From cute to empress

Chapter 187 Resource Gathering

"Urgent news from the border!" The eunuch's shrill voice broke the silence of the hall. My heart sank suddenly and the teacup in my hand almost slipped.

"Xuan!" I tried hard to suppress the uneasiness in my heart and said in a deep voice.

A soldier covered in dust hurried into the hall, knelt on one knee, and presented a letter sealed with red lacquer with both hands. "Your Majesty, urgent news from the border!"

I took the letter, quickly opened it, and scanned it. It was written by Zhen Youcai, his handwriting still as vigorous and powerful as ever, yet a sense of solemnity permeated the lines. The letter explained that the barbarians in the north were restless and had been frequently harassing the border recently, and the situation was not optimistic.

I took a deep breath and handed the letter to the eunuch beside me, indicating that he should circulate it to the ministers.

"My dear ministers, the border is in crisis. It seems our agenda for today will have to be put on hold." I looked around and said in a deep voice, "The most urgent task is to stabilize the border and resist foreign enemies!"

"Your Majesty is absolutely right!" Grand Tutor Zhang was the first to speak up. "I, your humble servant, believe that the most urgent task is to mobilize food and supplies to support the soldiers at the border!"

"I second the motion!" Wang Jianguan also stepped forward and said, "In addition, we need to recruit elite soldiers and generals to strengthen the border defense force!"

The ministers expressed their opinions one after another, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

I listened to their discussions, but my heart remained remarkably calm. I knew it was only a matter of time before the border crisis came. To realize my grand vision, I had to first resolve this external threat.

"I have taken note of your suggestions, my dear ministers." I raised my hand to signal for silence. "I have decided that, effective immediately, the entire nation will enter a state of war readiness! One hundred thousand elite troops will be mobilized, and..."

My gaze swept across the ministers below, finally landing on Grand Tutor Zhang. "Lord Zhang, the deployment of troops and the preparation of food and supplies will be your sole responsibility!"

"I obey your order!" Grand Tutor Zhang bowed and accepted the order.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Other ministers also echoed.

I nodded and continued, "To resist foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the country. The border war is tense, so we need to stabilize the rear and develop production." I swept my eyes over the crowd again, "I have decided to launch a nationwide resource integration from now on!"

"Resource integration?" The ministers looked at each other, obviously unfamiliar with the term.

"That's right, integration!" I said firmly. "I must conduct a comprehensive inventory and assessment of the country's financial, human, and material resources. Only by having a clear understanding can we better deploy resources to support frontline operations and develop the country!"

I paused, my gaze fixed on the silent Grand Tutor Zhang. "Lord Zhang, agriculture is the foundation of our country. This matter is up to you..."

"Lord Zhang, agriculture is the foundation of our nation. You will be in charge of this matter." I turned my gaze to this experienced and trusted minister and said in a deep voice, "We must ensure that we conduct a thorough land survey, develop water conservancy projects, encourage farming, and ensure that there is an abundance of food and fodder, and that the people have enough to eat and wear."

"I obey your command!" Grand Tutor Zhang bowed and accepted the order, his old face full of determination. I knew he would do his best to live up to my expectations.

"Official Wang," I turned to the outspoken official, "Education is a long-term plan, and talented people are the pillars of a nation. Today, we need more knowledgeable people to serve the country. The burden on your shoulders is not light!"

The royal censor stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my utmost to integrate existing educational resources, establish more schools, recruit talented individuals, and cultivate more pillars for the country!"

I nodded with satisfaction. These two veteran ministers are people I trust, and I feel very relieved to entrust such an important task to them.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Other ministers echoed, and for a moment, the hall was filled with a positive atmosphere.

I look around at my ministers, feeling a surge of pride. I believe that under my leadership, my country will overcome all difficulties and move towards prosperity and strength!

"As for the economy..." I turned my gaze to the silent Liu, this resourceful think tank. At this moment, his eyes were gleaming with brilliance, as if he had already made up his mind...

"Advisor Liu, you have always been resourceful. I believe you have a good plan in mind." I smiled slightly and turned my gaze to this think tank.

Advisor Liu stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that we should integrate economic resources based on the principle of 'increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, and distributing wealth among the people.'"

"Oh? Tell me about it." I asked with interest.

"I suggest that, on the one hand, we should expand trade routes, attract investment, encourage private trade, and allow wealth to flow," Advisor Liu said eloquently. "On the other hand, we should streamline our organization, reduce unnecessary expenses, and use our limited resources to the best advantage."

"Your Majesty, Lord Liu is absolutely right!" An old man in plain clothes stepped forward. He was none other than the common people of Zhao. "As long as the imperial court adopts the right policies and offers ordinary people like us a way out, we are willing to contribute to the country!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" A burly bearded man stepped forward. He was Craftsman Sun, representing all the craftsmen in the country. "As long as the court needs us, we craftsmen are willing to work day and night to build the strongest walls and the sharpest weapons for the country!"

I watched this scene with great satisfaction, and a warm feeling welled up in my heart. The support of the people and craftsmen is my greatest motivation!

"Good! I'm very pleased!" I said loudly. "Advisor Liu, I'll leave this matter to you. Be sure to develop an effective plan!"

"I obey your command!" Advisor Liu bowed and accepted the order, with a confident light in his eyes.

I know that integrating national resources is only the first step. Next, I have to... I stood up suddenly and looked outside the hall with a firm gaze. There is a vast world, and it is the country that I want to protect!

Integrating resources is easier said than done. I knew it wasn't enough to rely solely on court planning; I needed to delve into the grassroots and understand the realities before formulating a practical solution. So, I traveled incognito, accompanied by a few guards, to Yunzhou, the closest city to the capital.

Yunzhou is rich in iron ore, making it a key resource-producing region. However, this has also given rise to local forces, who leverage their control over these resources to bargain with the imperial court, even selling them privately to enrich themselves. I came here incognito to witness firsthand how these resources are controlled and lost.

I donned men's clothing, disguised myself as a wealthy young man, and mingled with merchants, observing everything from the shadows. I discovered that while Yunzhou's iron ore mining was regulated by the imperial court, it was actually controlled by a few local tyrants. They colluded with officials, concealed production, set up private smelting workshops, and sold large quantities of ironware to neighboring states at inflated prices, profiting immensely.

"These idiots!" I cursed inwardly, but I also knew that to solve the problem, I couldn't just resort to force. I had to find a suitable solution. I decided to start with the people and understand their true feelings.

I went to a teahouse and chatted with several elderly farmers. They told me that although the imperial court had reduced some taxes in recent years, the profits from the iron ore mines had not benefited the common people due to the monopoly of powerful local officials, and their lives remained difficult.

"Our ancestors have been farming on this land for generations, but we can't even have a full meal. Why do those powerful people have mountains of gold and silver?" said an old farmer indignantly.

"Yes, we also want to contribute to the country, but they treat us like beasts of burden. What can we do?" said another old farmer helplessly.

Listening to the people's complaints, I felt a mixture of emotions. I knew that to solve the problem of resource integration, we had to break the monopoly of the powerful and ensure that the people truly benefited. However, these powerful individuals were deeply entrenched in the local area and colluding with officials. How easy would it be to move against them?

I returned to the inn and told my accompanying advisor, Liu, what I had seen and heard over the past few days. He frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "Your Majesty, if you want to shake these powerful people, I'm afraid you'll have to take a long-term approach..."

"Let's take a long-term view?" I muttered to myself. Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through my mind. "No, I want to meet these powerful people in person!"