Others are fleeing famine, but I am a salted fish

The prince was a kind-hearted man. Hearing that the people were living a hard life and suffering from hunger and cold, and wondering how many people would starve to death or freeze to death in this cold winter, he couldn't help but frown.

After learning about the current situation in the city from the garrison commander, he asked the third prince for his opinion. The garrison commander hesitantly said that the third prince locked himself in his room, never went out all day, and did not allow anyone to disturb him except for the three meals and drinks delivered to him.

The prince was silent for a while, then convened his think tank and the garrison generals for an emergency meeting. In addition to sending a letter to his seventh uncle at Shuanglong Pass to transfer some emergency reserve food and fodder, he "borrowed food" from the landlords and gentry in the city, and then organized soldiers to hunt in the nearby mountains.

Speaking of "borrowing grain", originally, with the prince's handsome and noble character, he would never be able to think of such a cunning workaround, and it is even more impossible for the think tank to give the prince such a "bad" idea.

Now that the defender mentioned the difficulties, they were able to come up with corresponding strategies so quickly, all thanks to the fact that they encountered the same difficulties when they captured the previous city.

Lin Xiaoyue came up with the idea of ​​asking for money from the landlords and gentry, and it turned out that she had led a group of people astray.

Oh no, in Lin Xiaoyue's words, this is called flexibility.

After all, history is a mirror that can help us understand the rise and fall of nations.

Population is the foundation of a country's development. A strong dynasty cannot only focus on military development, but more importantly, it must improve people's livelihood.

Water can carry a boat, and it can also overturn it.

The people are like water. They can allow the ship to sail steadily, but they can also overturn and swallow the ship and sink it into the water.

When governing for the people, we must never neglect the development of people's livelihood.

Especially since they had just captured a city from another country, the sky above the people's heads had changed. Whether they harbored resentment in their hearts, outsiders did not know, but the most terrible thing was for them to lose heart.

If we can properly resettle the common people, relieve their worries, provide them with a stable living environment, and respect their sentiments and opinions, then the Dayuan Dynasty will be able to develop in a more long-term and prosperous way.

While most people were undoubtedly poor and miserable, the landlords and gentry were not like that. They wanted to party all night and indulge in luxury. Otherwise, how could there be the saying "there are frozen corpses on the road, while the rich are feasting and drinking."

So, robbing the rich to help the poor and so on, isn't this just adapting to local conditions?

Of course, it sounds quite domineering, but they are not unreasonable people, so they "reason first and then use force" and come up with the strategy of "borrowing food".

As for how to "borrow" in practice, Lin Xiaoyue said that she would give an idea, but as for how to implement it specifically, isn't there the prince's think tank?

Those people are all good at talking, with a lot of tricks in their minds. Do they really need her to explain the specific operations?

Think Tanks: …

Well, the princess has the bigger fists, and whatever she says is right, so they... have to admit defeat.

However, the facts were exactly as Lin Xiaoyue expected. The wealthy gentry were already worried that the new city lord would use them as sacrifices after the change of ownership. The biggest city lords in the city were willing to gather together to discuss how to cut off their arms to survive. At the very least, even if they had to sacrifice their entire fortunes, they had to first protect the lives of their families and then make plans.

However, before they could come to a conclusion, the prince's think tank came to visit. After a humble and gentle discussion using both soft and hard tactics, all the nobles present were surprised.

Immediately, without any hesitation, they knelt down one by one, praising the prince's benevolence and righteousness, and expressed their willingness to take out all the herbs and food stored in their homes to support the people in the city to overcome the difficulties, without charging any interest.

Some clever ones, after confirming that the "grain borrowing" matter was personally presided over by Crown Prince Dayuan, even patted their chests and generously stated that the donated grains and herbs did not have to be returned, and regarded it all as their own support for the Crown Prince's kindness and love for the common people.

As this person spoke, he also expressed his feelings towards the prince's think tank.

In return, someone in the think tank indirectly suggested that this person could send his little daughter to the prince's backyard to be a little maid.

Of course, she was called a maid. In reality, the prince was away at war, and there was no one in the backyard. How high a maid could climb depended on her ability.

After all, wealth is at risk.

Although this was said in an obscure way, those who should understand it all understood it. The prince was the future ruler of Dayuan. Not to mention the future succession to the throne, even now, he was second only to one person and above ten thousand people. It would be strange for the gentry not to be tempted.

The other gentry were stunned for only a moment, then their faces suddenly changed and they reacted. They cursed this man in their hearts for being so scheming and shameless, and for openly trying to curry favor with the prince.

So, what was previously called "borrowing" later became people holding food and herbs and offering them eagerly.

The think tank did not shirk their responsibilities and hoped that they would be more active. In a series of flattering and active "fundraising", they could not help but sigh that Princess Le'an had a quick mind.

Although the idea was a bit crooked, it must be said that it also inspired the fighting spirit of the gentry.

This is just a matter of adding a few people to the prince's backyard, but for a while, these local tyrants and gentry were racking their brains to show off.

In just one hour, the donated food and herbs were enough for the people in the city to survive the cold winter.

There was even no need to send a letter to Shuanglong Pass to call for emergency reserves.

At the same time, the local tyrants took the lead and actively participated, which made it more convenient for Dayuan to enter the management of the new city, which really achieved multiple goals with one stone.

Now, the method used in the previous city was copied to Heguan City. As the saying goes, the first time is a trial, the second time is familiar, and we can do it with ease by following the same method.

Prince: ...You are indeed getting smoother and smoother in selling me, fall!

As a result, within half a day, the crisis at Shuanglong Pass was resolved.

As for organizing soldiers to hunt in the nearby mountains, it is still continuing.

After all, the food and medicine of the gentry are not endless, and they will eventually run out. In the face of difficulties, it is always better to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and make more preparations.

In addition, the weather was freezing cold, and the prince learned that the people of Jin did not know how to make a kang, and they just relied on a charcoal basin to keep warm in the winter, so he asked the think tank to recruit craftsmen to pass on the method of making a kang to the people. In this way, the people of Heguan City no longer had to worry about the elderly and children freezing to death in the cold winter.

After the news of the prince's good deeds spread, the people of every household in Heguan City spontaneously knelt outside the mansion where he was staying and shouted, "The prince is kind and righteous, with a kind heart, and he is the ruler of heaven."

As for the issue of grain seeds, the prince and others had already sent people to transfer more than 200,000 sweet potatoes from the emergency reserve.

This plant is high-yielding and was previously kept hidden as a strategic material, circulated only within Dayuan. The pass was tightly guarded, so even if Jin and Tiansheng wanted to steal it, they didn't know how to grow it, so it was not promoted in the two countries.

Now, the two cities of the Jin Kingdom are under the jurisdiction of Dayuan, and the people are also the people of Dayuan. Naturally, we have to find a way to promote this high-yield plant among the people and make their lives better.