Youqing has some of the same independent views as modern women, and knows that you can't rely on men.
At the same time, Youqing is also quite "traditional." Although she believes in love, she doesn't think that a love that defies the world can lead to lasting happiness.
What she wants is a peaceful, stable, and sustainable relationship, not a grand adventure or a thriller.
After dinner, it was completely dark. Their private room was located by the street, which was brightly lit and bustling with people. It was not exactly crowded, but it was close enough.
"It's so lively!"
After arriving in ancient times, I realized that things weren't as beautiful as depicted in TV dramas. Most people were dressed in drab, gray clothes, and apart from wealthy families, few ordinary people wore bright and eye-catching garments.
Moreover, unlike the ancient costumes that everyone wears in period dramas, which are almost dragging on the ground, historical records show that the clothing worn by high-ranking officials and nobles was mostly worn by them.
To make farming easier, ordinary people wore short-sleeved shirts that barely covered their buttocks, and baggy trousers. In the summer, when it was too hot, the men working in the countryside wore sleeveless shirts and rolled up their trouser legs, which was not much different from modern short-sleeved shirts and shorts.
The ancient population was about one-tenth of the modern population. Unlike later generations who would scramble to flock to bustling cities, these people mostly stayed in their hometowns for their entire lives, living a life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.
So it's really quite rare to see the capital city so bustling.
In modern times, Youqing dislikes crowded places where people are packed together, but in ancient times, it was not easy to see people packed together.
"Want to go down for a walk?"
"Alright."
Now that we're out here, we can't just do nothing.
The group had only walked a few steps from the restaurant when they heard shouting and cursing coming from a small alley, which put them in a bad mood.
In the capital, right under the imperial city walls, such a thing can happen during a major holiday. Doesn't this just show how bad the security is in the capital?
"Liang Jiugong, go and see what's going on?"
“Zha”
Liang Jiugong led a few men over, but they were no match for the men around Kangxi. The thugs and hooligans from the casino were no match for them, and in no time they were kneeling and begging for mercy.
"Gentlemen, I was wrong, really wrong, please stop hitting me."
Liang Jiugong spoke up, "Stop fighting for now." He then asked, "Tell me, what happened?"
"Sir, this man owes us money and won't pay it back. It's not our fault; he deserves a beating."
Debt collectors?
If it's about debt collection, then it's not surprising. Although the law prohibits violence and assault, there are many shady dealings involved.
However, I should still ask and clarify, since I've disturbed His Majesty and Master Shu's interest.
"How did you incur the debt, and how much do you owe?"
"This kid is a gambler. He's got gambling debts he can't pay back, so he deserves a beating."
Gambling debts?
This time he's really in the wrong place at the wrong time. Others may not know, but he knows that His Majesty hates gambling the most.
The Qing Dynasty law stipulated that "anyone who gambles for money shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane, and the money and property of the gambling den shall be confiscated by the government."
If a gambler also has a history of alcoholism, tantrums, fraud, theft, or other crimes such as filial impiety, they will be classified as having committed the first-degree crime and will be imprisoned in the cangue for two months.
He had no criminal record except for gambling, so he was convicted of a second-degree crime and sentenced to one month in jail.
Gambling was considered "detrimental to conduct." If an official gambled, the emperor would be asked to punish him. Civil officials would be dismissed and reduced to commoners, and military officials would be dismissed and forced to serve in the army. If a scholar or tribute student gambled, he would lose his academic title and his future.
This shows that the Qing Dynasty had extremely strict control over gambling.
Liang Jiugong asked the man who had been beaten, "What's your name?"
Shumulu Fangji thought he had met a kind person and quickly gave his name: "My name is Shumulu Fangji. My elder sister was the former Consort Shu in the palace. Thank you for saving me."
Not only Liang Jiugong heard these words, but Kangxi and Youqing also heard them.
It was dark, and Shumulu Fangji was ambushed and beaten in an alley. Ordinary people didn't come over, and no one lit lamps, so no one saw the faces of these people.
Youqing met Shumulu Fangji once last year. She remembered that he was very arrogant, but even so, he was still a decent person. How did he get involved with gambling now?
Liang Jiugong knew Youqing's family better than she did, so he naturally knew about Shumulu Fangji. He knew that Youqing didn't have a good impression of her family, but when it came to this person, he was also a little undecided.
Liang Jiugong quickly ran over to ask Kangxi, "Your Majesty, what should we do with this person?"
Upon hearing this, Kangxi looked at Youqing, who replied directly, "Handle it as it should be handled."
Liang Jiugong understood; it seemed that Master Shu was determined to sever ties with her maternal family.
That's fine too.
"yes"
Liang Jiugong went back into the alley and dealt with the matter officially.
“Gambling is illegal. You are a Manchu, and according to the law, you should be given eighty strokes of the cane and your gambling money should be confiscated. Which casino did you gamble at?”
When Shumulu Fangji heard that the cane was eighty, he was terrified. He thought that eighty strokes of the cane would probably kill him.
"I didn't gamble, I didn't, they lied to me, they lied to me, I didn't want to gamble..."
Shumulu Fangji shouted, but it was no use. Soon his mouth was gagged. The men who beat Shumulu Fangji also escaped. They were thugs from the gambling den, who were exorbitantly collecting debts in private, which was also illegal.
“You can’t send me to the authorities. Do you know who I am? Our boss works for the Tong family. If you send us to the authorities, you’ll be in deep trouble.”
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