nucmednet Chapter 432 Bumper Harvest in Various Regions of the Great Qin
Chapter 432 Bumper Harvest in Various Regions of the Great Qin
His eyes shone with sincerity as he spoke, making the woman unconsciously believe every word he said. But reason quickly prevailed—could there really be such a good person in the world?
“Mr. Cheng…” Liu Xiaohe hesitated before addressing him, “Do you really do all this without expecting anything in return?”
Cheng Mingyuan pondered for a moment: "It's not entirely accurate to say I'm asking for nothing in return. Seeing disaster victims have food, the sick receive medical treatment, and children learn to write—that joy itself is a reward. And as I just said, it's also a form of self-improvement."
He pulled a small booklet from his pocket and opened it to a page: "For example, I used to be a bookworm, completely weak. While participating in disaster relief, I learned to set up tents, start fires, and cook; while helping out at the clinic, I learned about dozens of medicinal herbs; and while teaching children to read, my own knowledge also increased considerably."
The woman took the booklet and saw that it was filled with various pieces of knowledge and insights, written in neat and strong handwriting. Although she didn't know many characters, she could still feel the care and attention the writer had put into it.
“That sounds…good.” she said softly, handing the booklet back to Cheng Mingyuan.
Cheng Mingyuan slowly closed the booklet in his hand, then stood up. He glanced at everyone present, cleared his throat, and said, "Today, I am here mainly to encourage everyone to participate in the entrance examinations for the three colleges: Daqin Academy, Daqin Women's Academy, and Daqin Medical College."
His voice was loud and clear, causing a slight commotion in the crowd. Then, he added with a smile, "If anyone is interested in these three colleges and wants to register for the entrance exams, you can come to me to get an application form."
Before he finished speaking, two women quickly stepped forward, smiling and with anticipation and excitement in their eyes. Upon reaching Cheng Mingyuan, they politely thanked him and carefully took two registration forms from his hands.
After receiving the forms, the two women thanked Cheng Mingyuan again, then turned and left with light steps, as if they couldn't wait to fill out the forms and register for the entrance exam.
Following the actions of the two women, others began to follow suit. In no time, the stack of application forms in Cheng Mingyuan's hand was completely sold out, with everyone enthusiastically coming to collect their forms, hoping for a chance to study at these three renowned colleges.
Looking at the empty registration form in his hand, Cheng Mingyuan smiled with satisfaction. He bowed to the crowd and said loudly, "Everyone, if you encounter any problems during the registration process, or if you need any other assistance, you can come to the Volunteer Association in the west of the city to find me. I will do my best to help you."
After speaking, he bowed to the crowd again, then turned and slowly left, leaving behind a group of people full of hope and expectation.
As Zhao Laoliu watched this scene, his daughter's face suddenly appeared before his eyes—if she were still alive, she could probably take the entrance exams for these three academies! A surge of emotion welled up in his heart, and he turned around, squeezed through the crowd, and walked towards the city gate.
As he ran around the street corner, he nearly bumped into a richly dressed old man. The man was followed by several servants, who were looking grimly in the direction of the county school.
"...Outrageous! A girl attending school? What kind of decorum is this!" the old man roared. "I'll write to my uncle in Xianyang right now; this chaotic order that violates ancestral rules must be..."
"Master, watch your words!" a servant hurriedly interrupted. "Have you forgotten how Prefect Zheng fell from grace?"
The old man's expression changed, and he turned and left. Zhao Laoliu stood there, suddenly realizing how much resistance the new policy would face. But he also understood that for those women and that dirty-faced boy, this was their only chance to change their fate.
Outside the city gate, the outline of the distant village was already faintly visible, and a wisp of smoke was rising, like the hope of this new era, slowly rising into the sky of the Great Qin.
Meanwhile, within the Xianyang Palace, an even more profound transformation was brewing.
"Your Majesty, this is the draft of the 'Official Performance Evaluation Law' jointly prepared by your minister and the Minister of State Affairs." Feng Quji presented several sheets of paper filled with writing. "From now on, the promotion of officials will no longer be based solely on seniority, but will be assessed on actual performance such as the effectiveness of the new policies, the tax collection rate in their jurisdiction, and the case closure rate."
The King of Qin carefully read the draft, then suddenly asked, "How will the vacancies filled by those dismissed prefects and magistrates?"
"I was just about to report," Feng Quji said, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "As per Your Majesty's previous instructions, I have selected some young officials from various prefectures. Some come from humble backgrounds but possess outstanding talent, while others are scions of noble families and are of impeccable character."
"Excellent!" The King of Qin slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet. "Let's start with this group of newcomers and let the world know that in Qin, official positions are held by those with talent!"
A month later, when Zhao Laoliu came to the county judicial department to collect the judgment documents again, he discovered that the presiding judge was actually a young man in his early twenties.
"Sir, your land boundary dispute has been investigated and clarified." The young judge's tone was calm but authoritative. "The two-tenths of an acre of land seized by Wang Wu from the neighboring village must be returned. The county will send someone to supervise the enforcement."
Holding the judgment document stamped with the bright red official seal, Zhao Laoliu's hands trembled. In his fifty years of life, this was the first time he had felt the weight of the word "justice."
As Zhao Laoliu walked out of the government office, a light rain began to fall. Instead of seeking shelter, he stood in the square in front of the county government office, looking up at the newly hung plaque—the four gilded characters "People First" shone brightly in the rain.
He knew that the transformation sweeping across the Qin Dynasty had succeeded.
With the implementation of a series of reforms in the Qin Dynasty, the autumn harvest was over. The autumn wind swept across the Xianyang Palace, swirling up the withered yellow paulownia leaves all over the ground. The golden leaves fluttered on the palace road like celebratory banners.
Ying Wuyou was standing beside the King of Qin, quietly listening to the report from the Household Tax Bureau on this year's harvest.
"Your Majesty, this year's harvest of millet, wheat, and sorghum in the Guanzhong, Longxi, and Hedong prefectures has increased by more than half compared to last year!" Zheng Guo's words were resounding.
Upon hearing this, the assembled officials all showed delight and whispered among themselves. Ying Wuyou's lips curled slightly, his gaze calm and profound.
Last year, the King of Qin ordered people to widely spread the method of composting, which doubled the fertility of the fields; he also ordered craftsmen to rush to make curved plows and distribute them to various counties, making deep plowing and intensive farming possible.
More importantly, the King of Qin overruled objections and reduced the planting of low-yield crops, replacing them with drought-resistant and high-yield wheat. Initially, the farmers shook their heads in disbelief, and some ministers in the court also questioned it. But now, golden waves of wheat cover the Guanzhong Plain, the heavy ears of wheat bend the stalks, and the people's granaries are overflowing. Who would dare to utter a single word against it?
"Excellent!" The King of Qin clapped his hands and laughed, his voice echoing throughout the palace. "Jiayang, this is a blessing for the Great Qin!"
Ying Wuyou bowed respectfully and said humbly, "This is all thanks to the wisdom of my father and the diligence of the people. Your son dares not take credit for it."