Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1343 Prime Minister Cui's Scheme Begins

War is a costly and exhausting affair, a truth that everyone in the Imperial Study understood.

However, Shazhou is currently facing a poor harvest and internal and external troubles. If the government's grain reserves continue to be scarce, the rumors will only intensify.

Even if the Anbei army can hold the border, if the people's hearts are scattered, Shazhou... will inevitably fall into chaos sooner or later.

Yue Zhenchuan looked at the empty seat beside him and said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, let's discuss the matter of grain allocation with Minister Ji when he arrives... Right now, it is crucial to reassure the people and not let them become alienated from the court."

Guo Bizheng, the Minister of Rites, lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before saying, "Minister Yue's words make sense."

He continued, “But Your Majesty, Shazhou is located in a remote area, thousands of miles away from the capital. Moreover, Shazhou is mostly sandy land, where ordinary rice and wheat either wither and die or yield extremely low yields per mu. Even though the court allocates grain every year, it can only alleviate the immediate problem and cannot fundamentally change the situation of food shortage in Shazhou. If you want the people to feel completely at ease, the only way is to ensure that Shazhou itself can produce enough grain, so as to stop the rumors and cut off the opportunity for the Qiang people to take advantage of the situation.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lan Youguang shouted, "Minister Guo, you've been in the Ministry of Rites for so long, it's really easy for you to talk when you're not in the same boat! Have you ever been to Shazhou? Have you ever seen the fields there? That lousy land, if it can produce a yield of 100 catties of grain per mu, that's already quite remarkable. How can you talk about being self-sufficient?"

Guo Bizheng was speechless after being rebuked: "...General Lan, although I have never been to Shazhou, I know that solutions are always devised by people. His Majesty summoned us here today precisely to gather our wisdom and find a way to break the deadlock."

"But your method simply won't work!"

Lan Youguang continued, “If Shazhou could be self-sufficient, why would the people be swayed by rumors? Minister Guo, let’s be practical, shall we? My son says the best solution right now is to allocate grain and reduce taxes, so that the people of Shazhou know that our court has not abandoned them!”

General Lan is mistaken!

Cui Xiangyan suddenly spoke up, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that Minister Guo's words are reasonable."

Guo Bizheng seemed surprised that Cui Xiang would speak up for him, and his expression paused slightly.

Cui Xiang continued, “Your Majesty, the current predicament in Shazhou appears to be caused by officials colluding with the enemy, which has shaken the morale of the people. However, in the final analysis, it is actually due to the scarcity of grain and the destitution of the people. When there is a shortage of grain, the people are more likely to believe rumors, and the Qiang people dare to provoke us at will. The court is forced to allocate grain passively, which will eventually exhaust both the court and the people. This is not a good strategy.”

Seeing the sincerity on his face, the Emperor asked slowly, "In your opinion, how should the court deal with this matter?"

A hint of secret joy flashed in Prime Minister Cui's eyes.

Everyone looked at him, and he pretended to be deep in thought.

"Your Majesty," he said earnestly, "in my humble opinion..." He continued, "Last year, Lord Shen bred a high-yield rice variety, which shocked the court and the public. It also made me realize that the art of rice cultivation is truly the fundamental solution to the world's food shortage..."

The emperor's face darkened, and he interrupted him mercilessly: "What do you mean by that? You want Minister Shen to go all the way to Shazhou to cultivate grain? Let me tell you, absolutely not!"

It is an indisputable fact that Shazhou has barren land. If Shen Qing were to go there to cultivate grain, he would not be able to return for at least three to five years!

Not to mention, there are Qiang people eyeing the area outside Shazhou. If Shen Qing is targeted by the Qiang, something bad might happen to him...

Yue Zhenchuan also realized this, and turned his head angrily: "Lord Cui, I wondered why you had been silent for so long, it turns out you were thinking of this!"

Such thoughts?

Cui Xiang sneered inwardly and lowered his head even further.

He never expected the emperor to agree when he made the request.

But what he truly desired was yet to come.

"Your Majesty, please understand, this old minister had no such intention!" His voice was hoarse. "What this old minister said was about breeding, not about the people who breed! This old minister had no intention of sending Lord Shen to Shazhou, but rather to implore Your Majesty to issue an edict to reclaim wasteland and breed, so as to find a glimmer of hope for the people of Shazhou!"

"Reclaiming wasteland and breeding?" The emperor narrowed his eyes. "Is that all?"

"This old minister would not dare to deceive Your Majesty!"

Prime Minister Cui slowly raised his head, the mockery in his eyes long gone, replaced by earnestness.

"Your Majesty, in the past, the Qiang tribes frequently harassed the border of Shazhou. Now, they are even secretly colluding with the magistrate of Qingle County, showing signs of invading Shazhou. This old minister believes that Shazhou must be reclaimed as soon as possible. If grain seeds are cultivated, it may even help General Lan to take down the Qiang tribe in one fell swoop and unify the Northwest!"

Lan Youguang felt a surge of warmth in his heart upon hearing this.

Although he still felt that farming in Shazhou was difficult, he couldn't help but change his mind when he thought about eliminating the Qiang people's external threats and ensuring that the people had enough to eat.

"Your Majesty! The Prime Minister's words resonate deeply with me! Although Shazhou is poor, if the court can truly cultivate grains suitable for growing in sandy soil, not only will the people of Shazhou benefit, but all the other northwestern prefectures will also benefit! Your Majesty! I believe that reclaiming wasteland and cultivating grains is feasible!"

Cui Xiang inwardly laughed at his brainlessness and gullibility, but his smile on his face was genuine: "General Lan is farsighted."

He waved his hand: "Your Excellency flatters me. I am merely concerned for the common people."

Seeing the two begin to flatter each other, the emperor raised his hand and said, "Although land reclamation and breeding are good strategies, they are laborious and costly, and cannot be accomplished overnight. This matter will be discussed again when Ji Qing arrives."

Prime Minister Cui frowned secretly, almost unable to suppress the urgency in his heart.

While reclaiming wasteland in Shazhou was indeed a waste of resources and manpower for the imperial court, it was the best opportunity for him to cultivate power and control the Northwest.

He had been secretly planning for many mineral resources in the Northwest for months, all for the sake of this very opportunity.

Not to be missed!

Knowing the importance of striking while the iron is hot, he immediately stepped forward, his words becoming even more earnest: "Your Majesty, cultivating grain varieties is indeed something that cannot be accomplished overnight, but reclaiming wasteland is something that can be done right now! In this way, the people of Shazhou will see the court's determination, and a solid foundation will be laid for the Ministry of Revenue's breeding program! I implore Your Majesty to issue an edict to select capable individuals to go to Shazhou and reclaim the wasteland!"

"this......"

The emperor looked thoughtful, as if he was in a dilemma.

Lan Youguang looked left and right, and finally chose to stick to his guns and support Prime Minister Cui: "Your Majesty, I think Prime Minister Cui is right. Seeds can be cultivated slowly, but those barren lands in Shazhou can be dug up right now! You don't know, those lands are very poor. Just fertilizing them might take two or three years! If you issue the decree sooner, the people of Shazhou can feel at ease sooner!"

A hint of wavering appeared in the emperor's eyes.

Upon seeing this, Cui Xiang felt a surge of emotion and secretly clenched his fist.

almost.

Soon.

As long as the emperor agrees, he is confident that he can send his men to Shazhou.

Before long, Shazhou will be his...

"His Majesty--!"

Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside the Imperial Study.

Immediately following was Chen Xingshen's worried shout: "Sir, slow down! Your leg injury hasn't healed yet! You shouldn't be running so fast!"

Prime Minister Cui turned his head abruptly, his expression suddenly darkening.

The emperor looked at his displeased profile and slightly curled his lips.

"His Majesty--!"

"boom--"

The door to the Imperial Study was violently flung open by Ji Benchang.