Chapter 115 Poverty Alleviation and Factory Establishment
"Master, General Pei has left."
Du Qingtang sat under the lamp, writing down the economic plan, and responded nonchalantly.
After Du San finished his report, he did not leave. Instead, he stood across from the desk, wanting to speak but hesitant: "Master, just now..."
Du Qingtang didn't even raise his eyes: "Speak."
Du San smiled awkwardly: "Just now, Mo Yun blocked General Pei at the gate of the inner house and said... said..."
Du Qingtang raised his eyes and said, "Just say what you want to say. No need to hesitate."
Du San was startled by her gaze and said quickly, "Say that the person you truly love is him, and tell General Pei to stay away from you."
Du Qingtang: “?”
Du San then repeated Pei Yuchun's words word for word: "Mo Yun was unable to defeat General Pei in the debate and went back to his room in tears."
Du Qingtang: “…”
Du Qingtang was speechless for a moment, then raised his hand and gently rubbed his brow: "From tomorrow on, let Mo Yun clean the toilet alone."
Du San almost laughed out loud: "Yes, I will notify Mo Yun tomorrow morning."
Du Qingtang picked up the brush and dipped it in ink. The ink flowed and the characters were as elegant and free as dragons and phoenixes dancing.
Du San paused where he was, and seeing his master writing at the desk, he quietly retreated.
When I returned to the east wing, my brothers surrounded me.
"How is it? Have you told the master?"
"What's the Master's reaction?"
Du San took off his boots and crossed his legs on the kang: "The master has punished Mo Yun."
There was a chorus of disappointed boos.
"That's it? Nothing else?"
"Where's General Pei? His words were tantamount to revealing his true feelings. Master, don't you have any reaction at all? Or did you not tell the Master at all?"
Du San cried out in injustice: "I told you everything without missing a word, and the master didn't react at all."
"When we were at Loushan Pass, General Pei always looked at the master with a sticky look in his eyes, and his face and ears would turn red whenever he spoke to the master. I don't believe the master didn't notice it at all."
"The master has always been sharp and sees through everything."
"The master is still as hard-hearted as ever."
"But did you feel that the confrontation between General Pei and Mo Yun just now was very much like a fight between a wife and a concubine?"
"What are you talking about?"
"That's right. General Pei is quite like a wife. He remained extremely calm throughout the whole process. With just a few words, he made Mo Yun's army collapse and flee in panic."
"I can't even argue with that."
In the corner, Du Yi, standing upside down against the wall, ruthlessly interrupted their passionate conversation: "Talking nonsense about the master behind his back is an even greater crime."
A basin of cold water was poured over their heads, chilling Du Er and the others to the bone. They stared at Du Yi, wailing and screaming, like a group of plucked crows, cawing non-stop.
Du Yi's eyelids jumped wildly: "Be quiet, don't disturb the master."
The strange cry suddenly stopped, and Du Er and others stopped talking and walked out muttering to each other.
"But having a heart of stone is good too. It's better than being like in the story books, where the mountains are gone and the sky and the earth are united, and they love each other to death. It's too disgusting."
"Even if the master really has a crush on someone, he won't lose his mind like in the storybooks."
"That's true. The master is not an ordinary woman. How could she indulge in love?"
-
At the hour of Mao the next day, Du Qingtang had finished his breakfast and was about to go to the front to handle official business.
Du Qingzhu poked her head out of the kitchen and shouted angrily, "Who stole the cakes I put in the cupboard yesterday?!"
Du Qingtang remained calm and said, "I don't know. Maybe you ate it all by mistake while out for a night out last night."
Du Qingzhu slapped the door frame and said, "Present the jade!"
Du Qingtang responded calmly.
Du Qingzhu stamped her feet: "I don't have sleepwalking!"
Du Qingtang raised her eyelids and said, "Seventh sister, can you tell me why you hid the cakes from my and Eighth sister's backs?"
Du Qingju suppressed a laugh: "Didn't you say you've given up sweets?"
Du Qingzhu puffed out his cheeks, and said with a confident tone, "It's a new product that was just made yesterday. You have to try a few more pieces."
"Three pieces today, five pieces tomorrow, it's endless." Du Qingtang straightened his official hat and left before Du Qingzhu could get angry. "I'm leaving."
Du Qingju nodded: "Go ahead, I'll go check out the shop with Seventh Sister later."
Du Qingtang casually asked, "When will it open?"
Du Qingju thought for a moment and said, "I guess we'll have to wait until August."
Du Qingzhu agreed: "Me too."
Du Qingtang remembered it and walked through the corridor towards the gate of the inner house.
"Mo Feng greets the adults."
Du Qingtang nodded and walked out of the inner house without stopping.
Mo Feng watched Du Qingtang walk away and went to the lotus pond behind.
Mo Yun was cleaning the toilet, vomiting while doing so, with tears in his eyes.
How stupid.
But after a few provocations, he confronted the man.
Although he was defeated, at least the prefect disliked Mo Yun.
Mo Feng stepped forward: "I'll help you."
Mo Yun choked up, "Mo Feng, you're still the best. That man last night confused right and wrong, and turned upside down what was right and wrong. He was truly despicable!"
Mo Feng smiled without saying a word, ignoring the foul smell, and helped Mo Yun clean the toilet.
......
"Sir, I had the yamen runners bring back the comic strips you mentioned yesterday. Because there were so many of them, I took it upon myself to have them sent to the warehouse."
Du Qingtang went over to take a look. The comic book was well-printed and not much different from the first edition.
The clerk had never seen such novel paintings before, and curiosity drove him to ask, "Sir, why are you printing these?"
Du Qingtang put the comic strip back and said, "Have you not noticed that many people still hate the government and the imperial court?"
The clerk was stunned and speechless.
Although many people regained their trust in the government thanks to the unremitting efforts of the prefect, there are still many people who do not trust and refuse to cooperate.
They were keen on opposing the government and engaging in group fights in the streets.
If the prefect had not had the foresight to send out yamen runners and government soldiers to patrol together, I am afraid that bloodshed would have occurred every day just like before.
The clerk hesitated a little: "Can these paintings make them good people?"
Compared to comic strips, he felt that swords were more intimidating.
Du Qingtang turned and walked out: "Educating the people is a long process. All I can do is to constantly instill in them the idea of loyalty to the court."
"It may not be possible to change their thinking in a short period of time, but over time, their impression of the court will definitely change significantly as they are influenced by what they see and hear."
The petty official figured out the key to this and was immediately filled with admiration: "Your Excellency is very wise. I only thought of suppressing them with force, but never considered educating them ideologically."
Du Qingtang walked towards the duty room: "I have a task for you."
The clerk's expression was serious: "Just give your orders, sir!"
Du Qingtang finished his official business in two hours and sent someone to the lobby to inquire to make sure that no one had beaten the drum to complain today and that there were no backlogged cases. He then took Du Qi, Du Ba and a group of yamen runners and rode to Heyang County.
Shaoqing Prefecture is located in a semi-arid area where sand and grassland can coexist.
Heyang County is such a place.
Heyang County is a county under the jurisdiction of Shaoqing Prefecture, located in the north, with a population of only over 60,000.
Most of the local people make a living by herding. They are self-sufficient in meat and milk and live in extreme poverty.
Before this, Du Qingtang had been looking for ways to enrich the people.
She sent people to travel through every inch of Shaoqing Prefecture to understand the local people's livelihood and customs, record them, and then bring them back for her to review.
Du Qingtang checked and screened one by one, and finally decided to start with the poorest Heyang County.
After arriving at the Heyang County government office, Du Qingtang introduced himself, but was told that the county magistrate Guan Songyun had gone out to herd sheep.
Du Qingtang was silent for a moment, asked the yamen runner for the approximate location, and led his men to search for it.
When County Magistrate Guan was found, he was wearing a tattered robe, sitting on a rock, with his hands in his pockets watching the sheep graze.
"Master Guan."
County Magistrate Guan looked in the direction of the voice and saw Du Qingtang in a crimson official robe. He rubbed his eyes uncertainly, and the next moment his face suddenly changed. He stood up hurriedly and bowed to greet him.
"Your humble servant greets the prefect. I was unaware of your arrival and apologize for not coming to greet you. I hope you will forgive me."
"No problem." Du Qingtang raised his hand to support himself, lifted the corner of his robe, and sat down on another stone. He looked at the flock of sheep grazing not far away. "I came here this time to learn about the situation in Heyang County."
At Du Qingtang's instruction, County Magistrate Guan trembled as he sat down. Upon hearing this, he immediately said, "Your Excellency, please feel free to ask. I will tell you everything I know."
Du Qingtang asked a number of questions in succession, and County Magistrate Guan answered them one by one.
From him, Du Qingtang learned more detailed data than sending people to visit, and gained a deeper understanding of Heyang County.
poverty.
Very poor.
Very poor.
Even the local county magistrate's clothes were patched up with patches, not to mention ordinary people.
Du Qingtang had a headache.
In fact, there is more than one place in Daxia as poor as Heyang County, but since Heyang County is under her jurisdiction, she must do her best to make it better.
Not to mention that everyone became rich, Du Qingtang knew her own strengths and weaknesses. She didn't have that much ability, but at least she had food to eat and clothes to wear, and she didn't have to starve or freeze anymore.
"I plan to build a garment factory at the junction of the prefectural capital and Heyang County, and I need wool." Du Qingtang gestured, "One pound of wool costs four qian of silver."
County Magistrate Guan was stunned. "Sir, are you planning to buy wool from the people?"
Du Qingtang nodded. "Once the garment factory is built, the demand for wool will be enormous. In addition to purchasing wool, I also plan to recruit women from Heyang County to process the wool for the garment factory."
County Magistrate Guan never expected that wool could be sold for money.
The prefect said that the high demand for wool means that many people in Heyang County can make money by selling wool.
The prefect also said that she needed women from Heyang County to process the wool on her behalf.
Since we are recruiting, there must be wages.
Selling wool is one thing, processing wool is another...
County Magistrate Guan stood up suddenly, his face flushed with excitement. Every wrinkle and crack on his face exuded a sense of joy. He bowed repeatedly to Du Qingtang: "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"
He thanked her over and over again, his voice trembling and tears streaming down his face.
The immense joy and emotion almost overwhelmed County Magistrate Guan. He clasped his hands and spoke a lot in the wind.
"This is my fifteenth year in Heyang County."
"From my prime to my present old age, I have been serving as the county magistrate here and have never moved from my original position."
"Before you, the officials in the prefecture were worse than pigs and dogs. They didn't take us, the minor officials and the common people, seriously, and allowed the people from the nearby tribes to plunder the people of Heyang County every other day."
"Those people are so arrogant. They stole the lambs we raised with so much effort. When we refused to give them to them, they killed us."
"I was forced into a corner and sought help from the provincial capital, but every time I received no response."
"You don't know, sir, that since the bandits disappeared, everyone's life has become much better. Everyone is grateful to you and prays for you day and night."
Du Qingtang was a little surprised. She knew that the surrounding tribes were harassing the people of Heyang County and had been sending people to keep an eye on them.
Perhaps the anti-bandit operation was so massive that the other side was afraid and has not taken any action so far.
But she didn't know that the people of Heyang County would pray for her.
"I will send the palace soldiers to garrison here later." Du Qingtang concealed his slight emotion and stood up to straighten his clothes. "I also ask Master Guan to inform everyone about the wool as soon as possible. If nothing unexpected happens, the garment factory will be completed in August, so we need to collect wool half a month in advance."
County Magistrate Guan readily agreed: "Don't worry, sir. I will make sure everything is arranged and you won't have to worry."
Du Qingtang nodded slightly, and suddenly felt something gently pressing against his calf.
Looking down, she saw a little lamb butting her with its tender horns.
Du Qingtang leaned down, dug his fingers into the soft wool, and rubbed it gently.
"Mee~"
Du Qingtang chuckled, and the sharpness in his brow faded: "I am busy with the affairs of the government office. I will go back first."
County Magistrate Guan wiped his face. His palms were dark, rough, and covered with cracks. They did not look like the hands of a seventh-rank county magistrate, but more like the hands of a farmer.
He took a deep breath and tried to suppress the excitement in his heart: "I will take you there."
Du Qingtang raised his hand to stop him: "No need, you can continue herding the sheep."
County Magistrate Guan had no choice but to stop, stand among the flock of sheep, and watch the prefect and his men leave.
After Du Qingtang left, County Magistrate Guan drove the flock back home and went to the county government office without stopping to tell his colleagues the good news.
Officials in Heyang County have basically been here for more than ten years and have deep feelings for the county.
When they learned that the prefect came here to help the people earn money, they burst into tears of joy.
"That's great! Now that people have money, they don't have to live a hard life anymore!"
"We need to spread this good news quickly so that everyone can be happy and make preparations in advance."
The magistrate of Guan County then had notices posted and sent people to various places to publicize the news.
When the people of Heyang County learned that the prefect was planning to build a factory, buy their wool, and hire women to process the wool, they were so surprised and happy that they burst into tears.
"That's great! Shaoqing Prefecture finally has a good official."
"The prefect has even sent his own soldiers over here. From now on, we will never be bullied by those thieves again."
"From now on, I will pray for the prefect three times a day, wishing her all the best, peace and happiness."
"The factory will be built in August, so let's not shear the sheep for the time being. Let's save some wool and send it to the prefect later."
"That's what I planned too."
The people of Heyang County had smiles on their dark faces, which were full of suffering and traces of time, and the light of hope was burning in their gray eyes.
The court did not give up on them!
They are about to live a good life!
......
Before returning to the city, Du Qingtang went to the military camp.
After scanning the area along the way, he soon found General Huang Qian. He said, "The tribes surrounding Heyang County are restless. Tomorrow, you will take 5,000 soldiers with you. If anyone offends you, they will be killed without mercy."
Daxia is no longer the Daxia of the past.
Daxia has a firearms camp, which is growing stronger and stronger. It has nothing to fear from any country, let alone a small tribe.
Du Qingtang called over General Ma Qian again and said, "Two months have passed. How is the inspection going?"
Ma Qianzong reported truthfully: "The vast majority of people passed the test. Only a small number of people were keen on stirring up trouble and were disqualified."
Du Qingtang was not surprised by this.
Being used to the freedom in the mountains, how could he get used to the strict military rules in a military camp?
"A list of those who pass the examination will be compiled and officially incorporated into the palace soldiers from today. Those who fail will be dismissed from the barracks."
General Ma nodded in agreement.
Huang Qianzong asked: "Then their names..."
Du Qingtang said, "Keep it. It will be easier to deal with if you make a mistake."
After Du Qingtang left, Ma Qianzong couldn't help but ask, "Why did the prefect ask you to go to Heyang County?"
Huang Qianzong did not answer but asked: "Do you want to go?"
General Ma Qian shook his head.
The environment in Heyang County is terrible, with no birds living there and no chickens laying eggs. It is more comfortable to be in the provincial capital.
"That's all," Huang Qianzong said unhappily. "Don't let your imagination run wild. You were leading the troops in training earlier, and I happened to be free, so the prefect came to see me."
Ma Qianzong stroked his beard and said, trying to hide his mistake, "I just asked casually."
Huang Qianzong shrugged. Only he knew what he was thinking. "No more talking. I'll go get ready. I'm going to Heyang County tomorrow."
Meeting Mu Tingyu on the way, General Huang Qian mentioned his errand: "I'll need you to take care of the school."
Mu Tingyu didn't care. Without a martial arts master, he would at most be a little busy. "It's okay, go ahead."
-
But Du Wu and Du Liu were ordered to rush to Linjiang Prefecture.
When they arrived, Linjiang Prefecture was infested with locusts, which had eaten up all the crops in the fields.
Everywhere they passed was devastated, and the cries of the people, filled with despair and fear, echoed over Linjiang Prefecture for a long time.
Du Wu frowned, feeling sorry for the situation. "Have all the local officials died? The locust plague is so severe, and they don't even care about the people."
Du Liu sneered, "Do you remember two years ago when we accompanied our master to Runing Prefecture to take up his post? Didn't we also encounter refugees who were forced to move out of their hometown due to a locust plague?"
Du Wu angrily said, "Officials are doing nothing and allowing locusts to harm the people. How is this any different from taking human lives lightly?"
Du Liu sighed, "That's why the master's preciousness is even more apparent."
Du Wu didn't comment: "Let's not talk about it anymore, let's go find someone first."
Du Wu vaguely guessed the master's intention of asking them to come to the Linjiang Mansion. Although he didn't know why the master mentioned their names, as guards, they only had to obey orders and do the job well.
However, when I went to the address on the note, the place was empty.
Du Wu and Du Liu looked at each other with serious expressions.
"There are signs of a struggle at the scene. This man, Liu Dun, might have been killed."
"Fifth brother, please be patient." Du Liu walked towards the dining table, picked up some rice from the ground, and rubbed it with his fingertips. "It's still warm."
Du Wu was overjoyed: "They haven't gone far!"
The two searched around and soon found a series of disorganized, fresh footprints behind the house.
"Chase!"
The two men followed the footprints and the men who had captured Liu Dun saw that they were coming with ill intentions and drew their swords against them.
There were more than ten people on the other side. Fortunately, Du Wu and Du Liu were both skilled in martial arts. After more than ten rounds, they killed all of them and successfully rescued Liu Dun.
Liu Dun's jaw and arms were removed, and Du Wu put them back in place.
"Who are you?"
The severe pain from the reduction had not yet subsided when Liu Dun asked with a vigilant look on his face.
Du Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Hey! We saved you, and you didn't even say thank you. You're actually questioning us?"
Du Liu knew his brother was impatient, so he quickly intervened, saying gently, "Don't worry, Master Liu. We are here on orders to escort you to Xiajing."
After hearing this, Liu Dun not only did not relax his vigilance, but instead alarm bells started ringing in his mind.
Liu Dun was a minor official in Linjiang Prefecture.
In June, there was a locust plague in Linjiang Prefecture.
The prefect sent an urgent letter to report the matter to the emperor.
More than a month passed, but there was still no news from the court, and there was no sign of silver and grain for disaster relief.
The locust plague in Liu Dun's hometown was so severe that even the grain in the granary was devoured by the locusts.
The grain in the major grain stores in the city had already been sold out. Liu Dun was worried about his family and dared to ask the prefect.
But he never expected that he would overhear a shocking secret.
It turned out that the imperial court had sent disaster relief silver and grain ten days ago, but it was intercepted by the Fourth Prince's men on the way.
The prefect did not want to offend the Fourth Prince, and was also willing to attach himself to Cao's party. After returning to the capital to take up his post, he simply turned a blind eye and allowed the Fourth Prince to embezzle the relief silver and grain.
Liu Dun has always hated evil and was furious when he heard this. He decided to go to Xiajing to file a complaint with the emperor and expose the evil deeds of the fourth prince and the prefect.
"I didn't expect the prefect had already discovered that I was eavesdropping outside the door and sent someone to silence me."
"I fought desperately, but was still no match for the guards he sent. If you two hadn't arrived in time, I would have been in great danger."
"Thank you both very much. Please accept Liu's greetings."
Liu Dun bowed, but Du Liu quickly stopped him, saying, "Young Master Liu, there's no need for formalities. Let's get going without delay."
Liu Dun glanced at the long swords on the two men's waists without leaving any trace, and nodded in response: "Thank you both for your help."
Once the prefect finds out that he is still alive, he will definitely send people to hunt him down.
Although Du Wu and Du Liu had unknown origins, they had no ill will towards him. With them around, the journey would be safer.
"By the way, Mr. Liu, your family..."
"They left Linjiang Prefecture the night before yesterday and went to other places."
"That's good, let's go."
Du Wu went to a nearby market to buy a horse. The three of them traveled day and night, braving the scorching sun to reach Xiajing.
......
Xiajing, the Fourth Prince's residence.
Cao Yuan sat up straight, his tea spilling unconsciously. "Your Highness, have you intercepted the disaster relief funds from Linjiang Prefecture?"
The Fourth Prince didn't understand why his grandfather reacted so strongly, but he admitted it frankly: "Ever since I lost the two purses of the Ministry of Revenue and Runing Mansion, money has become much tighter for me."
"Grandfather, you also know that the Fourth Prince's palace has many staff members, and it costs money to support them. Add to that the social interactions in the court, and everything else requires money."
"I have already spoken to the prefect of Linjiang Prefecture. When his three-year term is up, I will find a way to transfer him to the capital."
I thought my grandfather would understand his difficulties and hardships, but Cao Yuan slammed the table and said, "Your Highness, you are confused!"
The Fourth Prince was stunned.
Cao Yuan's face was solemn. He stood up and paced back and forth. "These are troubled times. Your Majesty has been pressing me, an old minister, step by step. In just a few months, he has already punished dozens of officials who were on good terms with me."
"Your Majesty has been distant not only from me, but also from you. He has repeatedly entrusted important tasks to the First and Sixth Princes. If the Second and Third Princes had not been stripped of their status as princes, perhaps one day..."
Cao Yuan felt a headache coming on, and said earnestly, "Your Highness, you shouldn't have let Xing Xuanjie intercept the disaster relief silver and grain at this critical moment. If His Majesty finds out..."
Cao Yuan hesitated to speak twice, and the Fourth Prince gradually realized the seriousness of the matter. He took off the jade ring and put it back on again, repeating this over and over again, his anxiety evident in his words.
"At the time, Grandfather was away from Beijing on business, and Old Five was relaxing in the suburbs. I thought it would be better to keep it for myself than to let those lowly people take advantage of it, so I asked my cousin to intercept it."
"Grandfather, what should we do?"
Although he was the legitimate son, he was never loved by his father.
If his father knew that he had embezzled disaster relief silver and grain, he would probably have no chance of becoming emperor.
No!
no!
He is the legitimate son and has a noble status, far superior to those illegitimate children.
No one is worthy of the throne except him.
Only him!
Cao Yuan pressed his eyebrows, secretly thinking that the Fourth Prince was becoming less stable as he grew older. After a long pause, he said, "Well, I will write a letter to the prefect of Linjiang Prefecture. He should know what he can and cannot say."
"As for Your Majesty..." Cao Yuan's eyes flashed fiercely, "Even if they knew, so what? The eldest prince is the son of a lowly servant, the sixth prince's mother's family is not prominent, and the seventh prince has only recently entered the court and participated in politics, so his foundation is not yet stable. Your Majesty has no other choice except you."
"What's more, there are plenty of scapegoats in this world. As long as you operate properly, you can get away with it."
Several scapegoats flashed through Cao Yuan's mind, and the first one to come to mind was his second-grandson, Cao Xingcan.
A grandson who repeatedly disobeyed him and whose heart was not with the Cao family, even though he had become an abandoned child, should still be squeezed dry of all his value.
The fourth prince disagreed: "There are also the second and third princes!"
Although both of them were stripped of their status as princes and demoted to commoners, both Qi and Tian held great power.
Not to mention, my father seems to have lost his mind in recent days and has given my second son's mother all kinds of honors and favors.
She was first named a concubine, and later stayed in Chuxiu Palace every day.
The fourth prince didn't understand. There were so many young concubines in the harem, why did his father treat Concubine Rong differently?
Is it true, as my mother said, that my father intends to promote the second son?
But so much time has passed, and my father has not mentioned a single word about restoring the second son's status.
The Fourth Prince was deeply suspicious and didn't understand what Emperor Qingyuan was up to.
Cao Yuan had a plan for this. "Don't panic, Your Highness. I hesitated to act because I was worried about arousing suspicion. Now is the time to eliminate this hidden danger, the Second Prince."
The Fourth Prince certainly knew Cao Yuan’s concerns.
Just as Concubine Qi was promoted to Concubine Rong, the second prince died. Anyone could see that there was something fishy going on.
Now that January has passed and July is extremely hot, it is normal for someone to get an acute illness and die suddenly.
The Fourth Prince smiled slowly and poured tea for Cao Yuan himself: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Grandfather."
Cao Yuan calmly accepted the teacup offered by the Fourth Prince and took a sip. "Your Highness, you are too kind. You are the legitimate son of the Empress. The honor and disgrace of you and the Cao family depend on you. Naturally, this old minister will go through fire and water for Your Highness, even if it means death."
......
The next day.
After the morning court session ended, Emperor Qingyuan returned to the imperial study to have breakfast.
"Your Majesty, please try this shrimp dumpling. The shrimp inside was shipped 800 miles from Hangzhou to the capital. When it arrived at the Imperial Kitchen, it was still alive and kicking. The shrimp meat is delicious and chewy..."
Yu Jue introduced the breakfast incessantly with a soft voice and lively tone, which was very contagious, and even Emperor Qingyuan's mood improved a lot.
Just last night, he received an urgent report from Chizhou Prefecture.
An earthquake occurred in Chizhou Prefecture, causing countless casualties.
Because local officials failed to deal with the corpses in time, a plague broke out.
Earthquakes and plagues are both natural disasters that are beyond human control.
Even so, Emperor Qingyuan still felt heavy in his heart and felt very uncomfortable.
"Chiu~"
Just at this moment, a chirping sound was heard from the palace gate.
Emperor Qingyuan raised his head and a palm-sized magpie flew in and landed on the imperial desk.
The sunlight streamed in through the window, and the magpie's feathers took on a metallic luster of blue, green and purple, which was gorgeous and dazzling.
Emperor Qingyuan chuckled: "It's you, little one."
Stretch out your left hand and the magpie will come over.
Rub~
The heavy stone in Emperor Qingyuan's heart lifted a little, and a smile crossed his brows: "Little fellow, since you are the bird that brings good news, can you protect my Great Xia for hundreds, thousands, even for eternity?"
"Chiu~"
The magpie tilted its head and continued rubbing.
Emperor Qingyuan laughed, shook his head and murmured, "One should not be too greedy. If one wants everything, he will end up with nothing."
He has many loyal ministers and wise men, as well as an invincible and victorious firearms battalion. What else could he not be satisfied with?
Now I just hope...
Emperor Qingyuan lowered his eyes, and all his words turned into a sigh full of melancholy.
"Fury."
"The servant is here."
"How is Sister Rong these days?"
"Your Highness has attended several flower viewing banquets recently and even went to Ningxiang Tower yesterday. He seems to be in a very good mood."
Emperor Qingyuan was about to ask again when a eunuch came in and announced, "Your Majesty, Aunt Zhang from Guangming Palace wishes to see you."
A dark glint flashed across Emperor Qingyuan's eyes: "Let her in."
But in a moment, Nanny Zhang came crawling in, her face full of panic.
Nanny Zhang tumbled to her knees. The sound of her knees hitting the bricks was heartbreaking, but it was far less shocking than the words she spoke: "Your Majesty, that one in Guangming Palace is gone!"
-
In the blink of an eye, it was late July.
At noon, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and the huge government office was like a steamer. The officials sitting inside were sweating profusely and were almost being steamed to death.
"It's freezing cold in the mornings and evenings, and scorching hot during the day. This awful weather is simply unbearable!"
"Just sitting there made me sweat so much that all three layers of clothes were soaked through."
"At a time like this, you should take a break, go home and get some sleep!"
In the duty room, the clerks were complaining loudly when the door suddenly slammed open from outside.
It was already tiring to handle official business in such hot weather, and the sudden noise made everyone even more irritated, and they glared at the clerk at the door.
"You better have something important to do."
"You're still so noisy at your age!"
The clerk at the door wiped the sweat from his forehead and rolled his eyes unhappily: "The prefect has had someone make mung bean soup for you to drink."
Mung bean soup?
Everyone's eyes lit up.
Mung bean soup to relieve heat and cool down!
Du Qingtang stood in the lobby, directing the yamen runners to move things.
I heard a "bang" and when I looked back, I saw a large group of people coming out of the duty room.
The door was only wide enough for three people to walk through, and everyone was rushing out, not giving way to anyone else.
The result was that the person running in front was stuck at the door, while the people behind were still pushing forward, making the people in front scream in pain.
"Stop pushing! I'm almost getting squeezed to death!"
"Help! Help!"
Du Qingtang looked at the clerk who was screaming: "......"
What a disgraceful bunch of people. They have brought shame to Shaoqing Prefecture.
Du Qingtang raised his chin slightly: "You guys, go get them out."
The bailiff put down what he was holding and walked over, digging out the two people in front in no time.
“Ahhhh it hurts so much!”
"How dare you, Sun, push me! I will never coexist with you!"
The clerk pinched the neck of another clerk with a ferocious look on his face, and pinched the other clerk until his eyes rolled back.
Du Qingtang rubbed his eyebrows and turned away, thinking out of sight, out of mind.
"Where's the mung bean soup?"
"There."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw several wooden barrels filled with mung bean soup placed next to the government office.
The light green liquid is fresh and elegant, and it makes people feel refreshed just by looking at it.
"The prefect said that each person should have one bowl and no more."
"I know, I know."
The petty officials agreed and walked forward happily.
After taking a sip of mung bean soup, everyone felt refreshed and sighed with extreme enjoyment.
"Hey, what are the prefects doing?"
Everyone looked in the direction the clerk pointed and found that the yamen runner was moving something.
When I walked up and took a look, I saw it was a thin booklet with the words "History of Xia" written on it.
"History of Xia? Could it be a history book?"
"There must be tens of thousands of books here, right?"
The clerk who had been sent to the printing house said, "No, it's a comic book."
"What is a comic strip?"
“No.”
Someone sneaked up and took away a copy of "History of Xia".
Du Qingtang saw this, but was too lazy to pay attention to them and continued to direct the yamen runners to move the comic books.
The petty officials gathered together and whispered to each other.
“It’s actually a painting?”
“What a unique style of painting!”
"There wasn't a single word, but I could tell at a glance what story it was telling."
"How interesting!"
The clerk who knew the inside story said, "This is what the prefect uses to educate the people."
Everyone was stunned, and after a moment they suddenly realized: "The prefect is thoughtful."
......
The yamen runners moved 20,000 comic books from the warehouse to the lobby, clapped their hands, and went to drink mung bean soup with sweat on their foreheads.
Du Qingtang turned his head and his eyes fell on the clerk.
Everyone felt as if they were being stared at by some dangerous beast, and their hair stood on end in an instant.
He looked around cautiously and happened to meet the eyes of the prefect.
Seeing the prefect's eyes looking at him as if he was looking at pork, everyone took a deep breath.
Danger, danger, danger!
The clerks all stepped back with awkward yet polite smiles on their faces.
"Haha, I suddenly remembered that I have some urgent official business to attend to."
"Me too."
"Go back."
"OK."
Just as he was about to turn around and flee, the prefect's clear voice filled his ears like a demonic sound: "I'll count to three, come here."
Everyone was shocked.
"one."
"three."
Petty official: “???”
No, what about two?
Why didn't you count to two and skipped to three?
Du Qingtang pointed to the comic strips behind him and said, "Distribute these randomly to the people on the street."
"Now?"
"Um."
"But I have official business..."
"Don't try to make excuses. This officer has already asked, and all your official duties have been handled."
Du Qingtang gathered his sleeves lightly and said, "There is no free lunch in the world. If you drink my mung bean soup, you have to do things for me."
Petty official: “…”
I hate it!
The petty officials had no choice but to take to the streets holding the comic books.
Although it was extremely hot in July, there were still many people on the streets.
When they saw the clerk in official robes, they couldn't help but stop and look around curiously.
"What is this for?"
"It seems like they're handing out some pamphlets."
The clerk handed the comic book to the people nearby, said nothing more, and moved on to the next one.
Twenty thousand comic books, based on mutual circulation, are enough to spread throughout the city.
The people who received the comic book opened it curiously and exclaimed in surprise at first sight.
“It’s a picture book!”
"There's not a single word on it, but I can actually understand it. It tells the story of Emperor Taizu's conquest of the empire!"
"There are many emperors behind. It looks very interesting."
"Hahahaha, I didn't expect that the famous Prime Minister Zhu in history was actually afraid of pigs."
"It seems that officials are just like us ordinary people. They have things they like and things they fear."
"I didn't expect that several of our Great Xia emperors had fought on the battlefield. How impressive!"
"What a bullshit! If they were powerful, why would they just leave Shaoqing Mansion alone?"
The laughter and chatter stopped abruptly.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man, skinny and with sinister eyes that cast a sinister glance at people.
The man's name was Gao Lin. He was a lonely man. His two children died of illness one after another. His wife was taken a fancy to by a wealthy businessman. He refused to give in and died by hitting his head against the wall.
When a new prefect took office, corrupt officials such as Zhou Wei were executed by slow slicing, and people beat drums every day to protest their injustice.
When his neighbors urged him to file a complaint with the emperor, Gao Lin scoffed, "It's just a show. Just wait and see, none of those who file complaints will have a good ending."
The neighbor was so angry that he fell backward and ignored him.
Last night, Gao Lin and his friends drank until late at night. He woke up half an hour ago, took a quick shower, picked up a stick and went out, intending to cause trouble for the patrolmen as usual.
Halfway through the journey, someone suddenly stuffed a booklet into my hand.
Gao Lin was confused when he heard people talking and laughing, as if they were discussing the contents of the booklet.
Hearing the people praising the Great Xia Emperor's prowess, Gao Lin immediately retorted without a second thought: "Prowess! If they were really that powerful, why would they leave Shaoqing Prefecture alone?"
Everyone didn't like what he said and their faces immediately darkened.
"Who said the court doesn't care about us? The court sent a prefect, and Shaoqing Prefecture has undergone a major transformation. Our lives are much better than before."
"That's right, I'm telling you, are you blind? The bandits are gone, the corrupt officials are gone, and the prefect redressed the injustice and severely punished the evildoers. You didn't see any of this!"
Gao Lin sneered: "What do you see? A foolish emperor, an incompetent court, and officials who are just sitting there doing nothing but eating and drinking?"
These words undoubtedly touched everyone's chest. Everyone was furious and glared at Gao Lin.
Gao Lin didn't care at all, nor was he afraid that they would rush over. He curled his lips and walked away.
When he got home, Gao Lin looked down and found the booklet was still in his hand.
Gao Lin sneered, turned and went to the kitchen, ready to throw it into the stove.
The man had already reached the stove. He glanced inadvertently and saw the words "Xia History" on the booklet. A trace of sadness flashed in Gao Lin's eyes, as if the booklet was burned. He threw away the booklet and turned away.
Gao Lin took a jar of wine, lay on the kang with his legs crossed, drank with his eyes closed, and looked like he was drunk.
After drinking two jars of wine, Gao Lin passed out drunk and collapsed on the kang, motionless.
After an unknown amount of time, Gao Lin twitched and sat up in shock.
The room was dark; the sun had set and night was falling.
Gao Lin groped his way out of the kang in the dark and stumbled towards the kitchen.
He tripped over the threshold and almost fell, but he managed to steady himself and ran straight to the stove.
Gao Lin fumbled around in the stove and found the booklet he had thrown in not long ago.
Gao Lin brushed off the black dust on it, sat on the doorstep, and opened the comic book in the bright silver light.
Of course he knew the history of Xia.
Many years ago, my wife and children were still alive.
Gao Lin held his daughter in his arms and told her about the achievements of all the successive emperors of Daxia.
My daughter's eyes sparkled, and she clapped her hands and cheered, "They are so amazing!"
Gao Lin was a little unhappy.
Then I heard my daughter say, "But in my heart, Dad is the best!"
Gao Lin was happy.
The daughter hugged his neck affectionately and said softly, "Dad, you want to take the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official in the future. Nanjie loves you the most!"
Unfortunately, happy times are always short-lived.
His children died of illness, and his wife followed soon after.
Gao Lin was left alone.
He doesn't want to live, but he doesn't dare to die.
Just living like a zombie.
Gao Lin did not dare to admit his incompetence, so he transferred his anger to the court and Shaoqing Prefecture officials.
It's all them!
If it weren't for their inaction, he wouldn't have become a lonely man, like a stray dog.
Since when did he completely forget the earnest expectations of his wife and children?
He began to degenerate.
He spent the whole day drinking and having fun, opposing the yamen runners and the government soldiers, and fighting with people in front of them.
Gao Lin thought, it would be great if he died in a fight one day.
Until now.
My daughter's voice, full of trust and dependence, echoed in my ears.
"Dad is the best!"
"Dad wants to take the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official!"
Gao Lin read the contents of the comic strip, and his nostrils were filled with the stench of alcohol.
His lips trembled, and a drop of liquid seemed to roll down from the corner of his eye, wetting the pages of the book.
......
That night, Gao Lin seemed to be torturing himself, reading the comic books over and over again, revisiting the stories he had told his children.
Until the Golden Crow rises in the east and the Jade Rabbit sets in the west.
Gao Lin put the comic book on the table, went back to the house to take a shower, put on a green round-necked robe, tied his hair into a neat bun, and walked out of the house with his back straight.
It happened that the neighbor's aunt came back from the market after buying vegetables. When she saw Gao Lin coming out, she said, "Dalin, next time you fight, don't do it in front of my house. You even broke the firewood pile in front of my house."
Gao Lin ignored him and just strode forward.
The aunt was already used to his attitude. Just as she was about to go home, she suddenly turned around and stared at Gao Lin's back, who seemed to have been reborn. She was dumbfounded and asked, "Why is Dalin dressed so well?"
He shook his head and muttered, "Ever since his wife and child died, he died too... Well, living is worse than death."
Gao Lin left home, walked out of the alley, and headed north.
He walked through the streets and alleys, ignoring the hawking vendors and the surprised calls of his former friends, passed the majestic government office, and finally stopped at the gate of the government school.
Gao Lin looked up and gazed at the statue of Confucius from afar, feeling as if he was in another world.
"What are you doing here?" asked the gatekeeper.
Gao Lin suddenly came back to his senses and spoke clearly, "Can I still go to school now?"
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