A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

The more Gu Xixi spoke, the calmer she became.

It's likely that the emperor himself didn't have much interest in playing matchmaker.

The so-called "arranged marriage" was nothing more than a means to keep her in the capital so that she could serve the court.

Only by making the emperor realize that she can create more benefits by not getting married.

It works better than anything else.

"As for why I came to the capital this time, it is to plant tea trees and open up tea mountains in Qingtian County."

"The Northwest does not produce tea locally, but it has created the famous Fu brick tea. However, all tea exported to the Western Regions and the North must pass through the Northwest. I want to make official tea in the future and open up several tea trade routes from the Northwest."

"In addition, in Huachidu Village where the woman lives, the annual yield of millet is only three or four hundred catties per mu. Last autumn, everyone used the method proposed by the woman for the first time, and the average yield per mu reached more than five hundred catties."

The young emperor listened attentively as Gu Xixi spoke these words.

In his early years, he kept a low profile and left the capital for his fiefdom, but in reality, his talent and ambition were no less than those of his father.

The late Empress Dowager's relatives and their faction brought disaster to the country, eliminating dissidents, exploiting the people, and disrupting local order, leaving behind too many problems.

The Daye Dynasty first fought a major battle with the Northern Li, and then sent troops to attack the maternal relatives.

After being drained by various factors, the national treasury was already overburdened.

Therefore, when the emperor first ascended the throne, he had to issue a series of decrees for recuperation and restoration, all in order to revive the people's livelihood.

What Gu Xixi did—maintaining border stability, increasing grain production, promoting tea trade, and stimulating trade routes—was exactly what the emperor wanted.

Gu Xixi bowed deeply, prostrating herself on the ground, saying, "This humble woman has not yet personally accomplished all of this."

"Your Majesty, please don't rush me into marriage!"

The first sentence was spoken with great seriousness, while the second sentence carried a hint of a little girl's coquettish pleading.

As it turned out, Gu Xixi made the right bet.

The emperor laughed heartily, clearly in high spirits. "Qi Xiu was right after all."

Gu Xixi lay still, glancing to the side out of the corner of her eye, muttering to herself, "What is he making up about me now?"

The Emperor smiled at Mu Nanzhao and said, "You said that we don't need to treat Boss Gu as an ordinary girl, and that she is completely worth a man. Now I understand."

Gu Xixi couldn't help but grumble to herself, "The Regent's intention is to treat women like men and men like animals. Please, Your Majesty, exploit us to your heart's content!"

However, this is still much better than being a useless person in the eyes of the emperor, who would just throw her off to be married off.

Mu Nanzhao said, "Your Majesty, after hearing so much from her, is there anything else you wish to ask?"

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the hall had returned to a relaxed state.

The emperor looked at Gu Xixi with a smile and said, "Fruits, tea, and fine grains grown on the border will help the villages with dependents to become self-sufficient. I understand that you still need time to promote these things."

"But in terms of tangible results, the large amount of grain and fodder produced by the Northwest Army last year supported two battles and increased the army's winter rations. I am already aware of this achievement."

"However, I am more interested in what you just said about the increased millet production."

"As far as I know, it is not easy to produce grain in the Northwest. In previous years, the yield of millet per mu was at most 350 to 400 jin. This is for irrigated land with better conditions. If it is dry land or sloping land, it is considered good if it yields 200 jin or so."

Gu Xixi thought to herself, "It seems the emperor came prepared."

The Northwest was not a major source of land tax during the Daye Dynasty and had never received much attention from the court.

If the emperor hadn't investigated her affairs beforehand, how could he have been so familiar with agricultural data in the Northwest?

Sure enough, the emperor immediately asked, "How did Boss Gu manage to do that?"

The change in address from "Miss Gu" to "Boss Gu" signifies a shift in the Emperor's perception of Gu Xixi.

Gu Xixi, of course, would not disappoint the emperor; she had come prepared.

"This humble woman petitions Your Majesty to gradually promote the new farming methods throughout the country."

She took out a folded piece of paper and held it high above her head with both hands.

Upon receiving a signal from the emperor, the chief eunuch quickly stepped down, took the note, and returned to present it to the emperor.

The emperor examined the formula for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Is this your secret recipe?"

"If you are so determined to promote this method nationwide, why is it that only one village and a few people around you have learned it?"

Gu Xixi said, "Actually, there is no secret formula. Apart from the pesticides and fertilizers used, everything else is just a matter of methods."

"Your Majesty governs the affairs of the world, which are complex and multifaceted. Naturally, you understand them better than I do. In many cases, you have to act according to the times and circumstances."

The emperor seemed to be deep in thought, glanced at Gu Xixi, and said, "Rise, sit down and continue."

Gu Xixi sat down again, her nervousness gone, her mind filled only with what she was saying.

"Farming sounds simple, but it's not easy to do it well."

"Different regions have different soil and water conditions and different levels of sunshine. If everyone blindly applies the same method, how can we achieve the greatest benefit?"

The emperor looked down at the note and said, "So you said that it should be promoted throughout the country. This is not something that can be accomplished in a short time. We need to take a long-term view."

"The imperial court provides unified training for agricultural officials, passing on experience at each level. Finally, local agricultural officials at the county level go deep into the fields to find the most suitable methods for the local area. At the same time, they spread new farming methods."

"In addition, government-run pesticide and fertilizer workshops were established in various places, and profits were initially offered to the people."

Gu Xixi replied seriously, "Yes."

"However, we can see profits in a short period of time, but it will take several years to promote it nationwide."

The emperor looked solemn. After a while, he looked at Gu Xixi and said solemnly, "Boss Gu's plan will benefit future generations."

"I will certainly give it careful consideration to the specifics of how to implement it."

After the emperor finished speaking, he smiled freely at Gu Xixi and said, "Boss Gu, you must not slack off on the things you need to do. If you encounter any difficulties, just go to the Qingtian County Government Office. If the county government office can't handle it, go to the prefectural government office."

His gaze was deep. "From now on, you will have people in every place to help you travel smoothly."

Gu Xixi has come all the way to the emperor today, all for this pass.

She solemnly knelt and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble woman thanks Your Majesty for your trust and will do my utmost to live up to Your Majesty's high expectations!"

As she stepped out of the first passageway, Gu Xixi looked up at the sky, feeling as if she had just woken up from a dream.

Her emotional turmoil from her speech has not yet fully subsided.

Mu Nanzhao suddenly asked, "It's noon, what do you want to eat later?"

Gu Xixi glared at him irritably, "Can't you give me a break? I'm not in the mood for food."

Mu Nanzhao walked leisurely with one hand behind his back, seemingly in a good mood.

"Juxianlou's crystal-clear roasted pigeon has a translucent and crispy skin. When you bite into it, it feels like a thin layer of sugar. With a crunch, the meat inside is tender and juicy. The seasoning uses more than 30 kinds of secret spices and goes through six processes..."

Gu Xixi couldn't help but swallow.

I hadn't felt hungry yet.

You can hear Mu Nanzhao describing the glass pigeons in a melodious and vivid way.

It felt as if a delicious, colorful, and fragrant roasted pigeon was right in front of me.

Gu Xixi suddenly felt hungry, so hungry that she felt anxious.

"Hurry up and move!"

"go to eat!"