Chapter 285 The Diligent Emperor Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 10) Relatively Convenient...
After a more convenient plowing tool was made, Murong Yu began to discuss how to encourage the people to actively cultivate wasteland during his court sessions.
Despite several days of discussion, the ministers were still unable to come up with a more efficient and feasible solution.
"Immortal Lord, you said that there are three years of tax exemption, seeds and farming tools are provided, and the reclaimed wasteland can be given a land deed for free and bought and sold at will, so why are there not many people willing to reclaim wasteland?"
After the court session, Murong Yu complained to Lin You with a sense of helplessness. He really couldn't understand why some people would rather be farm laborers than reclaim wasteland.
Isn't owning your own land better than working for someone else? You can't just take money and hire people to reclaim wasteland. Putting aside whether the national treasury has enough money, just the operation itself would probably breed countless parasites.
It has become a habit for Murong Yu to chat with Lin You every day after court. As the emperor, there are many things he cannot say casually, and having Lin You as a confidant has greatly improved his mood.
Just when everyone thought Lin You would simply respond with a few words as before, they were surprised to receive a rather strange suggestion this time:
"Tell the Empress to ask Nangong Rou about this matter in a different way; perhaps she will get a different insight."
From Nangong Rou's usual conversations with the system, Lin You could deduce that she was not just a pretty face; her abilities in the workplace were quite high.
If Nangong Rou uses modern knowledge and information properly, she can definitely play a role in promoting and transforming the development of this world.
Although Murong Yu didn't quite understand why she had to do this, she still followed Lin You's instructions.
Nangong Rou was quite comfortable. After changing her mindset, wasn't this the kind of job that office workers dreamed of?
Recently, every morning after paying my respects to the Empress, I have breakfast with her, play for more than an hour before leaving work, go back for a lunch break, then play with her for another hour, have dinner with her, and then leave work.
The workday is about three hours, including breakfast, dinner, and snacks during work hours. The base salary is zero, but the bonuses are very generous, and you can receive a reward from the Queen almost every day.
From gold, silver, and jade ornaments to silk and satin clothing fabrics, this is hardly like raising a concubine to support a husband; it's almost like raising a daughter.
Nangong Rou initially only said some polite words, but the old saying is absolutely true: "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding, and he who takes another's gift is bound to do his bidding." She had received so many things from the Empress for no reason, and she felt somewhat guilty if she didn't do something for her.
The Empress is twenty-nine years old this year. In modern times, she probably wouldn't even have a boyfriend yet, but here she's already about to become a mother-in-law.
Her eldest son, Murong Yan, is thirteen years old and has already started looking for a wife; her daughter, Murong Xi, is ten years old and can also find a suitable husband.
The Empress seems to be living the life of a middle-aged woman, which makes Nangong Rou very uncomfortable. She was only seventeen years old when she transmigrated, but she was already thirty in the modern world.
She was clearly a year older than the Empress back then, but she still felt young and wasn't in a hurry to find a partner. How did she become middle-aged in ancient times?!
Nangong Rou could adapt to local customs for everything else, but she couldn't stand this one. After all, she would eventually turn thirty, and she couldn't bear to become a middle-aged woman at that age.
At first, the Empress only treated winning over Nangong Rou as a task to complete. Although she had heard that Nangong Rou was dancing in the garden and trying to seduce the Emperor, for the Empress who had not served the Emperor in bed for a long time, these were just small tricks and nothing to worry about.
The old nanny who served her originally said that with Consort Nangong's behavior, she was probably not a well-behaved person. She was ordered by the Emperor to serve her, and who knows what kind of trouble she would cause.
To everyone's surprise, this person turned out to be surprisingly well-behaved. He would chat with her every day without ever making an excuse to refuse, and he could always join in on whatever the topic was.
The servants had been secretly watching Nangong Rou for several days, but they hadn't noticed any of her little tricks, and hadn't even heard her utter a single complaint behind her back.
For the first few days, the people in the Empress's palace thought that Nangong Rou was faking it. But after seeing her come and go happily every day, and eat as much as the Empress would in a day in one meal, they belatedly realized that she was actually a foodie.
The only thing that made the Empress uncomfortable in her interactions with Nangong Rou was that he was always finding ways to change her makeup and style.
Today I'll secretly bring her a delicate pink lotus tassel hairpin, tomorrow I'll match it with a pale yellow butterfly jacket, or maybe a light purple belt.
These accessories and clothes were all worn by the Empress before she gave birth. It's unknown how Nangong Rou managed to get the maids in the relevant storerooms to help her with these things.
In the end, all these things were bestowed upon Nangong Rou by the Empress. Although she wanted to argue that she wasn't trying to take advantage of the situation, the things that Nangong Rou picked out must have been things she liked herself, so how could she bear to refuse them?
Fortunately, thanks to Nangong Rou's subtle influence, the Empress finally stopped wearing lifeless clothes. Although she was no longer youthful, she was much better than before.
After all, no woman truly enjoys getting old; even an empress would prefer to look younger.
The Empress glanced at Nangong Rou, who was still busy choosing clothes for herself, and her tone carried a hint of indulgence that she herself didn't realize:
"Arou, you've been through so much, come and have a cup of tea to rest. I had someone specially prepare your favorite crab-stuffed orange, it won't taste good when it gets cold."
With her unique aesthetic sense, Nangong Rou selected two more outfits for the Empress before approaching her. On the table were two exquisite white porcelain shallow dishes.
On the plate, the top of a plump orange was cut into delicate petal shapes, and the tender and succulent crab meat mixed with the orange's fragrance made Nangong Rou swallow hard.
When the Empress's head maid saw her coming, she skillfully set out the tableware for her, poured the tea, and even moved the sweet lotus root with osmanthus closer to her.
The tea set was Nangong Rou's personal sweet white porcelain, delicate and warm, filled with her favorite flower tea. Next to the crab-stuffed orange was a small silver spoon with a lively little crab carved on it.
"It smells so good. Her Majesty the Empress loves me the most." Nangong Rou held the small silver spoon and looked at the Empress expectantly.
Seeing her bright, sparkling eyes, the Empress couldn't help but smile. "Crabs are considered 'cold' in traditional Chinese medicine, so you can't eat too many. If Arou likes them, I'll have someone make some more for you tomorrow."
After Nangong Rou had eaten and drunk her fill, the Empress spoke up seemingly casually: "I heard a story yesterday about a county that suffered from drought and little rain for many years, making it difficult for the people to get drinking water. The government was thinking of having the people dig more water cellars to store rainwater and snowmelt for their daily needs."
But the people would rather dig water cellars for the landlords and receive a meager amount of drinking water than dig their own to store water. Does Arou know why?
The Empress thought Nangong Rou wouldn't be able to answer, or would need to think about it, but to her surprise, she blurted out:
"I'm afraid of taking risks. Whether the water cellar I dug can store water, how much water it can store, and whether it will rain or snow all depend on the weather."
While the landlords didn't provide much, it at least guaranteed their basic survival. They couldn't afford the risk of failure, so naturally they wouldn't dare to venture out on their own.
Nangong Rou was extremely familiar with this question. When she worked at the company, she signed contracts worth millions, but only received a salary and bonus of a little over ten thousand.
Go out and start your own business? Don't be ridiculous. You'll have to pay your own rent and utilities, run your own business, and bear all the consequences if anything goes wrong. It's not as easy and carefree as making money with a company, where at least you're guaranteed a stable income regardless of circumstances.
Her risk is only financial, and few people are willing to take that risk, let alone the one in the story that involves the lives of an entire family.
The Empress was taken aback. The court was indeed only thinking about giving up its profits, but had not considered the risks that the people would bear.
In years of famine, some landlords would extend grain credit to some tenants, and then take it back the following year with added profits. Although the common people would have to endure two or three years of hardship, it was at least a way to survive.
Nangong Rou thought for a moment and continued, "According to the common people in the story, not many of them have been to school. They would feel panicked if they dared to step out of their comfort zone, that is, their familiar and stress-free living environment."
Even modern college graduates experience anxiety and confusion for a period of time after graduation, let alone an ordinary person who knows nothing about life leaving the environment they depend on for survival.
Seeing that the Empress didn't quite understand, Nangong Rou gave another example, "For instance, if we were to release Qin, the old woman who serves you by Your Majesty's side, and let her children and grandchildren take her home to live out her old age, how would Qin feel?"
Qin, the old nanny who had been guarding the Empress, immediately turned pale and knelt down with a thud. "This old servant only wishes to serve her mistress for the rest of her life. Please don't send me away!"
Nangong Rou, who was casually munching on roasted chestnuts, was startled by her action and hurriedly helped Qin Mama up. "I was just giving an example, Qin Mama, please don't take it seriously. Her Majesty is reluctant to let you leave."
The Empress glared at Nangong Rou before patting Qin Mama's hand reassuringly, and then she understood the meaning of the example Nangong Rou had just given.
To outsiders, Granny Qin was a servant in the palace, and at her advanced age, she was still doing the work of serving others. Even though she was working for the Empress, she should still follow the rules of a subordinate.
If Granny Qin could be taken back by her children, with a group of grandchildren to take care of her, living the life of an old lady being waited on would be much easier and more comfortable than it is now.
With her own backing, no one would dare to bully her, and she would have a good life no matter what. But looking at Granny Qin's expression just now, her fear and anxiety were not feigned to make her happy.
If even a seasoned and knowledgeable nanny serving an empress behaves this way, it's understandable that commoners, when their lives are not threatened, are unwilling to leave the environment they've become accustomed to.
Qin Mama, being an old servant of the Empress, quickly recovered and, somewhat embarrassed, said she was alright. She then helped steer the conversation back to Nangong Rou:
"Your Majesty has been thinking about this story all morning. I wonder if Your Highness can find a way to solve this problem. Otherwise, Your Majesty will be worried about it and may not be able to sleep well tonight."
The Empress glanced at Qin Mama and nodded in agreement: "It is indeed a bit of a brain teaser. Rou'er, help me think of something. If you have a good idea, I will grant you a small request."
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