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

The journey south was long and arduous, filled with twists and turns.

After a full half-month, Song Ye and his group finally stepped into the Baiyue territory.

At that time, the Baiyue people did not yet have the large cities and prefectures established by the Central Plains.

With its towering mountains and crisscrossing waterways, the indigenous tribes are scattered among the mountains and rivers, forming a diverse array of customs.

The dense tropical rainforest blocks out the sun, and the winding streams have carved out countless ravines, which is completely different from the crisscrossing fields and continuous city walls of the Central Plains.

There are no roads with uniform gauge for carriages here, only terraced fields for slash-and-burn agriculture and stilted bamboo houses built of wood.

Since Li You was ordered to guard the Baiyue region, he knew that in order to take control of the southern border, assimilate the barbarians, and consolidate Qin territory, he must first establish cities and fortifications, and take root and establish a foothold before he could gradually educate and divide the various tribes.

Therefore, after taking office, he did not rush to launch a military campaign, but instead led his people to build walls and houses by taking soil from the mountains and rivers.

With a basket of soil and a load of stones, they managed to build a simple earthen city in this wild and desolate land.

This city has no sturdy city walls built of blue bricks, no orderly streets and alleys, and is small in scale, at best it can only be considered a border military town.

But it was the first cornerstone that the Qin Dynasty erected in the wild lands of Baiyue, and also the first step for Chinese civilization to wedge itself into Baiyue.

Li You had received a message from Xianyang some time ago, informing him that Song would also personally go to Baiyue for inspection, and he had already led his officers and soldiers to wait outside the earthen city.

The two were old acquaintances, so there was no need for formalities when they met.

Song dismounted, and Li You stepped forward to greet him. They exchanged a few words of greeting and bowed to each other.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li You's gaze unconsciously fell on the group of people behind Song Ye.

A group of young men and women were dressed in coarse linen clothes, their hems and trouser legs covered in yellow mud and grass clippings, the colors of which were no longer discernible.

Some of them were panting with their hands on their backs, some were rubbing their calves, and some were slumped on the roadside stones. Where was there any trace of their former imperial lineage?

Li You, filled with doubt, couldn't help but ask, "Lord Song, are these young men... the scholars who accompanied you south?"

He really wanted to ask if they were refugees.

Because they really look alike.

"..."

Song replied calmly, "They are princes and princesses."

A short sentence, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Li You's pupils trembled: Who?

Did he hear that right?!

Princes and princesses?

Li You scrutinized the young men before him repeatedly. They looked like a group of impoverished people whose skin had peeled from the sun. It was impossible for him to associate them with the pampered and privileged children of the imperial family in Xianyang Palace.

Meanwhile, the expressions of Gongzi Gao, Ying Yinman, and others in the group were even more indescribable.

He was filled with grievances and bitterness, but couldn't utter a single word.

God knows what they've been through these past two weeks!

From the day they set off from Xianyang, Song never indulged them.

Abandoning the ceremonial carriages and retinues that princes and princesses should have, Song also set an example by walking with his soldiers every day and ordered these imperial children to do the same.

They would get up before dawn to exercise, and then trek with the group, covering dozens of miles a day, rain or shine.

Song Ye's reasoning was simple: a group of pampered princes and princesses who couldn't lift a finger or carry anything heavy.

The land of Baiyue is rife with miasma, unbearably hot and humid, with rugged mountain roads and harsh soil and water. If one cannot even endure the physical challenges of traveling, how can one withstand the trials once they arrive at their destination?

How can we understand the people's sentiments and govern the local area?

Rather than becoming weak and dependent on others when you arrive in Baiyue, it's better to temper your fragility and strengthen your body on the road, developing a physique that can handle anything.

For a full two weeks, no one was exempted.

The princes and princesses who were once dressed in fine clothes and served by others at every step walked most of the way on their own two feet.

No wonder Li You didn't recognize them at first sight.

...

Inside the earthen city.

In front of the row of wooden houses in the prefectural governor's mansion, there was an open shed, and a few rough wooden tables were put together to serve as a banquet.

The food that Li You had served was indeed very different from that in Guanzhong.

The staple food is steamed rice made from indica rice grown locally in Baiyue. The grains are long and loose, lacking the sticky texture of millet from the Central Plains. It is slightly rough in texture, but the large quantity makes it very filling.

Several side dishes were served, including a pot of pickled bamboo shoots with river fish. The fish was freshly caught from the Li River, and the bamboo shoots were pickled by the locals, making them sour and appetizing.

A bowl of salted rhinoceros meat, thinly sliced, chewy yet fragrant.

A plate of dried bamboo rats, smoked with lychee wood, has a savory and fragrant aroma.

There are also a few wild vegetables, such as bracken, water celery, and centella asiatica. After blanching them, they are mixed with salt and mountain pepper, resulting in a slightly bitter taste with a sweet aftertaste.

What made the princes and princesses' eyes light up the most was a jar of Yue fruit wine, brewed from mountain lychees, which tasted sweet like fruit juice.

Li You was somewhat flustered, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "I apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Before he could finish speaking, Young Master Gao had already grabbed a piece of dried bamboo rat and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "Delicious... This is a million times better than dry rations..."

Beside her, Ying Yinman disregarded her image, her chopsticks flying as she ate, her voice trembling slightly: "Damn it! I've been eating hard pancakes for almost half a month, how can this fish and bamboo shoots be so delicious?!"

Jiang Lu was relatively restrained, but he still ate bowl after bowl of rice without slowing down at all.

"!!!"

The others ate with their mouths glistening with oil, completely forgetting about manners and etiquette.

"!!!"

Delicious, delicious, delicious! I'm chewing and chewing and chewing and chewing!

Upon seeing this, Li You's expression changed from awkward to bewildered.

Song Ye sat at the head of the table, slowly picked up a piece of bracken with his chopsticks, glanced at Li You, and said, "Prefect Li, don't worry, they can eat it, more than anyone else."

"Yes, yes, we can eat it, Your Excellency!"

"Yes, yes, can we have this kind of food from now on?"

"Waaaah, how can the food be so delicious..."

"This tastes so much better than those dry rations, waah!"

"Another bowl of rice, please!"

Looking at the group of "refugees" wolfing down their food, Li You felt a mix of emotions.

These past two weeks of traveling have worn away more than just my delicate nature; they've even worn away my pickiness.

In Baiyue, everything tastes delicious.

I can sleep anywhere, and I don't feel bitter no matter what hardship I encounter.

"..."

Who says there are no top-tier strategists? Isn't this the one right in front of us?