The most arrogant in history

Over there, Liu Yuejuan blushed.

Ye Kun was not shy. He put his arm around Yue Juan's shoulders and explained:

"When I first met Miss Yuejuan, we were in Pingye County. At that time, I called her Miss. After so many years, I'm used to it. In my heart, Miss Yuejuan is still the same as she was back then, a lady from a noble family as gentle as the moon in her boudoir."

Yuejuan's face turned even redder: "Your Majesty, you are talking nonsense again. We are already an old couple..."

As they were chatting animatedly, Jiang Yourong and Xie Baochan also came over and everyone drank tea together.

"Hey, is everyone here?"

Xie Baochan came over and said, "I looked around but couldn't find anyone playing mahjong. It turns out they were all hiding here. Come on, let's play mahjong. Poker is also fine!"

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Jiang Yourong had no choice but to arrange for Dai Xi, Ma Jiaojiao, and Zhou Tielan to play mahjong with Madam Hongyun.

Ye Kun couldn't afford to offend, so he took the others to stroll around Taoranting.

Xie Baochan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I was chatting with the Queen yesterday, and she said that she also missed Chengdu. When can we go back to Chengdu to revisit our hometown?"

Ye Kun sighed, "I also want to go out for a walk, but Sang Buyi won't allow me to. Let's wait a little longer. In two years, I'll ask Sang Buyi again."

Xie Baochan nodded and sighed slightly.

Ye Kun said: "Baochan, if you miss home, you can ask your relatives in Chengdu to come to Zhuo County as guests. Or you can arrange for them to stay in Zhuo County in the future, so that it will be convenient for you to see each other in the morning and evening."

At that time, the population of Zhuo County was far smaller than that of Chengdu.

We can accommodate tens of thousands of people.

Xie Baochan shook his head: "It's okay, it will be the same when I go back in two years. I heard that the emperor will build a railway in the future, which will be faster than a horse carriage and can travel a thousand miles a day. At that time, no matter where we go, it will be convenient."

Ye Kun didn't want to dampen Xie Baochan's enthusiasm, so he nodded and said with a smile: "Yes, it will be convenient when there is a railway in the future."

In fact, Ye Kun knew in his heart that he might not be able to complete the construction of a railway to Chengdu in his lifetime.

It would be a good idea to build a railway inside the Chengdu Plain.

In the blink of an eye, it was June.

Ye Kun took Sang Buzhi and nine ministers to inspect the Qi and Lu areas, Xuzhou, and the Jianghuai region.

Before leaving, Ye Kun told He Tiantian: "I will be back in about a month. By then, I hope to see the steam engine and the train running in the test field. This task is left to you."

He Tiantian smiled and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will ensure that the task is completed."

"As for the guns and cannons, they will be officially handed over to the troops in a month."

"I'm keeping an eye on this too. I'm working overtime to make it."

"Very good, don't work too hard."

Ye Kun nodded, asked Guan Bao, Tan Bamao, Jiang Youbao and others to stay in the new capital of Zhuo County, and he led the team to set off.

The only female relatives brought this time were Jasmine and the Xiahou sisters.

The advance team set out half a month ago, following the established route, checking road conditions in various places and arranging logistical supplies.

Ye Kun's team this time is not large, with only two to three thousand people, half of whom are technical personnel.

The situation in the Qi and Lu areas was not bad. Because of the influence of the new capital of Zhuo County, there were many people doing business and commerce was developed.

But when we arrived in Xuzhou, we saw a state of decline.

Large tracts of fertile farmland are barren, and wild rabbits and pheasants can be seen everywhere.

Some dilapidated villages look big, but there are only two or three families.

Xuzhou Governor Tong Ming was originally a student of Ye Kun's military strategy. Later, he lost a leg in battle and gave up military service to become a governor. He personally came to meet Ye Kun and introduced the situation:

"Your Majesty, Xuzhou City was massacred twice by Xiahou Chang, and its vitality was severely damaged. We have three counties under our jurisdiction, with a total population of only 100,000..."

Upon hearing this, the Xiahou sisters felt extremely ashamed.

Ye Kun nodded and asked, "You have been in Xuzhou for two years, right?"

"Just two years."

"What have you done in the past two years?"

"Your Majesty, I have merged some small villages, replanned them, and numbered most of the wasteland, waiting for future development. I am also working on road and water conservancy projects, but I have too few people and my achievements are limited. I am also short of technical personnel. I am still groping for many things."

"It's my fault too. I neglected the development of the east."

Ye Kun blamed himself a little and said, "Let's walk around a bit and discuss it slowly."

No matter where you are, talent is everything.

Without people, even a place chosen by God cannot develop.

Wu Qiong said: "There is a lot of land in the Qilu, Jianghuai and Huaihe River areas, but there are no minerals. We need to find a way to develop some industries here to boost the economy."

Ye Kun nodded, agreeing with it.

Qin Chou said: "Then we can build some large farms, grow cotton, and then build spinning mills and textile factories. There are large tracts of land here, and as long as the population develops, the economy can recover."

Tong Ming said: "A large farm needs a lot of people. Where does this person come from?"

Ye Kun smiled and said, "You plan the farm first. When I conquer Goguryeo, I will move a group of people here for you. There are also many laborers in Jiaozhi, and I can provide some for you."

In the spring, Qin Erwu sent another 50,000 to 60,000 people from Jiaozhi.

Ye Kun ordered that the tamed foreign laborers in coal mines, iron mines and textile factories be sent to settle in various places.

Make room for new workers to receive training and learn Chinese.

The situation is similar from Xuzhou southwards.

Ye Kun kept spending money along the way, distributing the high-quality farm tools, various iron pots, and crude porcelain he brought to small households to help them develop production.

Ye Kun didn't care about the wealthy families because they were numerous and had strong self-recovery abilities.

The nine ministries also worked together to provide specific guidance for the specific work of each county and even township, and to help with reference planning and setting short-term goals.

Ye Kun also took money to do favors for Jasmine and the Xiahou sisters.

Ten thousand sewing kits, let them give them away as they please.

Each sewing kit contains colorful silk and cotton threads, a set of needles, a pair of small scissors, a thimble, and a set of knitting needles.

Although they are all small things, they are also a treasure for poor families.

Ye Kun has never been to the eastern region.

This is also a way to increase your presence and build your prestige.

On June 20th, I came to the Jianghuai area to check.

It's even worse here. We walked for half a day and didn't even see a single pedestrian.

Because whenever there was war in the Great Plains, the people had nowhere to hide and most of them were captured and forced to serve in the army. The rest starved to death.

On the contrary, mountainous areas are relatively safe. During wars, people hide in the mountains. When the war is over, they run back from the mountains.

Ye Kun sighed and said, "Let's move a group of big families from Jiangdong and Jinling. Otherwise, this place really can't develop."

Yu Guinong complained: "But who is willing to come here? We have been poor for three years since we moved away. Coming here is like starting from scratch."

Ye Kun was dissatisfied and said coldly:

"Who is willing to come here? I have to ask you. You are all Jiangdong gentry, and this matter depends on your courage. All immigrants will receive one tael of gold. This money will come from the government treasury. In addition, all immigrants will be exempt from taxes for three years!"