The Conflict Between Population and Land

Shen Jingchuan glanced at him.

"That's true. This method isn't a permanent solution; it can only alleviate the problem. We could also implement policies to limit population growth."

"At that time, we can open more workshops, develop commerce, reclaim wasteland, increase yields per acre, and so on."

"People not only farm, but also work and trade. Long-term absence from home can also reduce the birth rate."

"We could also enact laws stipulating that the legal age for marriage is twenty, and that the government should provide for the elderly, etc."

"The population will gradually stabilize."

Hu Tieniu felt as if he were listening to a foreign language, completely bewildered, but he understood the general meaning.

He stood up, bowed respectfully to Shen Jingchuan.

"Young master, I understand. I will do as you say."

If I make a mistake in the next step, you'll have to give me lots of guidance.

"If you won't look at me, look at the world around you, at all those suffering people. For their sake, you have to help me out."

Shen Jingchuan waved his hand.

"Don't worry, I promise you. But we have to take it one step at a time. You can start with the first thing."

"Take over all the unclaimed land around Yuxi Prefecture, as well as the land owned by the Four Great Lineages, and distribute it to the people first."

"Don't touch other powerful clans before you've conquered the entire Great Qian Kingdom."

"If you push them too hard, they'll band together and fight you to the death. It's not too late to deal with them slowly once you've established a firm foothold."

"Remember, don't rush."

Shen Jingchuan broke down those principles, explained them to Hu Tieniu, and said them one by one.

Hu Tieniu never went to school or received any formal education, but he was by no means stupid.

He found those convoluted principles difficult to understand, but upon reflection, he could actually glean some meaning from them.

They accepted it even faster than Shen Jingchuan had expected.

They talked for another hour. Shen Jingchuan glanced at his watch; it was already late at night, so he stopped talking.

"Alright, that's enough for today. You still have a lot to do, go ahead and get busy."

"These principles cannot be explained in a short time."

"I'll come back in a few days, and then I'll tell you all about it."

He stood up and walked into the courtyard.

Outside the lobby, the entire courtyard, once filled with equipment, had long since been cleared away, leaving it completely empty.

Hu Tieniu escorted him all the way to the door.

Shen Jingchuan summoned his flying sword, leaped up, and stepped onto it.

With a flash of sword light, it disappeared into the night, heading towards Azure Cloud Stronghold.

Upon arriving at Azure Cloud Stronghold, they landed in their own courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet, the lights were already off. Shen Jingchuan sheathed his flying sword and tiptoed toward Lin Qingyao's room.

In his heart, he felt a sense of reunion after a long separation. He pushed open the door and slipped inside.

There was a person lying on the bed, with their back to him, seemingly fast asleep.

Shen Jingchuan didn't think much of it. He quickly took off his clothes, threw off the covers, and jumped on top of the bed.

He reached out and pulled the person into his arms from behind.

His movements stopped as soon as he put his arm around him.

Something's not right.

Lin Qingyao has the physique of someone who practices martial arts. She is over 1.7 meters tall, looks plump, and has firm, elastic flesh all over her body.

The one in my arms, though plump and not short, had a soft, squishy body.

Soft as cotton, Shen Jingchuan wondered to himself. Could it be that his body had gradually become softer after cultivating?

Even his muscles had gone soft? Before he could figure it out, he sensed something was wrong.

Lin Qingyao is not usually very outgoing, but she is never shy about this kind of thing, and she will even take the initiative when she is happy.

The person in his arms dared not move an inch.

Shen Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat, and he spoke in a deep voice. He quickly released his Divine Sense to probe his robes.

Upon closer inspection, he understood. It was Ju'er. Shen Jingchuan inwardly groaned. He had been careless.

If he had simply scanned the area with his Divine Sense upon entering, this blunder would not have occurred.

He sighed and gently turned the person over.

"Ju'er, what are you doing on this bed? Did I come to the wrong room, or...?"

In the darkness, Ju'er's face burned with embarrassment as she recalled her young mistress's instructions and her own lifelong happiness.

She didn't flinch; instead, she reached out and timidly wrapped her arms around his waist.

The sound was so faint it was like a mosquito's buzz.

"Young Master... Miss isn't feeling well today. It was she... it was she who asked me to come and serve you."

Shen Jingchuan opened his mouth, as if to say something. But when he looked at the soft, warm body in his arms, he swallowed the words back.

Ju'er has never cultivated herself or practiced martial arts.

Her body was very frail; when Shen Jingchuan held her, it was like cradling a porcelain doll.

This time, he didn't dare to enjoy himself to the fullest either.

Afterwards, he pulled the blanket over her and covered her up, speaking softly.

"Rest now, it's chilly at night, don't catch a cold."

Ju'er buried her face in the pillow and responded softly, her face still burning.

Shen Jingchuan got out of bed, put on his clothes, dressed quickly, and tiptoed out the door.

The fire in his heart hadn't died down yet, so he turned and headed towards Bai Ruoli's room.

Upon reaching the door, this time he remembered better. He first released his Divine Sense to probe inside. It was Bai Ruoli, no doubt about it.

She wasn't practicing cultivation; she was leaning against the headboard, reading some book under a lamp.

Shen Jingchuan pushed the door open and went in. Bai Ruoli had already heard the noise, looked up, quickly put down her book, and sat up straight.

"My husband."

Her voice was soft, gentle, and sweet.

Shen Jingchuan's heart melted. He took a few steps to the bedside, leaned down, and kissed her.

Bai Ruoli's body went limp, and she raised her hand to hug his neck.

She was originally frail, but now she has reached the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, which is much better than before.

This time, Shen Jingchuan finally felt truly satisfied. Afterwards, the two leaned against the headboard.

Shen Jingchuan put his arm around her and told her everything about what had just happened with Ju'er.

Bai Ruoli listened, then extended a finger and gently tapped his forehead.

"You and Qinghe and Ju'er, those two girls, sooner or later, won't they all be yours?"

"They're all so old, don't you care? Give them a proper status. Are you just going to let them wait around like this?"

Shen Jingchuan scratched his head.

"I originally thought that once they were older, I could find them good families to marry into, and that would be the end of it."

Bai Ruoli rolled her eyes at him.

"Marry? Who are you going to let them marry? Don't you even consider whether they themselves want to?"

"With your qualifications—young, handsome, and a high-ranking immortal master—would they really be willing to leave you?"

"Besides, they were originally part of the dowry, serving as personal maids."

"With their status like this, how are they supposed to get married in the future?"

Shen Jingchuan was rendered speechless by her words.

Bai Ruoli sighed again.

"Take Qinghe for example. She's older than Ju'er (who's eighteen). She's almost twenty this year. She's not getting any younger. Some things shouldn't be left unsaid."

Shen Jingchuan didn't reply, but he was secretly wondering about it.

He's from the modern world after all; those thoughts in his head haven't quite caught up yet. There are just too many of them.