Li Zhuo had been emperor for so many years, but this was the first time he visited a commoner's home in disguise.
Just as the common people could not imagine what the emperor's life was like, the emperor actually had no idea what the common people's life was like until he saw it with his own eyes.
The lowest class of people that the emperor came into contact with on a daily basis were the eunuchs and palace maids. In Li Zhuo's opinion, the eunuchs and palace maids lived a hard life.
But when he really entered the people's home, looked at the dark room, and stepped on the slightly uneven ground, he knew that he was indeed young.
The old man who led them in greeted everyone as soon as he entered the door, "Come, come, come, my dear friends, please take a seat. It's a bit cold at home. I'll ask my children to light a fire. I guess you haven't eaten yet. Let's have lunch at my house today."
Li Zhuo was somewhat self-aware. He knew full well that he probably wouldn't be able to get used to the farmers' food, so he shook his head and said, "No need. We'll just sit and chat with you, old man, and we'll be leaving soon."
As he spoke, Li Zhuo looked around. How should he put it? Although his house was not completely empty, it was not much better either.
"How many people are there in Old Zhang's family?"
"There are three of us, me and my two children. My wife passed away last year, so we are the only three left to make a living."
Li Zhuo looked around and indeed did not see the hostess of this house, so he asked curiously: "What about your New Year's Eve dinner?"
"We can just make do with it, stir-fry a couple of dishes, and kill a chicken. After all, it's meat, so it tastes good no matter how you cook it."
Only two dishes and a chicken for New Year's Eve dinner? Thinking about his daily meals, Li Zhuo shook his head and said, "Is that so? Are there any difficulties at home? Didn't I hear that your life has improved a lot thanks to the Chinese Academy of Sciences?"
"Hahaha, that's exactly what happened. Those scholars in the Chinese Academy of Sciences are kind-hearted. They can't bear to see us ordinary people suffer, so they give us some simple and rough work."
"Working there not only provides a free lunch, but also allows us to take any leftovers home at night. Our monthly wages are also settled promptly, with no delays."
"Everyone on this street has benefited from this. You might think that eating only two dishes and a chicken for Chinese New Year is a bit small, but this is already a rare good year. If it weren't for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, we might not have had that chicken this year."
"As you know, our Great Qi has been in turmoil these past two years, plagued by drought and epidemics. Just a few days ago, the barbarians from Liao and Jin attacked us. Only our Great Qi has been through such turmoil. Any other imperial court would have collapsed long ago."
"I work at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and occasionally chat with some educated scholars. They say that as long as we can get through this year, we'll be able to live a good life starting next year, and our future will definitely get better and better."
Seeing the hope in the old man's eyes, all the dignitaries in the room fell silent.
The New Year's Eve dinner with two dishes and a chicken has already made the old man in front of him so happy. When thinking about how they eat at home, many people feel that they should go home and set some rules for their family members tonight.
Another old farmer from the grassroots had even more confidence in Da Qi than they, the decision-makers, which really made them feel ashamed.
At this time, the old man's second son came back, holding a piece of meat in his hand. He ran in excitedly and said, "Dad, take a look at this piece of meat I cut. Is it good?"
The old man stood up and took a look at the meat in his son's hand, and his face was full of wrinkles, almost bursting with smiles.
"Okay, okay, I like this kind with more fat, it tastes delicious!"
Li Zhuo glanced at the piece of meat, and then his whole body became emo.
Even the palace maids and eunuchs might not be willing to eat this kind of meat.
The old man warmly invited, "Dear gentlemen, please stay and have some dumplings today."
"Hahaha, we appreciate your kindness, father-in-law. We have a lot to do today. By the way, was that your youngest son? I think he's already of marriageable age."
The old man nodded and said, "Yes, the two brothers should get married. It's a pity that I haven't saved much money in the past two years. Fortunately, I can now work for the Chinese Academy of Sciences. If I save for another two or three years, I will definitely be able to find wives for these two boys."
As he spoke, the old man sighed with great emotion and said, "Ah, if that time really comes, I, an old man, will be able to close my eyes."
Li Zhuo was also very moved. It turned out that for ordinary people, bringing honor to their ancestors was empty talk. Their greatest wish was to ensure that their families had enough food and clothing and to have children and expand.
Li Zhuo looked at the old man and said, "Not bad, you have two great young men in your family. You are so lucky."
"No, no, I'm far from that. There are people on our street who have given birth to five sons. These days, having many children is a blessing. Look at His Majesty. I heard he has many children. He is the most blessed person in the world."
"Speaking of which, didn't His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally climb up the city walls to fight the Liao and Jin people some time ago? Let me tell you, Your Majesty is truly willing to do that. If anything were to happen, it would be so heartbreaking."
"Luckily, I got down here safely. Otherwise, the Li family would have been the one who ruled the world. They pushed their own children up there, and they deserve it for eternity."
It feels good! It feels good!
When leaving his father-in-law's house, Li Zhuo's legs felt weak.
After leaving the market, looking at the Chinese Academy of Sciences behind him, Li Zhuo said with emotion: "My dear ministers, do you think we can lead our people to live a prosperous life in the future?"
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