Chapter 1171

Originally, Hanyang Commandery was the seat of Liangzhou, and Jixian was the seat of Hanyang Commandery, with a large population.

But ever since Duan Yu took office in Liangzhou, after two years of changes, Jixian was no less prosperous than Jizhou, Yanzhou, or Yuzhou.

Especially after a million refugees entered Liangzhou last year, it greatly increased the population of Liangzhou.

And as the center of the entire Liangzhou, and the center of the Duan Yu group, there was no doubt that Jixian was the most prosperous.

Last winter was not as cold as in previous years; there was a warmth that had never been felt before.

There were no blizzards, nor were there any sudden changes in the weather.

Coupled with the new policies promulgated by Duan Yu, the order between villages and stations, and the fact that minor officials like the Three Elders and the Station Chiefs had to strictly register the needy households in their areas, ensuring that no one would freeze to death in winter, meant that not a single person froze to death in the entire Jixian throughout the winter.

And with the arrival of spring, the gentle, silent spring rain nourished the earth, and the accurate season and warm spring breeze melted the frozen soil of winter.

The villages and stations, using the production team model, began to use the plows developed in winter, hitching them to oxen to start plowing the fields.

During the winter, under Duan Yu's guidance, Zao Zhi had upgraded the military-agricultural colonies to version 2.0.

It was just that it was still in the experimental stage.

Zao Zhi, following Duan Yu's idea of centralized land cultivation, began to build farming cooperatives under the villages and stations.

The farming cooperatives had the latest agricultural tools developed in Liangzhou, as well as the oxen for a whole township.

When spring plowing or autumn harvesting began, the farming cooperatives would provide the oxen and tools uniformly, and then cultivate the farmland in large swathes.

And during their leisure time, they would reclaim wasteland, with work points calculated separately.

The commoners, peddlers, and merchants from other places made Jixian as prosperous as a large city in the Central Plains.

The faces of the commoners were filled with happy smiles.

They were full of expectations for their future lives.

Nowadays in Jixian, in Hanyang Commandery, and even in the entire Liangzhou, no one dared to say a bad word about Duan Yu.

To describe it as the will of the people would not be an exaggeration.

And it wasn't just the locals of Liangzhou and the refugees who migrated to Liangzhou last year who said so.

Even the surrounding Western Qiang and the surrendered Eastern Qiang were the same.

Ever since Liangzhou began to promote mulberry planting and silkworm raising, most of the Qiang people had abandoned their fishing and hunting lifestyles.

They began to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms.

And Duan Yu had never broken his promise.

When the Qiang people planted mulberry trees and raised silkworms, he would collect them at the agreed price, and he never fell behind on payments.

Coupled with the bumper grain harvest in Liangzhou last year, the price of grain was extremely low; the millet that used to cost 400 coins per shi now only cost 200 coins in Liangzhou.

With cheaper grain prices, all other prices followed suit and were adjusted accordingly.

But the money the Qiang people earned from selling grain did not decrease.

Without having to herd, without having to fish or hunt, they could eat their fill and wear warm clothes, just by staying in one place to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms—why wouldn't they be happy to do so?

Thus, during the winter, many more Qiang tribes found Duan Yu through the Old King of the White Horse Qiang, hoping to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms.

Duan Yu naturally did not refuse; he agreed to all of them and provided silkworm seeds and tree seeds, and they would be able to harvest after this autumn.

Besides grain, Liangzhou now also had silk, snow salt, white paper, and items like soap and honey locust pods developed by the Commercial Department according to Duan Yu's descriptions, all of which had become best-sellers.

Because of this, a large number of merchants were attracted.

Some came from Jizhou, Hanzhong, Bingzhou, and the Sili Colonel Department.

Some goods were also transported from Liangzhou to Bingzhou, and then transported by Jia Dong in Bingzhou to Jizhou, to be sold in Jizhou and Youzhou.

Almost every day, large amounts of money were transported from all over to Liangzhou.

As the weather grew warmer, the back residence of the Provincial Governor's mansion became increasingly vibrant.

Dong Yi, Diao Chan, Su He, Zhen Jiang, the Bian clan, the Loulan Princess Andiluoqie, and the Princess of Yangdi, Liu Xiu, who had been married to Duan Yu not long ago and left in the back residence, were all gathering in the garden, where tender green buds were emerging.

Little Duan Mu and little Duan Chen, who were already two years old and could walk unsteadily, were walking back and forth in the garden, supported by maids, babbling.

Dong Yi sat in the main seat, while Diao Chan and the Princess of Yangdi, Liu Xiu, sat on the left and right sides of Dong Yi.

As the saying goes, a mother is honored by her son.

Although there was no distinction between the main wife and others in Duan Yu's back residence, it was clear that Dong Yi, as the mother of Duan Yu's eldest legitimate son, now held a transcendent status in the back residence.

Although Diao Chan had been with Duan Yu the longest, and her relatives and fellow villagers like Liu Bai Tu and Chen Qing'an all held high positions, Diao Chan currently only had a daughter.

Perhaps if she had a son in the future, she might have some competitiveness, but for now, her ranking remained firmly behind Dong Yi.

And although the Princess of Yangdi, Liu Xiu, was a princess, for now, her status was the most awkward one.

Just as the women were chatting and laughing in the garden, a young girl with her hands at her waist came to Dong Yi's side with small, quick steps, and then bowed and said:

"My Lady, a group of people has come outside the mansion, saying they want to see the Master. Those people say they are the Master's old friends, and they have come carrying a coffin, all wearing mourning clothes."

Hmm?

Dong Yi furrowed her delicate brows.

Carrying a coffin and wearing mourning clothes.

And they were her husband's old friends?

It wasn't just Dong Yi who heard it; the women around her heard it too.

"You go and send someone to notify Governor Yang first."

"I will go over immediately!" ===== CHAPTER 1173 =====