At this moment, Yang Cheng suddenly saw a familiar figure, and that figure also saw him.
"Miss Jiang, it's nice to see you again."
Yang Cheng smiled and took the initiative to greet him.
Jiang Xuerou's expression was somewhat complicated, but she nodded and said, "Lord Yang, I mentioned you to Scholar Zhang after I went back last time."
However, because of your killing of Huang Yunchang, Grand Secretary Zhang has some prejudice against you.
Yang Cheng shook his head and said, "Miss Jiang, don't be naive."
"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. Besides, even if Zhang Xiren wanted me to join his ranks, I wouldn't agree."
A high-ranking scholar with a strong sense of moral purity, despite his good reputation, has made enemies everywhere in the court. Joining his ranks would also subject one to a lot of control, which is contrary to Yang Cheng's original intention.
Therefore, even with Jiang Xuerou's recommendation from the very beginning, Yang Cheng would not have considered joining Zhang Xiren's ranks.
But Jiang Xuerou seemed unusually persistent about this matter. She frowned and said, "I'm not naive!"
Lord Yang, last time I could tell from your words that you still have compassion for the people of the world. You are not like that wicked old eunuch Han Jin!
"If that's the case, why are you unwilling to abandon darkness and embrace the light?"
Yang Cheng made a shushing gesture to Jiang Xuerou, pointed behind him and said, "Miss Jiang, keep a low profile. I still have people from the Guardian Division behind me."
The phrase "abandon darkness and embrace light" is actually quite strange. Why is black considered bad and white considered good?
And those things I told you last time, you probably only doubted them, but didn't believe them, right?
"Very well, today I'll show you what good deeds that Grand Secretary Zhang, or rather, his subordinate, have done."
Yang Cheng pointed to the wide, bustling street and asked, "Miss Jiang, can you see anything wrong with this street?"
beqege.
Jiang Xuerou looked at it carefully for a while, then said in surprise, "There's nothing wrong with it. Because His Majesty's birthday is in two months, the streets of the capital are much cleaner than usual."
Yang Cheng said casually, "Yes, cleaning up the garbage, dust, and those homeless beggars will certainly make it much cleaner."
"Miss Jiang, come with me and you'll understand."
As he spoke, Yang Cheng walked straight toward the nearest south gate, but instead of going to the gate, he walked a little further to the middle of the city wall. With a leap, he led Jiang Xuerou up the wall and pointed to the area below, saying, "This place is only separated from the capital by a wall, but it's like heaven and hell."
Jiang Xuerou looked at the scene below the city wall with a face full of shock and disbelief.
Countless destitute refugees lived under the city walls right next to the capital.
Some of them simply built makeshift huts against the city wall using branches and thatch, while others simply covered themselves with a straw mat.
Everyone looked pale and emaciated. Some people's bodies were swollen from hunger, while others had thin limbs but huge bellies, like starving ghosts in the cycle of reincarnation.
This is because it ate Guanyin clay and couldn't digest it, so it just waited there to die.
Some people had even starved to death, their bodies emitting a putrid stench that attracted countless rats and flies.
Yang Cheng said with a faint sarcasm, "A few days ago, Grand Secretary Zhang submitted a memorial to the emperor, advocating for the cleanup of the capital's environment."
Because it is His Majesty's birthday, the Golden Horde, the Northern Jurchens, and some small border states will all come to offer their congratulations. Therefore, we must tidy up the capital of our Great Zhou Dynasty to showcase its most powerful side.
How could there be refugees and beggars in our mighty Zhou Dynasty?
So the refugees who used to be able to beg for food in the capital can now only stay outside the city walls and wait to starve to death.
The officials were soft-hearted and couldn't bear to see the poor, so they chased them all away, far away so they wouldn't have to see them or bother them.
All of this was caused by a single sentence from that Scholar Zhang.
Jiang Xuerou murmured, "That's not what Lord Zhang meant! He specifically said to clean up the capital but not to disturb the people!"
These were definitely done behind his back by those officials below him!
Yang Cheng said calmly, "Look, all the things that offended people were done by the people below. That Lord Zhang is still a saint in the eyes of the common people and a loyal minister in the eyes of His Majesty."
These people, even as they starve to death, are probably still hoping that Lord Zhang can give them justice, punish those corrupt officials, and restore fairness to their lives.
But they probably never imagined that the person responsible for all of this was none other than Lord Zhang.
Just then, Yang Cheng suddenly saw a group of people heading straight for the city gate in the distance.
Even in the sweltering heat, these people were still wearing fur coats, some with iron armor over them, and longbows and scimitars hanging from their waists, exuding a fierce aura.
Besides these people, there were several carriages pulled by tall horses, inside which sat several red-robed Tibetan monks, their auras mysterious.
Jiang Xuerou looked at those people, her expression changing slightly: "The people of the Golden Horde have entered the city."
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