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Chapter 221 A Gentleman Uses Words Rather Than Actions

After Xu Yanmiao buried the box, he deliberately ignored it. He was afraid that he would not be able to resist interfering and then end up making things worse.

So he chose to eat melon to divert his attention.

[There are a lot of melons in Changzhou! Which melon should I cut today? ]

[The old lady of the Marquis's Mansion favors the second and third wives. Will she ask the eldest wife to give up the main house and live in the West Garden in two hours? Tsk tsk, she is not strict in managing the family! This melon is just average, change it.]

The Imperial Guards silently remembered this and would sneak into the mansion to observe the situation and facilitate impeachment.

As for the reason - with the reputation of the Jinyiwei, with the reputation of your majesty, do you need a reason? It's just another "The emperor is suspicious and ordered the Jinyiwei to monitor the officials and marquises along the way."

[Wow! A well-known rich man in Changzhou got a beautiful concubine. Who would have thought that she was after his wife? His wife had saved her. She knew that her feelings would not bear fruit, so she decided to become a concubine for the husband of the person she loved for love! ]

[What a powerful idea! ]

The pupils of the Beijing officials who were accompanying him and could hear Xu Yanmiao's thoughts trembled.

Wait a minute, this kind of thing may happen in other people's backyards, but what about our backyard?

And he began to recall the past like crazy, wondering if the harmonious relationship between his wives and concubines was actually a result of polishing the mirror?

Even if they don't get along, it doesn't mean everything is fine! Didn't Xu Yanmiao say that there is a term called love-hate relationship?

[But I can stop eating this melon here. You can't let me climb over the wall to see other people's backyards, right? ]

[Forget it! Have a good sleep and see what happens tomorrow! ]

Xu Yanmiao had nothing on her mind, she was carefree and had a good sleep all night.

However, on a summer night like this, with the fragrance of grass and trees, the chirping of insects and a gentle breeze, many accompanying officials could not sleep.

They lay in bed, tossing and turning, wondering whether it was possible for the wife and concubine, or the concubines and the concubines, to sleep together.

I thought about it until midnight and was about to go to bed.

【Wuhu!!!】

A cry of surprise suddenly came from the ground.

The officials who had just closed their eyes sleepily were suddenly startled and their eyes widened.

What happened?

[Tomorrow morning there will be a quarrel between students from the south and the north! I love to watch intellectuals quarrel! Remember to wait for it tomorrow morning! ]

Accompanying officials: "..."

Just because of this, you get up in the middle of the night and howl?!

＊

Xu Yanmiao walked out of the toilet and washed her hands in the basin.

Of course, he didn't get up in the middle of the night just to read gossip, but it's normal to read some gossip when getting up, right?

【sleep!】

【Goodnight, Moon! 】

Xu Yanmiao found the new melon with great satisfaction and fell asleep again with great satisfaction. The officials who were awakened from their sleepiness were left speechless and choked up. If they were not afraid of disturbing the people in the middle of the night, they would have shouted that he was sick.

The next morning, Xu Yanmiao looked at the servants who looked listless, and silently held tightly the hot porridge brought to him by his followers.

[Why do you look like you haven't slept well? You can't be having a group meeting tonight and excluding me, right? ]

[Then please don't think of me. I'm really not interested in power. It's okay to continue isolating me! ]

The prince's servants: "..."

A mouthful of blood was stuck in the throat, unable to go up or down.

The prince walked by with a bowl of washed mulberries in his hand, smiling. He didn't care about his servant's life or death at all. He sat next to Xu Yanmiao and tried his best to hint: "Do you have any plans in the morning? Is there any place you want to go?"

Xu Yanmiao was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting the prince to ask him this question.

[But this is also good, this way I don't have to think of ways to sneak away! ]

Xu Yanmiao smiled, and the prince also smiled.

Xu Yanmiao: "I heard that Changzhou has a flourishing academic scene and many famous people have come out of it. I want to visit the academies in Changzhou and experience the local academic style."

The prince responded very quickly: "Okay! It just so happens that I don't know what to do!"

＊

Changzhou is indeed a place with a rich culture.

There were schools of thought such as the Changzhou School, the Changzhou School of Ci, the Piling School of Poetry, the Yanghu School of Literature, and the Menghe School of Medicine. Even Ci, painting, and parallel prose were divided into schools, and each of them was very famous.

The academy that Xu Yanmiao was going to was the headquarters of the Changzhou School, also known as the Jinwen School or the Gongyang School. They all mean the same thing.

When we arrived at the place, it was obvious that a good show was about to begin. A northern student and a southern student were confronting each other, and the atmosphere was tense.

【Oh my! We've caught up with the main show! 】

Xu Yanmiao and the prince looked at each other, quickly found a corner to sit down, and waited for them to quarrel.

This is Changzhou. Naturally, there are more southerners than northerners in the academy. The southerners are very powerful, while the northerners are very tragic.

The northern student gnashed his teeth and said, "You damn raccoon, don't go too far!"

[Wow! Just firing a map cannon! This is not good...]

[Oh, so the southern students have already fired a map shot, and they often exchange gifts. That's fine. ]

There is an idiom called "birds of a feather". Raccoons are not considered good things in the eyes of northerners, so they often use this idiom to scold southerners.

Of course, Southerners also have words to insult Northerners.

"Did I say anything wrong? You are poor people with little knowledge and poor teachers. You came to the south to study and borrow our school style, books and teachers. It is no less than begging for food."

——A vulgar person refers to a vulgar and uneducated person.

"you!"

The few northern students in the school all stood up, gritting their teeth and with red faces.

They stood up, and the southern students also stood up. With their large numbers, the few northern students were immediately like stones thrown into the waves, and had no advantage at all.

A northerner once sneered, "We read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles, but Bill and other trash who are drunk in the land of pleasure are much more useful to the country."

"Not many of you passed the imperial examination."

"Look at the wind in the south of the Yangtze River. It has made your bones so soft. You spend your days strolling on flower boats, your steps are shaky, and you have lost most of the six arts of a gentleman!"

"Not many of you passed the imperial examination."

"You play with snakes and scorpions and nibble on crab roe. You are indeed the descendants of barbarians."

"Not many of you passed the imperial examination."

"you!"

The northern students were so angry that their hair stood on end.

But what they said was the truth. Because the ruling centers of most dynasties were in Guanzhong and Central Plains, the cultural and economic development of the north and the south was very unbalanced. For example, the ratio of southerners to northerners in the number of Jinshi was almost an outrageous nine to one for a long time.

There was a time when a northern official wanted to speak for the northerners, saying that the north had always been the front line against foreign enemies, and that whenever there was an invasion, the north would be in trouble. The south was the rear area, and if the enemy attacked the south, the country would basically be destroyed. Therefore, the south was more stable than the north, and its literature must be more prosperous. The north was difficult to stabilize, so there was no time and energy to develop literature, and it would be destroyed after a while of development.

Then, some southern officials became dissatisfied.

We didn't get in through backdoors. We got in through fierce competition. The imperial examination should be fair. We southerners got in based on our own strength. You northerners couldn't get in, and you blame us southerners for being too smart? !

And he said something that made northerners very angry: "You northerners can't pass the exam because you are too stupid."

——So, that student from the south really hit the nail on the head.

[Are we going to fight? ]

【hiss!】

[Draw the sword! Draw the sword! ]

Prince: "!!!"

Push forward quickly.

The prince's servants: "My dear?!!"

The prince turned around and said righteously: "I want to see if the southerners are really ignorant of the six arts of a gentleman, and if they are far inferior to the northerners in swordsmanship. Although the road ahead is dangerous, I am not afraid of danger!"

Xu Yanmiao's eyes lit up.

【Good excuse! 】

"I'll go and protect my husband!" Xu Yanmiao also rushed forward quickly.

The main reason was that he had only seen intellectuals quarreling with each other, but had never seen intellectuals fighting each other.

——Besides, the closer we are, the more convenient it is to prevent loss of life at the critical moment.

The prince's servants: "!!!"

Everyone was about to faint.

The prince can't get into trouble. You, Xu, are much better! If you get into trouble, we're completely finished!

I don't want all my privacy to be exposed!

A Jinyiwei who was disguised as a commoner came up with a quick idea. He didn't care whether this would disturb the prince's interest or not. He knelt on the ground and said in a loud voice: "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

The whole scene was silent.

Even the prince was still. He silently pulled his legs back and stood up straight, and frowned. When the students followed the Jinyiwei and the accompanying guards to find the prince, they saw a dignified and generous prince with a smile on his face that made people feel like spring breeze.

My eyes immediately lit up.

This prince seems to be someone who would make great use of scholars.

They all bowed together and said, "Greetings, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

At this time, the sword-bearing guards and the Jinyiwei had already separated the prince from these people.

The prince smiled slightly and nodded to everyone, like a true gentleman, sharpening his sword and polishing his skills. Even his voice was gentle: "What happened to you? Why did you start fighting? It's not a life-and-death feud between classmates, why draw swords?"

The students immediately looked ashamed.

The prince pointed out the way to go out to sea for education, and from then on, scholars had a direction to leave their reputations for generations to come.

——Don't worry about whether you can do it or not, but at least you have found the direction.

Therefore, scholars and students all over the world have a respectful attitude towards the prince. It can be said that as long as the prince does not commit treason and betray the scholars, these scholars and students are particularly willing to cheer for the prince. Even if the prince commits treason and betrays the scholars, there may be many people who do not believe it and make excuses and reasons for him, firmly believing that he has his own reasons. Maybe he is just enduring humiliation.

Hearing the prince's question, the northerner and the southerner started to criticize each other. One said that the other party looked down on the northerners in his words, and the other said that the other party treated his classmates viciously. The man said that the man was right, and the woman said that the woman was polite.

The prince sighed: "Even if you both have your reasons, a gentleman should use words instead of fists..."

[Yes, yes!] Xu Yanmiao said loudly: [A gentleman uses his mouth, not his hands. Bite him!]

The author has something to say:

There is a gentleman who is as sharp as a knife, as polished as a stone.

——Qi Ao

＊

Chapter 222 North-South Score Line

The prince almost said it out loud.

After two seconds of silence, the prince glanced at Xu Yanmiao, who seemed as if nothing had happened. The other party was still smiling politely at him with a confused look on his face. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Fortunately, he didn't say it, otherwise just based on this sentence, he would definitely be the best impression given by all the princes in history.

——He is a fun person, but he doesn't want to become a fun person himself!

And quickly write down this move.

Although I am not young anymore and probably won't need it, I can teach my sons and grandchildren!

It can also allow children and grandchildren to stand on the moral high ground. A gentleman should speak rather than fight. This is the truth passed down by the ancients! (firm.jpg)

He looked back at the students who were waiting for his next words.

The students all looked like they were listening attentively to the instruction. The originally noisy noise slowly turned into a faint hum, as if they were quietly discussing the prince.

The prince smiled and continued with his previous statement, "A gentleman should speak with his mouth, not with his fists," saying, "Since this student has done something evil, I will put him in jail first, and we will judge him after we find out what evil he has done."

As soon as he finished speaking, the attendants immediately captured the northern student and wanted to send him to prison.

At that time, several of his classmates were anxious: "Your Highness! We don't even know whether this is true or not, you can't do this!"

"Your Highness, if he has been in prison, his identity will be tarnished. We just had a quarrel. There is no need for classmates to confront each other like this."

The people who were talking were from both the north and the south. They were just arguing and couldn't stand each other. They were so angry that they wanted to use knives and guns, but they didn't really want to send anyone to jail!

It is too shameful to ruin someone's future. The hatred between the two sides has not reached this point yet!

Even the southern classmate who said the northerner acted "evil" was anxious: "If he is willing to sincerely apologize for this matter, this matter can be put behind us. I don't think he did it on purpose. If he refuses to admit his mistake, it won't be too late to sue the authorities."

The northern student looked in shock at his opponent, with whom he had previously quarreled and had stabbed him in the sore spot.

Even the onlookers were surprised.

After all, if this person said that, he must have evidence of the other person's mistakes. He can repay evil with virtue, which is enough to prove the other person's character. And if the northerner is unwilling to admit his fault and apologize, he will report it to the authorities, which is also in line with Confucius' words "repay evil with virtue, how can you repay virtue?"

The prince said sternly, "That won't do. If he has committed a crime, you can't just ignore it."

The southern student continued, "It's not a crime. He accidentally poisoned my cat to death. I was so angry that I kept targeting him."

The northern student was confused: "Your cat named Naigao? When did I poison it to death?"

The southern student's face suddenly changed, and he was very unhappy: "I saw it with my own eyes, and you still want to quibble? I know you didn't mean it. You probably only know that cats can protect their fur by eating apples, but you don't know that cats will be poisoned by eating apple cores. I don't blame you, but you can't deny it!"

The northern student's face also changed, and he was equally unhappy: "I did feed it apples, and I didn't know that cats can't eat apple cores, but why did I feed it cores!"

The southern student said angrily, "I saw an apple core in Naigao's vomit. You were the only one who fed it apples that day. If it wasn't you, could it be that a kitten ate the big apple until only the core was left and then ate the core?"

Northern student: "How should I know what happened? It wasn't me who did it."

As the two men started arguing again, his hands were already on the hilts of his swords.

After reading the gossip system, Xu Yanmiao's heart became anxious: [Wrong, wrong! It wasn't your classmate who fed the cat to death! It was your father! He thought that you were wasting your time raising a cat and that it would hinder your imperial examinations, so he fed your cat apple cores! ]

[Don't blame the wrong person! Your father is a beast! ]

Yeah yeah!

Those officials who could hear the voice of the heart collectively agreed in their hearts.

You are such a beast! If you had attacked his classmates and lowered the number of candidates for the imperial examination, we would have respected you as a man. But you attacked an innocent kitten, so calling you a beast is an insult to a beast!

This child is so pitiful. If he knew the truth, he would not know what to do. Filial piety is the most important virtue in this world.

The officials shook their heads slightly.

And the Nanren student felt the pitying gazes of the prince and his entourage, and was simply confused.

The prince gave the royal guard a look.

Jinyiwei: "..."

Okay, Emperor is suspicious.

The Royal Guard stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I think I can find out the truth."

The prince pretended to be surprised: "How did you find it out? How did you find it?"

The Jinyiwei lowered his head, so others could not see his expression. "There is a marquis in Changzhou. Your Majesty is worried that his family will oppress the people, so he secretly sent a number of Jinyiwei here. I think we should be able to find out."

Now, the pupils of all the onlookers were shaking.

They had heard that people nowadays are suspicious, but they didn't expect that!

Among the crowd, the members of the Marquis' Mansion were immediately frightened and ran towards the Marquis' Mansion to tell the master the news.

When the family of the Marquis of Changzhou learned about this, they no longer dared to bully the local people. This is a story for later, so we will not discuss it for now.

After the Jinyiwei came back from the investigation, they loudly told everyone that it was the student's father who poisoned the cat, and also told everyone where the other party bought an apple that day, leaving no room for anyone to disbelieve. The southern student was completely stunned.

"Impossible! This...is impossible!"

Now, everyone looked at this man with sympathy.

Even the northern student who was wrongly accused before was no longer angry. He patted his shoulder and said sympathetically: "You... accept my condolences."

If it was someone else, he could still take revenge, but for his own father... unless he wanted to cut himself off from the world.

[Actually, I have a suggestion.] Xu Yanmiao muttered in her mind: [You should hit the snake at its weakest point. People like this love to bring honor to their family and ancestors. If they can't do it themselves, they will let their children do it. What they fear most is that their children will not recognize them.]

The prince nodded.

That's true. The problem is that the student can't deny his father for no reason. Even if he doesn't want to be an official, the local government still needs to take care of the local unfilial sons.

[My suggestion is to find a way to persuade your mother to divorce and remarry. After all, I've seen that this father is not a good person. He can poison his son's pet for his own selfish desires, and he can also not allow his wife to contact her family. He thinks that the other party is his family member after marrying. He coaxed, threatened, and almost made her suffer from postpartum depression. Ugh!]

[After the divorce, see if the mother intends to remarry. If so, that's the best. Be sincere to the new father. After you become successful, only recognize the new father. The old father will be mad. Especially, this is his son. ]

[I just don't know if this person can come up with this solution. ]

The prince's servants received the look from their boss and understood.

——They will find opportunities to make the other party "think of" this method.

But they don't know whether that person will use it.

＊

Now that the idle things are over, it's time to get down to business.

The prince was very pleased when he saw the northern students comforting the southern students and the southern students expressing their gratitude and apologizing sincerely: "As long as it is not a matter of principle, it is fine to talk it out between classmates. Pulling a knife will only destroy the friendship between classmates."

The students agreed.

The prince looked at their faces, especially the northern students, and suddenly sighed: "I know you are sad that northerners are not as knowledgeable as southerners, but it is definitely not because northerners are stupid. If that were the case, how could the Minister of Revenue be in charge of the Ministry of Revenue? He is a real northerner."

The northern students were deeply moved: "Thank you, Your Highness!"

With the prince's words, they can fight back when others criticize the northerners for being stupid and having poor learning abilities.

The Crown Prince: "As for the issue of the imperial examination, I promise you that I will find a way to solve this problem."

Northern students: "!!!"

Northern student: "Thank you, Your Highness!!!"

The words were out, and the prince was in a headache.

When I returned to the inn, I was still talking to myself: "How should this be resolved? How about... regulating the number of places for northerners and southerners in the imperial examination?"

At the same time, Xu Yanmiao's thoughts also rang out: [I wonder if it's okay to use different score lines for different regions. For example, the Jiangnan region has good learning resources, so the questions are more difficult, and only those who pass the A grade can participate in the joint examination. In the northern region, the teachers are poor, so the questions are easier, and those who pass the B middle or B upper grade can participate in the joint examination...]

The prince looked at Xu Yanmiao in surprise.

He really wasn't just answering in blanks this time, and he didn't expect Xu Yanmiao to be able to come up with a solution. However, he didn't expect that you, a man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually have a solution!

The prince thought about it and found that this was indeed feasible and could also promote the economic development of the north.

——He doesn't believe that many people who are mediocre in education and cannot compete locally would not want to move to the north.

Generally speaking, those who are able to relocate are either wealthy or powerful. People like them will definitely bring their own teachers. As long as they bring many teachers, why worry that they will not settle there?

Especially businessmen.

As long as they settle down, resources will be brought there. After ten or even dozens of years, will we still be worried that the North will not rise?

Setting a different score line is a conspiracy comparable to the Enfeoffment Order!

The prince gave Xu Lang an approving look.

Xu Lang gave him a blank look in return.

[Why is the prince looking at me? Is he expecting me to give him advice?]

[Then I can't give it to you. I don't even know if some of these things are suitable for Daxia's national conditions, and I dare not say for sure. If I take a big step, it will be all over.]

The prince patted him on the shoulder and said, "I'll give you credit for this!"

【ah?】

The prince smiled and said, "If you hadn't gone to the academy to see it, I wouldn't have known that the differences between the north and the south are so great now. Isn't it worth giving you a credit, Xu Lang?"

Xu Yanmiao suddenly felt embarrassed: "Coincidence..."

The prince shook his head and said, "Even if it's a coincidence, it can still be considered a meritorious service. Xu Lang, you must not refuse it, otherwise, in the future, all those who deserve meritorious service by coincidence will not dare to claim the credit."

Chapter 223 Bai Ze is a lucky star

The score line seems simple, but in fact, which state has a higher score, which state has a lower score, which state admits more people to maintain the balance rather than destroy the balance, and which state is more likely to be exploited by the powerful...

All these aspects need to be considered.

The prince got a headache just thinking about it.

This didn't quite fit in with his desire to lie flat.

So the prince wrote a memorial, intending to leave the matter to his father to handle.

Then, he received the news that his father was critically ill.

Prince: "...Oh."

The Jinyiwei who delivered the letter said anxiously, "Your Highness! His Majesty told you to return quickly."

Even Xu Yanmiao, who was passing by, didn't believe this.

[He's using this trick again. This is the third time. I wonder who the old emperor is going to target this time.]

The prince smiled and said, "I know, I will go back later."

He also calculated in his mind how many days it would take for his father to get too lazy to wait for him and take the initiative to deal with the score line issue.

Didn't he know his father well? He probably wanted him to go back to work and build his business. Besides, his father was probably fishing again.

Sure enough, a few days later, the prince heard that former Prime Minister Dou had brought tax collectors, the Imperial Guards, and local troops to start cleaning up the local wealthy families.

List a time, beyond the time -

Those who do not return the hidden population will be killed!

Those who don't return the annexed land will be killed!

Those who commit many evil deeds and refuse to surrender will be beheaded!

For a time, blood flowed like a river, and wailing was heard everywhere. Family after family was thrown into prison, waiting to be executed in the autumn.

The prince was watching happily at first, but now he couldn't sit still anymore: "Dad, what's wrong with you!"

Didn't I say before that we shouldn't do things like this where haste makes waste?

Many wealthy families learned that the prince was in Changzhou, so they came to him and asked him to stop the emperor.

The prince felt vaguely that his father's behavior was not right, but it seemed that it was indeed something his father would do. After thinking about it, he decided to follow his intuition: "Okay, I will go and persuade Your Majesty."

The wealthy families do need to do it, but they can't be so hasty!

However, the prince's journey back to Beijing was blocked. He was blocked for several days at each checkpoint, but the other party followed the rules and he had no way to force his way through.

After all, he was just a prince, and he had a hard time taking any action when the emperor gave the order.

However, this made the accompanying nobles even more certain that the prince was unaware of this matter and that it was the emperor's own idea - moreover, in order to prevent the prince from coming to dissuade him, the emperor actually did everything he could to prevent him from returning to the capital!

As the old emperor launched his massacre, he encountered great resistance at first. But later, wherever former Prime Minister Dou led his men, the local wealthy families would quickly return the population and land.

Almost every day, the prince would receive news from various prefectures and wealthy families returning population and land. Some returned dozens of households, while others returned hundreds of households. It seemed small, but it happened every day, and it added up. Moreover, it was just the number of a prefecture. If all prefectures were added together, it would be a large number.

A month later, when the prince, who had been obstructed in every way, returned to the capital, the number of hidden households reported by local wealthy families was almost one-to-one with the number of people in the open.

——In other words, the population of each state capital has doubled "out of thin air".

[The timid ones will die of starvation, while the bold ones will die of gluttony. This is only the case after the founding of the country for more than 30 years.]

When Xu Yanmiao's sigh rang in the ears of all the Beijing officials, many of them stopped what they were doing. Relying on years of experience of being bullied, gossiped about, and trapped in a battle royale situation as well as their strong psychological qualities, the Beijing officials barely maintained their expressions.

The restless life is finally back!

The prince swaggered back to the palace and found that his father was indeed sitting there well.

"Dad!" The prince couldn't help but complain: "You scared me to death."

Although I guessed that it was intended to cause trouble, I still couldn't help but worry - what if I guessed wrong?

The old emperor smiled and said, "Your policy of having separate examination papers for each region and setting the number of southerners and northerners admitted in the joint examination is quite good."

The prince blinked his eyes and said, "It's very good, but I'm busy with affairs. I'm sorry to ask you to worry about it."

The old emperor smiled and did not respond: "Do you still remember the story of the prime minister ruling the world?"

Prince: "There was a prime minister in the Liang Dynasty. When he was young, he was responsible for distributing meat to the villagers. When others distributed meat, the villagers would complain, thinking that others got too much and they got too little. Only that prime minister could always make everyone satisfied when distributing meat."

The old emperor nodded and said, "It is the same when you divide meat in the village, it is the same when you are the prime minister, and it is the same when you are the emperor. You must either satisfy everyone or make sure that no one can find fault with you. You must remember this principle."

The prince remained calm and said, "Okay, I'll remember that. I'll also tell Yao'er about this."

The old emperor smiled and looked at him, then continued, "Of course, I can't do it, but you are more famous than me, and you are more flexible and tactful than me, so you can definitely do it."

The prince was about to say something when the old emperor interrupted him: "Don't be so humble. Just listen to me."

The old emperor kept on nagging: "You are better than me. You are not as arbitrary as I am, nor do you care too much about money like me, and you are not as wary of officials as I am."

"If you think the Jinyiwei can be used, then use them. If not, then discard them."

"If you think your brothers are trustworthy, keep them. If they are not trustworthy, reduce their power. I believe you will spare their lives."

"The nine clans of those noble families will be executed in the autumn, and they are specially left for you to show your kindness."

"Dad!" The prince's face was obviously pale: "Why are you suddenly saying this?"

The old emperor glanced at the prince and said calmly, "You don't think your father was exaggerating when he called you back?"

"Imperial Physician!" The prince stood up suddenly: "Where is the imperial physician! Someone, call the imperial physician!!!"

"Why are you panicking? People don't fight against heaven or fate. I'm just old. When people get old, they die." The old emperor consoled the prince, "Besides, I've always been worried about the old sending off the young. Now I don't have to worry anymore. It's a good thing."

The prince's eyes became redder and redder.

The old emperor smiled and said, "Before I died, I have already cleared out the old gentry for you. It will take some time for the new gentry to come up with new ones. You can rest assured to show your strength. But don't be too tired, you can't stand being tired. Now that the grandson is still young, you can ask a few attendants to help you more, but don't give them too much power."

"The Prime Minister must be removed, but don't be too hasty. Now the power of the Prime Minister is divided into two. It will be difficult to compete with the Emperor in three to five years."

"The score line is a very good idea. It won't make the South dominate. But I don't have the energy to do it. You have to put in some effort."

"Why are you crying? I, your father, am not dead yet! Don't be too sad when I die, otherwise Daxia will lose its emperor and crown prince one after another. Your son is only ten years old and he can't support this court."

The prince pursed his lips and said, "I know."

"besides......"

The old emperor glanced at him, paused, and said, "Forget it."

The old emperor said: "Anyway, I am still alive. You don't have to look so sad. Just do what you need to do."

After leaving the old emperor, the prince was silent for a moment and went to the Wuying Palace.

The palace maids sweeping the hall and the guards guarding the gate outside the hall were all shocked and even horrified as they watched the prince coming over and took the initiative to handle their official duties.

They looked up at the sky—

Did the sun rise from the west today?

＊

The old emperor did not die so soon.

Killing the powerful families is satisfying, but maintaining stability afterwards requires a lot of energy.

The old emperor managed to finish the task so that the people seemed calm and had no complaints.

——In fact, he just suppressed it.

Fortunately, with food such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, they can still be fed even if the population increases, ensuring that they will not starve to death before the crops have a harvest.

Without potatoes and sweet potatoes, he really wouldn't have acted so quickly.

"Xu Yanmiao..."

The old emperor tapped the table lightly.

"Lucky star though."

After saying that, I found it funny again.

Judging from what he said, how could Bai Ze not be a lucky star?

But even the lucky star cannot bless an old man to live a hundred years.

Emperor Tiantong might die after all.

When Xu Yanmiao learned the news, he was attending Gao He's wedding with Lian Hang.

At the wedding, the groom was all smiles as he was fed glass after glass of wine.

Colleagues were more cunning than each other, and they urged him to drink more fiercely. One said, "You must drink a glass on your wedding day," and another said, "Brother Gao will be able to repair the palace and get promoted in two or three months, so you must drink a glass." Fortunately, Gao He had a good alcohol tolerance, so he didn't get drunk.

But Gao He was still happy.

Xu Yanmiao and Lian Hang were also very happy. They looked at each other and pressed the groom from the left and right: "Come on, come on! Brother Jia Qian, have a drink!"

"I wish Brother Jiaqian great wealth, promotion, and a long and happy marriage with his wife!"

"Okay, okay! Drink! Drink!"

Gao He was drunk and staggered. He climbed onto the table and waved his hands: "I want a promotion!"

Xu Yanmiao shouted: "Promotion!"

Gao He: "I want to get rich!"

Lian Hang threw coins: "Get rich! Get rich!"

Gao He laughed out loud, drunkenly, and pointed outside the door: "I'm going to set up a big, big gate outside!"

——Officials usually erect two pillars at the door of their house. The left one is called "valve" and the right one is called "yue", which are used to record their achievements. There is a word specifically for this, which is "valve yue family".

Xu Yanmiao clapped loudly, "Pa pa pa". Then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"Xu Lang!!!"

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard rushed in, grabbed him and ran away.

Xu Yanmiao ran after him in confusion: "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Anyway, the bell will be rung soon, so there is no need to hide this matter.

The commander of the Royal Guards was breathing heavily and speaking very quickly: "The Emperor! The Emperor is about to die! He wants to see you!"

"What?!"

Although it was very wrong, Xu Yanmiao still stopped abruptly and his mind went blank for an instant.

The author has something to say:

Regarding hidden households, the article is really not exaggerating:

Hengzhou Governor Lü Wen reported: "The old quota of households in this prefecture is 18,407. Except for the poor and the dead, the old and the young who are alone and cannot support themselves, there are 8,257 households that are eligible for tax collection. After I arrived, I organized the household tax collection and found 16,700 households that were hiding and not paying taxes.

——"General Examination of Literature"

＊

Chapter 224 Xu Lang is leaving! His glory will spread far and wide!

Perhaps because the old emperor didn't like to cry, the emperor's sons and grandsons who were waiting in the side hall did not cry.

But Xu Yanmiao still felt a depressing atmosphere.

Invisible moisture seemed to envelop him, and he blinked his eyes, feeling moist.

【Can't cry.】

Xu Yanmiao told herself in her heart: [I can't cry. Your Majesty doesn't like people crying.]

——Okay, I finally feel like calling you His Majesty in my heart. It's not in vain that I love you so much.

The old emperor lying on the bed couldn't help laughing, his chest shook, and then he started coughing like a bellows.

Outside the house, Xu Yanmiao walked very fast, but Princess Xiangyang rushed over even faster.

"Yao Hai! Xu Yao Hai! Please, save my dad, please! Please!"

The princess still couldn't control herself, she cried bitterly, hugged Xu Yanmiao, and begged him again and again without caring about the rules between men and women.

Xu Yanmiao quickly comforted her good friend: "Gao Xiang, don't worry, don't cry. Isn't the former Princess of Jin the descendant of the Medical Immortal? Maybe she can save His Majesty! Maybe things are not that bad."

He still didn't realize that in the eyes of others, he was the reincarnation of Bai Ze.

He thought that Gao Xiang was desperate and was trying every possible means. Because he had a lot of ideas and had given Gao Xiang many suggestions, Gao Xiang was panicked this time and hoped that he could save Emperor Tiantong.

Princess Xiangyang looked up and saw the anxiety and worry on Xu Yanmiao's face through her tearful eyes.

Princess Xiangyang wiped her tears and said solemnly: "I'm sorry, Yaohai, I was willful - please go in and see my father, he seems to have something to tell you."

——She knew that if there was really a way, Xu Yanmiao would not refuse to save her.

＊

Xu Yanmiao walked into the inner hall and heard the old emperor shouting, "I want to eat braised large intestines!"

He sounded like he was in good spirits, as if nothing was wrong.

It seemed like someone was whispering something to him, and the next moment the loud voice became even louder: "I want to eat braised large intestine! I want to eat braised large intestine, do you hear me!"

Xu Yanmiao stood at the door and coughed loudly.

The old emperor, Empress Dou and the crown prince all looked at him at the same time.

Empress Dou stood up and said softly, "Xu Lang, come here quickly. His Majesty has been waiting for you."

To be honest, Xu Yanmiao couldn't tell.

His Majesty had clearly glanced at him and had been telling the prince that he wanted to eat braised large intestines, but the prince crossed his arms and said fiercely, "What good is that! You're already in this state, if I choke you and make you roll your eyes before you die, how would that look good? You're suffering for nothing!"

The old emperor struggled to turn over and faced away from the prince.

Prince: "..."

Do people turn into naughty children before they die?

There was no other way, so he could only coax her: "Dad, we'll talk about the braised large intestine later. Xu Lang is here, don't you have something to say to him?"

The old emperor snorted.

Following the prince's gaze, Xu Yanmiao walked up to the old emperor and opened her mouth: "...Your Majesty."

The voice was incredibly hoarse.

The old emperor turned his head and looked at him: "Are you here?"

The candlelight reflected his thin face and deep eye sockets - how could a person lose weight so quickly? When I saw him two days ago, he was still an old man who looked strong enough to walk.

Xu Yanmiao's nose was sore: "Your Majesty, if you have any instructions, I will keep them in mind!"

The old emperor: "You go."

The prince's eyes suddenly widened, and even Empress Dou was stunned.

But maybe Yanmiao misunderstood.

The young man was embarrassed for a moment, and then he blushed and said, "Yes, I'll take my leave."

The old emperor looked at him steadily and repeated: "Go away."

Xu Yanmiao suddenly reacted, her pupils trembled, and her whole body seemed to be bursting with millet grains.

"Your Majesty, you——"

The old emperor said for the third time: "Go away."

The appearance of Xu Yanmiao was reflected in his pupils - she looked to be in her twenties, looking at him with eyes wide open, with fair skin and a simple character.

He should have kept him here. Bai Ze's existence is more beneficial than harmful to Da Xia. He can help Da Xia find out the shortcomings and make up for them. Although he is lazy now, people are all made of flesh and blood. After staying here for a long time, can he still resist using the magic weapon to help Da Xia become better?

The Embroidered Uniform Guards told him that even though the prince had thrown the Dragon Slaying Technique into the Yangtze River, it didn't matter. As long as Xu Yanmiao was still around, he could get as many Dragon Slaying Techniques as he wanted over time.

For the sake of Daxia, he should have kept Xu Yanmiao.

But......

The old emperor asked the prince to help him sit up, and put his hand on his knee where the kneecap was obviously protruding.

But......

He glanced at Xu Yanmiao and said calmly, "Go back to where you came from."

Go back to heaven!

The world is too filthy and cannot accommodate the clean Bai Ze.

In the past four years, Jinyiwei has stopped many assassination attempts on Xu Yanmiao. Even after the artifact showed that Xu Yanmiao was dead and there would be no more secrets in the world, there were still people who continued to try to kill him.

——There is always a shortage of people in this world who think, "I don't care what happens after I die," and there is always a shortage of people who act on their emotions without caring about the consequences.

Some people even think like this: If I don't kill him, what I have done will be discovered by him sooner or later. If I kill him, then all the dirty deeds of everyone will be exposed, and I will not necessarily be blamed.

The situation around the God of Artifacts has never been peaceful, but all the undercurrents have been suppressed.

The old emperor believed that he could protect Xu Yanmiao, and believed that the prince could protect Xu Yanmiao, but he was half-believing and half-doubting about the grandson. But if the grandson and Xu Yanmiao developed feelings, and the old emperor had the aura of a young and heroic ruler, it would be possible for him to protect Xu Yanmiao.

The premise is that Xu Yanmiao has not revealed that he possesses the dragon-slaying and anti-dragon-slaying techniques.

Emperor Tiantong could almost foresee that after he left, after the crown prince left, after the official who viewed Xu Yanmiao as a beloved junior left, countless people would want to kill Xu Yanmiao, countless people would want to use Xu Yanmiao, countless people would take advantage of Xu Yanmiao's voice to make a profit, plot against him, and flatter him...

The emperor at that time might not necessarily protect him, because he would also be afraid of the Dragon Slayer Technique and would also covet the Anti-Dragon Slayer Technique.

——Moreover, the meaning of elders being able to read the minds of younger generations and younger generations being able to read the minds of elders are completely different.

This bastard boy, either he will be heartbroken and return to heaven, or he will know the evil of human hearts and continue to float in the world. But no matter which one, it will be too painful.

＊

Xu Yanmiao stared at the old emperor in a daze.

The old emperor used his last bit of strength to hold Xu Yanmiao's hand and gently pushed it out.

Go back! Go back to heaven!

Be your free and unfettered Bai Ze, without calculation or exploitation.

Let's go back!

The prince took Xu Yanmiao's hand and led him out. When they reached the door, he gently pushed him out, his eyes full of sincerity: "Go back, Xu Lang!"

Although I really want Bai Ze's assistance, and although Da Xia really needs Bai Ze, only by returning to heaven can you avoid being harmed.

When outsiders saw the prince bringing Xu Yanmiao to the doorstep, they were stunned and had no idea what they were doing.

Prime Minister Dou Qian's eyes flashed with enlightenment. He stood up from his seat, walked to Xu Yanmiao and half bent down: "Xu boy, if you want to go back, let me take you back."

He carried Xu Yanmiao on his back. His strength didn't seem like that of an old man. He walked with Xu Yanmiao on his back effortlessly.

He took seven or eight steps and the Minister of Revenue stood in front of him and took Xu Yanmiao on his back.

"Xu Yanmiao, thank you very much."

Thank you for bringing vitality to Daxia.

The senior officials stood up one by one, and each of them carried Xu Yanmiao for a distance.

"Thank you very much."

"Xu Lang, thank you very much."

"Thank you for coming to Daxia."

"Thank you for making Daxia better and better."

"Walk slower—"

From the emperor's bedroom to the palace gate, there are 1,600 steps, but Bai Ze's feet have never touched the dust.

Since you are a guest in heaven, you should not be contaminated by the dust of this world.

You came clean, so leave clean.

Jinyiwei came on horseback and hurriedly brought the lion cat to Xu Yanmiao. Xu Yanmiao looked back at the officials she was familiar with, and she couldn't stop crying.

He knew why they let him go!

Emperor Tiantong is leaving, and they can no longer protect him.

But the old emperor didn't want him to see him for the last time, fearing that he would be too sad.

"I'm leaving......"

Xu Yanmiao hugged the lion cat and pressed the back button.

"Sizzle——"

"Sizzle—sizzle—"

Suddenly, everyone who had bound to the system heard this harsh voice in their minds.

Xu Yanmiao's body softened, and the soul inside had already left.

At Gao He's house, Lian Hang heard a "sizzling" sound and suddenly realized something. He rushed to the door: "Xu Lang——"

He clung to the door frame, tears streaming down his face.

But he didn't want to stop anyone.

Lian Hang wiped his tears, straightened his clothes, and bowed to the sky: "Xu Lang, go! Your glory will spread far and wide!"

At Gao He's residence, all the officials who could hear Xu Yanmiao's inner voice stood up, straightened their clothes, and said solemnly: "Xu Lang, this trip will bring glory to you!"

In the palace, officials who had not yet received the news of the emperor's impending death, covered their heads, listened to the crackling sound in their ears, and bowed to the window in unison: "Xu Lang, go! May your glory last for thousands of miles!"

Far overseas.

On the boat, Ji Sui, who hadn't heard his inner voice for a long time, listened to the crackling sound and suddenly a premonition popped up in his mind.

He was silent for a while, then bowed to the sky with his hands clasped.

"...Goodbye. I won't see you off."

Quan Yingzhang, who was teaching Confucianism to the barbarians on the island, had tears in his eyes.

"You little brat, you didn't even wait for me to come back before you left."

In the palace.

The prince returned to the inner hall and saw that Emperor Tiantong had closed his eyes with a smile on his face and had passed away.

The prince knelt down and lay on his father, his clothes wet with tears.

In the thirty-sixth year of Tiantong, the emperor died.

A few months later, the Ministry of Rites proposed a reign title for the new emperor, which was——

Glory.

In the first year of Guangyao, Emperor Taizong issued a general amnesty and opened a special imperial examination, opening a new chapter in the Great Xia Dynasty.

The author has something to say:

It's over. Thank you little angels for your continued company. All the extra chapters in this article will be given away for free as welfare extra chapters.