The place they were going to was a remote mountain village. The reason Kangxi wanted to go there was because these places were the easiest to escape the control of the government.
He wanted to know if the villagers in the mountains had enough to eat and wear.
"Your Majesty, the carriage ahead can't get through."
"Then get off the bus and walk there."
"yes"
After getting off the carriage, the group headed into the mountains.
After walking for about half an hour, Youqing couldn't take it anymore. It was already mid-May, and the weather was starting to get hot. Walking for half an hour like this was something that most people couldn't endure.
"Stop and rest." Emperor Kangxi was also reluctant to let Youqing get too tired.
Youqing knew she was holding everyone back, and it was good to be able to rest. In modern times, she could go shopping with her classmates and friends and spend a whole day without any problem. But now, she couldn't take it after only an hour. Youqing felt that she was becoming decadent.
Ancient carriages were slow, and although the means of transportation were backward, she didn't have many opportunities to actually walk. In the past few years, the period when she walked the most was when she was pregnant with Anle.
At that time, the imperial physician said that you should walk around after giving birth, so Youqing didn't dare to be careless and would go out for a few walks every day after eating.
As they were resting, two men in their twenties came up behind them. The two men were carrying large bags, but they looked quite energetic.
They saw Emperor Kangxi and his entourage as they passed by, but they did not intend to stop, since they were clearly not the same group of people based on their clothing and appearance.
Kangxi gave Liang Jiugong a look, and Liang Jiugong got up and went forward to chat with the two men.
"Where are you two young men headed?"
One of the guys said, "Of course we go home, where else can we go?"
"Which village are you from? We're looking for someone, but we don't know if it's on our way."
"We are from Pingshan Village. Where are you looking for someone?"
Upon hearing this, Liang Jiugong smiled even more enthusiastically: "That's quite a coincidence. We're just on our way to Pingshan Village to find someone, but we're not very familiar with the roads around here. Would it be possible for us to follow behind you two young men?"
This is no big deal, so there's no problem.
Then Liang Jiugong began to probe for information.
The two young men, Bian Yong and Bian Shun, are brothers. They came out to sell some game they hunted in the mountains and buy some household items to take home.
It's not very convenient to get in and out of the mountains, so when you go out, you can buy as much as you can. However, you only have a limited amount of money, so it's not practical to buy more.
The village is about thirteen or fourteen miles from the county town. Most of it is accessible by horse-drawn carriage, but once you enter the mountains, the carriage can no longer travel there. It takes about an hour to walk there.
Every time they want to go to the market, they have to get up in the middle of the night, otherwise they might not be able to get back at night.
"Does your village farm?" Youqing asked.
Farming is possible in the mountains, but due to soil conditions, crops there naturally won't be very productive.
Bian Yong nodded: "We planted them, but there wasn't much land, and they were difficult to cultivate, so the yield wasn't high. We would definitely starve if we relied on the crops in the fields for food. Our village has relied on hunting and foraging for wild fruits and vegetables in the mountains for generations."
People live off the land and water. Although the land in the mountains is difficult to cultivate, there are plenty of good things in the mountains, so people will never starve.
Bian Shun added from the side, "Even so, going into the mountains is too dangerous. Almost every few years, people die in the mountains and never come out. Every time we go into the mountains, we are risking our lives. One wrong move and we lose our lives."
As they spoke, a look of sorrow flashed across the faces of the brothers Bian Shun and Bian Yong. Both of their families had elders who had gone into the mountains and never came out.
"Have you never thought about moving out?"
Bian Shun sighed: "I heard from the old folks that the village did consider it, but they couldn't make a living here. At least in the mountains, they could make a living by relying on the mountains. But if we leave the mountains, we have no land or fields, and we simply can't survive. That's why we gave up on the idea."
Kangxi then asked, "Are there any families in your village that have students?"
Bian Yong shook his head: "No, everyone is poor. There are no teachers in the village, and no family can afford to send their children out to study."
Youqing asked again, "Doesn't the government care?"
“The village is far away. Even if someone dies, it will be the clan elders who will handle it. Why would the government care about a village that is so far away?”
Although it's a serious matter, the person listening to it felt very uncomfortable.
"By the way, who are you going to the village to find?"
The village isn't big, and everyone knows each other very well.
Kangxi said, "I am paying respects to a friend who passed away many years ago. He died in the mountains."
Bian Yong and Bian Shun then realized that they were probably not from their village.
"By the way, approximately how many people are in your village?"
Bian Yong: "More than a hundred people."
"Are there any other villages besides Pingshan Village?"
"Yes, there is a village like this almost every three or four miles. The villages are scattered and small because they are in the mountains and the houses are far apart."
...
"By the way, does your village use fertilizer?" Youqing asked this question suddenly.
What kind of fertilizer?
"You didn't know?"
Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case. If it concerns crops, any news should spread quickly. Bian Shun and Bian Yong really seem to know nothing about fertilizer.
"The imperial court has developed a fertilizer that can increase crop yields. You can buy it at the county government office, and it's not expensive. How could you not know about it?"
“We’ve never heard of it. I also know some people from villages near the county seat, and they haven’t heard of it either.”
Both Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Youqing began to frown.
Kangxi thought to himself that if this was true, then Cao Yuxian's punishment was too lenient. It concerned the livelihood of the people, yet he dared to be careless about it.
"Go ask at the county government office later. They should have it. Farmland that has been fertilized can double the yield per acre!"
Bian Yong and Bian Shun's eyes widened upon hearing this: "Are you serious?"
"It's true."
“I will definitely go back and ask about it. I’ve never heard anyone mention this before.”
Emperor Kangxi wanted to punish Cao Yuxian again. What had this man been doing all these years?
And that county magistrate, he truly deserves to be torn to pieces.
Sometimes it's not that government orders are bad or ineffective, but rather that they are not being effectively implemented.
In recent years, fertilizers have actually been quite effective, and the national treasury has become much fuller as a result, but it is still not ideal!
After walking for about half an hour, we finally arrived at Pingshan Village.
To be honest, although Pingshan Village isn't very wealthy, it's quite beautiful, with lovely scenery. It's already evening, and the majestic mountains are set against a backdrop of red clouds, creating a magnificent view. The evening breeze blows, dispelling the fatigue of the day.
Once inside the village, we didn't encounter anyone.
"At this time, everyone is probably cooking! It's not convenient to visit each other in the evening, so everyone is staying at home. Almost no one is out strolling around at this time."
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