After a snowfall, the early winter sky was so beautiful.
The Crown Prince's Charity Officer, Gong Shanyuan, and the Charity Envoy, along with their entourage, are heading towards Zichan Mountain.
The area around Zichan Mountain has been pacified, but some people are still poor, and new problems have emerged.
Lady Huan donated 10,000 taels of silver, and together with the profits from the charity fund, as well as donations from Consort Di, Consort Guo, and others, a total of 20,000 taels of silver were donated.
Perhaps it was just a drop in the ocean, so Gong Shanyuan simply walked around and looked around.
The midday sun had the feel of early spring, and the dampness was like after a spring rain.
Gong Shanyuan and her entourage rested at a post station.
A fast horse can travel for a day, but a horse-drawn carriage would take three to five days.
However, Zichan Mountain is not far from Sheng'an, and the road is also busy. This post station has several rooms, and many people are resting here now.
Fu Dingchen and his page were also resting here.
Fu Dingchen was the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination, and so many people were looking for him that he fled in a panic.
I was rushing on the way and I'm still a bit disheveled. But the weather's so nice, I hope we get to Sheng'an as soon as possible!
Fu Dingchen studied diligently for ten years, all for the sake of going to the capital to take the imperial examination, for that was the most prosperous place in the world!
Gong Shanyuan happened to be sitting nearby.
The palace maids smelled a foul odor; it was Fu Dingchen airing his feet.
Fu Dingchen suddenly realized what was happening, hurriedly put on his shoes and moved aside. He really hadn't done it on purpose; his foot was hurting.
However, with so many people at the post station, it was ultimately his rudeness that led him to stand further away and apologize to the woman.
Gong Shanyuan and others from the palace are all good-looking, but even though they dressed modestly, their aura was still extraordinary.
Fu Dingchen did not go to see it; that was the rule.
Gong Shanyuan looked him over and thought, "A scholar with such a carefree attitude," and then smiled and said, "It's alright."
Everyone has their own troubles when they're out and about. The palace maids didn't seem to care much.
Of course, it's not wrong to smell something suddenly and have a reaction.
Fu Dingchen and his page sat at a distance.
Gong Shanyuan glanced around and realized they didn't seem to have much to eat.
Fu Dingchen ran away, so he didn't care too much, since he wouldn't starve anyway.
Gong Shanyuan instructed the eunuchs to give them two beef patties and two bowls of hot soup.
Fu Dingchen quickly stood up, feeling embarrassed.
A passerby chuckled, "Gong Shanyuan, isn't she?" and gave her a thumbs-up! Then, turning to Fu Dingchen, he said, "Young master, don't be afraid. Gong Shanyuan meant well!"
A group of people heard Gong Shanyuan's voice and ran over to see her; some even knelt down and kowtowed.
Fu Dingchen was eating a beef patty in one hand and holding a bowl of cabbage and egg drop soup in the other. The scene was indeed quite different.
So after drinking the soup, he composed a poem.
The pageboy washed the bowls and brought them over, and the scene became even more lively!
Someone asked, "Young master, are you heading to the capital for the imperial examinations? Why are you so early?"
Fu Dingchen said politely, "I have longed to go to the capital for a long time. Now that I can finally go, I can't stay there for even a moment longer."
Everyone burst into laughter!
After all, everyone yearns for the capital city, and I can understand that feeling.
But he was on his way to the capital for the imperial examination, and he was quite good-natured.
An old woman came over and cried to Gong Shanyuan; her white hair made her cry more and more sadly.
The palace maid quickly helped her up, letting her cry it out before trying to comfort her.
Some passersby continued on their way, while others stopped, for seeing Gong Shanyuan was no easy feat; it was practically equivalent to seeing the Crown Princess!
People from nearby areas rushed over upon hearing the news, forming a large circle around the post station.
The old woman cried, "My family's fields!"
Oh! Someone immediately chimed in, "We have that where we live too!"
Gong Shanyuan patiently comforted the old lady: "Don't worry, the land is important, but people are more important."
The old woman wept bitterly: "My unfilial son! The imperial court had worked so hard to allocate twenty acres of land, and he gambled away half of it! His son followed suit, and now he has nothing left!"
Yes, yes! Many people echoed: "That area was gambled on fiercely, and I reckon half of the land that was allocated will end up back in someone else's hands."
Fu Dingchen stared in disbelief: "What do you mean?"
Some understood: "The imperial court meant well by distributing land to the common people. But the base people are inherently servile; they'll take the bait if someone tries to provoke them. They get restless before the good days are even over."
The old lady was crying and wailing so hard she was about to go blind!
Do you know how difficult it is for Arita?
It's very easy to lose there!
This family owns ten mu, that family owns twenty mu; the division will likely be faster and larger than the previous one.
Some people advised the old lady: "Your son wants to gamble, it's no use asking Gong Shanyuan. She can only control you at most. Besides, she's a weak woman, it's dangerous for her to get involved."
Gong Shanyuan blinked.
Such statements can be true or false.
Some are genuinely concerned, while others are using intimidation.
But no matter what, Gong Shanyuan has her own principles.
It's wrong to gamble on your own, but is it wrong for the casino to gamble?
Is Gong Shanyuan afraid? No matter how wicked or powerful she is, would she dare to lay her claws on the emperor?
Gong Shanyuan didn't say anything to the old lady's face, since it wasn't her responsibility; at most, she just tried to comfort her.
The fields are gone, so what can we do? We still have to keep living.
The old woman cried in utter despair: "What sins have I committed! I gave them all the money for incense oil!"
Some people say, "Being able to give birth to a son is not enough; you also need to know how to raise him. Praying to gods and Buddhas is not as good as relying on yourself. Would you like a copy of 'Charity Collection'?"
Gong Shanyuan looked at it.
Someone actually bought hundreds of copies of this book to do good deeds and give them away to others.
A few hundred is just a matter of a few taels of silver, but it still requires someone to be willing to do it.
The old woman held the book and cried, "I can't read."
Fu Dingchen took it from her hand and said, "I haven't seen it yet, let me read it to you."
The old lady's attention was diverted, mainly because the young man was so young and lively; she wished he were her grandson.
Fu Dingchen found the text to be very simple and read it smoothly.
A large group of people were listening intently.
Some people are illiterate and others are reluctant to buy it, let alone the fact that it is read aloud by scholars who are going to the capital for the imperial examinations, which makes it sound delicious.
Before we knew it, the sun was setting and a cold wind was blowing, but everyone was in such high spirits that they didn't feel cold at all.
Fu Dingchen happened to be reading the part where Jin Nu scolded He Pi, and in his excitement, he added a lot of words himself.
Others may not know, but they find it fascinating.
Gong Shanyuan knows about it, and she's quite into it too.
Finally, everyone cursed He Pi, calling him shameless!
The old lady also scolded, "Isn't it good to raise your own brother with all your hard work? Once your brother passes the imperial examination, then you'll finally be able to make it."
Some also said: "Passing the imperial examination is not that easy. After entering the academy, you still need a lot of money. How long will Jin Nu work? There is also a child. It's too hard."
Passersby also got involved.
"The siblings have a good relationship, and the younger brother will definitely treat his older sister like a mother and be filial to her in the future."
"Didn't you see your brother doing the work himself? He wouldn't let his older sister work so hard all by herself."
"If you study well, you can earn a lot by copying books."
"Jin Nu should marry into a good family, but definitely not someone like He Pi."
"I think my uncle is alright; he didn't sell his niece."
“It’s not easy to support my nephew’s education; I can’t even afford to support my own son.”
So you can't blame your uncle for being heartless; it's Jin Nu's own ambition that's so great.
Someone exclaimed, "How are we supposed to get going like this?"
The locals were very welcoming: "Come stay in the village for the night. It's cold outside, and it'll be warmer if you squeeze in with others."
Gong Shanyuan has already made the arrangements.
The villagers were very welcoming, especially since Gong Shanyuan's background was unusual.
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