Chapter 139

Cement? Sun Mao had never heard of such a thing.

He got out of the car, squatted down on the ground, reached out and touched the texture of the cement, stomped his feet a few times, and suddenly an idea came to his mind.

"If this were used to build a dam, wouldn't it be a hundred times better than ordinary soil?"

Sun Mao was somewhat excited, but he forced himself to suppress it, intending to wait until he saw His Majesty before speaking.

Just as he was about to get into the carriage and told the driver to speed up, he heard a group of people making a fuss not far away.

"Hurry up, hurry up, or we'll be late."

"Don't panic, don't panic. I've calculated the time. We'll make it in time. We can even have a roasted sweet potato."

"Hey, are you guys going to see a play too? What's being performed today? Is it another one about locust extermination?"

"No, today they say it's a new play, something like 'Wang Ersao's Textile Success Story'."

"Oh my, I've never heard of this play before."

"They've only been here a short time."

“Brother Wu, wait for me. I’ll go with you. There’s not much farm work to do in winter.”

“Okay, your sister-in-law brought some roasted sweet potatoes, I’ll share one with you.”

...

Sun Mao was confused.

He knew what roasted sweet potatoes were. They were brought back from overseas by Hou Dongrui, an official in the court, last year, who suggested that they be planted. They were also grown in Huainan, and his family often ate them. They were originally called Zhu sweet potatoes, but because their flesh turned golden after being heated, they were commonly known as golden sweet potatoes.

But what are "The Locust Extermination Story" and "Wang Ersao's Wealth Through Textiles"? Why are their names so strange?

What kind of tune does this conversation sound like? Is it some new song from the capital?

Sun Mao, intrigued, didn't enter the carriage but got off and followed the guards into the city.

They had only walked a few dozen meters into the city when someone called out to them loudly.

"Hey! Those dozens of people over there, are they new to the city? Move to the right, move to the right!"

Sun Mao and his group did not realize at first that the person was speaking to them, and continued walking straight ahead.

Two elderly women with red cloths on their arms, seeing that they were acting as if no one else was around, rushed over to stop them, angrily saying, "What's wrong with you? Didn't you hear me?"

Sun Mao's guards were shocked and immediately surrounded him, drawing their swords and asking warily, "What are you doing?"

The two old women, used to seeing this kind of person, were not afraid at all. They were in good spirits, their eyes bright, and their voices were even louder than theirs: "I still want to ask, what are you trying to do? Didn't you see the traffic rules posted on the wall when you entered the city? Don't you know to keep to the right?"

The guard frowned, realizing he hadn't noticed the new rules in the capital. He showed her the official document and said in a deep voice, "Our lord is the Governor-General of Huainan, here to report to the capital. Please grant him this favor."

"If this is convenient today and that is convenient tomorrow, then what about the rules?" The old lady put her hands on her hips, glanced at Wen Die, and said in a loud voice, "Hurry up and move over. I'll let you off the hook this time since it's the first time you've been unaware of this. But if you do it again, you'll have to pay a fine."

The guard stepped forward and said angrily, "You..."

Sun Mao interrupted him: "Alright, follow the rules and move the car to the right."

He nodded to the two old women again and said gently, "We are new to the capital and did not know that the capital has changed so much. Even the rules for walking are now in place. The guard was a little impulsive. Please forgive us."

Seeing that his attitude was good, the old lady's expression softened, and she said, "It's not that we're making things difficult for you, sir, but everyone in the capital has to abide by this rule now, even the princess is no exception when she travels."

When Sun Mao heard her mention a princess, he perked up: "Which princess is it?"

The old lady held her head high and proudly declared, "Naturally, it is Princess Zhaoyang."

When Sun Mao's guards heard her say that even Princess Zhaoyang followed the rules when she went out, their anger subsided considerably. After all, no matter how noble their master was, he couldn't compare to the princes and princesses.

But he was still somewhat unconvinced and muttered, "Who knows if you've actually seen the princess?"

The old woman grew impatient: "How can you talk like that? Would I, an old woman, lie to you? Princess Zhaoyang came here when we were learning to read. Recently, the Liulichang market outside the city has expanded, and Princess Zhaoyang often goes out of the palace to see it. We street patrollers aren't blind, how could we not see it?"

Sun Mao waved his hand, signaling the guards to stop talking.

He didn't bother asking about the novel title "street inspector," but focused on the key question: "Expand Liulichang? With Liuli so expensive to produce, why manufacture it in large quantities?"

The old lady said, "That was in the past. The cost of glass is much lower now. You live too far from the capital to know, but nowadays, even ordinary people like us can afford glass if we grit our teeth."

An old lady next to him chimed in, "It's all thanks to His Majesty's wisdom and the princess's extraordinary talent that I, someone with one foot in the grave, can see these wonderful things."

"Yes, I heard that they're hiring people in Liulichang and even providing meals. They're recruiting poor families from outside the city, supposedly as a work-for-relief program."

Sun Mao was stunned. Before he could ask any more questions, the two elderly women had already spotted someone violating the rules in the distance and rushed over to issue a fine.

Sun Mao's attendant was dumbfounded: "This... sir, if what they say is true, wouldn't everyone be able to use glass?"

Sun Mao didn't say anything and continued walking forward, looking at the pedestrians on the street as he went.

In the chilly March air, everyone was bundled up in thick clothes and shoes, and surprisingly, there were no beggars to be seen on the roadside.

Many people exchanged pleasantries and chatted with each other. They didn't seem to be very wealthy, but their conversations were full of talk about farming, planting, and vegetable seeds for the coming year, brimming with anticipation and enthusiasm for the future.

As long as people have hope, their lives will get better and better.

Sun Mao also listened to half an excerpt of a play at a place that people called "Art Square". It was "Wang Ersao's Story of Getting Rich Through Textiles", which he had heard people discussing when he entered the city. The more he listened, the more his thoughts churned.

His guards listened with great interest; if they weren't still thinking about going to the palace, they probably wouldn't want to leave.

"My lord, this play is really interesting. I wonder when it will spread to Huainan."

“It shouldn’t be long.” Sun Mao paused for a moment. “This play has a profound meaning.”

The guard asked blankly, "Huh? What deeper meaning?"

Sun Mao looked around and sighed, “The two inspectors who spoke to us just now, judging from their appearance and complexion, should be over forty years old. They are ordinary people, yet they can read and write and are clear about the policies and trends of the court. I was quite surprised.”

Generally speaking, ordinary people don't know much about these things and it's difficult for them to be familiar with government policies and regulations to the point of knowing them by heart.

“I think it might be part of their duties, but just now, listening to the lyrics in the opera, they explained very clearly the government's taxes, the availability of farm tools and oxen for rent, textile tools, and the livelihoods of the common people. Do you know what that means?”

The guard shook his head, looking confused, and said, "I don't know."

Sun Mao said, "This means that His Majesty's orders can travel from the main hall of the palace all the way to every household."

The guard was confused: "Isn't this normal?"

Sun Mao smiled and shook his head, no longer explaining to him.

Is this normal?

Of course it's not normal.

The number of administrative organs and layers of officials separating Your Majesty from the people creates countless possibilities for the distortion of your decrees.

This method of publicity is very good, as it greatly reduces the risk of deception at the grassroots level.

I heard that this was created by the youngest son of Princess Zhaoyang and the General of the State. Judging by his age, he was still a very young child. I wonder where he got such a wonderful idea from.

Sun Mao climbed back onto the carriage and urged the driver to speed up.

He was eager to enter the palace to meet His Majesty, and if possible, he also wanted to meet the legendary Princess Zhaoyang.