There were three stoves burning in Wenfu's study, making it as warm as spring.
Wen Xingzhou has white hair but a vigorous face.
Bai Yulian, Xi Xunmei and Wen Canghai sat on her left and right, while Fu Xiaoguan sat casually opposite Wen Xingzhou.
He warmed his hands on the stove and asked:
"Mr. Wen, it's very cold today. Do you have enough charcoal at home?"
Wen Xingzhou brewed a pot of tea himself, his face beaming. "Your Majesty, it's enough. It's 30% more than in previous years."
"You are a treasure of our Wu Dynasty. If you need anything in the palace, just tell me. Didn't I give you a goldfish pendant? You can come to the palace to find me at any time, but don't be polite with me."
These words were so heartwarming, and Wen Xingzhou was deeply moved. He poured a cup of tea for Fu Xiaoguan and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you! I now have an income, and my sons earn more than before. I am very satisfied with my current life. I also want to live a few more years to witness the peaceful and prosperous era that Your Majesty has created!"
This is what Wen Xingzhou really thinks!
I still remember that during the Wu Dynasty Literary Meeting, Fu Xiaoguan was also in his study. He was troubled by the fact that no one appreciated his work "Neo-Confucian Code", but he happened to meet Fu Xiaoguan, who was his friend regardless of age difference.
The two discussed the "Neo-Confucian Code" for a whole day!
Fu Xiaoguan supplemented the legal part and elaborated on the new concept of reason in detail.
So the new "Neo-Confucian Code" was finally completed after his two years of revision, and at the instruction of Emperor Wu, it has now been implemented throughout the country.
At that time, they had similar interests and appreciated each other, but now... that young man with unparalleled poetry and vision finally became the emperor of the Wu Dynasty. There is a difference between the monarch and his subjects, but the gap is very shallow.
"You will see, but you will have to eat more pork...How many meals of meat can you eat every month?"
When it comes to eating meat, Wen Xingzhou has a lot of feelings.
"Thanks to your majesty's blessing, I am deeply ashamed!"
"When I first heard about your majesty's pig castration, I felt that your majesty was violating etiquette. Your majesty is a person of great wealth and a supreme ruler. How could you engage in such a lowly task?"
"I thought Your Majesty was devoting all your energy and attention to the welfare of the country, but you never considered that these pigs were meant to benefit the people. They are the ones that truly change people's lives. Because of Your Majesty's method, pork is now available in the market, and the people can afford to eat meat. I, your Majesty, can now have meat with every meal!"
Bai Yulian looked at Fu Xiaoguan. It had been a long time since they last saw each other. He still looked the same, not much different from when they first met him in the West Mountain Villa. The only difference was that the beard on his lips looked thicker and darker.
He was still so casual, not looking like an emperor at all, so this guy was just a small landlord at heart.
It’s just that this small landlord has changed from worrying about the farmers in Xishan to worrying about the people of the entire Wu Dynasty.
He created Xishan Tianchun in Xishan like a magic trick, and now he has transformed the pigs that have been around for thousands of years into meat that people love on their tables like a magic trick.
So it seemed that it was just a change of a pig, but in fact it changed the lives of the people of the Wu Dynasty.
Fu Xiaoguan grinned, "Mr. Wen, please stop praising me. I know that pork production is far from meeting market demand, but it will definitely be able to meet market demand next year!"
"Have you tried sweet potatoes? They're a treasure. Pigs will be able to be raised in large numbers in the future because of sweet potatoes. They have a very high yield, and both the vines and the fruit are great for raising pigs. It's a pity I couldn't find any corn..."
Fu Xiaoguan paused, looked at the bewildered expressions on Wen Xingzhou and the others' faces, and continued, "Corn is a good thing. This time, I sent Liu Jin and the others out to sea in the hope that they could bring back corn from the mainland across the sea. With corn, the aquaculture industry will flourish further, and that stuff can also be used to extract oil."
Wen Xingzhou looked at Fu Xiaoguan in surprise, "How does Your Majesty know this?"
Fu Xiaoguan touched his nose. There was no way to explain this. What could he say?
"I often have strange dreams, and these are what I saw in my dreams."
Wen Xingzhou was shocked. This was the guidance from an immortal!
Your Majesty has received guidance from the immortals and will become a saint!
Then this prosperous era will inevitably come into being. What will it look like?
Wen Xingzhou was extremely excited, and his mind became more active. I have to eat more meat, so that I can live another twenty years to witness the prosperous scene that Your Majesty will create!
But then Fu Xiaoguan sighed again and said, "Now that the Wu Dynasty's new policies have been implemented for a year, there are too many things to do next."
"Today in the East Market, I saw wealthy families buying mutton, while ordinary people mostly bought pork. I also saw poor people sighing in despair at the sight of meat, and even lonely beggars who probably didn't even dare to think about pork."
"The rich feast on wine and meat, while the poor freeze to death on the streets... We are still a long way from a prosperous age!"
The phrase "The rich have wine and meat while the poor freeze to death on the streets" made Wen Xingzhou and others frown. Although His Majesty is a young man, he is very clear-headed about the sufferings of the people. This is a blessing for the people!
"So on the way here, I was thinking about a question: how can we make meat affordable for ordinary people? How can we eliminate poverty and help beggars get on their feet? This depends on education..."
Fu Xiaoguan looked at Wen Canghai and said, "The issue of compulsory education is urgent. The Wenqing family must take charge of this matter at the beginning of the year. The Ministry of Works will cooperate with the Hanlin Academy to build schools in various places, but the teachers are required to organize the Hanlin Academy."
"That's one aspect. Another aspect is that as national strength grows, orphanages and nursing homes will be gradually established. I hope that by the end of the first five-year plan, the problem of the elderly having no one to rely on and no one to support them will be completely solved."
Fu Xiaoguan talked eloquently, and Wen Xingzhou and others were fascinated by his talk.
Even Bai Yulian is no exception.
As the deputy commander of the three armies of the Wu Dynasty, his focus has always been on the military.
What he was most aware of was the significant improvement in the military strength of the Wu Dynasty - new breech-loading flintlock rifles, new black iron armor, new artillery and firearms, etc.
He believed that if the current Excalibur Army were to fight any other country, it could at least be ten times stronger than the enemy.
He was very unfamiliar with people's livelihood. After listening to Fu Xiaoguan's words, he realized that this former small landlord in Linjiang cared so much about the people in this land.
"Why are we talking about official business again? Stop it. We finally have a day off. Let's not talk about these things anymore." Fu Xiaoguan took a sip from his teacup and looked at Bai Yulian. "Xiaobai, when is my sister-in-law giving birth? We have to become in-laws!"
These words scared Wen Xingzhou, but made Wen Changhai happy - this son-in-law was obviously highly valued by His Majesty!
Bai Yulian chuckled, "About July."
"That's great! When the court opens, I'll give my sister-in-law a second-rank imperial decree and let her come to the palace often to play mahjong with Wenyun and the others. Xinyan will probably give birth in April, Xiu'er in June, and Pei'er in June or July. Anyway, we'll see when the time comes. There will always be a suitable one."
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