"My lord, the general said that the border will be stable for another ten or eight years."
Wu Feng's eyes were smiling as he said this.
As a military commander, he disliked war.
Some might think that as a military officer, without war, there would be no opportunity for promotion and wealth.
But like the general, he hoped there would be no war on the border and that the people could live in peace and prosperity.
Even without war, the harsh climate in the Northwest already made life unbearable for the people.
War kills many people.
This year, they had a bumper watermelon harvest and traded with several small countries, exchanging large quantities of horses, cattle, sheep, and furs...
The successful cultivation of cotton allowed soldiers to have a warm winter, and the lives of ordinary people were also much better.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
The headmaster was pleased to hear this, as with a stable border, the emperor could focus on governing the country.
Although the late emperor had no major vices during his reign, those years were marked by constant natural and man-made disasters, leaving the national treasury empty.
For several years after His Majesty ascended the throne, the weather was favorable and the people in various regions enjoyed a much better life.
When the common people can live and work in peace and contentment, the imperial court can move forward steadily.
"How was the cotton issue ultimately resolved?"
The Emperor bestowed great honors upon Zhonglin's wife, including gifts and a higher rank, but then nothing more happened.
"The Emperor issued an order to the General to plant more cotton in the Northwest."
Encourage cultivation, relax policies, and attract more people from other places to grow cotton in the Northwest.
Furthermore, the prisoners exiled to the Northwest were differentiated. Those whose homes were confiscated and who had not committed any wrongdoing were allowed to settle in the Northwest, given land, and given the opportunity to grow crops.
Wu Feng told the old man about the Emperor's policies for the Northwest, but this matter had not yet been made public.
"Your Majesty is wise. The Northwest is vast and sparsely populated. As a result, the population will gradually increase."
"That's what the general said too, and he even sent people to help the various government departments to implement it as soon as possible."
Before we returned, several thousand people had already completed their residency registration.
As the headmaster listened to Wu Feng's words, his expression became increasingly relaxed.
He had said before that His Majesty could lead the Dali Dynasty to a golden age.
"This time, thanks to the people sent by the Jiang family, the success of the watermelon planting is largely due to their contributions."
They truly taught us how to plant and how to prepare fertilizer step by step.
In this way, not only watermelons and cotton have no shortage of fertilizer, but other crops also have fertilizer.
This year, the entire Northwest region has seen a bumper harvest, with yields increasing significantly.
When Wu Feng led people to help with the autumn harvest, he saw too many joyful smiling faces.
"That's good. His Majesty is a wise ruler and will not mistreat anyone who has made a contribution."
The headmaster recalled the letter he had received earlier, in which the Emperor said that the reward given to Jiang Mu was not high because he did not want them to receive too much attention.
Thinking about it, being too high-profile might not be a good thing, as their foundation is too shallow.
Of Zhonglin's children, the two younger ones don't seem to show much, but the two older ones are doing quite well so far.
Give them a few more years, and they will grow.
Zhonglin's wife went to the Northwest to grow cotton, not only to make money, but also to pave the way for her children.
The headmaster understood perfectly, and felt that this couple always knew what they were doing and what they wanted.
Take this incident for example; very few people can resist the temptation and not take the opportunity to build connections.
They were able to do it; they stayed on the estate for more than ten days and didn't see a single person.
In life, you have to be willing to give up something to gain something.
The headmaster thought that he should find some time to meet Zhonglin's children and see how far they had progressed in their studies.
"My lord, the general said that the third young master will come next year and you will be in charge of teaching him for a few years."
Wu Feng relayed the general's message: the general knew that his father did not want to take over the younger generation of the family and wanted them to take responsibility themselves.
Since the old lady passed away, the old man has lost the will to teach his grandchildren, whether they are from the wealthy family or the general's family.
The headmaster's eldest son works in the capital, as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.
Once he entered the Hanlin Academy, he never moved from his post. He preferred compiling books to other social engagements.
Now, the eldest son of the old man's family is over ten years old, and there are several younger relatives.
Why didn't he write the letter himself, but instead had you deliver it?
"The general is afraid you won't agree, so he'll pretend he didn't see the letter."
Wu Feng had met the general's youngest son, who was the third son in the family. He had a cousin, an older brother, and several younger brothers and sisters-in-law.
All the children in the entire Gu family combined were as mischievous as him.
The general's wife couldn't control him anymore and threatened to send him to the Northwest to eat sand.
The general had no time to care about him; he just wanted to send him to the old man.
We'll see.
Wu Feng wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing; he had no position to take.
Lord Wu did not linger. After resting in the prefectural city for two days, he returned to the Northwest.
The Jiang family, having eaten and drunk their fill, fell asleep and didn't wake up until the next morning.
Mu Yi'an invited a doctor to take their pulses one by one to make sure they were healthy.
The journey back was not an easy one.
Jiang Shuyun was also on break, so she accompanied Brother Mu to Uncle Mu's house.
Mu Yi'an told his older brother about something that made his third uncle and aunt unhappy.
Brother Mu understands, but there's nothing they can do; some things are beyond their control.
The two carried some local specialties from Northwest China to Uncle Mu's house.
Mu Yi'an had just gathered a group of people who had gone to the Northwest, and she wanted to reward them for their contributions.
Manager Wei deserved the most credit, and Mu Yi'an rewarded him with two thousand taels of silver.
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