dognovel Chapter 107: The Temptation from the End of the World
Chapter 107: The Temptation from the End of the World
The news of building a school in Nanping Prefecture spread across the country like a gust of wind, and the officials in Jingzhao were even more eager to see Yan Wanwan make a fool of herself.
The emperor was so pleased with this that he even ate an extra bowl of rice than usual.
"Haha! Yan Wanwan is really arrogant. The people of Nanping Prefecture are not cut out for study. If it weren't for its proximity to Jingzhao, they would be labeled as barbarians."
Seeing that the emperor was so happy, Eunuch Wu also responded in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, the Minister of Revenue has arrived."
"Okay, let him in!"
The Minister of Revenue came this time mainly to discuss the price increase in several prefectures surrounding Nanping Prefecture.
The matter has now been properly handled, but Nanping Prefecture's procurement channels are not in these prefectures. Apart from Yan Wanwan's purchase of large quantities of chicks there, there have been no similar cases.
On the contrary, the people of these prefectures were complaining about rising prices. In Nanping Prefecture, Yan Wanwan's homemade feed, which allowed chicks to grow quickly and at a low price, captured a large market. Local residents flocked to Nanping Prefecture to purchase, leaving local vendors struggling to survive. They were now gathering at the government office to cause a disturbance.
Upon hearing this, the emperor's face turned pale, his good mood instantly fading. He shouted angrily, "Useless! You bunch of useless people! What else do they have besides chickens? Outsiders bought things in Nanping Prefecture, and the resale price is high. Add to that the travel expenses, how can the merchants not be able to continue their business?"
The Minister of Revenue hesitantly replied, "Your Majesty, that's because even if you resell them, the prices are still cheap. Besides chickens, not only are ducks, geese, and pigs cheap, but even grain is cheap, as are their cloth. Even the rouge and powder used by women are more exquisite than those used in Jingzhao. Their jewelry is even more exquisite. Even the ladies of Jingzhao go to Nanping Prefecture to purchase them."
With every word he spoke, the emperor's face darkened. "Where did she get this cheap stuff?"
The Minister of Revenue lowered his head even deeper, "No, I don't know."
"waste!"
The teacup slammed down in front of the Minister of Revenue. The Emperor paced angrily, muttering to himself, "A woman like Yan Wanwan certainly doesn't have such great abilities. It seems Qin Yu must have gotten this. They truly have ulterior motives."
Eunuch Wu and the Minister of Revenue pursed their lips tightly, not daring to speak. They listened as the Emperor, after venting his anger, finally said calmly, "Do you have any solution?"
"I believe that the increased prices should be reversed."
After he finished speaking, the Minister of Revenue broke out in sweat, feeling guilty. He lacked confidence and there was silence in the hall.
The emperor stared at him without saying a word, as if asking: Is this the good idea you gave me?
As the situation in Nanping Prefecture became increasingly tense, they had no choice but to use this method to resolve the current situation.
After all, Nanping Prefecture has restricted outsiders from purchasing. Can it still not allow the people of Nanping Prefecture to buy and then sell?
Even if they are the imperial court, they cannot stretch their hands so far. This is not just a simple business issue. Behind it is the emperor's helpless move after weighing the pros and cons.
Yan Wanwan was aware of the court's tricks, but she didn't care at all. She relied not on the court, but on the confidence she gave herself.
She firmly believed that she could achieve self-sufficiency in Nanping Prefecture, just as she had vigorously developed agriculture and commerce in Nanping Prefecture, making the economy of the entire prefecture gradually prosperous.
At this time, the Nanping Prefecture Academy welcomed its first batch of students. Those who were selected were jubilant, while those who were not selected were not discouraged. They studied hard at home, looking forward to the next opportunity to enter the academy.
Qin Miaoxi meticulously planned the school's curriculum. She personally participated in the curriculum design, prioritizing the Four Books and Five Classics and policy essays required for the Autumn Examination while also incorporating various life skills and agricultural knowledge. She understood that for ordinary people, simply mastering book knowledge was insufficient; what was more important was the ability to apply what they learned to real life.
This was a novel experience for those children who had never been to a school before. To make the curriculum more practical, Qin Miaoxi regularly invited professionals from various industries to teach. For example, blacksmiths were invited to teach students how to make farm tools, carpenters were invited to teach woodworking skills, and experienced businessmen were invited to share their business experiences.
After learning agricultural knowledge, some children also learned how to make simple farm tools and even applied this knowledge to their own farmland, and their harvests are much better than before.
Even the children of merchants learned how to identify goods, set prices and communicate with others in school, and ran their family shops successfully.
This immediate effect immediately attracted more people.
In order to enable students to practice better, Qin Miaoxi also encouraged the establishment of caravans.
Her support for the caravan was not only in terms of funds, but also in terms of policies. She not only lent the caravan money to run trade, but also required them to pay only a small tax each time.
This move has greatly promoted the economy of Nanping Prefecture, and also allowed the people to see more development opportunities and look forward to the future of Nanping Prefecture.
Later, whenever someone asked Qin Miaoxi about her original intention for running the free school, she would always smile and say, "I didn't want the people in my fiefdom to be ignorant women and children. Both men and women should master a skill. It's not wrong to be bad at studying. I believe everyone has their own unique talents, they just haven't been discovered yet. What I have to do is be that mentor."
Her words deeply moved everyone who heard them, and made more people willing to follow her and work for the development of Nanping Prefecture.
Of course, these are all things to follow.
At present, Yan Wanwan is fully researching the second stage of the antidote. After such a long period of research, she found that the corpse king poison cannot be detoxified in one go, and it requires at least three stages of gradual detoxification.
If taken all at once, it can dissolve the Corpse King poison, but her body cannot withstand the side effects of the medicine, and severe cases may even cause irreversible damage. It can only be completed in three stages.
At this moment, she has taken the first stage of the antidote, and most of the corpse king poison in her body has been eliminated, but the remaining ones are also the most stubborn, so she must not act rashly.
At this moment, she suddenly received a call for help from Siyan.
"Boss, do you have any food left? The supplies we can grab at the base are dwindling, and the zombies are becoming more active. We're really short on supplies. If you have any food or cold-resistant items, could you please send some over to us?"
After he finished speaking, the fat man's voice rang out beside him, "Yeah! Boss, we're so hungry now. If this continues, we won't be able to hold on any longer."
Yan Wanwan frowned. What was this voice?
"What's wrong with your voice, Fatty?"
[Boss, it's extremely cold here, and even my body can't handle it. I've caught a bad cold.]
As he spoke, the fat man coughed heavily twice.
Yan Wanwan was puzzled and looked through the plants, only to find that the person opposite her was not a fat man at all, but a stranger.
There was a sneer on her lips. She was testing me!