Chapter 1417 – A Tremor in the Live Stream (Part Nine)
Huang Song looked utterly bewildered as he stared at Jiang Pengji, seemingly unable to wrap his head around what was going on in her mind.
He teased, “If you went to be a landlord, you’d definitely be the richest landlord around.”
Truly, she seemed like a great landlord who was sidetracked by dreams of world domination.
Although Huang Song thought Jiang Pengji’s plans were a bit naive and taken for granted, her ideas were worth advocating. If all went as she claimed, who knows how many common people could benefit and how many innocent lives could be spared from famine?
Jiang Pengji shot him a sideways glance. “Become a landlord? You make it sound like I’m not one already! I’m not living any more lavishly than a typical landlord! I’ve got a bunch of useless people down below, they can’t even farm—what are they even for?”
When those lords achieve a bit of success, who doesn’t indulge in beauties and relish power upon waking?
And her?
Heaven forbid! Jiang Pengji felt like her whole life was one of toil, stuck in a position of power but unable to enjoy the fruits of her labor.
Her anger simmered, leaving Huang Song speechless.
Farming… that was asking too much, after all, most scholars wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.
Feng Jue frowned slightly. “What Lord Lan Ting said was overly harsh and biased. As the saying goes, each has their own specialty. The people under Lord Lan Ting have their areas of expertise; it’s understandable that farming isn’t one of them. You should be looking for actual farmers.”
Jiang Pengji shook her head. “Feng Sanlang, you could be mistaken. Most of the people I’ve sent to manage the farmlands already have relevant experience and knowledge. Their failure lies not in lack of wisdom in their heads, but in their rigid thinking and inability to adapt. I know to consult agricultural texts, seek out the essentials of farming, and visit experienced old farmers for practical tips. Why don’t they do the same?”
In short, those managing the farms simply didn’t put their heart into it and focused instead on managing households and harvests. Jiang Pengji didn’t lack for people who could talk big; she needed folks who would earnestly focus on the fields.
With a chilly tone, Jiang Pengji remarked, “If they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be taking up space.”
Feng Jue refrained from arguing further; his current status made it unsuitable for him to meddle.
Huang Song stepped in to defuse any brewing tension between the two before they truly got riled up.
After Jiang Pengji had stayed for a couple of cups of tea, cooling her anger slightly, she finally left.
Once she was gone, Feng Jue said, “This Lord Lan Ting is quite interesting; he doesn’t resemble someone from a gentry background at all.”
Huang Song raised an eyebrow. “Is that a compliment, Huai Jian?”
Feng Jue replied, “Not really a praise or a criticism; let’s just say that people like Lord Lan Ting will certainly make life a lot easier for the common people.”
Huang Song added, “I recall… Huai Jian seems to have a classmate from a farmer’s background?”
Feng Jue asked, “So there is such a classmate, but… does Bo Gao want you to introduce him?”
Huang Song said, “If a good connection can be made, that’s certainly not a bad thing.”
Feng Jue noted, “Now that I think about it, I haven’t been in touch for years; I wonder where he’s ended up.”
The farmers venerate Shennong as their ancestor, advocating for agriculture, which centers on agricultural production and farmers’ thoughts as their mainstream ideology.
However, the situation for farmers has been quite grim, even worse than the Moists; the Moists at least continue to survive, rustling up a few loyalists, while the farmer’s school has had no whispers in years, so one can hardly say they’re thriving. Who knows if they can even find a successor to continue the farmer’s legacy?
Jiang Pengji sauntered back to her residence, stopping to pick up a street snack along the way.
At this moment, five hundred thousand idle viewers were showering her with advice, recommending all sorts of manure and farming techniques.
Jiang Pengji looked on seriously, jotting everything down while munching on snacks, swaying her way back home.
Ding! A private message chimed in, and she glanced over—it was a message from the Old Commander.
Your Dad: Why make this so complicated?
“A saying goes, it’s better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish,” she replied, “I know I could go through the backdoor and ask the Old Commander to help buy fertilizer, but that’s not a long-term solution. Using fertilizer that’s hundreds of years ahead of this era may yield quick benefits, but in the long run, it stifles the potential for agricultural development in this era. Moreover, the Old Commander can’t keep buying for me, right?”
Your Dad: Indeed, pulling up seedlings to help them grow will crush future possibilities. You’re quite thoughtful.
Jiang Pengji responded, “If I’m the leader, I must take responsibility for my people after all.”
After all, what she needed wasn’t short-term effects but long-term development.
Having spent ten years in this world and invested countless efforts, she naturally wished for everything to prosper.
Liu Xi was just an ordinary person; no matter how long she lived, her days were limited. She hoped that after she was gone, everything could still head in the best direction.
Your Dad: With such awareness, you’ve truly grown quite a bit.
When Jiang Pengji first took command of the Seventh Legion, she received plenty of complaints from her old subordinates.
“Weren’t you full of youthful vigor back then?” Jiang Pengji awkwardly cleared her throat, “Old Commander, let’s not dig up my past now.”
With Jiang Pengji’s “plea for mercy,” the Old Commander “showed mercy” and refrained from probing further.
“Someone, call Xiaoyu over; tell him I have important matters to discuss.”
Jiang Pengji needed to establish public toilets or livestock farms, which required budget allocations, so of course, she’d need to consult the Steward about the ledgers.
Xu Ke rushed over, ready to pay his respects, but Jiang Pengji stopped him. “No need for all that formalities, Xiaoyu. Let’s get down to business. I want to set up public toilets and livestock farms specifically for raising cattle, sheep, pigs, and such. Have people draft up a plan and see how much capital will be necessary.”
Jiang Pengji was direct, while Xu Ke looked completely dumbfounded.
What on earth was establishing a livestock farm and… that other thing, a public toilet, all about?
Jiang Pengji explained her goals in detail, and Xu Ke’s bewildered expression gradually shifted to seriousness.
“Leader, it’s hard to say what the costs will be…”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
Xu Ke elaborated, “What size and shape will the public toilets be? What scale will the livestock farms be? How many animals will you raise, and how many workers will be needed?”
He needed all this information to estimate costs!
Jiang Pengji scratched her head. “Um… I haven’t decided on that yet; I’ll think about it tonight and let you know tomorrow?”
She was used to being the hands-off boss who only had to give orders, but that wasn’t going to fly now.
Xu Ke said, “There’s no rush; we have plenty of time.”
Jiang Pengji rested her chin on her hand. “We can’t afford to wait; if this isn’t settled soon, it’ll weigh on my mind.”
If they couldn’t get this in place before the spring plowing next year, the harvest would be affected. How could she not worry?
Meanwhile, after returning home, Feng Jue hesitated for a long time but ultimately made up his mind.
