After our homes were confiscated and we were exiled, the women in my clan and I raised a million sol

Zhang Liang suddenly seemed to have thought of something, and stood up abruptly. He said to Liu Yu and Shen Zui, "Wait here for a while. I'll be back soon."

There was a hint of urgency in his tone, as if he had something important on his mind that needed to be dealt with immediately.

After saying that, he hurried towards the backyard, leaving Liu Yu and Shen Zui with confused looks on their faces.

The two looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion, not understanding why Zhang Liang was in such a hurry.

They sat there, waiting for Zhang Liang's return, their hearts full of curiosity.

At this moment, Zhong Tian also came to the courtyard.

Seeing the two sitting there alone, he walked over and asked with a smile, "Why are you two sitting here alone? Didn't you come here to report the good news to the lord? Where is the lord?"

Hearing Zhong Tian's question, Liu Yu explained: "The Lord was here just now, but it seemed that he thought of something, so he left in a hurry."

There was a hint of helplessness and confusion in his voice, and he was obviously confused by Zhang Liang's sudden departure.

Zhong Tian frowned slightly when he heard this, but then relaxed again.

He smiled and said, "My lord may have some new plans or ideas. We just need to wait patiently."

The three of them sat in the courtyard, waiting for Zhang Liang to come back.

Not long after, Zhang Liang came back carrying a big sack.

Seeing the sack, although Zhong Tian and the others were very puzzled, they immediately walked over and said to Zhang Liang, "Master, let us take it!"

Hearing his words, Zhang Liang handed the sack in his hand to the three of them without hesitation.

After taking the sack, the three men frowned because the things inside were quite heavy.

After putting the sack on the stone table, Shen Zui couldn't wait to ask, "My Lord, what's in this sack?"

Hearing his words, Zhang Liang smiled mysteriously and said, "There are some good things in here! Enough to change many things."

After hearing Zhang Liang's words, Zhong Tian and the others focused their attention on the sack again.

Their curiosity was completely aroused, and they all speculated what mysterious items were in the bag.

Seeing that the curiosity in their eyes had reached its peak, Zhang Liang no longer hesitated and quickly untied the rope that tied the bag.

As the bag opened, the contents gradually appeared before everyone's eyes - sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes and rice seeds.

He showed these things to everyone one by one with great anticipation.

However, as the saying goes, "the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment."

Except for rice seeds, Zhong Tian and others were unfamiliar with these crops, and some even mistakenly thought they were just the roots and rhizomes of some plants.

For a moment, a hint of loss flashed across his eyes, which were originally full of curiosity and excitement.

Noticing the change in everyone's expressions, Zhang Liang smiled slightly, as if he had already expected such a reaction.

"Don't you think these things are as magical as I just described?"

Faced with this question, Zhong Tian and the others smiled awkwardly, and no one answered directly, but silence itself was the best answer.

Zhang Liang felt helpless when he saw Zhong Tian and the others didn't care at all.

He knew that these people were not familiar with these crops.

So he decided to tell them about the yield and farming methods of sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes and high-yield rice.

"Did you know that sweet potatoes are a very high-yield crop? One mu of land can produce thousands or even tens of thousands of kilograms of sweet potatoes."

Zhang Liang began to explain.

"It also has a short growth cycle, is easy to grow, and has low soil requirements. Similarly, corn and potatoes are high-yield crops that not only provide abundant food but can also be used as feed for livestock."

Hearing this, the expressions of Zhong Tian and the others gradually became serious.

They are beginning to realize the importance of these crops and the difference they can make.

"As for high-yield rice."

Zhang Liang continued, "This is an improved rice variety. Its yield is much higher than ordinary rice. If this rice can be widely planted, the people will no longer have to worry about hunger."

Liu Yu picked up a sweet potato, examined it carefully, and said in disbelief, "My Lord, you are not lying to us, are you? There is such a magical thing in the world. If the yield is really so high, then the people will not have to suffer from hunger."

Zhang Liang smiled and replied, "Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you? I sent people to find these seeds when I was still at the Duke of Wu's mansion. But before I could promote them, they were..."

Having said that, Zhang Liang sighed deeply.

After hearing Zhang Liang's words, Liu Yu's smile froze instantly, and he said to him, "My Lord, I believe you can avenge Duke Wu and the others."

Hearing this, Zhang Liang nodded.

He looked around at everyone present and said solemnly, "Now you know how important these seeds are to us!"

"So I plan to plant these seeds and distribute them to the people only after a certain number has been reached. This will not only ensure the safety of the seeds, but also give us more time to prepare and plan."

After hearing this, Zhong Tian and others nodded in agreement.

They understood Zhang Liang's intentions and realized the great significance of these seeds for the future.

Liu Yu said, "Master, I have a farm. The farmers there have been working for me for many years and are trustworthy. I can arrange for them to help plant these seeds."

Zhang Liang's eyes lit up with relief after hearing this. He said to Liu Yu, "Then you can take care of this. But just to be on the safe side, I'll still have to arrange for a few Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to guard the place."

Liu Yu nodded and agreed: "Okay, Master. I will arrange everything as soon as possible."

Zhang Liang then looked at Shen Zui standing beside him, his eyes filled with seriousness.

He slowly said, "Sir Shen, from now on, the work-for-relief program will be handed over to you."

"I've been to Ninggu City and noticed some gaps in the city walls. I don't know how long we can hold out against the barbarians. So you can arrange for the refugees to focus on repairing those areas."

After hearing Zhang Liang's words, Shen Zui immediately nodded.

But before he could reply, Zhang Liang warned him, "But don't pay the people so much."

A hint of doubt flashed in Shen Zui's eyes, but his doubt did not last long, because Zhang Liang began to explain to them.

"Although we can offer higher wages to the refugees, have you ever considered whether the local wealthy families will follow suit with such high wages?"

"The biggest reason why those wealthy families choose to repair their houses during the disaster years and hire refugees to work is because they are cheap!"

"To renovate the government office, we must exploit the local gentry. Only by letting the local gentry see that the disaster victims are willing to work very cheaply just to survive, will they hire them."

"In fact, if only the government office plays the villain, causing the victims to complain bitterly, the local aristocratic families can gain a good reputation by slightly raising the wages."

"For the wealthy and powerful families, not only can they gain fame, but they can also save a lot of money. That's why they are willing to do it!"

Zhang Liang looked at Shen Zui and said word by word, "If the government pays fair wages, and the gentry have no profit or fame to gain, why would they want to wade into this mess? We shouldn't have to pay for it all the time, right?"

After hearing his words, Shen Zui nodded and said, "Thank you for your advice, my lord."

After making the arrangements, Zhong Tian and the others left.

In the next few days, Zhong Tian and his men carried out Zhang Liang's plan, and Ning Gucheng gradually began to stabilize.

One day, when Zhang Liang was handling affairs in the study, a maid came to report that Liu Hu had something important to report to him.

After hearing his words, Zhang Liang thought for a moment, then asked the maid to bring Liu Hu in. After Liu Hu pushed open the door of the study, he hurried towards Zhang Liang.

Liu Hu's face was filled with anxiety. He walked up to Zhang Liang, bowed deeply, and said, "My lord, I have something important to report to you."