QWTBWASIFOC Chapter 50

Chapter 50: The Upright Military General x The Wayward Prince 21

Late August.

Having completed the handover of his duties at the Wuzhou Prefectural Office, Lu Jingren returned to the capital with an imperial decree to resume his original post. He was then assigned a long list of tasks by the new emperor.

Lu Jingren tidied up and started working.

Lu Jingren’s younger brother, the former garrison commander of Chizhou, and many border soldiers had their names cleared, and the soldiers’ families also received compensation from the court.

Gu Changli had fulfilled his promise as agreed.

Meanwhile, Liang Qin, having successfully brought back the great scholar Kong Hong, happily entered the palace to report to the new emperor. After he left the palace, two imperial decrees were issued separately.

The first was to restore Liang Qin’s title as Prince Heng and bestow upon his son the title of Heir Apparent of Prince Heng. The second was to appoint Kong Hong as the chief editor of a grand literary collection.

A literary collection that would compile the essence of various ancient and modern classics was about to be born, covering subjects such as classics, history, philosophy, astronomy, geography, yin and yang, medicine, divination, Buddhism, Taoism, technology, and arts.

This literary collection was not only an important encyclopedia-like existence, but it would also lead the rapid development of the era and promote the vigorous rise of literature.

Its significance was epoch-making.

Gu Changli’s widespread recruitment of talent to compile the collection was intended to eliminate heterodox doctrines, preserve useful books, enlighten the people with this epic classic, promote political reform, and foster the progress and development of the Liang Kingdom.

Therefore, good books were indispensable.

In addition, he expanded local academies centered around the capital and enrolled students, regardless of their status, granting everyone the right to read and write.

As for the funding for running the academies?

When he ascended the throne, he purged a group of corrupt officials and naturally discovered a large amount of wealth, filling the empty national treasury to overflowing.

Moreover, he recently discovered a talent with considerable business acumen and a knack for making money and appointed him to the Ministry of Revenue. His national treasury would only become richer.

That Vice Minister Qian was truly blessed by the God of Wealth.

Precisely because of this money-making expert, many of Gu Changli’s policies could be implemented quickly, and he found the group of workaholic officials much more pleasing to the eye.

Watching them compete to the death was quite satisfying!

Of course, as the emperor, he was also very busy, overseeing the Ministry of Rites’ preparations for the wedding and leading civil and military officials in a comprehensive national reform.

Lu Yunqi was also kept running around.

The entire Liang Kingdom, from top to bottom, was operating frantically. The rotten flesh attached to this behemoth was being painstakingly carved away by everyone.

The atmosphere of the country was being renewed, and the people’s faces gradually showed smiles.

What truly made the people happy was the high-yield grain varieties announced by the new emperor.

Sweet potatoes and corn.

The emergence of these two high-yield crops quickly attracted the attention of the court officials and the common people.

Filling their bellies was everyone’s basic need.

In particular, Prime Minister Lin, who was adept at self-brainwashing and numbing himself with official duties, was extremely excited.

Upon learning of this, he quickly put down his work and rushed to the palace to have an audience.

Such matters concerning the livelihood of the people could not be underestimated. He had to confirm with His Majesty and see the two high-yield crops with his own eyes.

In addition, many officials entered the palace seeking an audience.

Gu Changli did not show favoritism in this regard, gathering the petitioning ministers next to the experimental field to let them see the sweet potatoes and corn for themselves.

Many officials from humble backgrounds were overjoyed upon seeing the sweet potatoes, whose roots, stems, and leaves were all edible, and their eyes sparkled with brilliant light.

“With this, the people will no longer go hungry.”

“Obtaining this grain variety is a blessing for the people of our Liang.”

Prime Minister Lin touched the sweet potatoes and then the corn, his old eyes filled with murky tears.

“…Indeed, it is a blessing for the people of our Liang!”

He had served as prime minister for decades, assisting three emperors in succession from youth to old age. He had experienced the benevolent and peaceful reign of Emperor Liang An and the Unconsciousmediocre reign of Emperor Liang Li, but only under the new emperor, Liang Jue, did he truly see the future of the country.

The new emperor truly had the people at heart.

The middle-aged Prime Minister Lin gazed tearfully at the young emperor standing in front.

“This old minister thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness on behalf of the people!”

Regardless of what the new emperor had done in the past, it was enough that he had the people in his heart.

As a ruler, he should plan for the well-being of the people.

Gu Changli stepped forward and helped up the weeping Prime Minister Lin, who was kneeling on the ground.

“Prime Minister Lin is too kind. Please rise!”

“I cultivated the new grain varieties to ensure that the people of Liang will no longer suffer from hunger in the future. Therefore, I will rely on Prime Minister Lin and all the officials to popularize the new grain varieties among the people so that the people in various regions can have a good year this year.”

Prime Minister Lin and all the officials present bowed and said in unison, “Your ministers receive the decree and will certainly not fail to live up to Your Majesty’s trust, ensuring that the people have a good year!”

Gu Changli waved his hand, “Rise.”

The officials straightened up and continued to discuss the two high-yield grains with great enthusiasm.

“The promotion of the new grain varieties is imperative. We must seize the time to handle this matter well.”

“What Prime Minister Lin said is very true!”

“Sweet potatoes prefer warm, humid environments. Although they are not demanding of the soil, loose, fertile, and well-drained sandy loam is best…” Ye Fengnan, a great agricultural expert summoned into the palace by Gu Changli, earnestly introduced the planting conditions and methods of sweet potatoes to the officials, enlightening them.

“Sweet potatoes are easier to grow than rice and millet, and the yield is also very considerable.”

“Gentlemen, if sweet potatoes can be gradually promoted as a new food crop, perhaps the people can completely escape their current predicament.”

“Indeed, we must seize the time. If planting is timely, we can still catch up with the autumn harvest.”

“Not only sweet potatoes, but also corn. Although the yield of corn is not as good as sweet potatoes, and planting is more troublesome, it is easier to preserve than sweet potatoes.”

Gu Changli let them chat enthusiastically without interfering, and silently led Lu Yunqi away from the noisy experimental field.

Lu Yunqi quietly held Gu Changli’s hand, following him slowly along the palace road.

“Changli, the people will no longer go hungry.”

The new food crops would change the poor situation of the Liang Kingdom’s lower-class people who could not get enough to eat.

The scene they had seen before, where a family worked hard for a year but still could not get enough to eat, would not continue to happen.

The people at the end of this year and in the future would be different.

Gu Changli suddenly glanced sideways at Lu Yunqi beside him, without saying a word for a long time.

His expression was neither cold nor gentle, seemingly a mixture of compassion and coldness, surrounded by an imperceptible gentleness.

After a long while, he slowly uttered a sentence.

“I am an emperor who came back from the common people, so I will naturally not let the people go hungry again.”

Gu Changli held Lu Yunqi’s large hand and continued to move forward, his expression gradually becoming gentle, his empty eyes reflecting the figures of the people.

“Living a life of plenty and living in peace is what I truly want the people to live.”

“Liang will eventually cross the darkness and move towards prosperity.”

This was his original intention and mission when he chose to seize the Liang Kingdom’s Jiangshan from Emperor Liang Li, and it was also what he truly wanted to do for the people.

He wanted to build a prosperous world for the people.

When that prosperous era arrived, all the people of Liang would be free to choose their desired future and fully enjoy the beauty of that prosperous era.

Homes with beautiful landscapes, and a country with a beautiful and flourishing time!