Led by the magistrate, Zhu Yunwen and Zhao Qingzhu followed him to a house near the hillside.
Upon arriving at the location, Zhu Yunwen inspected the house and confirmed that, as the magistrate had stated, the local government had indeed helped the family build a house with blue bricks and tiles.
Although there aren't many rooms, and they're not very big.
However, the fact that a family of several people can live in such a sturdy house without worrying about wind and rain shows that the government has done its utmost to benevolent and righteous.
At this point, the magistrate spoke again:
"Your Highness, this boy in the family is just a bookworm. He only thinks about passing the imperial examinations and then rising to the top in one step."
So he basically doesn't care about anything at home. His elderly parents can only try their best to lighten his burden and even give him the best of everything.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, this action actually harmed him.
Zhu Yunwen remained silent for a moment, offering no opinion, before walking towards the household. At the same time, the county magistrate spoke:
Is Brother Zhang home?
As soon as the magistrate finished speaking, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties quickly came out of the room.
He smiled, and upon recognizing the county magistrate, quickly spoke:
"So it's the county magistrate. What brings you here this time, sir?"
The magistrate, however, laughed and said:
"Look, it's His Highness the Crown Prince."
At this moment, the middle-aged man took a closer look at Zhu Yuntong, and his expression immediately changed. He had not expected that Zhu Yuntong would appear in such a place.
So he quickly stepped forward and said:
"Oh my, it really is His Highness the Crown Prince! This humble subject kowtows to His Highness the Crown Prince..."
As he was about to kneel down, Zhu Yunwen quickly stepped forward and stopped the old man, saying:
"Old man, there's no need to be so polite. I've just come here to see how the people are living."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man hurriedly spoke up:
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. We are all doing very well. We are truly grateful to Your Highness for providing us with such a wonderful life. Otherwise, how could we live such a peaceful life?"
Zhu Yunwen smiled slightly and said:
"Old man, there's no need to be so polite. I'm happy as long as you're doing well. But I see that under these circumstances, your family's situation is barely enough. You've escaped poverty, but it's still not a very good life."
"It's already very good, it's already excellent. His Highness the Crown Prince cares so much about the lives of us ordinary people, and has improved our lives so much, yet he still feels it's not enough. We are so lucky to have such a good leader as you."
At that moment, another person came out of the house; he looked to be an elderly man in his seventies or eighties.
The old man seemed to be ill and had difficulty getting around, but upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's voice, he insisted on coming out and spoke at the door:
"Oh my, it really is His Highness the Crown Prince! What a dream I must have had to meet His Highness the Crown Prince today! It's an incredible honor, like my ancestors' graves are emitting smoke."
Zhu Yunwen smiled wryly and stepped forward, saying:
"Grandpa, you're exaggerating. If you're not feeling well, you shouldn't come out. Come on, go inside and lie down for a bit."
As he spoke, Zhu Yunwen personally stepped forward to help the old man to sit down on the bed inside the house.
The old man sighed, and Zhu Yunwen noticed that the room was filled with the smell of various herbs, with a strong bitter odor.
At this moment, the old man spoke up:
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Your Highness. I'm old and useless."
Zhu Yunwen looked at the county magistrate and said:
"There must be some policies specifically for elderly people seeking medical care, right?"
The magistrate nodded and said:
"That's right. Ten percent of the total medical expenses will be used to pay for it, and the remaining ninety percent will be covered by our imperial court and local governments."
Upon hearing the magistrate's words, Zhu Yunwen was about to say something when the old man spoke again:
"It's already very good, very good. The government is covering part of the medical expenses for the people. This is something that has never been heard of before. For our Great Ming Dynasty to do this much, the people are already moved to tears."
Zhu Yunwen then had no choice but to say to the old man:
"Grandpa, are you still facing difficulties at home? Is 10% of the medical expenses still a lot of pressure for you?"
The old man looked bitter and somewhat embarrassed. At this moment, the middle-aged person in the family spoke up:
"I'm the only one working in my family, so most of the money I earn is just enough for the family's food, clothing, and daily necessities. When it comes to medical expenses, it's really a bit tight."
Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and said:
"I heard that you have a son who, although he is in his twenties, is still studying hard."
When the topic turned to his son, Brother Zhang immediately broke into a proud smile and said:
"He is the only scholar in our village. He said he wants to continue to take the imperial examinations and become a Juren, a Jinshi, and even the Zhuangyuan."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the small room opened, and a young man in his twenties, dressed neatly and plump, walked out.
He excitedly stepped forward and said:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince???"
Zhu Yunwen waved his hand:
"No need for formalities, please sit down. I've come this time to understand your family's situation. Despite the strong support from the Ming Dynasty, your family is still living in such a relatively difficult life. Naturally, I need to find out the reasons and solve the problem."
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