Chapter 1494: Chapter 1494: Sudden Enlightenment
Three days later, Zhulan was busy organizing the newly acquired estate. Fortunately, the Wen family didn’t strip everything away—there was still a house and fifty acres of farmland left. Zhulan planned to use this estate for farming and animal husbandry.
Just as she was giving orders, Steward Ding came running in. "Madam, the Princely Heir and Young Master Ming Hui have returned."
Zhulan immediately stood up. "Oh, Chang Li hasn’t written back for quite a while. I’ve been worrying in my heart. Quickly, prepare tea and refreshments—their journey must have been exhausting."
Steward Ding hurried away to make arrangements, while Lady Li had already bolted out of the door.
Halfway to the gate, Lady Li caught sight of her son. Tears began to flow down her face. "Oh, my dear Ming Hui! How did you become so thin? It breaks your mother’s heart!"
She wasn’t concerned about her husband—her heart was entirely focused on her son, whom she had raised. Her son had lost a lot of weight; it was clear he’d endured considerable hardship.
Eldest Zhou inwardly hoped his wife would ignore him. Because of his son’s illness, he had refrained from writing home, fearing any news might let something slip.
Lady Li clutched her son tightly, her hands running over his thin frame. The more she felt, the more her heart ached. "You’re never going anywhere with your father again! He’s so reckless—boohoohoo!"
Ming Hui’s eyes reddened too. He was finally home. He missed the delicious food at home and his soft pillows. "Mother, I want to nourish myself back to health for a while before returning to the Academy."
Lady Li was about to agree but then hesitated, "You’ll need to ask your grandmother about this."
She never interfered in matters concerning her children’s education.
Hearing this, Ming Hui’s eyes grew even redder. "I’ll go ask Grandmother."
Eldest Zhou had already gone ahead to the main courtyard. Zhulan’s gaze swept past her son. "Where’s Ming Hui?"
Where was her spoiled grandson?
Eldest Zhou, "..."
Fine, even the family couldn’t take it lightly with their pampered son.
Hearing his grandmother’s voice, Ming Hui rushed into the room and lunged at her. "Grandmother, I missed you so much!"
Lady Li choked on her tears. "Mother, just look at how thin Ming Hui has gotten. It’s breaking my heart!"
Zhulan ran her hand over the boy—he was indeed much thinner. "Why have you lost so much weight?"
Ming Hui sniffled. "Grandmother, I got sick. But don’t worry, I’ve already recovered."
Zhulan’s heart ached. "You’re home now; we’ll take good care of you and help you regain your strength."
Lifting his head slightly, Ming Hui said, "Grandmother, I’d like to stay at home to rest and recover for a while before returning to the Academy."
Zhulan raised her eyebrows and tapped her grandson lightly on the forehead. "Alright, rest at home for ten days before going back to the Academy."
Ming Hui’s face broke into a wide smile as he lifted his head. "Thank you, Grandmother!"
Zhulan smiled as well. This boy truly liked to enjoy life—he had really suffered this time. "Now sit down and tell me about what you experienced on this journey."
Ming Hui sighed. "This time, while accompanying Father on official business, I’ve seen too much darkness—just too much."
Being from a good family, he had never been naive. He was aware of the world’s ugliness, but the suffering of those at the very bottom weighed heavily on his heart.
Zhulan gently stroked Ming Hui’s head. "Going out has made you grow up."
Ming Hui nodded. "Mm."
Yu Die and a few others were nearby and gathered around Ming Hui. They, too, had witnessed much darkness recently and began recounting what had happened at home. Ming Hui listened in wide-eyed shock.
Eldest Zhou was equally stunned. "Mother, did you really take charge and establish an orphanage for the people?"
Zhulan’s smile carried not even a hint of restraint. "Mm, there’s no need to make such a big fuss about it."
Eldest Zhou needed a moment to process this news. How long had he been gone? His mother was truly incredible. "Mother, I’m so proud of you."
"After you’ve rested for a few days, take your wife to visit the orphanage and see if there’s anything that needs improvement."
Eldest Zhou quickly waved his hands. "Mother, it should be me learning from you."
Zhulan continued, "Last night, your father was still asking about you. After you rest a bit, you’ll need to meet with the Emperor—he’s waiting for your report!"
Eldest Zhou let out a sound of surprise. "Report?"
"Of course. After completing your official duties, it’s only natural to report back. What’s so surprising about that? Write down your observations and insights in a Zhezi and use it for your report."
Eldest Zhou, "..."
Did this mean he would have to meet the Emperor alone? And provide a report?
At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren was reviewing a roster. "So many criminals?"
The Crown Prince nodded. "Indeed, this is just from a few regions near the capital. The grain shortage has caused instability. On top of that, wartime chaos last year gave rise to many people taking advantage to profit. Many have been apprehended."
Zhou Shuren remarked, "They are indeed a valuable labor force."
The Crown Prince sighed. "Extraordinary times call for harsh measures. Recently, Zhezi reports from various regions have shown a significant increase in crime. Father intends to impose severe punishments and execute some to shock people back to their senses."
Zhou Shuren felt a heavy weight pressing on his heart. In a vast realm with poor information flow, low grain yields, unrelenting population growth, and deeply ingrained ignorance, he often felt powerless. Change wasn’t something he could achieve alone.
"The root issue lies in grain. The people can’t fill their bellies."
Over the past two years, the Crown Prince had matured rapidly. Even as he lay down to sleep, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of grain. "If only we could achieve higher grain yields."
Zhou Shuren thought to himself that dreaming might be quicker to achieve. "Thankfully, the ocean’s abundant fish stocks have saved many lives."
The Crown Prince’s tone lightened a little. "Indeed. To improve fishing, even the fishing nets have been revised."
Zhou Shuren allowed a faint smile to appear on his face. Sometimes people truly needed to be pushed to their limits. To enhance fishing capabilities, shipyards had built specialized fishing vessels, and even fishing nets had been improved.
Zhou Shuren added, "And then there’s winter clothing. Cotton yields are too low; we’ll need to think of a solution for that as well."
The number of people who froze to death last winter had been shocking, especially among the elderly and children.
The Crown Prince furrowed his brows again. "Newly cultivated land should still prioritize growing grain."
Zhou Shuren felt a quiet sense of pride in his accomplishments. Climbing to his current position, he had been able to offer advice to the Emperor and enact much change already. If he hadn’t kept the market prices in check, the entire system would’ve been thrown into chaos long ago.
The Crown Prince added, "Recently, ambassadors from other nations arriving in the capital have been seeking assistance, with grain being their primary request. Things are tough everywhere!"
Zhou Shuren remembered the Emperor mentioning this multiple times. It wasn’t just tough—the situation was dire. Some countries had even tried mimicking the production of fish cakes, but lacking advanced shipbuilding techniques, they couldn’t meet demand. Fish cakes had instead become a luxury food enjoyed only by the rich and powerful.
The Emperor had also mentioned that people from neighboring countries were attempting to cross the borders in hopes of settling here. They were now being held at the border.
Zhou Shuren refrained from asking the Crown Prince about the Emperor’s stance. The Emperor had confided in him several times, asking if he had any ideas. He didn’t want to speak further, but now that the Crown Prince had brought it up, it was clear they were hoping to hear more of his thoughts again.
Zhou Shuren wore a deeply troubled expression. "Indeed, with this erratic weather, no one is faring well. This year’s spring planting will be delayed again, and the Retired Emperor’s high-yield crop varieties are far too scarce to resolve the problem."
Last year, the Retired Emperor had left behind some high-yielding crop seeds that did produce better yields than before. However, the supply of seeds was far too limited. On top of that, the seeds needed further refinement, so they were unable to alleviate the broader issue.
The Crown Prince fell silent. Over the past several weeks, he had spent much time at the Ministry of Revenue—not just at his father’s behest but also out of his own desire to listen to Marquis Zhou’s insights. Sometimes, a casual remark from Zhou Shuren could spark a moment of inspiration. What the Crown Prince wanted most, however, was to hear Zhou Shuren’s perspective on the affairs of the various nations.