Chapter 588 A Dream of Youth 120
Xie Ning smiled, suppressing her worries.
What she didn't say was that in the village, she saw not only hardworking farmers, but also displaced people who had wandered along the way, huddled by the roadside, at the city gate, or on the corner of the outer city.
Even if the Empress was found to be pregnant that day, what difference did it make if it rained for a day or two? The drought was not just affecting the capital, but the whole country, and starving people were displaced.
There aren't many technological means to alleviate the drought here, and most people are small farmers who depend on the weather for their livelihood. If the weather turns unkind, it becomes even harder for those who are already struggling to survive to live.
Even in modern times, humans remain insignificant in the face of natural disasters.
Xie Wangzhi gave Xie Ning a few instructions, then hurriedly went to his study to write a letter and a memorial for tomorrow's court session.
"Master, this is a new letter from Mr. He, and some from his hometown." Mo Shu took out an envelope with a bamboo leaf seal from a box next to him.
"Bring it here."
Xie Wangzhi unfolded the letter and examined it carefully. His heart sank. Sure enough, his teacher shared the same idea as him: this new law would be difficult to implement.
If the new law is to be implemented, then the person in charge must be replaced to appease public anger.
The letter also explained many of the drawbacks of the new law. Xie Wangzhi understood what the teacher meant. He did not approve of the new law, believing that it harmed the people but benefited himself. Apart from farmland irrigation, it was purely a means of accumulating wealth.
The people are already burdened by heavy taxes, and no matter how noble this law sounds on the surface, it is nothing more than a means to extort money from the people.
This population includes both the rich and the poor.
In Mr. He's view, controlling spending is the best way to manage the national treasury and the least harmful to the people.
Since the implementation of the new law, not a single official in the court or from various places has failed to criticize Prime Minister Shi. Even ordinary people and minor officials have been whispering and complaining among themselves, and everyone has placed the blame on Prime Minister Shi. This is also the case in Quanzhou, which is far away.
But is the appearance of the stone really bad?
No, quite the opposite, Mr. He greatly admired Shi Xiang, believing him to be not only talented but also virtuous. However, this did not contradict Mr. He's opposition to the new laws.
When Xie Wangzhi saw this, he sighed silently, then pulled out the letter that was clearly written on different paper; it was addressed to Shi Xiang.
They were about the same age and both passed the imperial examination in the same year, so their friendship was naturally very close.
As Mr. He's disciple, he had different ideas from his teacher and tended to support the new law. However, he was also very clear about the advantages and disadvantages of the new law and that it needed to be improved.
But how difficult it is to make improvements.
In their eyes, and even in his, the national treasury was much fuller, but they all saw the people's suffering since the implementation of the new law. The interests of the powerful and wealthy were not to be touched, and the common people not only did not benefit, but were exploited even more severely.
Everyone has choices, and Xie Wangzhi probably knows what that person's choice was.
Under the warm light, Xie Wangzhi hesitated to put pen to paper. Recently, the court had been on edge, with ministers constantly submitting memorials requesting the removal of the prime minister and the cessation of the implementation of the new laws.
But the emperor persisted.
Thinking of this, Xie Wangzhi couldn't help but feel a little envious. Such a relationship and tacit understanding between ruler and subject was very rare.
However, the timing was bad. People used the drought as a warning from heaven to attack Shi Xiang. In addition, some places did not do well during the implementation of the new law, and the drawbacks and mistakes were magnified hundreds of times.
A drop of ink fell onto the slightly yellowed paper. Xie Wangzhi put down his pen, took out a visiting card from the drawer, and said to the ink-written note, "Deliver it to the Shi residence tomorrow."
This visiting card was different from the Xie family's usual cards; it had a very faint imprint in the corner, which allowed him to arrive earlier.
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