Chapter 610

Diao Chan and Dong Yi were riding in a carriage, heading toward the location of the farmland where Duan Yu was.

Inside the carriage, two pink and jade-like infants wrapped in swaddling clothes were sucking on their fingers.

Two maidservants were each holding one.

Diao Chan and Dong Yi, having recently become mothers, now possessed an increasingly mature feminine charm.

The two children were a boy and a girl.

Diao Chan had become pregnant a few days earlier than Dong Yi and had given birth a few days earlier as well, delivering a baby girl.

Duan Yu named his eldest daughter Duan Chen.

Dong Yi had given birth to a son, who was Duan Yu's eldest son.

Duan Yu named him Duan Mu.

Ever since he had this pair of children, Duan Yu had discovered a problem.

It was that the military generals and officials of the Liangzhou faction had suddenly become more cohesive around him.

Li Jue, Guo Si, Wang Fang, Li Meng, and Zhang Xiu—while they hadn't been exactly passive before, there had always been some lingering resentment after the incident with Dong Huang.

But after the birth of his eldest son, these people had become increasingly diligent.

As for why, Duan Yu naturally understood in his heart.

In terms of establishing the eldest and the legitimate heir, from any perspective, Duan Mu was the eldest son and also the legitimate son.

This meant that Duan Yu now had a continuation for the future.

A force, a faction, must have a succession to be stable.

It wasn't just Li Jue, Guo Si, and the others; even Li Ru, Hua Xiong, and the group under Zhang Ji in Longxi would often send people to deliver gifts.

Furthermore, the righteousness Dong Yi had shown in dealing with the affairs of Dong Huang and Niu Yaodi, along with her past capabilities, was enough to prove she had no selfish motives.

It was sufficient to play a role in ensuring the peace of Duan Yu's household.

It seemed Diao Chan had also accepted Dong Yi's leading position.

The carriage stopped after arriving at the edge of the field where Duan Yu was.

Dong Yi and Diao Chan stepped down from the carriage, each holding one of the children.

The maidservants followed, carrying two food boxes.

At this time, Duan Yu was still in the field, swinging a pickaxe and tilling the soil with great effort.

Standing around the edges of the field were guards holding swords.

"My Lord, it is noon, time to eat." Dong Yi called out to Duan Yu, who was tilling the field.

Duan Yu looked up, smiled, and set the hoe in his hand to the side.

"Didn't I say that the wind is strong outside, and that you should just let the maidservants bring the food?"

As he spoke, Duan Yu wiped his hands on his clothes and reached out to tease the pair of children held in the arms of Diao Chan and Dong Yi.

Two small hands reached out from the swaddling clothes, grabbing Duan Yu's fingers and giggling.

A heartfelt smile appeared on Duan Yu's face.

The maidservants placed the food boxes in front of him.

"Eat here?" Dong Yi asked, looking at Duan Yu. "Or go back to the carriage to eat?"

Duan Yu turned his head to look at the surrounding commoners busy in the fields, then called out to Tie Shitou nearby.

"Shitou, go and invite the few fellow villagers nearby to come over; tell them I've asked them to come and eat together."

Tie Shitou nodded quickly and walked toward the surrounding farmland.

"Let's eat right here." Duan Yu pointed to the ground. "Don't the commoners also eat right here in the fields?"

Dong Yi smiled helplessly and said, "What kind of Prefect tills the fields?"

Duan Yu waved his hand and said, "Take the children and go back first; the wind is strong outside, I will return tonight."

The two women nodded obediently and returned to the carriage.

Before long, Tie Shitou had invited the six or seven commoners who were tilling the nearby fields.

The commoners, dressed similarly to Duan Yu, looked somewhat restrained.

Duan Yu signaled Tie Shitou to take the food and dishes out of the boxes and set them on the ground.

Duan Yu sat down cross-legged directly on the ground.

"Sit, everyone sit; don't be restrained, just treat me like one of your own family." Duan Yu looked at the few commoners and said, "It's just a simple meal."

The few commoners looked at each other, then sat down around Duan Yu.

"Shitou, go and bring more rice."

"You've all been working all morning and must be tired. Also, let the guards go and eat as well," Duan Yu said.

Tie Shitou nodded and went to carry out the order.

Before long, large bowls of rice were brought over.

Duan Yu held a large bowl in his hands, sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding chopsticks in one hand, and said to the group with a smile, "Eat, everyone eat, don't be polite, just like you're in your own home."

Seeing that the others hadn't moved their chopsticks yet, Duan Yu set the example, picking up his bowl and chopsticks and beginning to eat heartily.

Seeing this, the few commoners relaxed a bit and began to eat with Duan Yu.

Duan Yu would also occasionally pick up food for them.

Among them was an old man over fifty, his hair already gray, his figure hunched—one look and it was clear he had spent years laboring in the fields.

"My Lord... for Liangzhou to have an official like you is a blessing for us commoners."

The few commoners sitting nearby also nodded in agreement.

Duan Yu smiled modestly and said, "Old man, I also started from humble beginnings."

"I know the suffering of the commoners of the world."

"Rest assured, old man, as long as I, Duan Yu, am in Liangzhou for one more day, I will ensure that all the commoners of Liangzhou have a bite to eat."

The old man nodded vigorously and said, "This old one believes, I believe that you, My Lord, are truly dedicated to the people... In this world, where else can one find an official of such high rank who still personally tills the fields and observes the will of the people?"

While eating, Duan Yu asked about the temperatures over the past few years, including the harvests in the fields and other conditions regarding farming.

Regarding these matters, if one asked officials, they would have their corresponding answers.

But they were definitely not as detailed as the answers from commoners who had labored in the fields for years.

The current temperature was in a period of volatility.

It was not a problem that could be solved by relying on diligence alone.

So Duan Yu was thinking of opening up another method.

He wanted to find a way to ensure that the commoners of Liangzhou could all have a bite to eat.

Only in this way, when bringing population into Liangzhou, could he stabilize the continuous growth of the Liangzhou population.

Through these few days of tilling the fields.

It was not without its gains.

The 【Seed Improvement】 entry for the farming category had already been upgraded.

It had upgraded to a brand-new entry called 【Favorable Weather】.

The effect of this entry was that the land under his governance could all enjoy favorable weather.

That is to say, as long as he was still in Hanyang Commandery, Hanyang Commandery could have favorable weather this year.

Escaping the disasters of natural temperatures.

Coupled with the seed improvement obtained in Jinyang last year, it could increase yields.

It was conceivable that this year's autumn harvest would definitely be a year of great abundance.

Just as Duan Yu was asking the few commoners about farming matters.

Jia Xu arrived on horseback.

"My Lord, news has come from Luoyang and Jizhou respectively."

"It is about the Way of Peace." ===== CHAPTER 612 =====