I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 192 Delayed Sowing
The Shen family was in complete chaos, and Tang Zhao, far away in Wuwei, was also deeply troubled.

"how?"

Song Kai squatted down beside her. "Princess, I asked many old farmers who have been around for years. They said there was less rain this year, but they all felt it wasn't a big problem."

"What do you think?"

Song Kai shook his head. "How can we mortals possibly fathom the mood of the heavens?"

When the weather is good, all kinds of disasters come in turn when the weather is bad. Why do people's lives vary from year to year? It's because they have to live according to the whims of the heavens.

Tang Zhao looked at the weather forecast for the next week on the system interface. The highest temperature had already exceeded 27°C, and there was no sign of rain.

“Princess,” Song Kai said, noticing Tang Zhao’s furrowed brow, “There is little rain in the Northwest, which is why there is a saying that spring rain is as precious as oil. Perhaps by June, the heavens will make up for the lack of rain.”

Tang Zhao was not comforted at all. If it was really as Song Kai said, wouldn't the Northwest be flooded right after the drought?
Song Kai also felt that the words were unlucky, and racked his brains to find a way to make amends, his old face wrinkling into a bun shape.

Tang Zhao was annoyed by what he saw, and waved his hand to send the person away, saying, "Pass down the order to postpone sowing."

“Princess, please think it over,” Song Kai advised. “This year, the application of new fertilizer has already delayed the planting season. If the sowing is delayed further, the harvest will be even worse!”

Tang Zhao waved his hand, "Weren't the millet and sorghum already planted?"

Millet and sorghum were planted, but not much! The Song family's tens of thousands of acres of clan land are still bare, waiting to be planted with wheat!

"And potatoes, didn't you say you were going to plant potatoes all over Wuwei this year?"

"What's the rush? Potatoes can be planted in May," Tang Zhao interrupted Song Kai's rambling. "I can't control other places, but in Wuwei, especially on all the land under my name, if anyone dares to plant without authorization, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Song Kai stamped his feet in frustration, not understanding why the usually wise Princess had suddenly become like this. He wished he could rush up and dump all the water out of Tang Zhao's brain.

But Song Kai dared not, so he had to seek outside help.

Bearing Song Kai's expectations, Gu Ci ran all over Wuwei and finally found Tang Zhao lounging on a boulder by the Shiyang River.

"What are you looking at?"

“Look, the rocks that were usually submerged are now above the water.”

Gu Ci looked at the pebbles of all sizes along the riverbank. "This year's rainfall is indeed less than in previous years, and my father and the military advisor are also worried about this."

But the two were far more optimistic than Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhaojue said sullenly, "It's not just the rain, but also the temperature. Don't you feel that it's hotter than in previous years?"

Gu Ci was taken aback, recalling that some soldiers had gone to the river to bathe a while ago, saying that the river water was much warmer than in previous years.

"If I told you that the temperature will continue to rise for the next week, and not a single drop of rain will fall, would you believe me?"

"I believe you," Gu Ci nodded without hesitation, then suddenly realized, "That's why you asked for the planting to be delayed."

"Not only should we delay sowing, but we should also organize well drilling," Tang Zhao said, looking at the blazing sun high in the sky. "Crops will die if they lack water, and so will people."

Without food, one can starve to death in seven days; without water, one can die in three days.

Tang Zhao's eyes stung from the sunlight, and just as he was about to close them to rest, a hand covered in calluses from a knife appeared before him, its shadow completely obscuring his vision.

"how do you want to do it?"

"I don't know," Tang Zhao said weakly. "To be more precise, I'm not sure."

I'm not sure if her decision was right or wrong.

Gu Ci was surprised. This was the first time he had seen Tang Zhao so hesitant and self-doubting. His brows furrowed involuntarily. "What are you worried about?"

Tang Zhao said softly, "I'm worried about harming the people." Unlike her previous life when she ran a company, as the president, if she made a wrong decision, the worst outcome would be losing money and running out of funds, or the company going bankrupt and being burdened with huge debts.

Even if his employees lose their jobs, they can still enjoy a period of comfort with N+1 compensation.

Most importantly, in modern society, as long as you have hands and feet, it's quite difficult to starve to death.

But Da Yu is different.

In this backward society, which has almost no resistance or defense against natural disasters, ordinary people have no choice but to die once a natural disaster strikes.

Natural disasters are abhorrent, but man-made disasters are even more hateful.

Tang Zhao couldn't accept it. Because of his wrongdoing, he had harmed the people of Wuwei and even the soldiers of the army. If that day ever came, he would rather she hang herself from a tree in the southeast.

"You're overthinking it," Gu Ci said coolly. "You're not that capable."

Tang Zhao laughed out loud, slapped Gu Ci's hand away, and sat up abruptly. "You look down on me?"

"I am merely stating the facts. You are neither a monarch who commands the world, nor a minister who governs the court, nor a military general who leads troops into battle. How could you possibly harm the people?"

Gu Ci braced his hands on the boulder, gazing intently at Tang Zhao's ethereal beauty, more delicate than a night-blooming cereus and more elegant than a lotus. "A femme fatale can indeed bring ruin to a country, but it's a pity you're already married."

Tang Zhao leaned closer, their breaths mingling, "What, am I not worthy of the Fifth Young Master Gu's heroic anger for a beauty?"

Gu Ci paused, then turned away, saying, "I take back what I just said."

Tang Zhao laughed loudly.

Gu Ci was embarrassed and annoyed by the laughter, but seeing Tang Zhao laughing heartily again, he was willing to let her laugh at him.

Tang Zhao finally stopped laughing, only to hear Gu Ci say seriously, "Ah Zhao, don't worry. Even if you made a wrong decision, you can definitely make amends."

Tang Zhao laughed in exasperation. "Fifth Young Master, I thought you would say," Tang Zhao cleared his throat and lowered his voice to imitate Gu Ci's words, "Even if you do something wrong, I will stand behind you and protect you, right?"

"I also want to protect you," Gu Ci said, pursing her lips, "but I don't need to."

“You are a big tree that can shelter others from the wind and rain, not a flower carefully cultivated in a greenhouse,” Gu Ci looked up and met Tang Zhao’s gaze, “but whenever you need me, I will stand by your side with a knife, ready to serve you.”

Tang Zhao's heart clenched under Gu Ci's sincere gaze.

"Gu Ci, if I ever get hit by a brick in the future," Tang Zhao grabbed Gu Ci's neck with both hands, "I'll strangle you before I get killed by the brick."

Gu Ci chuckled at the kitten-like strength on his neck. "Okay."

"Let's go!" Tang Zhao jumped off the rock. "Let's go home!"

As soon as May arrived, Tang Zhao looked at the row of small suns on the weather forecast and made up his mind.

"Let's arrange for people to plant potatoes and soybeans."

"Yes," Song Kai's mood had gone from anxious and angry to numb and indifferent. After all, the farming season had passed, and it was no longer possible to plant wheat.

"Tell the tenant farmers and the people of Wuwei that the tofu workshop will buy soybeans and potatoes at the price of wheat," Tang Zhao thought for a moment and quickly added, "This only applies to this year."

Song Kai: ...

Why bother?

　Sorry, I forgot to post it this morning.

　　(End of this chapter)