drive them to the brink, why would I promise them compensation? Wouldn't that be pointless? What do they mean? Let me hear their opinion first, and then we'll see if they agree."
How is this related to lychees?
Zhai Le: "They knew that the Ministry of Agriculture had produced a lot of fruits and vegetables over the years, regardless of the season, so they thought of making a deal with them."
It's ridiculous to produce lychees at this time of year.
Those pedantic scholars thought it was a waste of manpower and resources, believing that Kangguo was spending enormous amounts of manpower and resources to build greenhouses to satisfy the monarch's appetite. However, their first reaction was to calculate the economic impact, the market conditions, and whether there was room for profit.
However, they have no say in the new regime.
Left with no other choice, they selected a representative to plead with their former master, Zhai Le.
While Kangguo is still digesting Quguo and consolidating its power, their demands will be taken seriously. If they wait another two or three years, it will be too late. Why would Shen Youli be afraid of a group of powerful and wealthy families who have no power or army and only local influence? This matter should be dealt with sooner rather than later. Thus, the lychees on Shen Tang's table were ruthlessly destroyed by Zhai Xiaofang.
Shen Tang asked in surprise, "Is that all?"
Zhai Le: "They don't dare to ask for too much."
Even if Shen Tang gave her more, she wouldn't give it to him, and she might even lose her life.
Shen Tang considered for a moment: "The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Revenue do have some cooperation plans. They are preparing to promote different crops based on the advantages of each prefecture and county. As long as the official roads can be opened up and the prefectures and counties can be connected, even fruits like lychees, which are not easy to preserve, can be transported to various places with the efficiency of the soldiers. For places further away, they can be dried and then sold."
This principle applies not only to lychees but also to other crops.
Zhai Le had been a ruler for over ten years, and based on Shen Tang's words, he was able to easily apply what he had learned to other situations.
"No wonder you're so dedicated to building bridges and roads."
To maximize the value of crops in a region, transportation is of paramount importance. Items worthless locally can increase in value several times or even ten times when transported elsewhere. The group that approached Zhai Le sensed something amiss, which is why they rushed over to seize an opportunity.
In chaotic times, people relied on their fists to survive amidst bloodshed and violence, but those times are no longer chaotic, and their survival rules must be updated accordingly.
They have little experience, but Kangguo has it.
Kangguo encourages them to do whatever they want, and they can't go wrong.
"Since you know that, then stop slacking off every day." Looking at the unfinished memorials on the table, Shen Tang had an urge to cheat, but because Heaven was watching, she could only suppress it. "You're receiving the Duke of Wu's salary, and you still have the nerve to slack off every day?"
Zhai Le protested his innocence, saying, "You can't assume I didn't work just because you didn't see me working. That's so unfair."
He is busy too.
She's just not as busy as Shen Youli.
_(:з」∠)_
Why did the Si Nong Temple start producing lychees?
Two years ago, Shen Zhi developed a new perfume and cosmetic product, which sold out immediately upon its release. The environment of the Northwest Continent was not suitable for lychee growth, and even the powerful and wealthy could not taste fresh lychees, so they naturally craved perfume and cosmetic products with a strong lychee scent. Shen Zhi urged Xu Jie several times, but the supply of raw materials could not be improved and the quality was not high. In a fit of anger, she decided to solve the problem herself.
She turned around and went to find Lin Feng for help.
She interacted frequently with Lin Feng, and the two had an excellent relationship.
Lin Feng naturally wouldn't refuse such a small favor.
Thus, a mountain of lychees had an out-of-season bumper harvest. Shen Zhi ordered his men to collect them and send a hundred cartloads to Shen Tang. All the civil and military officials in the court also received a pound or two to enjoy the fresh fruit. Shen Zhi's initial intention was to provide a stable supply of raw materials for his business, but Shen Tang saw more economic benefits than that: "If storage, preservation, and transportation can all be solved, it will be a blessing for the common people."
Lychees are mostly produced in the south.
The south was a region where Kangguo's control was relatively weak.
As long as the common people can live a life of plenty, there's no need to worry about them not being loyal to the government. Shen Tang also won't have to worry about those local troublemakers sowing discord. The common people may be illiterate, but as long as they know who can feed them, that's enough.
Shen Zhi hadn't thought of these things.
Her scholarly ways, coupled with Lin Feng's help, meant she never had to worry about fruits and vegetables. Whether they were in season or not, as long as they met the requirements of her scholarly ways, she could eat whatever she wanted. Having grown accustomed to this kind of life, it was easy to forget that others didn't have her level of freedom.
These are all business opportunities!
Time flies, and several months have passed in a flash.
The following year was the first year of the Yanhuang era.
For the past few months, Shen Tang has remained primarily in the central region, dealing with the endless unrest while overseeing the progress of land reclamation. The Allied forces in the central region have adopted a scorched-earth policy, not only destroying civilian houses for military supplies but also burning fields to the ground, destroying crops.
Fortunately, supernatural forces exist in this unscientific world.
The disciples of the Farmer School, led by Lin Feng, never rested.
In the final count, fewer than 30,000 people died from the famine.
This number shocked the government and the public.
Despite such a widespread famine, with people resorting to eating tree bark and mud, only 30,000 people starved to death. Many court officials were skeptical of this figure, believing it to be an underreporting. Officials from the southwest and southeast were the most vocal, while officials from the central regions seemed to wish they didn't exist—were these people insane? What were they questioning? Did they have to see three to five million people starve to consider the actual number accurate?
The figure of 30,000 people had already enraged the lord.
His face screamed the desire to dig up the grave and whip the corpse.
Finally, someone was asked to recheck, and the data was indeed correct.
Even in many places severely affected by war, life gradually returned. Houses that looked brand new were rebuilt on the original ruins. The numb and dull faces of the common people were no longer there, and their eyes gradually brightened, showing hope for the future.
It's impossible for the royal court to continuously open granaries and distribute grain at such a high rate.
While providing work relief, the government also accelerated land reclamation and restored farmland cultivation.
Despite their frantic efforts, they finally got on track in the spring of the first year of Yanhuang's reign. Shen Tang led a group of civil and military officials in personally cultivating the land. The scene was filled with figures toiling away. Those with farm tools wielded them with practiced ease, while those without grabbed weapons and sweated profusely, fearing that a moment's delay would prevent them from completing their tasks. Most of the civil and military officials were either scholars with a refined mind or warriors with courage and skill, far superior to ordinary people. Therefore, Shen Tang did not allow them to simply put on a show or deceive the public; they had to do as much work as required.
They might even assign homework.
It's either an assessment of agricultural knowledge or writing about farming experiences.
How could someone sitting on a high platform, whose clothes remain spotless, possibly understand the hardships of the common people struggling to survive? The higher the official's position, the more they should understand the difficulty of obtaining even a grain of rice. If, despite her earnest teachings, they still refuse to grasp the truth, then Chen Tang will have no choice but to activate the cycle of reincarnation, allowing them to be reborn with understanding before being reborn as human beings.
Lin Feng is the best among them.
Covered in mud, he sat on the edge of the field, holding a bundle of rice seedlings in his hand.
This is a new variety that she developed, which is more resistant to cold and drought and is not afraid of pests, but she always felt that something was still missing.
Shen Tang walked over and sat down.
What are you thinking about?
Lin Feng said, "Insect pests are a nuisance."
In her backyard, there were several vegetable plots, which her great-grandfather used to pass the time. A few days ago, he sent her a letter complaining that the vegetables he had grown had been eaten by insects. Even though the servants had spent the whole night catching insects with lanterns, they still couldn't save the vegetables. The old man was disgusted by the appearance of the vegetables and abandoned his plan to personally pickle a jar of sauerkraut for her to try.
Lin Feng naturally knew that pest problems had always plagued farmers.
She tried her best to select grain varieties with strong insect resistance, but with little success.
Burning straw can only kill some of the insect eggs.
Having martial artists remove pests from the farmland would be effective, but the efficiency would be too low. Moreover, as farmers applied fertilizer, new pests would sprout in the soil where the eggs had been killed, so it was only a temporary solution. Lin Feng pondered how to solve the problem at its root.
Even if it's just a temporary solution, that would be good.
If the pest problem can be solved, the yield per acre can be increased.
In addition to that, there is fertilization.
Crops can absorb more nutrients, and yields can be increased.
Shen Tang asked, "Have you thought of anything?"
Lin Feng shook his head, then added, "However..."
"But what?"
“However, if the path of the scholar can be perfected, perhaps then the true answer will be revealed…” Lin Feng clutched her chest, a mysterious premonition she had that she would find the answer on the day of her perfection, “…but the conditions for the perfection ceremony…”
That was rather harsh on her.
Shen Tang patted her shoulder.
"Two hundred million mu, at least we've already taken that first step."
Perfection is only a matter of time.
Shen Tang asked Kang Guo to maximize the speed of land reclamation in order to give Lin Feng another push and help her reach the pinnacle of perfection.
September of the first year of Yanhuang.
Shen Tang received a memorial from Ning Yan.
Please move to the new capital, my lord. The palace is ready.
The Ministry of Works and the Directorate of Works led 10,000 men to oversee the construction of the new city. The efficiency of these soldiers was naturally exceptional, and in just over a year, the new capital was already operational. The first batch of buildings consisted mainly of palaces, government offices for officials, and daily residences.
It's not good for the royal officials to keep wandering around.
The second task was to organize the relocation of officials in Beijing and their families.
Finally, the ordinary people who were escorted during the relocation were taken away.
Ning Yan's side has already set off first.
Shen Tang picked up his pen and wrote his reply at the end of the memorial.
The following day, the court officials were notified to prepare their pots and pans and to move with them. The preparations before departure took a lot of effort, and with the travel time, by the time Shen Tang and his party stepped into their new home, the weather had turned cool, and November had arrived in the blink of an eye.
The new city walls are majestic and towering.
The city gate was adorned with layers of bright red silk ribbons.
Outside the city, the crowd was dense, yet orderly amidst the chaos. Their faces were filled with anxiety, as if they wished they could stand on tiptoe and look into the distance to welcome the royal army.
The young Prince Yuan was dressed up as a chubby red envelope.
The child was easily agitated; normally she would have lost her temper long ago, but today she seemed to sense something and patiently stood beside Ning Yan. She occasionally glanced up at her new teacher, with whom she had spent over a month, and then at Shao Bai and the others not far away. She pouted, on the verge of tears.
I don't remember which day I woke up and couldn't see my mother anymore.
Although the lady-in-waiting told her that her mother's side was busy and things were progressing slowly, so she was asked to move into the new house first, she couldn't quite understand why they had to separate. Fortunately, she had acquaintances around her, which eased her anxiety about being in an unfamiliar environment.
I was forced to get up very early today.
The lady-in-waiting told her she would see her mother soon. She suppressed her grumpiness and waited and waited, until her legs were almost too weak to stand.
Just as she was contemplating whether to cling to her new teacher, Ning Shizhong, and ask for a hug, a loud cheer suddenly erupted around her. Shen De bit her lip in fear, and the next second she was in Ning Shizhong's arms, her gaze rising higher and higher.
Shen De stared wide-eyed, his eyes bearing a striking resemblance to his mother's.
The horizon.
The royal army's banners fluttered in the wind, rising from the land of sunrise.
A white figure sped by like lightning, raising clouds of yellow sand.
Afterwards, dozens of figures endured the jolts and followed.
One tyrant, who acted on a whim, also suffered greatly. He had intended to greet the people of the capital with the utmost poise, but his lord suddenly proposed a horse race and forbade the use of incantations: "Whoever reaches the finish line first will receive three days of paid leave!"
Money isn't important, what's important is that it's fake!
Damn it, the busiest person hasn't had a holiday in over a year.
Chasing the wind and the sun, vying to be first.
Even the king cannot make them yield an inch.
Until they approached the new capital city—
The motorcycle under my feet came to an abrupt stop.
"Tunan!"
The white figure's joyful shouts were drowned out by a wave of thunderous cheers in the next second, but Shen Tang was certain that Ning Yan had heard them.
The young lord declared with high spirits: "I'm back!"
There was once a wondrous plant, its gnarled branches resembling a dragon's spine, its vines and leaves hanging to the sky, its roots reaching into the deepest hell. It was adept at hearing the whispers of mountains and the murmurs of rivers, discerning the thoughts of beasts and birds, and the sighs of ghosts and gods. It could gather souls and spirits, and its appearance brought peace to the world.
(ω)
I bought a durian today. It weighed five pounds, and the flesh inside weighed more than two pounds.
This is a good omen.
PS: The main story is finished, and the side stories will probably be serialized for a while, including IF scenarios, personal side stories, and some little Easter eggs from the previous chapters.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
