When Li Chang'an returned, Zhang Xianzong was bragging to the people of Zhulong Mountain Village, while He Qiang echoed him, leaving the villagers completely bewildered.
Their appearances are hard to imagine; one is a Confucian sage, and the other is the foremost figure in Sichuan.
After following Li Chang'an for a long time, they also learned to lower their status and mingle with ordinary people.
Not only those two, but Qiao Feng and everyone else were also undergoing subtle changes.
No matter what they did before, they still had a sense of superiority when facing ordinary people, always feeling that they were not on the same level as ordinary people.
Li Chang'an, on the other hand, never acted like a prince when dealing with ordinary people. He only adopted the identity of regent when dealing with officials or wealthy people.
After eating and drinking their fill, the people of Pig Cage Mountain Village went back to their rooms to sleep, leaving only Li Chang'an and He Qiang and a few others still gathered around the campfire.
Looking at the crackling firewood in the bonfire, Li Chang'an turned to Ah Zhen and asked, "When are you planning to leave?"
"The elder doesn't have much time left, and I doubt he'll make it to winter. I want him to pass away peacefully."
"After he leaves, I will bring people to the capital to find you."
Ah Zhen's eyes were a little red; Li Chang'an had just persuaded the elder.
According to him, the academy, which is nearing completion, will recruit the smartest students in the world to learn all kinds of knowledge, and then change the current predicament of the Ming Dynasty and the lives of the people of the Ming Dynasty.
As long as the Mohist mechanical arts are handed over to the academy, they will surely be carried forward and made to flourish again, so that the name of the Mohist school will be passed down through the ages, just like that of the Confucian school.
Who knows, one day in the future, the name of the Mohists will surpass that of the Confucians.
Based on his description, the elders have agreed to hand over the Mohist tradition to the academy.
After all, the Mohist school is now on the verge of extinction.
Ah Zhen has good martial arts talent, but she knows nothing about the Mo family's mechanical arts.
Moreover, the Lüliang Mountains are a poor and impoverished area. The people there are already exhausted just trying to survive. They have to expend all their energy every day just to have enough to eat. Asking them to learn knowledge is simply too much to ask of them.
Therefore, the Mohist mechanical arts, if placed in the Lüliang Mountains, would have no other possibility but to be slowly buried and forgotten.
Li Chang'an nodded, then looked at He Qiang and said, "Old He, why don't you stay here for now? I'll arrange for someone else to protect Old Zhang. You can keep an eye on things here for me."
He Qiang nodded. He originally wanted to stay here too. Staying in Tai'an City every day was a bit boring. All he did every day was fish.
Even the fish in the river could recognize him.
After all, after Li Chang'an left, he was the one who baited the most fish but caught the fewest. The fish in the moat were basically all raised by him.
In the past, when people went fishing, they could catch several fish without even baiting the area. But when he went fishing, it was purely for charity, to show his love, and to feed the fish.
He Qiang decided to try a different spot, hoping to improve his luck and avoid going fishing with heavy bags only to return empty-handed.
Early the next morning, Li Chang'an led his men to leave, filling the granary of Zhulong Mountain Village to the brim before they departed.
He filled every household's rice bin with grain.
The people of Pig Cage Village couldn't stop smiling as they looked at the towering piles of grain. They had never seen so much grain in their lives, enough to feed them for a lifetime.
Hearing that Li Chang'an was leaving, they were all a little reluctant to see him go.
The people here are very simple and honest; they will treat those who treat them well in return.
The little fool followed Li Chang'an everywhere he went.
The little fool followed Li Chang'an until he was about to mount his horse and leave, at which point he grabbed Li Chang'an's leg.
She was a little reluctant to see this handsome older brother leave.
Li Chang'an patted her head and said, "Good girl, your big brother has things to do. After a while, your chieftain will take you to your big brother's house to play. I'll introduce you to two good friends then."
The little fool rubbed his head against his big palm, then took out a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket and handed them over.
Li Chang'an took the melon seeds and put them in his pocket: "I'm leaving."
"Goodbye, Your Highness."
He Qiang and A Zhen waved to him, and the other villagers also waved to him.
It was five days later when Li Chang'an arrived at Jingshan.
"How is the disaster situation in Jiangnan now?"
"Overall, it's alright. According to your plan and epidemic prevention measures, Your Highness, there has been no outbreak of plague or other similar situations."
"Thanks to the brothers' all-out efforts in treating the people, there were no major casualties. Now everyone has settled down and is just waiting to start reconstruction."
Before Li Chang'an could even take a sip of water, Chen Shao'an came over to report on the recent situation.
"The grain you left behind, Your Highness, is enough. The mountain roads that were blocked by the earth's upheaval have also been cleared by the brothers."
"Now everything is peaceful among the common people. Some ignorant and noble families have been arrested and reformed by Master Zhang and his disciples."
"Some fools tried to gather a group of people to cause trouble, but Master Zhang caught them and threw them into the water dungeon."
Li Chang'an nodded: "You've worked hard. Your injuries haven't fully healed yet, and you're already taking on the heavy responsibility of disaster relief."
Chen Shaoan smiled and said, "It is my honor to serve the people, not a hardship."
Li Chang'an looked at him and said, "I'll remember your contribution for now, and I'll settle the score with you when we get back to the capital."
"Your Highness, I don't care about merit or honor. I just have something I'd like to ask for your permission." Chen Shaoan scratched his head and said somewhat embarrassedly.
"Oh, what is it?"
"Here's the thing, my baby was born, but he doesn't have a name yet. He'll be almost a year old soon, and we're still calling him by his nickname. I'd like to give him a name."
"But I've never been to school and don't know what name to choose. I'd like to ask Your Highness to give my child a name."
Hearing this, Li Chang'an smiled and said, "I thought it was something important. It's just a name. I'll think about it."
I originally wanted to name him Fugui (meaning "wealth and honor"), but after thinking about it, Chen Shaoan was a soldier who had followed me through thick and thin, so naming him so casually wouldn't be appropriate.
After pondering for a while, he wrote two words on the paper and handed it over.
"Ruijin, this name suits your child very well."
"Ruijin, Chen Ruijin."
Chen Shaoan muttered it a few times, thinking it sounded quite nice: "Your Highness, does this name have any meaning?"
"This name is blessed with national fortune; he will surely become a regional governor in the future."
Hearing this, Chen Shaoan smiled and put the paper away: "Thank you for bestowing a name upon me, Your Highness."
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