Upon hearing this, Zhao Changheng and Xie Zhihong both looked towards the Second Prince.
Xie Zhihong glanced at it but didn't dare to say anything.
Zhao Changheng, however, addressed him directly.
"Wenqi, come here."
The second prince, holding a toy in his hand, climbed down from the couch.
She quickly ran to her father.
"Father, I've arrived. Did you need something from me?"
Zhao Changheng reached out and pulled him into his arms.
"Wenqi, what did you mean by what you just said?"
“I said, ‘Father, I’m here.’”
Zhao Changheng: My second son's IQ fluctuates too much. How come he is smart one moment and stupid the next?
"No, the sentence before that."
"Which sentence?" Zhao Wenqi scratched his head.
He made a casual remark without thinking it through, and now that he's being asked about it, he can't remember what he just said at all.
Zhao Changheng repeated to him: "You said that plucking goose feathers should not make the goose feel pain."
"Oh!" The second prince exclaimed in sudden realization, "That's what Father Emperor was talking about."
Zhao Changheng nodded: "Yes, that's it. What do you mean by that?"
The second prince rubbed his legs a few times, adjusted his posture, and turned himself to face Zhao Changheng.
"Father, don't you even understand this?"
What he was thinking was: Father, how come you don't know as much as my aunt?
Zhao Changheng: ...My subordinates are still here, can you give me some face?
What can we do?
They're my own flesh and blood, so I can't beat them.
Seeing that the protective father image was about to crumble, Zhao Changheng quickly said, "Ah... I was just... testing you to see if you've made any progress in your studies under the great Confucian scholar these past few days."
Zhao Wenqi said "Oh" and slowly said, "So Father is testing me."
"...Yes, that's right. Can I say it now?"
“Alright.” The Second Prince nodded. “Taxing taxes from the people is like plucking a goose feather. If too much is plucked, the people will feel pain, become angry, and dislike Father. Father said that he should be a good emperor loved by the people. A good emperor cannot make them angry.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhihong chimed in, "What the Second Prince says is absolutely right. If taxes are too heavy, not only will the people's hearts be unsettled, but it will also be detrimental to the government. As we have seen from the experience of past dynasties, if land taxes are too heavy, the people will conceal their land holdings; if poll taxes are too heavy, the people will conceal their population."
Zhao Changheng pondered for a moment and said, "You are right, my dear minister. We will proceed with your plan and make detailed rules within a specified time limit, and submit them to the Council of State for review."
"yes."
These past few days, the rain finally stopped, and He Youyou was finally able to go out for a stroll.
After browsing through several ironware shops run by Prince Qi, Zhao Changyi, she suddenly wanted to check out the business of Youruitang.
The closest one is a fabric shop.
As soon as He Youyou's carriage stopped, she heard a series of curses outside.
"You blind fool, do you know who this is? This is the granddaughter of Minister Qu, the Minister of Personnel of the current dynasty!"
She got out of the car nimbly.
They saw two young girls, a mistress and a servant, standing next to their carriage, followed by several old women.
"What's going on?" He Youyou stepped forward.
The one who's swearing is a young maid.
Seeing He Youyou get out of the carriage, she pointed at the driver menacingly and shouted at He Youyou, "Are you the master of this servant?"
"Huh, what's wrong?"
The maid pointed to the girl's skirt beside her: "My daughter is from the Ministry of Personnel's mansion, the granddaughter of Minister Qu. She had just stepped out of this cloth shop when your carriage drove by, splashing mud all over her! Look at this, a new skirt that was only made a few days ago, and it's already ruined like this!"
The rain had just stopped yesterday, and there wasn't much standing water on the streets, but some places still had some wet mud.
A few drops occasionally splashed out as the carriage wheels lifted them up.
I don't know how things happened today.
Just as the carriage arrived at the door, the girl came out, and mud splattered onto the Minister's daughter's skirt.
He Youyou stepped forward enthusiastically: "Oh my, so you're the granddaughter of Minister Qu, the Minister of Personnel! What a coincidence! I even had tea with your grandfather, Minister Qu, a few days ago. May I ask your name?"
Upon hearing this, the maidservant became furious: "What kind of person is our Minister? Would he drink tea with a commoner like you?! Don't talk nonsense."
He Youyou: Nobody believes me when I tell the truth.
The maidservant continued, "Look, my young lady's dress is made of the latest fabric. Look at the color! Only one fabric shop in the whole city has it, and it's selling for an exorbitant price. Can you afford to lose money on it?"
He Youyou took a closer look and exclaimed, "Wow!"
The fabric of this dress looks familiar.
Isn't this the pale yellow fabric from Shen's Dyehouse?
So, the person in front of me can be considered my customer.
The customer is king.
She smiled faintly: "It was my family's fault, and I apologize to you. I'll have this dress washed and sent to your residence, how about that?"
"Wash it clean?! My young lady is attending a palace banquet today, and this dress was bought specifically for this occasion. If it delays my young lady's important event, can you take responsibility for that?"
He Youyou did not get angry in the face of her aggressive questioning.
Although she has a short temper, not just anyone can make her angry.
She wouldn't take a few scratches from the kitten's paws to heart.
"Please calm down, young lady. If that's the case, I'll buy you a new one, okay? I promise it won't stop you from wearing it."
"You...who would believe such a boast? Do you know how hard it is to buy this fabric? Even this fabric store is out of stock right now. And even if we did manage to buy the fabric, how could we possibly make a skirt in just half a day?"
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