Chapter 117 Chapter 117 The Emperor Returns to the Capital in Person...
Under the umbrella, the two walked out of the academy side by side.
But the weather was not good. The autumn rain came quickly and went away quickly. I had just walked out of the academy and taken a few steps when the drizzling rain stopped.
Yan Zhuo had no choice but to fold the umbrella with some regret, gently shook off the water droplets on the umbrella, and held the folded oil-paper umbrella in his hand.
By this time, the clouds had cleared and the rain had stopped, and the sun was scattered all over the ground, shining on the bluestone road where there were still small puddles.
The two walked down the street. Although there were not many people on the street, it was much better than the deserted streets before.
After the rain stopped, people began to set up stalls on both sides of the street. Zhao Mingsheng originally thought that these were stalls set up by the people of Yanzhou themselves, but when he looked closely, he found that there were caravan flags next to the stalls. He didn't know where the caravans came from.
Zhao Mingsheng looked up at the people beside him and asked, "Where are these caravans coming from? Is Yanzhou open to the outside world yet?"
"The caravan was invited by Huang Furen. Yanzhou has now lifted its security, and anyone willing to come is welcome." Yan Zhuo stood with his hands behind his back and said with a smile, "You can go and look around to see if there's anything you'd like."
Zhao Mingsheng was puzzled. The drought had just ended, and the more affluent people had already used their silver to exchange for the high-priced grain. Not to mention the less affluent people, who probably had only a few copper coins left in their pockets, so how could they have any spare silver to buy anything else?
If she could think of these questions, Yan Zhuo would definitely think of them.
At this time, the stalls had been cleaned up. Zhao Mingsheng walked towards the stalls with doubt. Her beautiful eyes scanned the stalls carefully and she soon discovered the clues.
What is different from previous caravans is that the stalls do not sell local specialties or exquisite jewelry, but daily necessities, both wearable and useful.
Even these daily necessities, few people can afford them, Zhao Mingsheng guessed.
But soon, the scene before her overturned her previous guess.
As the stalls opened, the crowds on the street gradually grew. People who had heard the news rushed over and soon the narrow street was completely blocked.
Zhao Mingsheng: ???
Is everyone so rich?
Zhao Mingsheng noticed that in front of a stall not far away, a young man with ragged clothes and a basket on his back had been standing in front of the stall for a long time, looking at it, and in front of him was a pair of the most ordinary candles.
Candles are not cheap. The cheapest candles in Beijing cost fifty cents a pair.
The young man seemed to have finally made up his mind before he spoke a little stiffly: "Brother, how much are these candles per pair?"
Seeing that he was interested in buying, Zhao Mingsheng moved closer, wanting to hear what the stall owner had to say.
The stall owner was tall, with strong, muscular arms. He was very agile. When someone asked about the price, he immediately answered, "Thirty cents a pair of candles."
Zhao Mingsheng touched his chin. The price was reasonable, but he didn't know if the boy could afford it.
The young man rummaged through his pocket for a long time, but only took out five copper coins. He pursed his lips, as if he was a little short of money. After hesitating for a moment, he kicked the five copper coins back.
Just when Zhao Mingsheng thought he was about to give up, the boy took off the backpack he was carrying and placed it on the ground with a "dong" sound, which sounded very heavy.
Zhao Mingsheng looked up and saw a basket of chopped wood. Each piece of wood was of just the right thickness and size and stacked neatly together. Such a large basket of wood must not be light, and it was difficult for him to carry it for so long.
"Brother, can I exchange this basket of wood for it?"
Zhao Mingsheng was surprised by the boy's words.
The value of candles goes without saying. As for wood, during severe droughts, many trees succumb to the drought and die. Dead trees are everywhere outside the city, and it doesn't cost much. One person and an axe would only require some labor. Even if this basket of wood were sold, I'm afraid no one would buy it.
Exchanging wood for candles, isn't this making fun of the boss?
Zhao Mingsheng looked at the stall owner's muscular body, and then at the boy's thin body. If the stall owner got angry, he might not be able to take a punch with his small body! She had to get closer so that the stall owner could help the boy block the punch when he attacked.
But the next moment, the stall owner's answer made her stumble and she almost lost her balance.
"Of course." The stall owner smiled.
The boy was very surprised to get a positive answer and quickly handed the basket to the stall owner.
"Exactly 40 jin (approximately 100 kg)," the stall owner weighed the wood and quoted a figure. "Originally, the price of lumber was two jin (approximately 100 kg), but since I saw your wood was split neatly, I'll charge you one jin (approximately 100 kg)."
The stall owner did the math, took out ten cents from his pocket and handed it to the boy.
"Here, this is the extra money."
Zhao Mingsheng was dumbfounded. How could this be possible?
Brother, you are not doing business, you are doing charity!
The young man took the ten copper coins and a pair of candles somewhat nervously, bowed to the stall owner with gratitude, then turned around and trotted away.
By the time the young man bought the candles and left, Zhao Mingsheng still hadn't reacted.
Yan Zhuo walked over and couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her silly look.
"Why are you looking so stupid?"
Zhao Mingsheng came back to his senses and asked uncertainly, "Is the court not planning to send out supplies?"
Yan Zhuo shook his head. "Food will be supplied as normal, distributed per head every three days until next year's autumn harvest. But other supplies..." He paused, then continued, "After the last batch of winter clothing is distributed, the supply will be gradually reduced."
Fearing that Zhao Mingsheng wouldn't understand, he explained, "Actually, the imperial court can supply these materials until next year's autumn harvest, but I think we should properly encourage the people to earn what they want through their own efforts, rather than blindly waiting for the imperial court to provide them. After all, the imperial court can't always provide them with materials unconditionally."
After saying this, he looked at Zhao Mingsheng, wondering if she could understand the meaning behind this.
The girl happened to be looking at him, her eyes sparkling as if they held the brilliance of the Milky Way, her gaze filled with admiration and admiration. This glance made Yan Zhuo dazed for the first time.
"This is better for the people of Yanzhou. You are right."
Although the people of Yanzhou have suffered a great disaster and will face many challenges in the future, the imperial court governs more than just Yanzhou. Just like a baby learning to walk, a parent must let go so that the child can learn to walk more steadily. If the parents, fearing the child might bump into something, refuse to let go, the child will naturally never learn to walk. Furthermore, if the people continue to rely on the imperial court for supplies, over time, they will become dependent, which is also detrimental to the people.
Yan Zhuo's vision was long-term, not confined to the immediate challenges. Zhao Mingsheng deeply admired his ideas and approach. He was worthy of the fact that he had once defeated a 100,000-strong enemy army invading the border with only 30,000 soldiers. He possessed not only military prowess but also intellectual prowess.
Yan Zhuo coughed lightly to hide his absent-mindedness, but he didn't dare to look at the girl's eyes that were as bright as the spring sun. He walked to the front first and began to explain to her.
"Here, you can not only barter, but also sell items to caravans." Yan Zhuo said as he pointed to the stall on the east side.
A woman handed an embroidered handkerchief to a vendor in exchange for some copper coins, which she used to buy a new handkerchief and silk thread. There were also children, seven or eight years old, who dug wild vegetables outside the city and brought back what they ate at home, and exchanged the excess for supplies.
The stall owner also bought them all.
Those who are strong can work hard, and those who are not strong can make a living by relying on their skills. Even the elderly, the weak, women and children can earn money on their own.
The girl started strolling around with great interest, and Yan Zhuo accompanied her.
Who could have imagined that the war god who was rumored to be able to cure crying children in the capital was now shopping with a woman.
After touring the city, we boarded a carriage and took a tour outside. The carriage wheels turned for a quarter of an hour and then stopped beside a field.
It just so happened that Huang Furen was also here, helping the farmers plow the soil with his men.
Seeing King Heng getting off his horse, he hurried over to greet him.
"His Royal Highness Prince Heng, be well."
Yan Zhuo also nodded to him.
"Shopkeeper Huang, long time no see."
As he spoke, he walked toward the carriage behind him. Huang Furen then noticed that there was another carriage following behind. The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a beautiful figure draped in a white fox fur coat. The soft, fine fur was woven into a fine silver satin, enveloping the girl's fragrant figure. Reaching the side of the carriage, the girl in white fox fur nimbly jumped down without assistance, her movements as nimble as those of a fox in the jungle.
If not Zhao Mingsheng, then who else could it be?
Yan Zhuo, who was about to help, had to retract his outstretched hand and said helplessly: "Be careful not to sprain your ankle. Don't jump down so recklessly next time."
The subtle hint of doting in his tone startled Huang Furen for a moment, but he quickly reacted. Thinking back to what had happened before, the scene before him wasn't surprising. He tutted inwardly, thinking, this little girl from the Zhao family is bound to have great fortune in the future! As someone who's been there, he could tell at a glance what the emotion in Prince Heng's eyes meant. To have the favor of His Highness, this little girl could be said to be on the verge of success.
And looking at the little girl now, it seems that she hasn't noticed anything yet and hasn't figured it out yet.
The girl nodded to the man, then turned around and waved to him enthusiastically: "Uncle Huang, what a coincidence, you are here too."
Huang Furen had been so busy lately that he'd lost a noticeable amount of weight, but he actually looked more energetic. He hadn't seen the Zhao girl for a long time, so he smiled and said, "Why are you here too?"
"There's nothing going on at the academy, so I just came out for a walk."
Zhao Mingsheng got off the carriage and looked at the people working hard in the fields, seemingly preparing for farming. He asked curiously, "What are they planting? If they plant now, won't the crops freeze in winter?"
Huang Furen smiled and replied, "This is winter wheat. It's a crop unique to the north. It's the perfect time to plant it now, and it won't freeze during the winter. It will be ripe by April next year."
Zhao Mingsheng nodded. It looked like they wouldn't have to wait until the autumn harvest; they could have a harvest next spring. The three of them walked around the ridges of the fields and then went to look at the canals.
After completing the tour and confirming that there were no problems, Huang Furen approached Yan Zhuo, "Your Highness, Prince Heng, things in Yanzhou have almost been arranged. If there is nothing else, I will be leaving for Beijing soon. I am truly worried about my daughter being left alone in Beijing."
Because his daughter lost her mother when she was young and was rather introverted and didn't interact with outsiders very much, Huang Furen was afraid that she would be bullied by others. In the past, he always took his daughter with him when he went on business trips and had never left her alone in the capital for such a long time.
Yan Zhuo naturally nodded in agreement.
"I was planning to return to the capital in two days. If you're not in a hurry, you can come with us so that I can take care of you along the way."
The situation in Yanzhou has stabilized, and officials dispatched by the imperial court are on their way and will arrive tomorrow. The emperor has also instructed his core officials to return to the capital as soon as possible after completing the handover. If it weren't for the Yanzhou epidemic, they would have returned to the capital long ago after handling the disaster.
Huang Furen breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Okay, then I'll just rest the caravan for the next two days."
Zhao Mingsheng hadn't expected to be able to return so soon; she was pleasantly surprised. She'd been in Yanzhou for so long, and she had no idea what was happening back home. Her grandmother thought she'd returned to Qingshan Village, while her parents in Qingshan Village thought she was still with her grandmother. So she didn't dare tell either family member about her trip to Yanzhou, nor did she dare write to them, fearing she'd accidentally been caught.
"Uncle Huang, you've worked hard lately. Go back and have a good rest. Sister Huang is worried about you. I ran into her in the capital before, and she even went to the temple to pray for your safety."
Huang Furen was very moved after hearing this: "This girl is thoughtful. It's worth it that I love her so much."
"Yes, now that Uncle Huang has returned safely, Sister Huang can go to the temple to fulfill her wish." Zhao Mingsheng said with a smile.
Huang Furen laughed loudly twice. "We can return safely this time, thanks to you, little girl. If it weren't for you, I'm not sure if I can be safe now."
"Our safety, and the safety of the people of Yanzhou, is the result of our joint efforts. It is not something I could have accomplished alone, nor is it solely my achievement. The caravan workers who bravely traveled day and night to transport the medicinal herbs were the caravan attendants, the doctors who cared for the patients tirelessly day and night were the ones who worked tirelessly to dig the canal. They are all worthy of praise."
Zhao Mingsheng smiled and said, "As for me, I just did what I could. I don't dare to take all the credit for it."
He is the one who deserves the most praise, but he downplays himself.
Huang Furen was relieved. He had been wrong. Someone with such a broad mind didn't need to rely on anyone else's help; she was just like that radiant flower. He believed that, given time, even without the influence of His Royal Highness Prince Heng, she would definitely achieve great things on her own.
Yan Zhuo, who was standing aside, curled the corners of his lips. Beneath his seemingly calm chest was a heart beating violently.
Two days later, the rested team set out to return to the capital.
After a bumpy journey, we finally returned to the capital.
Zhao Mingsheng originally wanted to return to the capital and then secretly hire a carriage to return to Qingshan Village. She must not let her grandmother know that she did not go home.
But as soon as he entered the city gate, he was shocked by the scene in front of him.
Huge crowds of people swarmed on both sides, and the open space in the middle was a bright yellow...
It turned out that the emperor himself was here.
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