211-220

Chapter 211 Welcome Mathematics to the Imperial Examination Family

Yan Linghui was not just saying this casually.

She had seriously thought about why among the six arts of a gentleman, only "mathematics" was restored instead of copying the entire thing.

——This time when she ran away from home, she traveled three thousand miles and saw many things that she had never seen in the princess's mansion before.

The common people were very poor, and the gentry were very rich. The poor common people had to spend all their property and energy just to support their family members to study. They had no extra money to buy horses, cars, learn music, learn archery...

Once all six arts are mastered, the children of common people will have no chance of competing with the children of the gentry and wealthy.

＊

After he finished speaking, the scene fell into an eerie silence.

When Prince Consort Yan Chun heard his daughter say this, he could no longer stand there and wanted to step out to rescue her.

"Silly girl! The officials in the court are not fools. Guess why, in the past month or two, no one has come forward to ask His Majesty to reform the imperial examination system and reopen several subjects."

How could the prince bear to see his brother-in-law step on a landmine - mainly because the other party had just been put on his father's list for selling anxiety to his father. If he went out again now, wouldn't that be walking directly into the muzzle of his father's gun!

He immediately stepped forward and moved closer to his father: "Your Majesty! I think the method this kid suggested is feasible. And I also think that adding one or more subjects will not hinder ordinary students from studying the Four Books and Five Classics."

Yan Linghui was stunned.

She was indeed gifted, but she was too young to make up for the lack of social skills. At this moment, she could only vaguely feel that the prince had something else in mind, as if he was helping her clean up the mess, but she could not figure out what was wrong with her proposal.

But that's okay.

Yan Linghui's face was frank.

She has a father! She can go back and ask her father!

The female consort Yan Chun, however, retracted her steps, lowered her eyes, and concealed the gratitude in her pupils.

My daughter was still young and didn't understand, but she understood what was going on.

——The fact that the imperial examination no longer tested the six arts of a gentleman was actually a development tacitly approved by emperors of many dynasties.

The emperors were never afraid of the large number of private academies, or rather, they were the people who most wanted all the people to be literate, because they had a complete set of brainwashing procedures, all hidden in the classics.

The more education one has, the easier it is to be indoctrinated with ideas of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.

On the contrary, people who have little or no education will shout "Are kings, princes, generals and ministers of different races" when they encounter injustice, oppression, and tyrants and treacherous ministers. Most educated people will think "The emperor is good, it's all because of the treacherous ministers who deceived him. If the treacherous ministers are removed, the country will prosper."

The emperor wished that his people would read more.

But the premise is that you only read books, and don't have time to learn the six arts of a gentleman. A person's day has twelve hours. Excluding daily life, there is not much time left for reading. If you have to divide part of it to learn the six arts of a gentleman, the brainwashing effect will be greatly reduced. It is absolutely not allowed!

——This is the strategy of keeping the people ignorant in the eyes of the emperor.

Yan Linghui's proposal to reopen several subjects in the imperial examination system is simply pulling hair from a tiger's butt.

Fortunately, the prince, a strong tiger, expressed his support for this.

"Your Majesty, I have done a math problem like this."

The prince looked relaxed, with the corners of his lips curled up, and it was precisely because of this posture that everyone present could feel his confidence.

——He was confident that even if students had less time to cultivate loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, he would be able to keep it under control.

"After the flood in Jiangxi, farmland was destroyed, including 4,000 hectares of owned land and 1,000 hectares of newly silted land."

"The government sold these fields with a policy of collecting five strings of cash per mu for land that already had an owner and ten strings of cash per mu for land that had just been silted up. It also stated that before the levee was completed, the redemption price could be reduced by 10%. After the levee was completed, the fields could only be purchased at the original redemption price."

——The old emperor knew that when a natural disaster occurred, the common people would sell their land at a low price in order to survive. Therefore, he introduced a policy: during the famine, the government would buy the people's land, and within a certain period of time, the sellers were allowed to redeem the land at the original price. Or the government would sell the land at a low price. This was the "land redemption money."

"So, as the governor of Jiangxi, with the price of rice in the neighboring province as high as 40 coins per bushel, how much money do you need to redeem the land to provide enough food for the 5,476,259 disaster victims in your province?"

"Among them, there are 4,056,812 males, 1,014,204 females, and 405,243 elderly and infirm people. Each male adult receives half a liter of grain per day for four months, while the elderly and children receive half the amount of grain per day for five months."

"It will take at least three months to build the levee, and at most five months, so let's just say five months."

The prince stood straight and did it in one go.

Of course, it has to be done in one go.

In the 12th year of Tiantong, Jiangxi experienced continuous heavy rains from spring to summer, and the Ganjiang River flooded. Ganzhou, Ji'an, Linjiang, Ruizhou, Guangxin, Fuzhou, Nanchang, Jiujiang, and Nankang experienced a flood that was rare in decades, and the thousands of miles of land became an ocean.

Crown Prince Gao Xian went in person to provide disaster relief.

Before the flood, the population of Jiangxi was over 9.12 million. After the disaster, more than 3.65 million people were drowned and more than 5 million people were victims.

The numbers he mentioned came from the disaster that year.

What he hated the most and could never forget was——

"Your Majesty, Zeng Baocheng, the governor of Jiangxi in the 12th year of Tiantong, was weak in mathematics and cared about the people. During the disaster, he personally checked the amount of grain and the number of victims. The inventory of the number of households in the disaster area, the number of acres of land and houses destroyed, and the number of people drowned were all obtained through his field investigation."

"But he doesn't know how to count. He only looks at the final number. How to buy and distribute the disaster relief food is all done by his subordinates."

"The food was indeed distributed to every disaster victim under the strict review of Governor Zeng, and there was no corruption."

"But when we bought the grain, the money we paid didn't match the amount of grain, so there wasn't enough grain to go around. When we went to buy again, the price had risen again, to 80 coins per dou, and the grain from the court hadn't arrived yet."

"So, sixteen or seventeen people died of starvation."

Those victims did not die in the flood, nor did they encounter officials who were in office but doing nothing. Instead, they starved to death because the highest official in the province did not understand mathematics and did not calculate how much relief food should be prepared for each victim. He also did not discover that the petty officials under him had embezzled money, resulting in the first purchase of food being seriously inconsistent with the number of people.

How could there be such a ridiculous thing in the world!

How could there be such an absurd and ridiculous thing, as if God is playing a joke on us!

"Who is to blame for this?"

"Should we blame the governor for not calculating the food needed by the disaster victims in advance? Or should we blame the officials for taking advantage of the public interest? Or should we blame the court for not paying enough attention to calculations and relying entirely on the officials' self-consciousness?!"

The prince had always thought that he had forgotten about this matter, but today he realized that some things are just buried deep in the heart, waiting to burst out of the ground.

The suddenly rising voice almost pierced the sky and was enough to make people's hair stand on end.

＊

East Palace.

In the prince's study, the fifth grandson Gao Yao was searching everywhere: "Strange, I remember that the travel book that Dad read before should be here."

After searching all the places that he could reach with his height, the little grandson of the emperor, who was the same age as Bing Yan, moved the ladder in the study, placed it in front of the bookshelf, and just kept climbing up.

The ladder creaked and there were knocks at the bottom.

"found it!"

The little prince quickly put the travel notes he wanted in his arms, thought about it, and then picked up a few books nearby, intending to read them together.

Holding the book with one arm and holding the ladder with the other hand, he walked down carefully.

"Why!"

"Hey hey hey hey!"

The child on the ladder slipped and the book in his hand fell down immediately. He was waving his hands on the ladder and trying to grab the book. Fortunately, he grabbed the horizontal bar in time and stepped firmly again. The ladder bounced outwards slightly and then was pressed back onto the bookshelf with a "bang".

"Boom——"

It seemed like something hit the ground.

Gao Yao looked down and saw a box. He remembered that he did feel something knocked off when he waved his hands before.

The lock of the box was thrown open, and the white paper with ink words flew up and then fell down, scattering all over the ground.

Outside the door, a palace servant shouted anxiously: "Did Xiaolang fall?!"

"It's okay! Don't come in!"

The little grandson shouted, and after making sure there was no movement outside, he stepped down the ladder, and when there were two or three horizontal bars left, he jumped down and landed directly on the floor. He patted the dust on the corner of his clothes, which he was not sure whether it existed, and bent down to pick up the papers.

"Huh......"

Gao Yao was subconsciously attracted by the content above: "Dad wrote... How to help and guide the people?"

He picked up another one: "Imperial Examination Reform?"

Pick up another one: "How to take meat from the mouth of the powerful without losing everything?"

"besides......"

As far as Gao Yao could remember, he had never seen his father care about state affairs. He only went to court once every ten days or half a month. Sometimes when it was cold, his father would not go to court for two months in a row.

He had heard palace servants say privately that his father was too careless and didn't seem like a prince capable of shouldering the responsibilities of the country.

I've also seen his father complain that his grandfather was too strict, and that he was caught today to review memorials and couldn't leave the palace to watch the fun.

He also accidentally saw his father persuading his grandfather to appoint another prince.

His father was sincere and seemed to really not want to be the crown prince.

But why did his father write these things?

Gao Yao sat cross-legged and looked at the pictures one by one. He would be dazed after finishing them until his legs became numb. Then he reacted, stood up slowly, and walked slowly. When his legs were no longer numb, he continued to sit cross-legged and look at them. After looking at them, he would be dazed again. He repeated this over and over again. He didn't know how many times he had gone through this cycle.

He only vaguely felt that his father seemed to be leaving court soon, so he quickly tidied up the house, restored it to its original state, and left in a hurry.

＊

The prince said what he wanted to say and then stopped talking.

The other ministers did not speak, the candidates taking the child prodigy examination did not speak, and Princess Yan, who proposed adding mathematics to the imperial examination, did not speak.

The old emperor said calmly: "Regarding the reform of the imperial examination system, please write a memorial and submit it to me, Prince."

The prince cupped his hands and said, "As you wish."

Afterwards, the old emperor listened to the other child prodigies' opinions on the rigidity of the imperial examination system and picked out a few who could be used. Although the rest were not selected, their names were recorded in the Ministry of Personnel, waiting to be summoned to the court to serve as officials after they came of age.

"Dismiss!"

The female consort noticed at a glance that her daughter seemed to be in a bad mood. After walking to a secluded place, she picked up her daughter and asked her, "What's wrong? Are you not happy?"

Yan Linghui hugged the female consort's arm, rested her head on her arm, and said sullenly: "I lost this time."

"Hmm?" The female consort was very puzzled after hearing this: "When did you lose? Didn't His Majesty accept your suggestion and allow you to enter the Imperial Academy?"

Yan Linghui: "That's different. He made a suggestion and he didn't need anyone to help him get into the Imperial Academy. I made a suggestion and my uncle came out to help me. Then I lost, didn't I?"

The female prince consort rubbed her daughter's head and couldn't help laughing: "There is no such thing as winning or losing. His Majesty asked you for any suggestions, and your suggestion was to add a math subject to the imperial examination to make people more flexible, but you didn't know that this was taboo. Your uncle is indeed protecting you, but it is also because your suggestion is really useful. He is regretting that this suggestion may be shelved due to taboos. When you become an official, you will know that any policy proposed, as long as someone thinks it is feasible, will definitely stand up to prove its practicality for you and fill in the gaps for you. Officials are never lone rangers."

Yan Linghui lowered her head and said nothing.

Adults have their own reasons, but children also have their own reasons. She felt that she had lost by doing this.

but......

Just win it back next time!

Yan Linghui pushed the female prince consort's arm and said, "Dad! Put me down. I won't leave the palace for now! I want to go to the palace's library to read."

The little girl jumped to the ground and ran to the Royal Library. When she arrived, she saw her opponent, who she had won twice and lost once, carrying a box full of books, writing brushes, inkstones, and an abacus, entered the room before her, found a desk far from the door and close to the window, and started practicing mathematics.

"hateful!"

Yan Linghui's eyes sharpened, and she quickly picked out the math book she wanted to read, and ran to another seat, half angry, half praising -

This person actually works so hard, no, she has to work harder!

She has already understood the square root (to find the positive root of a quadratic equation), the cube root (to find the positive root of a cubic equation), the square root of a circle (to find the circumference of a circle given its area), the cubic root of a circle (to find the diameter of a sphere given its volume), and the square root of the numerator (to find the square root of the numerator). Today, she will not go home until she has mastered the method of taking incremental triple roots (for a quartic equation), the method of multiplication of gaps (to find the sum of high-order arithmetic series), and the method of taking the circle (to find the length of an arc).

＊

On the other side, the female prince consort had no idea that his daughter had already set an ambitious goal. On the way out of the palace, snow fell from the sky, lighter than willow catkins and heavier than frost.

The female consort walked slowly across the ground, thinking that by noon, the snow-covered ground would make a rustling sound when stepped on.

Suddenly she heard a sound in front of her, and she turned the corner to see a palace maid standing on tiptoe, putting a warm and fluffy fox fur coat on the prince's red robe with a gold-woven coiled dragon pattern.

Another palace maid stuffed a hand warmer into the prince's arms.

The prince held a bowl of medicine that had just been poured out of a small pottery jar and gulped it down. As he drank, he began to cough and choke.

The palace maid quickly handed over a handkerchief, and the prince took it as usual, covered his mouth and coughed several times, then continued to drink the black and bitter medicine without blinking.

The female consort suddenly remembered that the princess had told her before -

Her brother was born with a congenital deficiency and had a cold stomach, which was worse in winter. The residue from decocting medicine had to be poured out in winnowing baskets.

...Therefore, I especially like to eat pickles and preserved dried goods, which can dilute the taste of medicine in my mouth.

The author has something to say:

In fact, the governor should have appeared after Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the Secretariat, and was the highest official in each province. But it is not a big problem. In the text, you can directly use the governor, because there was the Secretariat in the Tang Dynasty, and the highest official in each circuit (equivalent to a province) was still called the observation and interview envoy ()

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Lighter than catkins and heavier than frost

——Two Poems on Snow

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Chapter 212: Die for the country!

The prince is taking medicine, and the old emperor is also taking medicine.

It was snowing. The old man was already in his sixties, almost seventy, an age when he was more likely to get sick in winter. His resistance to the cold was no longer as high as when he was young.

After drinking the medicine and wiping his lips, he instructed: "Since it didn't work the first time... Isn't that Minister of the Imperial Household Department not convinced that Wei Ren won the first place, and wants me to give him a chance to sacrifice his life for the country? I have always been kind, you go and tell him: go to Xu Yanmiao, and then find a way to draw Xu Yanmiao's attention to the three-year plan. This is what I want them to do."

The Jinyiwei passed on the news. In the Imperial Household Department, Chen Zhonghui, the Imperial Household Department Minister, chewed over the emperor's instructions carefully. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he couldn't even stand up straight. He looked ten years older. "My life is over."

The Shaoqing of Taifu Temple, who was eavesdropping nearby, was speechless for a moment.

How come "my life is over"?

Although they did agree not to appear in front of Xiao Bai Ze casually and attract his attention. But, it doesn't mean that you will be exposed as long as you come into contact with him! Be careful, there is still a good chance of survival!

The Minister of the Imperial Household Department saw that his junior minister did not care, so he sighed and said earnestly: "You are still a little inexperienced... Do you think that what His Majesty has passed on to you are just a few simple words? There are some subtleties in this, you have to understand it!"

The Imperial Household Department's Shaoqing was stunned for a moment, then gradually became serious: "What did you realize?"

The Minister of the Imperial Household shook his head, and said, "You, His Majesty said 'it didn't work the first time' and then he said 'sacrifice for the country'. Even a passing dog could hear that His Majesty was dissatisfied with Minister Wei and was hinting to me that if it didn't work the first time, I should try a few more times."

The Shaoqing of the Imperial Household Department was shocked: "How...how did you hear that?"

The Minister of Imperial Household: "Think about it! When I went to Xu Yanmiao, did I need to say something as serious as 'sacrifice my life for the country'? I must have been extremely angry and said something without thinking. You can imagine how angry your Majesty was to say such a thing! So what was your Majesty angry about?"

The Imperial Household Department's Shaoqing was getting more and more into the story, and he was so fascinated by it that he asked anxiously, "What are you angry about? Tell me now!"

The Minister of the Imperial Household laughed loudly: "You, you are still impatient! Think about it, the key points of these sentences are still on 'first time' and 'sacrifice for the country'. Your Majesty clearly hinted to Minister Wei that if it doesn't work once, he should come a few more times. Even if he is watched to death and sacrifices his life for the country, he must ask for the three-year plan and the five-year plan!"

The Minister of the Imperial Household: "But I don't know if Minister Wei really didn't understand or was pretending not to understand. He only went there once and gave up. That's why Your Majesty was so angry that I was able to see into His Majesty's heart."

After saying this, the Minister of the Imperial Household let out a long sigh, as if he felt sorry for Minister Wei.

The Junior Minister of the Imperial Household was already full of admiration. No wonder Shangguan was the Minister of the Imperial Household, while he was only the Junior Minister. In the past, he felt that his ability was not inferior to that of the Minister of the Imperial Household, and he was not convinced. Now it seems that it is the difference in political vision! The Minister of the Imperial Household has a big vision: "The Minister of the Imperial Household has a good idea!"

The Minister of the Imperial Household stroking his beard reservedly, he said thoughtfully: "His Majesty is now disappointed with Minister Wei. As long as I can sacrifice my life for the country and be watched till death, I will definitely get the three-year plan from Xu Yanmiao. His Majesty will definitely look at me differently."

By then, if I catch the favor of His Majesty, promotion will be a sure thing, right?

As long as the Minister of the Imperial Household thought of the bright future, he suddenly felt:

Not to mention having one or two pieces of gossip dug up, he would be happy even if all the good things he did were dug up!

The Imperial Household Department's Shaoqing couldn't help but wonder, "What if he doesn't want to go through with the three-year plan?"

The Minister of the Imperial Household Department was decisive: "If we can't complete all the tasks, then at least we have to complete half of them!"

Imperial Household Department Shaoqing: "Huh?"

The Minister of the Imperial Household Department said in a shocked voice: "Let him dig up all my gossips, let him dig up all my gossips! Let everyone watch me until I die! This is also my best effort, and His Majesty will not blame me like he blamed Minister Wei! Maybe he will still look at me differently!"

The Shaoqing of the Imperial Household Department: "Hiss——!!!"

The Minister of the Imperial Household rekindled his desire to struggle.

Next to him, the Shaoqing of Taifu Temple had a scorching gaze.

He got it! He got it! He got it!

He must remember this well and think carefully, because the path to promotion is right before his eyes!

＊

The Minister of the Imperial Household had been silent for a long time, until the news of the increase in the number of arithmetic in the imperial examinations had spread, and until the old emperor urged him several times. But the Minister of the Imperial Household was as steady as an old dog, until...

"Ah? The banquet of Lord Dou? I didn't receive an invitation."

Xu Yanmiao checked the mailbox at her door and confirmed that she had not received an invitation. She then looked at the Minister of the Imperial Household: "Indeed, no."

Of course, the Minister of the Imperial Household knew that he didn't.

The purpose of this banquet is that the former Prime Minister Dou wants to find a husband for his eldest granddaughter. Although you, Xu Yanmiao, are about the same age as her, you don't plan to get married, and you don't have any sisters at home, so how could they invite you?

——Yes, this eldest granddaughter was the one who was almost in marriage with the former crown prince.

The Minister of Imperial Household knew that Xu Yanmiao was not clear about the purpose of the banquet, so he asked with a smile: "Do you want to go and see the fun? I happen to have an extra invitation here."

Xu Yanmiao was about to refuse.

The Minister of the Imperial Household Department said as if nothing had happened: "I heard that Dou Gong's students found Zhuo Yu from Bashu and planned to give it to Dou Gong at this banquet - just in time to wash away the bad luck of the previous banquet."

Zuo Yu?

Xu Yanmiao blinked her eyes——

[Panda! Aaaaaaaa! It's a panda!!!]

Xu Yanmiao coughed lightly: "But Mr. Dou didn't invite me, so it's not appropriate for me to go, right?"

The Minister of Imperial Households said with a smile, "The concierge only accepts invitations. Xu Lang, you are not going to mess things up, so why not? Besides, when a family holds a banquet, they are prepared to ask someone else to come and congratulate them in case the host of the invitation cannot come."

In the end, the desire to see the pandas overwhelmed everything else. Xu Yanmiao thanked the Minister of the Imperial Household and appeared at the banquet on the day of the banquet.

But no official would think that Xu Yanmiao came for the eldest granddaughter of former Prime Minister Dou.

They were just confused: "Why is this person here!"

Nothing is going to happen again! We just want to enjoy a banquet! We haven't dared to have a banquet for several months, and we want to have some fun at this banquet!

When former Prime Minister Dou heard the news, he was chatting and laughing with several colleagues, but for a moment he could no longer laugh.

He also began to think about whether he should find someone to look at his eldest granddaughter's horoscope. How come... the last time he discussed marriage, he met the Crown Prince, a bastard who had someone in his heart and was still holding on to his granddaughter. This time, he obviously didn't invite Xu Yanmiao, so why did Xu Yanmiao still show up.

Could this be a sign of being unmarried?

Then after checking, they found out that it was the Minister of the Imperial Household who brought the person here. Moreover, the reason was that he wanted to use the relaxed environment of the banquet to make Xu Yanmiao pay attention to the three-year plan.

The reason for choosing the Dou family is not that I am not worried about being retaliated against, but mainly because only the Dou family is hosting a banquet this month, and other families are not planning to hold banquets, so I can only take a risky move.

Former Prime Minister Dou: "..."

Other officials who wanted to relax: "..."

Chen Zhonghui, I advise you not to be too extreme.

＊

Xu Yanmiao was very conscious of being invited to get a free ride. As soon as she arrived, she found a corner to hide away and began to entertain herself even more consciously.

[Banquets... Based on my experience, this is where accidents often happen! ]

As soon as these words were spoken, Prime Minister Dou's palms began to sweat, and all the various incidents that had been exposed by Xu Yanmiao in the past kept flashing before his eyes.

——His brother-in-law obviously still had ideas about collecting taxes from the gentry, so he has not yet taken back his position as the head of the column. He can still hear Xu Yanmiao's voice now.

[What is this poetry contest? Oh, it's usually poor outsiders slapping people in the face who have status and can write poetry, such as Le Langzhong's apprentice.]

The man who was named and his teacher, Le Zui, a doctor from the Ministry of War, suddenly started coughing violently.

The two looked at each other...

The student quickly said, "Teacher, I actually caught a cold last night and my throat is a little uncomfortable."

Doctor Le looked at his hand and said meaningfully: "It's okay. This banquet is harmonious. Although your throat has problems, your hands are fine. Your poems are popular all over the world. Why don't you write a poem for Lord Dou..."

The apprentice understood the meaning of the music and immediately checked and corrected the problem: "But there is a problem with my right hand - I bumped it against the corner of the table last night, and today I feel like it is not working properly."

Le Zui sighed, as if he was very emotional: "There's nothing we can do about it."

The student smiled and nodded: "Yes, I'm afraid I can't write poetry today."

[There was also a story about a girl from a certain family who was deliberately pushed into the water, ruined her reputation, and was forced to marry the gangster who rescued her—Oh, it would probably be difficult for the Dou Mansion to find a gangster. That could be a child of a noble family with bad behavior.]

[For example, the son of Marquis Fengxiang? He is a well-known playboy, and he is very kind to women. I guess if he sees someone falling into the water, he will save them immediately. Oh no! It just so happens that this guy can swim! ]

[I don't know how the young couple who are forced to be together will live in reality. Will they still love their parents... or offer sacrifices to the gods. Then the prodigal son will turn back, achieve success, and regret every year at his parents' graves.]

Marquis Fengxiang suddenly turned his head and gave his son a fierce look.

son:"?"

"......father?"

"Don't wander around later. Just stay with me."

The son was even more confused: "No, Dad, I'm with you, how can I go...Uh, Dad, you know. Although people may not like me, I have to show up."

He didn't come to the banquet to eat and drink for free. He came to meet the eldest lady of the Dou family and see if she was willing to marry into the Fengxiang Marquis's Mansion!

Fengxiang Hou thought about it and said, "That's right."

The son was about to smile.

Fengxiang Hou: "How about this, Dad will help you pick out some clothes, and you can change quickly."

son:"?"

A moment later, the son of Marquis Fengxiang sat next to his father with a wooden face. He was originally wearing a royal blue suit that was particularly flattering on him. With the peach blossom fan, he looked like a romantic and elegant nobleman. But now...

The clothes were glittering and colorful, the glittering ones were pearls and the colorful ones were fabrics. They were so colorful and dazzling that they could be seen at a glance in the crowd.

I don't know if he is the most handsome one, but he is definitely the one who looks most like a peacock.

The old father patiently reminded him, "You are very eye-catching in this outfit, don't take it off, understand? The more eye-catching you are, the less likely you will be implicated in the plot. If there is a need to rescue people, such as diving, putting out a fire, or climbing onto a roof, don't go by yourself. Take off your pearls. There will always be brave men who will help you rescue the people if there is a big reward. If you really have to do it yourself, it's okay. You are so bright, and there is snow on the ground. The heavy snow will also reflect the light. I guess many people can't see your face clearly. By then, they will bite you to death."

Son: "...Let's not talk about anything else, but I agree with the statement that you can't see the face clearly."

Feng Xiang Hou was very proud: "Of course, this is a brilliant idea that your father has thought of after much thought!"

Son: "Yes, for example, your son now wants to find a mask to cover his face more completely."

Fengxiang Hou felt that his son really didn't understand what "parents who love their children will make far-reaching plans for them" meant. Who was he racking his brains for? It was better than the former Prime Minister Dou directly locking his own son in the woodshed!

——Yes, Xu Yanmiao's thoughts have progressed to [In addition to falling into the water, there should be some gangster who brought a lady's personal handkerchief to the public, saying that a certain lady had a secret relationship with him, forcing the lady to marry. Well, generally speaking, they can get the handkerchief. Half of the time, the lady was framed by other women, and the other half was that the lady's annoying playboy brother lost the lady's personal belongings. Oh! If it is the latter, usually when the gangster takes out the thing, the playboy will be stupid enough to rush to admit: How did you get my sister's handkerchief! You lecher! As parents, it was too late to say that the handkerchief was fake], and when the former Prime Minister Dou heard this, he immediately had his youngest son locked up by force to prevent him from being unreliable and harming his eldest granddaughter.

By the way, he found an excuse and asked the servants to raise the wall with spikes and thorns, and blocked all the dog holes in the house. He also set traps. Anyone who dared to come in through the dog holes would be cut by the blades.

——Completely eliminate the possibility of Huangmao breaking in with the so-called personal handkerchief.

In addition to the former Prime Minister Dou, other officials who had playboys at home also quickly activated the emergency plan and got rid of the troublesome things.

In more extreme cases, a handful of croton seeds would be directly used. Now my own son is still sitting on the squat toilet and cannot get up. He will definitely miss this blind date.

＊

The ministers, who had made sufficient preparations, only hoped that Xu Yanmiao would say more so that they could eliminate the danger.

but......

It was strange that there were so many unexpected things happening at the banquet? They had never noticed it before.

Fortunately, it is not too late to find out now! Xu Lang mentioned a loophole, and they fixed it!

Everyone was waiting for Xu Lang.

Xu Lang touched his stomach: [I'm hungry. I'll think about the rest after I've eaten.]

Colleagues: ???

Colleagues: !!!

You can eat, but we can't! If we don't finish talking, everything we eat will taste like chewing wax!

And...Xu Lang, don't you think it's a waste to spend such precious time eating?

＊

Xu Yanmiao was looking forward to today's meal happily.

[The food at the blind date banquet shouldn't be bad, right? There must be pork neck meat. This piece is fat and lean, and tastes especially delicious! ]

[Crabs are the fattest before frost. There should be plenty of crabs in the Prime Minister's Mansion! ]

[Damn it, why can't the menu for the blind date banquet at the former prime minister's residence be considered gossip! I can't even know what dishes will be served! ]

[God bless, believer Xu Yanmiao wants to eat fish jelly! Crucian carp is best! Don't eat carp, carp is hard to cook well! ]

Colleagues: "..."

You even ordered food?!

Former Prime Minister Dou silently ordered someone to add the crucian carp jelly.

After a while, the food was served. Xu Yanmiao ate very contentedly, while the officials ate carelessly.

I finally saw Xu Yanmiao put down his chopsticks.

The officials immediately perked up and waited attentively for Xu Yanmiao to continue revealing information.

Xu Lang lived up to everyone's expectations, and his voice rang out——

[Great! I was worried that nothing would happen at Dou Gong's blind date party today, so I checked the gossip system and didn't find any gossip, whether it was current or future! ]

[Reality is really not like the stories in the novels, where there is no such thing as framing someone to fall into the water or catching an adulterer on the spot! Mr. Dou is a good man, and today's banquet will definitely be a complete success! ]

"???"

Storybook?!

All the senior officials were stunned.

So you just said so much, you were thinking about the story? Instead of what kind of gangsters, drowning, or personal handkerchiefs will really appear today? !

Then what we just did was in vain? !

Were we nervous for nothing?!

Someone thought a little more -

Then wouldn't it be a waste for me to give my son the chin bean?

Xu Yanmiao raised his head suddenly, his eyes sharp: [There is murderous intent! ]

——Gossip just refreshed by the system: On November 10, the 35th year of Tiantong, a murderous aura suddenly appeared at the blind date party that Dou Qing hosted for his eldest granddaughter.

Colleagues could not see the system panel, they could only see Xu Yanmiao's reaction. They were shocked: Xiao Bai Ze was so sensitive! He could even sense our murderous intent towards the Minister of the Imperial Household!

——Yes, they don't blame Xiao Bai Ze for this, but they must blame the Minister of the Imperial Household. If he hadn't brought people to the banquet, they wouldn't be so nervous!

Minister of the Imperial Household: "..."

Feeling the gloomy gazes of his colleagues, he wiped away a cold sweat.

"It's okay, it's okay... This is a necessary hardship on the road to promotion!"

The Minister of the Imperial Household comforted himself: "It's just a small matter! I can hold on!"

[Eh?] Xu ​​Yanmiao had obviously found something else, and her expression suddenly became shocked: [This is too disrespectful to Lord Dou! Before we set off, we told our children to behave a little worse, a little clumsy, etc... Everyone said that?! ]

[They all thought it was okay as long as their own family members were the only ones doing this, and they never considered that other people were not planning to marry into the Dou family either.]

[What are you doing? Madam Dou is such an excellent girl, why are you so disgusted... Oh, sorry, I misunderstood you, you guys are full of praise for Madam Dou.]

[The reason is that you feel that the Hongmen Banquet that Prime Minister Dou organized before his retirement was too dangerous. Although you admire Prime Minister Dou very much, you don't want to marry him for the time being? ]

The murderous aura in the room froze for a moment, and then became more substantial.

——Officials: If you, Lao Deng, hadn't brought Xu Yanmiao here, would this matter have been exposed!!!

The Minister of the Imperial Household could no longer hold it in.

That's not right! If you want to plot against Bai Ze, wouldn't that just expose your own privacy?

Why is there an upgrade now?!

This kind of operation that directly draws hatred from all officials is unbearable, really unbearable! If it continues, it will really be a sacrifice for the country!

Your Majesty, why don't you do this yourself?

The author has something to say:

Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run.

——"Chu Long Persuades the Queen Mother of Zhao"

＊

Chapter 213 On this day, the protagonist was scolded for several hours.

The Minister of the Imperial Household also failed.

The old emperor began to appoint the next one, and then——

"He said he was beaten up by some thugs and can't do anything for the time being."

"This guy said he accidentally rolled down the stairs and needs to stay in bed."

"And this, he said he was tired of being an official and asked for a few days off to enjoy the mountains and rivers?! Why didn't he drown in the water?"

The old emperor put down the memorial and slammed his hand on the table. "One or two of them know how to shirk responsibility. Asking them to go and get some information is worse than asking for their lives! They are talking about being willing to be humiliated for Your Majesty. That's all bullshit!"

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard lowered his head and couldn't help muttering in his heart.

Then you are not just being humiliated. If you are not careful, you will offend 60 to 70 percent of the officials, and they are likely to be high-ranking officials of the first, second, third, or fourth ranks. Who wouldn't be afraid?

For example, the Minister of the Imperial Household Department, the entire Censorate was mobilized yesterday to impeach him, and from yesterday to today, those officials rolled their eyes every time they saw him, spoke in a sarcastic tone, and even did some tricks to make things difficult for him. The Jinyiwei alone encountered thirteen such cases.

In this situation, anyone who dares to accept the emperor's mission is a death warrior!

After the old emperor finished cursing, he was filled with mixed feelings: "In such a huge court, there is no one who can share your worries."

Does he really have to do it himself?

The old emperor thought about the possible embarrassing scenes, and immediately and smoothly switched to the next thought: Is there not a single loyal minister among all the civil and military officials in the court?

A eunuch came in and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Wanshou wants to see you."

"Wanshou? Why are you here at this time?" The old emperor was feeling annoyed, and his tone sounded a little impatient.

The eunuch hurriedly asked, "Then shall I ask the princess to go back?"

"Well, that's not necessary. Let her come in. I'll see what she wants to say."

The emperor spoke, and soon after, Princess Wanshou came in wearing official uniform. She bowed and greeted him, then asked, "Your Majesty, are you willing to add arithmetic to the official school?"

The official schools here also include Taixue and Guozijian.

The old emperor nodded and said, "Of course. I plan to open a mathematics course. From now on, some of the time for the Mingjing course and the Qishi course will be allocated to the mathematics class."

Princess Wanshou glanced at her father, organized her words, and said in a calm and generous manner: "At present, the mathematics department has not yet had its own teacher. I think I am not bad at mathematics, and I beg Your Majesty to allow me."

——In official schools such as the Imperial College and the Imperial Academy, teachers were all officials.

The old emperor was about to think.

Princess Wanshou looked at him and said seriously, "Cut your salary in half."

"!!!"

What are you still thinking about!

"OK!"

Princess Wanshou's heart warmed up and tears almost flowed out: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After the ceremony, she walked out. The moment she stepped over the threshold, tears flowed down her cheeks.

Three years of official career can really train a person. Three years ago, Princess Wanshou would never have thought that she would be able to muster up the courage to take the initiative to ask her father for an official position.

She never expected that she wanted to stay in the officialdom.

"Little by little, slowly increase the stakes, it should be OK..."

Princess Wanshou suddenly smiled.

She knew that she was appointed to this position based on her father's whim.

You can give when you are prosperous, and you can take it back when you are unsuccessful. So she worked hard to make achievements, from the tax collection she proposed before to the mathematics teacher today, all of which were the codes she added to herself.

In her father's eyes, "being useful" is above all else.

——Just like, he liked the female precepts and firmly believed that the harem should not interfere in politics, but he often discussed state affairs with Princess Fangling.

If she doesn't want to leave the officialdom, she must become useful!

Princess Wanshou slowly wiped away the tears on her face and said to herself over and over again: "Gao Huachun, if you don't want to return to the harem, you must become useful."

The snow on the ground is so bright that nothing can escape its light.

【ah......】

Princess Wanshou was startled and turned her head subconsciously, only to see Xu Yanmiao looking at her evasively with an embarrassed face.

[It's over, it's over. Why did I come to Wuying Palace at this time? I just happened to run into Princess Wanshou talking to herself. How embarrassing! ]

Princess Wanshou blushed, bowed to Xu Yanmiao as a greeting, and then left quickly.

After she left, Xu Yanmiao swallowed his saliva and walked towards Wuying Palace.

After a while, the surprised voice of the master of this country came from Wuying Hall: "You said you have some ideas about mathematics?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xu Yanmiao's eyes shone brighter after he said this: "It's a very simple idea!"

Then, Xu Yanmiao began to tear the umbrella happily——

"I have heard that the Imperial College, the Imperial Academy, and the Four Schools hold an exam every year, which is called the annual exam. However, the annual exam alone is not enough! These students are not under enough pressure! So, why not have a ten-day exam every ten days? A monthly exam every month? A quarterly exam every quarter, no, it should be called a term exam! And the annual exam, this is a good habit, we must keep it!"

"There is still a graduation exam. You can't graduate if you don't pass it!"

"Also, after each class, you can choose to have an in-class test or not at the beginning of the next class. This way, students will never slack off!"

"Also! The teacher rarely leaves exercises for students after school. Mathematics is a subject that will go against the current if you don't practice. I ask Your Majesty to order the teacher to leave at least ten exercises for students to take home every day."

Xu Yanmiao's face was full of righteousness, as if all he saw was the future of the country and the students.

"Also, teachers don't have much contact with students' parents on weekdays, so parents seldom know how their children are doing in school. When teachers encounter naughty students, they are usually too lazy to go to their homes and say, 'Your child is always naughty and disruptive in class'. When they encounter excellent students, they are also too shy to go to their homes and say, 'Your child is doing very well in school'. How about! Hold a parent meeting once a month, choose a place for teachers and students' parents to meet, and at least one elder from each student's family must come, and the teacher will tell them how their children are doing in the school. How about that?"

"Also, the students go to school too late..."

The old emperor couldn't help but feel pity, and the way he looked at Xu Yanmiao was strange.

What a vicious method! If he were a student, he would definitely denounce it... But he is the emperor, this is to help him test others:)

The old emperor said: "I'm afraid that's not possible. It's too early. The Master is still in court."

Xu Yanmiao, however, was full of confidence.

——Perhaps, Your Majesty, have you heard of morning self-study!

＊

Next, the reform of the imperial examination system was carried out vigorously across the country, and mathematics returned to the circle of prominent academic disciplines.

The great mathematicians of the time also began to go to the capital to contribute to the prosperity of mathematics.

The Four Schools can accept commoners' sons to make a living, and one of them includes mathematics. However, due to past policies, the mathematics department has always been difficult to fill. Most people who enter the Four Schools will definitely choose Confucianism. If that doesn't work, they will also choose law or calligraphy. It doesn't matter whether they know mathematics or not, they can learn it when they enter the Ministry of Revenue. If they really don't want to learn it, it will be no problem for the clerks under their command to learn it.

But now, I heard that after the imperial examination, the mathematics subject was immediately full. Not only was it full, but the enrollment was also expanded. From the original one class, it became four classes, with one hundred people in each class.

Some of them came here because they thought it would be easy to graduate from mathematics and heard that the learning environment was tolerant. However, after entering the official school, they were speechless for a moment.

"What are these ten-day exams, monthly exams, quarterly exams, and annual exams all about? Haven't they been abolished long ago, leaving only the annual exams? What are these random exams? Just kill me!"

"Moreover, after every exam, the scores will be posted?!"

"What's the homework? At least ten questions a day?!"

"Why is there still a parents' conference? My family lives far away, in another province, and I can't come!"

"Hmm?! Xu Shentong said that parents of students from other provinces can come here once every one to two years, and the court will provide them with food, clothing, housing and transportation along the way?"

"It's okay, it's okay. I told you that if you really don't have time, you don't have to come."

"Yes...but it is also said that the teacher will write a letter to your parents every month."

"No, it doesn't matter. My family can't read!"

"Each county government can provide letter reading services..."

"Ahhh——" This is the sound of a student collapsing.

"hiss--"

"Students of other subjects must also take mathematics in their graduation exams, otherwise they won't be able to take the imperial examinations?!"

"The examinations for the princes and princesses also require mathematics?!"

"This Xu Shentong has no grudge against us, why would he want to harm us!!!"

Suddenly, voices crying for parents were heard from all over the academies.

——After all, mathematics is really difficult to learn for some people.

Mathematics has suddenly become very popular, and mathematics books that were usually not selling well have been sold out recently.

The most popular ones are "Nine Chapters", "Zhuishu", "Haidao", "Jigu", "Sunzi", "Jiyi", "Zhoubi", "Wucao", "Three-level Numbers", "Five-class Mathematics", "Zhang Qiujian" and "Xiahouyang", because the exams are mostly based on changing questions from these books.

There were twelve big-headed books in total, and the students were going crazy.

——Especially those in other classes, apart from mathematics, they still have to study their undergraduate books!

＊

"Hahaha--"

"Hahaha--"

On this day, sounds of gloating laughter could be heard from officials' homes everywhere.

The noise is very loud and harsh.

The student looked at the father or grandfather who had no concern for his child and stamped his feet angrily, "Sir!"

Are you happy when we rack our brains to learn math?

Adults: "Hahahahahahaha—"

Fortunately, we graduated a long time ago, hahahaha!

Then, they received a message from the emperor: "According to Xu Yanmiao's proposal, and with the support of the crown prince, mathematics will be included in the official assessment of officials in various places. Those who fail will be punished."

Adults:"......"

They are already in their 40s and 50s, some are even in their 70s and 80s, and they still need to learn arithmetic?!

The smile gradually disappears.jpg

On this day, roars suddenly rang out from the various mansions.

"Xu, Yan, Miao!"

Taking the "Nine Chapters" snatched from the child, they flipped through a few pages awkwardly and found that they could not quite understand it. Then they gritted their teeth, put their hands on their hips, stomped their feet and scolded Xu Yanmiao for several hours.

——In this situation, even if you are Bai Ze or the Jade Emperor, it won't work!

This is too much! This is too deceptive!

Xu Yanmiao, you are also an official, you also have to take the assessment, aren't you afraid that you won't fail?

When these words spread and reached Xu Yanmiao's ears...

[Don't worry, I got 147 in math in the college entrance exam. ]

Xu Yanmiao made a "yeah" gesture in her heart.

The author has something to say:

Ten-day examinations, monthly examinations, quarterly examinations, and annual examinations have all existed in history. At the beginning, they all existed. Later, this aspect was gradually relaxed and evolved into:

I have to take both the ten-day exam and the monthly exam in one month. It's too hard. I'll give up the ten-day exam and only keep the monthly exam.

I have to take both monthly and quarterly exams in one quarter. It's too hard. I'll give up the monthly exams and only keep the quarterly exams.

Later, there were basically only quarterly examinations and annual examinations (some dynasties even only had annual examinations, which was once a year).

＊

However, although it seems relaxed, many students actually dare not relax, because they cannot take the imperial examination if they fail the graduation examination.

＊

[Also, the only things left in the study environment are the annual exam and the graduation exam.]

＊

Chapter 214 I sell anxiety to court officials in Daxia

Prime Minister Dou was completely Spartan.

He just returned to the court! You did this to me, asking an eighty-year-old man to take the math test. How polite!

Xu Yanmiao, I have let you play with Zuo Yu for nothing these two days!

I wanted to give it to you, but now you are dreaming!

Former Prime Minister Dou rushed into the palace angrily: "Your Majesty! Do I, an old man on my deathbed, have to take the math test?"

The old emperor clutched his chest and said, "Ouch! Ouch!"

Prime Minister Dou Qian paused and said, "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"

The old emperor gasped, "My heart hurts a little. Uncle, help me to the couch. I'll lie down for a while."

Prime Minister Dou Qian hurried forward and helped the man to the couch. He was too embarrassed to mention mathematics anymore. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Do you need to call the director of the Imperial Hospital?"

The old emperor took a breath and waved his hand: "No, I'll just lie down for a while."

Former Prime Minister Dou sat aside worriedly.

The old emperor closed his eyes and seemed to be resting.

the other side.

Xu Yanmiao was still busy in the palace perfecting the details of mathematics with the prince.

After writing two lines, the prince looked at Xu Yanmiao with admiration and said, "Xu Lang, you dare to do something that will anger the public. You are really a newborn calf that is not afraid of tigers. If you were not from the Ministry of Examination, I would have suspected that you were trying to increase the power of the Ministry of Examination."

——The Ministry of Personnel's Examination and Reward Department is the only department that can laugh right now. They are in charge of the annual official assessment, and Xu Yanmiao's proposal completely hits them right in the heart.

Xu Yanmiao added a few words about "officials' age and adjustment of the difficulty of mathematics examination" in the memorial. Hearing this, he said seriously, "We don't ask them to learn how to use the method of cutting a circle to calculate the length of the side of a regular 12,288-gon and the area of ​​a 24,576-gon inscribed in a circle. We just need them to have a basic knowledge of mathematics, master how to take square and cube roots, and understand probability. If they don't understand these, aren't we gambling with the conscience of the officials below?"

The prince's mouth twitched: "That's true."

——Xu Yanmiao's "find the length of the side of a regular 12,288-gon and the area of ​​a 24,576-gon inscribed in a circle" should be called "calculating pi to seven decimal places". The prince just wanted to say that if this was really tested, then even if you killed them, they would not be able to pass it.

Xu Yanmiao: "Your Highness, think about it. Officials should have a basic knowledge of mathematics so that they will not be deceived by their subordinates using false accounts, right?"

Xu Yanmiao: "I read a sentence before: your eyes will confuse you, your experience will mislead you, your intuition will deceive you, your relatives, subordinates, friends, and classmates will all try to deceive you, but mathematics will not."

The prince joked, "Because if you don't know math, you just don't know it?"

Xu Yanmiao said seriously: "Yes. If you don't know math, you don't know it."

The prince was stunned for a moment.

Xu Yanmiao: "In other words, if you want to know whether the number is correct or wrong, and whether it is possible, you must use mathematics to observe and verify. It is completely based on objectivity and is not affected by any subjective influence. I think your Highness should have experienced this before. No matter how you look at a person, he is a good person. You would never think that he is actually corrupt and taking bribes, bullying men and women behind his back, right? If you don't think so, you won't think of checking. This is the 'subjective influence'. But if you see that the numbers in the account book he submitted are wrong, you can know that he is suspected of falsifying the accounts to fool his superiors. This is the 'objective influence'."

Xu Yanmiao: "I believe that an official must do his best to eliminate subjective influences."

From the beginning to the end, the prince's mind was in a state of confusion, and he didn't know what emotions to differentiate. Until this moment, his thoughts barely emerged from this chaos, and he quietly stared at Xu Yanmiao.

'ah.'

He seemed to realize it belatedly before he reacted:

All of them were talking about Xu Yanmiao's naivety in the ways of the world, and were distressed that he could not understand the hidden meaning behind other people's words. They also laughed and said that he always inadvertently deceived the court, but... they always unconsciously forgot that Xu Yanmiao had the most unique insights, the longest vision, and the most thorough perspective in the world.

——He always shows that his knowledge is beyond this era.

The prince smiled faintly: "You are right..."

[Speaking of which, it would be nice if the emperor also had to take an exam on arithmetic. ]

The prince lost his temper: No, no, no! This is not right!

——Because, he really has the potential to become emperor ()

——He really has a cow! (Shocking sound)

In the distant Wuying Palace, Emperor Tiantong, who was lying on the couch with his eyes closed to rest, was suddenly faced with the malice of the world and almost couldn't pretend to be sick.

Feeling the worried and thoughtful look of his brother-in-law beside him, the emperor continued to close his eyes and refused to open them even though he felt very anxious.

It is impossible to teach him arithmetic! Absolutely impossible!

——But it can be arranged for the crown prince. After all, it was said before that the princes need to be assessed, and the crown prince, as the heir to the throne, does not belong to this.

In just a breath of time, the old emperor made a prompt decision: Push the crown prince out! Let Xu Yanmiao stop focusing on him, an old man who is almost seventy years old.

The crown prince is also a king, and the crown prince's studies are equivalent to paving the way for yourself to become the emperor!

After happily going through this equation in his mind, the old emperor opened his eyes and prepared to call for help.

[After all, if you don't learn, it's hard to guarantee that your subordinates won't cook the books, right? ]

[Even if the other party is indeed trustworthy at the beginning, can he really resist greed in the long run? After all, not only the emperor's son can't count, but the emperor himself can't count either.]

Xu Yanmiao played a trick that only he knew.

But the old emperor didn't know he was joking and almost jumped up from the couch.

You are the one who can't count! Your whole family can't count! Xu Yanmiao, stop spreading rumors!

Even the prince was full of emotion: "Beep——" "Beep——" "You are the one who beeps——"

I don't know what has silenced these inner thoughts.

Anyway, Xu Yanmiao himself was sitting very obediently. Judging from his appearance, who would have thought that he would dare to spread rumors about the emperor in his heart.

[Alas, it's a pity that I still have to live, so I can only hint at this matter briefly, and I dare not speak directly.]

The old emperor was silent for a moment, his chest rising and falling violently, then he exhaled heavily and said in a clear and loud voice: "You fart!"

When has that little bastard ever wanted to die!

After letting out his anger, the old emperor also let out his emotions. He frowned and recalled his previous thoughts.

"Tsk."

From this perspective, he really needs to learn arithmetic.

Prime Minister Dou hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, this minister..."

The old emperor: "Shut up! Learn everything from me! I have learned everything, and you still don't want to learn?"

Former Prime Minister Dou had a gloomy look on his face, and the moment he lowered his head, he tried hard to suppress the smile on his face.

——When things could not be changed, he felt much more balanced when he saw the emperor fall into the trap.

＊

The prince calmed himself down and tried to keep smiling: "Xu Lang is absolutely right, mathematics is indeed very important - it's a pity that such important mathematics has only been truly valued until now."

Xu Yanmiao smiled and said, "It's not too late now."

[It is never too late for foreigners to rely on their powerful ships and cannons to blast open China's gates. ]

......What?

In the East Palace, the prince clenched his pen tightly.

In the Wuying Palace, former Prime Minister Dou's face suddenly changed.

The old emperor suddenly sat up from the couch, his eyes bloodshot.

There was an earth-shaking wave that hit the government offices everywhere, as if it shocked hundreds of people, shocked thousands of people, and shattered tens of thousands of people.

What does it mean to "rely on powerful ships and cannons to blast open the gates of China"? !

Is that what they meant?!

The emperor and his ministers of Daxia had been keeping this matter to themselves for three days. When the crown prince "happened" to meet Xu Yanmiao, he asked casually, "Xu Yanmiao, what do you think of overseas?"

Xu Yanmiao was stunned for a moment: "What do you mean?"

The prince gripped the armrests with his hands, and veins bulged where his sleeves were covering.

He suppressed his anxiety and chose his words carefully: "Before the general and the Marquis of Luo County went out to sea, the court began to manage overseas, connecting islands with ships and fortresses. But I have always been worried, what if we encounter overseas countries that are hostile to Daxia?"

Xu Yanmiao subconsciously checked the system and flipped through the gossip in the West: [Fortunately, fortunately, there is no need to worry in the next fifty years. Foreign countries have not yet started colonial expansion, the Renaissance has just begun, and the remaining darkness of the Middle Ages still shrouds them. Now Daxia has begun to pay attention to business and mathematics, and will gradually pay attention to industry. There is still time. ]

Do we still need to pay attention to industry?

Former Prime Minister Dou rushed to the table at a speed not befitting an octogenarian, tore off a piece of paper and picked up a pen. After a brief thought, he wrote down a sentence as if he was just practicing calligraphy on a whim, which contained the word "industry".

As for the East Palace, no one knew how the Crown Prince misled the people, but waves of Xu Yanmiao's thoughts came to her.

[Ah? Population? Who would count the population for no reason... But Daxia probably has a larger population, right? It seems to be twice the population of the country with the largest population...]

The solemn expression of Prime Minister Dou Qian improved a little, and he suddenly seemed to have an idea and wrote two lines of hidden-head poetry with the two characters "Ren Lü" (benevolence and lord) in it, which means "population". He also seemed to be grading his own poem, and marked the second place after the poem.

——In this way, even if Xu Yanmiao saw it, he would not understand the meaning.

[Army? That's even more impossible to understand! After the generals went to sea, they didn't fight with those powerful countries. At most, they fought some small countries - but they crushed them. After all, at this point in time, China's firearms and military combat power were definitely among the best. ]

Prime Minister Dou Qian took note of the army's situation in his mind, intending to write it down later and disrupt the order.

Many military attachés breathed a sigh of relief.

It's enough to be at the top, at least they can still fight now - but how could China become so corrupt in the future that it was overtaken by foreigners?

This question is destined to have no answer. All we can hear is Xu Yanmiao's inner voice: [Copper mine? How can we know the reserves of copper mines? This is not the era of big data... However, I seem to have mentioned in high school geography that Chile is the kingdom of copper mines. Where is Chile now? Ah! I remember! The southwest of the New World discovered by Xie Xianhou and his people! Now that South America was discovered by China first, the copper mine should also be discovered in the future... right? ]

Former Prime Minister Dou quickly memorized this part, but was afraid that he would forget it when he recalled it in the future, so he took out a handwritten travel journal from the bookcase and casually folded a corner at the lower left corner.

[Do you want to know about shipbuilding technology? I think it's shipbuilding technology that can travel around the world.]

Former Prime Minister Dou lowered his eyes slightly.

He knew what this represented. It represented all kinds of resources in the world, which other countries could also obtain.

——Those people have boats too!

Even the resources on the new continent discovered by Daxia may not belong only to Daxia.

[What level has the technology of other countries reached? 】

[Let me take a look...]

[Using peat fertilizer to improve the soil should be counted. And grass root mud to keep the fertility of the soil should also be counted.]

[It is found that plowing the field three times can increase the harvest by two to three times, which should also be counted. 】

【The use of a three-field crop rotation system has increased the yield by another half to two-thirds.】

[The water mill is the steam engine of the Middle Ages. In addition to the water mill, there is also the wind mill. 】

[By the way! There is also the use of horses to plow the land instead of cows! Many areas are using it! ]

"What! Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!!!"

The agricultural officials threw all their reason, caution and objectivity to the winds and went mad with horror.

Horse plowing is indeed easier than ox plowing. The work that a horse can do on the land is equivalent to that of three to four oxen, but at the same time, the cost expenditure is also three to four times.

If a country is popular with horse farming, it must be a proof of its strong national strength, large cultivated land area, and high grain production. Otherwise, it cannot afford the cost of horse farming.

The countries outside...are indeed very strong. They can no longer be complacent!

Anxiety spread among the ruler and his ministers of Daxia. They desperately wanted to do something. They were awakened from their dreams for a long time and their hair fell out in clumps.

This shocked Xu Yanmiao: "Is learning mathematics so painful?"

He has seen several officials have receding hairlines!

The author has something to say:

Find the side length of the regular 12,288-gon and the area of ​​the 24,576-gon inscribed in the circle

——Fifteen Lectures on the History of Science

＊

Not only did the emperor's son not know how to count, but the emperor himself did not know how to count either.

——The joke comes from "The Legend of the Lotus Lantern", the original sentence is "The Jade Emperor's son doesn't know how to count"

＊

Your eyes will deceive you, your experience will mislead you, your intuition will deceive you, your relatives, subordinates, friends, and classmates will all try to deceive you, but mathematics will not.

[This sentence is adapted from "Don't trust your eyes, because your eyes will deceive you; don't trust your intuition, because your intuition will mislead you" and "If you don't know math, you don't know it"]

＊

Chapter 215 Who can refuse to leave a name in history, with a separate page in the family tree?

Time goes back to the day when Xu Yanmiao was being framed.

This is what the prince said:

"I know you don't know much about overseas affairs. I am just expressing my feelings. You don't have to speak. Just listen to me."

When a person is holding back and unable to speak, his inner voice is usually the most active, and he will subconsciously answer the other person's questions.

Although he successfully got a lot of things out of Xu Yanmiao, the prince was not happy at all.

Whenever he thought of what Xu Yanmiao had said about the development of foreign countries and that foreigners would use cannons to blast open China's door in the future, he almost lost his mind and wanted only to pick up the butcher knife and slaughter all the ancestors of the relevant enemies.

This thought was stuck in the prince's mind and could not be erased.

He pressed his temple and looked at Xu Yanmiao: "In short, everything overseas is unknown. I don't know whether they will invade our Great Xia..."

[Yes, yes! As long as China's national strength declines, they will definitely come and take a bite! ]

[And they will also cede Chinese land—Oh, right! The area where the old emperor's ancestral tomb is located seems to be the area where the land will be ceded? ]

The prince's nails almost dug into the flesh of his temple, but he still remembered that he was talking, so he gritted his teeth and continued: "I couldn't help but feel anxious, I'm sorry to make Xu Lang laugh."

Xu Yanmiao cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, you are too kind. Your Highness is just making preparations for a rainy day. What's more, what Your Highness said is not without reason."

Prince: "Oh?"

Xu Yanmiao: "When a country becomes strong, it will inevitably attract the four directions to pay tribute. When a country becomes weak, it will inevitably attract wolves. This is an eternal truth - Daxia cannot remain strong forever."

"Yes. Every country will inevitably become weak at some point."

The candlelight on the table beside him crackled, flickering in his dark pupils, illuminating his resolute and courageous face: "Xu Lang, Daxia must not rest on its laurels. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle. Now that we have potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn, we have more food. It's time to send a fleet to explore the outside world."

We need to go out and establish connections with other countries overseas so that we can better understand how many people they have, what technology they have, what policies they implement, and what their national policies are.

Only by going outside can we seize the benefits of the oceans and the continents without political power.

Okay, I have already reported my idea to Xu Yanmiao. It is reasonable and logical. Now I can -

"I will sort out my thoughts and submit a memorial in a few days, asking Your Majesty to organize more fleets to go out to sea. And open two or three checkpoints to allow civilians to go out to sea."

＊

Xu Yanmiao knew that he was not a smart person, nor did he have any profound scheming. He was just an ordinary college student. He could not shoulder the heavy responsibility of the times or push forward the historical process.

He came here just to try to help the original owner live a few more days, serve as an official for a few more days, and ease the original owner's resentment.

But after hearing what the prince said, Xu Yanmiao felt that she was crazy. Otherwise, how could she think of the spinning jenny, the rise of factories, the industrial revolution, the hegemony of the sea, the British Empire, and the whole world speaking Chinese when she saw the sea? The imagination of the Chinese can only make such a leap forward at this level.

After returning home, Xu Yanmiao took out the lion cat that was curled up in the bathtub, put it in her arms, and stroked it from the top of its head to its back. The cat's fur was soft and its body was warm. With her hand on the cat's back, she could feel its breathing slightly rising and falling with its spine, and its heartbeat was also gently vibrating.

"Good boy."

Xu Yanmiao said to herself: "It's not impossible, actually."

The lion cat called out lazily, and its fluffy tail swung from time to time, as if expressing its agreement.

[Speaking of which, the Yin-Yang School will be very happy, because their astrology skills can be put to better use, instead of watching the celestial phenomena with hundreds of people in the Sitianjian, and then reporting the celestial phenomena together and sharing the credit.]

The heir of the Yin-Yang family who lived in the same neighborhood as him sat up in shock from his dying illness, his eyes wide open.

How is it useful? Tell me quickly!

[However, we should not be too happy too soon. We have to see whether the memorial submitted by the crown prince can impress the old emperor.]

The heir of the Yin-Yang family raised his ears higher and higher, and he wished he could put his ears directly on Xu Yanmiao's mouth.

Memorial? What memorial? Tell us about it so we can help His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!

【Moreover, according to my theoretical knowledge, allowing large-scale voyages seems to harm the interests of some officials. 】

[If the emperor bans the sea, most people will not be able to sail, and only a few people are brave enough to smuggle. Some ministers are among these brave people. For their own interests, they will persuade the emperor not to lift the sea ban. I don't know if the prince can win over this group of jackals.]

So it turns out that customs are being opened on a large scale?

The descendants of the Yin-Yang School pressed their noses and fell into hesitation.

If they start arguing about this, they might end up fighting with real swords and guns - after all, others might be willing to give in, but this is different, this is real gold and silver. Even the emperor may not be willing to open the customs, the emperor also wants to take the meat and the soup at the same time!

However, after just a moment's hesitation, the Yin-Yang family members immediately made a decision: Help the prince! We must help the prince!

What does the emperor's interests and the interests of other ministers have to do with them? Of course, their own interests are more important!

"Your Highness!"

All the ministers in Beijing spontaneously revealed shy, yearning, yet extremely innocent smiles.

'From this moment on, we are the prince's people through and through!'

＊

Xu Yanmiao was very curious about what the prince would do.

All the civil and military officials in the court, including the emperor, were very curious.

Yes, before the prince started his plan, it was leaked out by a certain funnel. However, fortunately, the prince chose to talk to Xu Yanmiao, so he was prepared for it to be revealed.

The Crown Prince's Secretary, who was very close to the Crown Prince, had already stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

coming!!!

From the emperor to the court officials, everyone was excited.

The main reason is that the prince rarely wants to fight for something, and judging from the position of the Eastern Palace that he has been unable to get rid of, if nothing unexpected happens, the prince will definitely ascend the throne and become the new person who rules the court. Therefore, it is very important to determine the ability of the new boss and whether he can control his subordinates.

——Once they find that the prince cannot keep his seat in the court, although these ministers will not usurp the throne, it will be difficult for them to obey the orders of the new emperor.

The emperor nodded and said kindly and considerately, "If you have anything to say, don't worry, just take your time."

Who has ever seen a dog emperor speak like this? The court officials were collectively horrified.

Even the Prince's Secretary, who was about to report on the matter, shuddered.

Xu Yanmiao began to ponder.

The official next to him (since his promotion, Lian Hang could no longer stand with him) turned his gaze and looked at Xu Lang who was deep in thought.

"!!!"

The official thought of something and widened his eyes: "Xu——"

Interception failed.

Xu Yanmiao's voice suddenly came out with enlightenment: [Eh? Does this count as being too nice for no reason? It's either a traitor or a thief? ]

Finished.

The official lowered his head silently, not daring to look up.

However, the old emperor remained unmoved and even retorted: "You are just a kid. You can't even speak. What does "If you are too nice to others without any reason, you are either a traitor or a thief" mean? This is clearly "Courteous to the wise and humble", do you understand?"

Xu Yanmiao twitched her ears and turned her head slightly to look ahead and to her side.

I asked the person next to me quietly, "Did someone just call out my last name?"

The official looked at his nose and then at his heart: "I didn't hear it."

"Oh, thank you."

[Strange? Did I hear it wrong? ]

Xu Yanmiao was at a loss and didn't care anymore, she continued to ponder the emperor: [Well, I understand, I shouldn't say that those who show kindness for no reason are either treacherous or thieves, this is called——]

[The weasel is wishing a happy new year to the chicken! He has no good intentions! ]

"You have bad intentions! Can you speak?"

——The emperor's defense was still broken!

He glanced at the Crown Prince's Secretary unhappily and said, "If you have something to say, please say it quickly!"

Don't give Xu Yanmiao the chance to think about anything else!

＊

Your Majesty is back to normal!

The Crown Prince's Secretary breathed a sigh of relief and quickly spoke: "Your Majesty, the Japanese on the New Wo Island have already regarded Confucius as a god. At least eight out of ten people are fanatically worshipping the saint's temple."

Old Emperor: "...What?"

The Prince's Secretary knew that this would be the reaction - to be honest, his reaction when he knew was even greater than this.

"One year and eight months ago, the Marquis of Yongchang destroyed the Japanese and drove the remaining Japanese to the New Japanese Island. He used the method of Liang Rui, the head of the Ministry of Justice, to trap them on the New Japanese Island and form countless forces, killing each other and suppressing their population growth."

The Prince's Secretary told the story in detail.

——Because most officials may have forgotten about it.

The reason why the Japanese were not killed was mainly because they considered that the surrounding countries of Daxia might be saddened by the news and mistakenly believe that they would be subjected to particularly cruel means if they lost the battle. In this case, they would inevitably unite in order to survive, causing great trouble to Daxia.

The Japanese are not worthy of causing such consequences.

The Crown Prince's Secretary: "Although the Japanese have been trapped and died on the island, there are many trees on the island. If the Japanese find a way to avoid Daxia's detection and cut down trees to build ships to try to escape from the sea, it will be troublesome if they come back in the future."

The Crown Prince's Secretary: "But if we send troops to station on the island, it will be a waste of manpower."

The old emperor nodded: "So?"

The Crown Prince's Secretary said: "Therefore, the Crown Prince sent Confucian scholars to the New Wo Island to educate the Japanese, so that they can listen to the words of the sage and study the Confucian classics."

The old emperor was shocked: "They have learned it? And they sincerely worship Confucius?"

Is Confucianism's brainwashing ability so strong?

Other ministers were also extremely shocked, especially some who had dealt with the Japanese pirates, who were shocked beyond words.

The Japanese have always been afraid of power but not virtue. How could they be educated by just Confucianism?

The Crown Prince's Secretary said firmly: "Yes! That's it!"

【What? That's not the case at all.】

Xu Yanmiao began to "secretly" reveal the truth.

[It was the prince who sent people to spread the word on the island, saying that those who studied Confucian classics could exchange vegetables, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar by memorizing articles.]

——On the new island, there was no way to grow vegetables without vegetable seeds. Oil, salt, sauce and vinegar were even harder to come by.

[At first, the Japanese carried the sutras for survival, and secretly resented the incident. Later, they gradually felt that Confucius was indeed the savior, and that learning Confucius' thoughts could bring them temporary salvation.]

The ruler and ministers of Daxia: "???"

Redemption???

Isn't this too exaggerated?!

Xu Yanmiao also thought it was exaggerated, until he saw——

[On the new island, the indigenous people serve as officials to govern the indigenous people? It is precisely because they are from the same ethnic group that the officials governing them are more fierce, more brutal, and more inhumane than the Chinese?! ]

[Because they themselves are being oppressed by Daxia, so they oppress their own people even more fiercely? ]

[The Japanese people recited the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius and Confucian classics in exchange for the necessities of life, and then these necessities were privately plundered by the officials of the same ethnic group - and those officials did not dare to plunder them all because they needed them to live and continue to recite the classics. ]

[So over time, in the eyes of these oppressed Japanese, Confucius and Mencius were the saviors, because they survived because of them.]

[So in their eyes, Confucius and Mencius are equivalent to the Western God, and the Daxia people are the Western angels. Later, the angels took them to mine, and they mined very devoutly. No one wanted to try to escape? ]

[This... I have to say, the prince really understands human nature. ]

Xu Yanmiao was in a trance.

So you can play it like this?

Then we can use the Japanese to mine and free up some of the Chinese miners? !

What is this? Waste recycling?

【hiss--】

[I didn't notice that, in addition to mining, many domestic projects this year were done by the Japanese. Building roads, canals, transporting food... Oh, hundreds of thousands of Japanese were driven to the next place after finishing the work, and then they were driven back to the new Japanese island.]

The Minister of Works clicked his tongue twice.

I thought to myself: Isn't this just pure hard labor?

But it's good, if we have Japanese as coolies, the Chinese people won't have to suffer. And since they are not our own people, we don't need to be lenient when using them.

It's just right, this can also free up the people's strength. That's hundreds of thousands of people!

＊

The ruler and his ministers of Daxia all saw what the prince was planning.

Directly killing them would cause fear and unrest in the neighboring countries, but if they were forced to do hard labor and slowly died of exhaustion, then that would have nothing to do with our great China.

——Prisoners were originally sent to do hard labor, such as building city walls, pounding rice, building roads, etc. If you can't hold on and die, it's because you are weak.

Letting them learn Confucius and Mencius is just a means of control to prevent them from running away. It is impossible to let them integrate into China. After all, regardless of other considerations, Xiao Bai Ze's mood must be considered.

Xu Yanmiao didn't see that much. He just simply felt that since the mine had to be dug and the road had to be built, it was better to let other people suffer than his own people.

In the past year, these coolies also built two highways, making it more convenient for Daxia to transport grain to some remote places.

【Speaking of which, is this also considered enlightenment? 】

Xu Yanmiao was very confused.

Every Confucian disciple in the court screamed in their hearts: Yes! Of course it counts! To teach the barbarians to learn from Confucius and Mencius is to educate them!

Our Great Xia should have such a suzerain demeanor, educating the people with the teachings of Confucius and Mencius!

What a coincidence, the prince said the same thing.

"Your Majesty, if the Japanese can be educated as beasts, then other people overseas can be educated as well."

"I ask that more customs be opened so that Confucian disciples can go to sea at will, and the barbarians and barbarians can learn from Confucius and Mencius."

Confucian disciples in the court: "!!!"

The heart started beating wildly.

Who can refuse to leave a name in history and have a separate page in the family tree? That is the merit of education. The prince enlightened us, with Confucian classics in one hand and muskets and cannons in the other. That is also education, right?

open!

We support the opening of this customs!!!

Anyone who does not support it is making things difficult for us Confucians!

In response, the prince just smiled.

You see, who says that those who support opening customs are in the minority? As long as we find common interests, we can make many, many friends.

The author has something to say:

When I see short sleeves, I immediately think of white arms, naked bodies, genitals, sexual intercourse, hybridization, and illegitimate children. The Chinese imagination can only leap forward at this level.

——Lu Xun

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Chapter 216 Cultural Explosion

The prince originally thought that no one would object.

Suddenly, an angry voice came from the side: "Your Highness!"

Quan Yingzhang stood up from his chair with his cane, looking angry.

——People of his age can have a seat in the court.

"Your Highness, do you know how much it costs to build a ship? Do you know how dangerous it is to go to sea? Do you know that the natives may eat people? You are using fame and fortune to lure scholars all over the world to die! Your Highness, I am arrogant. Now, as the Grand Tutor and the Prince's teacher, I want to advise Your Highness to think twice before acting. This strategy is not bad, but it needs to be considered in the long run."

The incident happened suddenly, and all the officials were in an uproar.

But if you think about it carefully, it does make sense.

It is indeed tempting to educate the world, but it is also easy to lose people's lives, especially now that the Daxia navy is not particularly mature. If the people of Daxia are really bullied overseas, they may not be able to make those countries pay the price.

If too many scholars who went overseas died, even if the person who proposed it was the prince, he would be greatly criticized.

You should know that slander can melt gold and dissolve bones.

They are indeed not as mature and steady as Lord Quan...

The prince realized that his actions were indeed inappropriate. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Quan Yingzhang say righteously, "Let me go first to wade into this matter. You are still young, but I am already eighty-nine. I am not afraid of ruining my reputation. For example, the continent that produces potatoes and sweet potatoes has many natives who are ignorant of etiquette and have no education. Let me give it a try!"

Ministers: "..."

Bah! You old bastard! You have no shame!

The Confucians rushed out immediately——

"Your Majesty! I support the prince's idea!"

"Your Majesty! I am willing to share your worries!"

"Your Majesty! I have more than ten good friends, all of whom are great scholars. If there are any criticisms, they will definitely help me with my writing! I am not afraid of criticism!"

There are also many students of the Ancient Literature School, who are not afraid of offending the leader of the Ancient Literature School!

Just kidding, this is the C position in the ancestral hall, the family tree is opened separately, and he is the first lay Buddhist to burn incense!

If this could really make all the barbarians on the continent believe in Confucianism, they would be worthy of worshipping in the Confucian Temple!!!

It's worth it even if it costs my life!

From now on, Confucius will be ranked first in the Confucian Temple, Mencius will be ranked second, and the third one is "me"! Do you want to rush? Anyway, I will rush!

＊

The story of "Confucianism educating the barbarians of the new Wa Island" spread. Of course, the stories that spread were very politically correct, very educational, and inspiring to people all over the world.

Just like, the imperial court would only publicize that Confucius traveled around the countries with his disciples to promote Confucian culture, and by the way, add a picture of Confucius as a friendly person. They would never take the initiative to tell the general public that your kind Confucius is actually nine feet six inches tall and has superb archery skills.

They would not tell them that Confucius' disciple Zilu, one of the seventy-two sages, originally went to debate with Confucius in military uniform and holding a sword. It was then rumored that he was defeated by Confucius and became his disciple.

——After all, "Zilu bullied Confucius", and looking at his character, it doesn't seem like he was "conquered by virtue".

When the news spread, Confucian scholars and scholars all over the world were extremely excited, and many scholars went abroad with just one book, one bow and one arrow.

The wealthy built ships and sailed to the peninsula and the New World...

Those without money can rely on their own legs or work hard to buy a horse, go to the grasslands, go to the frontier, go to the land countries...

Enlightening the world has always been the ultimate ideal of Confucianism. Even Ji Sui quickly resigned from his official position and decided to conquer the New World.

It is known in Chinese history as the Cultural Explosion.

Other countries call it cultural invasion.

The old emperor was both happy and worried about this: "Many capable scholars have gone abroad to give lectures, so who will serve as an official in Daxia?"

The person he usually confided in was Empress Dou.

Empress Dou hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is there not enough officials now?"

"Not really. There are quite a lot of people, thousands of them are waiting to become officials, and they are quite educated."

The old emperor showed a painful expression: "It's just that I thought about those scholars who went out, they could have come to serve as officials for me."

Empress Dou didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "There are not many positions in the officialdom nowadays. We can't let them waste time, right? It's more beneficial than harmful for scholars to go out and spread the prestige of the country. Think about the glory of the previous dynasty when all nations came to pay tribute."

The old emperor stroked his chin and said, "That's right."

He could see that this was a decision that would not produce immediate results, but would yield rich rewards in the long run.

However, his old farmer's mentality made him always want the people of Daxia to concentrate on managing their own fields, and not always think about doing business or going out to sea, which was not a proper job.

But he also has the courage—

"Then wait a few years and see whether this policy is good or bad."

However, it didn't take a few years at all. Half a year later, news came from overseas.

There was a descendant of a family of diplomats who used his own skills of diplomacy overseas to help a small country form alliances and survive and grow in the cracks. His reputation soared, and he became a guest of honor in various countries and was deeply loved.

The descendants of the Zongheng family in Daxia: "!!!"

That's right! Daxia doesn't have the soil for the academic study of the strategists, but there is abroad! There are many places abroad where small countries coexist. Isn't this the place where they can display what they have learned in their lives?

Maybe they can even destroy an entire country by themselves like some of their predecessors did!

Awwwwww—

The history books were calling them, and the descendants of the family of diplomacy began to charge.

＊

During this period, China's national strength was absolutely unparalleled in the world.

It may not be as prosperous as some previous dynasties at their peak, but it is certainly not as powerful as them at the same time.

While Confucianists, Yin-Yang School, School of Diplomacy, etc. went overseas to stir up trouble, they also made overseas people very fascinated by Chinese culture.

It turns out that China has such a powerful culture and so many great philosophers.

——In their eyes, the founders of various schools of thought are similar to philosophers. Moreover, they are philosophers who can decide the life and death of a country.

For a time, learning Chinese culture became a new trend among large and small countries overseas. Small countries admired the strong, and large countries were curious. Chinese characters and language became symbols of the royal family and the nobility. For some countries that had already treated the hundreds of Chinese scholars as guests of honor, the royal family even took the initiative to ask Daxia to grant them surnames and pay tribute to them.

Many natives also traveled thousands of miles to Middle-earth, hoping to obtain household registration in Daxia and settle down in Daxia.

Bai Ze stood at the bottom of the long river of time, standing on the shoulders of giants, and said: [Cultural centripetal force. ]

The top smart people in the court quickly broke down the word and understood its meaning—the power of culture toward the center.

They, China, are the center.

The corners of the civil and military officials' mouths suddenly curled up, they walked with a breeze, and even worked with more energy.

Previously, Xu Yanmiao said that Chinese astronomy lagged behind that of foreign countries, and they were still holding their breath.

Who is lagging behind now? Who is worshipping whom? Take a look! Take a good look!

"Ahem, Xu Yanmiao." The Minister of Rites put the document in front of Xu Yanmiao in a pretentious manner: "Look at these foreigners who want to immigrate to Daxia. There are too many of them. I don't know if this arrangement is feasible."

[Ah? Me? Are you asking me whether the regulations of the Ministry of Personnel regarding arranging foreign immigrants are reasonable?]

Xu Yanmiao maintained a polite smile: "Okay."

Then check the system to see if you can find the reason.

[Eh? Not only did they ask me, they asked the other ones too - oh, I understand now, they wanted to show off their achievements! ]

The Minister of Rites naturally adjusted his collar and also smiled.

Of course not. I send them all to you just so that it doesn't seem awkward to send them to you.

By the way, he urged: "Xu Lang, look quickly——"

Which is more beautiful, our Great Chinese culture or foreign culture?

Xu Yanmiao read it carefully and was shocked: "Is the treatment so good?"

Minister of Rites: "After all, they are the first group of people. They should be given some preferential treatment so that more people can come in... Come on! I'll take you to see it!"

Then, Xu Yanmiao was taken to Fanfang, a foreign city in Daxia.

There were many foreigners with different skin colors, hair colors and eye colors. Some were returning from the outside of the workshop with silk in their arms, or were standing on the street talking to people in poor Daxia Mandarin, saying that there was a few acres of land behind the courtyard where they lived, and that they would use two acres as a melon field and one acre as a vegetable garden.

It's very lively.

"These foreigners all have household registrations." The Minister of Rites said softly, "If you want to become a Daxia citizen and buy a house and settle down in Daxia, you must have a household registration."

——With a household registration, we can collect taxes and levy labor service.

Yes, no matter what your race, hair color, eye color, or language, you have to pay taxes and perform labor service when you come to Daxia.

"If they know how to farm, we will allocate land to them so they can farm. But we will only allocate it to villagers. There are many people in the city but little land, so we won't allocate it."

...

Andrei was a male slave from the Black Sea who was stored as cargo below the deck of a transport ship, about to be sold to the island of Crete to grow sugar crops.

The sea was rocking and the ship was rocking. From the cracks in the deck came the captain, the sailors, and the first mate talking and laughing about how much gold coins their slaves could sell for, and they were pouring out tobacco like a river.

Andrei understood what they were saying. He knew that the youngest person in the cabin was a little girl who was only three years old. The merchants wanted to sell her for four gold coins.

The most sought-after item in the cabin was a slave from Syria, where slaves were often sold at extremely high prices because they were smarter - they could be sold for at least twenty gold coins.

As for a healthy and strong adult man like him, he could be sold for a thousand copper coins.

But the ship owners provided these valuable slaves with rotten food and leaky buckets.

Andre's stomach was aching badly. He lay in the cabin groaning softly. His face had turned very yellow, his head was swollen and dizzy, and he seemed to hear a faint buzzing sound in his ears.

He is a little homesick.

In that green valley, a girl holding a balalaika sits beside the Mirror Lake, her fingers plucking the strings, like petals plucking the piano. The breeze blows up ripples on the water, the hem of her skirt kisses the earth, and water birds swoop down and grab fish from the lake.

He didn't have time to ask what the song was called, but he knew that the sound reminded him of forests and dew, water sliding slowly down the leaves.

"Boom boom—"

There seemed to be sounds of fighting outside. The door panel was rubbed by something and then broke open. The pungent smell of gunpowder hit him in the face. Andre was no longer in the mood to guess.

A strange face appeared in front of him. He recognized it. It seemed to be a Chinese.

The other party looked at them, turned around and shouted something in a loud voice, and Andre did not understand. He could only see that although the other party was a little disgusted with the stench in the cabin, he still called people to move the slaves out.

I don't understand what those Chinese people are saying.

"Mr. Ji, this looks like a warehouse for human teeth."

"It is not convenient to spread Confucianism with this shipload of people. Let's send someone to transport them back to China."

The author has something to say:

Slanderous words can melt gold and dissolve bones.

——"You Xue Qiong Lin"

＊

Li Mi knew that some of the Hu people who had stayed in Chang'an for a long time, some for more than 40 years, all had wives and children, bought land and houses, and pawned them for profit. They lived comfortably and did not want to return home. So he ordered the inspection of the Hu people who had land and houses to stop giving them money.

——"Zizhi Tongjian"

＊

Chapter 217: History of Xia Dynasty - Chronicle 5

Andre was confused.

The Chinese who rescued them threw them onto an island, let them take a bath there, put on new clothes, and then pushed each of them into a small wooden house. Through gestures, it seemed that they were going to live there temporarily.

Can you live here without being a slave?

The people on Andre's boat looked at each other, almost suspecting that they were dreaming.

Then, they lived on the island and learned the Chinese language and writing. They were not required to be proficient in it. They were not allowed to leave the island until they could communicate with the Chinese people by speaking and gesturing.

That place seems to be called...Old Wo Island?

During the time he stayed on the island, Andre learned that this island was specially used by China to temporarily house slaves like them who were brought back. Because they didn't know if there were any problems with them, they could not go to the mainland immediately.

"Now you can choose whether to stay in Daxia or leave. If you leave, Daxia will not be responsible for helping you return home. You need to find a way on your own."

Andre nodded in agreement among the crowd.

The person who saved them is already a great benefactor to them. If they still ask him to send them back, this is called "pressing for an inch" in China!

Andre didn't know whether to go home or stay.

He missed home very much, but he was afraid that he would be taken as a slave again when he returned. He might not meet kind Chinese people this time.

The people who were guarding them took them to the capital of Daxia and told them: "I will give you three days to think it over. If you don't have an answer after three days, you will be expelled from China."

Andre was really confused.

He wandered around the capital of China, saw people from many countries, and even saw someone who looked similar to the one who had captured him, probably from the same country. When he saw this person, his whole body froze, and he uncontrollably touched his neck - when he was a slave, there would be a heavy wooden fork here.

However, after seeing him, the other party did not show any greedy look as if he was looking at the goods. Instead, he nodded very friendly and walked past him.

This is a very friendly country. There are no slave traders, no slave fences, and no slave auctions.

Andre turned around and went back to the government office: "I want to register. I want to stay in Daxia."

The clerk nodded and brought paper and pen.

"Last name."

"install."

"What's your name?"

Andre thought about it and decided to give himself a Chinese name: "Cannon!"

The clerk gave him a strange look: "Are you sure?"

Andre nodded seriously: "I'm sure!"

So after a while, An Dapao walked out of the yamen with the "identification certificate" that recorded his portrait, name, gender, age, height, and place of origin, as well as two acres of paddy field distributed by the court.

——In the south, in a normal year, two acres of paddy field plus some extra work are enough for one person to eat.

The clerk chased after him and said, "You must remember, you are new here, so you will pay taxes differently from others in the first three years. You will be charged more! The summer tax is 4 dou 6 he 5 shao per mu, and the autumn tax is 3 dou 6 he 5 shao per mu! But after paying for three years, you will only need to pay 4 liters in summer and 3 liters in autumn, just like the people of Daxia. Don't forget, the consequences of tax evasion are very serious."

Andre said loudly: "Okay! I'll remember it!"

"Remember to collect your subsidy! Since you have no money when you first arrive, you can get half a liter of food every day until the first harvest!"

"remember!"

"Don't borrow farm tools from moneylenders! Borrow them from the government office!"

"good!"

"Your Majesty, thinking that it is difficult to live in the capital, has provided cheap houses for the common people to live in. The monthly rent is only 500 coins. Now that you have no house, you can apply for one. Since it is a house of the imperial court, you can take the 'verification' and say that you have just moved to Daxia, and you can owe the money first."

Andre clenched his fists, unable to believe his ears.

The king is actually willing to provide cheap houses to the people! Oh my God! Are the people of Daxia living in heaven?

Soon, Andre's house and farmland were approved. During the spring ploughing season, he happily picked up his hoe and went to plant the land. The neighbors were very friendly and soon became familiar with each other. Seeing that he lived alone at home and didn't know how to make a fire, they often came to bring him food.

As the days passed, Andre counted on his fingers: "In a few years, I will be able to rent a few strong men to go back with me and bring my family over. And Anna... Anna... hehe..."

...

"How are the sweet potatoes growing this year?"

After seeing how the foreigners were treated, Xu Yanmiao went to the fields and asked the old farmers.

The old farmer seemed to have just drunk a bellyful of honey water, with a smile on his face: "It's great! Last year I tried planting and made a lot of mistakes. This year I learned a lot and it's much better! Just like this potato vine. Last year I didn't know to turn it over and prune it, so other small sweet potatoes grew on the vine and the harvest was not good. This year I understand this principle, and the sweet potatoes will surely grow more and more prosperously."

Xu Yanmiao nodded and felt relieved.

——Although he didn't know whether this was right or wrong, he had never farmed before.

As expected, every profession has its own expertise, and farming should be left to those who know how to do it. Time travelers should not think they can take on everything.

"Fugui - Fugui -" Suddenly, an old woman's voice was shouting from afar.

The old farmer quickly said, "It's my wife!" He also responded loudly, "Here -"

The old woman hurried over with a clay pot in her hand.

It turned out to be time for dinner.

"I forgot to bring chopsticks, so you have to make do with them."

The old farmer waved his hand and said, "What do you mean by compromise?" He opened the clay pot, took out the big white steamed bun inside, took a bite, then pinched a handful of pickles with his fingers covered in mud and sweat and put them into the gap, eating in big mouthfuls.

Xu Yanmiao opened his eyes subconsciously. When he heard someone talking to him, he quickly looked back.

The old farmer said while eating the steamed buns: "Young man, I won't treat you to this steamed bun, it's so shameless! If you come in another month, that will be the best time. I'll pick the tender leaves on the potato vines. Whether it's steamed buns with garlic paste or fried with oil, they are so delicious!"

Xu Yanmiao smiled and said, "Yes, it smells good! I've also eaten sweet potato leaves mixed with garlic juice and sesame oil. They're especially delicious! Adding chili oil is even better! I have a friend who likes to mix it with ginger juice!"

The old farmer gave a thumbs up: "Young people know how to eat!"

He added, "More! Young man, let me tell you, the vines on this ground can be tied into bunches and hung all over the eaves. After drying in the shade, the pigs can eat them until next year! My family didn't dare to raise pigs before. People couldn't eat enough, so how could we dare to raise pigs? Now, the pigs eat the vines and grow meat! We call this stuff pig grass now! If the pigs can't finish it, we give it to people. The sweet potato vines are also good for making porridge."

Xu Yanmiao asked curiously, "Are sweet potato vines delicious?"

The old farmer said, "How can it be delicious? It's for pigs. People won't eat it unless they're extremely hungry. There was a weak person in our village who ate too much sweet potato vines and got diarrhea. He almost died."

Xu Yanmiao said with emotion: "It's good that the person is okay."

After the old farmer finished his meal, he continued to work in the fields. Xu Yanmiao squatted beside him and watched. As he watched, he couldn't help but ask, "Can I try?"

...

The Imperial Palace and the Ministry of Personnel.

A group of officials looked at Xu Yanmiao staggering in, holding his waist, with shocked expressions: "Xu Lang, what's wrong with you?!"

Xu Yanmiao coughed and said, "It's okay."

[No one should be able to tell that I sprained my waist while farming. ]

[It turns out that not just anyone can farm. 】

The officials of the Ministry of Personnel immediately bowed their heads, turned around, and took documents...

Hold it in, don't laugh!

Xu Yanmiao cried out twice in his heart, rubbed his waist twice, limped to his desk to get the official documents, and sent them to the East Palace.

On the way.

In the academy where the princes and grandchildren of the emperor began to study, the fifth grandson Gao Yao wiped his dry eyes with the sleeve of his coat and blinked. Just as he was about to continue listening to the class, he glanced and saw a very handsome young man standing outside the back window, holding a stack of official documents, watching them in class curiously.

...Could it be Xu Yanmiao that Dad often mentioned? The most favored minister by Grandpa?

——My body shuddered at that moment.

Gao Yao sat up straighter, his eyes rolling around.

Suddenly, he stood up, bowed his hands and bowed his waist: "Teacher, I have been studying for the past two days and I have a question that I would like to ask you to answer."

The Hanlin who was teaching this group of princes and grandchildren felt a pang in his heart, fearing that these little ancestors would cause trouble for him: "Your Highness, please speak."

Gao Yao bowed again: "Students studying the Analects found that the sentence 'Attack heresy, this harm has already been done' has three interpretations."

Gao Yao: "A great scholar said that Confucius's interpretation of this sentence means: learning heresy is a disaster."

Gao Yao: "However, another great scholar said that this interpretation makes Confucius too narrow-minded. The original meaning of this sentence should be: criticize those incorrect opinions, and the harm will be eliminated."

Gao Yao: "There is also a great scholar who said that this sentence means: deliberately attacking ideas and theories that are inconsistent with your own views is extremely harmful."

Gao Yao deliberately looked puzzled: "How can one sentence have three meanings? Which one is the correct meaning?"

The Hanlin who was teaching them had a blank look on his face.

The little ancestor really gave him trouble. These three interpretations have been debated for thousands of years, and even the court could not reach a consensus, with each party holding its own view.

——After all, since ancient times, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Moreover, there are countless people who annotate Confucius' words, and various schools and factions argue endlessly. If there are a thousand people studying Confucius' words, there will be a thousand different meanings for Confucius' words.

If he openly supported one of the two factions, and did so in the classroom of the princes and grandchildren, he would be targeted to death by the other two families.

But if he keeps silent, His Majesty may target him to death.

Hanlin laughed, feeling anxious, and his eyes showed a little melancholy: "These three..."

Well, if you stick your head out, you will get hurt. This life will pass quickly!

Hanlin gritted his teeth and was about to say the comment he liked, but he saw the grandson of the emperor holding the pen, raised his voice and asked another question, as if he was born without knowing when to stop: "No matter which of the three meanings is correct, I would like to ask, what is the heresy?"

Hanlin felt an itch in his throat and even wanted to take some snuff on the spot.

What else can it mean? As we all know, anything other than Confucianism is heresy.

It was fine to say this before, but now many of the various schools of thought have gone overseas to spread their own doctrines. If you force them into a corner, they will simply not come back, and Your Majesty can kill them.

Why did the Fifth Grandson ask this?

Before he could speak, the grandson of the emperor asked again, like a string of cannonballs: "Students know that in the past, heresy referred to the various schools of thought other than Confucianism. But now China is not only focusing on the mainland, but also trying to spread its culture overseas. If it still regards the Hundred Schools of Thought as heresy, wouldn't it make outsiders laugh? Should the various schools of thought be heresy, or should overseas and other religious sects be heresy?"

These words made the teacher break out in a cold sweat and his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

After asking this question, Xu Yanmiao stood in front of the window for a while before continuing to deliver official documents to the East Palace.

The old emperor was surprised when he heard about this: "Are you telling the truth?"

Ever since Prince Shou skipped classes, the Imperial Guards have been stationed near the academy to keep an eye on the studies of the princes and grandchildren of the emperor. At this moment, he described the scene in detail, and Minister Xu, who had been standing outside the window for a while, seemed to have just said a few words casually in this scene.

The old emperor remained calm and silent.

The next day, Emperor Tiantong issued an imperial decree: "Now, the fifth son of Crown Prince Xian, the Emperor's grandson Yao, is appointed as the Crown Prince."

The whole court was in uproar.

The prince was shocked: Wait, my dad just found out which of his sons will be the crown prince, is this normal?

Xu Yanmiao was also shocked: [When did the old emperor make the decision? How come I didn't hear anything about it? Has my political sensitivity become so poor? ]

Gao Yao's pupils were trembling.

He was indeed trying to please Xu Yanmiao and deliberately revealed his political inclinations when she appeared, but wasn't the effect too obvious? He just wanted Grandpa to like him more!

＊

...Emperor, whose real name is Yao, is the fifth son of Emperor Taizong, and his mother is Consort Wu. When Emperor Taizu learned that Xu Yanmiao was standing in front of the window, he listened to the Emperor's three questions and ordered him to be made the Crown Prince...

——"History of Xia Dynasty·Annals Volume 5"

The author has something to say:

Regarding the historical records of the emperor's mother, Consort Wu, see:

Emperor Gongminhui's taboo name was Yunwen. He was the grandson of Taizu and the second son of Crown Prince Yiwen. His mother was Consort Lu. The emperor was born with a keen mind and was studious, and was extremely filial. At the age of fourteen, he waited for Crown Prince Yiwen to fall ill, and stayed with him day and night. Two years later, the crown prince died, and he was emaciated in mourning. Taizu stroked him and said, "You are truly filial, but don't you miss me?" In September of the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, he was made the crown prince.

Emperor Yingzong Fatianlidaorenmingchengjingzhaowenxianwuzhideguangxiaorui, whose name was Qizhen, was the eldest son of Emperor Xuanzong. His mother was Consort Sun. In April of his birth, he was made the Crown Prince, and the Consort was then canonized as the Empress.

Emperor Xianzong, also known as Emperor Tianning Daocheng Mingren Jingchongwen Suwu Hongde Shengxiaochun, was the eldest son of Emperor Yingzong. His mother was Consort Zhou.

Emperor Muzong Qi Tianlong Daoyuanyi Kuanren Xianwen Guangwu Chundehong Xiaozhuang, whose taboo name was Zaihou, was the third son of Emperor Shizong. His mother was Consort Du Kang.

——History of Ming Dynasty

＊

[No matter whether Gao Yao's mother became the Empress Dowager or the Concubine Dowager in the future, when he was named the Crown Prince, the historical records show what his mother's rank was at the time. If she was named posthumously, it will be recorded later.

(But the history book in my article ends when he succeeds to the throne as the Crown Prince)]

＊

Criticize those incorrect opinions and the harm will be eliminated.

——Annotations to the Analects

＊

Chapter 218: Let's go play! Let's go to the place where my leg was broken!

The old emperor chose Gao Yao to be the crown prince, of course, not only because Xiao Bai Ze paid attention to this child.

"You asked me why I chose Yaoer?"

"He is decisive. I have never seen a kid like Xu Yanmiao act immediately based on a guess. He showed his intelligence and policy preferences in front of Xu Yanmiao."

"The question he asked was also very insightful. Opening up the sea must be a policy that my father and I support in the next few decades. He raised the question of whether the cultures of the barbarians overseas are heretical, which was also a subtle way of showing that he supports opening up the sea."

The old emperor thought for a moment and added: "Although we are opening the sea, we will not fawn on foreigners. In our hearts, we still respect China."

The prince: "But he is only ten years old. We don't know what he will look like in the future."

A typical example is that they fall in love with the crown prince. Before the incident, wasn't he recognized by the court as a good heir? Only after he encountered trouble did they realize that he was a person with mental problems.

The old emperor rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, this worry will arise no matter who we elect. In previous dynasties, there were people who pretended to be wise kings for thirty years, and after being made crown prince, they were praised by the court and the public. However, after becoming emperor, their true colors were revealed. They were ambitious, had great ambitions but little talent, and ended up being kings who ruined their country."

The prince smiled awkwardly: "It seems so."

The old emperor said: "While I am still strong, I may be able to teach the crown prince for some time after I select him. When you ascend the throne, let the crown prince assist you in governing the country, and you will have less official duties to deal with."

What a strange statement for a workaholic emperor.

The prince's eyes turned red: "Dad, I..."

The old emperor glared at him: "I am already sixty-seven years old, you don't want me to depose the crown prince? Don't you think about whether you can bear it at my age?"

The prince continued to laugh, "Dad, that's not what I meant. I meant that people in ancient times also lived to be seventy or eighty. Dad, you have always been strong and healthy, so you will surely live to be a hundred years old."

The old emperor smiled and said, "If you are my father, I don't want to live a hundred years. But there are not so many people who live a hundred years in this world. It's just for fun, but don't take it seriously."

He continued, "What satisfies me most about Yao'er is that he is willing to express his intention to get close to Xu Yanmiao. This way, I feel relieved."

If he were to die before his death, the next emperor would not be the crown prince but the grandson of the emperor. At least he would not have to worry that the grandson of the emperor was a narrow-minded person who would not tolerate Xu Yanmiao.

The prince said bluntly: "When I go back, I will tell Yao'er to have more contact with Xu Yanmiao. If possible, let him directly respect Xu Yanmiao as his master."

...

So, Xu Yanmiao saw the new crown prince standing respectfully at the door of her house under the scorching sun at noon.

"..." Xu Yanmiao almost couldn't laugh: "Why is His Royal Highness here?"

[No way, no way, you can't start to win over the court officials so soon, you just became the crown prince! ]

The Crown Prince could not hear his inner voice, but other ministers in the community could.

"This is indeed too fast." A minister muttered.

Although Your Majesty has tacitly allowed the Crown Prince to develop his own power, he is also a person with a strong desire for power. The fact that the Crown Prince seems so impatient may leave a bad impression in Your Majesty's eyes.

——Could this be another one of those people who looks beautiful on the outside but is actually rotten on the inside?

[Ah? Did the Crown Prince ask the Grandson to come? ]

[You still want to worship me as your master???]

Ministers: "!!!"

The prince is trying to ensure that Xiao Bai Ze becomes a veteran of three dynasties. With the pressure of his teacher's identity, the emperor generally won't take action that would go against the world's taboos.

I'm so envious of this treatment.

The ministers felt jealous, but they also knew that they could not compare to the treatment Xu Yanmiao received.

But then again, even if it's not as good as this treatment, half of it is fine. We also want an effective death-proof gold medal!

Xu Yanmiao complained: [What can I teach? Being an emperor doesn't require math. The math classes we have now are enough. As for the rest... I can't teach him cyberspace security, right? He won't be able to use that.]

The ministers were anxious.

You can just teach him casually, but I don't really want you to teach him the ways of an emperor!

[Apart from that, I only have the Dragon Slaying Technique. The positive training is to slay the dragon, and the negative training is to create conflicts among the people and consolidate the imperial power and the wealth of the upper class...]

[Eh? What's that sound?]

Xu Yanmiao was thinking about all sorts of things in his mind, when he suddenly heard a loud noise coming from the house next door. Thinking of the elderly woman next door, he immediately became anxious: "Your Highness, please wait for me for a moment!"

Regardless of the fact that he hadn't returned to the emperor's apprenticeship yet, he hurried to the house next door, knocked on the door, and shouted at the top of his voice: "Grandma! Are you okay, grandma? Did you fall?"

After a while, the door opened and the mother-in-law stood at the doorway in good health: "It's okay, my son was practicing his strength with a big stone axe and accidentally dropped it."

[Practicing this in the middle of the day, I have so much free time, aren't you afraid of the heat! ]

Xu Lang sighed for a while, but when he knew everything was fine, he left with peace of mind.

The mother-in-law also turned around and went back to the house, and walked quickly to the yard: "What happened to you today? Why did the stone axe suddenly slip out of your hand? Did you hurt yourself?"

His son, the deputy commander of the left army of the imperial court, was sitting on the ground, not answering his mother's question, as if he was deep in thought. Looking closely, I saw a hand dug into the mud, and veins on his back were exposed, as if he was enduring something.

The mother-in-law didn't know what was wrong with her son. She could only sigh, walk closer, lift up his hand, and use a handkerchief to carefully clean the dirt hidden under his fingernails: "Now that you are a high-ranking official, there are more and more things hidden in your heart. I can't help you now. I can only help you clean your fingernails so that your hands won't be dirty."

The deputy commander-in-chief of the Left Army felt the movement of the handkerchief picking at the gaps between his fingernails. His eyeballs moved and the tension in his body slowly eased away.

＊

Xu Yanmiao refused the prince's offer to become his disciple, saying frankly that she had nothing to teach him.

[I can't really teach you how to practice dragon-slaying techniques. Although the old emperor is very kind to me, I really can't do this.]

As for the positive training... To be honest, Xu Yanmiao really doesn't think that the current Daxia has the soil for it. If you are not careful, it will only cause chaos in the world. It is better to let the times develop naturally. Anyway, when productivity increases, the imperial system will naturally be abandoned by the times. This is something that cannot be changed even if Daxia has more geniuses.

[However, you can teach me about the three-year and five-year plans.]

Xu Yanmiao hurried back to the room and took out a piece of paper: "I am a humble person with little knowledge and only have this much ability. It is very simple. Your Highness can take it back and read it for yourself. Please do not mention the matter of becoming my disciple."

[Which emperor would allow himself to have an imperial tutor above him? Although the prince is kind-hearted, this is really not a fair thing to do.]

The prince didn't want to talk.

It was not because of being accused of being unkind, but because of the reverse dragon-slaying technique that Xu Yanmiao mentioned in his mind.

Since practicing the Dragon Slaying Technique in reverse is to consolidate the imperial power, then practicing it in the right way is not...

For a moment, I sat in the chair, gasping for breath and wiping the sweat off my face, not daring to think further.

...

Emperor Tiantong issued an order to suspend court for three days due to his illness.

Empress Dou asked the imperial physician, "What's wrong with your majesty?"

Why do I suddenly have a loss of appetite, feel listless, and feel chest tightness and shortness of breath?

——Due to distance, the harem and part of the palace located in the front dynasty could not hear Xu Yanmiao's voice.

After a round of observation, the imperial physician said to Empress Dou: "Thoughts hurt the spleen. Your Majesty is worrying too much."

Empress Dou nodded gently: "You go down first and get the medicine for His Majesty."

"Yes." Three or five imperial doctors retreated together, leaving two to sit in the side hall, waiting to be called at any time, while the others returned to the Imperial Hospital to get and boil medicine.

After everyone had left, Empress Dou looked at her husband and asked, "What on earth happened?"

The old emperor had disheveled hair, his eyeballs were bloodshot, he was gasping in his throat, veins on his forehead were bulging, his muscles were twitching slightly, and his eyes seemed to be looking at the enemy at one moment, and at someone close to him at another moment, as if his willpower was waging a life-and-death struggle.

Empress Dou had never seen him like this.

This situation lasted for three days. In the early morning of the fourth day, the old emperor struggled to prop up his body and woke up Empress Dou beside him: "Sister, I'm fine."

After Empress Dou stood up, she methodically placed a pillow behind the old emperor, told the night watchman not to come in, poured water for the old emperor, watched him drink the water, and asked: "What happened? You have to tell me, and we will face it together as a couple."

The old emperor let out a long breath, without explaining, and just said: "Sister, let me ask you a question. If there is a person who may endanger your country, but he has not taken any action, he is kind-hearted and may never take any action in his life..."

Empress Dou smiled and said, "Wulang already has the answer in his mind, right?"

The old emperor paused for a moment, then suddenly cursed fiercely: "That bastard had better not betray my trust, otherwise, I will never let him go even if I become a ghost!"

Empress Dou looked at him with a smile.

The old emperor coughed and said, "Actually, this guy has a conscience. Sister, come and take a look at this three-year and five-year plan. I have been planning for a long time and thought I could not get it. I didn't expect this guy to give it directly to the crown prince. Hehe, it's not in vain that I love him!"

Empress Dou blinked her eyes. After listening to the old emperor's plan, she gave her husband face and didn't say it directly.

So why don't you just ask directly? Why bother with so much time?

＊

On the fourth day, court was held as usual.

The undercurrents in the capital over the past three days - the swordsmen, the tightly closed doors, the commotion in the military camp, the guards' tense nerves - all melted away like snow after the spring.

Xu Yanmiao was shocked: "Lian Lang, why are your eyes so swollen!"

"You just speak without restraint... No, I didn't restrain my feelings. I cried for three days!"

Lian Hang angrily told only half the truth: "I had a bloated stomach these past few days, and I tossed and turned at night and didn't sleep well."

Seeing his good friend's concerned look, Lian Hang opened his mouth, and after a few breaths, he sighed: "Xu Lang, I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to take you as his master..."

Xu Yanmiao: "Yes, I refused."

Lian Hang: "Why refuse? Isn't this a good thing?"

Xu Yanmiao looked around and whispered, "Anything that has anything to do with the royal family is not a good thing. Respecting teachers and respecting morality is fine for ordinary people, but in the royal family, teachers can be killed at will! I believe in the character of the prince, but the grandson is only ten years old. Who knows what will happen in the future..."

Lian Hang suddenly kicked Xu Yanmiao lightly.

Xu Yanmiao shut up tacitly.

At the same time, Lian Hang bowed and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Xu Yanmiao had just finished guessing the character of the other person's son, and now turned around with a little embarrassment: "Greetings, Your Highness."

The prince did not mention Xu Yanmiao's role as the prince's master, but smiled and said, "Xu Lang, do you still remember that I promised you a long time ago to take you to Jiangnan? Shall we go to Jiangnan for some fun in a couple of days?"

Xu Yanmiao's eyes lit up: "Okay!"

He had long wanted to travel to other places, but he was worried about his own safety, and Beijing officials could not take leave at will, so he had put the plan on hold.

Jiangnan is more than one place. So...

"Which state is your highness planning to go to?"

The prince smiled and said, "Let's go to the place where my leg was broken."

"Go to Changzhou."

Chapter 219: Can the people never live well no matter what?

Changzhou was a long way off, and by the time the prince and Xu Yanmiao arrived, it was already June.

"First destination! Let's go eat first!"

The prince took the guide he had prepared in advance and said with great interest: "The clay from Huishan and the rice from Changzhou are known as the best local products in Jiangnan! May and June are also the time when river fish are the freshest! Let's go! Yangtze River, eat puffer fish!"

The prince's attendant said: "!!!"

They all rushed to cling to the prince's thighs: "My dear! Please have mercy on us! The puffer fish is poisonous! If the poison takes effect and we don't take good care of it, we will be beaten to death!"

This made it difficult for the prince to insist. He also thought that their little thoughts were cute and adorable, so he stretched out his foot and kicked gently, pretending to be impatient: "Get up! I don't want to eat puffer fish, I want to eat other fish, and a plate of spiced dried radish will be fine!"

The prince's servants burst into laughter at once: "Your Highness is kind and considerate of us!" Then they immediately let go of his hand, patted his robe and stood up.

Xu Yanmiao next to him was stunned.

[I remember it wasn't like this before, when did it evolve?! ]

The prince's servants smiled politely, but when they heard this, they felt a pang in their hearts.

Woo woo woo woo, they don't want this to happen! But other methods may not be able to persuade the prince, this trick is the most effective!

The prince coughed and said to Xu Yanmiao, "It seems that we can't eat puffer fish anymore - do you like puffer fish?"

Xu Yanmiao quickly shook his head.

He wouldn't even dare to eat puffer fish in modern times, let alone in ancient times.

"That's great!" The prince smiled, "Let's go eat spiced dried radish! And fish from the Yangtze River! Let me tell you, the dried radish from Changzhou is especially delicious! The skin is thick and the meat is firm, crispy and not spicy! It tastes juicy when you bite it! My father broke my leg that year because he coaxed me with this dried radish!"

Xu Yanmiao was immediately interested—that was the dried radish that could coax the prince when his leg was broken!

So the two of them stepped on the pedal happily and got into the carriage. With a whip crack, the horse neighed, the carriage slowly started and disappeared into the sunlight.

"Let me tell you, the names in Changzhou are very interesting. Here they call grandfather 'Adie' and father 'Daddy'."

The prince lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the street outside and said with a smile: "The last time I came to Changzhou, I made a fool of myself because I didn't understand this matter. I called a guy my age "grandfather" - when I heard him call me "father", I thought he was his father."

[Hahahahahahaha——]

The prince turned around and glanced at Xu Yanmiao, who was sitting upright and seemed to have no reaction, and said speechlessly: "Laugh if you want to. There's no need to hold it back."

Xu Yanmiao couldn't help but laugh.

The prince pretended to be angry and stood up suddenly from the carriage: "Okay! You Xu Yan - Ouch!"

The carriage jolted, and the prince's center of gravity was lost, so he sat back on the cushion. Xu Yanmiao was already laughing, and almost died of laughter.

The prince stared at him with eyes wide open, and after staring for a while, he began to laugh. He called out, "Xu Lang, come over and take a look!"

Although Xu Yanmiao didn't know what the prince wanted him to see, he still went to the window and saw the crowd coming and going.

The carefully dressed girl walked happily, as if she was passing the bright smile on her face to the pedestrians and animals on the road.

If a child has a corn cob hanging in front of his sternum, he will walk with his head held high and his chest puffed out like a crab, making himself look particularly majestic.

The old man held up the cage containing the kingfisher and put his fingers inside to tease it. A farmer walked hurriedly with two buckets of rice tied to his trouser legs. He stopped in front of a stall selling pear paste candy, hesitated for a moment, bought a piece, cut it into small cubes, and watched the vendor wrap it carefully in jute paper.

Water birds cry and fly over the Yangtze River, the fishermen's singing, the splash of water from their oars, and the reflections of the city walls are intertwined on the water.

"Looks good, doesn't it?" The prince felt in his purse and took out a few copper coins. He asked the prince's attendant to buy some pear paste candies. Looking at the attendant's back, he smiled and said, "Xu Lang, now ordinary people can buy a few kilograms of candies to take home. Do you know why?"

Xu Yanmiao shook his head honestly.

The prince looked out the window and said slowly, "Because of the presence of potatoes, corn and sweet potatoes. These new grains are certainly not as filling as wheat and rice, but if there is an extra ounce of sweet potato in the wheat rice, the wheat grown in the field can be sold for an extra ounce. A little bit adds up to a lot, and we can occasionally afford to sell sugar."

Xu Yanmiao looked at the crowd outside carefully.

Someone was carrying firewood and selling water. There seemed to be the sound of grinding flour behind the wall, or maybe someone was pounding rice. A young boy rode on the wall and looked around. There were naughty children chasing each other in front of and behind the house. The slingshot scared the birds away.

"The mountains and rivers are still there..." The young man murmured, "The country is peaceful and the people are safe."

"Yes, the country is peaceful and the people are safe." The prince sighed and said, "In fact, it was not like this at the end of the previous dynasty."

The prince recalled very slowly, and spoke very slowly—

"That year I was just over 15, and Changzhou still belonged to the previous dynasty, and was being attacked by another rebel army. Although the previous dynasty was corrupt, the generals defending Changzhou loved the people like their own children, and the people climbed the city walls to help defend. The rebel army was unable to break through the city walls for a long time, and their morale was low, so they actually slaughtered all the people outside Changzhou city."

——If I can't defeat the enemy, can I still defeat the people?

When Xu Yanmiao heard this, she felt nauseous and frowned deeply: "This is too much. Fortunately, they didn't take over the world."

The prince nodded.

Apart from anything else, he believed that their Xia army never massacred the city, which made them much better than other armies in the chaotic times.

"And the massacre of the people this time was also my fault."

The smile on the prince's face slowly faded.

Xu Yanmiao looked surprised: "Why do you say that, Your Highness?"

Prince: "My father's original strategy was to take advantage of the rebel army's attack on Changzhou, while the Xia army conquered Wuxi and Zhenjiang, and then headed straight for Zhengluqiao, outflanked the rebel army, and blocked it outside the gate of Changzhou."

Xu Yanmiao's eyes widened slightly: "Could it be..."

The prince lowered his eyes slightly. "Yes, because I underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, the Xia army was unable to capture Wuxi. They lost the initiative, and Changzhou fell into the hands of the rebel army. The enemy recovered and turned back to protect Wuxi and Zhenjiang. At that time, Changzhou, Jiangyin, Wuxi, Zhenjiang, Gaochun, Lishui and other counties all fell into the hands of the enemy. The Xia army had to stop advancing westward and find another way. The people of Changzhou also fell into dire straits."

Xu Yanmiao didn't quite know how to comfort him—and it had happened a long time ago.

After thinking about it, he decided to take the pear paste candy from the attendant who had just returned and handed it to the prince: "Your Highness, would you like to have something sweet? Sweet food can make you feel better."

The prince tilted his head and looked at Xu Yanmiao: "Thank you." He took the pear paste candy, ate a small piece, and felt much better. He continued: "However, half a year later, my father came back."

Prince: "After conquering Changzhou, we captured the enemy. The people originally avoided the army, but when they heard that they were captured, they all wanted to kill them. I don't know what dirty things they did in the past six months. When the people in other prefectures ruled by the rebels heard that my father was coming, they spontaneously resisted the rebels. Several places surrendered their cities. In less than a month, Suzhou, Kunshan, Taicang, Qingpu, Jiading, Xinyang, and Songjiang all fell into our hands."

Xu Yanmiao listened attentively. She put the finger-sized pear paste candy in her mouth. The flavors of peanuts, sugar and sesame seeds burst out all at once, and the taste was neither greasy nor sticky.

Yangguang quietly climbed into the carriage. The prince looked at Yangguang, then at the people outside, smiled, and gently touched his lame foot: "A peaceful and prosperous world is really hard-won. I really hope that the world can always be peaceful, and the people can always have enough food to eat and have money to buy candy."

Xu Yanmiao nodded: "The world has only been at peace for less than forty years, and it can't stand any more turmoil."

[So the Dragon Slaying Technique must be tightened up, and it cannot be practiced regardless of whether it is normal or reverse. Fortunately, I am the only one who knows about this - I don't plan to get married and have children here anyway, so I don't have to worry about being heard and told about my sleep talk at night. ]

[Wait a minute... the old emperor's Jinyiwei wouldn't be so stupid as to eavesdrop on other people's dreams, right?]

[Fuck! Gao Jianyi, you idiot! Pervert! You really let the Jinyiwei eavesdrop on other people's dreams! ]

From the Crown Prince to the Crown Prince's attendants, and then to the Embroidered Uniform Guards, everyone looked straight ahead and turned a deaf ear.

We didn't hear anything! We didn't hear Xu Yanmiao cursing His Majesty by name!

[But did I actually talk about the three-year plan and the five-year plan in my sleep? ]

[Then I didn't say anything else, did I? ]

Xu Yanmiao's pupils trembled.

Suddenly, I heard the familiar sound of fishermen singing in the evening, which interrupted my thoughts.

The prince's attendant knocked twice on the carriage from outside: "My dear, Mr. Xu, we have arrived at the Yangtze River."

＊

"Vegetable cakes, hemp cakes, crab buns, rice dumplings with fermented glutinous rice, vegetarian ham, spiced dried radish - ah? This is made in the twelfth lunar month? All right. Then give each person a bowl of porridge, and a portion of shallot stewed tofu. What river seafood is available today, fish, shrimp, crab, pick the fresh ones, and add a mutton pot - that's all, do you have anything else to order?"

The prince was indeed a gourmet. He started ordering food as soon as he sat down, as if he was a native of Changzhou. The dishes he ordered were very authentic.

After ordering, ask the store owner if there is a mulberry field nearby where I can pick mulberries.

——They didn't have any mission this time, they just came out to have fun.

After asking around and ordering the dishes, and waiting for the shopkeeper to leave, Xu Yanmiao couldn't help but sigh: "Changzhou is indeed much more prosperous now."

The prince said casually: "Changzhou is located in the south of the Yangtze River. The south of the Yangtze River is very prosperous and wealthy most of the time."

He glanced at Xu Yanmiao again and seemed to be introducing casually: "In recent years, many guild halls have appeared in Jiangnan. They are all formed by common people so that they can work without being exploited by rich merchants and without having their wages and food withheld."

Xu Yanmiao's eyes lit up: "That's great! Unity is strength!"

"That makes sense!" The prince praised with a smile, then shook his head: "But things are not as good as you think. The guild hall does protect workers from being exploited by rich businessmen, but there is exploitation within the guild hall."

Xu Yanmiao's eyes widened.

The prince talked about the inside story he learned during his time in the guild: "Workers must pay a membership fee to join the guild, and they also have to pay dues every month. The guild will help workers find jobs, but will extort large commissions from the workers."

"That......"

The prince saw what Xu Yanmiao wanted to say at a glance: "You have to join. If you don't join the guild, you won't be able to find work at all. They know where in the whole city there is a need for hired workers, and they can always provide workers for the other party first."

Xu Yanmiao was silent.

[Ah...I see. I thought it was...]

What it was, he didn't continue to say in his heart.

The prince took a short break, drank two sips of the boiled water on the table, and chatted idly.

"The common people have no other options. Even if they try to find a job, their lives will only become more difficult. The masters know that these people have no guilds behind them, which means they have no backing."

"Either they are exploited by the government, or by merchants, or by guilds..."

"It's possible it's all three."

"I don't know how to make life better for the people. I have been thinking about this problem for decades but I still can't figure it out."

"Is it possible that the people can't live well no matter what?"

Chapter 220 The people must live well. Otherwise, wouldn't his leg have been broken in vain?

【of course not!!!】

While Xu Lang was listening to the prince's words, he still maintained his gentle and humble attitude.

But the voice in my heart was as excited as waves, beating against the walls of my heart.

[It's not that I can't live well no matter what! It's just that in this era, I can't live well no matter what. 】

[Also, workers' halls shouldn't be like this. They should...should...they should be the most solid backing for the people!]

[This kind of thing——]

"Let's eat." The prince said suddenly. As if he couldn't stand his own complaining, he waved his hand and said, "Don't take what I just said to heart. I was just saying it casually."

Xu Yanmiao nodded silently.

He ate the meal in silence, obviously distracted.

After dinner, they went to pick mulberries as planned.

"Why is it next to the field?" Xu Yanmiao was surprised.

[I thought it would be a whole mulberry forest or something.]

The prince smiled and said, "The farmers would never use their best fields to plant mulberry trees. They are reluctant to plant soybeans and sorghum, and only plant them at the edges of their fields."

Xu Yanmiao's meager farming knowledge told him: "Don't we need crop rotation?"

When the mulberries are ripe, the field is black with people picking mulberries everywhere. A farmer nearby laughed and interrupted: "Rotate crops! Why not rotate crops! Wheat in the first half of the year, rice in the second half of the year, rotate them."

Xu Yanmiao: "Ah? Don't you want to grow soybeans to fertilize the fields?"

The people who owned that kind of land laughed and said, "It's a pity to plant soybeans on such good land."

The agricultural official accompanying him whispered to Xu Yanmiao, "Rice and wheat rotations can complement each other and improve soil fertility. However, ordinary land does not have enough fertility to begin with, so rotation is not possible."

Xu Yanmiao suddenly understood.

[Fortunately, I am not a local official. Otherwise, if I were to talk about it on paper and force people to follow the wheat-soybean or rice-soybean rotation, wouldn't that be a bad thing?]

Another farmer started talking, smiling, "And the sweet potatoes and potatoes - the grain seeds distributed by the court this time are really good! Plant them in the valleys, and you'll get another grain! Normally, the land in those valleys couldn't be planted at all, so they had to be left there. Now it's all thanks to the potatoes and sweet potatoes. Young man, you don't know, in previous years, the mulberries by the fields were guarded very closely, and outsiders were not allowed to pick them. But now, when people are full, outsiders passing by pick some mulberries to eat, and the owners don't care."

The farmer teased him, "Old Zhang, you are saying that potatoes and sweet potatoes are good now, but two years ago you refused to plant them, thinking that the court was trying to increase the amount of land you own. Can you plant three acres of sweet potatoes and have it recorded as one acre of good land in the land book, so that you can collect more land taxes?"

The old farmer surnamed Zhang smiled sheepishly: "It's my fault, it's me who thought too badly of the imperial court!"

He turned around and picked a bag of mulberries: "Young man! Come! Eat as much as you want!"

Xu Yanmiao: "This..."

The old farmer named Zhang laughed and said, "This is my family's land. I grow mulberries myself. Since you are so fair and cute, I want to give you more mulberries."

Xu Yanmiao thanked the old farmer named Zhang, and seeing that he was smiling happily, she also smiled slightly.

That night.

Xu Yanmiao didn't know whether what he did was right or not. He copied down all the knowledge about dragon slaying in his memory, put it in a box, and buried it in a random place outside the city.

——Usually the city gates are indeed not opened, but Xu Yanmiao is, after all, a minister and a favorite of the emperor.

It was rare for him to use his power.

[This is not needed in a peaceful and prosperous era, but when troubled times come and people are so hungry that they have to eat dirt to survive, perhaps it is time for it to see the light of day again. ]

——The common people may not be able to read, but perhaps they will dig it out and give it to those who can read.

Maybe not.

Maybe after digging it out, people who saw it would burn it directly. Or maybe the other party learned the dragon-slaying technique and overthrew the corrupt dynasty.

Maybe...even...it won't even be dug out, buried day after day, year after year, under the vicissitudes of life.

But, it is a hope after all.

Xu Yanmiao remembered this place and slowly returned to the city. It was late at night, and most places in the city were very quiet. Only in those bright buildings, drums and music were deafening, and the laughter of men and women, the aroma of rouge and powder, and the strong aroma of wine squeezed out like a market.

Even though the emperor often cracked down on brothels, even though the emperor's favorites clearly disliked brothels, and even though the trend in the capital was to ban brothels, these places would still exist openly in other places, staying open all night long and filled with laughter.

This is the current situation of the times, which cannot be changed by individuals. Only the torrent of the times can destroy it.

Xu Yanmiao became more silent.

Not long after he left, the Jinyiwei appeared, raised their hands to dig, and dug out the box.

A hand suddenly stretched out from the side: "Give it to me."

The Royal Guard was stunned for a moment, and immediately handed the box to the prince. The prince patted the dirt on the box, lifted it up, and looked at the keyhole in the moonlight: "It's so beautiful, so solid."

The solid box glowed with a soft, strange glow in the moonlight.

The Royal Guard asked, "Your Highness, do you want a fire stick?"

The prince walked carelessly in the moonlight holding the box, seemingly absent-minded: "Well, have one."

The Jinyiwei lowered his head to flip the fire starter, and when he looked up again, he saw the prince holding the box, standing by the Yangtze River, staring at the turbulent waves of the Yangtze River.

The Jinyiwei's voice was horrified: "Your Highness!!!"

The prince tilted his head and grinned at him. Then he loosened his hands and the waterproof box fell into the river. As the waves rolled in, it disappeared without a trace.

"No!!!"

The Jinyiwei rushed over and jumped down without hesitation.

The position of Jinyiwei can be inherited by the next generation! His sons, his grandsons, and their generations can all be Jinyiwei and climb up the ladder. But if the dynasty is gone, all of this will be gone!

The waves of the Yangtze River were very big, and every time it seemed that the box was about to be caught up, the mud and sand carried by the waves made it disappear. The river water was drunk mouthful by mouthful, and the rocks were hit one after another. The roaring waves of the Yangtze River took away the hope of hereditary military positions and generations of officials.

The Jinyiwei swam to the shore in a panic, water dripping from the corners of his clothes, and his fingers were pale and bluish.

Even if it was Xu Yanmiao, when looking at the artifact at this time, he could only see that "the box is in the Yangtze River". The Yangtze River is very large and long, the waves are fierce, and the river channel is very rugged. No matter how much manpower and material resources are invested, there is no way to find a box. You can only wait for it to accidentally come ashore.

The prince patted his lame leg as if he was beating a drum.

His father hated officials deeply. That was deeply rooted in his heart, the most fundamental and essential thing. All motivations originated from this.

So what is his root?

The prince gazed quietly at the river, his memories floating back to him.

When he was fifteen years old, he underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, which resulted in one death and two injuries of three generals under his father's command trying to save him, which indirectly led to the defeat of the battle.

His father beat him until he was crippled, and then secretly applied medicine to him in the middle of the night.

"Xian'er, don't blame Dad for being cruel. Dad must give an explanation to the soldiers under him."

The families of those three generals and the soldiers under their command need an explanation.

The countless soldiers who fought and died in this battle need to be accounted for.

There are also soldiers whose families are in Changzhou and who are eager to win the battle so that they can rescue their families. They need an explanation.

"And the people of Changzhou."

"And the people of the city who surrendered to us after we were forced to retreat."

"They're going to be worse off than they were before."

"And those people who are under the rule of the enemy and serve as entertainment for them..."

When fighting for the world, a failed battle means more than just losing the battle; it also represents many, many things.

"Xian'er, the army's morale must be stable, and the people's hearts must be cared for. The people under the enemy's rule also need to see hope and a benchmark. Your father also wants to unify the world, so that the country will not continue to boil, and many people will not be like us before, relying on begging and performing to barely survive."

What he said made sense. It's not that his father didn't love him, and besides, he was the one who made the mistake first.

But...

He was only fifteen years old, his leg was broken, and he would be unable to walk for the rest of his life. He was not born to be particularly sensible or free and easy.

He knew he was wrong, but he couldn't help feeling wronged, complaining, or being too picky.

But others died trying to save him, and even more people died on the battlefield because of the imbalance he caused. He had no right to grieve for his leg.

With time and self-blame, he slowly stopped caring about his legs.

But his father's words still lingered in his mind, day after day, turning into an obsession -

The people must live well.

Otherwise, wouldn't his leg have been broken in vain?