Chapter 121

This question is actually very easy to answer.

Because most people never leave their own county in their entire lives, they are far from the capital and even further from the emperor.

With roads impassable and communication difficult, people could not compare themselves to others, and had no idea what the policies of the government outside were like or what kind of lives other people were living.

All they knew was that they had been starving and couldn't afford to eat before, and now someone was giving them food so they could at least have something to eat.

As for why they couldn't afford food before, and what their relationship is with the people who are feeding them now, they don't know, nor do they care.

This is a problem that is too complex and far-reaching for them.

The answer is simple, but Emperor Jingxi didn't want to say it that way. After all, if his daughter knew that so many people were unaware of the emperor's majesty, where would he put his face?

Therefore, he coughed lightly and said succinctly, "The common people are mostly foolish and dull."

Qin Su didn't notice Emperor Jingxi's ambiguity. She thought about what she had learned from Emperor Jingxi and Zhao Changde these days based on his words.

She asked doubtfully, "But Grand Tutor Zhao taught me, 'The people can be made to follow a path, but they cannot be made to understand it.'"

This means that it's enough to let people know what to do, but they don't need to know why they should do it.

Qin Su asked why, and Zhao Changde explained to Qin Su that the way of the sage is profound and not easily known by people, so ordinary people do not need to know it.

According to this logic, the king probably wanted the people to be ignorant.

Now the drawbacks of this approach are emerging: when the people are confused and don't think things through, and when those in power lack control, public sentiment will suffer.

So is doing this not entirely correct?

Emperor Jingxi did not provide his daughter with a detailed and clear answer this time. He said cryptically, "The Grand Tutor's teaching is correct. I have been doing this all these years."

Even if the people are ignorant, their ignorance must be kept within control; otherwise, it will not work.

In Emperor Jingxi's view, the current problems mainly stemmed from the lack of centralized imperial power. Therefore, he was constantly consolidating imperial power and bringing back the power that had been gradually shifting towards the local level to the central government.

This is a long and protracted battle, which even the emperor could not accomplish overnight.

Qin Su nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

She suddenly realized, "Was my father discussing this matter with the Grand Tutor and the others before I came to see him?"

Wouldn't that mean she was delaying Emperor Jingxi's important business?

Emperor Jingxi patted her head and teased her, "As soon as Zhao Changde finished speaking, the princess came in crying like a little kitten, which scared Sima Lan so much that he didn't dare to say a word."

Qin Su said somewhat embarrassedly, "Is that so? Are they still waiting outside? Should we call them back now?"

Emperor Jingxi said, "I already told them to go back and rest. We'll discuss it again tomorrow."

Qin Su muttered, "Then Father Emperor must tell them tomorrow that they are not allowed to talk about me crying outside."

Emperor Jingxi laughed heartily, pinched her cheek, and said, "Our Princess Zhaoyang knows how to be shy, huh? Wasn't she quite fierce when she cried?"

Qin Su pouted.

I didn't realize it when I was crying, but now, after a while, I realize that so many people saw me cry, and I feel ashamed.

Because she felt that she had grown up and was about to become an adult.

To everyone's surprise, Emperor Jingxi laughed even harder when he heard her say that.

"grown ups?"

This little guy, who's not even as tall as his leg, actually calls himself an adult.

Emperor Jingxi laughed until his stomach hurt; his hearty laughter shook even his imperial desk.

Enraged, Qin Su slammed her hand on the table and cried out, "Father!"

Emperor Jingxi exclaimed "Ouch!" and said, "Stop laughing, stop laughing."

The laughter couldn't be stopped.

Raising children is so much fun; you get surprises and joy from them every day.

Unable to stop Emperor Jingxi, Qin Su could only try to distract him. She tapped the table with a memorial: "Father, so what did the Grand Tutor say?"

Emperor Jingxi restrained himself slightly, still smiling as he said, "Zhao Changde said that the court is turning a blind eye."

A question mark popped into Qin Su's head: "Don't care?"

“It’s not that we’re completely ignoring it,” Emperor Jingxi said. “Why don’t you try to guess where the grain in the hands of the remnants of King Mu’s regime came from?”

This means it needs to be examined.

Qin Su frowned and turned to look at the map hanging behind her.

The map in the Imperial Study was very large, clearly showing the mountains, rivers, and administrative regions.

Her fingertips lightly touched the territory of King Mu in the northeast, then wandered around that territory before finally stopping on the northwestern grasslands.

Qin Su pointed to the grassland from a distance and cast an inquiring glance at Emperor Jingxi.

Emperor Jingxi laughed and picked her up, saying, "Zhaoyang is indeed the crown jewel of my Great Yu."

Qin Su guessed correctly, but she wasn't happy.

She thought for a moment and said seriously, "I remember that people came from the grasslands last year to ask Dayu for grain."

“Not bad,” Emperor Jingxi smiled, but his eyes narrowed, not wanting his cold killing intent to frighten his daughter too obviously. “Those people from the grasslands came here last year to cry poverty and play the victim, as if I didn’t know anything about it.”

On one hand, they demand money and grain from the Great Yu, and on the other hand, they secretly support the remnants of the rebel king. What a double-dealing and deceitful act!

Qin Su bit her lip and said angrily, "Shameless scoundrel!"

"I don't have the time right now. I'll wait until I've dealt with other matters," Emperor Jingxi sighed. "There's too much of a mess left behind."

Sooner or later, those people will know that not just anyone has the right to covet the Central Plains.

The matter of the grasslands is not the most pressing issue at present. Emperor Jingxi mentioned it briefly, then turned back to the point and said, "Zhao Changde's idea is to block the grain transport from the grasslands and then leave the territory of King Mu unattended."

Qin Su pondered for a moment and then understood.

Given the harsh local conditions, the remnants of King Mu's regime, having lost external support, would inevitably oppress the people if they wanted to enjoy a normal standard of living. The people, having gained something and then lost it again, might be more likely to harbor hatred than if they had never gained anything at all. In this way, all the superficial efforts made by the remnants of King Mu's regime would be in vain.

"What if they're ruthless enough to put on an act?" Qin Su asked.

Emperor Jingxi smiled and said, "You underestimate people's greed."

Qin Su thought about it and agreed. If those people were gentlemen, they wouldn't have kept doing these things.

But she had another question: "Wouldn't this cause many people to suffer?"

Emperor Jingxi paused for a moment.

He looked down into his daughter's clear black and white pupils, unsure whether he should say anything.

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P.S.: This unit is set in a fictional feudal dynasty, so the kings' thoughts and values ​​are just character settings and do not represent the author's ideas! Also, the plot is original, but tax types and units of measurement may reference historical dynasties such as the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Fatty Yuan jumps up and kisses everyone! (^3^)