Chapter 185: Chapter 185
Chapter 185
The situation in the Bai Region was now entering a critical phase. Only one month had passed since Mu Heng and Yueqian arrived in Red Earth City, and the outbreak of a deadly disease had spread throughout the area. Not only were the nearby cities struggling to cope with the crisis, but even the farther cities were affected.
Fortunately, all the resources that Mu Heng arranged to be sent had arrived in Red Earth City. Otherwise, if delayed any further, the transportation of those herbs would have surely been halted.
This time, Yueqian wasn’t in a rush to use the herbs. The residents of Red Earth City and the majority of people who wanted to move there had already received the first bottle of medicine. The second bottle could be spaced out for 4 weeks or 28 days, and the third bottle for another 28 days. This meant she had one to two months’ time to prepare these medicines.
It seemed like Yueqian was plotting as a villain this time. She didn’t inform the authorities that the herbs hadn’t been used yet. Instead, she had Mu Heng lie to the authorities, claiming that the herbs had been quickly used to make medicine. Thus, they weren’t seized as a share.
"The authorities sent people to inquire about the herbs. They want to take some back. This type of detoxifying herb is in high demand now, even the capital needs to stockpile them," Mu Heng said.
The couple was sitting together in their study. Yueqian was busy drafting manuscripts copied from popular novels of her era. Money was still essential for her, despite using only a portion of it so far. Her habit was like that of a squirrel, wanting to hoard as much as possible before feeling comfortable spending it.
On this trip to Red Earth City, Yueqian had spent a lot of her personal funds to buy land and improve the city’s infrastructure. Mu Heng had also exhausted his money. Therefore, to replenish their funds, she expected to write two to three novels.
Meanwhile, Mu Heng was focused on the administration of Red Earth City. He often discussed the current situation with his beautiful wife, and Yueqian would offer helpful suggestions in return. Instead of bearing the burden of work alone, Mu Heng had Yueqian’s assistance.
"Not long from now, I think this disease will spread everywhere," Yueqian paused her work and looked up at her tense husband.
"The Bai Region, could it perhaps be nearing its end?..." Mu Heng thought pessimistically. He wasn’t sure if bringing his beautiful wife to this Region was ultimately a good or bad decision.
The Bai Region was not like other Regions, which had an abundance of herbs. Their territory was full of forests and mountains, with a rather harsh environment. If it were the Du Region, there would be no worries about herbs, as every area and village was ready to cultivate and supply herbs to the capital.
"It won’t be that bad. At worst, they’ll have to negotiate to buy herbs from neighboring Regions or go to the Hu Region to purchase them," Yueqian shook her head. It wasn’t that a Region this large had not faced dire situations like this before. Moreover, there was a cure for this disease; it wasn’t a disease that killed instantly. Eventually, they would find a way out, though it might come at a cost.
Mu Heng nodded in understanding. However, the idea of the Bai Region lowering its status to seek help from other Regions, even the Du Region, wasn’t appealing to him. If the Bai Region did that, its status as a major city would gradually diminish.
Wouldn’t their combat power decrease compared to the Du Region?
"But stocking up so many herbs like this, we might be seen as villains," Mu Heng thought for a moment before speaking. He wasn’t afraid of death, and the stockpiling was beneficial for the people of Red Earth City. However, if the capital got wind of it, wouldn’t they come after him and his wife, leading to their downfall?
In the worst case, some nobles might accuse them of hoarding to sell at higher prices, which would cause trouble even for the Wang who had appointed him.
Yueqian shook her head, understanding Mu Heng’s concerns. However, she had her own plans.
"They won’t blame us. In fact, they might even thank us for our help. Red Earth City will become a new herbal hub. Since we can’t grow vegetables and trees well, why not cultivate herbs for sale?" When Mu Heng heard this, he felt an urge to laugh.
It seemed like his wife really wanted to make a joke. If anyone else had said such a thing, it would surely be laughable. Turning the driest and most barren city in the Bai Region into a city of herbs? How could that be possible?! If not a joke, what else could it be?
However, for Mu Heng, he found it genuinely amusing, but not because he thought she couldn’t do it. Rather, he was amused at the thought of the faces of those who dared to look down on Red Earth City, which he was tasked with managing!
Those people, even now, used dirty tactics like heavily pressuring the people of Red Earth City. As long as someone was from Red Earth City, they would receive no help from outside, whether it be food or clothing. They refused to sell anything to them. Moreover, they collectively cursed all the residents, calling them heartless and accusing them of spreading disease and refusing to give them medicine.
It was all because the powers in other cities devised this plan. They themselves did not want to be taken advantage of and did not want to negotiate terms for an exchange, because they wanted to show their power that they could pressure Red Earth City. So, they made their own people suffer the consequences.
Mu Heng didn’t reveal their true capabilities too soon because he wanted those people to worry and suffer even more until they realized that Red Earth City no longer needed them. Including the surprise that Yueqian was about to give them!
Did they think Red Earth City couldn’t survive without the support of the surrounding big cities for food? Well, here it was—Yueqian had found a new method of cultivation, providing the people of Red Earth City with plenty of vegetables to eat. They were even planning to breed black rabbits that fed on common grass and certain vegetables. Next, they’d have both meat and vegetables!
If they thought Red Earth City was easy to manage, let them see the herbs being grown next!
"When do you plan to start? How many people do you need? I can have soldiers help out," Mu Heng didn’t question or doubt whether Yueqian could do it. His first question was whether she needed his help for this operation.
Yueqian thought for a moment. Although she had soaked the herbs in dew for two nights with root-accelerating fertilizer, causing some roots to sprout, these were herbs that had never been cultivated in her world. She didn’t know how to care for or fertilize them properly. So, they had to set up an experimental plot.
Ah... perhaps that would be necessary.
"Dear, I want to establish an agricultural research institute. Could you please recruit villagers to work there for 1-2 years and also assign 50 soldiers to help divide the cultivation plots? Since we don’t know which cultivation method will yield the best results, I need to divide the area into five plots and use different fertilizer and medicine formulas to observe the outcomes," Yueqian explained her needs.
Although this approach might result in some of the herbs being damaged, it was still better than using all the herbs in a single cultivation method, which could result in losing them all.
"I’ll take care of it tomorrow," Mu Heng nodded, adding a to-do list to his book. Tomorrow, during the meeting with the heads of various units, he would discuss this and make arrangements as quickly as possible.
Thus, the agricultural research institute was established in this manner...
The next morning, Yueqian’s request was never denied. She prepared breakfast for the household as usual, preferring to do this herself without anyone else’s interference. So, the household members—herself, Mu Heng, Xiao Long, Huan’er, Qu Yi, and Mu Heng’s master—ate the food she made, though at separate tables.
After breakfast, everyone went about their tasks. Even the two children had to be with the housemaids for processing goods to be stored for a long time. Qu Yi still had to teach villagers and develop her skills until she could be sent to a major city to sell valuable items and generate income for her mistress.
Mu Heng had already finished his early morning meeting before joining for breakfast. Today, he had to survey maps, new construction routes, all the villages for resource allocation, and inspect the completion of the wooden fence.
As for Yueqian, she stayed in the city, as she had significant tasks to accomplish today.
"Are you the head of this agricultural research institute? Please state your name," Yueqian called to the person with a red mark on their right arm. This mark was to let her know on the first day that he was in charge, verified by the signatures of everyone in the unit.
"Yes. My name is “Chan Gui,” Governor’s Furen." The middle-aged man introduced himself. He was large and dark-skinned, clearly someone who had truly worked hard.
Yueqian didn’t mind his appearance. As long as he was diligent and communicated well, she was willing to teach him to become a true head of the research institute.
"Your first task is to build the research institute’s facility. You will be given 100 rai of land for experimenting with various crops. The first project will be to cultivate rare herbs essential for making the medicine to treat this epidemic. These are the ’Ming Fa’ plants I have soaked in water," Yueqian signaled the soldiers to bring over the water barrels filled with numerous seedlings for them to see.
"As you know, this herb is extremely scarce and difficult to find. Even the capital is in dire need of it under these circumstances. Therefore, this should be an opportunity for Red Earth City to demonstrate its importance to the capital, which often considers us worthless and incapable of producing anything valuable. Sometimes, they even abandon our Red Earth City. However, after this, their perception will change..." Yueqian said earnestly.
"What do you think will happen if, while the Bai Region is in dire need of Ming Fa herbs, Red Earth City manages to grow it continuously and supply it in large quantities?"
"What will happen if, throughout the Bai Region, everyone is stricken by the epidemic and needs the medicine, and only Red Earth City can produce it in sufficient quantities?"
"Do you think they will still view Red Earth City as a beggar city, or will they see it as a city of hope?"
"Haven’t you already seen this situation? You’ve seen how people from other cities who used to look down on you—how many of them now dare to frown at you? Isn’t it true that many of them now wish to move to Red Earth City just like you?" As Yueqian spoke, the faces of the Red Earth City residents turned red.
Throughout their lives, even their ancestors, even fools knew how people from other places viewed them.
Did the Governor’s furen call them beggars?
No, she did not.
They didn’t see the citizens as mere beggars; they saw them as garbage! Garbage that they could vent their frustrations on, laugh at, and mock. Every time they went to other cities to buy food, those people would practically give them scraps left over from what the dogs ate.And now, what was the Governor’s furen talking about? The hope of changing their lives forever?
