"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time," Chu Chen forced himself to be optimistic. "Although I don't know much about the current situation in Yunyue Kingdom, what if many people support Princess Xinyue's ascension?"
Chu Chen comforted himself.
"What if I can win without lifting a finger?"
Comforting himself thus, Chu Chen left the palace with Princess Xinyue.
Since transmigrating, this was Chu Chen's first time seeing the outside world.
It was only then that Chu Chen realized that the city under his feet was called Shuangyue City, the capital of Yunyue Kingdom.
Shuangyue City was quite prosperous, and the city's infrastructure was well-built. Although the streets were not spotless, at least there were no human or animal excrement.
This point made Chu Chen very satisfied.
From the construction of infrastructure, one could roughly gauge the prosperity of a country.
Just like the Great Tang in his previous life, at its peak, all nations paid tribute, and even cities with hundreds of thousands of people were managed in an orderly fashion, with clean and tidy streets.
However, after the national strength declined and the administration became corrupt, the scenes within the city became unbearable.
However, this prosperity was limited to Shuangyue City. A few miles outside the city gates, emaciated commoners could be seen everywhere by the roadside.
Most people wore only coarse cloth tunics, and the houses behind them were mostly adobe houses built with thatched roofs.
This was not Princess Xinyue's first time leaving the palace, but it was also her first time seeing the scene outside the city.
"Why are those people wearing such ugly clothes and living in such places?"
Princess Xinyue innocently asked a cruel question.
"Because they live in poverty, and it's already very difficult to fill their stomachs, so where would they have the extra money to wear nice clothes and live in comfortable houses?" Chu Chen sighed.
Princess Xinyue, who had been in high spirits, became a little dejected.
Seeing this, Chu Chen nodded secretly.
It seemed that although Princess Xinyue was a bit willful, she was not the kind of tyrant who would be indifferent to the suffering of the common people.
"Do you think we can do anything to make them live better lives?" Princess Xinyue asked somewhat dejectedly.
"Mother appreciates you so much, you must be very smart, right?"
"Can you think of a way?"
This time, it was Chu Chen's turn to be surprised.
Being able to empathize with the suffering she could see already made Princess Xinyue half a qualified ruler.
"Replying to Your Highness the Princess, this is precisely the purpose of our outing this time."
Princess Xinyue looked at the various commoners outside the carriage, her voice a little low, "Can that small thing alone achieve this?"
"Of course!" Chu Chen said decisively.
Seeing Chu Chen's firm belief, Princess Xinyue's mood improved a little.
Surrounding Shuangyue City were more than a dozen small counties of various sizes, and around each small county, there were multiple villages clustered together.
This time, Chu Chen and his entourage were heading to one of these small counties.
The promotion of the Yanzai plow was a top-down initiative, and the ultimate implementers of this measure were the county magistrates of various counties.
Linshui County was named after its proximity to a medium-sized river with abundant water.
Due to its proximity to the river, Linshui County had relatively rich water resources. The water for daily life and irrigation of farmland came from this river.
The abundance of water resources meant that Linshui County's annual grain output was slightly higher than that of other counties.
As soon as they entered the territory of Linshui County, Chu Chen saw that the magistrate of Linshui County, along with his advisor and a group of yamen runners, were waiting respectfully.
"Your Highness the Princess has graced us with your presence. We have failed to welcome you from afar. We beg Your Highness's forgiveness."
The magistrate of Linshui County was a slightly portly middle-aged man with a ruddy complexion, clearly living a comfortable life.
"Your subordinate has ordered people to prepare a welcoming banquet. Please, Your Highness the Princess, come with us."
Facing such a formal occasion for the first time, Princess Xinyue was a little nervous and didn't know how to act.
Seeing this, Chu Chen stepped forward, "Your Highness the Princess has a heavy workload on this trip. You don't need to say any more nonsense. Just take us to see the progress of the Yanzai plow promotion."
The magistrate glanced at Princess Xinyue, bowed, and agreed in a low voice.
Led by the magistrate, the group went straight to the county office's storeroom.
"Princess, please look. These are the plows we have exchanged with the commoners in the past few days."
In the storeroom, more than a dozen dusty plows were piled up.
Princess Xinyue breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
"Good, you..."
"Your Highness, wait a moment," Chu Chen had to interrupt Princess Xinyue.
"How dare you, a mere eunuch, babble beside the Princess when she is speaking!" The magistrate's eyes widened in anger, clearly feigning indignation on behalf of the Princess.
"Princess, this little eunuch is ignorant of etiquette and has repeatedly overstepped his bounds. Please punish him, Your Highness!"
The magistrate put on a righteous demeanor, and anyone who didn't know better might have been deceived.
However, it was clear that Princess Xinyue was more willing to believe Chu Chen, who had made her figurines, than this magistrate.
"Let's not talk about whether I overstepped my bounds," Chu Chen said coldly. "Are these plows really exchanged from the commoners?"
The magistrate's expression changed several times.
"Your Highness the Princess, this person is slandering me and framing me. I beg Your Highness to uphold justice for me!" The magistrate said with feigned grief.
"Otherwise, your subordinate will have to appeal to His Majesty!"
Seeing the other party's reaction, Chu Chen became even more certain that there was a big problem with this magistrate.
"Your Highness!" Chu Chen said loudly, "Please listen to me."
Princess Xinyue looked at the two of them, pursing her lips slightly.
This was the first task her mother had given her. If she couldn't handle it well, not to mention her mother, she herself would be very disappointed.
If this magistrate were to lodge a complaint, saying she couldn't discipline her subordinates, her mother would likely be very disappointed as well.
However, she still decided to give Chu Chen a chance to speak.
Seeing Princess Xinyue nod, Chu Chen pointed to the plows in the room.
"Princess, please look. The iron parts of these plows are severely corroded, which indicates that the plows have not been used for a long time."
"But the commoners toil year-round, and plows are very precious to them. If these plows were truly exchanged from the commoners, why would the iron parts be rusted like this?"
"It has only been a few days since His Majesty issued the order. Even if the magistrate acted very quickly and brought the plows here from the beginning, so much dust would not have accumulated in just a few days, right?"
As he spoke, Chu Chen casually wiped one of the plows, and a thick layer of dust came off.