For the next few days, Ning Chen stayed in Chongzhou.

Everything in Chongzhou was waiting to be built up again, and winter was almost here. If the houses weren't repaired and grain wasn't brought in soon... who knew how many people would die this winter?

In his room, Ning Chen listened as Fan Yongyuan described the current state of Chongzhou.

It all came down to a shortage of money and grain.

Ning Chen rubbed his brow. He'd already had grain rushed in, and he hoped it would get the people of Chongzhou safely through the winter.

"I admire Father Emperor more and more. Some people said he was overly cautious and lacked drive. Now I see that was complete crap!

Grain is the foundation of a king's work, the great task of a ruler, the road by which he keeps his people, the way to govern a country! (TL Note: Adapted from the Guanzi, the classic of statecraft, which says it of millet.)

So Father Emperor didn't simply dislike war. He knew that as an emperor you put the people first, and that a rich country and a strong people are the true way of a king... Father Emperor had real wisdom!"

Hearing Ning Chen's reflections, Fan Yongyuan nodded in agreement, then said, "The Emperor Emeritus's wisdom truly has no equal. While he was on the throne, he worked hard to develop farming and valued men of talent.

When the farmers are few and the idle eaters many, the country grows poor and is in danger! (TL Note: From the Book of Lord Shang, the Legalist classic on farming and war.)

If a country's people can't even eat their fill, how can it ever grow strong... The Emperor Emeritus is an enlightened ruler for the ages!"

The two of them talked and planned as they went, settling on all sorts of policies to benefit the people.

Fan Yongyuan really was a good official, and he had a lot of ideas.

If every official in the Great Xuan were like him, no one would need to worry whether the country would…