freenovelworld Chapter 443 is not a solution!
Chapter 443 is not a solution!
Duanmu Chuze smiled gently, "Anuan, do we really have to dwell on this issue?"
Mu Xin Nuan was slightly taken aback, realizing that the two of them were actually quite close. She quickly shrank back and awkwardly cleared her throat, "Um, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just a little curious."
Duanmu Chuze smiled faintly and remained silent. After quickly finishing approving the other official documents, he called out to the outside world, and Zi Yi floated into the carriage like a ghost.
"Make sure they get it sent out as soon as possible."
"Yes, master."
Mu Xin Nuan was still very curious about Zi Yi, "His skills are amazing."
"I'm better than him, do you believe me?" Seeing the somewhat worshipful expression on his wife's face, Duanmu Chuze felt a pang of sadness for some reason.
Mu Xin Nuan glanced at him sideways, naturally believing his words without a doubt. In the past, when he broke into the Mu residence at night, he couldn't even show off his skills.
"Seriously, Aze, I think the conditions in Huayang County aren't very good in many ways. The wind and sand here are too strong, and the stones here are somewhat weathered, so they're not suitable for stone carving. What should we do?"
"Since we can't use the stones, we have to find another way. Most of the land here is sandy, and because it's a windy area, there are sandstorms for three out of the four seasons. Growing wheat or anything like that isn't practical either. This is also a major reason why Huayang County is so poor."
"Sandy land?" Mu Xin Nuan's eyelids twitched, as if she had thought of something.
"Well, because the wind and sand are strong here, and it gets especially cold in winter, so generally speaking, a lot of people here grow jujube trees. Also, in summer, the watermelons here are exceptionally sweet. But relying on just these few things, it's simply impossible for the people of Huayang County to have enough to eat."
Duanmu Chuze was somewhat worried. He had considered transporting some of the local fruit out of the area, especially the watermelons, which were exceptionally sweet. However, this was not the world he used to live in. If he transported the watermelons by horse-drawn carriage, they would rot before reaching a very far distance. Therefore, large-scale watermelon cultivation was not a viable solution.
Mu Xin Nuan suddenly smiled, "A Ze, what if we planted some medicinal herbs?"
"Medicinal herbs?" Duanmu Chuze was somewhat surprised. "I hadn't thought of that. To be honest, although I have some knowledge of medical theory, I really don't know much about the cultivation of these medicinal herbs."
"For example, sea buckthorn, ophiopogon japonicus, licorice, mint, etc., as long as it is drought-resistant and suitable for planting here, there will be no problem. Although the yield of medicinal herbs is not very high, the problem is that the price is high. Moreover, medicinal herbs are not afraid of spoiling over time. They can be sold fresh or dried at home before selling."
Duanmu Chuze's eyes lit up. "That makes sense! Ah Nuan, you really are my lucky star!"
He pulled Mu Xin Nuan into his arms, his emotions running high. "A Nuan is right. Since Huayang County is not suitable for growing grain, we will grow medicinal herbs. We can't let the people of Huayang County starve to death."
Mu Xin Nuan understood his excitement at this moment. After all, the people here were his subjects. Now that he had come up with a good solution, how could he not be excited?
"Aze, don't get excited. I still have something to say." Mu Xin Nuan struggled to get out of his arms, then said with a slightly flushed face, "At first, we should plant some varieties with short growth cycles, that is, those that don't need three to five years to mature. We should plant some simple ones, which are also cheaper, but this way we can harvest quickly and let the people see the effects first. Only then can we encourage them to plant all kinds of medicinal herbs together."
"Okay. Let's discuss this matter when we get back. Also, we still need to plant some trees that can prevent wind and sand on the outermost edge of Huayang County. However, this project is quite large, and it will take at least three to five years to see results. But once it reaches a certain scale, it will form a very strong windbreak on the outer edge of Huayang County, which will greatly improve the climate of Huayang County."
Mu Xin Nuan didn't understand these things, but judging from his expression, she believed that what he said must have made sense.
The journey ahead became quite rushed, and both of them were excited. Of course, they were even more excited to start collecting various kinds of information along the way, and they began a lot of preparation work.
Finally, back at the Chang Le Prince's Mansion, Mu Xin Nuan immediately asked Chun Yu to bring over all the books on medicinal herb cultivation that she had collected before.
Fortunately, the maids who were with her could read. Mu Xin Nuan and Rong Yue looked through the documents, and the other maids copied them down one by one.
"Your Highness, we have now identified more than a dozen medicinal herbs that can be grown in Huayang County."
Mu Xin Nuan shook her head, "It's not enough, there's still too much to go! Huayang County is so big, if we plant only a dozen or so kinds of medicinal herbs, I'm afraid it will affect the price. If the local people start to suppress each other, they will be the ones who suffer in the end."
Mu Xin Nuan glanced at the names of these medicinal herbs: Belamcanda chinensis, Atractylodes macrocephala, Adenophora stricta, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lycium barbarum, and so on. There were indeed nearly twenty kinds, but these were clearly far from enough. She had just read the geography records and found that, apart from Huayang County, there were several other counties in Yanzhou with a lot of sandy land. As a result, these dozen or so kinds of medicinal herbs seemed even less.
"Your Highness, please rest for a while. One cannot become fat in one bite. Rest for a while, and then take your time." Aunt Fang came in and handed over a cup of ginseng tea.
Mu Xin Nuan took the ginseng tea, her face showing signs of fatigue. "Aunt Fang, you have no idea how happy A Ze is! He finally found a way to govern Huayang County in the long term, so naturally he wants to get all these things ready as soon as possible so that they can be planted after the New Year. So many people in Huayang County are waiting to eat."
Rongyue put down the book as well. "Your Highness, isn't what we're doing now a bit too focused on medicinal herbs? If disasters strike other places as well, won't our food supply still be insufficient?"
Mu Xin Nuan frowned slightly; Rong Yue's words made sense.
Whether using stone carvings or medicinal herbs, the only way to buy grain is to sell them. However, if disaster strikes other places, the price of grain will inevitably rise, and the problem of food and clothing for the people will still remain unsolved.
This is not a long-term solution. It seems we still need to find a way to increase grain production in other parts of Yan, so that we won't be at the mercy of others.