MTL - My Stepmother is Soft and Charming-Chapter 129 Difficulty in Cezhou

Chapter 129 Difficulties in Cezhou

On this day, Du Jingyi has not even closed his eyes since he went out to work in the early morning.

She is not Shang Ji. She spends every day in high-intensity military training, so today's pace is basically equivalent to relaxation.

 Therefore, after returning to a familiar place, Du Jingyi didn't care about anything else. He stepped forward, lifted up his skirt, and leaned against the brocade pillow on the Kang.

 Then he breathed a sigh of relief.

 “It’s better to go home and feel more comfortable.”

Hearing this, Shang Ji couldn't help but laugh.

"But I saw that you were very happy when you were at Du's house, weren't you?"

 “The general only knows one, but not the other.”

"Appreciate further details."

Du Jingyi saw that he was asking for advice seriously, and felt that his current posture was a bit too much, so he coughed twice, stood upright, and then spoke.

"Although I am married, I am still the daughter of the Du family. My parents have never been less worried about me. In the past, they were worried that I would be bullied in the Duke's palace. Now I have to worry about whether I will offend me. Noble people bring disaster.”

"Under such a tense mood, I naturally have to do my best to make them happy and make them feel more at ease. Otherwise, wouldn't it be harmful to me to worry about this matter every day?"

"But this smile is easy, but it is difficult to smile sincerely every time, so I am not tired physically, but just tired in my heart."

Her words hit Shang Ji's heart one by one.

I've seen her look smart and witty, but it's rare that she shows such emotion.

For a moment, Shang Ji felt sorry for his wife, so he stepped forward, hugged her in his arms, and said comfortingly.

"You don't have to be happy in front of me in the future. You can show me your emotions, anger, sorrows, and joys. If I do something wrong, point it out. I'm not one of those mean-spirited people who chew on words. It doesn't hurt to pour cold water on me."

His words successfully made Du Jingyi laugh.

“General, are you telling me that you can boldly teach your husband in the future?”

 “Well, that can also be understood.”

 “Oh? You really won’t fall out?”

"Won't."

Shang Ji's answer was categorical, but Du Jingyi thought about it carefully and found that it was indeed the case.

Although he was a harsh and harsh general outside, he never even spoke loudly to her in the palace.

Even when the two met for the first time, he controlled his temper very well.

So, thinking of this, Du Jingyi felt sweet in her heart.

Raised her arms to hug his waist, buried her head deeply in his arms, and then said "hmm", which was full of sweetness.

After a while, Shang Ji straightened Du Jingyi's body, and then said seriously.

"Madam, sit upright. I still have something to ask you, husband."

Du Jingyi raised his eyebrows, seemingly in disbelief.

"Ask me for advice? The general can just say whatever I want, but I will tell you everything I know."

“I just heard you and my father-in-law talking about the damage to the crops in the northern boundary. I want to ask, do you have any way to solve the disaster in this area?”

 “A disaster in one place?”

Shang Ji nodded, and Du Jingyi was silent for a while before asking. “General, are you talking about Cezhou?”

"Well, I have been in Cezhou for many years. I used to follow my grandfather in marching and fighting, and then I stood there on my own, so I have seen many people in Cezhou not having enough to eat in the coming year because of the damage to their crops in winter."

“We have also opened warehouses to provide disaster relief, but this is not a long-term solution. So if you can find a way to solve this problem for them, the people of Cezhou will be able to live a more stable life.”

 Hearing what Shang Ji said, Du Jingyi also said it quite seriously.

“My previous method was just to protect the Du family’s business. It’s not worth mentioning, but if you want to solve the plight of the people in Cezhou, I’m afraid it will be a little difficult.”

"However, please give me some time, general, and I will think about it. If you have someone who knows more about the people's livelihood in Cezhou, can you lend me a few days so that I can get some news?"

  She did not agree directly because she did not feel that she was so capable that she could truly solve a state's difficulties.

 But if you put more thought into it, you can always see some results.

Even if it can only reduce the loss, it will be a good thing for one party, so she is willing to give it a try.

Shang Ji felt relieved when he heard her straightforward answer, but he still said with relief.

"Ma'am, just try your best. If you don't succeed, don't blame yourself too much. Cezhou's difficulties don't just happen in one day or two. It's too close to Daijin and the surrounding countries, and there is always the possibility of war breaking out, so that's why It’s hard to do that.”

Hearing this, Du Jingyi nodded. He had a fleeting thought in his mind, but it was not mature enough, so he did not intend to say anything at the moment.

“General, don’t worry, I know the importance of this.”

"Um."

Shang Ji did not expect that he could become a "strategist" after eating a meal.

But since everything has been finalized, he will not delay.

On the second day, Luo Yuan was asked to find Lieutenant General Ni Yang from the Huben Army. Compared with Luo Yuan and Liu Xun, he looked not as strong.

 But at first glance, you can tell that he is a steady person. He is also holding a thick book in his hand, and you can't tell what it is.

“The last general, Ni Yang, has met the general and the young lady.”

 “Get up.”

"yes."

Shang Ji quickly introduced him to Du Jingyi.

“Ni Yang is one of the twelve deputy generals of the Huben Army. In addition to leading troops in battles, he also holds a concurrent post, that is, he is responsible for the pay and food of the Huben Army. Therefore, he is the one who has the most contact with the people of Cezhou.”

“If you have any questions, you can ask him. If you don’t say 100%, 80% or 90%, it should be no problem.”

Ni Yang also nodded after hearing this.

Although he didn't quite understand why the general asked him to report military affairs to the young lady, he would obey all the general's orders.

“Young madam, just open your mouth, the general will tell you everything you know, and you will tell him everything you want to say.”

"Vice General Ni is too polite. I won't talk nonsense. Do you have a list of the crops grown by the people in Cezhou? Approximately how many people in the state depend on the fields for their livelihood? In addition, what crops are most affected by disasters every year? , or what the disaster situation is like, tell me as much as you know."

When Ni Yang heard these questions, his face became a little more serious than before.

 Obviously he didn't expect the young lady to ask such a question, but he didn't mean to look down on the woman in the back house, so he thought about it for a while and said.

“Cezhou is a vast area with sparsely populated areas, and most of it is desert. There are not many fields that can be used for farming, and most of them use less water and more heat-resistant crops, mainly wheat and cotton. .”

"And as far as the general knows, the people in Cezhou do not have very good farmers, and there are no good ways to grow and harvest crops on weekdays. Therefore, as long as natural disasters affect the harvest, there will definitely be a bad harvest, and there may be no harvest in famine years. Better things He’s only a little older at that time.”

 (End of this chapter)