Free Web NovelChapter 195: Chapter 195
Chapter 195
In truth, doing this made them feel somewhat guilty. However, both she and her husband lacked the capability to deal with everyone who snuck in to gather information. Some went as far as to gather intelligence from the surrounding cities first, and that surely made them contract this plague. So, from the moment they knew it would spread far, Mu Heng and Yueqian had already devised a plan within a plan.
After all, their duty was to unify the surrounding tribes into their own fold. Even if they couldn’t turn them into the Bai Regions, just having cooperation as allies would bring many benefits to Red Earth City.
Once the city opened and people came to taste the prosperity, it would be them who would want to join Red Earth City!
As for imitation, Yueqian wasn’t worried at all. Right now, they couldn’t even imitate their cultivation methods. Even if they knew how to make gutters and planting platforms, so what? Did they have the fertilizers and plant treatments from the dimension of the department store? Of course not.
This dependence would make them value Red Earth City even more. In the future, the city would continue to develop, with numerous research institutions already invested in. Taking the lead in the process was crucial. Mu Heng allowing people to move and become residents of Red Earth City meant increasing their production capabilities. This first step would become a giant leap, leaving others far behind. freёweɓnovel.com
Fortunately, this plan proceeded at the right time. If it weren’t for the smooth cultivation trials, Yueqian and Mu Heng might have had to let many people die first.
Luckily, herb cultivation was successful. Soon, their fields would be filled with Ming Fa flowers, and producing medicine for tens or hundreds of thousands of people wouldn’t be difficult anymore. After all, one Ming Fa flower could produce a significant amount of medicine, and there were plenty of seeds as well. How much medicine would they get?
The couple knew they couldn’t speak of this matter. As the governors, they shouldn’t be too evil or cunning. Otherwise, it would cause the citizens to distrust and become suspicious of them in the future.
Displaying an image of magnanimity was therefore a fitting act. Yueqian did not need to play the role of a kind and graceful goddess because her true character was meant to be serious and hardworking. She appeared strict and formidable but did not harbor ill will towards anyone, nor did she tolerate ill will directed at herself. She was compassionate but not in a gratuitous way; she never gave anything away easily to show kindness. However, if it was necessary, she did not withhold, but there had to be a demonstration of fairness.
Thus, many villagers did not dare speak ill of the governor’s furen because she had never harmed anyone. Yet, they did not dare ask much from her either, as she was not someone who smiled easily or was easy to talk to.
This image made people fear her authority, but it also garnered great respect and reverence for her.
The couple walked out together, and Yueqian’s body still smelled of herbs. The villagers had known since early in the morning because they hadn’t seen the governor’s furen. They had heard she secluded herself to conduct an important medicine preparation test, which increased their respect for her.
Even the governor’s furen worked so hard for Red Earth City, so how could they dare to be lazy? Of course, they didn’t know that Yueqian’s medicine preparation was just a part of it; she never exhausted herself.
Even though it was said to be a complicated test, it didn’t take long. The rest of the time, she just let the herbs simmer and dissolve in the boiling water while she sat, lay around, or wrote novels. Naturally, this misunderstanding was beneficial, so no one revealed the truth to them.
“Good morning, Governor Mu, Furen Mu,” greetings and respect came continuously.
When the visitors saw the villagers consistently greeting a particular couple along the way, they understood the status of the pair, even though they were surprised that the governor and his furen were so young. Nevertheless, due to their current position, everyone had to rise to welcome their arrival.
“Governor Mu, Furen Mu,” they all greeted. Mu Heng responded quietly as he didn’t know who was, only recognizing the tribes they belonged to by the symbols they wore.
Fortunately, the tribes had done their homework well, so they understood the importance of the governor’s furen and dared not to touch her when they saw she was participating in the important discussions. Additionally, everyone knew that it was the governor’s furen who managed the medicine preparation, so her significance was not trivial.
Additionally, along the way into the city, they saw significant changes in this once desolate Red Earth City. Behind the high wooden fence that had been built just a few days ago, there was actually a hidden sense of order and tranquility. Even during their journey, they didn’t need to be cautious. Transportation and movement of goods would certainly become much easier in this city in the future.
Not only was travel easier, but even the red soil was now covered with abundant green plants. When they first set foot in Red Earth City, they were startled, thinking they had come to the wrong place. Such greenery was rare in Red Earth City. With the special soil that was very dense in the Red Earth City, this basin of failure was once called hell. However, now it no longer resembled its old nickname.
Hell? What kind of hell would be this colorful?!
"Please, have a seat, everyone. You’ve traveled far. Let us bring you some fruit for refreshment," Mu Heng waved to his people. Soon, a large tray of beautifully cut and decorated fruits appeared.
"What are these?" One of the tribal representatives asked. Although they could smell the fruits’ fragrance, their appearance was quite unfamiliar. freёwebnovel.com
"These are mulberries, which have a tart taste and are refreshing. This is pineapple, which is both sweet and sour. And this, you might be somewhat familiar with, is orange, though it is a small improved variety (it was a Chinese orange). Then there are blueberries and raspberries. These are rarer because they’ve only recently been developed, but their taste is excellent," Mu Heng introduced.
In truth, he didn’t know these fruits either. If Yueqian hadn’t brought out the seeds and developed them so they could be cultivated, they would never have tasted such delicious fruits.
Since they didn’t know what the locals called them, Yueqian renamed them. Naturally, no one in Red Earth City knew them either, so when they were sold, everyone called them by the names the governor’s furen had given them.
"Are these fruits grown in Red Earth City?" Upon seeing the variety of fruits, even without knowing their taste, it was a big deal that Red Earth City could cultivate them. This meant Red Earth City would develop even more in the future, wouldn’t it?
Though Red Earth City had no direct relation to them, as long as it grew stronger while they stagnated or worsened, this danger would inevitably affect them. So, to be honest, they were not pleased with these developments.
"Yes, these fruits are cultivated in our Red Earth City," Mu Heng said with a proud expression. Even the soldiers around felt a sense of happiness when they thought about it.
Not long ago, they didn’t even have food to eat, but now? What do they want to eat? Vegetables? Fruits? Everything was here! Everything was in their Red Earth City!
"This..."
"This is certainly a good thing. It’s excellent news for Red Earth City," Keos, who was part of the conversation, quickly expressed his congratulations while some were still stunned by what they had heard. If this continued, who knows how far the conversation would deviate?
Seeing Keos taking the lead, Yueqian couldn’t help but glance at him slightly. Keos’s face showed intelligence, even now, smiling at them upon hearing this. So Yueqian realized that among this group, there was another person whose intelligence was quite formidable.
"Hmm, in that case, please, help yourselves," Mu Heng gestured with his hand, not prolonging the topic.
The purpose of today’s discussion was likely more about the medicinal treatments than these fruits. He only boasted moderately to let this group know that they lacked nothing, which would strengthen their bargaining position. Even negotiating solely on the basis of their medicine would be strong enough!
People from the various tribes exchanged glances. Some were hesitant to eat because the purple color was rather intimidating. Due to their limited knowledge, the locals often perceived purple things were poisonous. When Mu Heng saw this, he smiled simply but did not pick up any fruit from the tray either.
The situation became quite awkward. Both sides seemed to be testing each other. Mu Heng and Yueqian remained calm and did not touch the fruit, which only increased the representatives’ sense of danger.
Given the not-so-friendly relations, deciding to visit Red Earth City was still quite dangerous. This is why the tribal leaders couldn’t come to negotiate in person. However, those who came were all important figures from each tribe. Any losses would certainly not be a good thing.
In their minds, if Red Earth City did not see them as significant, anything could happen. This could include massacring the various representatives to declare war and assert the city’s position, or even causing minor troubles as a warning. However, no matter what the outcome, they had to endure it. As negotiation representatives, they had to be cautious of the actions of Red Earth City, but they could not act too boldly.
Let’s not forget their role here. In the past, Red Earth City wasn’t on their radar at all. But now, things were different. With the medicine the other party possessed, it was as if they controlled the lives of everyone in the villages.
After some time had passed, there was sudden movement. The middle-aged man with a smile on his face caught Yueqian’s interest. Naturally, the one who dared to eat the blueberry first was someone Yueqian had anticipated.
"This fruit is called blueberry, right? It tastes very good. I’ve never eaten such delicious fruit before." It was Keos who spoke up, looking at Mu Heng with a knowing gleam in his eyes. The person being looked at simply nodded with a smile.
Someone as smart as this was worth considering as a friend.
While many were waiting to see if Keos would show signs of poisoning, Mu Heng reached out and grabbed some fruit himself. He even handed a few pieces to Yueqian. After seeing the couple eating the fruit with relish, everyone’s faces looked as if they had been stung by bees. They realized that the governor of Red Earth City was playing with their fears. Otherwise, why hadn’t he said anything when no one touched the fruit?
The more they saw the governor’s behavior, the more terrified the tribal representatives became."Yes, blueberries are rare. Initially, when we successfully cultivated them, even the people of Red Earth City were afraid to eat them, thinking they might be poisonous because of the color of their outer skin. However, they turned out to be very delicious and beneficial. Once they realized this, the citizens of Red Earth City were willing to pay a lot to buy them home." As he said this, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, causing the tribal representatives to feel a chill down their spines.
