The Sinful Woman's Golden Branch: The Jade-Faced Yama is Actually Me (19)...

In ancient times, human life was the least valuable thing; no matter how many people were killed, peace could be restored quickly.

The people of Sang County watched the Liu family's affair for a few days, and then eagerly awaited the princess's envoy to distribute the land.

In modern times, population censuses can be recorded online, and all identity information is stored in a database, allowing for the retrieval of a large number of data. In ancient times, however, data could only be entered manually, recorded on paper, and done entirely by hand.

Registering household registration required some literacy skills, and in that era, apart from aristocratic families, very few people were literate.

If this applies to men, it goes without saying that women, who are forbidden from taking the imperial examinations, becoming officials, or studying, are even more vulnerable.

There aren't many literate women to be found; aside from ladies from respectable families, there are only some women of the night.

Because of the abundant resources of their families, daughters of prominent families would also have some educational resources allocated to women in their spare time.

Prostitutes serve high-ranking officials and wealthy men, and they need to "improve themselves" to fetch a better price.

Of course, sometimes these two things overlap. If a lady from a respectable family falls into poverty, she may also end up as a prostitute.

This is the situation of Yao Niang, who came with Ye Xiqing and her daughter Wang Lijun.

When her family committed a crime, she became a singer and dancer in the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment brothel). As "public property," it was forcibly seized by Guan's father. After Guan's father was convicted, it was to be "returned to the public."

A man like Guan's father could not possibly treat his concubines well, so his favorite concubines were usually closer to the kind and gentle Wang Lijun.

Now that Guan's father is dead, they are completely liberated. Following the mistress and the eldest young lady, they live an unimaginably good life in Dengzhou. Naturally, they cherish the present and study hard whatever the eldest young lady asks them to learn.

As a place blessed by the goddess, Dengzhou could no longer have the sex industry that harmed women. The local prostitutes were all reformed and then, with their education, became land surveyors.

With a literary foundation, she learned things faster. Her aunts and the newly recruited prostitutes and ladies from respectable families worked together, with the older women mentoring the younger ones and the younger ones mentoring the newer ones, organizing household registration and land recording.

With their level of education, writing was no problem for them, but Ye Xiqing still decided to promote simplified characters because writing traditional characters was too difficult.

Of course, women should use the simplified version and men the more complex version. After all, men are going out to take the imperial examinations, so how can we lead them astray? Women can just learn from the simplified version.

As for what happens when Ji Siyin becomes emperor and wants to change the font, what does that have to do with her?

First teach the pinyin, then the character shapes. As for those not taught, have the local scribes write them down and send them by fast horse to Ye Xiqing in Peng County to inquire about the characters. Ye Xiqing will then return.

In those days, ordinary people didn't have such diverse names. They were all names like Zhao Yier, Liu Wuliu, Jia Yi Bing Ding, Ji Gou Zhu Ya, etc. Learning a few characters was enough.

Upon returning to Peng County, she will print simplified Chinese textbooks to systematically popularize science.

Because of the experience gained in three counties, the land survey and registration process went smoothly, but when it came to distributing the land, many problems arose.

Some people felt that the land they were allocated was not good enough, some felt that they were not allocated enough, and there were also many cases of people fighting over their daughters.

In the past, women were not entitled to any property and were considered a burden to their families. Once they were raised to adulthood, they would be quickly sent away to exchange for dowry money to help their beloved son get married. Some women were simply not raised at all.

Now women are also entitled to land, and when they marry, they give the land to their husband's family. How can that be allowed? It's such a loss! We must get our daughters back!

Once this trend started, not only were young wives' families asking for their daughters, but even elderly women's families were asking for their daughters. Suddenly, everyone was vying for their "lost" daughters.

These messy cases all fell to the county magistrate Wang Lijun. Wang Lijun suddenly had no time for sentimentality. Every day when she sat in court, a large group of people would flock in to file complaints.

Wang Lijun was flustered and overwhelmed. At first, she had to portray herself as a loving mother, showing compassion for the people, but later she simply waved her hand and wrote an order—

"If the land is indeed classified as good or bad, it shall be reported to the land allocation official, who shall conduct an on-site inspection and make up for the inferior land accordingly; the rest shall be handled in accordance with the law!"

"If there is any dispute over a daughter, then we shall ask the daughter in question what she wishes. If she wishes to return to her parents' home, she shall return; if she wishes to stay with her husband's family, she shall stay. No one may dissuade her from her decision!"

"If there is a son, he will follow his mother when he is eight years old, and when he is older, she will ask him what he wants."

"If there is a dispute over property, the woman will serve the whole family, manage the fields, and take care of the household affairs. She will receive five shi of millet per year, and her dowry will also be provided as her income."

"When the accounts are reconciled between the two parties, if the woman is less than the man, her family should make up for it. If the woman is more than the man, we hope that they will remember their past relationship and not pursue the matter too much. Returning home should be the priority. The matter should be reported to the village head for coordination."

"Act according to the law, each person shall perform their duties, and no one shall appeal to higher authorities without authorization!"

After this notice was posted, the villagers all went to drag their daughters away and seek out the village head to resolve their property disputes, and the workload of the county government did indeed return to normal.

Ye Xiqing smiled and clapped, "As expected of a mother, she's becoming more and more like an official."

Hearing her daughter's words, Wang Lijun was filled with shame: "Are you praising your mother or scolding her? I wanted to be a good public servant, but I didn't expect you to speak harshly to the people as soon as you took office..."

Ye Xiqing laughed and said, "Parents also scold and beat their children to set rules. Making you a public official to serve the people doesn't mean you have to feed and care for them. Using both kindness and severity is also a way of being an official."

Wang Lijun sighed. She now understood that good intentions alone couldn't get anything done.

Seeing that she had finally understood, Ye Xiqing smiled and said, "Then, Mother, I'm going back to Peng County. Will you be alright alone in Sang County?"

Wang Lijun: ...

I was so caught up in the novelty of being appointed county magistrate that I didn't think about anything else. Now that I think about it, it's true. My daughter is a close attendant of the princess, so she can't be too far away from her. If she were to become an official in Sang County, my daughter would leave her sooner or later.

As a mother, what could be more painful than being separated from your child?

But Wang Lijun also knew in her heart what was truly good in this world.

Despite her immense reluctance, she could only say through tears, "Alright! Mother will definitely live a good life in Sang County. You can go ahead!"

Ye Xiqing reluctantly bid farewell to her mother, but turned away without any expression. After all, she wasn't her biological mother, and it was already quite good that she could put on a show of motherly affection.

After another winter of staying indoors, taking good care of herself with good food and drink every day, Ye Xiqing finally gained some "winter fat." Looking at her wrists, which were no longer so exposed, she felt that she could finally start exercising.

Once they reached the official road, Ye Xiqing asked Tu Siniang to teach her how to ride a horse.

Official roads were like highways in ancient times, but unlike modern roads where you can pass by paying road maintenance fees, ordinary people couldn't use them even if they had money; only officials could pass them by order.

Ye Xiqing and Tu Siniang still had this privilege, riding their horses freely on the official road without any hindrance, which was very enjoyable.

Originally, Ye Xiqing, being a modern person, had little contact with such large animals and was somewhat timid.

After she actually learned to ride a horse, she realized that in ancient times without good shock absorption measures, being able to flexibly absorb shocks made riding a horse more comfortable than riding in a carriage. So what was the point of her life before that?

So the group eventually abandoned their carriages and rode horses, galloping freely on the main road in the clear spring sunshine.

No wonder the ancients regarded spring outings as a source of joy; it truly brought a unique kind of pleasure!

By the time Ji Siyin returned, he had almost finished reorganizing the Fubing (府兵). As Fubing, he naturally wanted to have complete control over them. He used all the people he had brought from the capital, and these people were also assigned to Dengzhou for land distribution according to the new law.

The maritime trade was handed over to the women of the Peng family after they had been partially purged. It was hoped that they would be more sensible and know what was best for them. Without her massacre, the Peng family's shipbuilding skills would still be passed down only to men.

Ji Siyin handed over the management of the salt fields to the Chai family. Now the Chai family is completely her vassals. Handing them over is a way of showing her favor while keeping them completely under her control.

Feng Yuzhu, the newly arrived inspector from Sang County, was working with the saltworks while keeping an eye on the newly formed long-distance transport fleet.

When Princess Yongning first arrived, the prefectural governor of Dengzhou was secretly pleased to hear that she only received female relatives, thinking that he could sideline the princess.

Now that the princess has taken control of Dengzhou, she still only receives female relatives. Only then did he realize that he was the one who had been sidelined!

Being close to power for too long can easily make one forget one's place. The woman sent by the governor of Dengzhou was originally a concubine who accompanied the governor to his post. However, after spending some time with the princess, the concubine became increasingly arrogant upon returning home, eventually even daring to shrug at him!

After being humiliated by his concubine, the Prefect of Dengzhou tearfully wrote a memorial: "Someone must come and take charge of Dengzhou! They've rebelled against the Heavenly Gang!"

He wasn't the only one to submit a petition; everyone who knew what Ji Siyin had done in Dengzhou was filled with righteous indignation.

Memorials impeaching the princess arrived like snowflakes, and Li Wenyuan stared at the accusations leveled at her—

"...indiscriminately killing important officials, amassing military power, winning over the hearts of the people, disrespecting ancestral rules, reversing the order of yin and yang, and substituting the mother for the father..."

"Haha, if we use the mother to represent the father, are you going to start talking about a hen crowing at dawn next?"

All the court officials: ...

No, who was the idiot who wrote the last one?

"A hen crowing at dawn" was the most scathing mockery of Li Wenyuan by the men she had once trampled underfoot. Upon hearing this, Li Wenyuan didn't react; instead, she laughed along.

But in the end, she made everyone who dared to laugh out loud in front of her pay a heavy price!

Li Wenyuan was young then, and everyone trembled at her bloodied face.

Now, so many years have passed, and she is still very young, looking no different from back then. But the ministers who dared to laugh back then have been dead for a long time.

The ministers who remained in court dared not utter a word and knelt down on the ground.

Li Wenyuan looked at the officials prostrate on the ground, her face expressionless, yet chilling to the bone.

"How can someone who wreaks havoc in the region and disregards human life not be killed?"

"His insatiable greed and subsequent corruption of the military and government have earned him his place in the government; how could he not be executed?"

"His incompetence and inaction have led to the ruin of the people; how can he not be killed?"

"What's wrong with honoring one's mother? You hypocritical beasts, who among you has been motherless until now? Step forward!"

The ministers: ...

Who would dare to stand up? Not to mention that it's indeed difficult to find someone who has been motherless for so long, who would dare to directly confront the wrath of the emperor at this time?

Li Wenyuan looked at the silent officials with a cold smile: "I think it's not that too many people have been killed, but that too few. How many disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust people are there in this world!"

"The one who should be worried about this is not the princess, but you! How could the government of Dengzhou have deteriorated to this extent? Every one of you who submitted this petition today is implicated!"

The minister who submitted the memorial: ...

"Your Majesty, please understand! We were merely acting as remonstrating officials, speaking out based on hearsay, and were completely unaware of the situation!"

Li Wenyuan sneered: "Whether I know or not, I'll only know after I investigate. Minister Pei, don't disappoint me!"

Pei Yu: ...

The thing I've always feared has finally arrived: as a blade in the emperor's hand, his function is to kill for the emperor.

The Pei family, a family of upright and honest officials, was destroyed under such a massacre, yet he had to endure it and become a new blade in the emperor's hands.

Pei Yu's heart was bleeding, but looking at the woman on the throne who was still at the height of her power, he could only lower his head and bury all his resentment underwater.

"Your humble servant... will certainly not fail in his mission!"

...

After Li Wenyuan returned to the palace, she laughed loudly for three days, a fact unknown to the people of Dengzhou.

In any case, the reward arrived in no time, and the Dengzhou governor who had informed on the matter also got his own prison cart. He should be able to go to Lingnan to eat lychees.

I really don't know what she was thinking. She got hit by a brat and then went to her own mother to complain. What, does her mother think she can control her?

The concubine of the governor of Dengzhou was nearly driven mad by that old donkey. Was its brain filled with dung?

Fortunately, the governor of Dengzhou left, and she went to plead with the princess to let her stay.

Ji Siyin has been getting along well with her these days, so of course she can't be treated unfairly. She can't be given the position of governor, but she can be appointed as the magistrate of Peng County.

As the highest-ranking official in a prefecture or circuit, Ji Siyin was certain that he would hold both the positions of Prefect and Military Governor, and it was impossible for him to share the responsibilities with others.

Ji Siyin originally intended for Ye Xiqing to fill the position of magistrate of Peng County, since a capable official was needed in the capital.

But just as she was beginning to show any signs of illness, Ye Xiqing immediately countered with, "Oh dear, I'm sick."

Ji Siyin was furious at her clumsy acting: "I told you to become an official! I didn't tell you to eat shit! What are you pretending for!"

Ye Xiqing: What? You want me to eat shit? Then I definitely can't go.

Ji Siyin:...

And so, the position of county magistrate, the political center, was given to the former governor's concubine.

Ye Xiqing only wants to recuperate and has no intention of becoming a workaholic. This isn't her world. What good would it do her to manage it well?

Ji Siyin and I rode horses together through the fields and countryside, having a wonderful time. Ji Siyin herself was living this kind of life, so why would she want her to work? What was she thinking?

When Ji Siyin's efforts to provoke his subordinates proved fruitless, he had no choice but to give up and began to do nothing but wander around the world with them every day.

Unfortunately, there was simply too little entertainment in Dengzhou, which was unbearable for a princess born into a life of luxury.

The fields on both sides of the road were covered with newly sprouted millet seedlings, lush and green, stretching as far as the eye could see. Every time someone passed by, they would shout, "It's the princess! The princess has arrived!"

Now that the crops have grown, there is no need to tend to the fields anymore. The able-bodied men of Dengzhou are working together to dig ditches and divert water for irrigation.

The previous channels had been largely abandoned due to the incompetence of the local officials. After Ji Siyin arrived, he ordered people to dredge the waterways and rebuild the ditches.

In the past, people were unwilling to do this kind of work and would always skip work. But now it's different. This canal digging is to irrigate their own fields!

During the winter, the waterworks officials surveyed the river channels, and the household registration officials divided the work into groups of ten households, with men and women working together and taking turns digging the canals.

Everyone worked with great enthusiasm, more so than ever before, their hearts filled with gratitude for the princess.

Ji Siyin was very happy to see such an admiring expression, and often used the guise of supervising the construction to wander around the construction site.

Ye Xiqing slowed his horse and followed behind her, breathing in the fresh air of ancient times, free from heavy industrial pollution, and felt happy.

As they were walking, Ji Siyin, who was ahead, suddenly stopped his horse, and Ye Xiqing also paused.

The sudden stop of the horse must mean something's wrong. Ye Xiqing followed Ji Siyin's gaze and saw a handsome man in the ditch, doing his work half-heartedly.

His mother was very angry about his laziness and kept urging him to be more serious, but he was still unwilling to work hard.

After Ji Siyin and Ye Xiqing rode past, the sluggish man suddenly perked up and gave them a bright smile, causing Ji Siyin to rein in her horse.

Looking down, the dirty boy in the ditch was still smiling at them.

For some reason, I seem to see the prince consort's shadow again.