On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Lin Zhen's face darkened as he listened to the fat man's excited account of what happened on the battlefield. His expression became as gloomy as if a storm was about to come.

After a long while, he finally opened his mouth, his voice so cold it could freeze someone to death: "Fatty, don't think you're so awesome. The battlefield is not a place for you to mess around. Your every move depends on the lives of your brothers! I'm telling you, you want to get away with it this time, there's no way!"

When the fat man heard this, the expression on his face instantly faded, and the smugness in his eyes disappeared like smoke.

He wanted to open his mouth to make a few remarks, but when he looked up and saw Lin Zhen's stern face, he swallowed the words back and stood there like a bewildered child.

Huanbi stood quietly by the side with a graceful figure, holding a cup of tea in her hand, with wisps of hot steam rising from it like soft clouds.

Seeing Lin Zhen's unhappy expression, she moved lightly, like a willow in the wind, and quietly placed the teacup on the table beside Lin Zhen. Then she lowered her head and retreated to a corner, standing quietly with a gentle demeanor.

Lin Zhen glanced at Huanbi, his expression softened a bit, he sighed, and waved his hand at the fat man: "Alright, alright, who are you pretending to be so aggrieved for? Go down and bandage your wound first, reflect on yourself, and I'll call you back when I figure out how to deal with you."

The fat man nodded as if he had been pardoned, and said hurriedly: "Yes, big brother."

After saying this, he retreated in a dejected manner. When he reached the door, he timidly stole a glance at Lin Zhen. Seeing that his face was still gloomy, he shrank back in fear, his steps became more hurried, and he hurried away.

As soon as the fat man left, Hou Chun entered the courtyard and announced, "General, Xu Qian'an wants to see you."

Lin Zhen nodded and said casually, "Let him in."

After a while, Xu Qian'an walked into the yard steadily. He was wearing a green official robe and had a thin figure, but his eyes were bright and showed a sense of cleverness.

When he saw Lin Zhen, he bowed respectfully and said, "Your humble servant pays respect to the Crown Prince."

Lin Zhen raised his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be polite and asked directly, "What's the matter? Just tell me."

Xu Qian'an stepped forward, his expression slightly anxious, and said with a folded hand, "General, I have come here to report something important. I just went outside the city to check on the prisoners and found that many of them were seriously injured, some with horrific wounds. If left unattended, I am afraid there will be an epidemic."

Lin Zhen frowned.

This is indeed a tricky problem. If it is not handled properly and a plague breaks out, many people will probably die given the medical level of this era.

He asked, "What do you think?"

"I have just ordered the county medical officer to fully inventory the available medicinal materials. However, the warehouse only has common wound remedies like gold wound medicine and hemostatic powder. These are adequate for minor illnesses, but facing so many wounded soldiers with varying injuries, they are truly insufficient. That is why I have come to seek your advice, Your Highness. Do you think we should send people to the surrounding counties and towns to purchase some medicinal materials? Even if they are more expensive, they will certainly help us overcome our immediate needs."

"Okay, let's do it." Lin Zhen nodded in agreement and added, "But simply purchasing medicinal herbs isn't enough. Go post notices throughout the city, recruiting experienced and skilled doctors. Promise them a generous reward and have them immediately find a way to treat the wounded. Also, find a spacious and well-ventilated place to house the wounded and provide them with proper care to prevent the spread of the plague."

"Yes! I'll do it right away!" Xu Qian'an turned around to leave, but Lin Zhen stopped him.

"Wait! What are you going to do with these nearly 100,000 prisoners? You can't just let them eat for free, right?"

Xu Qian'an puffed out his chest and replied, "I have already ordered those uninjured captives to perform forced labor for three years, which can be considered as atonement."

Lin Zhen raised an eyebrow, becoming interested. "What exactly are you doing? I'm warning you, these are soldiers who have killed people. If you mishandle this and cause a mutiny, I'll have your head!"

Xu Qian'an smiled confidently, obviously delighted that his talent, which had been suppressed for many years, could finally be displayed.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. Even if we ask them to perform forced labor, it wouldn't be excessive. I've noticed that the roads around Dai County are in disrepair and become extremely muddy during the rainy season. Therefore, I've arranged for the captives to repair roads and build bridges. This will not only facilitate travel for the people, but also allow them to exercise their strength, so they don't have to work hard. Furthermore, while Dai County's walls are tall, they also need repairs and reinforcement. There are also many abandoned houses in the city. In short, as long as they want work, there's plenty of work to do. We won't let them idle around and cause trouble."

Lin Zhen nodded slightly as he listened, and felt more and more that Xu Qian'an's idea was reliable.

I'm really good at judging people~~~

At this point, Xu Qian'an paused for a moment, then looked at Lin Zhen expectantly and said, "Sir, although there is a way to make prisoners work, the food and fodder for 100,000 people is not a small amount. Do you think there is a solution?"

This is also a headache for Lin Zhen.

Food, food, food, there is a shortage of food everywhere.

Is Daqian really that short of food? With so many people cultivating the land every year, and such bumper harvests in the past two years, how can there still be a food shortage?

Where did the food go?

Lin Zhen tapped his fingers on the table and said in a deep voice, "Do you have any ideas?"

Xu Qian'an hesitated for a moment before replying, "I do have an immature idea. Our Dai County has several rivers running through it, providing abundant water resources. While some people used to raise fish, it wasn't widespread. We might as well have the captives help build fish ponds along the riverbanks and raise fish and shrimp. That way, we could make a living for three to five months."

Three to five months...by the time fish became edible, the children had starved to death.

Lin Zhen rolled his eyes. "That's one solution, but it won't solve the immediate problem. How about this? Send someone to find those experienced fishermen in the county and have them help teach the soldiers to raise fish. After they've raised the fish, all the harvest will belong to the public and then be distributed uniformly without any deduction. Also, send another team of soldiers and have them take the captives into the mountains to hunt. They're many in number, and the prey they catch every day should be enough to last for a while."

The remaining captives will be tasked with building the road as you instructed, all the way to the Taihang Mountains. Once the road is completed, they'll be given new land and released, recognizing their contributions. This will give them something to look forward to and motivate them to work. The principle is, they can't be left idle! They're a restless bunch, and if they're idle, something bad will happen!"

Xu Qian'an's eyes widened with surprise, and he quickly bowed and said, "General, this idea is brilliant! It not only solves the food problem, but also points out a way for the captives. What reason do they have not to fight to the death for you!"

Lin Zhen nodded slightly and waved his hand: "Alright, alright, stop bragging and get back to work. If there's any new developments, please report back."

"Yes, Marshal!" Xu Qian'an saluted and said goodbye.