The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

The early morning sun shone into the small courtyard of the inn. Xi Yu and Ouyang Lian sat at the table and finished their simple breakfast.

As Ouyang Lian packed his bag, he said to Xi Yu, "You know what? Because the conditions here are so bad, the taxes have been reduced a long time ago."

Xi Yu nodded slightly, with recognition in his eyes.

"It should be so. People's lives are already difficult."

At this time, the innkeeper came over with a pot of hot tea, refilled their cups, and sighed, saying, "You two adults, you don't know that people here are not living well, so many bandits have appeared. They don't rob in this county because there is really nothing to make in this county, so they all ran away to other places."

After hearing this, Xi Yu frowned slightly and thought to himself: These bandits must have taken this path because of the pressure of life, but robbing and looting is not the right way after all.

He secretly made up his mind to improve the situation here.

He looked at Ouyang Lian and said seriously, "This clue is crucial. We must find a way to solve the poverty problem as soon as possible. We must also give these bandits a proper way out and not let them cause trouble again."

Ouyang Lian nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we need to plan carefully."

Xiyu stood up and looked at the dilapidated streets and the few pedestrians outside the inn, his heart full of worry and sense of responsibility. He and his friends packed their bags and walked towards the town facing the rising sun.

Xiyu and Ouyang Lian walked into the village, and the scene before them shocked Xiyu greatly.

Dilapidated huts were scattered here and there, the land was cracked like a tortoise shell, and a few withered crops were shivering in the wind.

Xi Yu frowned, his eyes full of pity.

He walked slowly, and every step seemed to carry a heavy responsibility.

Ouyang Lian followed beside him and sighed inwardly.

Ouyang Lian couldn't help but speak: "Prime Minister, you see the situation is so bad, even if you want to improve it, how can you start?"

He scratched his head, looking worried.

After a while, he said, "I was thinking that maybe relocating the people in the town would be a good idea. But where can we move them to in the middle of nowhere? I know this might be a bad idea, but I can't think of a better one."

Xi Yu remained silent, just quietly looking at this barren land.

"There is always a way. Let's take a closer look and find the advantages and resources here."

Ouyang Lian looked at Xi Yu's determined eyes and nodded slightly. Although he was still full of doubts in his heart, he was also infected by Xi Yu's determination and decided to continue exploring.

Xi Yu was concentrating on thinking in the fields. The appearance of the greenhouse in his previous life appeared in his mind. He thought that if he promoted it here, the yield would definitely increase.

He was just about to turn around and share this idea with Ouyang Lian when suddenly a group of people rushed over.

These people all looked unfriendly, holding wooden sticks in their hands. The big man in the lead shouted at the top of his voice: "Who are you? How dare you come to our village? Get out of here!"

Ouyang Lian was a little panicked by this sudden situation, and he subconsciously leaned towards Xi Yu.

Xi Yu was stunned at first, but soon calmed down. He raised his hands slightly, trying to calm everyone down, and said, "Fellow villagers, we have no ill intentions. We just passed by here and saw this land. We want to see if there is any way to help you."

However, the villagers did not believe it. An old man walked up to them tremblingly and looked at them with suspicion.

"Humph, that sounds nice, but who knows if you are here to rob us of this pitiful piece of land."

Xi Yu quickly shook his head, his expression sincere: "Old man, you misunderstood. We really just want to do something for everyone."

But the villagers still glared angrily and showed no intention of putting down the wooden sticks in their hands. The atmosphere at the scene was as tense as a taut bowstring.

Ouyang Lian was so nervous that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He whispered to Xi Yu: "What should we do? They don't seem to be listening at all."

Seeing that the villagers were very angry and difficult to appease, Xi Yu made up his mind and decided to reveal his identity.

He took out a token from his bosom, held it high, and said loudly: "I am the current prime minister. I came here to solve your difficulties."

When the villagers heard this, they were startled at first, looked at each other, and the scene became quiet in an instant.

But soon, a young man shouted loudly: "So what if he is the prime minister? All officials are bad!"

There was a burst of agreement from the crowd.

An old man was leaning on a cane, his beard shaking with anger.

"You officials may enjoy the best food and drink, but have you ever cared about the lives of us ordinary people?"

Xi Yu felt a pain in his heart, and he quickly explained: "Fellow villagers, I am different from those corrupt officials. I know that your lives are difficult, and this time I am here to find a way to improve your lives."

But the villagers didn't buy it. Someone snorted, "It sounds nice, but who would believe your lies?"

Xi Yu looked at the angry villagers and knew that they were heartbroken by the long-term suffering and the evil deeds of the officials.

He did not retreat, but took a step forward and looked at everyone sincerely.

"I know everyone has suffered a lot and has many complaints against officials. But please give me a chance to prove myself, and I will definitely work for the well-being of everyone."

Ouyang Lian also joined in.

"Fellow villagers, the Prime Minister is truly doing this for your own good. You might as well listen to what he has to say first."

However, the villagers still glared at them and held the sticks in their hands even tighter. The situation remained extremely tense.

The villagers approached waving wooden sticks and were about to drive Xi Yu and Ouyang Lian away.

At this tense moment, the secret guard suddenly appeared, stood in front of Xi Yu, and asked sternly: "Who dares to act recklessly?" The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Xi Yu quickly raised his hand to signal the secret guards to retreat, and said with a serious expression: "Stand down, these are ordinary people, not enemies, there is no need to attack them."

The secret guard obeyed the order and left.

Ouyang Lian took a step forward and said loudly: "The Prime Minister is here to solve the poverty problem. How can you say he doesn't care about the lives of the people? Everyone calm down and listen to what we have to say."

The villagers stopped, but remained vigilant and hostile.

A middle-aged villager shouted: "You officials can only talk nice words, why should we believe you?"

Xi Yu looked at everyone with a sincere look: "I know that everyone has suffered a lot of grievances in the past, but I came here without any soldiers this time, just because I sincerely want to do something for everyone. If you have any requests, you can tell me directly."

At this time, a man stood up.

"We work hard every year to farm, but the land is barren and we can't even get enough food. Our children are crying from hunger. Can you solve this problem?"

Xi Yu felt a pang of sadness in his heart, and said firmly: "I will find a way to improve the land so that everyone can have enough food. I will also provide more support."

The villagers heard this and began to talk among themselves. Although the hostility had not completely dissipated, their attitude was no longer as tough as before.

Xi Yu and Ouyang Lian looked at each other, saw a glimmer of hope, and prepared to further persuade the villagers.

Xi Yu straightened up, looked at the villagers with a determined gaze, and said loudly: "I will give myself half a month, and I will definitely solve the farming problem. If I can't do it, I am willing to resign as prime minister."

Ouyang Lian was so shocked when he heard this that his eyes widened. He quickly tugged at Xi Yu's clothes and whispered, "Prime Minister, why are you doing this? What if..."

Xi Yu shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more.

Xi Yu looked at the villagers and continued, "I keep my word. Do you dare to bet with me?"

The villagers looked at each other with suspicion and hesitation on their faces.

At this time, a villager with gray hair and high moral character stood up and said, "Since he said so, why not just believe him for now."

Xi Yu was delighted and said quickly: "I will never let you down. I will live here now."

The old man nodded and said, "I can provide you with a place to stay, but the conditions are very difficult."

Xi Yu smiled and said nonchalantly: "It doesn't matter, as long as I have a place to stay."

Ouyang Lian looked at Xi Yu's determined expression. Although he was still worried, he was also infected by his determination.

The villagers began to disperse, talking in low voices as they walked.

Xi Yu looked at their backs and secretly swore in his heart that he must solve the problem within half a month and live up to the trust given to him by the villagers.

He turned to Ouyang Lian and said, "Let's start preparing. Time is running out."

Ouyang Lian took a deep breath, nodded, and walked with Xiyu towards the residence pointed out by the old man. Xiyu and Ouyang Lian followed the villagers to the shabby house arranged for them.

The thatch on the roof was incomplete, there were several cracks on the walls, and the house was filled with a damp and moldy smell.

The few shabby pieces of furniture were all shabby and looked like they would fall apart at any moment.

Ouyang Lian frowned, looked around, and said to Xi Yu with an apologetic look on his face: "Prime Minister, I'm sorry for wronging you. This place is really..."

Xi Yu, however, looked calm and said with a faint smile: "I originally planned to suffer here, so you don't have to mind these things. Compared with the hardships that the people have suffered for a long time, this is nothing."

As he spoke, he walked to a shabby table and gently brushed away the dust on it with his hand.

Ouyang Lian looked at Xi Yu, and a feeling of admiration welled up in his heart. He stopped complaining and started to clean up the house.

"The Prime Minister is right. Now that we have made up our minds, we should not care about these details." Ouyang Lian said as he picked up some hay from the corner and prepared to spread it on the ground as a bed.

Xi Yu nodded slightly, walked to the window, and looked outside through the window with several holes in it.

The village was in a dilapidated state, but his eyes were full of hope.

After a while, the village chief came hurriedly.

As soon as he saw Xi Yu, he knelt down and said in a fearful manner: "My Lord Prime Minister, I am the head of the village. I just heard that you and the governor were insulted by the people. I am very angry. I hope you two can forgive me."

Xi Yu quickly stepped forward to help the headman up, and said gently: "You don't have to be like this, headman. I don't mind. They are all kind and honest people. It's just because they are too poor that they have some extreme behaviors. And I am here to solve this problem."

The head of the village looked up, his eyes full of surprise and emotion. He did not expect the prime minister to be so magnanimous.

"Mr. Prime Minister, you truly love the people like your own children." The head of the village said with emotion.

Xi Yu shook his head slightly.

"The people are suffering because of us officials. I will definitely find a way to improve the situation this time."

The head of the village nodded repeatedly.

"Sir, your kindness is a blessing to our entire village. I will do my best to assist you."

Ouyang Lian watched from the side and admired Xi Yu even more in his heart.

Xi Yu looked at the village head and asked seriously, "Li Zheng, you know the situation in the village best. What do you think is the most urgent problem to be solved?"

The village head thought for a moment and said, "Sir, the land in this village is barren, the harvest has always been poor, and the people are having a hard time making a living."

Xi Yu frowned, thinking about a solution in his mind.

"The land issue is the key. We have to find ways to increase food production."

The village head looked at Xiyu's focused expression.

With a gleam in his eyes, Xi Yu excitedly began to tell Ouyang Lian and the village head about the greenhouse.

"Do you know? There is a method called a greenhouse. We can build a shed with special materials, so that we can grow crops in cold weather and make the crops grow faster and better."

Ouyang Lian frowned and scratched his head, his heart full of confusion.

"Prime Minister, what is this new thing? I've never heard of it. Using a shed to grow crops? Is this possible?"

The village head also looked confused. He had lived in the village for most of his life, and all he knew were the farming methods passed down from his ancestors.

"My Lord Prime Minister, this greenhouse sounds amazing, but how to do it? I really can't figure it out." He said cautiously, fearing that his ignorance would offend Xi Yu.

Xi Yu looked at their confused expressions and understood that this idea was too new to them.

He was thinking in his mind how to explain it more clearly.

"It's like building a house for the crops. This house can keep warm and protect the crops from the influence of cold weather. We can use bamboo as a support, and then use some thick cloth or oil paper to make the roof and walls of the shed." Xi Yu said while gesturing the shape of the greenhouse with his hands.

Ouyang Lian tried hard to imagine the scene described by Xi Yu, but his mind was still a mess.

"Can this really make the crops grow well? How much will it cost?" he asked worriedly.

The head of the village also nodded in agreement. He thought to himself that the village was already poor and there was no extra money to build this greenhouse.

Xi Yu saw their concerns and said patiently: "It may take some investment in the early stage, but once it succeeds, the grain output will be greatly increased, and everyone will no longer have to go hungry. We can work together to find a way to raise materials, or we can ask the villagers to help, there is strength in numbers."

After hearing this, Ouyang Lian and the village head were still skeptical, but when they saw Xi Yu's determined eyes, they couldn't help but feel a little anticipation for this greenhouse.

Xi Yu said: "I will order the transfer of taxes from other places to support this place. For now, we will solve the urgent problem first, and then we will consider the long-term development strategy later."

When the village head heard this, tears welled up in his eyes, his lips trembled slightly, and he was about to kneel down to salute again.

Xiyu hurriedly supported him.

The village head was so excited that his voice was choked with tears: "Master Prime Minister, you have saved our entire village. We have been struggling on the edge of food and clothing, and your action is like lighting a bright light in the darkness."

Xi Yu frowned slightly, and said seriously and sincerely: "Li Zheng, this is what I should do. The people are suffering, and it is my duty."

Ouyang Lian watched from the side and was full of admiration for Xi Yu.

He knew very well that it was not easy to mobilize taxes from other places. It would require tremendous pressure and many tedious affairs, but Xi Yu made this decision without hesitation for the sake of the people.

The village head calmed down and said, "Master Prime Minister, we will definitely cooperate with you and will never let you down."

Xi Yu smiled and nodded: "I believe in everyone. As long as we work together, we will definitely make the village better."

At this moment, the dilapidated house seemed to be filled with hope, and the wind outside no longer seemed so cold and biting.

Several farmers who had participated in the riot during the day sat together. The flickering candlelight illuminated their confused and uneasy faces.

They gathered in a dim home called Lei Tianlong.

A young farmer was the first to break the silence, frowning and saying, "You say, that man claims to be the prime minister, is it true? Is he pretending to be the prime minister?"

An old man nearby took a puff of his pipe and said slowly, "But they have taken out the token."

An impatient man immediately responded.

"Tokens can also be counterfeited. And we don't even know which tokens are real or fake."

At this time, a calmer man in the corner spoke.

"But if that's the case, what on earth are you doing here pretending to be the Prime Minister?"

Everyone fell into deep thought, and the room was so quiet that only the occasional crackling of the candlelight could be heard.

Lei Tianlong touched his chin, thought for a moment and said: "If it is false, we can make great contributions, so why not go to Fangjun to report tomorrow."

After hearing this, the others nodded and thought this was a feasible solution.

A woman said worriedly: "What if they are really the prime minister? Will we be punished?"

Lei Tianlong frowned: "If it is really the Prime Minister, he should not bother with us, and they said they want to solve our problem, we just want the truth."

After hearing this, everyone felt that it made sense, and began to discuss in low voices the specific details of their trip to Fang County tomorrow, feeling both excited and a little nervous.

Lei Tianlong stood up.

"I will go to Fangjun City to report the news. This is the best way at the moment."

An old man stroked his beard and said slowly: "Tianlong, the journey is difficult and dangerous, you must be careful.

"Lei Tianlong saluted the old man solemnly.

"Don't worry, uncle, I will definitely fulfill my mission."

After everyone left, Lei Tianlong stood there, thinking about tomorrow's schedule, but heard a burst of hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw his woman walking towards him with an angry face.

Her brows were furrowed, her lips were pursed, and her eyes were full of dissatisfaction.

"Why do we have to go to the county town? Can't we let someone else go?" There was a hint of resentment in her voice.

Lei Tianlong looked at his wife, feeling a little guilty. He walked up to her, gently held her hand, and said softly, "Don't be angry, don't complain. I went to Fangjun City for everyone. When I come back, I will buy you something good." (End of this chapter)