Chapter 129 Difficulties in Cezhou

On this day, Du Jingyi hadn't even closed his eyes since he went out to work in the early morning.

She is not Shang Ji. She spends her days in high-intensity military training, so today's pace is basically equivalent to relaxation.

Therefore, after returning to a place he was familiar with, Du Jingyi didn't care about anything else, stepped forward, lifted up his skirt, and leaned against the brocade pillow on the Kang.

Then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's better to go home and feel more comfortable."

Hearing this, Shang Ji couldn't help but laugh.

"But I saw that you were very happy when you were at the Du family, weren't you?"

"The general only knows one thing, but not the other."

"Appreciate further details."

Seeing him asking for advice seriously, Du Jingyi felt that his current posture was a bit too much, so he coughed twice, stood upright, and then spoke.

"Although I am married, I am still the daughter of the Du family. My parents have never been less worried about me. In the past, they were worried that I would be bullied in the Duke's palace. Now I have to worry about whether I will offend me. Noble people bring disaster."

"Under such a tense mood, I will naturally try my best to make them happy and make them feel more at ease. Otherwise, wouldn't it be harmful to me if I worry about this matter every day?"

"But this smile is easy, but it is difficult to smile sincerely every time. So I am not tired physically, but just tired in my heart."

Her words hit Shang Ji's heart one by one.

I've seen her look smart and witty, but it's rare that she shows such emotion.

For a moment, Shang Ji felt sorry for his wife, so he stepped forward, hugged her in his arms, and said comfortingly.

"In the future, you don't have to just be happy in front of me. You can show me your emotions, anger, sorrow, and joy. If I do something wrong, just point it out. I'm not one of those mean-spirited people who just chew on words. It doesn't hurt to pour cold water on me."

His words succeeded in amusing Du Jingyi.

"General, are you telling me that you can boldly teach your husband in the future?"

"Well, that can be understood."

"Oh? You really won't fall out?"

"Won't."

Shang Ji's answer was categorical, but after Du Jingyi thought about it carefully, it was indeed the case.

Although he was a harsh and strict general outside, he never even spoke loudly to her in the palace.

Even when the two met for the first time, he controlled his temper very well.

So, thinking of these, Du Jingyi felt sweet in his heart.

She raised her arms and hugged his waist, buried her head deeply in his arms, and then said "hmm", which was full of sweetness.

After a while, Shang Ji straightened Du Jingyi's body, and then said seriously.

"Madam, sit upright. I still have something to ask you, husband."

Du Jingyi raised his eyebrows, seemingly in disbelief.

"Ask me for advice? General, you can tell me whatever you want. I will tell you everything I know."

"I just heard you and my father-in-law talking about the damage to the crops in the northern boundary. I want to ask, do you have any way to solve the disaster in this area?"

"A disaster in one place?"

Shang Ji nodded, and Du Jingyi was silent for a while before asking.

"General, are you talking about Cezhou?"

"Well, I have been in Cezhou for many years. I used to follow my grandfather on marches and fights, and then I stood there on my own. So I have seen many people in Cezhou not having enough to eat in the coming year because their crops were damaged in winter."

"We have also opened warehouses to provide disaster relief, but this is not a long-term solution. So if you can find a way to solve this problem for them, the people of Cezhou will be able to live a more stable life."

Hearing what Shang Ji said, Du Jingyi also said seriously.

"My previous method was just to protect the Du family's business. It's not worth mentioning the small troubles. But if you want to relieve the plight of the people in Cezhou, I'm afraid it will be a little difficult."

"However, please give me some time, general, and I will think about it. If you have someone close to you who knows more about the people's livelihood in Cezhou, can you lend me a few days so that I can get some news?"

She didn't agree directly because she didn't think she was so powerful that she could truly solve a state's difficulties.

But if you put more thought into it, you can always see some results.

Even if it could just reduce the loss, it would be a good thing to benefit one party, so she was willing to give it a try.

Shang Ji felt relieved when he heard her straightforward answer, but he still said with relief.

"Ma'am, just try your best. If you don't succeed, don't blame yourself too much. Cezhou's difficulties don't just happen in one day or two. It's too close to Daijin and the surrounding countries, and there is always the possibility of war breaking out. That's why It’s hard to do that.”

Hearing this, Du Jingyi nodded. There was a fleeting thought in his mind, but it was not mature enough, so he didn't plan to say anything at the moment.

"General, don't worry, I know the importance of this."

"Um."

Shang Ji didn't expect that he could become a "strategist" after a meal.

But now that everything has been finalized, he won't delay.

On the second day, Luo Yuan was asked to find Lieutenant General Ni Yang from the Huben Army. Compared with Luo Yuan and Liu Xun, he looked not as strong.

But at first glance, you can tell that he is a steady person. He is holding a thick book in his hand, and it is hard to tell what it is.

"The last general, Ni Yang, has met the general and the young lady."

"Get up."

"yes."

Shang Ji quickly introduced him to Du Jingyi.

"Ni Yang is one of the twelve deputy generals of the Huben Army. In addition to leading troops to fight, he also has another job, which is to be responsible for the military pay and food of the Huben Army. Therefore, he is the one who deals with the people of Cezhou the most."

"You can ask him any questions. I can't say it's 100%, but 80% to 90% should be no problem."

Ni Yang nodded after hearing this.

Although he didn't quite understand why the general asked him to report military affairs to the young lady, as long as it was the general's order, he would obey it.

"Young lady, just speak up, I will tell you everything I know."

"Deputy General Ni is polite, then I won't waste words. Do you have a list of the crops grown by the people of Cezhou? How many people in the state rely on the fields to make a living? In addition, what crops are most affected by disasters every year, or what is the situation of the disasters? Tell me as much as you know."

When Ni Yang heard these questions, his face became more serious than before.

Obviously, he didn't expect the young lady to ask such a question, but he didn't mean to look down on the women in the harem, so he thought for a while and said.

"Cezhou is vast and sparsely populated, and most of the land is mainly desert. There are not many fields that can be used for farming, and most of the crops are crops that require less water and are more heat-resistant, mainly wheat and cotton."

"And as far as I know, the people in Cezhou don't have very good farmers, and there is no good way to grow crops on weekdays. Therefore, as long as there is a natural disaster, there will be a poor harvest. In a famine year, there may be no harvest, and in a better year, it's just so-so."