Silk clothes and fine food, mouths open, no worry for food or clothing; a carriage ride when going out, rarely seeing the grass and people beneath the wheels.
High terraces and pavilions, dancing gracefully, poems and songs praising peace; wine stinks from vermilion gates, bones freeze from the cold, spring winds blow and grass grows anew.
Left and right, it's merely about living.
These few words deeply shook Princess Xin Yue's heart.
Having lived in the palace for a long time, even when going out, it was only within the capital city of Shuang Yue. The furthest she had ever been was last time when she accompanied Chu Chen.
She could never have imagined that those officials, noble families, and gentry would dare to be so audacious, so inhumane.
They say the imperial family is heartless, but compared to this, they were far inferior, incomparable.
The middle-aged man waited for a while, and seeing that neither of them spoke, he cautiously asked, "Is there anything else the two honored guests wish to know?"
"Besides those gentry, are there any farmers in the entire village who own their own land?"
Chu Chen pondered for a moment and asked.
"Naturally, there are, though not many. They were once considered landlords, owning a hundred mu of self-cultivated land."
Chu Chen nodded and said, "Alright, we have no more questions. Please take us to find the village chief."
"Understood, I'll lead you there now."
The middle-aged man picked up the hoe that had been discarded on the ground, slung it over his shoulder, and led the way.
Chu Chen and Princess Xin Yue, along with over a dozen guards, followed closely behind.
"Chu Chen, why has it become like this? The court's decrees are clearly good, but when it comes to actual implementation, they are twisted into a mess."
"Instead, they become a burden to these common people."
After a moment of silence, Princess Xin Yue couldn't help but ask.
"It's probably because Chen Yuanliang has been prime minister for twenty years. The officialdom is not clear, and everyone is busy forming factions, covering up corruption."
"No matter how good the policies issued by the court are, they are useless."
Chu Chen thought carefully and replied.
"Then how can we make these officials completely free of corruption and wholeheartedly serve the common people?"
Princess Xin Yue didn't know what to do, her thoughts in a mess, she sought his help.
Chu Chen recalled the practices and systems of his previous life and said, "Broadly speaking, as long as they dare not be corrupt, cannot be corrupt, and do not need to be corrupt, it can greatly suppress the atmosphere of corruption. It is impossible to make them completely incorruptible. After all, a large forest has all sorts of birds. In the face of immense benefits, some will still dare to break the law and take risks."
"Dare not be corrupt, cannot be corrupt, do not need to be corrupt!"
Princess Xin Yue murmured these three phrases softly, and suddenly understood their meaning.
"Hang severe punishments over the heads of these officials. Those who are seriously corrupt will die, and those who are less so will lose their official hats, have their property confiscated, and be banished to the frontier; teach them that they cannot be corrupt, and restrain them with etiquette, morality, and behavior;
"Increase their salaries so that they can live well without being corrupt. Is that what it means?"
"Precisely."
Chu Chen nodded and continued, "It sounds easy, but it's very difficult to implement. This is not something that can be accomplished in a short time. You can write a memorial about what you have seen and heard and send it back to His Majesty for his perusal."
"Only when His Majesty is aware will he support us in our efforts to rectify corruption."
"I understand. After this, I will tell my mother about what I have seen and heard here."
Princess Xin Yue replied with a heavy heart.
The village was not very large, and soon the middle-aged man led them to the only stone house in the entire village.
"This is the home of our village chief. If there's nothing else, I'll be going home now."
The middle-aged man stopped, standing at the door, nervously fearing that these two lords, like the other lords, would break their promise and take back the copper coins they had bestowed upon him.
"Thank you for your trouble." Chu Chen smiled and nodded, then signaled the guards to clear the way.
The middle-aged man glanced at Chu Chen and quickly departed.
"Knock, knock, knock~"
"Who is it?"
A hoarse voice sounded from inside the house. The old village chief opened the door in confusion, looking at the unfamiliar group of people before him.
He asked in fear, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Elder, we are officials sent by the court to implement a policy. We have come to inquire about the local situation."
Chu Chen cupped his hands politely and bowed.
The old village chief fumbled with his unfamiliar etiquette to return the bow, then said, "If that is the case, please come in. However, my humble abode cannot accommodate so many people, what do you think?"
"You two come in with me, the others stay here."
Chu Chen turned and instructed, then turned back with a smile, "Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, of course it is."
The old village chief put aside his last worry, his old face filled with smiles as he invited Chu Chen and Princess Xin Yue inside.
Upon entering the house, the old village chief said awkwardly, "Although I am the village chief, my income is not high. I do not have good tea to entertain you honored guests, please forgive me."
"It's alright, we are not here for tea."
Chu Chen waved his hand and said with a smile, unconcerned.
"That's good." The old village chief nodded and gestured for them to sit.
He then sighed and asked, "May I ask, what is the task you are promoting? Could you tell this old man about it?"
"Of course." Chu Chen then recounted the Empress's intentions.
After listening, the old village chief frowned, sighed repeatedly, and said with a wry smile, "May I ask, how do you intend to promote these new crops? And what is so miraculous about these new crops? Could you explain it to me?"
"This way, I can better assist you in implementing it."
"These are the three crops."
Chu Chen finished speaking and waved his hand over the table.
Two sweet potatoes, two potatoes, and two corn kernels each appeared on the table.
Then Chu Chen explained to the old village chief the yield of these three crops.
Princess Xin Yue had expected the old village chief to be overjoyed upon hearing about the yield.
To her surprise, the old village chief frowned and calculated for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "Esteemed sir, these crops are indeed miraculous, they can even be called divine artifacts for the nation. But may I ask, at what price do you intend to sell them?"
"Sell them? No, no, no, these do not require money. Anyone willing to switch to planting them will not be charged any fees by the court, and we will provide free instruction to all farmers on how to plant them."
"At the same time, we promise that the court will buy back the harvested crops, so you don't have to worry about sales."
Chu Chen waved his hand and spoke of the relevant policy support in a rather persuasive tone.
"No money?"
The old village chief ignored everything else and only asked about this one point with confusion, "If it doesn't require money, then what do you need us to exchange for these crops?"
"If they are too precious, I fear we may not be able to afford the exchange."