Chapter 438: Establishing The Commercial Law ( 3 )

"The Northeast City sits at a strategic location. As long as the roads are safe and the city remains stable, merchants will naturally come," Xue Ya’er said.

Lu Qianxuan nodded in agreement. "The earlier they arrive, the better. Rebuilding the city requires a massive amount of manpower and materials. We can’t rely solely on military supplies."

Hearing this, Xue Ya’er asked, "Husband, what do you plan to do next?"

After thinking for a moment, Lu Qianxuan replied, "Issue an announcement tomorrow. Merchants who participate in rebuilding the city or provide essential goods will receive preferential treatment regarding taxes during the first year."

Xue Ya’er’s eyes brightened at his words. "That is indeed a good idea. It will attract more merchants while reducing the burden on the city."

"Not only that," Lu Qianxuan added. "Once more merchants arrive, trade will recover faster. The commoners will also have more opportunities to earn money."

The city could not survive on military support forever. A prosperous city required merchants, craftsmen, farmers, and laborers alike. Only when commerce flourished would the Northeast City truly come back to life.

Xue Ya’er thought for a moment and said, "Husband, I will discuss with Young Master Lei regarding the trading rules and regulations. We need to establish the rules as soon as possible to avoid problems arising amongst the merchants and people."

"Wife, I will leave this matter to you," Lu Qianxuan nodded.

After saying this, he looked through the tent entrance toward the city walls in the distance. His gaze deepened as he clenched his fists.

The city had finally returned to Great Yan’s hands. Now came the harder task, turning a ruined frontier city into a prosperous stronghold.

Early in the morning, Xue Ya’er sent a maidservant to invite Yao Zhi for breakfast.

Since she had something to discuss with Xue Ya’er, she accepted the invitation and went to the dining hall. When she arrived, she noticed that her friend had already been waiting for her.

Seeing her coming, Xue Ya’er turned to the maidservant and said, "Serve the meal."

"Yes, Madam."

Both of them waited until the food was served and the servants had retreated from the room before Xue Ya’er said, "Yao Zhi, I asked the cook to prepare some pastries that are popular in the Capital. Have a try."

Yao Zhi nodded and picked up a piece of pastry shaped like a flower with her chopsticks. She took a bite and frowned. The pastry was dry and contained too much sugar, making it cloying.

Noticing her frown, Xue Ya’er tried the pastry herself. Although it was not as delicious as the ones sold in the Capital, the taste was acceptable.

It seemed that her friend did not like sweet food.

With this thought, she made a mental note not to prepare overly sweet dishes the next time she invited her friend for a meal.

Yao Zhi still finished the pastry and drank 2 cups of tea before taking a stack of papers from her sleeves.

As she handed them to her friend, she said, "Ya’er, these are the plans for the plantation area, irrigation system, and planting methods that I prepared. Take a look."

Xue Ya’er put down her chopsticks and examined the papers. She was no longer as surprised as before, but she still found herself amazed by how knowledgeable and farsighted her friend was.

"Yao Zhi, you want to convert the entire western outskirts and the mountain foothills into a plantation area?" she asked in surprise.

Yao Zhi nodded and replied, "Not only the plantation area. I plan to build animal farms and orchards as well."

"I have already calculated the timeline. It will take around 6 months to improve the soil quality. During this period, we should dig several large ponds and connect them to the mountain springs."

"The ponds will serve as water reservoirs for irrigation and can also be used to raise fish and grow lotus plants. After we improve the soil quality, we will convert the dry land into wet fields. This way, we can plant rice."

"As for the animal farms, we will build them near the mountain foothills. It will make gathering feed easier and prevent the smell of manure from affecting the residential areas. I also included methods for turning manure, rotten leaves, and dry leaves into fertilizer."

"I will provide the crop seeds and young livestock. You will be responsible for managing the plantation area, orchards, and animal farms."

Xue Ya’er thought for a long time before asking, "Yao Zhi, why don’t you simply buy the land instead?"

Hearing this, Yao Zhi was taken aback. "I buy the land?" she asked.

Xue Ya’er nodded and explained, "After we reclaimed the city, all land and properties fell under government ownership unless the original owners could provide valid deeds."

"My husband has already conducted a census. Aside from the owner of Yueguang Pavilion, no one has been able to produce proof of ownership."

"Therefore, the land in the western outskirts, the mountain foothills, and the mountain ridge currently belongs to the government. If you want to buy it, it’s not impossible. But such a large area won’t be cheap."

Yao Zhi considered it for a moment before asking, "Ya’er, can you help me find out the price?"

"Of course. But I need to know how much land you intend to buy," Xue Ya’er replied.

Since she had the opportunity to purchase the land, Yao Zhi did not want to do things halfway. In the future, this place might become a major grain supplier for the army.

Thinking about the resources hidden within the mountain ridge, she said, "If possible, I want the entire western outskirts, the mountain foothills, and the mountains themselves. There are 5 mountains in total. I want all of them."

The moment Xue Ya’er heard those words, she was stunned.

She had thought her friend would purchase only the land designated for farming, orchards, and livestock. She never expected her ambitions to be so large.

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