Shen Qingchen fell asleep quickly. When she woke up, it was already late afternoon; she had slept for more than an hour.
After tidying up the bedding, Qingchen walked to the door, pushed it open, and looked out. The sun was already setting in the west. Sunlight streamed into the forest, bright but not glaring. The forest was quiet and lush, with halos of seven colors in the air.
It's beautiful.
Song Yue wasn't in the house; he'd disappeared somewhere. It seemed he hadn't taken a midday nap like she had. The stove was still burning, sputtering a few sparks, and a teapot sat on it, steam rising gently from its spout.
Qingchen returned to the table, poured himself a glass of water, and had just put the glass down when he heard clanging and banging sounds coming from outside.
She tried to listen carefully, but the sound disappeared. Qingchen was puzzled and was about to go to the courtyard to check when Song Yue appeared at the door.
He held a small hammer, a few nails, and a small bundle of hemp rope in his hand. His tall figure was bathed in the setting sun, and fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.
"Are you awake?" he asked.
Qingchen nodded. "Where did you go?"
As he walked into the house, he said, "It's nearby. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, very good." He was right beside her, and she slept soundly and peacefully, as if she had plunged into the clouds and found complete relaxation and rest.
"I heard a sound just now," Qingchen asked. "What was the teacher doing?"
Song Yue put all the tools he was holding back in the cabinet, then went to the washroom to wash his hands. He came back and sat down next to her. He took her hand in his, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand. "Did the noise wake you up?"
Qingchen shook her head. "No. I only heard it after I woke up. What are you doing?"
"I made a little thing, would you like to see it?"
He had a mysterious air about him, a glint in his dark eyes, as if he was eager for her to investigate and confirm his hidden secrets.
His curiosity piqued, Qingchen squeezed his hand. "Want to know? What is it?"
Qingchen followed Song Yue to the side of the house. Between two trees, she saw something new—a swing!
"Did you make this?" she asked, looking at him with surprise and excitement.
He nodded. "Hmm. Shall we sit on it and try it out?"
Before she finished speaking, she had already carefully sat down. The height was just right, and she climbed up without any difficulty. The width of the board was also just right, enough for one person to sit comfortably.
Qingchen had never ridden a swing before. It seemed like fate liked to play tricks on her. In modern times, she had no chance to try it, and in the Ming Dynasty, she had to disguise herself as a man, so there was even less possibility of playing on a swing, which was usually something only women did.
But she had already fantasized about all sorts of romantic scenes on the swing, such as "the swing is wet with drizzle at dusk", "the fallen petals fly past the swing", and "laughter and chatter under the swing" many times.
"Why do we need a swing?" Qingchen gently swung up, tilting her head to look at Song Yue.
Song Yue held the rope with one hand and supported her back with the other. "I remember you told me you'd never swung on a swing before. There are many things only women can do, but you can't. I brought you out today to relax. It's just the two of us here, so you can play as much as you want..."
Qingchen looked at him, speechless for a long time, feeling a surge of emotion in her heart, as if it had suddenly been filled with something. He was usually so busy, and it was rare for him to have a day off. Yet, in such a beautiful setting, he didn't rest, but instead cooked for her, made her a swing...
How lucky she is.
Qingchen swung the swing higher and higher, the wind blowing across her cheeks and ears. Although there was a chill in the wind, she didn't feel cold. Song Yue's hand remained firmly on the rope; with him by her side, she felt incredibly warm and safe.
How are you feeling?
"Very good. Very good." She shouted twice, then looked at him with a smile, "Like flying. You've worked hard."
He gazed at her tenderly, "I'm glad you like it."
"Can you stop for a moment?" she said. "Let's pause for a while."
He grunted in agreement, gripped the rope tightly, and brought the swing to a stop.
Qingchen then tilted her head slightly, leaned close to his cheek, and kissed him.
Song Yue blinked slightly, then chuckled softly, "That's not enough..."
As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her lips as she sat on the swing.
The swing sways gently, swaying softly. A gentle breeze rustles through the branches.
After the kiss ended, Qingchen and Song Yue began to chat, a slow, casual conversation. In the quiet environment, his voice sounded even more pleasant, clear and magnetic, each word making him even more captivating.
As the sun gradually set in the west, the sky was dyed orange-red, and the shadows of the leaves on the ground faded, swaying gently.
Even away from the scheming court and the unpleasant mundane affairs of the world, Qingchen's mind remained restless. This leisurely and carefree state made her feel a little unaccustomed, and even a little guilty.
She's going back tomorrow; she has a lot to do.
Seeing that she was lost in thought, Song Yue asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"While you were cooking lunch, I read some books and had some thoughts that I wanted to share with you."
He nodded. "What is it?"
"The current fiscal and tax laws of the Ming Dynasty have already revealed many shortcomings. If they are not improved, they will likely be unable to meet the requirements of governing the country. I have thought of some ways to improve them, but I don't know if they are feasible. I wanted to ask you..."
After saying that, she couldn't help but think that dating her was probably the most boring thing she had ever experienced. Other couples would talk about romance, poetry, and literature on dates, but she was not good at any of those things. They could only talk about the imperial court, governance, and politics... It was really not romantic at all and did not live up to the occasion.
Song Yue thought for a moment and then asked in return, "Do you know why so many drawbacks have occurred?"
"The administration was in disarray."
“That’s right,” Song Yue explained. “The monarch neglected his duties, using the banner of ‘governing by non-action’ and following the principles consistently upheld by Taoism. As a result, although people had complaints, they were helpless. Xu Yan thus seized control of the court. For his own selfish interests, he appointed people based on nepotism and personal gain, which caused many people who were originally loyal to their duties to lose confidence and no longer work as hard. Meanwhile, corrupt officials, under his protection, became even more unscrupulous and harmed the country.”
"The consequence of this situation is that local officials are not concerned enough about local economic development, and the information they submit to the capital is not the most timely and accurate. However, the policies of the capital officials are based on the information reported by local officials. If the basic data is inaccurate, the relevant policies will not be effective in addressing the key issues and solving the problems. At the same time, when implementing policies, they will also encounter situations where people who have lost confidence do not do their best, and corrupt people deliberately obstruct and hinder them, resulting in huge problems in the implementation of policies."
"Therefore, the corruption in politics stems firstly from the inability to base policies on reality, and secondly from the failure to implement them satisfactorily, which prevents the country's legal system and policies from truly controlling the country's direction."
He explained patiently, and Qingchen listened attentively. Although she roughly understood the reasons for this situation, she still didn't see it as clearly or comprehensively as he did. He truly lived up to his title as the Second Assistant Minister; his words were always insightful, and his explanation made her thoughts much clearer.
Song Yue continued, "In addition, there is another important issue that has affected the governance of the Ming Dynasty, namely salaries. The current salary standards were established by the founding emperor when the dynasty was founded. More than a hundred years have passed, and no matter how much the price of rice has increased, this 'ancestral system' has been followed. No matter how many memorials have been submitted, they have not been able to shake it, and the salaries of officials remain unchanged. The reason why the emperor does not raise the salaries of officials is not only because the national treasury is empty, but also because the court tacitly approves of officials obtaining extra income."
"Low-ranking officials received meager salaries, barely enough to support their families, which forced many to seek additional income beyond their pay. When collecting taxes, they would use 'legitimate reasons' such as losses during transportation or storage to demand extra taxes from the people, such as for wasted rice or sample silk. The court could only turn a blind eye to this, as everyone was helpless. This led to a further deterioration of the officialdom and a more chaotic bureaucracy, creating a vicious cycle."
"Therefore, no matter how many national policies are implemented, the results are still minimal. The root cause is the chaos in officialdom, and the cause of the chaos in officialdom lies with those in power. Only when power is transferred to people who are wholeheartedly devoted to the country, and at the same time, reform measures are implemented, can the chronic problems of the Ming Dynasty be improved." After he finished speaking, he frowned slightly.
Qingchen continued, "Therefore, as long as Xu Yan doesn't fall, the Ming Dynasty's illness will never be cured..."
After a moment of silence, Song Yue nodded.
Qingchen sighed almost inaudibly.
"Let's not talk about that now. The sun is about to set, are you cold?" he asked, looking at her.
"It's cold," Qingchen said, looking up at the horizon. The sky was already getting dark, and the last rays of the setting sun were about to disappear completely.
"Let's go in then."
"good."
She agreed and was about to get off the swing when he picked her up in his arms.
Song Yue strode back into the house, and before putting Qingchen down, he kissed her lips again. "Sit for a while, I'll go cook."
"good."
Soon, Song Yue made some noodles and reheated the leftover dishes from lunch, then brought them to the table.
The two sat facing each other and ate dinner, and also drank a little wine.
After resting for a while, Qingchen said she wanted to take a bath, so Song Yue boiled a kettle of water for her and brought it into the bathroom.
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