Zhao Shu's taxation also infringed upon the rights of aristocratic nobles and is not feasible in the present day. However, Emperor Mingde already had a vague idea in mind that the tax system also needed to be reformed so that the dynasty could last.
The imperial carriage, escorted by the Imperial Guards, slowly left the city. Following behind, a black-canopied carriage also slowly drove towards the city gate, followed by many members of the Ji family.
Ji Dongxue leaned out of the car and said to the Ji family, who were preparing to see him off for ten miles, "Go back, all of you. It's just going to herd sheep. Liu Huan has been farming in Qianzhou for five years. I'm just going to herd sheep for a few years. Why are you all looking so long-suffering? Go back now!"
He shouted the last word, startling the Ji family members into stopping in their tracks. They could only look at him with sorrow, saying, "Master, please return as soon as possible." This was his wife, who was quite strong and didn't cry, though her eyes were moist and swollen, indicating that she had cried the night before.
Faced with his wife's reluctance to part, Ji Dongxue choked up and said, "Okay, go back now. Please take good care of things at home while I'm gone."
After finally persuading his family to return home, Ji Dongxue finally ordered his servant to drive the carriage. The Emperor was truly ruthless, ordering him to leave immediately without even a chance to say goodbye to his old friends.
As he walked out of the city gate, he silently wept in the carriage. His lofty ambitions were yet to be fulfilled, and his vast knowledge would be buried forever...
Men are sometimes hard to understand, especially those who take it upon themselves to make the country prosperous and strong. Even if they are not successful, they still care about the country and the nation when they are demoted. Therefore, Ji Dongxue did not submit a memorial to Emperor Mingde in anger to request to retire, but chose to go to Zhuzhou. Besides, even if he did ask, Emperor Mingde would not agree.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped, and he lifted the curtain to ask, "What's going on?"
Before the servant could answer, he saw Huo Baichuan, dressed in white robes and wielding a bamboo stick, standing casually in the middle of the official road, casually tossing a licorice root in his hand.
They blocked the way.
Ji Dongxue was furious. "Huo Baichuan, a good dog doesn't block the way. Get out of my way!" After several lessons, he knew that he couldn't talk to Huo Baichuan properly and had to teach him a lesson.
However, Huo Baichuan was not annoyed. He pointed to the huge rock in the shade, which had been specially moved there for temporary resting. There was a pot of wine on it. He said, "Lord Ji, would you mind having a farewell drink?"
These words did not come from Huo Baichuan, but from Qiu Tangshi, who was sitting on the stone bench. When Qiu Tangshi blinked his phoenix eyes, Ji Dongxue almost fell off the carriage.
"Don't worry, it's not poisonous." Qiu Tangshi said, and then drank a cup to prove that it really wasn't poisonous.
Ji Dongxue thought that since he didn't know when he would be able to return, and none of his old party members came to see him off with a farewell drink, he felt a pang of sadness and decided to get out of the car and have a drink.
The three sat down around a simple, irregularly shaped stone bench, each poured three cups of wine, and Huo Baichuan raised his cup and said, "Lord Ji, do you have no opinion on Guanzhou?"
Speaking of Guanzhou, Ji Dongxue became so angry that he downed his cup of wine in one gulp and slammed the cup down. "The Emperor is muddleheaded, and Zheng Hongsheng has ruined me!"
After saying that, he turned and left, getting into the carriage in a few steps. He didn't want to say anything more, and Huo Baichuan and Qiu Cheng didn't chase after him. Huo Baichuan raised his voice and said, "I have heard that the Western Regions are rich in cattle and sheep, and horses are fat. There are also cotton, jade, salt, etc. I hope that Lord Ji can put aside his prejudices and work with the Emperor to build a peaceful and prosperous world."
Ji Dongxue paused for a moment as he lifted the carriage curtain. Guanzhou? Cattle, sheep, and horses? What was the connection between these? It wasn't that he didn't understand; it was simply that he was more skilled at writing poetry.
Huo Baichuan raised his voice again: "People die for wealth, birds die for food. Food is the most important thing for people. Lord Ji, please think it over carefully. That's all I have to say. I hope that you will return home in glory, not be released by imperial grace."
Ji Dongxue remained silent for a long time. When he arrived in Zhuzhou and saw the vast grasslands and endless yellow sand, he remembered Huo Baichuan's words, grinned, and realized that's how it is.
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