Half an hour later.
Outside Wanping County, in a wasteland outside Dingjia Village.
This place can also be called Ding’s house.
Nie Zishi, Zhai Shanfang, Peng Shuilian and other officials followed Zhu Di and stood on a small hill.
Everyone has their mouths wide open and their faces are full of shock!
In the distance, on a wilderness covered with weeds and trees, there are hundreds of people holding iron shovels, iron catalpas, iron hoes, axes and other tools to turn over the soil and cut down trees, dividing this wilderness. into pieces.
Afterwards, these people began to cut down trees and weeds, level the land, and cultivate fields in the designated wilderness.
"Your Highness King Yan, these people..."
Nie Zishi looked at Zhu Di on the left with a surprised look.
In the Beiping Prefecture where there is no prefect, he, as the chief envoy, is also in charge of the duties of the prefect of Beiping Prefecture.
However, he, the chief envoy of Beiping Prefecture, was not aware of such a large-scale reclamation of wasteland.
Could it be that His Highness King Yan knew in advance that these prefects opposed the reclamation of farmland, so he directly forced the people under his rule to reclaim wasteland?
Similarly, the new group of prefects and county magistrates also looked at Zhu Di with surprised faces. Their suspicions were the same as Nie Zishi's.
However, with the precedent of Ma Zhengjiang, the governor of Tongzhou, they could only secretly slander the old Zhu family for being cruel and unkind!
"Wait, what kind of look is this?"
Zhu Di's face darkened.
Nie Zishi smiled and asked cautiously: "Your Highness, King Yan, are all these people cultivating fields?"
Zhu Di scolded directly: "You don't have eyes. Why do you ask me about such an obvious thing?"
"Your Highness, I forgive you. I'm just a little confused. Why are these people so active in reclaiming wasteland? Even the elderly and young children in the family are reclaiming wasteland?" Nie Zizhi said with a suspicious look on his face.
"Tsk..."
Zhu Di glanced at Nie Zishi with a mocking look on his face, "As the chief envoy of the Beiping Prefecture, this matter should not be your responsibility. Why do you ask me about it instead?"
Nie Zishi: "..."
A look of helplessness.
Apart from you, Prince Yan, who can do this, who else in the entire Beiping Mansion can have such great energy to make so many people, including the whole family, men, women, old and young, risk their lives to reclaim wasteland?
"snort!"
Without Nie Zishi having to say anything, just by looking at the expression on his face, one could tell that there was definitely nothing interesting going on in his mind.
Zhu Di snorted coldly and pointed at Guo An, who had been hiding among the officials.
"The magistrate of Wanping County is here, why don't you ask him?"
Magistrate of Wanping County?
In an instant, Nie Zishi, Zhai Shanfang, Peng Shuilian and other officials' eyes lit up and they all looked at Guo An in the crowd.
"Hey, Guo An has met His Highness King Yan, the vassal, all the superior officials and colleagues!"
Seeing that he could no longer hide, Guo An chuckled and saluted slowly towards Zhu Di, Nie Zishi and others.
"Guo An, as the magistrate of Wanping County, do you know what is going on?" Nie Zushi asked in a deep voice.
"Reporting back to Fantai, it seems that the people here in Dingjia Village are dividing the wasteland for each family. After the area division is completed, they start to cultivate the fields!"
Guo An replied honestly.
"Creating fields?"
Nie Zizhi was angry and asked again: "It's so hard to open up wasteland. Why are these people so active in reclaiming wasteland?"
Guo An hurriedly said: "Don't be anxious, Fantai!"
Nie Zishi stared, pointed at the group of people below who were working enthusiastically, and said angrily: "So many people are reclaiming wasteland, and at a glance, people from the entire Dingjia Village have come out.
During this season, these people would not hurry up to do some casual work and make more money. Now that everyone is out cultivating wasteland, how can their families sustain their food and money until the autumn harvest?
If they can't support it, what should they do? "
Hearing this, Zhu Di's heart suddenly jumped and he quickly looked at Guo An.
"this……"
Guo An's face suddenly turned pale, he turned around quickly and saluted Zhu Di and Nie Zishi.
"Go back to your highness, the feudal lord. This matter has made me anxious. But farming is the foundation of the country, and everything the people eat and drink in their lives must be dug out of the fields.
Within a family, only the more fields and better harvests can lead to a better life.
Therefore, even if the people are hungry for a while, as long as they can cultivate a few acres of land for their families, they will still make a profit! "
Zhu Di nodded with relief, he had indeed seen the right person!
"What Magistrate Guo said is reasonable, but what does this matter have to do with me?"
Guo An quickly raised his hand again and said respectfully: "Your Highness is the King of Yan, and Beiping Mansion is your Highness's fiefdom, so all the people are His Highness's subjects!"
"That's it!" Zhu Di nodded subconsciously.
Guo An continued: "I boldly beg Your Highness to ask Your Highness to lend some grain to the people of Wanping County if their appetites increase and their families are short of food when they are reclaiming wasteland." Fill the stomach.
The people of Wanping County can write IOUs to His Highness and sign them!
As long as new grain is harvested, the grain will definitely be returned to His Highness.
If we can't pay it back this year, the newly reclaimed acres of land will be able to grow food next year, and we will definitely be able to pay it back to His Highness!
Moreover, I, the people of Wanping County, are all benevolent people. Every time I borrow a stone of grain, I will repay His Highness an extra bucket of grain during the autumn harvest!
If I borrow it for two years, I will return two measures of food to His Highness! "
Hearing this, Zhu Di looked at Guo An in confusion, still a little disbelieving, "Are you going to borrow food from me on behalf of the tens of thousands of households in Wanping County?"
On the side, Nie Zishi and other officials also looked at Guo An in surprise.
"Bold, do you know what you are talking about? You are just a small county magistrate. How dare you borrow food from His Highness King Yan on behalf of tens of thousands of households in Wanping County?"
Zhu Fu, the chief official of King Yan, scolded Guo An directly.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Guo An did not defend himself, but confessed honestly.
Seeing this, Zhu Fu's tone was stagnant, and then he arched his hands towards Zhu Di with an angry look on his face.
"Your Highness, the magistrate of Wanping County is extremely brave, please punish him!"
"Not urgent!"
On the contrary, Zhu Di became curious about Guo An's bold move.
"You know, I still have three guards from Yanshan, as well as a number of palace guards and officials. I have tens of thousands of people to feed, and there is not much food.
Tell me, why does this king want to borrow food from tens of thousands of households in Wanping County?
And if we borrow food from the people of Wanping County, what should we do if the people of Daxing County, Miyun County and other prefectures and counties want to borrow food from me? "
Guo An bowed respectfully to Zhu Di and replied honestly: "Your Highness, I forgive you. I am only the magistrate of Wanping County and can only take care of the tens of thousands of people in Wanping County.
As for the people in other states and counties, they are not within the scope of the official's consideration! "
…
