I was kicked out of the house, and I was reborn and became the emperor

Xiaorou nodded, and Fang Yi continued, "When I noticed that Master Lin was evasive in his words that day, I knew that it was hopeless to persuade him to revolt, but I deliberately showed my full trust in him so that he would believe it without a doubt. After Master Lin left, I followed the plan and placed the map and the secret letter under the table of Dingfeng Restaurant."

"Oh, so that's how it is. The Marquis must have instructed Commander Zhang in the letter to go to the county government office to rescue people when Lu Dongxun and Advisor Lin lead their troops out at 3:00 p.m." Xiaorou suddenly realized.

Fang Yi patted Xiao Rou's head gently and said with a smile: "You finally understand."

Xiaorou gently stroked the hair on her forehead and said in a soft voice, "My Lord, you are always like this, hiding everything and never explaining it to me. I was so worried about you that I thought you really fell into the hands of Lu Dongxun and Master Lin."

Fang Yi raised a gentle smile and replied, "Okay, from now on, no matter what happens, I will discuss things with you, my little master. When it comes to wisdom, you and Master Lin are indeed on par with each other."

While the two were chatting and laughing, Mr. Lu and his family slowly came over, knelt on the ground, and expressed his gratitude to Fang Yi.

Fang Yi and Xiao Rou quickly helped them up and said gently, "You must not do this. Jiuyuan County is my fiefdom and the people are my flesh and blood. It is my unshirkable responsibility to protect everyone. As for rescuing Mr. Lu, it is not entirely selfless..."

Lu Yuan was confused and hesitated to speak: "My Lord..."

"Mr. Lu, you are highly respected in Jiuyuan County. I would like to invite you to serve as the magistrate of Jiuyuan County!" Fang Yi's eyes were firm and his words revealed sincerity.

After hearing this, Mr. Lu's expression changed slightly, and Fang Yi quickly asked: "Mr. Lu, is there anything you can't tell me?"

Mr. Lu said frankly: "My Lord, I have businesses all over Yanzhou. Recently, due to my imprisonment, many matters have been delayed... Therefore, I urgently hope to deal with these businesses as soon as possible."

Fang Yi suddenly realized that Mr. Lu was not only a wealthy businessman, but also one of the richest people in Yanzhou.

Considering Mr. Lu's huge family business, I'm afraid he would not even take the position of prefect seriously.

"I understand your difficulties. This is the foundation you have built with half your life's hard work. So, when does Mr. Lu plan to set off?" Fang Yi asked with concern.

"I plan to set off tomorrow. What do you think, Lord Marquis?" Mr. Lu asked respectfully.

Fang Yi was quite surprised. "In such a hurry? In that case, can Mr. Lu stay in the county government office tonight? I still have many things I want to ask you. Perhaps we will have a long talk until late at night."

"I obey your command." Mr. Lu agreed happily.

"I almost forgot that the house I was staying in before originally belonged to you and should be returned. Lu Dongxun has passed away, so I will move to his mansion." Fang Yi said to Mr. Lu and his family.

Mr. Lu insisted, "If you are used to living in my house, please continue to stay."

"This is inappropriate... Where does your family live?"

"Don't worry, my Lord. My wife and I are often out doing business and rarely live in Jiuyuan. Besides, it is the highest honor for my Lu family to have the honor of having the Lord of the Dynasty live in my house."

Mr. Lu looked at Fang Yi carefully and said, "I think the Marquis is as swift as a dragon and as powerful as a tiger. He will achieve great things in the future! If my house can be blessed with a little bit of the Marquis's luck, it will be enough to turn the Lu family around and make my career more prosperous."

"Then I'd rather obey your command. I really don't like Lu Dongxun's gloomy mansion." Fang Yi thought to himself that this Mr. Lu is indeed a wealthy businessman in Yanzhou. He is very versatile and speaks well.

However, Lu Dingwen's thoughts were not just about currying favor with the Marquis...

When he learned that his daughter Lu Qingxue had the opportunity to live with the Marquis, he was determined to pave the way for his daughter's future.

After the family left, Mr. Lu followed Fang Yi into the back hall of the county government office.

Fang Yi took down the old map from the wall and spread it out on the desk.

"Oh, this map is covered in dust. It seems that Lu Dongxun has not taken care of it for many years. And this is the topographic map of Jiuyuan Prefecture in the past. Xiaorou, take a rag and wipe it."

"Yes." Xiaorou cleaned the map skillfully, then stepped aside obediently and brought two cups of tea.

"Thank you very much, thank you very much." Mr. Lu took the teacup, his eyes fell on the map, and he couldn't help but sigh: "My Lord, please look, this map records the prosperity of Jiuyuan Prefecture in the past."

"That's right. In the past, Jiuyuan Prefecture had a population of 480,000, the most populous prefecture in Yanzhou. The people lived in peace and happiness, and it lived up to the good name of 'Jiuyuan'. But now, everything has disappeared..." Fang Yi sighed.

"Although Jiuyuan County no longer has its former glory and its population has decreased, this vast land still has rich resources such as mines, forests, fertile fields, and sea areas. As long as the Marquis can overcome all difficulties, manage the county with care, and have the courage to innovate, one day Jiuyuan County will regain its glory, or even become even more brilliant!" There was a gleam of confidence in Mr. Lu's eyes.

Incited by Mr. Lu's passionate words, the fire of enthusiasm that had been extinguished for a long time in Fang Yi's chest began to burn again.

His eyes were fixed on the topographic map of Jiuyuan Prefecture in front of him, and a magnificent picture of a prosperous future was drawn in his mind, as if a paradise-like country of abundance had already stood wherever his sight reached!

Fang Yi's gaze slowly swept across his independent kingdom. The Jiuyuan City in the picture was now sleeping at his feet, transformed into the inconspicuous Jiuyuan County.

The Jiuyuan Prefecture of the past was once a densely populated place, with the city alone accommodating 250,000 people. However, due to continuous wars and Lu Dongxun's exploitation, there are only seven or eight thousand people left in the city. Most of the once prosperous buildings are now overgrown with weeds and deserted.

These buildings include both residential houses and shops for various industries. Once they are reopened for use, it will be like opening up a treasure trove of information with endless potential.

But in order to restore Jiuyuan Prefecture to its former glory, the first task is to restore the population. Fang Yi knows that population is the foundation of a country, the source of labor, the decisive factor in material production, and directly related to the core of productivity.

Looking back, the increase in population not only ensured sufficient military resources, but also served as a powerful driving force for economic development. The reason why the Song Dynasty was able to reach its peak in the economic field was due to the population base of hundreds of millions.

Thinking about this, Fang Yi asked anxiously: "Mr. Lu, where are the more than 400,000 people in Jiuyuan County? Did they all get massacred by the Japanese pirates, the northern barbarians, and Lu Dongxun?"

In response to Fang Yi's question, Lu explained patiently, "Whether it was the northern barbarians or the bandits, they were all after money and goods, not killing innocent people. In fact, the number of civilians killed in the war was less than 10,000."

Fang Yi was even more confused after hearing this, "Where are the others?"