Good news came from Jiangnan.
Liu Zhao arrived in the south of the Yangtze River, successfully fired the first shot, bought the first batch of food, and shipped it to the disaster area.
When the news reached the capital, everyone inside and outside the court breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your Highness is still reliable!"
"Jiangnan has enough grain, so there's no need for price controls in the capital."
"The purchase restrictions should have been lifted long ago. They're causing panic and how can this continue?"
"Your Highness can buy food in Jiangnan. Could you please send some of it to the capital?"
"Among all the princes, His Highness is the most trustworthy in his work."
This news reached the ears of Emperor Wende.
Even though Emperor Wende denied it, he knew in his heart that among all his sons, Liu Zhao had the greatest ability and the worst temper.
Liu Zhao has been through a lot since he was young and has been through many ups and downs with him, which is something that no other sons can compare to.
Because they had experienced many ups and downs together, Emperor Wende knew Liu Zhao's abilities too well and couldn't help but feel wary of him.
The butt determines the head.
When they were fighting for the throne together, the father and son had a deep bond because their interests were aligned.
It is quite normal for fathers and sons to turn against each other when defending their country, because of the change of identities and conflict of interests.
There are countless similar examples.
Both Emperor Wende and Liu Zhao were mentally prepared for all this.
Emperor Wende held great power and adapted more quickly to the changes in his identity, emotions, and interests.
Liu Zhao became a prince and his power was suppressed. He was prepared to accept all this intellectually, but found it difficult to accept emotionally.
So fucking ruthless!
Bang!
Conflicts broke out between the father and son again and again.
"Your Highness has successfully purchased the food, and it has been shipped to the disaster area. Your Majesty should be happy." Chang En whispered.
Emperor Wende smiled and said, "I should be happy indeed."
Happiness is only a moment, but worry is long-lasting.
He began to speculate about Liu Zhao's words and actions again. If he went to Jiangnan, he would definitely take the opportunity to do all kinds of small things.
"Send a secret decree to the Grand Commander of Jiangnan, ordering him to keep a close watch on Liu Zhao and report back every ten days."
Chang En did not try to persuade him any further, but accepted the order and arranged for the right people to go to the south of the Yangtze River to deliver the secret decree.
Emperor Wende asked again, "How is the Queen doing recently?"
"Your Majesty, the Empress is in a good mood recently and has rewarded several concubines in the harem."
Emperor Wende smiled knowingly, "The eldest son has made great progress, she should be happy. Did the Queen Mother say anything?"
Chang En is a know-it-all in the palace. There's nothing he doesn't know. "The Empress Dowager is dissatisfied with Madam Zhao. She complained that Madam Zhao didn't bring her children to the palace to pay her respects."
Emperor Wende hummed and asked, "Is Gu Jiu really that weak?"
Chang En bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have consulted with Imperial Physician Hu, and Madam Zhao has been severely injured. She will need to recuperate for at least one or two years."
"Oh! Who's in charge of Xinmin County? Could it be that she's taking care of her health while also worrying about Xinmin County?"
"It's managed by Chen Erzhuang and Bai Zhong."
"Is Deng Cunli still in the northwest?"
"Deng Cunli returned to the capital some time ago to oversee the purchase of bulk goods. It's said that he was afraid of rising prices, so he stockpiled goods in advance."
"Humph! What a profiteer! Do you know what Deng Cunli has been busy with in the northwest these years?"
Chang En whispered, "From what I've heard, Deng Cunli is mainly busy running a horse farm in the northwest, buying cattle and sheep, and producing beef jerky and cashmere. They built a warehouse in the northwest specifically to store a lot of goods. Merchants traveling north and south all go to the northwest to buy cashmere, beef jerky, and horses from the horse farm."
Xiaohegou Horse Farm has become the largest horse farm in Northwest China, aside from Qingping Horse Farm. Recently, the horse administration has received numerous petitions, complaining about the sudden increase in horse numbers and asking whether the previously strict regulations should be lifted to allow private horse trading. Qingping Horse Farm has also submitted a petition requesting expansion. They believe the farm is overcrowded and can no longer maintain all the horses simultaneously.
"The number of horses at the horse farm has increased dramatically. Why didn't I know about this?"
"Your Majesty has been busy with disaster relief this year, and the people below don't dare to bother you with matters concerning the horse farm."
"Go and dig out the memorials on horse politics. I want to review them."
"I obey your command."
Chang En was well prepared. Not long after, the eunuch arrived at Xingqing Palace carrying a basket of documents related to horse administration.
Emperor Wende read through the books one by one.
As early as the year before last, Qingping Horse Farm had completed its initial breeding mission and now had hundreds of thousands of adult horses, enough to form a cavalry of 10,000 people.
A large number of disabled and old horses are eliminated every year.
Due to the many restrictions of horse regulations, it is difficult to transport horses inland for sale.
Emperor Wende read all these memorials overnight.
The next morning, at the morning court, he asked the court officials about their opinions on horse politics.
After several days of continuous discussion, the court finally made the decision to revise the horse policy.
As soon as the news came out, the first to react was Xiaohegou Horse Farm under Gu Jiu's name.
When Chen Dazhuang drove thousands of adult horses to the capital, it caused a sensation in the city.
It has been many years since the capital city has seen such a large-scale horse trade.
Many people went to the mule and horse market outside the city to broaden their horizons.
Thousands of thoroughbred horses gathered together, and the scene was truly astonishing.
The mule and horse market quickly turned into a scene of revelry for livestock traders, wealthy young men, and playboys.
Owning a good horse is the dream of young people from wealthy families.
It’s just like in the future, everyone has to buy a car whether they are rich or poor. It’s the same principle.
Horses are a status symbol.
The horses that Chen Dazhuang transported to the capital were all high-quality horses that were only two or three years old. The cheapest ones cost one or two hundred taels each.
The expensive ones cost over a thousand taels per piece.
This is obviously not something that ordinary people can afford.
In just two days, thousands of horses were sold out.
At the same time, Chen Dazhuang also received orders from several livestock dealers to pre-order horses of various ages.
Chen Dazhuang dressed himself up and went to Xiaozhu with his brother Chen Erzhuang to meet Gu Jiu.
I haven't seen it for many years, and the wind and frost in the northwest make me feel old.
Chen Dazhuang obviously looked old, but his eyes were particularly bright, revealing excitement and excitement.
"I pay my respects to the Madam! After all these years, I am finally able to see her again."
"Hurry up and get up. You've worked hard all these years."
"The little one is not tired, the little one is happy."
Chen Dazhuang cried with joy.
After he calmed down, Gu Jiu asked, "Did Eunuch Deng reach the northwest safely?"
Chen Dazhuang nodded. "Eunuch Deng and the goods have already arrived safely in the northwest. When I left for the capital, Eunuch Deng was preparing to leave for Xiliang."
"Then I'll be relieved."
Gu Jiu asked Chen Dazhuang to stay in the capital for a while longer, as if it were a vacation.
The two brothers haven't seen each other for many years, so it's time to take this opportunity to get closer.
…
Chen Dazhuang walked on the streets of Xinmin County and found everything strange.
Er Zhuang asked him, "Brother, have you decided whether to send your children to the capital? With Madam here, my two nephews will definitely be able to enter the academy smoothly."
"They follow me and raise horses. Is it appropriate for them to study?"
"Why not? The academy has horseback riding and archery courses. My two nephews know how to raise horses, so learning horseback riding and archery is a piece of cake for them. They will definitely get a scholarship."
Chen Erzhuang felt very proud when he thought that his nephew could stand out among so many students.
He and Qingzhu's child is still very young, and it will take more than ten years before he can go to college.
Chen Dazhuang hesitated. "The academy is full of serious students. If these two brothers go to study here, will they be ostracized? Will it affect the academy's reputation?"
Chen Erzhuang was very enthusiastic. "Don't worry, big brother. The academy has special admissions. My two nephews can go through the special admissions route to enter the academy and no one will question it. If big brother has no objection, I will go and register my two nephews now. There are only two examination opportunities for special admissions each year. If you miss this one, you will have to wait until the beginning of next spring."
Chen Dazhuang couldn't refuse the kindness, and he also hoped that his two sons could read more.
Encouraged by Chen Erzhuang, he followed him to the registration point.
Why are there so many people signing up?
Chen Dazhuang was terrified.
How could my own son be able to compete with so many people?
For a moment, his palms were sweating and he felt very guilty.
Chen Erzhuang knew he had misunderstood and hurriedly explained, "They all signed up for the entrance exam held once a month and didn't take the special admissions route. Big brother, follow me closely. Special admissions students are registered inside."
Chen Dazhuang looked at the registration point which was packed with people and felt a lingering fear.
A vague thought arose in my mind that studying was terrible.
"Line up, don't push, come one by one." Wang Xuecheng sat behind the table and shouted at the top of his voice.
After taking ten entrance examinations, Wang Xuecheng was finally admitted to Shanhe Academy.
Wang Xuecheng is an ordinary person with no talent for studying, but fortunately he is hardworking enough.
In addition, everything at Shanhe Academy was free, which solved his worries about studying. He studied hard at the academy and finally passed the examination and became a scholar last year.
Carpenter Wang cried with joy.
Smoke rose from the Wang family's ancestral tomb, and the Wang family finally had a scholar.
However, a scholar could not become an official. At most, he could be a rural primary school teacher and earn a living.
Or he could use his connections to get a job as a low-ranking clerk in the county government, doing clerical work and receiving a salary that was enough to keep him from starving but not enough to fill his stomach either.
Wang Xuecheng weighed the pros and cons and did not listen to his father and brother's advice. He returned to Shanhe Academy to continue his studies.
He is no longer a child and has achieved the title of scholar. It is time for him to consider his lifelong affairs.
His family has no money to help him with his lifelong affairs, so he has to rely on himself for everything.
So he took the job of signing up.
This way you can get a salary every month.
The registration process was tiring and took up study time, so students in the academy, who were solely focused on the imperial examinations, didn't want to do it, even if the pay was good.
Wang Xuecheng knew very well that with his talent, even if he studied hard for ten or eight years until he was forty or fifty years old, he might not be able to pass the imperial examination.
He can't keep wasting time like this, he has to plan for the future.
The atmosphere in the academy is very good. He likes the academy and likes the treatment there even more.
He wants to stay in the academy.
Working in an academy is much better than being a village primary school teacher or a low-ranking official in the government office.
I got used to the regular life in the academy, the clean and tidy environment, the delicious meals, the ability to have a full stomach every day, and being surrounded by scholars.
Wang Xuecheng, who came from a farming family, could no longer return to the countryside or the dirty and dusty county town.
He told Chen Zhuangshi his thoughts and rebuked them both harshly.
The two of them gave him advice that if he was determined to give up the imperial examination but still wanted to stay in the academy, he should start with the most trivial registration.
Try to leave a good impression on the college leaders so that you have the opportunity to stay in the college as an employee.
Wang Xuecheng listened to the advice of his two brothers and received the registration task from the Academic Affairs Office.
From then on, I sat at the registration point every day, dealing with the endless stream of students with various accents and questions.
He is very patient and does his job with great enthusiasm.
This job can provide him with food and clothing, give him enough money to support his parents, and even allow him to buy a house in Xinmin County.
More importantly, this job gave him the opportunity to stay in the college, become a formal faculty member, and receive a salary that would be considered high in anyone's eyes.
"This is the application form. Fill it out column by column according to the requirements. Do not make any corrections. There's a pen and ink on the table over there. Submit it here after you've completed it. The exam will be at the end of the month, and the results will be available at the beginning of the month. If you need a workbook, go to Wenqing Bookstore and buy one."
"I heard that Wenqing Bookstore is going to publish Sanyuan Gong's collection of works. Is this true?"
Wang Xuecheng looked up at the person who asked the question and said, "I'm quite well-informed. But it's not a collection of essays, it's teaching notes."
"What will Princess Sanyuan teach?" the registered student asked mysteriously.
Wang Xuecheng casually said, "They teach all the Four Books and Five Classics. If you want to become a student of the Three Yuan Masters, the competition is very fierce."
"How intense is it?"
"Let's put it this way. If you don't get the scholarship, you're not qualified to be Sanyuan Gong's student. Sanyuan Gong has limited energy and can only teach for two hours a day. Each class is limited to twenty students."
Upon hearing this, the student who had registered gritted his teeth and said, "I'll register. Give me an application form."
Wang Xuecheng murmured in his heart, signing up is like having a deep hatred, is there something wrong with his brain?
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