Poverty Alleviation in Qin: A Sky-High Review of "I Am the Female Prime Minister of All Time&qu

As darkness fell, night enveloped the entire city of Pei.

In the courtyard, several low tables were neatly set out. The food wasn't luxurious or expensive, but it was much more abundant than the usual simple meals. There was fresh fish, stewed meat, and plenty of vegetables. In the middle, there was a large pot of steaming millet porridge, which was bubbling and wafting with a wonderful aroma.

Several jars of aged wine were brought up, the mud seals were removed, and a faint aroma of wine instantly filled the air.

Officials arrived one after another, including Xiao He, Cao Can, Xiahou Ying, as well as various subordinate officials and on-duty servants, filling the courtyard to capacity.

Everyone waited quietly for Song Ye to arrive.

A moment later, Song walked slowly from the backyard, having changed into a clean and elegant outfit, her long hair neatly tied up again, shedding the fatigue of the day's work.

"Is everyone here?"

"Everyone's here!" Xiao He responded first, his voice exceptionally loud, filling the courtyard with vitality.

Song also raised his hand and picked up the wine bowl in front of him.

The noisy courtyard quieted down, and everyone picked up their wine bowls, their eyes all turning towards the head of the table.

"Thank you all for your hard work these past few days. The results of this year's autumn harvest are evident to all. People have seen a significant increase in their harvest and are living in peace and contentment. This is the result of our collective efforts."

"You've all worked hard, cheers." With that, she tilted her head back and drank the wine in her bowl in one gulp.

The liquor wasn't strong; it was only about 5-7 degrees in later times.

"Dry!"

The courtyard instantly became lively, filled with voices and laughter.

They gathered in twos and threes, some chatting about the promising harvest this autumn, others slightly tipsy, laughing and boasting in hushed tones.

Xiao He was repeatedly urged to drink by his colleagues, downing bowl after bowl until his face turned as red as a ripe Guan Yu. He still stubbornly waved his hand, saying, "It's alright! I can still drink! More, please!"

Xiahou Ying and Ren Ao huddled together, earnestly arguing about who had run errands more and worked harder these days, their faces turning red with embarrassment, which made onlookers laugh frequently.

In the far corner of the courtyard, Zhang Liang did not participate in the commotion. Instead, he walked through the bustling crowd and quietly settled on Song Ye, who was eating.

The flickering firelight fell on the young magistrate's face, making him appear less sharp and serious than usual, and more relaxed and easygoing.

That is the composure of taking root in the soil, enduring hardship, and finally seeing the flowers in full bloom.

Like crops ripening in autumn, they grow silently, take root quietly, without being ostentatious or flamboyant, yet they have established themselves firmly.

It stands firm and unmoved, unaffected by wind and rain.

Zhang Liang lowered his head, took a small sip of wine, and his eyes were filled with turbulent emotions.

If South Korea had such a capable minister, perhaps it wouldn't have met its eventual demise...

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the courtyard became completely lively, with a cacophony of voices, like a pot boiling over.

Liu Ji was the one who drank the most heartily throughout the entire event.

He was a heavy drinker by nature, and Song Ye usually kept a close watch on him, so he didn't even dare to linger at the widows' taverns on the street. Now that he saw the magistrate himself drinking freely, he naturally seized the opportunity to have a good time.

After finishing one bowl, two bowls, and three bowls, Liu Ji's face and neck turned bright red, and he couldn't stop talking.

Holding his wine bowl, he staggered to his feet, slurring his words, "To be honest, I, Liu Ji, have been in Pei County for so many years. What haven't I seen? Don't let my usual carefree attitude fool you; when it comes to getting things done, I'm quite capable!"

Lu Wan, who was beside him, quickly reached out and tugged at his sleeve: "Stop talking nonsense, sit down quickly."

"Sit down? I haven't finished speaking yet!" Liu Ji flung his hand away, his gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Song Ye. He grinned and said, "Lord Song, don't you think what I said makes sense?"

Song smiled at him but didn't reply.

Seeing this, Liu Ji let out a loud burp, becoming even bolder: "To be honest, sir, when you first arrived in Pei County, I thought you were just a...bookworm."

As soon as he finished speaking, the people around him gasped in shock. Xiao He nearly dropped his chopsticks, extremely nervous.

Liu Ji, completely oblivious to the strange looks from those present, continued, "She's fair-skinned and slender, not the type to endure hardship. I wondered how long she could last? Three months? Or six months?"

Cao Shen sat to the side, and without making a sound, he raised his foot and gently kicked him under the table.

Liu Ji looked down at his leg, then looked up at Song Ye, puzzled. "Why did you kick me?"

"..." Cao Shen remained expressionless, picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and pretended that nothing had happened.

It's beyond saving, completely beyond saving.

Song put down his chopsticks and slowly asked, "So, what about now?"

"Now..." Liu Ji scratched his head, chuckled twice, "Now I think you... are alright, right?"

"good?"

Liu Ji panicked and quickly changed his tune: "No, no, it's really good, exceptionally good! You're the most troublesome magistrate I've ever met."

Everyone: "..."

Brother, it would have been better not to say anything at all.

Xiao He, who was standing nearby, had already quietly straightened up, ready to step forward and smooth things over at any time.

But Song Ye didn't get angry at all. Instead, he laughed out loud, raised his wine bowl, and gestured to Liu Ji: "Liu Tingzhang, I accept your fair assessment."

Liu Ji breathed a sigh of relief, quickly raised his bowl to clink with hers, tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, finally feeling relieved.

He was just too happy too soon.

Song put down his wine bowl, his smile unchanged, but his tone suddenly shifted: "Since you think I'm reliable enough, I'll give you some serious advice. You shouldn't have any objections, right?"

Liu Ji's smile froze instantly, and his voice trembled: "S-Serious business?"

"That's right, it's important business."

Song Ye's gaze slowly swept over everyone in the courtyard, and he said, "This year's autumn harvest is bountiful, and everyone is happy. The people have benefited, and I am happy for them too. But as happy as I am, there are some things I need to make clear beforehand."

"This year's grain harvest has increased significantly, and with more grain stored, problems have followed. We need to arrange how to store and circulate the grain. We also need to guard against people taking advantage of the situation to drive down grain prices or deliberately raising prices for profit. We can't wait until chaos breaks out before we take remedial action."

Xiao He stopped laughing and sat up straight to listen attentively.

"This is just the beginning; there's still a lot to do." Song Ye spoke at a measured pace, like an autumn breeze—warm and gentle—yet it made everyone instinctively tense.

"What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand. The grassroots level is the touchstone for testing our work, and the masses are the whetstone for honing our work style."

She paused briefly, her gaze sweeping over each person's face, before finally smiling gently and kindly.

"I believe that everyone here is a good comrade, and you must all have the spirit of putting aside airs and getting down to work, right?"

After those words were spoken, the courtyard fell silent for a brief two breaths.

Everyone sensed the weight and threat behind those words.

She would never tolerate anyone who took advantage of their status to act arrogantly, shirk their responsibilities, or refuse to do things personally.

Xiao He was the first to come to his senses. He cleared his throat, stood up, and bowed to Song Ye, saying, "Rest assured, my lord, we will do our best and will never let you down."

With him taking the lead, the other officials and runners also echoed his sentiments.

"We will certainly do our best to fulfill our duties!"

"I would never dare to slack off or be lazy!"

"Don't worry, sir!"

Voices expressing their opinions rose and fell.

Song smiled and slowly picked up her wine bowl, saying, "That's good. Come on, let's continue drinking, don't spoil the fun." After saying that, she took a small sip, her face still showing that gentle and harmless expression.

Liu Ji and others: "..."

I don't dare to drink it anymore.

When Lord Song spoke with a smile, it was actually more intimidating than when he had a stern face.

However, none of those present dared to say these words aloud.