Chapter 1044: Chapter 257: Prince of Huangzhou, Chen 94
Below, the workers strive once again, finally reselecting and choosing fifty thousand outstanding individuals.
The selectors privately say that these people, with some training, can directly serve as regular soldiers.
Even among those eliminated, there are many talented individuals; unfortunately, they can’t be used.
Chen Jie has no choice; recruiting soldiers requires distributing food and salary, but there’s not enough money in hand.
Moreover, soldiers consume more food than ordinary civilians. With no choice, Chen Jie painfully cuts three thousand reservists.
However, he gives them a way to survive.
Chen Jie has two million stones of grain, enough for the entire Huangzhou Prefecture populace to eat and drink sufficiently for more than six months, or even a year’s ration if saved.
And in about six months, the summer grain will be harvested, and by then Huangzhou Prefecture will have enough to eat.
Therefore, Chen Jie has formulated a rigorous disaster relief plan.
The main focus of the plan is: work for relief!
That’s right, Chen Jie directly launched a comprehensive plan in Huangzhou Prefecture, including the construction of reservoirs in every town.
Reservoirs are beneficial, they can provide irrigation during drought years and store water during flood years, reducing frequent water disasters and sparing civilians from catastrophe.
Chen Jie calculates that if all reservoirs in Huangzhou Prefecture are completed.
It’s possible to at least double the yield of civilian grains and develop thirty thousand additional acres of farmland.
Previously, many wastelands without irrigation, now with reservoirs and water channels, can be irrigated.
Hence, using the reservoir as a focal point can radiate to solve irrigation issues over dozens of miles, sufficiently addressing a town’s grain problem.
The wastelands around the reservoirs also activate.
Moreover, reservoirs not only assist with civilian irrigation but also increase secondary industries, like fish farming; locals can raise ducks, enabling civilians to eat their own cultivated fish.
This is far more reliable than relying solely on the Mianshui River.
Apart from this series of plans, Chen Jie also massively expands factories among civilians, such as textile mills.
Thanks to his reformed Jenny Textile Machine, the streamlined cotton fabric production quality is excellent, directly boosting the fame of Mianshui cotton fabric.
Then there’s the market, and Shen Wansan.
Since Chen Jie directly manages Huangzhou Prefecture, he recognizes this brother Shen Wansan, who is also quite generous, enhancing support for Chen Jie’s Huangzhou Prefecture.
Chen Jie even directly confers Shen Wansan as a commercial envoy of Huangzhou Prefecture.
Though it’s an unofficial position, Shen Wansan works happily, saying his lifelong dream was to be an official, unfortunately, after entering commerce, becoming an official became difficult.
Chen Jie says: “You have money, why not buy one!”
Shen Wansan shakes his head: “Buying an official title is easy, but lacks real power; it’s better like now, being a commercial envoy, sounds official, while still conducting commerce.”
Seeing Shen Wansan like this, Chen Jie thinks, if this person is suitable, in the future, if he seizes the world, he can confer him as his commercial chief, overseeing commercial affairs, thus using talents and resources efficiently.
With Shen Wansan’s joining and his suggestions.
Chen Jie’s commercial development directly accelerates, besides cotton fabric, there’s food, white sugar, and other commercial outputs.
Due to these commercial advancements, Chen Jie’s Huangzhou Prefecture is thriving.
Therefore, Chen Jie also secretly starts iron ore extraction, beginning clandestine weapon manufacturing in Huangzhou Prefecture.
After all, rebellion is inevitable someday, thus preparations must be made.
With this series of activities, Chen Jie truly revitalizes Huangzhou Prefecture.
The entire Huangzhou Prefecture is prospering.
“Gang Leader, these are today’s official documents, I’ve organized them and listed suggestions for handling, please see if they are suitable.”
Early in the morning, after Chen Jie finishes breakfast, the Chen Residence’s head steward, Si Xi arrives.
Si Xi currently serves as the head steward of Chen Residence, additionally as the specialized Advisor of Garrison Commander.
He also has his Advisor office with over eighty people, supervising all aspects of Huangzhou Prefecture including finance, administration, taxation, judiciary.
Etc., a series of advisors.
The leader of these people, also called Secretary General by Chen Jie, is Si Xi.
Daily, heaps of official documents are sent to the Red Tile House, where eighty advisors conduct examinations and handling by category before summarizing for Si Xi.
Si Xi reviews each and finally submits the summary of comments to Chen Jie.
This greatly eases Chen Jie’s administrative burdens, otherwise, merely dealing with these affairs can be overwhelming, not to mention martial arts training and handling major world events.
Moreover, lately, Huang Wan’er is about to give birth, causing Chen Jie to be entangled in mundane matters.
To ease his own workload, Chen Jie forms his secretarial division, called the Red Tile House or Advisor office.
These advisors are his labor beasts, working from dawn until dusk tirelessly, Chen Jie instructs the kitchen to brew ginseng soup for them daily to rejuvenate their spirits.
Helping them restore energy.
Even so, Si Xi, this labor beast becomes pale and emaciated from exhaustion.
Chen Jie has no choice but to frequently provide strengthening elixirs.
Si Xi submits all yesterday’s affairs to Chen Jie.
Huangzhou Prefecture has a newly appointed Magistrate, as well as new Darugachi, and Assistant Magistrate.
Nominally, these officials are Chen Jie’s superiors, but now they’ve all been marginalized, each having to serve as labor beasts for Chen Jie.
The Magistrate generally can’t leave home, staying in his government under the arrangements of guards sent by Chen Jie, tending flowers and strolling birds.