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

Could it be that I have to stay in Tongan County and watch over her until she finishes sifting the rice seeds?

The two people with different thoughts sat down in the pavilion tacitly, looking at each other in silence.

Shen Zheng was fanning herself with her hands and was just trying to find something to say to Yu Zhengqing when he spoke first.

"On the way back, I was thinking, your rice seeds, sold at low prices to local governments, have another use, have you thought of it?"

Shen Zheng frowned slightly when he heard this and lowered his head in thought.

Yu Zhengqing asked this question a little suddenly. If he had just mentioned it casually and let her think about it herself, she might suddenly have an epiphany and figure out the interests involved.

But his sudden mention of it made Shen Zheng feel like she was being questioned by a teacher, and her head felt dizzy.

She thought back to when she was in school, many of her classmates were like this, and this is also human instinct.

She laughed awkwardly, a little embarrassed, and said, "I am stupid, I hope you can help me solve my confusion."

Yu Zhengqing was not annoyed. It was normal for him to not be able to figure it out for a while. After all, everyone looked at problems differently. Just because he thought of this matter before Shen Zheng did not mean that he was necessarily smarter than Shen Zheng.

Among people, teaching each other is the foundation of common progress.

He didn't say much, just pointed out: "Wait until next spring to see the distribution of rice seeds planted by local governments."

Shen Zheng's eyes lit up when she heard this. This was indeed a good idea.

Seeing that she understood what he meant, Yu Zhengqing nodded approvingly.

This is how smart people talk to each other: just get to the point and stop there, there's no need to show off, and there's no need to talk too much nonsense. If you talk too much, both sides will get annoyed.

The more Shen Zheng thought about it, the more he felt that this method was feasible.

The amount of rice seeds she sold to local government offices was far greater than their demand for rice seeds in public fields. How local government offices would deal with the extra rice seeds would become clear during the spring planting season.

There is no need to worry about the families of officials and landlords and gentry. At that time, we only need to see how many common people planted the rice, and then use the germination and seedling rate to deduce how much rice seeds the government sold to the people.

It is equivalent to screening out a group of people in the officialdom invisibly.

But this method also has its drawbacks. The workload is too huge, and she and Yu Zhengqing may not be able to handle it alone.

Shen Zheng expressed her doubts.

Yu Zhengqing chuckled and said with some emotion: "Before this, I wished that no one knew my family background. As the son of the Earl of Yongning, I will always live under the protection of my father. In Shangjing City, I am not Yu Zhengqing, not Lord Yu, but the son of the Earl of Yongning, Little Lord Yu."

Shen Zheng lowered her eyes and did not respond. The center of power in the capital city was not something she could get in touch with at the moment. She should talk less, learn more, and watch more.

Yu Zhengqing said this not because he wanted to get Shen Zheng's answer or comfort. He continued:

"I didn't like it at that time because it was just an empty title. It hindered me from doing things. I had to consider my relative's reputation and... the distribution of power in the officialdom."

Shen Zheng nodded. The entire officialdom was like a towering tree with intricate underground roots. Some were tightly intertwined and inseparable, while others had to compete with each other for nutrients.

Yu Zhengqing smiled, and his eyes were brighter than before.

"But now that I have changed my perspective and examined my identity as the son of a high-ranking official, I have discovered that it is not all trouble."

"If there were only you and me, we would have limited information channels, insufficient manpower, and insufficient eyes and ears. But if I were to change my identity, not the prefect of Liuyang, but the son of the Earl of Yongning, then we could do things freely."

Yu Zhengqing heaved a sigh of relief after he finished speaking. "I have been hiding my identity and background since I came to Liuyang Prefecture. Now it seems that it is no longer necessary. The son of the Earl of Yongning is the son of the Earl of Yongning. I will use this identity to do my job well. Later on, I don't believe that I can't become Yu Zhengqing on my own."

Shen Zheng raised her head and looked at Yu Zhengqing. Only then did she understand where his inner demon had always been.

He wanted to be himself, but his father, Earl Yongning, was like an insurmountable mountain standing between him and the world.

He was helpless and in pain, but he could do nothing.

Shen Zheng also sighed softly. No matter what position one holds in life, everyone will have their own troubles, and little people like them are no exception.

Troubles are not divided into high and low, and different people have different feelings about problems.

Just like the people of Tongan County before who were worried about filling their stomachs, but this seemed like a joke in the eyes of wealthy families.

But how can you say that not having enough food to eat is not a problem?

So in Shen Zheng's eyes before, being the son of a high-ranking official was an identity worthy of envy and admiration from others. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. However, Yu Zhengqing felt suffocated and fled to Liuyang Mansion.

Everything depends on yourself.

Shen Zheng couldn't comfort him calmly, so she could only say in a different way: "If I hadn't met you, I don't know how much I would have suffered in the past."

Yu Zhengqing was originally in a somewhat low mood. After all, figuring it out is one thing, but really letting go and doing it is another.

But after listening to Shen Zheng's words, he felt more open-minded, because she said it sincerely and honestly. This time, he used his father's power to really help her and Tongan County.

He couldn't help but think that the news here should have been passed to the palace. He wondered how the officials would view Shen Zheng, and how they would view him...

Yu Zhengqing smiled and shook his head, sighing that sometimes he was not as open-minded as the girl in front of him.

"Then it is decided. When the rice seedlings are planted in the spring next year, I will borrow my father's influence to investigate. Perhaps we will have a new harvest."

Shen Zheng nodded, feeling that she and Yu Zhengqing seemed to have formed an organization and were looking for like-minded people. Their goal was to make the entire Great Zhou prosperous.

......

If Mr. Qiao says one hour, then it is one hour.

An hour later, he appeared in front of Shen Zheng on time, holding a tool in each hand.

The drying rake and trimmer were exactly as she had imagined. She took the drying rake and danced with it twice in the air.

She was not very strong, so dancing was effortless for her, let alone the villagers who worked all day.

The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. She praised Mr. Qiao highly, even at his age, and praised him so much that he blushed.

"Alright, alright, the two adults should go and do whatever they need to do. I still have to teach my apprentices."

They were driven out just like that.

After leaving the county school, Shen Zheng tied the drying rake and trimmer to the roof of the carriage, and with the clatter of horse hooves, the two of them went to Nanba Village again.

In the carriage, Shen Zheng seemed to be hesitant to speak and secretly glanced at Yu Zhengqing several times.

She couldn't understand why Yu Zhengqing hadn't returned to the government office after the autumn harvest. Her small county office was so busy, not to mention the government office that managed all the county offices. It should be said that she was busy with all kinds of affairs.