The Qing'e Palace was lit.
Xie Zhou and his wife squeezed onto the throne.
The throne has been changed to a larger one, and since neither of them is very fat, it's quite comfortable for them to sit on.
Xie Zhou sat down here, leaning back, with one arm around his wife, looking beautiful.
Huan Yue sat up straight, looking presentable; she was more casual when she was alone, which is why she usually complained about that jerk of a man.
Gong Shanyuan arrived, and Di Baose and Guo Bing also came over.
It's still early.
Ju Zhaoxun, Ren Zhaoxun, Zhang Zhaoxun, and finally, everyone except the two Yang Fengyis came.
The Qing'e Palace is a very large place.
Huan Yue didn't mind; everyone sat down and had tea and snacks.
Gong Shanyuan went out to bring back some things for the palace.
These people in the palace don't really have much to do; they're just here to listen to stories.
Listening to stories together after a meal is a lovely experience.
As for them coming to see His Highness and getting acquainted with him, as long as they don't cause too much trouble, or since no one dares to cause trouble right now.
Luo Chenghui was positioned at the front, while Chang Fengyi was positioned at the back.
There were also some benches in front of the platform, where female officials or maids would sit and listen.
Not everyone should sit down; those on duty must stand.
Those who were sitting all voluntarily sat in secluded, dark places, which was convenient too.
Gong Shanyuan sat down and reported back, as if telling a story: "In Sanjing Village, Longquan Township, Jinyu County, there is a family surnamed Wei. They have an 82-year-old mother named Xiao, a 50-year-old man named Wei Quande, and an 8-year-old son named Wei Changsheng."
Di Baose sighed, "I really have an eighty-year-old mother to support and an eight-year-old son to raise."
Gong Shanyuan said, "Wei Quande is blind."
Huan Yue could foresee the tragedy.
The story is even more interesting under the lights.
Gong Shanyuan's account is true: "Mrs. Xiao became a widow at the age of forty and raised her son alone. She then adopted a woman. When that woman was sixteen, she ran away, taking all of the Wei family's property with her, leaving only three dilapidated houses. Mrs. Xiao then adopted another woman, who gave birth to Wei Changsheng. She died in childbirth during her second pregnancy."
pity.
The experience of a difficult childbirth silences any woman.
Gong Shanyuan was much calmer: "Xiao's health is still okay, Wei Quande can still do some things, and Wei Changsheng is also clever and filial. The village also takes good care of his family, saying that Wei Changsheng learned to cook when he was four years old and now wants to support his family. The village can help a little, but those three houses are even more dilapidated."
(Men aged 75 and above, women aged 70 and above, shall be served by one middle-aged man; those aged 80 and above shall be governed by orders.)
(For those aged eighty or seriously ill, one person should be provided for their care; for those ninety, two; for those one hundred, three. First, the children and grandchildren should be provided, then relatives and neighbors.)
The imperial court has various regulations, even regarding servants; but the Wei family's situation is quite special.
(Those aged eighty and above shall be granted one shi of rice, twenty jin of meat, and five dou of wine per month. Those aged ninety and above shall also be granted two bolts of silk and three jin of cotton.)
Whether the regulations can be enforced is another matter, but they are hardly enough for the Wei family.
Of course, if it weren't for everyone's help, the Wei family might not be where they are today.
Despite numerous regulations from the imperial court, there are still many unfilial sons, so more efforts are needed.
Huan Yue said, "Then let's build a house for the Wei family first. Build three or five sturdy rooms so that Wei Changsheng won't have to worry about housing when he grows up and gets married. And he won't have to worry about it collapsing when it snows."
Gong Yun nodded: "A house with three rooms would cost about 120 taels of silver, or a little more if it were sturdier."
Huan Yue nodded: "Two hundred taels of silver should be enough. We also need to make sure it's convenient and safe for the blind."
Gong Yun was bewildered.
Huan Yue wasn't sure either, so he suggested, "Go ask them, they'll know."
Gong Yun found out.
There are quite a few blind people, and it's not hard to find out what kind of convenience they need.
Meng Pingting said softly, "Your Majesty is truly kind."
Huan Yue said, "Don't laugh at people who are disabled before they're eighty; you never know when it might be your turn. Prevention may seem like an unnecessary expense, but it costs far less than what you'll have to pay after something happens. Don't take chances; that's what elevates your perspective."
Guo Bing nodded, knowing that the Empress was speaking to His Highness.
Of course, this is also meant for those who are hoping to get away with it.
Gong Yun wrote it down, and decided that she should think more like the Empress in the future.
Huan Yue instructed, "The child is still young, so he shouldn't do anything dangerous. He can do more when he grows up. Grandma, please don't cause him any more trouble. By the way, is anyone willing to provide one-on-one assistance?"
Di Baose hurriedly asked, "How can I help?"
Huan Yue laughed and said, "It would be more convenient if you had connections. But there's no need to involve the Di family. You can give yourself two taels of silver a month, along with some rice and flour, and the Charity Department will check on you monthly or every other month."
Gong Yun nodded: "Two taels of silver a month is enough for a family of three."
Huan Yue said, "We don't concern ourselves with helping everyone in the world; we'll help one family at a time."
Ju Zhaoxun gestured.
Huan Yue asked with a smile, "You want to raise one?"
Ju Zhaoxun nodded: "I can afford two taels of silver a month."
Huan Yue nodded: "Let's try this first. For families like this, giving money is secondary; it's too much trouble for them to buy things. We need to give them things directly. Neighbors helping out is a rule, and it's supposed to be about taking care of the elderly, not supporting their whole family. So, we'll give them five taels of silver every six months, find a reliable family in the village, and help them carry water, cook every day, and do those kinds of things."
Di Baose understood: "It will be done in three steps. First, build him a house so he can settle down. Then, give him about three taels of silver a month for living expenses. One tael of silver will be for supplies, one tael will be for hiring people to take care of them, and the remaining one tael will be for pocket money."
Ju Zhaoxun nodded; she could afford three taels of silver a month.
Di Baose said, "An eight-year-old child should be studying."
Meng Pingting said, "We have paper and pens, or we can help him copy books."
Gong Yun nodded: "The amount needed for early childhood education is not much. The village should also take care of it."
Huan Yue smiled and said, "If we can cultivate a talent for the court in ten years, that would be good. But even if the child is not that smart, as long as he doesn't go astray, we should raise him."
Gong Yun smiled and said, "That child is good; not many people in the village bully him."
Huan Yue said, "No matter who helped, they should confirm it, and it's best to keep a record. A child with integrity should repay the kindness they received when they grow up, or help others. They shouldn't be raised to take things for granted or even become spoiled."
Gong Yun listened attentively.
Huan Yue was pondering the old lady's idea of raising a girl.
If we say she was a child bride, it wasn't her fault.
Many abandoned babies are raised by her, which is a testament to her good deeds.
Therefore, Huan Yue wanted to offer a word of advice: "If you raise another girl, don't rush to make her a child bride. Fortunately, Wei Changsheng is normal."
Yu Anu said in a low voice, "With a sturdy house, it won't be difficult to find a wife in the future."
Luo Yaohui said, "Why not buy a servant for his family?"
Di Baose retorted, "Let alone being controlled by servants, no one is born a servant; neighbors should help each other."
Ren Zhaoxun followed up: "Although there are servants in the village, this family's situation is special."
It looks really strange that a lackey would suddenly appear.
Gong Yun said, "The old lady did many things herself, and she might not have been willing to let the servants eat her food."
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