NFBE Chapter 147 Exile to Ningguta
Chapter 147 Exile to Ningguta
Gu Mochen approached the Jicheng Prefectural Government because he was absolutely confident and unafraid that the other party might also be the kind of person who appeared benevolent and righteous on the surface but was despicable behind the scenes. After all, to ensure the success of this operation and avoid any potential dangers, he had already made all the necessary arrangements in advance. He secretly dispatched his trusted subordinates to thoroughly investigate every prefectural government office along the route. He knew exactly which officials were honest and upright, dedicated to serving the people; which officials harbored ulterior motives and colluded with evil forces; and which officials were self-protective and adept at playing both sides… He was extremely familiar with these situations. In particular, regarding this Jicheng Prefectural Government official, after a detailed investigation and understanding, he found that this person was indeed of upright character and not a treacherous villain.
In stark contrast, however, was the Lai County government office. Its incredibly luxurious decor rivaled even the mansions of high-ranking officials in the capital! What was even more appalling was that this county government office dared to openly oppress the common people, even abducting women—truly lawless and heinous. Thinking of this, Prince Chen felt a surge of anger. He looked at the trembling Jicheng magistrate kneeling on the ground with a gloomy expression and said coldly, "Since you have come here, then speak to my face. According to the laws of my Great Xia Kingdom, what punishment should such a corrupt official who preys on the people and commits numerous evils, along with his family, receive?" Hearing this, large beads of sweat rolled down the Jicheng magistrate's forehead. He trembled and kowtowed, answering in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, according to the laws of my Great Xia Kingdom, such a heinous Lai County magistrate should be sentenced to death to uphold the law; and his family members should all be exiled to the harsh frontier, never to return to the Central Plains."
Prince Chen said coldly, "I am new to this place, and there is no need for me to waste time on these fighting and killings. In my opinion, it would be better to exile them all to Ningguta, north of Mo City. As for their property, use it to settle these poor women and the innocent people who are being oppressed in the prison for now. The rest shall be confiscated. Remember, all cases must be thoroughly investigated again. We must ensure that no innocent person is wronged and no guilty person is allowed to go unpunished. In addition, all the constables in this county shall be thrown into prison to reflect on their actions for five years!"
"Your subject will obey Your Highness's decree!" the official in charge of the government office replied hastily, bowing with his hands clasped.
Prince Chen nodded slightly, then spoke again: "I have already informed the Emperor of this matter through a messenger pigeon. Now, I am here bearing the golden plaque personally bestowed by the Emperor. Seeing this plaque is as if I were to meet the Emperor himself. Today, I will certainly handle this matter properly on behalf of the Emperor!" After speaking, he slowly reached into his robes, took out the gleaming golden plaque, and held it high before everyone.
In an instant, everyone present was shocked to see the gold medal, and then they all knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
The matter here has been properly handled by the prefectural government, and Prince Chen, together with the prefectural officials, successfully received the compensation money to Zhao Zhixin's parents. Afterwards, he arranged for Uncle Gu and Sanqi to escort Zhao Zhixin's parents on their journey home, back to that peaceful and tranquil little mountain village.
Prince Chen and his entourage chose to rest briefly at the county post station, awaiting the return of Uncle Gu and Sanqi. Having previously given most of their food to Zhao Zhixin's family, they now needed to purchase supplies for their continued journey. To make them easier to carry, the resourceful Ye Qingchen instructed Bai Zhi and Fu Ling to use the post station's kitchen to carefully prepare a batch of delicious fried noodles, along with a variety of exquisite pastries and snacks.
After everything was arranged, Ye Qingchen strolled around the post station with the prince. This area was far from prosperous; as far as the eye could see, there were rolling loess hills all around, rugged and uneven, crisscrossed by gullies, with sparse vegetation. This scene couldn't help but make Ye Qingchen wonder: Could it be that the Lai County government was too greedy and corrupt, causing this land to be so barren?
However, despite the somewhat desolate scene before her, Ye Qingchen keenly noticed the abundant sunshine and significant temperature difference between day and night. She secretly pondered that if the local people were as hardworking and diligent as Zhao Zhixin's family, their lives would surely improve. After all, with such uniquely favorable natural conditions, whether planting crystal-clear, sweet and juicy grapes or cultivating fruitful, crisp apple trees, the harvest would undoubtedly be considerable. With careful tending, given time, this land might also flourish and become a prosperous place.
To ensure the future prosperity and well-being of this place, Ye Qingchen, after careful consideration, finally decided to share her thoughts with Gu Mochen. After listening to Ye Qingchen's detailed plans and ideas, Gu Mochen immediately issued orders to his trusted subordinates, instructing them to quickly find suitable personnel to be stationed there.
Before long, a well-trained and experienced team arrived on the land and began to lease it on a large scale as planned. Part of the land was used to grow various fresh and delicious fruits, such as bright red apples, golden pears, and crystal-clear grapes; while the other part was used to grow various nutritious vegetables, such as lush green cabbages, crisp radishes, and glistening purple eggplants.
Not only that, the skillful Ye Qingchen also meticulously drew a sketch and handed it to Gu Mochen. It turned out that she cleverly utilized the elevation differences created by the local river's undulating terrain, intending to fully develop this valuable water resource. According to her plan, many ingenious waterwheels could be built, using the force of the water flow to power numerous surrounding mills, thus easily completing tasks such as grinding flour.
It must be said, this idea is absolutely brilliant! However, Ye Qingchen wasn't entirely confident that the current craftsmen possessed the necessary skills and abilities to realize such a complex and magnificent project. After all, turning imagination into reality is no easy feat, but regardless, she was willing to give it her all. As for whether it would ultimately succeed, only time would tell.
She not only thoughtfully arranged for them to plant potatoes and sweet potatoes here, but also firmly believed that the potatoes and sweet potatoes nurtured by this land would be exceptionally delicious and have an excellent taste.
Furthermore, she ingeniously released some live fish and shrimp from that mysterious space and gently released them into the winding river. This river, like a silver ribbon, flows quietly across the land. If properly and rationally utilized for aquaculture, it will undoubtedly become an important source of income for the local people in the future.
Looking around at the rolling hills, though all composed of soil, a closer look reveals their somewhat limited water retention capacity. However, this very terrain makes it more suitable for agricultural facilities like terraced orchards. Thus, it's natural that easily harvested tree species such as walnuts and cherry trees have taken root here. At the same time, this area is also ideal for free-range grazing of livestock such as cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks. Livestock raised in this free-range manner not only produce meat rich in nutrients but may also bring unexpected benefits to the surrounding trees!