4 Chapter 004
Pig farming expert
Xie Changfeng summoned Chu Jun and did not avoid the palace people.
Hearing his words, all the palace servants, including Wu Shanqing, couldn't believe it.
It’s already summer in April, why is there so much snow?
Chu Jun is struggling with everything he has learned in his life.
He is good at flattering people, but he dare not speak carelessly when it comes to people's livelihood.
Wu Zhangyin was more alert and echoed, "No wonder the emperor lost his appetite just now. He was worried about the people. However, with the Taoist immortal's advance warning, it will surely minimize the disaster and save more people."
Xie Changfeng, who had just been enjoying his meal, said: "..."
Chu Jun came back to his senses and said hurriedly, "Since there is a warning, the disaster can be averted. Your Majesty, please take care of your body and don't worry too much."
"Daban and Chu Qing have a point." Xie Changfeng sighed, "April 15th is not far away."
"Your Majesty, please do not overthink it. We can discuss this at court tomorrow." Wu Shanqing shifted his focus. "By the way, Marquis Weining and his second son are still kneeling south of Jinshui Bridge. How will Your Majesty deal with them?"
Xie Changfeng was stunned for a moment: "Why are they kneeling?"
Did the original body punish them? No?
"I'm here to apologize," Wu Shanqing explained carefully. "The pigs that ran into Princess Rong'an during the day were raised by her second son at the farm."
Five people: “…”
Since it concerns his daughter, Xie Changfeng couldn't say no to taking action, but he really didn't know how to deal with it appropriately, so he looked at Xie Mingzhuo.
Xie Mingzhuo said calmly, "Go and call them over. Also, all the prince's attendants failed to provide adequate care for His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi, causing him to fall into the water. They will all be fined six months' salary and given ten lashes with the cane."
Wu Shanqing was slightly surprised, but when he saw that the emperor was not displeased and even nodded repeatedly, he said respectfully, "I obey your command."
While waiting for Marquis Weining and his son, Xie Mingzhuo dismissed Chu Jun and all the palace ladies.
The lights in the Qianqing Palace were bright, illuminating the worried faces of several people. No one cared about the crackling of the candle wicks.
Xie Mingzhuo brought up the topic: "The book says that when the rebels attacked the capital, the Weining Marquis' family fought to the death to defend the city. They all died for their country, including the women."
"A loyal minister." Xie Changfeng sighed.
"Well, the use of the fearless loyal ministers and the cowardly five-man cannon fodder creates a strong contrast."
The four of them couldn't help but wipe their faces. Although they didn't do it themselves, they still felt a little ashamed.
"How much does Xiao Wang hate us?" Xie Mingshuo simply couldn't understand. "Have we ever dug up his ancestral grave?"
Xie Mingzhuo continued, "Not only that, after the pig-hitting incident, the princess, filled with shame and anger, severely punished the second son of the Marquis of Weining. She beat him with a hundred sticks outside the Meridian Gate, leaving him half-paralyzed. On the day the city was captured, the rebels stormed into the Marquis of Weining's mansion. Unable to bear the humiliation, he dragged his broken body to his death along with several other rebels."
The four fell silent again.
The words in the book are cold, but once they are embodied in living people, they become particularly shocking and glaring.
Xie Mingzhuo asked slowly, "What do you think? Should this person be punished?"
"Shao Shao, you are the victim in this matter. None of us are qualified to judge. Do whatever you want. We support you." Meng Qi was the first to express his opinion.
Xie Changfeng then echoed: "That's right, everything is subject to your wishes. We trust you."
"I'm not good at this." Xie Mingxuan also said, "I'll just listen to Shao Shao."
Xie Mingshuo frowned and analyzed, "If we want to save the royal family's reputation, we have to punish them. But objectively speaking, the pig collision was just an accident, and Lu Er was at most slightly at fault. The degree of control here is really hard to grasp."
If the royal family lets it go lightly, then anyone can "accidentally" offend the princess or other members of the royal family in the future.
It is necessary to embody the majesty of the royal family without actually crippling anyone, and the punished person must remember the lesson and be convinced. This is a really difficult problem.
Xie Mingzhuo was calm and composed: "Let's talk about it after the people come."
A moment later, Wu Shanqing led Weining Hou and his son inside.
Marquis Weining was nearly fifty years old, but he was not overly tall and strong. He was strong and sturdy. Even after kneeling outside for half a day, he did not show any signs of fatigue.
The second son was not yet twenty years old, half a head taller than him, and wore a round-necked, narrow-sleeved military uniform. Compared with his rough-looking father, his features were more handsome and masculine.
They both knelt on the ground.
"Your humble servant, Lu Ping, wishes to see the Emperor live long, the Empress live a thousand years, the Prince of Qi live a thousand years, the Prince of Jin live a thousand years, and the Princess live a thousand years."
Lu Er also greeted him by calling him "criminal citizen".
This was Xie Mingzhuo's home court, and Xie Changfeng and the other three remained silent.
The emperor remained silent, and the Marquis of Weining and his son became increasingly anxious, not daring to lift their heads from the ground.
The room was silent and the atmosphere was solemn. Wu Shanqing, who was standing by, couldn't help but sweat on his forehead.
Xie Mingzhuo said indifferently, "What crime has the Marquis of Weining committed?"
Regardless of who was questioning him, Marquis Weining replied respectfully, "My son was naughty. It is truly my fault for not raising him well. This is why I accidentally bumped into the princess's precious body. I deserve death."
He had a good attitude towards admitting his guilt and was very protective of his children. Xie Mingzhuo had a good impression of him.
"Lu Er, what crime have you committed?"
Lu Er rested his forehead on the hard ground. The cool touch made his mind extremely clear. He stared at the crack in the floor with wide eyes, his voice muffled in his arms.
"The criminal failed to discover the breach in the pigpen in time, causing the pigs to escape onto the official road and collide with the princess. This is all the fault of the criminal alone."
Xie Mingzhuo digested the original owner's memory, and the scene of being hit by the pigs emerged in his mind. The panic and fear were gone, and instead the fat figures of the pigs became clearer and clearer.
The pigs raised here are comparable to those in later generations.
In the Qi Dynasty, pork was a cheap meat, commonly seen on the tables of ordinary people, and rarely eaten by dignitaries.
Tonight's imperial meal is mainly composed of mutton, fish and shrimp, without any pork.
The deliciousness of carefully raised pork is irreplaceable by other meats, and its nutritional value is also not low.
Xie Mingzhuo couldn't help but ask, "How many pigs do you raise on the farm?"
Marquis Weining and his son: ???
Aren't you going to punish me? Why are you asking about pigs?
Lu Er answered honestly, "Eighty-two adult pigs and seventeen piglets."
"What's the average weight of your pigs?"
"About 270 kilograms."
The pig feed in Qi Dynasty was not as good as that in modern times. It weighed 270 kilograms, which was already a very good level.
"How heavy can an average family raise a pig?"
Lu Er was stunned and said, "The criminals, the criminals don't know."
"Your Highness, I do have some experience," Wu Shanqing continued. "When I was a child, my family also raised pigs. During the New Year, we slaughtered and weighed the pigs, and they were only about 200 kilograms. The best pigs raised in the village only weighed 230 kilograms."
"Oh? So Lu Er's pigs are really well raised?"
"That's right."
Xie Mingzhuo looked at Lu Er again: "You come from a noble family, why do you raise pigs on the farm?"
"Sinners like to raise pigs."
The kneeling Marquis Weining's face twitched, and he wanted to jump up and beat up the brat.
Raising pigs, raising pigs, all I do is raise pigs! Now something bad has happened!
Xie Mingzhuo pondered for a moment and said, "Although you didn't do it on purpose, you were negligent. You will receive ten strokes of the cane when you leave. All the pigs on the farm will be confiscated. You have such superb pig-raising skills that they cannot be buried. After you recover from your injuries, you can go to the government-run pig farm and work as a swineherd. Are you convinced?"
Everyone: “…”
Ten strokes of the cane is a small matter, being a pigherd is a big deal!
It is not shameful for the second son of Marquis Weining to raise pigs on the farm. Everyone has hobbies, which is normal.
But if he really became a "pigherd", he would be ridiculed by the sons of nobles in the whole capital.
This punishment is profound.
Lu Er was quite flexible and said, "I, the guilty man, thank you for your forgiveness, Your Highness."
"As for Marquis Weining, raising pigs is not a naughty thing to do, and it cannot be considered as bad parenting. Everyone, get up."
Marquis Weining and his son bowed in thanks and stood up.
Before they came, they were worried that with the princess's temper, she might punish them severely, and even if they didn't die, they would be severely punished. They didn't expect that it would be a light punishment with a strong warning, which was a pleasant surprise.
A swineherd is just a swineherd, no big deal.
Wu Shanqing reminded him at the right moment: "Your Highness, the imperial pig farm has been abandoned for many years. In the past, the pig farm was directly under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture. Now that the pig farm has been re-established, will it still be supervised by Shuntian Prefecture?"
The target group of the government-run pig farms was not the rich and powerful, but the ordinary people in the capital.
The capital has a population of over one million, and the daily demand for meat is extremely large. Although there are private pig farms, they are simply unable to meet daily needs.
Government-run pig farms are intended to both alleviate pressure on meat supply and generate revenue for the government.
Moreover, a pig can produce several thousand kilograms of pig manure a year, which can bring considerable profits to the pig farm.
However, due to some reasons, the income of the pig farm shrank year by year, and the government was unable to make ends meet, so it had to abandon the pig farm.
Xie Mingzhuo pondered for a moment and said, "Merge to the Shanglin Garden Supervisor."
Although Shanglinyuanjian was a central government office, its actual responsibility was to manage the royal gardens, and it was under the jurisdiction of four offices: Liangmu, Fanyu, Linheng, and Jiashu.
Being named "Royal", it naturally serves the royal family.
The pork from the pig farm is for the people of Beijing. It sounds like it is against the regulations, but no one present objects.
"Lu Er, although the pig farm has been incorporated into the Shanglinyuan Prison, all matters concerning the pig farm must be reported only to me. I will give you three days to develop a detailed pig farm management plan."
"I obey your command," Lu Er said boldly. "May I ask, Your Highness, will the confiscated farm pigs be put into the newly established pig farm, or will there be other arrangements?"
Xie Mingzhuo said gently: "If you have any ideas, you can speak them up."
Marquis Weining really wanted to warn his son with his eyes, telling him not to act so rashly and just to be obedient. Unfortunately, the emperor and others were all looking at him and his son, so they couldn't exchange any glances.
"The criminals thought that ungrown high-quality piglets, adult breeding pigs and sows with high reproductive capacity could be moved into the new pig farm." Lu Er replied quite honestly.
Xie Mingzhuo agreed: "The farm's pigs will remain untouched for now. Within three days, you will personally select the pigs to be moved to the government-run pig farm."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" These four words were said sincerely.
"Receive ten strokes of the cane and go home."
"I will take my leave."
"I'll take my leave."
It was almost midnight and Xie Changfeng's eyelids began to twitch.
This day was truly thrilling. It was not only physically tiring, but also mentally exhausting.
"Your Majesty, are you ready to go to bed?" Wu Shanqing lowered his voice.
Xie Changfeng looked at Meng Qi and Xie Mingzhuo and asked them. They were the ones who made the decisions on major family matters, especially Xie Mingzhuo. After becoming "Mr. Xie", his credibility became more and more obvious.
Generally speaking, things that are discussed with her are always handled beautifully in the end.
Normally at home, he could sleep whenever he wanted, but here, he didn't dare to just go and rest casually.
Xie Mingzhuo felt both sorry for him and amused at the same time. He stood up and said, "Father has to attend a court meeting tomorrow morning. You and Mother should get some rest early."
"Okay, okay." Xie Changfeng almost closed his eyes, but he didn't forget to give instructions, "It's getting dark, and the road is difficult to travel. Second Brother and Rong An will stay and sleep with the eldest brother in the prince's residence. We will go to the court together tomorrow morning."
Wu Shanqing's eyebrows moved slightly, and his eyes swept over Princess Rong'an. The King of Qi and the King of Jin were princes, and it was reasonable for them to attend court meetings, but princesses were never allowed to do so.
Could it be that the emperor was confused and said something wrong?
It wasn't far from the Qianqing Palace to the Prince's Palace. The three of them didn't ride in sedan chairs, but walked side by side in the deep palace path.
The palace maids who were accompanying them were sent far away and could not hear their conversation.
Xie Mingshuo held up the lantern and said, "It's more tiring than a whole day of covering news for me."
"Indeed, I would rather do the experiment for a month straight." Xie Mingxuan rarely agreed with him.
The two brothers bumped their lanterns together as a high-five.
"Tiezhu, what are you thinking about?"
Xie Mingzhuo said darkly, "I was wondering, if you call me 'Iron Pillar' again, which side of your face should I hit you on?"
"Hahaha, just kidding." Xie Mingshuo shrugged. "This palace is so spooky. I'm scared."
Xie Mingzhuo lifted the lantern to illuminate the palace wall. The wall had been eroded by wind and rain for a hundred years and was now mottled. There seemed to be traces of scratches made by hairpins or fingernails on it. The marks were very light, but they made people's scalp tingle for no reason.
This is where power is most concentrated, yet it is also a prison for those in power. But in this era, having no power means having no leverage for resistance.
Which is better, a bird in a cage or fish on the chopping board?
"Big Brother, Second Brother," she asked softly, "If we can avert the crisis of national destruction, what do you want to do in the future?"
Xie Mingshuo thought without hesitation: "Of course, to become the most influential media tycoon of our time!"
"Continue to do my experiments peacefully. It would be even better if I could light up the technology tree." This is Xie Mingxuan's ideal life.
Xie Mingzhuo curled his lips: "Of course I can."
"What about you? What do you want to do?"
"I think..." Xie Mingzhuo looked up at the starry night sky, "I want to find a literary master and a martial arts master to enrich myself and take one step at a time."
The two brothers looked at each other.
"Shao Shao, all my future project funding depends on you."
"Tiezhu, whether my newspaper will become popular across the country in the future depends on you."
Xie Mingzhuo threw a punch and said, "I told you not to call me 'Iron Pillar' anymore!"
【Author’s words】
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