Chapter 385: Liu Xie Visits the Countryside Incognito
Although the decree to send troops against Ma Chao had already been issued, completing all the mobilization and preparations would still take about a month.
This was not slow. Sending troops was no casual matter, after all, and marching once the weather turned cold and winter arrived would favor the Han Army even more.
During this period, besides handling affairs of state in the Palace each day, Liu Xie also found time to inspect the villages and towns around Ye City, making visits incognito.
His main purpose was to inspect how government policies were being implemented.
The prolonged warfare had placed a considerable burden on the common people, so ever since Zhuge Liang took charge of their livelihoods, he had adopted various policies to let them rest and recuperate.
Liu Xie strongly supported Zhuge Liang's approach as well. After all, war hurt the common people most, and recuperation was indispensable.
Whenever Liu Xie went on an inspection, he brought only Zhao Yun and a few guards, never making a grand display. This time, he came to a village at the foot of a mountain several dozen li from Ye City.
It was nearly evening, and wisps of cooking smoke rose into the sky from most of the houses in the village.
A ribbon-like stream ran through the entire village, dividing it in two, while a waterwheel turned leisurely on the river, irrigating the fields.
Fields and crisscrossing paths spread outward from the village, with a vast expanse of fertile farmland stretching as far as the eye could see, reflecting golden light beneath the sun.
Old men draped in straw raincoats, oxen walking along the narrow field paths, children in worn hemp clothes running about with snot streaming from their noses, and common