In a chaotic world of infrastructure development, a woman's path to survival after being reborn

Zhao Zexuan was quick; after realizing something was amiss, he went to his father's courtyard to inquire about the matter.

Looking at his father, Zhao Zexuan asked without hesitation, "Dad, why have you taken a liking to farming lately?"

Old Master Zhao was tending his small plot of land in the yard when he heard this and looked up in surprise, asking, "Why would you ask such a question?"

Zhao Zexuan paused for a moment, looking at his father's unchanging expression, before continuing, "Father, can you tell me if you know that my elder brother and the others have been asking for grain more frequently this past year?"

Upon hearing this, the previously calm Old Master Zhao stiffened, then looked up at Zhao Zexuan and asked, "What's your opinion on this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zexuan knew that his father was aware of the matter, so he shook his head and said, "Father, regardless of my opinion, I just want to know why my elder brother and the others are urging for grain so frequently. Is something happening in Lingnan, or is it my elder brother and the others' own idea?"

Old Master Zhao hadn't expected Zhao Zexuan to be so direct, and he didn't know what to say for a moment before finally asking, "Which possibility do you think it is?"

If something unexpected happened in Lingnan, his father would not have this expression. The reason would not be external, but rather stem from his brothers.

Realizing this, Zhao Zexuan frowned and said, "Why are the others like this, Brother? Weren't the provisions delivered to them on time?"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Zhao hesitated for a moment before saying, "There are some things I should tell you. Something happened in Lingnan. Back then, in order to protect their own interests, the imperial court sold a group of people to foreign tribes as slaves."

Having never heard of this before, Zhao Zexuan looked up in shock and asked, "Is this true? Has the court considered the consequences of doing this?"

After asking the question, Zhao Zexuan suddenly realized something and, after a moment of silence, said, "The court at that time was corrupt and incompetent, and did not care about the people or their lives. They never thought about what consequences it would cause."

"So, are the elder brothers doing this to redeem those people who have been sold off? Or to rescue those people who have been sold off?" Zhao Zexuan asked.

Following this line of thought, the youngest son immediately guessed the truth. The old man was somewhat shocked, but since things had come to this point, there was no point in hiding it. He said directly, "That's right. Those people who were sold have all been redeemed or rescued one after another."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zexuan said, "The initial intention to save people is good, but we should also act within our means. Is it a little inappropriate to increase the food supply in this way?"

Old Master Zhao understood this principle, but unfortunately, the situation was gradually developing in an uncontrollable direction. Now it was no longer a question of whether or not they could save them, but that the trapped people around them were desperately running towards Lingnan. The people had finally escaped the clutches of the foreign tribes, and they could not just be left to fend for themselves.

Knowing what Zhao Zexuan was worried about, Old Master Zhao said, "The situation is gradually getting out of control. More and more people are rushing to Lingnan after hearing the news. Lingnan can't possibly refuse to accept these people."

After hearing this, Zhao Zexuan understood what had happened. He frowned and said, "If that's the case, why not tell Su Li clearly?"

Upon hearing Zhao Zexuan's question, Old Master Zhao turned around somewhat awkwardly and said, "Isn't it because I can't bring myself to speak? The main problem is that this matter has indeed caused quite a bit of trouble."

Hearing this, Zhao Zexuan didn't know what to say. After a long silence, he said, "I'll have someone investigate the situation and see how to resolve this matter."

When Old Master Zhao heard Zhao Zexuan say this, he did not object. Instead, he sighed and said, "I didn't want to cause you any trouble, but I didn't expect things to develop like this. Your elder brother and the others asked me to apologize to you and your wife on their behalf."

“We’re all family, no need to be so polite. The main thing now is to resolve this matter and find out whether it was an accident or something deliberately done!” Zhao Zexuan said.

Grandpa Zhao was also suspicious of the whole story, but this time he frowned and said, "Fortunately, things were out of control, so I asked your elder brother and the others to investigate, but they found nothing. It seems like it was all an accident."

The more unexpected something is, the more attention it needs to be paid. Zhao Zexuan did not think it was a simple accident, but rather he was more inclined to believe that it was deliberately done by someone who knew about the relationship between Lingcheng and Lingnan and wanted to use this to bring down Lingcheng.

"It's too early to conclude whether it was an accident or not. When our elder brother and the others send word back next time, we'll have them describe the situation in detail. We can't let things continue like this," Zhao Zexuan reminded them.

Indeed, we cannot let things continue like this. Old Master Zhao nodded and said, "We must find out the truth. I will write a letter to your elder brother and have him describe the matter in detail. You can ask them for specific details."

Zhao Zexuan understood this. Now that he had figured out the reason why Lingnan suddenly wanted to increase the amount of grain, there was no need to be puzzled anymore. But when the matter returned to the main topic, Zhao Zexuan asked, "Father, why have you suddenly taken a liking to farming? I heard that these days you have been farming except when you are resting in the house."

Originally, I thought there was nothing more to ask, but when I heard this, Old Master Zhao was stunned for a moment, and then said: "Thoughts can change. I used to think that it was enough to lead troops to fight and protect the safety of the people, but after experiencing so much, I have realized that the most important thing is to make sure that the people have enough to eat."

"Before receiving help from Lingcheng, the situation in Lingnan was terrible, and countless people starved to death. The importance of food goes without saying. I thought that if the food problem was solved, all other problems would be solved."

During his year of fighting abroad, Zhao Zexuan witnessed firsthand many refugees who starved to death due to lack of food, and he was indeed deeply moved by the issue of food.

Zhao Zexuan did not object to his father's idea, but supported it, saying, "Father, your idea is not wrong. The food problem is also the most fundamental problem."

"Without sufficient food and supplies, the army could not have lasted this long while fighting abroad, nor could it have lasted until it could have taken over the southern region."

Upon hearing this, Old Master Zhao nodded hastily and said, "Indeed, the cost of grain these days is not a small amount, and not everyone can afford it."