Under the impetus of a series of people-benefiting policies, the entire Tashashan Prefecture was swept up in a tree-planting fervor, with bustling scenes of hard work everywhere.
The rain did not stop. Due to the rapid infiltration of sandy soil, the grains and saplings planted did not drown. Therefore, even in the rain, the common people worked diligently in the fields and by the roadsides.
After the carrier pigeons brought this news to Bai Sheng, Bai Sheng and Lu Ye immediately decided to return to Hongshu Village.
Before heading back, the two first went to the grain and fruit shops to settle accounts. Prince Yu would certainly need financial support, and Bai Sheng intended to bring him his share of the money.
Prince Yu's half-year dividend was over 70,000 taels of silver, plus the income from the jewelry store in cooperation with Wen Zhimo, which amounted to about 110,000 taels of silver.
In addition, Bai Sheng personally contributed 40,000 taels of silver, totaling 150,000 taels. This should be enough for Prince Yu's expenses.
Upon learning that Bai Sheng had returned to Hongshu Village, Prince Yu abandoned the meeting he was having with Ji Cheng and Lord He, rushed out of the military tent, mounted his horse, and galloped through the rain.
Thus, Bai Sheng saw a young man with dark skin, drenched all over, appearing before her, panting heavily.
“Little dark face!”
Prince Yu shouted excitedly and rushed over, splashing rain everywhere.
Lu Ye quickly pulled Bai Sheng behind him, then puffed out his chest and met Prince Yu’s fierce rush with a look of resigned acceptance.
Prince Yu braked sharply in front of him and glared, “You scoundrel, you’re still that jealous king. I just wanted to shake hands with Little dark face!”
“No shaking hands! My treasure’s hand can only be held by me!” Lu Ye said proudly.
Prince Yu gritted his teeth and forced himself not to resort to violence.
Bai Sheng poked her head out from behind Lu Ye and smiled, “Your Highness, how have you been?”
Prince Yu wiped the rain from his face, “I am well, but it has been a long time since I last saw you, and I miss you – very much.”
To annoy Lu Ye, Prince Yu particularly emphasized the word “miss,” and then shot a provocative glance at Lu Ye. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Lu Ye clenched his fists, making cracking sounds.
Bai Sheng put her hand to her forehead. Men are truly childish!
At this moment, Tian Guihua walked in. Seeing Prince Yu drenched, she immediately brought him clean clothes and suggested he take a hot bath and change out of his wet attire.
Only after Prince Yu had washed and changed did Ji Cheng and Lord He arrive at Hongshu Village.
These two had also turned into charcoal, indicating that all three had worked diligently and diligently in planting trees.
Tian Guihua and Mi Mian prepared a sumptuous lunch. The family ate from noon until evening, with laughter filling the table throughout.
Lu Hao was pregnant, three months along. Huang Gou Sheng beamed with joy; the feeling of becoming a father had completely carried him away.
After becoming pregnant, Lu Hao had become much more plump, and with her increased attention to self-care, she had become more and more beautiful.
Ji Cheng and Bai Jing had already set a wedding date. To reassure Bai Jing, Ji Cheng helped her to get her son back.
It was said that when Bai Jing, accompanied by Prince Yu, Lord He, and Ji Cheng, went to her ex-husband’s house, the ex-husband’s new concubine, upon seeing Bai Jing, immediately began to mock and taunt her, accusing her of quickly seducing wild men, and not just one, but several.
Prince Yu, known for his fiery temper, directly ordered A Qiu to slap the concubine dozens of times, leaving her mouth permanently disfigured.
It was not that the concubine had poor eyesight; all three had tanned skin, with their sleeves and pant legs rolled up, lacking an air of pampered nobility and instead possessing the simple honesty of farmers. Anyone looking at them would not have guessed that the dark-faced youths were Prince Yu and Magistrate Ji, nor that the dark-faced middle-aged man was Prefect He.
Upon learning the identities and intentions of the three men, Bai Jing’s ex-husband, the magistrate of Qingshi County in Bian Province, did not dare to hesitate in handing the child over to Bai Jing.
Watching Bai Jing and her companions leave, the magistrate of Qingshi County remained stunned for a long time.
He had originally thought that Lin Jing would not survive after leaving him. The Lin family had driven her out, and with nowhere to go, she would surely return to him.
He never expected that Lin Jing not only survived but was also engaged to Magistrate Ji of Tashashan Prefecture.
Was the magistrate of Tashashan Prefecture so desperate for women? Lin Jing was already married, not a virgin, and had a child, yet he could still accept her, and even cherish her?
Thinking that the future wife of Magistrate Ji was someone he had used and discarded, a sense of triumphant superiority surged in his heart.
However, why would Prince Yu intervene for them?
He had previously heard that Prince Yu was a capricious, seductive, and cruel prince, but seeing him in person, he was a world away from the legends.
Regardless, he wished he could be transferred from Bian Province as soon as possible.
Liu Shi was also pregnant with their second child. Ma San transformed into a doting husband, raising Liu Shi to be between 130 and 140 jin.
Yang Shi and Du Min intended to get pregnant after Lu Hao and Liu Shi gave birth, as they were focused on the workshops.
In any case, they could handle both childbirth and work.
After the meal, Bai Sheng and Lu Ye called Prince Yu and the other two to the warehouse.
In front of them, Lu Ye opened box after box of silver.
Bai Sheng handed the account book to Prince Yu and smiled, “The profits from the grain and fruit shops are over 70,000 taels, the jewelry store’s profits are 40,000 taels, and my family donated 40,000 taels, totaling 150,000 taels of silver. Please count it.”
The three men looked at the shining silver with elation. The funding required for the county-wide afforestation initiative was astonishing, and now, they had money!
However, Lord He and Ji Cheng seemed to be celebrating too early. Of the 110,000 taels here, 110,000 were Prince Yu’s private funds. As a feudal prince, it was truly cruel for him to bear such unconditional expenses.
Bai Sheng proposed a solution: once Tashashan Prefecture began generating revenue, the money Prince Yu had fronted would be gradually repaid to him.
Lord He and Ji Cheng unanimously agreed and immediately signed an agreement. Every silver coin invested by Prince Yu was meticulously recorded.
In addition to donating 40,000 taels of silver, Bai Sheng also gifted Prince Yu tens of thousands of saplings from her spatial realm, many of which were fruit trees that could generate economic benefits.
In the following days, she expanded the nursery by more than ten times. The soil in the nursery was secretly brought from her spatial realm, resulting in a high survival rate for the saplings and rapid growth.
Lu Dahai, who managed the nursery, now had dozens of elderly men under his supervision, all of whom were illiterate and genuinely unlettered.
After finishing their business in Hongshu Village, the couple returned to Ghost Shadow Pavilion.
After half a year of training, the people of Ghost Shadow Pavilion had become skilled tree planters. The area within a few miles of Ghost Shadow Pavilion was planted with saplings, and from a distance, it appeared as a verdant expanse.
The base’s well had been dug, and Bai Sheng provided them with additional living supplies.
Then, she donned a black robe, embodying the role of the aloof and ruthless Pavilion Master, and held a summary and commendation assembly for the disciples.
After completing all these tasks, the two collected inventory from the Pink Lady workshop and returned to the capital.