Chapter 364 The Runaway Demon Princess
"Master, all the farmers and workers from other states who have signed work contracts have come to Fengzhou Prefecture."
Early in the morning, Ji You had just gotten up when he heard Lao Qiu coming to report.
After looking through Master Chen's old things, the matter of the night watchman was still shrouded in mystery. He pondered over it all night and made many speculations, but as his speculations grew, more questions arose.
In this situation, he can only focus on the present.
Ji You put on his clothes and reached out to pick up the reply letter to the tsundere ghost from the table.
The girl specially sent him a letter to let him know she was safe, so he wrote back before going to bed yesterday. In the letter, he drew a fat baby wearing tiger-head shoes.
This fat baby was copied from the New Year pictures that Lao Qiu bought during the Xinyuan period, and it looks very lifelike.
He handed the letter to Lao Qiu and said, "Go and call Kuang Cheng."
"yes."
Old Qiu bowed, then went to the west wing and called over Scholar Kuang.
The three of them came to the outside of the village gate and crossed the long street of the city. They saw a huge crowd slowly coming towards Fengzhou in the distance, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Seeing this scene, Ji You and Kuang Cheng couldn't help but frown.
For Fengzhou, cheap labor does help the region's development, but the problem is that there are too many people.
If the land lease is successful, these people will not have to worry about being resettled, but if the reform is not successful, this unequal labor force will also be a problem. After all, each of them carries a heavy tax burden.
And Fengzhou really does not have the ability to feed the world.
"First, notify the governors of each state to send people to register and divide them according to the work they are familiar with. Also, divide those who have been engaged in farming into the categories of young and strong, weak, elderly, and disabled."
Looking at the people pouring into the border of Fengzhou, Ji You thought for a while and then gave orders.
Hearing this, Kuang Cheng couldn't help but turn around and look back: "Are we going to clearly divide people into different levels?"
"Fengzhou can't accommodate too many people, so we'll definitely have to send some of them back. This is the only option left. Otherwise, even Fengzhou's current environment will be in chaos."
"That's true..."
Kuang Cheng muttered to himself silently.
The reason why immortal cultivators can exploit civilians so unscrupulously, apart from the tax promises made by Da Xia in the past, is that they distinguish between immortals and mortals.
This is actually a very dangerous thing, because once the people accept this registration system, it will often lead to top-down oppression from within.
But now that things have come to this, they have no choice but to do it.
Kuang Shusheng looked away, his eyes slightly fixed.
At this distance, he couldn't see clearly with his mortal body, but from those slow and staggering movements, he seemed to see the numbness and fatigue on their faces.
If you see this kind of scene too much, it will really make people lose their balance.
At this time, Lao Qiu had already arranged for several young men around him to go to Fengzhou Prefecture to deliver the letter.
After receiving the order, the prefect of Fengzhou Prefecture immediately notified the subordinate county magistrates, and then government offices in various places began to dispatch a large number of officials and militia to the refugees pouring in from the six states.
Temporary checkpoints and registration points were set up, and the crowds were organized step by step to register in villages, towns and counties.
After watching for a while, Ji You returned to Ji Village and then filled the yard with spirit stones.
His current physical combat power is still at the middle level of the boundless realm. Compared with his previous progress when he went out to practice Taoism, his progress is not too fast, but the spiritual energy he needs has been raised to a higher level.
Nowadays, the amount of spiritual energy in natural spiritual energy gathering places is no longer enough for a complete body refining, and the assistance of spiritual stones has become necessary.
Sixteen times...
Ji You couldn't help but mutter to himself.
He started to challenge the sixth level after he woke up from Tianshu Academy, and passed through the spiritual fire sixteen times.
Based on this calculation, the seventh time will definitely be no less than one, and there will be even more in the future, and the essence of spiritual energy required will be more powerful, which means he needs more spirit stones.
Spirit stones are expensive, but we have to do it.
Ji You quietly entered into a state of meditation and began to absorb and exhale spiritual energy.
As his Qi orifices were fully opened, the spirit stones around him shattered, and countless essences of spiritual energy and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth merged together and madly penetrated into his body.
As the stars and the moon rotate, several days pass by.
The spiritual fire burned violently for the fifth time, and the scorching flames gradually began to emerge from his body. The severe pain during this period made his teeth creak.
This is the second stage. As the spiritual fire burns through the body, the scorching flames will penetrate the body and spread throughout the body as the number of times increases.
This process is like practicing Qi, burning the body into a single piece.
However, the pain caused by this method of practice of first breaking down and then building up is very intense. However, every time the process moves forward, Ji You can always feel a sense of freedom with clear eyes and ears.
He had heard before that the goal of Taoist practice was to achieve great freedom of the spirit and soul.
As his body refining realm continued to deepen, he did not feel the freedom of his soul, but he did have a full sense of the gradual freedom of his body.
In fact, people have far less than 30% control over their own bodies. Their skin, bones, internal organs, and blood are not controlled by their will.
In this regard, the demons who can become demons and the barbarians who can become barbarians are much superior to humans.
But now Ji You is far beyond his initial state in all aspects.
He clenched his fist slightly, and a boiling energy and blood began to surge in his body, like the roar of a tiger and the roar of a dragon. The strong roar made his heart beat like a drum.
This made him think of Cui Lang, the last generation of Night's Watchmen, and how powerful he must have been.
During the body training, he also received a letter from the Tsundere Ghost.
In the letter, there was a picture of a stickman with long hair cutting a stick with a sword, which made Ji You feel a chill.
But the good news is that judging from the scale and size of the stick she drew, he felt that Tsundere was still very satisfied, otherwise he would not have drawn it so exaggeratedly, even scarier than Yuan Caiwei's.
As usual, Ji You wrote back to her, but this time he was more serious and talked about his current life and future plans.
The tsundere must be very lonely staying in the mountains, otherwise she wouldn't run to her house whenever she has free time, giving her an opportunity to take advantage of. The future empress would cry and call her husband.
So this letter was not so much to convey information as it was to relieve her boredom.
In fact, Ji You had sent letters to Danshan several times, but the mountain closure had not been lifted, and there had been no reply to the letter until now.
With a few quick strokes, the whole piece of writing was completed.
Ji You thought for a while, then told her about the search for Master Chen's old things, and added the sentence "When heaven is damaged, it is difficult for people to be perfect", hoping that she could find something.
After the letter was sent, it was quickly delivered out of Fengzhou and traveled thousands of miles under the escort of fast horses.
“…”
"Stand properly, don't crowd, and register in order as instructed before!"
"Please fill in all the information completely without any mistakes or omissions. This is for your own good."
Outside Fengzhou Prefecture, under the drizzle, people from six states were carrying out large-scale registration.
Under the guidance of county officials, countless people were registered in the work register according to the previous division.
The register was then sent to the awning at the rear, where the official in charge of the examination called out the names one by one according to the registered register, conducted a second interrogation, and then wrote words such as young and strong, weak, old, orphaned and disabled on them with a cinnabar pen.
The people of the six states are actually not stupid, and they naturally know why they do this.
No matter how vast Fengzhou is, and no matter how fast it is cultivated, how much fertile land can it have?
But there are too many civilians in the world, and they all bear extremely heavy taxes. It is not possible to stay in Fengzhou just because you want to.
Because taking them all in would mean that Fengzhou would have to feed the entire human race on its own, which is simply a fantasy.
Under the awning, some gray-haired farmers sighed softly but did not say anything.
Being able to survive a cold winter in the face of food shortages was already a blessing from the immortal, and they were still grateful.
“There are so many elderly, weak, sick and disabled people.”
Under the awning, Wei Rui couldn't help but speak softly.
Seeing this, Kuang Cheng nodded and said, "The world we live in nowadays is wearing down people's bodies."
The two of them couldn't stay idle in Ji Village, and they didn't need to practice like Ji You, so they came to help. Looking at those dark and silent faces, they couldn't help but feel a lot in their hearts.
“Are these people going to be sent back?”
"Well, but Fengzhou should send someone over to provide guidance. Moreover, Fengzhou's Sino-Agricultural Department has been cultivating high-quality seeds over the years, and seeds with higher per-acre yields can also be brought to them."
"If the land lease had been successful, would there not have been so many unbearable choices?" Wei Rui's eyelashes trembled slightly.
Hearing this, Kuang Cheng looked towards Ji Village and said, "Once the land lease is completed, Brother Ji will have a heavier burden on his shoulders, and he might even be in danger of death. Actually, I have always had some selfish motives, and I am glad that thing didn't go through."
"In fact, Instructor Cao and Fairy Wen think so too."
"Really?"
Wei Rui nodded: "I heard them talk about it when we had tea together a year ago."
It was drizzling and the air was freezing cold.
After seven days of registration, all the work books were completed and loaded onto a large carriage.
Kuang Cheng brought Wei Rui and carried the work book into Ji's camp in a carriage, and met Ji You in the tea pavilion in the backyard.
His sixth body training had ended and he had just taken a bath. He was now resting in the pavilion. When he saw Kuang Cheng, Wei Rui and the carriage, he looked up slightly.
"Have you completed the registration?"
"Yes, all registration is completed."
Ji You stood up and walked out of the pavilion, asked someone to open the box, and then picked up the general book.
This general register records the number of farmers and workers in each state, as well as the registration of the elderly, the weak, the young and the strong, and is followed by numbers with a very large number of digits.
It is these cold numbers that have been nourishing those cultivators to be free from external desires and to seek the truth and cultivate immortality.
At this time, Kuang Cheng was quietly waiting for Ji You's decision. Seeing that he had not spoken a word, he felt that he did not seem to want to make such a cruel choice, so he wanted to speak and ask Ji You to agree to let him repatriate the old, weak, lonely and disabled people.
But before he could say anything, Ji You opened his mouth.
"Leave the elderly, weak, and orphans behind, and send the remaining young and strong back to their registered places. Remember to bring them the fine seeds that Fengzhou has cultivated over the years."
"?"
Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui were stunned: "You're not going to keep the young and strong, but only the old, weak, lonely and disabled?"
Ji You looked up at them and said, "Fengzhou already has a large population, including migrant workers. The labor isn't that strenuous, so they don't need to be too strong. If we let the young and strong go back, their chances of survival will be greater. Especially since some of these people probably have young children to take care of, so it's not suitable for them to stay in Fengzhou for a long time."
"I thought... Brother Ji would choose to keep the young and strong."
"If the breadwinner of a family dies, many orphans will be left behind. Orphans are the most pitiful. Now we are not discussing the best way to distribute the property, but to ensure that more people can survive."
Ji You turned to the next page and read: "The elderly, orphans, and disabled will be given priority for animal husbandry, winemaking, restaurant service, post station or workshop labor. The rest who are unsuitable will participate in this year's spring plowing."
Qingyun Tianxia’s taxes are targeted at grain production, and production from secondary processing is not included in the tax collection quota.
The reason is that the operating rights at the end of these industrial chains have always been controlled by small families or branches of famous families.
The grain collected from taxes was used by them to raise livestock, make spirit wine, feed miners, plant spirit seedlings, and build restaurants.
What the small families earn will be paid as tribute to the families they rely on to obtain resources, while the branches will pay tribute to the main family to obtain better treatment.
However, under the strict hierarchy, civilians are not qualified to do these things at all.
Even if they are recruited to do menial work, they will be exploited internally, which is no different from farming.
But just a while ago, Ji You acquired many restaurants and post stations by selling grain, and proposed to build a winery.
This was a fallback plan if the land lease failed. He wanted to take these lucrative industries into his own hands so that the people would no longer be helplessly robbed, but would participate in the economic operation of the cultivators.
"Speaking of the winery, I remember the first batch of winter wine seemed to have come out. How is it?"
"It seems a jar was delivered yesterday and placed in the kitchen by Uncle Qiu." Kuang Cheng replied.
"Let's go and take a look."
Ji You waved his hand and led the two of them to the kitchen.
There were indeed many jars of wine placed in the corner of the kitchen, including the Meirenxiang that they used to drink, and the more famous Qingzhou wine.
And in the very corner, the jar of wine brewed in Fengzhou was placed there.
Ji You walked over, reached out to unseal the wine, then used a bamboo tube to scoop a ladle of wine from the jar and took a sip.
"How about it?"
Ji You didn't say anything and remained extremely silent.
Seeing this, Kuang Cheng took the bamboo tube from his hand, took out a sip, and then fell into silence.
Well, the taste is bland but strong, a bit irritating to the throat.
Wow, it tastes like disinfectant.
Just as the two of them were savoring the food with increasingly stiff expressions, Old Qiu happened to walk into the kitchen.
The people in Jizhai have been busy with Fengzhou Prefecture for some time and have not made it to dinner time, so they have to cook a special meal.
However, Old Qiu did not expect that the two young masters in the family were squatting in the corner like oil rats, silent for a while.
"Master, why are you here?"
"Is this the wine produced in our winery?"
Qiu Zhong then realized they were drinking. "This is the first batch we brewed. After I tasted it, I didn't plan to give it to you. I told them to go back and pour it out and start over. But I can't blame them. After all, this is our first time making wine, and we won't be able to compete with those century-old wineries in a short period of time."
Ji You turned around after hearing this and said, "What? Throw it away? That's such a waste?"
“But there’s no way to sell this.”
"Now all the restaurants in the world are in our hands. They have to drink whatever we give them."
Kuang Cheng couldn't help but stand up after hearing this: "If the wine and service are not good, they will lose customers. Maybe a new restaurant will take advantage of this opportunity to open up."
Ji You put the wine seal in his hand back on the wine jar: "Then lower the price. I believe no one can outlast me at this stage."
The drizzle of spring rain brings the scent of the earth's gradual recovery.
Fengzhou took in some laborers and repatriated a group of laborers, and then began to prepare for spring plowing.
During this period, Cao Jinsong, Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin and the Lu sisters all wrote to him one after another.
According to the letter, Shengjing has been relatively peaceful during this period, and many people have chosen to practice Taoism in seclusion, even the direct disciples of the major sects have done so, in order to speed up the process of mastering the sacred artifacts.
This was still the aftermath of the disaster that befell the human race. Countless people were afraid that their own sect would end up like the Xuanyuan Immortal Mansion, where no one would be able to inherit the throne in time after the death of the leader.
In addition, there are some people who are very vigorous in their cultivation and are widely discussed in Shengjing.
Such as Zhong Hui, Huo Zhuoqun and others.
Ji You was not unfamiliar with these names, because these were the people who had taken the Taoist fruit from the ruins. It seemed that even though the ruins were empty, the immortal fate was still playing a magical role on them, so that they could make rapid progress.
In addition, Ban Yangshu also said that after the new disciples arrived at the academy, many banquets were held, but for some reason the wine and drinks became extremely unpalatable, and no other types were available for purchase.
At the same time, the two tribes of barbarians and monsters began to migrate towards the two states of Youyun.
At that time, the Demon Prince Ye Han was standing on the collapsed northern city wall, looking into the distance to the north.
On the white land where the ice and snow had not yet melted, countless tribesmen were rushing in, and a sense of ethnic pride arose spontaneously.
Taking over Yunzhou does not count as returning, and completely occupying Yunzhou does not count as returning. The arrival of the clan members at this time counts as a real return.
As he was watching, Ye Han suddenly saw a chariot pulled by three strange beasts, so he immediately flew away.
"Sister."
Amidst shouting, Ye Han landed on the sedan chair amidst a whistling burst of energy.
This migration will be divided into two parts. The first one will be led by his sister Feng Yang, and the second one will be led by his father and the remaining tribesmen.
He came here specifically to wait for his sister, because he knew that his sister has always been against war, so he wanted to let his sister see this fertile land and let her understand why their demon clan must return to Jiuzhou.
But as soon as he finished speaking, there was no response from the carriage with the curtains drawn.
After a slight pause, Ye Han waved his sleeves to sweep open the curtain, only to find that there was no one inside.
"Where's the princess?"
Ye Han turned around and looked at Xiao Rou, Princess Fengyang's personal maid.
Xiaorou pursed her lips and said, "In reply to the prince, the princess said she wanted to go out for a walk, but she didn't actually come with the imperial carriage."
"?"
Ye Han was slightly stunned, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes.
At the same time, in Danshui County, Fengzhou, there is a place called Xiangzi Lake.
The demon princess Feng Yang was walking along the lake, staring at the huge green lake for a long time, then turned her gaze to the west and looked at the huge locust tree by the lake.
This was a place she had read about in a storybook she had picked up. According to legend, lovers could circle the lake and finally meet under this locust tree, and they would be together forever.
After staring for a long time, Feng Yang put on the hat that covered his face and walked deeper into the cave. Along the way, he saw scenes that he had viewed countless times in picture albums.
Yunshuijian, Red Maple Valley...
As she walked, she came to a large area of farmland.
Spring is coming, and the fields are full of people plowing and turning the soil.
But what attracted her was not the farmers, but a stone statue holding a long sword standing in the field.
The common people are very simple. They will think that whoever allows them to live is a god. This is also true for the demon race.
Feng Yang stared at the stone statue for a long time, and a ball of fluff on the back of her skirt began to sway gently involuntarily.
(asking for monthly ticket)
(End of this chapter)
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