Marquis Xiping was thoroughly displeased.
Things had gone poorly for Xiping Prefecture year after year.
As a result, Xiping Prefecture received very few resources.
And so the entire Xiping Prefecture seemed impoverished.
But that was only in terms of cultivation resources.
When it came to resources for everyday living,
Xiping Prefecture was actually doing all right.
Still, the limitations of the era were there for all to see.
Even without any withholding of everyday supplies,
the common people still lacked what they needed to live.
And with no family planning,
people in this era had as many children as they could.
Although the lack of advanced medical care
meant that child mortality was rather high,
this was, after all, an age of cultivators.
In an age of cultivators, other methods could also ensure children's survival.
So, all things considered,
the survival rate for children was still quite high.
Thus,
leaving children at the gates of Xiping Prefecture
was truly a rare occurrence.
Of course,
rare though it was, it was not all that uncommon.
It happened two or three times a year, at least.
As for Xiping Prefecture,
this had already become routine.
Whenever a child was brought over,
the steward would carry the child in for Marquis Xiping to take a look.
If Marquis Xiping felt an immediate affinity with the child, he would keep and adopt them himself.
If he felt no particular affinity, he would send them elsewhere, though keeping them in the residence to raise as a servant was also an option.
After all, people were kindhearted.
Even the conflicts between the various prefectures
were merely ordinary disputes.
No one ever spoke of driving another prefecture into bankruptcy.
They would always leave a little broth for the others to drink.
"These unruly peasants! Do they all