29. Chapter 29

"none"

Kangxi's letter was very simple, with four big characters written clearly on the back of the paper: "Return to the palace as soon as possible."

Anger was expressed in every stroke of the pen, like an army of thousands, rushing towards Qi You.

Qi You held the letter in his right hand, placed his hand on the desk, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and cast aside all distracting thoughts in his mind, his mind becoming clear and bright.

What do you want?

Do you regret it?

When Qi You heard the answer from the bottom of his heart, he opened his eyes, and his eyes were full of determination.

"Degao, Guihe." Qi You called the two in loudly.

Degao and Guihe were waiting outside the study door. When they heard the noise, they entered. Qi You put the letter away and asked, "Has Mr. Xu gone out?"

Xu Risheng usually likes to go stargazing at night. Tonight the sky is full of stars, and Qi You doesn't know whether he is there.

Gui He replied, "I ran into Mr. Xu's servant a while ago and we chatted for a while. He said it had gotten colder at night and Mr. Xu had been feeling a bit stuffy and had a headache, so he didn't go out tonight."

Qi You raised his head and asked, "Have you had a look at it by a doctor?"

Gui He replied, "I asked about this before, and they said Mr. Xu doesn't like taking medicine. He just needs to rest for a day or two to be fine."

Qi You didn't ask any more questions and said, "Gui He will go there in person and tell him that he is going back to the capital. He will ask Mr. Xu if he is willing to go back. If Mr. Xu doesn't want to travel back and forth, he can continue to stay at the manor. If he does, he must pack up quickly. We must leave at the latest the day after tomorrow morning."

Gui He quickly agreed and turned to look for Xu Risheng. Qi You continued to instruct De Gao, "Get up early tomorrow and tell Magistrate Lin that I'm going to test the pesticide in the cornfield tomorrow. Tell him to come find me there."

Degao agreed and asked, "I will go there early tomorrow morning... Master, are all the things taken away?"

Qi You pondered for a moment and said, "Just pack up your belongings and a few sets of clothes you'll need to wear. Leave the extra ones behind, and if there are any that haven't been washed clean, hurry up and wash them. Then pack them all up and give them to Lin Daniu, and have him distribute them to those who can use them."

Degao was assigned an errand and was busy. Qi You continued to do his homework seriously as he did before, pretending nothing had happened.

After a while, Gui He returned to the house, and Xu Risheng followed him. Qi You hurriedly stood up and asked him to sit down. Gui He served tea and quietly left to stand guard at the door.

Qi You looked at Xu Risheng's expression and asked with concern, "I heard that you were not feeling well, sir. Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine. I'll just drink some hot water and get a good night's sleep." Xu Risheng took a sip of his hot tea and asked nervously, "I heard you're going back to Beijing so suddenly. It's so sudden. Did something big happen in Beijing?"

Qi You simply said, "It was the Khan who summoned me back to the capital. I don't know anything else. Mr. Xu, do you plan to stay or return with me?"

"I like this place very much. I like the changes that have taken place here since you came. There are smiles on their faces. I want to keep watching."

Xu Risheng hesitated for a moment and said, "You told me before that you wanted to re-survey the map of Shunyi with me. I'd better stay here and wait for you to come back."

Qi You paused and said frankly, "Sir, if I can't come back and you can still continue the surveying, I'll leave this matter to you."

Xu Risheng had come to the Qing Dynasty across the ocean and was well-informed. Hearing this, he said "good" and looked at Qi You with pity. He made the sign of the cross on his chest and said, "May God bless you."

The next morning, Qi You and Lin Daniu went to the cornfield. Aphids had started growing on the corn leaves a few days ago, and Lin Daniu sprinkled wood ash as usual, but it didn't help.

Seeing that the aphids are growing more and more, if this continues, I am afraid that the entire field will have no harvest.

Farming depends not only on the weather, but also on droughts and rain. Pests and diseases are also a major problem. If there is an insect or locust plague, there will still be no harvest.

Qi You didn't know what pesticides were used in later generations, and he didn't have the ability to make them.

After careful observation and comparison, Qi You thought of the flowers he grew at home, which had small insects similar to those on corn leaves.

His family had told him some organic methods of killing insects, such as mixing laundry detergent with water, soaking tobacco leaves in water, etc.

There was no laundry detergent in that era. When Qi You was worried, one day he smelled the smell of cigarettes on Lin Yicheng and his brows immediately relaxed.

Qi You fell into a misunderstanding, always thinking about the tobacco of later generations. He forgot that as early as the Chongde period, tobacco was already grown everywhere outside the Great Wall, and that the tobacco of later generations was also made from tobacco leaves.

Qi You told Lin Daniu this method and asked him to find some tobacco leaves to soak in water, and then sprinkle it on to observe the effect.

Lin Daniu didn't find much tobacco leaves, so he only soaked half a bucket of water. Qi You saw the brown water in the barrel and smelled the still strong smell of tobacco. He said, "That's all we have. We have to use it carefully. Sprinkle some first. If it works, we'll go find more tobacco leaves."

Lin Daniu quickly agreed and scooped the water from the pitcher into a small leather bag. He poked a few holes in the bag with a needle, held it upside down in his hand, squeezed it hard, and carefully sprayed the water onto the corn leaves crawling with insects.

Qi You followed and watched, and after a while, he heard footsteps outside. He turned around and saw that De Gao had already called Lin Yicheng, and Master Xia had also come.

"Let's talk over there." Qi You walked out of the cornfield and took Lin Yicheng and Master Xia to the tree where they usually rested. He said directly, "I'm going back to the palace tomorrow."

The two looked at each other, and Lin Yicheng asked nervously, "Seventh Master, what's wrong with the memorial?"

Qi You looked at the two panicked people and said calmly: "There will be no problem with the memorial, the problem is with the people. However," he smiled and looked up at the green cornfield in the distance.

Some of the corn has already begun to ear. I wonder if he can still come to harvest it.

"It was the memorial that caused this. They probably can't hold it back any longer." Qi You said.

Lin Yicheng's face immediately became tense, but Master Xia was a bit more relaxed. He asked cautiously, "Seventh Master, is this about the bondservants?"

Qi You said, "That's about it. I asked you to come here because I didn't want you to be kept in the dark and passively take the blame. After I leave, I want to ask you two to do two things. One is to keep an eye on Dachun for me, and the other is to protect Lin Daniu and the others."

"I know this is a bit difficult for you. After all, you have never been able to control these slaves."

Qi You looked towards the house and said coldly, "Even if I can't come back, Dachun will still be alive in a few days. If I can come back, I don't want to see the bondservants who have finally managed to live a decent life being thrown into a dog hole again."

Lin Yicheng's expression was moved. He couldn't help but look up at Lin Daniu who was busy in the field and said, "Don't worry, Master Qi. I will do my best to protect them."

Qi You smiled and said, "It's enough to have County Magistrate Lin say this. I'll deal with the people above, and you guys have to deal with Dachun..."

The two men stepped forward and listened to Qi You's arrangements with different feelings.

Lin Yicheng secretly thought that he was lucky not to have sided with Dachun. Besides the fear, he also felt a deeper level of admiration for Qiyou. He nodded heavily and said solemnly, "Seventh Master has such courage. I will also risk my life and fulfill my mission."

Qi You looked calm as he gazed at the sky ahead and said, "Look at this clear sky. One day the haze will disappear and the sun will shine down on everyone, bringing a gentle breeze and a pleasant breeze."

The two of them looked at the distant sky with Qi You. All kinds of strange white clouds were floating freely in the blue sky.

From then on, Lin Yicheng had a new hobby. No matter how busy he was as a high-ranking official, every morning when he got up, he would stand under the eaves for half a cup of tea, gazing at the distant sky.

Even if it is raining continuously and the sky is covered with dark clouds, in his eyes, he still sees the blue sky and white clouds.

Early the next morning, just as it was getting light, Qi You got on a carriage and set off back to Beijing.

When the carriage drove out of the farm and was about to reach the official road, countless people suddenly emerged from the fields nearby.

Degao and Guihe, who were driving, were startled and quickly reined in their horses to slow down the car.

Qi You was resting with his eyes closed when he noticed something was wrong. He lifted the car curtain and looked out. His breathing suddenly stopped and he kicked the car wall.

The carriage stopped, Qi You got off, raised his eyes and slowly looked over.

He saw his friends queuing up for snacks and candies. Zhang Bai was kneeling beside Zhang Song, his little body trembling and twitching.

Among the crowd were his teacher, Lin Daniu, who had taught him how to farm, and Yu Saozi, who had just given birth and went to work in the fields. She collapsed and bled profusely, nearly losing her life. Qi You happened to see her and asked De Gao to bring her some cheese, candy, and meat, saving her life.

In the morning light, they knelt there silently, shedding tears to bid farewell to each other.

Qi You laughed at himself, his chest felt swollen and his eyes stung.

He doesn't deserve it.

The brocade clothes he wore were woven with their blood and sweat.

Qi You knelt down, kowtowed deeply to them in return, and got on the carriage. The carriage moved forward quickly, and he did not look back.

He must come back, even if he can't. He will go somewhere else, and their figures can be found everywhere in the world.

It was already dusk when Qi You returned to the palace. He walked in the alley, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar red walls, as if he was in another world.

After passing the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the brightly lit Palace of Heavenly Purity could be seen in the distance. Qi You stared at it intently; he hadn't seen such a dazzling night in a long time.

Except for the nights with stars and moon in Shunyi, lamp oil is expensive. Except for the village heads, bondservants and common people, no one can afford to light a lamp. Once night falls, it is basically pitch black.

Qi You was a little dazzled for a moment, straightened his robe, and walked in calmly.

Liang Jiugong stood under the eaves, squinting his eyes as he looked at Qi You as he approached. He walked the same way as before, only his steps seemed more resolute.

Taking two steps forward, Liang Jiugong put on a smile and greeted: "Seventh Prince is back. He has grown a lot taller."

Qi You nodded politely in return and said, "How is Liang Anda? I haven't seen him for nearly a year. He seems younger than before."

Liang Jiugong couldn't help but raise his hand to touch his face, and laughed: "Seventh Prince really loves to joke. I am only getting older and older, how can I get younger?"

Qi You smiled and asked, "Is Khan Ama free?"

Liang Jiugong said apologetically, "The Emperor was busy earlier and issued an order not to disturb anyone. Seventh Prince, you must have been exhausted from the journey. Please go to the next room and have some tea and rest for a while."

Qi You casually glanced at the imperial study, where light streamed through the window lattice, revealing a peaceful and quiet atmosphere. He smiled and thanked Liang Jiugong, then followed him to the side room to sit.

Liang Jiugong ordered the eunuch to serve tea and snacks, then bowed and took his leave. Qi You picked up the tea bowl and took a sip of tea, then slowly ate the shaqi ma and milk cake on the plate, taking small bites until they were all gone.

We waited until late at night when everyone was asleep.

Liang Jiugong walked into the room and bowed, saying, "Seventh Prince, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. The Emperor is tired and has gone to bed. Please go back and rest first, and come back tomorrow."

Ever since Kangxi asked him to wait, Qi You had anticipated the situation and was not surprised. He politely thanked Liang Jiugong and returned to the prince's residence.

The house had not been occupied for a long time. Degao and Guihe led people to clean it carefully, but there was still an indescribable smell of decay and mold.

Qi You didn't take it seriously at all. The smell was a hundred times better than when fertilizing crops.

After having a full meal at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Qi You washed up, changed his clothes, and sat down at his desk to finish his unfinished homework. After finishing all the homework, he went to bed to rest.

After a day of traveling, Qi You was too tired to think too much and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. He woke up on time at the beginning of the Yin hour, got up, washed up, had breakfast, finished his morning recitation, and then went to the Palace of Heavenly Purity again.

Qi You was still led by Liang Jiugong to the side hall to wait. Qi You drank tea and read a book leisurely.

After lunch, Kangxi sat at his desk, looking at the memorial before him. He couldn't help but caress the clearly defined table and the atlas of government office construction, feeling an indescribable emotion.

"Liang Jiugong." Kangxi called out.

Liang Jiugong hurried forward, and Kangxi asked, "What is he doing?"

After thinking it over, Liang Jiugong told the whole story of what happened after Qi You came back last night, "Seventh Prince is waiting in the side room now, reading."

When Kangxi heard that Qi You finished his homework before going to bed at night, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise up and he smiled.

As he was laughing, he saw a pile of memorials implicating Qi You in beating him up. His face darkened and he snorted and cursed, "He's so patient that he actually has the mind to study!"

Liang Jiugong smiled apologetically, pondered for a moment, and said, "Seventh Prince has always been like this. Not only is he extremely talented in studying, but he never slacks off for a single day. I guess Seventh Prince takes after the Emperor!"

Kangxi raised his eyebrows, unable to conceal his pride. After a pause, he asked, "What book is he reading?"

Liang Jiugong said awkwardly, "Your Majesty, the book that the Seventh Prince is reading is in Western languages, which I do not understand."

Kangxi recalled the letter Xu Risheng had written to Nan Huairen, mentioning Qi You's academic progress. He had worked in the fields with the bondservants all day, but now his math, geometry, Latin, and other subjects had far surpassed Nan Huairen.

In the past, he could comfort himself by thinking that he was busy with state affairs and Qi You only had the task of studying every day, so it was natural for him to learn quickly.

Now Qi You is busier than himself every day, but he still surpasses him, so he has no excuses.

Kangxi felt a little depressed, and then thought about the group of sons studying in the palace. Without Qi You, the odd one out, they were just getting by. His studies couldn't be said to be bad, compared to Qi You...

Never mind, he can't be compared to Qi You. Looking around the world, it's probably hard to find someone who can compare to him.

Just as Liang Jiugong said, Qi You is not only extremely smart, but also much more hardworking and diligent than others. Anyone who compares himself with him will feel uncomfortable.

Besides being proud, Kangxi also had a lot of headaches.

The smarter a person is, the more likely he is to cause trouble.

"Go and ask him to come in." Kangxi rubbed his forehead and said irritably.

Liang Jiugong quickly agreed and walked out. Qi You quickly entered the room and stepped forward to pay his respects.

Kangxi had been observing Qi You since he entered the room. He was half a head taller than when he left, his face no longer as round as before, his complexion dark, his eyes bright, and he walked with a slight limp, but his steps were very leisurely.

After a long while, Kangxi finally spoke: "Get up. Do you know why I summoned you back to the palace?"

Qi You thanked him and answered directly without beating around the bush: "Someone must have beaten me. Khan Ama was angry and called me back to question him."

Kangxi was not surprised to see Qi You's straightforward answer. Given Qi You's intelligence, it was obvious that he had guessed the reason for being called back.

But since he is so smart, he must know what to do and what not to do, so he did it on purpose!

Thinking of this, Kangxi became furious and said sternly, "Since you knew this, why didn't you come back immediately when I summoned you to the palace? Instead, you had to wait until yesterday to set off?"

Qi You quickly apologized and said calmly, "The corn in the field has been infested with insects. I was really worried, so Master Lin Daniu and I came up with a plan to soak tobacco leaves in water to repel the insects. We just finished soaking it yesterday."

Kangxi was extremely surprised and subconsciously asked, "Will this method work?"

Qi You smiled and replied, "There aren't enough tobacco leaves. I only sprayed a small area, so the effect can't be seen immediately. Fortunately, I sprayed the tobacco leaves with water early in the morning, and when I checked again in the evening, there were obviously fewer pests, only a few scattered ones. Once I find more tobacco leaves and soak them in a stronger solution, I should be able to get rid of them all."

Kangxi looked delighted. Crops are afraid of pests, and finding a way to get rid of them is really something worth celebrating.

Just as he was about to praise him, Kangxi received the memorial in his hand. His mood instantly darkened. He said, "You were the one who ordered Lin Yicheng to submit this memorial, right?"

Qi You scratched his head, smiled slyly, and said, "I saw that County Magistrate Lin rarely wanted to do something, so I helped him with some small favors."

Kangxi said unhappily, "Hmph, a little help. I asked the Ministry of Revenue to take a look at Lin Yicheng's resume. If he could produce such achievements, he would not have just barely passed the imperial examination."

Qi You answered seriously, "They do a lot, but they make a lot of mistakes. Very few officials are willing to make a difference. County Magistrate Lin's monthly salary is only three taels, but he has to support his family and maintain social connections. Studying costs a lot of money. After working hard to pass the exam and become an official, if he wants to be an honest official, the salary is far from enough, and he has to support himself. So what's the point of studying?"

Qi You did not directly point out the problem of corruption at all levels, but Kangxi should know it better than anyone else.

Otherwise, Kangxi would not have allowed court officials, or even eunuchs in the palace, to borrow money from the Ministry of Revenue. This practice was also a disguised way to compensate for the problems caused by the low salaries of officials.

There's no system in place, only favors and compensation. And it's always borrowing, and you might have to pay it back someday. It's not as profitable as just pocketing the money yourself, so corruption remains rampant.

Kangxi knew that the Shunyi County government office was still just a few tents. He never paid much attention to it anyway.

When Kangxi saw the memorial written by Qi You, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

He wished that all officials would follow Qi You's way of doing things. But this matter could not be rushed, it had to be done slowly.

If it is done too hastily, not only the local officials, but also the ministers of state, the Southern Study, and the officials of the six ministries will have to be replaced, and there will be very few left.

Thinking that his entire court, including his trusted ministers, could not even compare to a little kid, Kangxi was extremely frustrated. He threw the memorial in front of Qi You and said, "Look at yourself, what good things have you done!"

Qi You bent down to pick up the memorial, glanced at it, and said calmly, "Khan Ama, this memorial is full of nonsense. It's just a bunch of nonsense. He just wants to criticize me and accuse me of helping those bondservants. He even talks about a lot of noble principles without any shame. The Duke of Zhenguo who submitted the memorial also has two farms in Shunyi. The harvest this year is very poor, probably less than half of what we get from the imperial farms."

Kangxi was stunned for a moment and asked, "They are all similar lands, why is it like this?"

Qi You replied calmly, "As soon as I arrived at the farm, I ordered Dachun to repair the canal. This year, during the drought, the Chaobai River provided irrigation, so the crops weren't affected. Plus, the bondservants at the farm now have enough food to eat and new houses, allowing them to live a decent life. Not only do they have more energy to farm, but they're even more dedicated. This year's grain harvest is about 40% higher than last year's."

After a slight pause, Qi You sneered and said, "The bondservants in the Zhenguogong's farm don't have enough to eat, and they work while sick. How can they grow good crops? However, the Zhenguogong probably doesn't care. He doesn't need these grains, and the Khan Ama won't look at these data. Since the Zhenguogong's land doesn't have to pay taxes, what he grows and how much he harvests are all his own business. It's a pity that Shunyi, this granary that has been here for thousands of years, will be abandoned in just a few years."

Kangxi hadn't thought of this. He was stunned for a moment and said angrily, "How dare these slaves rebel! No matter what, you shouldn't be helping them so much, giving them food and repairing their houses. Giving them things they shouldn't have, they should be so arrogant!"

"Khan Ama, we are not servants, we are slaves." Qi You refuted and said calmly: "In the Qing Dynasty, all of us are Khan Ama's subjects. As parents, we cannot treat everyone equally. It is understandable that the five fingers are of different lengths, but we must not be too partial. If we are too partial, it will bring unrest to the family."

Kangxi's face darkened as he said, "As children, we should be filial to our parents and accept whatever they give us. If we are dissatisfied, we are committing the grave crime of disobedience and should be beheaded!"

Qi You said with melancholy, "Yes, since I have committed the crime of disobedience, I will accept the punishment of beheading. Therefore, the number of bondservants is getting smaller and smaller. Even if more people are punished as bondservants, it is still not enough to offset the rapid death rate every year. If the body is not good, they cannot give birth to children. Pregnant women still have to work in the fields. Being able to give birth to a child is already a blessing from God. Children are difficult to raise..."

Kangxi's face changed slightly and he stared at Qi You closely. Qi You looked sad at this moment, which made Kangxi's heart tighten unconsciously.

Qi You took a deep breath, looked up at Kangxi, and said, "The master I learned farming from is called Lin Daniu. He is in his early thirties. His wife died five years ago, and he has no children. He originally had a pair of children, but they were both drowned after they were born."

Kangxi was shocked. He seemed to have figured something out, but he didn't dare to believe it. He murmured, "Why is this happening?"

"There's no hope, I don't see any hope." Qi You smiled dreamily and said bitterly, "There are many people like Master Lin. They truly love their children, but they all choose to kill their own flesh and blood. They live like animals and don't want their children to suffer with them. Master Lin said that as long as he's alive, he's just breathing. I once asked him if he regretted doing that. He said no, because if he hadn't done that, his children wouldn't have survived. They weren't raised well in the womb, and when they were born, they were not much bigger than mice. Living one more day was suffering. He hoped that they would be reincarnated soon, either into rich and powerful families or no longer human."

Kangxi fell silent for a long moment. Then, with a solemn expression, he spoke, "After every battle, the inner city was in mourning. The happiness they enjoy now is the result of their ancestors' lives, and now it's their loved ones who have to sacrifice their lives. The Qing dynasty relies on the Eight Banners soldiers guarding the country, so we can sleep peacefully. You are still too young, with nothing but a heart of compassion. A scholar's rebellion will fail in ten years. Have you ever considered what you would do if the Eight Banners were in chaos?"

At this time, Liang Jiugong was looking into the house from the doorway. Seeing him, Kangxi summoned him forward.

Liang Jiugong bowed and walked to Kangxi, whispering a few words.

Kangxi's face darkened, anger surged in his heart, he slammed the desk, and cursed at Qi You: "Asshole! Look at what you have done!"

The author has something to say:

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-09-29 15:00:01 and 2022-09-30 15:23:27~

Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 5 bottles of Endless Haze;

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!