The next day, July Bingzi (27).

In Chongzheng Hall, Zhao Xu summoned Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji who entered the court. He listened to their performance reports and asked about first-hand information about Xihe prefectures, Tubo and Dangxiang.

Of course, Zhao Xu was mainly concerned about the progress of Xihe Cotton Village.

In response to this, Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji and the others naturally said beautifully.

The two of them knew very well what did the civil servants and sects in Bianjing City like to hear?

Directly in front of Zhao Xu, the cotton village in Xihe was shaped into a charity village.

All we do is to help the poor and help the poor and the people!

He also pulled Xibawen and Wen Xixin's tribe out to endorse him.

In their mouths, if it weren't for the Song Dynasty or the Mianzhuang.

During the drought last year, the people under the account of these two Tubo leaders were unknown to starve to death, and even more so how many people would freeze to death.

The Mianzhuang hosted these poor people who were hungry and cold, and gave them a decent job so that they could support themselves and support themselves and their wives and children.

This is so great! So kind!

Xihe Mianzhuang is a Bodhisattva who saves suffering.

He is the vanguard of practicing Fan Wenzheng's spirit of righteousness.

Therefore, not only the Tubo tribes were grateful to the Song Dynasty.

Even the Qiang tribe in Hengshan, after hearing about the benevolent and good politics of the Song Dynasty, dragged their families to travel across mountains and rivers, fled to Laixi River to seek survival.

Not to mention the court officials, even Zhao Xu was stunned by the fright.

Fortunately, Zhao Xu is very conscious of his relatives’ virtues!

After thinking about Chai Zongqing, and then thinking about Zhang Dunli.

Zhao Xu woke up instantly.

"The battle report will lie, but the front line won't!" He chuckled and rubbed his hands.

I recalled in my mind that various memorials from Zhao Cheng, Xiang Zonghui, Gao Gongji and others sent back in the past two years.

Although these memorials basically do not discuss the people's sentiments.

All about military and land reclamation, especially when Xiang Zonghui, Gao Gongji would send back a report on the reclaiming of Xihe cotton fields every once in a while.

From their memorials, what Zhao Xu saw was that Xihe had been crazy land reclamation and expansion operations in the past two years.

In more than two years, the cotton planting area on Xihe Road has rapidly expanded from scratch to 100,000 mu and 200,000 mu!

This year, it has exceeded the million acres.

If you include the supporting farmland, pasture and fallow land.

What's wrong, the current area of ​​land reclamation on Xihe Road should be two million acres.

This data, placed on Southeast Sixth Road, may be just data from a small state.

But in the northwest, it's really amazing!

In the Middle Ages without mechanization, it was impossible to reclaim so much land in more than two years without using people of all ethnic groups as livestock.

You know, the land reclamation is no better than other ones!

Even the Xihe area has been developed many times during the Han and Tang dynasties.

Now that we are developing again, it is much easier than the difficulty of refining land in the south.

But this is still a difficult task.

And Xihe Road did it!

How did it be done?

No doubt!

It must be the blood and tears of countless people, even flesh and blood.

What's more, in addition to the official path, Zhao Xu was in Xihe, and Li Xian also had the inmates who stayed in Xihe.

These people have been sending back endlessly about Xihe's situation.

Let Zhao Xu know the actual situation of some Xihe places.

But, then again.

Xiang Zonghui, Gao Gongji, actually did not lie!

Because what they say is the truth!

Although, it's just part of the facts!

But some facts are also facts!

I just asked the tribal leaders, nobles, cotton field owners, and Han civil and military officials in the Xihe area.

They will definitely answer that Xihe Cotton Village is really great! They are even more caring for the hired workers in Cotton Village!

And this is probably true!

Because, compared to clearing wasteland in Xihe and growing cotton.

Undoubtedly, being a serf is even more hell!

The cotton shop in Xihe is just a little tired and a little harder.

But at least, I have a salary and can have a place to live. I don’t want to eat enough for three meals a day, but at least I have something to eat.

At most, they will die of exhaustion and illness.

But it is unlikely that it will starve to death or freeze to death.

Generally, it is impossible to die sporadically, and a household registration book will be killed once it dies, and even the entire tribe will die directly.

And, this is progress!

Therefore, Zhao Xu had to go back to Zong and embellish him with Gao Gongji.

He even came to the scene in person and decided to give them the character of Xihe.

"I heard from Mencius that a wise ruler controls the property of the people, and a wise ruler must be enough to serve his parents, and a wise ruler can be enough to keep his wife alive. He will be able to live a life of happiness and be able to avoid death in a bad year!"

"The Xihe policy is close to this!"

"I'm very pleased!"

When Xiang Zong returned, Gao Gongji and his wife immediately bowed happily: "I am afraid, I only want to walk for Your Majesty. If you let your poor body fill the ravines first, this life will be enough!"

Therefore, Zhao Xu issued an edict on the spot, saying that Xiang Zonghui would like to promote the cotton fields on Xihe Lanhui Road, and Gao Gongji would like to jointly promote the cotton fields on Xihe Lanhui Road, and also serve as the internal envoy of agricultural support and the construction of water conservancy envoy. He still served as the Xihe Lanhui Road Border Defense Finance and Investment Department, and ordered the two of them to be responsible for the planting and reclamation of cotton fields in the entire Xihe area and surrounding areas.

The two were overjoyed and immediately bowed their gratitude, expressing their determination to live up to the expectations of the court and the officials. After returning, they will work diligently and strive to make new contributions to the court and the country!

...

Just when Zhao Xu was listening to Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji's performance report in Chongzheng Hall.

The bedding in the Qingbiao Palace was silent at this moment.

The Empress Dowager, who was holding a rooster, listened quietly to her confidant and followed the report of Mrs. Wang, who had been with the Saint Renshou for more than 30 years.

"Sister Zhang really said that?" asked the Empress Dowager.

Mrs. Wang lowered her head and replied softly: "Yes!"

The Empress Dowager stroked the hair of the raccoon in her arms, and a strange color flashed in her eyes.

Baoci Palace said it was necessary to remove the curtain?

When she really wanted to remove the curtain, the court officials didn't know what they would say.

Anyway, there will be no good things!

This is unacceptable for the Empress Dowager who wants to be strong and respectful throughout her life.

But she has been creating the image of "Yao and Shun among women" and "Tairen of Song Dynasty" to the outside world.

She would never allow these glorious images of her to be defiled.

Especially, we should not let the little officials know that her grandmother is actually a person who is greedy for authority and selfish.

In that case, it would be unbearable to her, the Gao family, and Yang Wanghao.

Moreover, once the Baoci Palace removes the curtain, it means that she will never be able to return to politics, and even the power to interfere in the government and state affairs will be deprived!

Just like Xining and Yuanfeng times.

The emperor did not listen to her, nor did the ministers listen to her.

This is the thing that the Empress Dowager fears the most!

After a long time, the Empress Dowager sighed softly: "Old man, have you ever thought about letting the Empress Dowager remove the curtain?"

"How could the Queen Mother have this thought?"
To be continued...