Chapter 149 Chapter 149 They Don’t Do It for Me
The reason why the current emperor is the emperor is that he is a loser in this battle for the throne.
Compared with the eldest prince and the second prince, the current emperor is obviously too young. Even though he has supreme power now, he is still exhausted every day.
Qi Yuanyang didn't know these secrets unknown to outsiders. He only knew that the current royal family was very "clean". There were no princes fighting for power, and there were no intrigues that required people to rack their brains to be on guard against. He didn't need to take sides, and the emperor was a rare wise ruler. He only needed to do business well and fill the national treasury.
After returning to the capital, Qi Yuanyang didn't even have time to rest and hurried to the palace to find the emperor.
As soon as he left court, Fu Qingheng walked towards his study with a heavy heart. Winter was only two months away. Every winter, there would inevitably be some snowstorms in the north, and this time of year was also the most expensive time of year.
But the money was spent, and what Fu Qingheng could not accept the most was that so much money was spent, but so many people still froze to death every year.
After all, it's all because of poverty.
Ordinary people have to spend money on charcoal, cotton clothes, quilts, etc. If they need to generate heat or something, all the hard work of the whole family throughout the year will be used up. If they don’t want to burden their children and grandchildren, those elderly people, if they feel unwell, either put it off or accept their fate. Otherwise, what else can they do?
They want to survive, but they also have to consider their families!
Fu Qingheng had thought of solutions, but the results were minimal. Every winter, many elderly people and premature babies died in the north.
The ministers in the court suggested lowering the price of charcoal appropriately so that every household could have access to it, but this was not feasible!
Not to mention that it is not easy to lower the price of charcoal, even among the villagers, not every household is willing to buy charcoal for heating.
In previous years, many people died from burning charcoal for heating. Some people were so afraid of being poisoned by charcoal that they would rather suffer from the cold than buy charcoal.
Today, several ministers have been arguing back and forth, but they have not reached a conclusion. If a disaster really happens, the national treasury will be in trouble again.
Fu Qingheng was just feeling worried when Eunuch Fu beside him poured him a pot of tea and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Qi wants to see you. May I see him?"
Imperial merchants were different from ordinary merchants. After all, they had the word "imperial" in their name. To whom did they belong? The Imperial Household Department. Although it did not exercise administrative power, it was at least an institution personally appointed and granted titles by the Emperor. Eunuch Fu's "Sir" was certainly correct.
"He's back?" Fu Qingheng knew that Qi Yuanyang went south to check the accounts. He originally thought that he would be gone for a month or two. How come he came back in less than half a month?
Is there something urgent?
Thinking of this, Fu Qingheng hurriedly said, "Hurry up and let him come to see me."
When Qi Yuanyang met Fu Qingheng, he went through the formalities. After Fu Qingheng impatiently asked him to sit down quickly, Qi Yuanyang drank several cups of tea before he even sat down. He drank so fast like a cow drinking water that Fu Qingheng couldn't bear to watch. It was such a waste of a pot of good tea.
"Why did you come back so soon? Have you checked the accounts?" Fu Qingheng asked without waiting for Qi Yuanyang to speak.
Fu Qingheng and Qi Yuanyang grew up together, and later he married Qi Yuanyang's sister. The two became even closer. On the surface, they were king and subject, but in fact, they were childhood friends in private.
"Not yet. I have something important to report to the Emperor. Your Majesty, please take a look at this."
"What?"
"Your Majesty will know once he sees it."
Fu Qingheng had no idea what Qi Yuanyang was trying to say, so he just started to look. When he did, his eyes bulged out.
After reading the entire contract over and over again, Fu Qingheng said in disbelief: "Qi Yuanyang, you are not kidding me?"
The fact that the emperor could call him by his name showed that Fu Qingheng was quite serious at the moment and how seriously he asked.
Qi Yuanyang said sternly, "Of course, Your Majesty, please take another look at this contract. If you don't believe it, you can send someone out tomorrow to find out if it's true. It's also my fault for being too impatient. After returning to the capital, I didn't even go back to the Qi Mansion and rushed straight to the palace."
Otherwise, facing Fu Qingheng's questioning, he could produce evidence to prove himself.
Fu Qingheng read another contract, and his chest was still heaving violently until he finished reading it.
The reason for this is not that Fu Qingheng has never seen the world, but that two contracts can make him lose his composure, but this surprise is too unexpected. Besides, there is no outsider here except Qi Yuanyang, so why should he continue to be so arrogant?
When the late emperor was alive, or when Fu Qingheng had read the books of sages, everyone knew that "literature can stabilize the country and bring peace to the world, and martial arts can determine the outcome of the world on horseback." This statement is not groundless. Looking at the dynasties throughout history, who among the officials in the court or outside the capital was not a writer?
Fu Qingheng sent people to do statistics. In his Dayan Dynasty, from county magistrates to prime ministers, only 20% of them came from humble backgrounds.
The remaining 80% are either from wealthy families or children of officials. In this case, how many of them can truly understand the poverty of the common people?
The students in the Imperial College were originally a place to cultivate talents for the Great Yan Dynasty. Fu Qingheng invested countless efforts and expectations in the Imperial College, but after he made a "secret visit", he no longer thought so.
There is no other reason. Maybe the students in the Imperial College can compose poems and songs eloquently, but if you ask them how much a pound of coarse salt costs or when to plant spring rice, they will be stunned and their stupidity will be revealed.
Fu Qingheng was a little disappointed about this. These people were standing at a height that others could not reach, but they forgot the most realistic thing: 'food is the most important thing for a person'.
The elite he wanted was not a minister who spoke eloquently and endlessly every day. What he wanted was a minister who understood the suffering of the people and could actually solve the problems of the people's lives. He also wanted a minister who was well-educated, talented, and omniscient, and could help him solve the problems that gave him a headache. But no one is perfect, and the person he wanted did not exist in reality at all, but only in his fantasy.
But now, he seems to see a glimmer of hope.
Look, there is someone who can make paper and candles. Even if he is an uneducated person, the fact that he solved these two problems that gave him a headache is enough for Fu Qingheng to take a second look at him.
Even though it only seemed like two glances, it sounded like very little. Since Fu Qingheng ascended the throne, the number of people who could make him look at them more than once could be counted on one’s five fingers.
Fu Qingheng adjusted his breathing so as not to look too inexperienced. "Are you sure this guy can really make paper? And who is this Xu Yunfan? Have you found out?"
Qi Xiuyuan immediately wrote to Qi Yuanyang about Xu Yunfan's affairs after finding out in Qinghe Town. "It's clear. Speaking of which, Xu Yunfan is quite capable. Xiuyuan has made inquiries and he's from overseas... Your Majesty, look at this man. He was penniless at first, but now, not to mention being extremely wealthy, he's had the Qin family living comfortably in his life in less than six months. How did this guy become so quick-witted? Or have these overseas countries really become so powerful?"
After listening quietly to the story of Xu Yunfan's rise to wealth in Dali Village, Fu Qingheng remained silent. He tapped his fingers on the imperial desk and asked meaningfully, "Xu Yunfan has settled in Dali Village and is serving as a teacher at Qinghe Academy. Are these two things true?"
"Of course." Qi Yuanyang replied immediately, "If he doesn't have a household registration, can Dean Jiang let him enter the academy?"
"It seems this guy is quite knowledgeable." Fu Qingheng's eyes darkened for a moment, as if he was planning something. "Don't worry about this matter and do it boldly. If those two families dare to cause any trouble, I will be the first to kill them."
Fu Qingheng gritted his teeth and said that being the emperor was not an easy job for him. Being kind and soft-hearted was not enough to win the support of the people, but being cruel and ruthless would make everyone afraid of him and they would call him a tyrant.
But as for cooperating with Xu Yunfan, it doesn't matter even if I get labeled a tyrant.
After Qi Yuanyang returned happily, Fu Qingheng wrote a letter and asked the guards around him to deliver it to Jiang Lanfang.
…
Qin Run went to the county town early in the morning. He said that if nothing unexpected happened, he would be back at noon.
As a result, it was already noon and there was still no sign of the person. It seemed that something unexpected had happened.
Looking at the deserted kitchen and the big pot without any temperature, Xu Yunfan sighed and began to wonder where to go to get a free meal.
Qin Run went to the county town today and sent Qin An and Qin Mu to the academy. Only Xu Yunfan was at home. Now, he can't even make a fire. Can you expect him to cook a meal for you?
I guess he's still dreaming.
There is plenty of food at home, but when you are hungry, no matter how much other food you eat, it is far less satisfying than eating two bowls of rice.
Xu Yunfan put on a straw hat and went towards the greenhouse.
It was already mid-September, and Hunter Fang had picked dozens of bags of tea oil fruits over the past few days. Xu Yunfan had him spread them out in the greenhouse to dry.
The tea oil fruits, which had been dried in the sun for a few days, had cracked, and the tea oil seeds inside could be easily taken out. Qin Run then called a few more grandmothers to come and help, and Grandma Qin was among them.
"Grandma Qin." Xu Yunfan stood outside the greenhouse, across a pile of tea-oil fruits, feeling embarrassed and feigning shyness as he called out, "Grandma, I'm hungry. Run'er isn't home. Can you go back and make it for me?"
I have to say that Xu Yunfan is really shameless. It would be fine if he just wanted to eat for free, but he did it so shamelessly as to ask others to go back and do it. If any other man did this, these old women would probably point their guns at him and shoot.
But when the person turned out to be Xu Yunfan, who had a sweet smile and a mouth full of honey, the grandmothers thought that Xu Yunfan must be starving, and urged Grandma Qin to go back quickly.
There's no way. Some of them were obsessed with looks when they were young, and they still can't change this habit when they get old.
"Oh," Grandma Qin looked up at the sky, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that Run'er wasn't here? It's already so late. You must be starving. Come on, let's go back with Grandma."
Qin Dayou, who happened to be coming back from pushing tea-oil fruits to Fang the hunter, heard Xu Yunfan's words and stood silently for a while. There was nothing he could do, as his grandmother was also inside. He was really afraid that because of Xu Yunfan, he would be caught in trouble if he went in again. He thought that the grandmothers would spit in Xu Yunfan's face, but what happened next?
No, why are these people still discriminating?
He was very tired yesterday, so he asked his grandmother to go home and cook some porridge for him. As a result, his grandmother gave him a wooden stick to eat and asked him if he was full. If not, she would give him as many sticks as he wanted.
Qin Dayou couldn't understand why there was such a huge difference in treatment between people? Why was Xu Yunfan so popular?
The likable Xu Yunfan was just finishing two bowls of rice at Grandma Qin's place and was about to get a third bowl when Qin Run, sweating profusely, came over.
"Yunfan, Grandma Qin." Qin Run glanced around and didn't see Dadan and the others. "Where are the three eggs?"
"They are all watching the horses in the cowshed." Xu Yunfan put down the bowl and responded.
Grandma Qin poured a bowl of water for Qin Run and said, "Run'er, where have you been? You're sweating all over. Have you eaten? If not, I'll go get you some rice."
"Grandma, don't bother me. I'm not hungry. I went to the county town this morning to do some business and had something to eat there."
Qin Run wiped his sweat. Grandma Qin didn't dare to ask too much, but Xu Yunfan was embarrassed to ask, "Has Mu'er's household registration been completed?"
"No." Qin Run inevitably thought of what happened this morning when he mentioned this, and said dejectedly, "They won't do it for me."
"What?"
Xu Yunfan even put down his chopsticks, "Why?"
Qin Run said embarrassedly, "Ban Yin said that an ugly boy like me was not qualified to adopt a child. After checking our household registration, he directly kicked me out, saying that a boy like me who couldn't get married might have bad intentions in adopting a child."
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