As the Minister of Personnel, a second-rank official, Qu Yunxian naturally could not condescend to invite a mere fourth-rank prefect.
He summoned a servant to invite him.
The servant then obeyed the order, walked to Xie Zhihong's side, and said something to him.
Xie Zhihong looked in the direction the servant pointed.
After seeing it clearly, I was greatly shocked.
It's someone I know.
Minister of Personnel, Lord Qu, has met with all the officials who came to the capital to pay homage to the emperor.
That was the proper "head of the Six Ministries".
Among the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Personnel was the most valued by the emperor, and the Minister of Personnel was therefore the most important official position among the Six Ministries.
Seeing superiors here, how could one not come over to pay a visit?
Xie Zhihong didn't forget to bring He Youyou along, and the two of them came up together to greet him.
"This humble official greets Your Excellency, Minister."
Seeing that he had brought a woman with him, Qu Yunxian asked in surprise, "And who is this lady?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, this is Madam Han, a fellow townsman of mine from Jizhou. We met by chance just now. Meeting an old friend in a foreign land, I invited her to have tea and chat."
He Youyou bowed and said, "This humble woman greets Your Excellency."
Xie Zhihong looked at the young man next to the Minister, who looked very noble, but he didn't recognize him.
Seeing Xie Zhihong's gaze lingering on the emperor, Qu Yunxian introduced, "This is my close friend, Young Master Huang."
Seeing that he didn't introduce himself much but was very respectful, Xie Zhihong guessed that this person must have an extraordinary background.
It could be a duke, marquis, or prince in the capital.
I didn't dare to ask any more questions at the moment.
Qu Yunxian asked the two to sit down opposite him.
Zhao Changheng, playing the role of "Young Master Huang," asked, "Prefect Xie, I've heard that you've accomplished quite a bit in your post, with several thousand hectares of new wasteland reclaimed in Jizhou this year. Is that true?"
Xie Zhihong smiled and replied, "That is indeed the case, but I dare not take credit for it."
"Oh? Why don't you dare?"
"The land reclamation was the result of the concerted efforts of all the officials in Jizhou, and the plan for land reclamation was originally a brilliant idea from Lady Han."
Then he recounted the events of that time in detail.
He didn't take all the credit for himself, which made Zhao Changheng feel somewhat favorably toward him.
As the official in charge of Ji Province, being able to recognize the merits of one's subordinates is a sign of being a qualified superior.
Zhao Changheng then looked at He Youyou.
It's rare to see someone as young as this lady Han possess such insight.
Curious, he wondered, "Why did Madam Han come up with the idea of land reclamation?"
When He Youyou heard him ask her about it, she shared her thoughts: "Of all things in the world, food is the most important; the people are the foundation of the nation, and grain is the lifeblood of the people. The issue of food security must never be neglected. The amount of land is especially important. With more land, we can produce more in good years, and in famine years, the people will have surplus grain and will not worry about disasters. Jizhou is not as fertile as the land in Jiangnan, but it has the advantage of vast land. If the people can cultivate more wasteland and manage it properly, Jizhou can also become a land of plenty. In the face of a disaster like this year, we will be able to cope more calmly."
Zhao Changheng nodded.
He Youyou was instantly encouraged when she saw him nod, and her fatherly instincts were activated again.
"Furthermore, Jizhou is close to the northern border, and if the border troops are short of food, they often have to go to Jizhou to procure military rations. From this perspective, Jizhou should increase its grain reserves. This can support the people's livelihood internally and also provide for the army externally."
This statement is correct, but if it's too correct, it sounds rather empty.
In terms of specific implementation, this is even more important.
Land reclamation is already underway.
Zhao Changheng thought it was very good; the prefect of Jizhou was very capable and deserved to be commended.
So he asked again, "Besides land reclamation, what else can be done?"
He was actually asking Xie Zhihong that question.
After all, he didn't have high expectations for the knowledge of a common woman.
It is already quite difficult to say something correct like the one above.
However, He Youyou, being impatient, couldn't resist and answered first.
"To ensure food security, the first priority is to guarantee the area of arable land; the second is to improve agricultural tools and irrigation equipment; and the third is to implement responsibilities."
Zhao Changheng's appetite was whetted.
Of the three points she mentioned, the first and second are easy to understand.
"How do we solve this third point?"
There is a saying: "It is one’s duty to defend one’s territory, one must shoulder the responsibility of defending one’s territory, and one must fulfill the responsibility of defending one’s territory."
"Please explain in detail, Madam Han."
"When officials govern a region, they have the responsibility and obligation to protect the land and ensure the people's basic needs are met. From seeds to irrigation to grain sales, they must not only ensure that someone is in charge, but also that someone is in charge at all times and in all places. Problems must be resolved immediately within a certain time limit, and if they cannot be resolved, they must be reported immediately."
There were agricultural officials and various departments responsible for agriculture.
The Ministry of Revenue was responsible for agricultural administration and household registration matters, while the Ministry of Works had two departments, the Water Conservancy Supervision Department and the Land Reclamation Department, which were responsible for water conservancy and irrigation and land reclamation matters, respectively.
When you arrive at a local government office, you will be assigned to either the Household Affairs Office or the Works Office, which are the six departments of the prefectural government.
However, having someone in charge is one thing, but being able to manage it effectively is another.
Were the responses from the residential and commercial units timely?
Do you have the authority and the courage to mobilize resources from other departments?
Do you have the ability and wisdom to quickly handle emergencies?
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhihong couldn't help but feel compelled to speak: "What Madam Han said is very true. There is much that can be done regarding the improvement of agricultural tools. However, the local resources are quite limited. I believe that if the Ministry of Revenue were to take direct action and implement incentive measures from the central government down to reward those who improve agricultural tools, it would surely encourage people to actively participate in the improvement process."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Changheng exchanged a glance with Minister Qu.
This woman is insightful, and Xie Zhihong is a capable person.
The four of them had a very pleasant chat in the teahouse.
After He Youyou and Xie Zhihong took their leave, Minister Qu probed the Emperor's opinion.
"What does Your Majesty think of Xie Zhihong?"
Instead of answering him directly, Zhao Changheng threw a question at him.
"If I remember correctly, someone in the Ministry of Revenue should be retiring soon, right?"
Minister Qu: "I understand."
After Xie Zhihong and He Youyou left the teahouse, He Youyou bid him farewell and got into the carriage.
Xie Zhihong called out to her.
"May I ask, Madam Han, will you return to Jizhou only after the young master has finished the imperial examination?"
He Youyou leaned out of the car window and shook her head.
"I have just bought a house in the capital. The capital is bustling and prosperous, and I intend to stay here for a long time. I will not return to Jizhou. Prefect, please take care. Farewell!"
Xie Zhihong's heart sank instantly.
I'm not going back...
He stared blankly as the carriage drove further and further away, disappearing into the crowd in the distance.
Why aren't you going back?
As soon as He Youyou's carriage returned to her doorstep, she heard the sound of running footsteps coming from the courtyard.
"Auntie!"
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