Chapter 160: Ask the Townsfolk, Whose Rivers and Mountains Are These?

Chapter 160: Ask the Townsfolk, Whose Rivers and Mountains Are These?

"You can make more shoes. The little princess's feet are growing fast. Once she starts walking, she'll probably love running around, so we need to make sure we have enough shoes for her."

"Ah, but I'm not sure how long the little princess will stay in Haiyue City. If it's only for a short time, I'll really feel reluctant to part with her."

The women continued chatting, and after listening for a moment, Lin Buhuai turned and left.

"Why are there so few men in the city? Where have they all gone?" Lin Buhuai asked.

"The men have gone to the mountain to clear trees and prepare the land for planting herbs and crops. The townsfolk are all very happy about it," Little Wu replied.

"Planting crops on the mountain?" Lin Buhuai was somewhat shocked by this initiative.

"Yes, Prime Minister, you don't know. The Princess Royal of Great Wei is very capable. She is the top student of Master Bai Cangming from Cangming Mountain. She guided the people to turn over the soil and let the snow freeze it. When the weather warms up, the people will be able to plant crops without any problems," Little Wu explained.

"Xiaoyue, the Princess Royal of Great Wei, is known to be a very intelligent woman, but I don't understand why, several years ago, she married Shangguan Jinghong. That man, however..." The Prime Minister thought for a moment and shook his head.

Lin Buhuai had met Shangguan Jinghong before.

Shangguan Jinghong was just a man with slightly above-average looks, ordinary abilities, and mediocre talent. Lin Buhuai didn't think he was a match for the Princess Royal of Great Wei.

A few days ago, he heard that Shangguan Jinghong had died in Su County of Great Wei.

Lin Buhuai felt that Shangguan Jinghong had met his just end.

"Prime Minister, how about we take a walk up the mountain?" Little Wu suggested.

"Alright, let's go and see!" The Prime Minister headed towards the north of the city.

In the north of the city, the people were busy.

"The Princess Royal said there were too many trees on the mountain. Look, every household has cut some to repair their houses and yards, and some use it for firewood. It's really practical!"

"I plan to build a chicken coop and raise a few chickens. I'll cook some soup for my mother."

"I want to raise a sheep, a female sheep. She can give birth to lambs, provide milk for our eldest, and when the lambs grow up, we can sell them for extra income."

As the Prime Minister walked by, the townsfolk chatted excitedly about their future, their faces beaming with hope.

The Prime Minister stood silently, lost in thought for a moment.

"Little Princess!" Little Wu saw the little princess being held by Dong Ju in the distance and wanted to go over.

Little Wu was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, lively and energetic. He had played with the little princess these past few days and really liked her.

"You mean that's the little princess of Great Wei, the very capable child?" the Prime Minister asked.

"Yes, yes, that's our little princess. She's amazing!" If Little Wu hadn't been tasked with protecting the Prime Minister, he would have run over immediately.

"Let's go and see," the Prime Minister said, seeing Little Wu's eagerness, and headed towards Dong Ju and the others.

The townsfolk saw an elderly man approaching, with the demeanor of an official. They all looked over, tilting their heads curiously.

"Sir, are you here for an inspection?" Dong Ju asked with a cheerful smile.

The Prime Minister's eyes flickered, thinking that Great Wei was indeed remarkable. Even a servant girl seemed sharp.

"Yes, I’m here to take a look. If it’s feasible, I’d like to lease a portion of the mountain forest for planting crops," Lin Buhuai said.

The Beiling court has long been riddled with corruption, with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance embezzling funds through private accounts. Meanwhile, the Imperial Tutor encouraged the Emperor to focus on refining elixirs, leading him to neglect state affairs.

Taxes have risen year after year, leaving the townsfolk in dire straits.

Lin Buhuai had long considered retiring from his position and returning to a rural life, taking his family to live a simpler life in the countryside.

If it weren't for his daughter, Lin Ruoyue, who was entangled with the royal family and had been advising him not to leave the court, he would have left long ago.

Now, Lin Ruoyue had truly met her demise, and Lin Buhuai felt he no longer had any attachments.

He had sent both of his sons to other cities to conduct business.

Though it is often said that officials and merchants should not mix, Lin Buhuai disagreed. He had his eldest son running a salt business near the Northern Desert, while his second son opened a martial arts school.

His two sons were not involved in the court, which was Lin Buhuai's way of managing crises and also his greatest resistance to the Beiling royal family.

"Premier Lin." Ci Xin and Jun Qingcang happened to walk by and greeted Lin Buhuai.

Lin Buhuai's expression remained indifferent as he kept his eyes on Xiao Xier.

This little girl was stunning.

She was the most beautiful child Lin Buhuai had ever laid eyes on.

Especially her eyes, which were like crystal, gleaming brightly.

Her large, luminous eyes met his, and Lin Buhuai felt as though she could see straight into his soul.

"This old man still carries a lot of bitterness. Uncle, we need to work harder to win him over completely," Xiao Yin thought.

Xiao Yue wanted to say, "Our little Bao'er sure has a lot on her plate!"

"As it happens, Imperial Tutor Ci Xin is gathering mushrooms on the mountain. We'll make a pot of chicken soup for Premier Lin tonight," Xiao Yue said.

"Emperor of Great Wei, Princess Royal, have you considered that, after all, these are the mountains and rivers of Beiling?" Lin Buhuai said.

"Ask the townsfolk, whose mountains and rivers these are!" Xiao Yin said, then looked at Dong Ju.

Dong Ju, holding the little princess in her arms, turned and pulled a few people over from the mountain path.

"Come, tell this esteemed lord, is this mountain part of Beiling? Must it obey the Beiling royal family?" Dong Ju said.

"Esteemed lord, you probably don't know the hardships of us common folk. This mountain belongs to us, the people of Haiyue City. We plant grains, we grow medicinal herbs to sell for silver, it's wonderful!"

"Although this land was once the Beiling royal family's, if the royal family doesn't stand with the common people, what kind of royal family are they? I like Great Wei, so I want to join Great Wei's registry."

"It doesn't matter which country we belong to, as long as we have a good life, enough food, and warm clothes."

Lin Buhuai's expression was filled with shock.

"I suppose this old man's thinking is still quite rigid. His expression is quite interesting," Xiao Xier thought.

During this time, although Xiao Yue and Xiao Yin had put in a lot of effort, the main focus had still been on Beiling.

Through their interactions, they came to realize what a wise man Beiling's royal was.

Beneath his gentle demeanor lay a sharp and resilient mind.

Ensuring the people had food, clothes, and shelter was Beiling's commitment.

"The Emperor of Great Wei is indeed different," Lin Buhuai said.

"No, these are all arrangements by the Second Prince, his ideas," Xiao Yin did not take credit.