Although Lu Qingwan was the true mistress of Bu Ye Zhou, she was not privy to its specific operational details. Upon hearing that Bu Ye Zhou was being managed well, she was satisfied and ceased to interfere with its day-to-day business.
However, listening to Yun Ying's excessively thorough explanations, she couldn't help but chuckle, "Generally speaking, after so many pleasantries, there's usually a 'but,' right? So, what's your 'but'?"
Yun Ying's confident assurance was interrupted. She blinked, then caught up with Lu Qingwan's playful train of thought. "Regarding Bu Ye Zhou's operations, there's really nothing to report for now. However, Your Highness, didn't you previously instruct me to purchase a batch of farmland near Xin Du? This matter, there's actually a bit of a problem?"
Lu Qingwan had merely been joking, never expecting her jest to lead to a genuine issue. She was momentarily stunned, "What's going on? With actual gold and silver in hand, you still can't buy land?"
Upon her arrival in this world, both Lu Zhenting and Si Fengwu had nearly lost their lives on the battlefield due to grain shortages. Thus, Lu Qingwan placed immense importance on the issue of food security. Whether in Shangjing or Zhongzhou, she had always ordered the acquisition of vast tracts of land specifically for grain production. In times of peace, these grains could serve as inventory for her grain businesses, allowing for self-production and self-sale. Should any issues arise within the military or among the populace, these reserves could also be used for emergencies. It wasn't an excessive amount, but it could always alleviate temporary difficulties.
This time, the offensive against parts of the southeastern three kingdoms had greatly benefited from Lu Qingwan's farmlands surrounding Shangjing. Therefore, before even arriving at Xin Du, Lu Qingwan had already begun to think about acquiring more land. After learning from Li Su that Bu Ye Zhou was on the right track and Yun Ying was less busy, she instructed her to help with the land purchase. She had initially assumed it would be a straightforward transaction of money for land, with the planting to follow the next year. To her surprise, what she thought was the simplest matter had dragged on until now, with Yun Ying unable to accomplish it, which Lu Qingwan found quite peculiar.
As soon as Yun Ying began to speak of the land purchase, her round, bun-like face contorted into a grimace. "Your Highness, you have no idea. Within a hundred-mile radius of Xin Du, even if you point to a tiny, steep, and dry patch of land and inquire about it, people will tell you without hesitation that it belongs to the Lin family's business – not for rent, not for sale. And if you want to rent it, the price is this!" She held up a plump finger towards Lu Qingwan. The latter frowned, "Five taels of silver per mu of land?! Land near Shangjing costs at most one tael of silver. For five taels, one could not only rent land but also buy a mu of fertile farmland? With such exorbitant rent, how can the common folk near Xin Du afford to live?"
Yun Ying clicked her tongue. "You know, Your Highness, I actually inquired about this. Those lands rented for five taels of silver are often low-lying areas that require watering when dry and manual drainage when flooded. Better quality fields can cost seven or eight taels of silver in rent per year, and on top of that, the court collects a tax of three dou. It becomes difficult to even make a living."
Li Su, also listening with interest, asked, "In that case, how do those common folk survive?"
"By borrowing grain!" Yun Ying sighed as she spoke, sounding like a little old woman overwhelmed by the pressures of life. "After paying the rent and the tax grain, their pockets are empty. To have enough to eat, they have to borrow grain from the Lin family's business. The interest accumulates with the duration of the debt, day after day, year after year. These common folk essentially become unpaid laborers for the Lin family's business." Yun Ying sighed with emotion as she spoke of these people.
Lu Qingwan couldn't help but think of the infamous enclosure movement in a certain dynasty in her past life. It was strikingly similar to what the Lin family's business was doing.
*Knock, knock.* The door was knocked upon. The rhythmic sound led Li Su to quickly identify the visitor. "Your Highness, it's Shen Tang Zhou."
"Perfect timing, quickly invite him in." Li Su trotted over to open the door. As the door swung open, in addition to Shen Tang Zhou, there were Si Fengwu and Lian Yu. Li Jin and Li Yang were also present. Li Su, after a moment's pause, ushered them in. Lu Qingwan followed their gaze and, seeing the unexpected arrivals, her eyes lit up. "Why are you back so soon? Has the matter at the military camp been resolved?"
Si Fengwu had ostensibly gone to help Lu Qingwan select suitable personnel for training and to fulfill a promise made by Madame Zi Yi. However, Lu Qingwan had an inkling that such a task did not require Si Fengwu's personal attendance at the military camp. He knew his generals intimately and could easily assign the task to any one of them. The fact that he went himself meant that something had occurred in the army that required his direct involvement. Therefore, Lu Qingwan was indeed quite surprised by Si Fengwu's swift return.
He naturally squeezed her hand, then draped his cloak over her shoulders and sat beside her. "A minor matter, quickly resolved. I've also heard about the affairs at the Prime Minister's residence. What happened to Wen Ru Ge? Was she impersonated, or, like your mother, was her body taken over?"
Originally, Wen Ru Ge becoming an imposter was not a small matter. However, after the incident with Liu Hanyan, Si Fengwu seemed to have become more resigned to such events. His tone when speaking to Lu Qingwan was as calm as if he were asking why she hadn't worn the hairpin he had chosen for her. Lu Qingwan had been quite worried about Wen Ru Ge's predicament. Hearing his words, she inexplicably felt a surge of "nothing is impossible" bravado.
Without hesitation, she replied, "Wen Ru Ge is different from Liu Hanyan. She was directly impersonated. The Wen Ru Ge currently at the Wen family has absolutely no relation to the real Wen Ru Ge. I've already sent Wen Ru Song to find Wen Ru Ge's personal belongings. Once obtained, I'll have Da Bai and Teng She help search. Whether alive or dead, the person will be found."
Si Fengwu didn't seem to be particularly concerned about Wen Ru Ge's whereabouts, and with remarkable naturalness, he initiated a new topic. "I heard everything you were discussing from outside. What Yun Ying mentioned only refers to some of the Hua people. Lin Dong Ye treats those of the Wu tribe, who share his blood, quite well. At least the rent is not as high, and he even sends vegetables and meat to the Wu people during festivals. Therefore, regardless of anything else, Lin Dong Ye holds a considerable position among the Wu people. This matter of land rent alone will not shake Lin Dong Ye's foundations."
Lu Qingwan raised an eyebrow and glanced at the young man beside her, who bore a slight resemblance to Shen Qing Zhou. "It seems, Pavilion Master Shen, you have already investigated the Lin family's business?"
Si Fengwu, being in the imperial court and overwhelmed by the enthronement ceremony and reforms in various regions, had no time to concern himself with the trivial Lin family's business. Yet, he had returned with such a clear understanding of the Lin family's situation. Furthermore, he had arrived precisely with Shen Tang Zhou. Therefore, upon seeing Shen Tang Zhou, Lu Qingwan easily deduced Si Fengwu's source of information.