Feng Bailing immediately had the village chief gather the villagers.
Except for the elderly, the infirm, and the very young children, Feng Bailing intended to teach the entire village how to raise wax insects, collect wax, and make candles.
"There is another matter I’d like to discuss with you, village chief. For the eligible children in the village, I want to find a teacher to teach them literacy and writing. Those who are a bit older can learn accounting. For some children and adults with a good physical foundation, the Princess’ Mansion will send guards to teach them martial arts."
After experiencing the situation with Lady Lai, Feng Bailing realized that if the people of Qi Village truly wanted to become powerful, it wasn’t enough to just be economically prosperous; acting urgently in reading and martial arts was also essential.
There were also hundreds of villagers in Qi Village, among whom many had good talents. If there was one who could condense the Wenhua Seal or even the Wuji Seal, it would be a safeguard for Qi Village, and only then could the villagers protect themselves.
The village chief was stunned and suddenly knelt down.
Lady Lai and the other villagers also knelt down. Seeing a dark mass of people in front of her, Feng Bailing quickly went to help the village chief up.
"Princess Consort, you are simply a living Bodhisattva. The grand kindness and virtue you and the Princess have shown Qi Village will never be forgotten by its people."
Just a few months ago, they were living lives of misery, worried about food, clothing, and shelter.
Feng Bailing’s arrival brought them an entirely different life.
"Village chief, this time disaster struck unexpectedly, causing you all to suffer. I can help you temporarily, but not for a lifetime. Apart from raising insects, you can also cultivate medicinal herbs and fruit trees. Only when the villagers truly become strong and wealthy can they protect themselves," Feng Bailing said righteously.
She could not stay in Great Chu forever, especially since it had been confirmed that Emperor Yongye was afflicted with the love poison.
The love poison had three stages; presently, Emperor Yongye should only have been recently poisoned. If the love poison could not be removed, and it reached an incurable stage, Emperor Yongye would become like a walking corpse, obeying only the Poison Master’s words.
This Poison Master was currently hidden in the shadows, but they would surely influence the political situation of Great Chu.
As someone who had been given a second chance at life, Feng Bailing had no intention of being involved in this man-made disaster; of the thirty-six stratagems, the best is to flee.
The speaker had intentions, and the listeners were attentive.
The Zhang Brothers were shaken when they heard this.
Especially Zhang Dafa, who, although he had previously agreed to cooperate with Feng Bailing, had always thought she was merely a noble lady of high status. But seeing her today, treating the villagers with respect, he knew she genuinely had the villagers’ best interests at heart.
"Feng San, our brothers can teach the villagers martial arts; we have been in the village lately."
Zhang Erfa volunteered enthusiastically. He was more amiable than Zhang Dafa and got along very well with the villagers.
"Then I shall be indebted to you both."
Feng Bailing replied with a smile.
With new livelihoods, the villagers’ faces were filled with joy.
The people of the village started building houses, learning to raise insects, and Xinqi Village began to show vigorous signs of life once again.
Elsewhere, in Xinqi Village, Mu Nianzhi led five thousand new recruits to settle in.
On the first day of their stay, Mu Nianzhi’s face was full of joy. The farmlands of Xinqi Village were very fertile, and the seawater was clear. It was said that Xinqi Village was the Dragon Landing Land, under the protection of the Dragon God, where the wind was mild and the rain timely.
Crops planted in the fields of Xinqi Village could sprout overnight, blossom in a day, bear fruit in two days, and be harvested in three.
At this rate, in no more than ten days, the one-third of military provisions washed away by the river could be replenished!