Jimo, the imperial court had already prepared 10,000 acres of fertile farmland, yet this was still controversial. You didn't use such good fertile land, saving it for the dragon boats. The fertile land was abandoned and overgrown with weeds.
In the end, Zhao Huan overcame all objections and preserved the more than 10,000 acres of fertile land.
In fact, Zhao Huan was also unsure whether the dragon boat would ever return. The court had spent a huge sum of money to buy these ten thousand acres of fertile land, and every year officials would impeach the matter.
Now, the dragon boats have finally returned. This time, they are not going to fight a war. The Song Dynasty is now rich and powerful, with strong economic strength.
So when Zhao Huan went to Jimo this time, he brought several concubines with him.
Nangong Lian'er was determined to go, but Li Sisi and Tang Wan'er refused to come and stayed in the palace. Empress Zhu Lian had no intention of going either, but Zhao Huan dragged her here.
As the mother of a country, it's useless to stay in the palace all the time. While the world is peaceful, why not go out and walk more often?
Tian Yingying and Princess Yanran also came along. They both wanted to see what the seeds brought back by the dragon boat looked like.
When the women traveled, it was inevitable that they would be delayed along the way. The food, clothing and other expenses of the accompanying palace maids and concubines alone were a huge expense.
In the past, Meng Gurao and others would have jumped out to oppose it long ago. But now that the treasury is full and the people are well-off, the Ministry of Revenue will turn a blind eye and let Zhao Huan build it.
Zhao Xin, the prince is eight years old this year, and Zhao Huan brought him out this time.
Emperor Zhao Huan had a treacherous journey. He destroyed the Jin Dynasty, annexed the Western Xia and Mongolia, and conquered Goryeo. Although he made many mistakes, he ultimately led the Song Dynasty into a period of prosperity.
What pleased him most was the prince Zhao Xin. Although he was young, he was full of kindness. The good and evil in people's hearts can be seen from them. Zhao Xin had the spirit of Kong Rong giving up his pear in his bones.
All the civil and military officials in the court praised this prince highly. Zhao Xin was polite and compassionate to others, and even the palace maids liked him very much.
Troubled times require tyrants to conquer their subjects with force. Although Zhao Huan was not a tyrant, he eventually achieved this.
A prosperous age is different; it requires a benevolent ruler. Although Zhao Xin had not yet been crowned a crown prince, the entire court considered him the best candidate. Zhao Huan also shared this view, believing that Zhao Xin's kindness and generosity were perfect for this era.
Zhao Huan is now focusing on cultivating Zhao Xin's ability to rule as an emperor. A benevolent ruler cannot be too benevolent. If he is like Emperor Renzong of Song, it is fine, but if he is like Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty, it will be troublesome.
The reason why Zhao Huan often took Zhao Xin out was to let him see more of the suffering of the people. Only those who deeply understand the suffering of the people can truly serve the country and the people in the future.
Zhao Huan even wanted to send Zhao Xin to the countryside to gain some experience when he was older. Fortunately, he was still only eight years old, but very polite.
Zhao Xin, who had just left the palace, was so curious about everything: "Father, what is this?"
"This is a water windmill. With it, people don't have to carry water anymore."
"Then Father, please let them build more so that the people won't suffer."
Zhao Huan smiled and caressed his head lovingly: "Well, I don't have the ability to do this. How about I hand this over to you when you grow up?"
Zhao Xin looked up at him, then nodded vigorously.
When Zhao Huan and Ran arrived in Jimo, the grain and seeds on the dragon boat had already been moved to the warehouse.
Zhao Huan had already explained the storage methods of various crop seeds in advance, and local officials did a good job.
Sweet potatoes are carefully selected to prevent bad ones from infecting other good ones. The selected sweet potatoes are stored in the cellar, where they are kept at a certain humidity and ventilation.
This cellar is really a good thing. Sweet potato seeds need to breathe, so ventilation is very important, otherwise they will rot.
Corn, peanuts, tomatoes and the like are much simpler to store. Just like storing corn, just keep them dry.
As for potatoes and sweet potatoes, the principle is similar. As long as they are protected from frostbite and kept away from light, potatoes are relatively easier to store.
The whole Jimo turned into a sea of joy. Now the Song Dynasty was rich and the people were safe. Countless people flocked to the streets to welcome the emperor in person.
The imperial guards, however, were on high alert, constantly ensuring the emperor's safety. Linghu Yunlong was also somewhat perplexed. Zhao Huan had brought too many relatives with him, and his own abilities were limited. Therefore, he had to remain on high alert, his primary targets being Zhao Huan and the prince, Zhao Xin.
In a prosperous era, except for a few hot-headed individuals or those with deep hatred, no one was stupid enough to assassinate the emperor. However, security was no joke; it was related to the rise and fall of the Song Dynasty.
The enthusiasm of the people was so high that their shouts of "Long live the emperor" were deafening. These were shouts from the heart.
Zhao Huan couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion, thinking back to when he had just ascended the throne, what was handed over to him was a crumbling and broken empire, surrounded by foreign enemies, all eyeing him covetously.
Today, the Song Dynasty is a rich and powerful country with a strong military force. It is also the only country that has red cannons.
Zhao Huan took extremely strict measures to prevent the technology from leaking out for this powerful national defense weapon.
Only a strong country has the right to speak. No matter how the economy develops, national defense and military cannot be lost.
A nation's strong economy requires a robust national defense. The Arms Inspectorate researched various weapons day and night, particularly the Divine Arm Crossbow, which could even fire continuously with a rotating shaft. While its power wasn't as great as before, its speed was several times greater, elevating the Divine Arm Crossbow's technology to a new level.
The magistrate and governor of Jimo County had arrived, and Zhao Huan finally saw the crew of the dragon boat fleet from afar.
Zhao Li and Pan Bufeng led their men forward to greet him. Zhao Li was so excited that he knelt down hurriedly: "Your Majesty, long live the emperor!"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
