Chapter 364 Dong Shi Xiaoqian
After dinner, Wei Ruo and Xiumei were packing things in the inn room.
"Miss, although Lin'an Prefecture is more prosperous than Taizhou Prefecture, there are many more refugees on this road than Taizhou Prefecture. The number of refugees gathered outside the city gate has almost caught up with the refugees on Taizhou Prefecture's wasteland." Xiumei couldn't bear it
. I can't help but sigh with emotion about what I have experienced these past few days. There were not many refugees in Lin'an Prefecture, but they were all blocked from the city gates. Those people were starving to death, and many of them starved to death.
Lin'an Mansion, as the provincial capital of Zhejiang Chengxuan Government Envoy, was originally the most prosperous and bustling city in the entire Zhejiang Chengxuan Government Envoy, but now there are many refugees with ragged clothes, yellow faces and skinny muscles.
"The food situation has been bad in the past two years, so there are naturally many victims." Wei Ruodao.
"But hasn't the imperial court sent the Sixth Prince to provide relief? Why are there still no signs of life? Otherwise, we have to resettle these refugees, stop them all outside the city, and watch them starve to death. How can we bear it? ?"
Xiumei thought more simply, feeling that human life was at stake, so she had to save people first no matter what.
Therefore, after meeting so many refugees, Xiumei felt vaguely dissatisfied with the Sixth Prince who came to provide relief.
"Then I don't know." Wei Ruo didn't have any intention to care about how the Sixth Prince planned to provide disaster relief. She just did her own thing.
Wei Ruo was looking at the map of Lin'an Mansion while talking to Xiumei.
"We will go here tomorrow to check the situation." Wei Ruo said, pointing to the northern suburbs of Lin'an Mansion.
"I will go wherever the young lady says." Xiumei didn't even look at it. She followed the young lady wherever she went.
"Then I'm going to sell you." Wei Ruo joked.
"Sell it, if the price is right. I will escape after the lady gets the money and then sell it to the lady." Xiumei replied with a smile.
"You do know how to do business." Wei Ruo was amused by Xiumei.
"Of course, after following the lady for so long, I have some business acumen."
"My Mei Mei is smarter than me now, and what I do is still a business. It's great for you, you can make a lot of money!" Wei Ruodao.
"It's better to be better than the old!" Xiumei said playfully.
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Early the next morning, the four of them set off from the inn and headed to the north of Lin'an Mansion.
In order to make movement easier, Wei Ruo and Xiumei both changed into men's clothing for today's trip. As a result, three of the four people in the group had changed their costumes. Only Xiaobei was fearless with a face that would be difficult to find even if he blended in with the crowd.
Because he was wearing men's clothing, Wei Ruo stopped riding in a carriage and rode a horse directly, which was more convenient for movement.
After several horse riding experiences, Wei Ruo now no longer suffers from pain in his butt and thighs as soon as he rides a horse.
In addition, Wei Jin also got her special stirrups with a thick layer of soft padding on them, which made her feel much more comfortable when riding.
The four of them rode out of the city gate, and the scenery on the road became desolate. There were many villages and farmland along the way, but none of them looked as prosperous as the Taizhou Prefecture today.
Looking closer, I found that the rice in the rice fields was not growing very well, the leaves were yellow, and the ear-hanging situation was not optimistic.
"Why does the rice here in Lin'an Prefecture look so bad?"
Xiaobei, who was following Wei Jinyi and Wei Ruo, couldn't help but wonder. Xiumei, who was walking side by side with him, explained: "The weather this year is not very good, so it is not normal for the rice to grow poorly."
Xiaobei was still puzzled: "But I see that the rice over there in Taizhou Prefecture is not growing well. It's pretty good."
Xiumei said: "A large number of rice seedlings in Taizhou Prefecture have been replaced by rice seeds promoted by my lady. It has strong disease resistance and strong adaptability. In addition, the magistrate later led the people of the government to organize the people. Top dressing to prevent pests and diseases will naturally lead to good growth."
Xiaobei suddenly realized: "I see, I mean, why are they all rice, the gap is so big."
Then Xiaobei added: "The harvest in the previous two years has been bad. If this is still the case this year, wouldn’t the disaster become more serious?”
Xiumei muttered: "Who says it's not the case? I'd better hope for a better harvest. I really don't want so many people to die."
Xiaobei nodded heavily: "Miss Xiumei is right!"
After a while, the four People saw a group of government soldiers driving a group of ragged refugees in one direction.
Some of the soldiers still held whips in their hands, and they would hit the refugees from time to time, driving them forward.
Xiumei couldn't help but feel annoyed: "Which family's soldiers are these? Why are they driving and beating these refugees?"
Xiaobei quickly stopped Xiumei: "Miss Xiumei, please lower your voice. Those who are the Sixth Prince will not be heard." There is trouble."
Xiumei lowered her voice and asked Xiaobei: "Why did the Sixth Prince's people drive away the refugees so violently?"
Wei Ruo also looked over, with the same doubts.
Xiaobei did not answer immediately and glanced at Wei Jinyi hesitantly.
After Wei Jinyi nodded slightly, Xiaobei continued to explain to Wei Ruo and Xiumei: "The sixth prince seems to be learning from the eldest lady's disaster relief methods recently, arranging refugees to open up wasteland and farm." Xiumei became even more confused:
" Why should we treat the refugees like this when we learn from my lady to open up wasteland and farm? Why don’t we just tell them directly? Those refugees will be very happy. We have already practiced it in Taizhou Prefecture." Xiaobei explained in a low voice: "Because the eldest lady is organizing in Taizhou
Prefecture The refugees were naturally happy to open up wasteland and provide them with food and shelter during the disaster relief work. However, the Sixth Prince did not provide accommodation here, and it is said that he even had very little food. In order to keep up with the schedule, he forced the refugees to work from morning to night, which was very difficult. It’s hard work, so of course no one is willing to do it.” You
can still survive by hiding in the wild and eating tree roots and turf, but you may die faster if you are caught doing hard labor.
Wei Ruo frowned and said: "Since he has learned, why did he only learn a superficial knowledge and not learn everything? No one forbids him to copy the gourd."
This time, Wei Jin also answered for Wei Ruo: "Because he failed to persuade the people in Lin'an Prefecture to contribute money and efforts, and he was unable to adapt to local conditions. He had already tried once earlier, but the land was not improved successfully, and it took some effort. But no crops have grown on the land."
If Wei can revitalize the work-for-relief project and get the entire Taizhou Prefecture to participate in it, a very important point is that she can make everyone believe that she can Success in improving the land will allow everyone to gain something.
If this prerequisite cannot be established, naturally no one will be willing to participate and contribute money and effort.
When the Sixth Prince learned Wei Ruo's disaster relief method, he only learned the framework and failed to understand the key points, so naturally he got different results.
Xiumei couldn't help but said: "Then he can't treat the refugees like this. They are already suffering enough. What's the use of persecuting them if they can't grow crops?" (End of Chapter
)