Chapter 108 Starting from Zhiyi Village
Seeing such a touching scene, the young man naturally couldn't contain his surging emotions, and he held the girl's face and kissed her.
It was obvious that the young man learned this faster than anything else. After just a few times, he could easily pry open the girl's lips.
But thinking about the side room at the gate of the palace, someone might come at any time, so Xiao Ji didn't go deep. He just penetrated a little and then pulled out, kissed her a few more times, and then reluctantly separated.
Qing Wu glared at him and pushed him out: "Hurry up and stand up. How can I continue trying on shoes if you're squeezing me like this?"
Even though Xiao Ji walked over and sat down by himself, it took a hundred days for the injured leg to heal, and his wife wasn't worried about his injured leg at all?
This gave Xiao Ji a strange feeling in his heart - Qing Wu seemed to have never taken his broken leg seriously, and seemed to have never cared that he would be lame in the future?
The young man stood up reluctantly and took two steps away, then picked up his crutches and tucked them under his armpits. He secretly observed his wife and found that she really didn't look at him again.
Xiao Ji didn't know whether to be happy or sad for a moment, but his legs still hurt from standing for a long time, so he moved to the rattan bench opposite.
Qing Wu didn't know what Xiao Ji was thinking, her attention was only on the six pairs of shoes. These six pairs of shoes were not all made of fine cloth, two pairs were made of silk, obviously prepared to be worn with some decent clothes.
"Liu Lang's idea is quite thoughtful, but I didn't see him talk to Aunt Zhang... Oh, by the way," Qing Wu recalled something, "Why did you ask Aunt Zhang to call the village head just now?"
When she looked up, she found that Xiao Ji had already sat opposite her, and she caught the little resentment on his face.
Qingwu couldn't help but smile again, but Xiao Ji's face had been greatly tempered in recent days, and he would not blush easily anymore. He was only slightly embarrassed for a moment, and then answered Qingwu's question calmly.
"That day, many people came to see you for medical treatment, so I went to talk to Aunt Zhang."
To be honest, he didn't know how to start at first. In the past, maids of his age all respected him and never dared to approach him easily.
However, in this rural area, the people were unaware of his identity, and because Qingwu was good-natured, they were very friendly to Xiao Ji. Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, they approached him to ask questions. The warmth made him somewhat uncomfortable, but a warm feeling gradually spread in his heart, further understanding the meaning of harmonious neighborhood.
Speaking of the village head, the young man's expression became solemn.
"I want to make life better for the people of Hedong Village."
This statement was beyond Qingwu's expectations, but when he met Xiao Ji's serious gaze, he felt it made sense. He had been the crown prince, and he still hadn't given up on seizing the throne, so it was only natural for him to learn how to govern the people.
"So what are you going to do?"
Qing Wu put down her shoes and asked seriously. Her appearance made Xiao Ji feel a little uneasy: "I am a commoner now, so I can't do anything big..."
He was afraid that his words would lead Qingwu to misunderstand him and think that he could make Hedong Village prosperous in a few days. Even in the past, a simple gesture or a casual remark from him would only address the symptoms, not the root cause.
Unexpectedly, the girl opposite did not look disappointed when she heard this. Instead, she smiled and said, "Of course I know this won't happen overnight. I just wanted to hear your thoughts."
Qingwu traveled with her grandmother to many places. Every time they arrived at a county town, her grandmother would take her to read the official notices. The notices were complex and varied, mostly including imperial decrees, judicial decisions, imperial examination results, conscription and taxation.
However, even though the imperial decree was issued, it wasn't always fully implemented. Whenever she saw something that contradicted the official announcement, Grandma would sigh in disappointment and couldn't help but discuss it with her. Although she didn't talk much, over the years, she had gained some understanding.
Meeting the girl's excited gaze, the young man naturally gained motivation: "Hedong Village is located in the suburbs of Beijing, near the imperial palace. There is only one low mountain, and the rest of the terrain is relatively flat, with a stream in the middle..."
These are all maps Fugui drew after his recent shopping trips. "...But Fugui mentioned that there's still a large area of land along the river in Hedong Village that hasn't been cultivated for some reason. I think I can find a solution. If this can be successfully resolved, since we have good farmland to use, we should prioritize agriculture... However, we need to investigate new farm tools, improved seeds, and water conservancy projects."
The young man spoke eloquently, and the girl listened patiently, occasionally asking a few questions. She didn't think Xiao Ji was just a commoner and should think about how to restore his position as crown prince; nor did she mock him for only wanting to change a small village with only a few dozen households.
Only by governing a village can one understand the sufferings of the people, and then be able to govern a county, a state, and a country.
With the encouragement of his sweetheart, Xiao Ji gained more confidence. When the village head arrived, he asked the village head of Hedong Village why there were large tracts of land near the river that had not been cultivated.
The village head rubbed his rough palms, looked at the two of them with a strange expression, and said in confusion: "To answer your question, my lord, this piece of land... originally belonged to the imperial palace. We in Hedong Village have no right to cultivate it."
Then he asked cautiously, "Excuse me, sir, do you have the final say over this palace?"
Xiao Ji was stunned when he heard this. He never expected this to be the reason, and a feeling of bitterness rose in his heart.
This palace has been abandoned for decades, and this fertile land has also been left idle for so many years.
When he came, he also saw the area around the palace. The terrain was flat and surrounded by streams. The reason why this barren fertile land had not been cultivated was that it was not allowed.
Maybe it’s not that they are not allowed, but that they dare not.
No one had come to the palace for decades, so they could farm secretly, but what if someone came? What if someone made a fuss? Then they might be punished.
Xiao Ji couldn't help but think about how much land like this was left abandoned and how much resources were wasted...
"Village head, this palace is mine now." This was the only thing the emperor gave him after abolishing his position as crown prince.
Xiao Ji's voice was a little tense: "If I give these lands to the villagers to cultivate... would you be willing?"
The old man's eyes suddenly widened, and after a long while he stammered, "Are you serious, sir?"
As a farmer, who doesn’t want to grow good crops?
"Of course I'm serious." He said gently, "Not only will I be given seeds to plant, but I won't charge rent for the first three years."
Upon hearing this, the village head knelt down, tears streaming down his face. "If what you said is true, then I, on behalf of the entire village, will express my gratitude for this great kindness..."
Xiao Ji watched the old man's excited behavior and suddenly remembered that when he was still the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, he had said, "I hope to reduce taxes by 20%." The civil and military officials in the court praised his kindness. At that time, he just thought it was flattery and didn't feel anything.
Now that I have put it into practice, I realize how much weight this sentence carries.
Just a dozen acres of thin land can make people so excited.
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