The school in the city was the only school in the area. There were a lot of students. The school was not bad however. The headmaster was a scholar who passed the imperial provincial examination but did not get himself an official position. The people above thought he was quite an honest man who did not have the bad habits of currying favor and making connections so they sent him here as the headmaster of the school. Since he became the headmaster, he did not dare to make a single mistake, nor did he dare to move the money allocated for the school. He only used it wherever it should be used.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

This gave him a good reputation among the students, and scholars also regarded him as a model school headmaster.

Last year, the imperial court even sent a brocade pennant. When it was delivered, the headmaster burst into tears, crying in front of all the teachers and students of the school.

Da Zhuang was also called Da Zhuang in the school, and he was thinking of letting his teacher give him a proper name in the future.

Er Ya held Da Zhuang’s hand as she walked in the city. She opened her mouth wide and felt that everything in the city was so unreal. She had never been out of the village before, and she didn’t know what the world outside the village was like.

There were street vendors selling on the street, but the roads were clean and tidy. Pedestrians and carts and carriages were separated. The vendors were shouting and haggling with their customers. Many women were walking on the street, carrying cloth bags or vegetable baskets. Some of them had their hair rolled up in a bun while others simply used a hairpin to pin it back from the face.

Er Ya was curious at everything she saw, looking left and right, only to bump into a woman in front of her due to the distraction.

“Little lady.” The woman’s eyebrows were curved, her eyes gentle in appearance, “Be careful.”

Er Ya’s face flushed, and she quickly said, “I didn’t mean to…..”

Da Zhuang pulled Er Ya’s hand: “How did I teach you?”

Er Ya said again, “I’m sorry.”

The woman smiled and said, “There are many people in the morning and at night, so be careful.”

Er Ya nodded hurriedly.

The woman looked at Da Zhuang’s clothes and said, “This gongzi is a student?”

Da Zhuang quickly cupped his hands: “I’m studying at Changqing Academy.”

The woman said warmly: “Well-educated and cultured, this gongzi must be a good student. I hope that gongzi will succeed in your studies and be named on the golden list of successful candidates (of the imperial palace examination).”

Da Zhuang was also blushing from the woman’s blessing. The folk customs in their region were all fierce and valiant, where had he ever seen such a gentle woman before? Da Zhuang thanked her again and again, and kept looking back reluctantly after she left.

Er Ya laughed at him in a low voice: “She has already gone away, there is no sign of her anymore.”

Da Zhuang’s face turned even redder: “What are you saying? Hurry up, so as not to delay the time.”

Er Ya covered her mouth and smiled, but she stopped her teasing. Since her older brother began his studies, his skin had become thinner than when he was a child.

The woman walked to the end of the street, and two people came out of a store, following her side by side. One of them whispered, “My lord, I have inquired about it. Last year’s drought affected eight villages and three towns, but only three towns received subsidies.”

The woman, that was, Hong Xiu, walked forward with an expressionless face. She looked straight ahead with cold eyes, and her tone was calm: “Let the provincial government check the file first, I want to see how a small prefectural magistrate could swallow so much silver, and cover the sky with one hand.”

This year’s big investigation was carried out quietly. No one knew beforehand except for the imperial city’s Court of Censors and the emperor in the capital. Hong Xiu was no longer a Commissioner. She had made a lot of achievements and was now the Imperial Censor of the Left, of the fourth rank. And in the imperial city, she could be regarded as a significant person. Outside of the capital, this official position was also enough to startle the local officials.

The local leadership team had a term of five years, but the minor officials below would not move easily.

Hong Xiu was tasked with inspections, and in her experience the general problems were found among these minor officials.

There were also minor officials who would collectively pull those above them into the water with them, but fortunately, His Majesty’s awe and prestige was at its height, and few dared to do so.

Like this place, where even the prefectural magistrate dared to embezzle government money, it was quite few and far between. In the final analysis, the poorer the place, the more embezzling going on.

Because there was no other way to get money, even if it was a collusion between officials and businessmen, there was not much money to be had from embezzlement. The local economy could not improve, so they could only rely on the disaster relief funds allocated by the imperial court every year. They did not dare to take the funds allocated for big towns, but only dared to embezzle the funds allocated for small villages.

Everyone in the big towns knew that if the disaster relief funds from the imperial court did not come down, they could write to the provincial government to ask.

Only the small villages, being closed off and isolated, were unwilling to interact with the outside, so they could only swallow their losses. Perhaps they didn’t even know they had suffered any losses.

Hong Xiu rubbed her brows and said to the man beside her, “Go to the province personally…..forget it, don’t go there, so as not to leak any news.”

The man nodded and asked cautiously, “My lord, what shall we do next?”

If they didn’t reveal their identity, then they were not officials and couldn’t enter many places.

But revealing their identity would free up the opportunity for the corrupt officials to make preparations.

Whether to reveal their identity or not to reveal their identity, neither felt suitable.

“Get ready, go to the village and collect evidence first.” Hong Xiu sighed, “I just don’t know if the village heads of those villages have listed the post-disaster subsidies for the past few years.”

Man: “This lower official does not think it likely, in this kind of place, it is difficult for even the village head to be literate.”

Hong Xiu pursed her lips: “Let’s go and have a look first, we can only stand on the high ground if there is iron-clad evidence.”

What His Majesty hated most was when officials tried to suppress dissidents using groundless accusations. When carrying out business, one must have evidence.

Once there was evidence, neither the prefectural magistrate nor the minor officials involved would be able to escape. Not a single one.

The good times have gone by for too long of a time, these people really didn’t cherish their own heads at all.

This time, Hong Xiu brought a total of 30 people. These 30 people were all talented professionals. If nothing else, their skills in disguise were first-class.

This disguise was not only about clothes and their manner of deportment, but also included work experience. If someone pretended to be a woodworker, they must really know this line of work.

It was also Zheng Qingfeng who valued this major inspection very much, so he gave so many good professionals to Hong Xiu.

The two who followed Hong Xiu had been practicing martial arts since childhood, and had also trained in the military camp. They were admitted to the Court of Censors after several rounds of selection. They were all upright people, and able to obey orders. But curiously, their appearances looked like young masters of big noble families. When wearing clothes that hide their lean muscles, it prevented people from seeing that they were actually well versed in the martial arts.

They entered the village in an ox cart, their cover story that of searching for their relatives. They had been separated during the times of upheaval, so now they were searching village by village.

Hong Xiu was the head sister-in-law of the family, but she was a widow. After her husband died, she became the mistress ans decision-maker of the family.

The first village they went to was Xiaowan Village. As the name suggested, there was a stream running through this village, dividing the village into two. The houses were beautifully built. The people living on one side were the village head and other members of the Zhao clan. Whereas on the other side were all outsider family names.

Among the people with outsider family names, the surname Feng was the one with the largest number of people, so there have not been many fights in this village. After all, the Zhao family did not dare to bully people with outsider family names too much.

There was no inn in the village, so Hong Xiu rented a big house. The family who owned the house was very happy, it was money filling their pockets after all. With these visitors living for a few days, they would make enough to pay for the expenses in the next few months. So they moved away happily to stay temporarily with relatives, promising some benefits to their relatives as well.

Hong Xiu did not hide herself from the village, and occasionally went out for a walk, talking to older women and young wives nearby.

Probably because Hong Xiu was from the city, and she didn’t like to go near the men, and only talked to women. The older women and the young wives in the village all had a good impression of her, and they were willing to please her to see if they could get any reward. And add to the fact that they had no guard and defense against strangers, they would reveal whatever Hong Xiu asked.

Pouring out their hearts like beans into a bowl.

“It hasn’t rained these days?” Hong Xiu asked, pretending to be puzzled.

The woman smiled and said: “It did, only rained last month, although it doesn’t rain very often, but it is better than the previous two years. The first two years were very dry. The stream in our village even dried up, and we could only go to drink the muddy water in the fields when thirsty.”

Hong Xiu: “But during the drought in the past few years, I heard that many villages were digging wells.”

The woman chuckled simply and honestly and said: “It must be a rich village. Our village had no money, so we can’t afford well diggers!”

Hong Xiu had a smile on her face, but her hands were already clenched into fists, her nails sinking into her flesh, but she didn’t feel any pain.

The well-drilling team was paid by the local government, not the villagers.

Thinking about the drought, and how during it these men, women and children could only lie on the ground and drink muddy water. Just what kind of awfulness was this?

The woman continued: “Our life is getting better and better every day, Sister, you don’t know, our Xiaowan Village was notoriously poor in the past, but now it’s better, we don’t need to pay money to send our kids to study! The imperial court also gives subsidies for poor students! My kid is also studying in school, and every year he could even save some subsidies from the court to send back to the family.”

“How could we have ever hoped to have such a good life before?”

Hong Xiu also smiled and said, “The days will get better and better.”

The woman was not without regrets: “It’s a pity that my parents died early. If they lived two years longer, they would have also enjoyed such blessings.”

“Our family raises chickens by ourselves. Sister, if you want to eat eggs and chicken meat, you can come to my house and it will be cheaper for you.”

The woman also said, “I also made blood sausages during the New Year. If you want to try some, come to my house.”

A young wife on the side said, “Little lady, I raise geese and also have sausages at home!”

Hong Xiu inquired around some more and found that the families who raised chickens and geese were all from the Zhao clan, and their fields were better than those of the outsider family names, so they could afford to eat meat. But more Zhao surnames and outsider surnames could barely eat two meals of meat all year round. A family that could raise a few old hens that lay eggs was already considered living a good life.

The village head’s family couldn’t be considered very wealthy either. Both of the village head’s sons became carpenters and worked in the city. They have not married yet, so all the money they earned was given to the family, which was why the life of the village head’s family could be relatively more well-off.

When Hong Xiu visited, the village head’s family was eating a plate of sausages, a plate of wild vegetables and a pot of tofu soup. Seeing Hong Xiu entering the door, the village head was dumbfounded and forgot to wipe the trace of soup from the corner of his mouth.

“This…..little lady, what are you doing here?” The village head asked curiously.

Hong Xiu: “Come with me, don’t bother eating anymore.”

The village head’s wife was also confused, and then shouted: “What are you doing! You, a widow, dare to seduce my man in front of me?!”

Hong Xiu only glanced at the village head’s wife. The two men behind her stepped forward and directly picked up the village head. Hong Xiu said, “Let’s go, go to the village hall.”

The hall was where the village committee worked.

The village head wanted to struggle, but he was held by young men with arms as strong as steel. Just as he was about to call for someone, Hong Xiu lowered her head and whispered in his ear: “This official is here to investigate, the Village Head should careful with your mouth, or I will kill you now, and say that you were the one who embezzled and perverted the law in this area, and with you dead, it will be even more difficult to clear your name.”

The village head nodded frantically and closed his mouth tightly, indicating that he would definitely not yell nonsense.

His wife was locked in the house, and if the village head did not go back, she would not be able to come out.

After reaching the hall, Hong Xiu had her subordinates let go of the village head, and then she gave the village head a proper salute, and said solemnly: “It was a matter of great importance, so I have to take this last resort, and I hope the Village Head is not offended.”

The village head said quickly: “Yes, I’m…..I wonder…..what is my lord doing in the village this time?”

Hong Xiu: “Village Head, please take a seat. This official is here to investigate the heinous criminal behavior of the prefectural magistrate for corruption and perversion of the law and exploitation of the people.”

The village head swallowed his saliva and said subconsciously, “The prefectural magistrate is an honest official!”

Hong Xiu stared at him with unblinking eyes: “Does the Village Head care to repeat that?”

The village head didn’t dare to repeat it. He now knew who the woman in front of him was. Those who were involved in officialdom know that there was a female lord in the Court of Censors. She hated injustice and was ruthlessly fair. Often called the Iron-Masked Yama, towards those officials she set her sights on, even if they didn’t die in the end, they would still lose at least a layer of skin. Countless people hated her, but they couldn’t touch even a single hair on her head. This female lord was protected by the emperor.

There were also rumors that she was the emperor’s female confidante and lover. The emperor remained unmarried for so long because of her, but this female lord was determined to eradicate treacherous evil, so she did not want to enter the harem. The emperor could not do anything but condone his beloved woman.

He couldn’t afford to offend the prefectural magistrate, but he couldn’t afford to offend such a big lord either. The village head said with a crying face: “My lord, you ask me, but I can’t say it…..”

If the prefectural magistrate was pulled down, it would be fine, but if not, wouldn’t he be finished?

If a prefectural magistrate wanted to kill a small village head, then that was simply a matter of raising his hand.

Hong Xiu’s face darkened: “I didn’t expect that the surnamed Meng actually became the local tyrant of this land! He has only been transferred here for two years!”

The village head said tremblingly at this time, “The last one was his cousin.”

Hong Xiu’s face was so dark it could drip ink.

“How did the provincial government even do their screening!” Hong Xiu stood up angrily, and slapped her hand on the table, causing the village head to tremble with fright.

Having dealt with many corrupt officials over the years, Hong Xiu was no longer the Hong Xiu of before, and she had a fierce aura when she got angry. Even those who had gone on the battlefield would have felt intimidated.

Hong Xiu took a deep breath: “It’s fine, continue speaking.”

Only then did the village head realize that he had already said what he was originally planning to hide in his stomach, and he wanted to cry ugly tears: “My lord, I am just a lowly minor official. I may be a village head but village heads don’t have any real power. At most I just deal with quarrels within the village. I don’t dare to talk nonsense about the things that involve those above.”

Hong Xiu: “Village Head Zhao, I’ll show you a clear path. The more honest you are, the better your life will be in the future. I don’t dare to say anything else, but I can promise you this. If you don’t speak honestly, I’ll convict you and surnamed Meng for the same crime. At that time, where will you go to complain about injustice? Everyone outside knows that in the cases I handle, there has never been an unjust, false or wrong case, and none had died without hard evidence.”

The village head trembled, trembled and trembled, and finally said tremblingly: “Magistrate Meng took office two years ago, and first it was the government and merchants colluding. There were a lot of gifts offered every year from the shops which the previous Magistrate Meng had already established a connection with. As for the disaster relief money distributed by the imperial court, they dared not embezzle from the large funds, but the small ones were all embezzled.”

“If it weren’t for the fact that the headmaster of Changqing Academy was a serious person and had a pennant bestowed by the emperor, then the academy would probably already have…..”

Hong Xiu: “The pennant bestowed by His Majesty saved his life.”

The village head nodded again and again.

These small village heads didn’t seem to have real power, and they couldn’t be regarded as proper officials, but in fact, they were watching all the twists and turns carefully. After all, the villages were poor, and it was not uncommon that they would have to rely on the government’s disaster relief money. After studying the situation, they felt that no matter how much, so long as a little money was distributed to the village, life would be much better.

They have found all the doors they could find, but every time it was closed to them.

Not only were there closed doors, but also threats, and even bribes were forgone.

Yes, these poor places with no connections and no way out, even if they want to join a faction, they couldn’t even find one.

When the village head thought about it, he suddenly felt a surge of anger. That’s right, he had entered the city, even if he had to bow his head in front of a small clerk who was not ranked and not an official. He still couldn’t manage to ask for the disaster relief money that belonged to their village.

What was he afraid of? Just what was he afraid of? Now that the envoys of the imperial court were here, and it was even the most fair and just female lord, why not give it a shot?

If he won, their village would not have to live in poverty.

There were many poor people in the village, and when he took out his small salary to subsidize the village, he even provoked his wife to scold him all the time.

He knew that it was not easy for his wife. If not for the fact that his two sons were capable and learned the craftsmanship and left the apprenticeship early, the family might not be able to put food on the table long ago.

There were only two or three households with the surname Zhao who were doing well, and that was also because they had contributed to the village in the early years, and the fields distributed to them were good fertile ones, and their children were all sent to learn a skill.

There were only a few households that had the major surname in the village doing well, let alone outsider surnames.

The village head was bitter. When he first became the village head, he also wanted to lead the whole village to live a good life. What was that saying? To get rid of poverty and become rich, and when they went to the school to study at that time, they often heard some examples, how a village became rich by raising pigs, and another village became rich by raising chickens.

When they listened to this, their hearts swelled, how wonderful it would be if their village could do the same.

Everyone in a village raised pigs or chickens, and could contact merchants to sell them. As long as they were willing to raise domesticated animals, as long as they were raised well, they could live well, and they could eat and dress warmly.

But they soon discovered that it was useless even if they worked hard.

The imperial court would not help them!

They didn’t have the money to buy pigs, build sheds to raise chickens collectively, or buy looms to weave cloth.

The village head said to Hong Xiu, “My lord! If the lord has an errand for me, this humble one is willing to risk life and limb!”

Hong Xiu asked him: “When the time comes to ask you to identify, do you dare to go?”

The village head gritted his teeth and said, “This humble one dares.”

Hong Xiu nodded: “That’s good, show me your village’s record books. Do you remember how many subsidies the government has given you over the years?”

The village head smiled bitterly and said, “Answering my lord, what subsidy? I haven’t seen a single copper coin in the past ten years.”

Hong Xiu was stunned: “Nothing for so many years?”

The village head shook his head: “In the early years, the laoye above was an honest official, but at that time the imperial court didn’t have much money, and the laoye didn’t have a way to make money to subsidize us. The disaster relief funds were all given to the most severely affected villages and towns. The situation in our Xiaowan Village was neither serious nor completely unaffected.”

“Afterwards, he was replaced by the cousin of the current Lord Meng, so even more so we had no share in the funds.”

For more than ten years, from looking forward to the imperial court’s help at the beginning, to now where they learned to bow their heads and accept their fate.

To put it horribly, they actually viciously hated surnamed Meng, but the family surnamed Meng were all so-called virtuous officials, and they had quite the speaking power in the court. The current head of the Meng family had been by His Majesty’s side even before he ascended the throne.

If Hong Xiu knew what the village head was thinking, she would definitely say, “Surnamed Meng had never even registered with the emperor. Who did he think he was?”

But in such an underdeveloped place, no one knew what the capital was like, only knowing that the Meng family came from the capital was enough to scare them.

“Village Head Zhao is sincere. I still have to visit the other seven villages. I hope the Village Head will go with me, except you can’t tell your wife or the villagers.” Hong Xiu said, “But I have made arrangements, and tonight, you will accompany us on our departure.”

The village head was surprised: “What’s the arrangement?”

The next day, rumors spread throughout Xiaowan Village, their village head ran away with the widow! Abandoning his wife and sons! The position of village head was also thrown away! Oh, how sinful! How was that simply a widow! That was a demoness!

The village head’s wife had been crying in the house all day, and she even asked someone to go to the city to call her two sons back.

Those older women and young wives who talked to the widow didn’t dare to speak anymore. They were just glad that they didn’t let their man see her, otherwise, who knew who would have eloped with her instead.

But at this time, the village head was already sitting on the ox cart, and he was even holding rice cakes in his hand, eating deliciously.

This rice cake was sweet. It was made of high-quality rice, and it tasted good even when it was cold. The village head closed his eyes in enjoyment. He had never eaten such a fragrant thing in his life. After all, he only ate mixed grains, as for white rice——aiya, that was what only the former landowners could eat.

Hong Xiu saw that he was eating deliciously, and asked someone to pour him a cup of tea. This teacup had a lid, so there was no need to worry about spilling it when you drank from it in the moving cart, so long as you just drank it from the small opening.

Hong Xiu said to him: “When this matter is over, the new prefectural magistrate will definitely be a sensible one. At that time, all of your villages would have the roads rebuilt and factories set up. You have to take your villagers out of poverty and become rich. At that time, when you look at rice cakes again, perhaps you will even feel sick of it.”

The village head shook his head frantically: “Definitely not, definitely not, I will never get tired of eating this rice cake for a lifetime!”

Hong Xiu was amused by him: “Village Head Zhao, it’s too early to say this.”

The village head smiled ingratiatingly at Hong Xiu.

He didn’t regret leaving with Hong Xiu. If he could really get some benefits for the village, it was fine for him to be in danger, but he just didn’t know how he could explain it to his wife and children when he went back? To tell the truth, they might not believe it, after all the investigation would definitely continue. When the prefectural magistrate was really carted off, he might have already been beaten to death by his wife.

…..His wife was the daughter of a pig butcher. She learned a lot of skills from her father when she was a child. Despite being short and thin, her strength was stronger than that of a man, and her palm could even break wood.

Before, when husband and wife had an argument, and his wife slapped him down, he would be dizzy for quite a while.

Although his wife apologized to him afterwards, saying that she would never hit him again, it still left a psychological shadow on him. Every time they began to quarrel, he would think about that slap.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

So before the quarrel heated up, he would shut himself in the room, and quarreled with his wife through the door. After the quarrel, he would wait for his wife to calm down before going out.

It could be regarded as having found a way for husband and wife to get along.

Village Head Zhao touched his face, and he could already predict that he would not be able to escape this time.

Ai, he hoped his sons could help him when the time came.

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

“Er Ya! What are you doing?!” The woman ran out with a spatula, and when she saw her daughter running around in the yard, she got angry, “Come back quickly!”

Er Ya turned her head and said, “No! Mother! There are people in town today, I want to go see them!”

The woman was even more angry: “What for? How is that your business if people come to the town or not?”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Er Ya: “I’m going to go to school in the town! I heard that it’s free to go to school in the town!”

The woman sneered: “You are a girl, go to what school? Your brother is going to school. If you go too, who will do the work at home?”

Er Ya said angrily, “If I can do it why can’t younger brother? He is already five years old. When I was five years old, I could already farm the fields, why can’t he?”

The woman rolled her eyes: “Can you compare with your younger brother?”

Er Ya made a face at her mother: “He just has a d*ick! What’s so precious?”

The woman ran out angrily: “Come here and see if I won’t teach you a lesson today!”

Er Ya rolled her eyes, she was small but she was fast and nimble, running like the wind. She yelled as she ran, “I’m going to school! I’ll find a job in the city in the future! When I earn money, I can also let you live comfortably!”

“Live comfortably, my ass!” The woman gasped for breath with hands on her hips, her face flushed with anger, and said, “Can’t you worry me less? It’s not easy for me and your father to raise the three of you. We’ll save some dowry for you, so when you marry later we will have done our best for you.”

“I don’t want a dowry!” Er Ya hid behind a wooden stake, “I just want to study and learn to read, I don’t want to stay in the village all my life.”

The woman was furious: “What’s wrong with the village? Are you lacking in food or warm clothes? Er Ya! You have no conscience!”

Er Ya shouted: “I have! The teacher in the town said that going to the city does not mean drawing a line from the village, but to go to the city to learn more things and contribute to the village in the future!”

The teacher in town…..

The woman said angrily: “He’s just a teacher! I’m still your mother!”

Er Ya: “The widow Zhao in the east of the village sent her daughter to school, why can’t I go?”

Woman: “Widow Zhao has only one daughter, I have your elder brother and younger brother, it’s not like our family doesn’t have a son, so why expect a girl to study?”

Er Ya bit her lip until it was bleeding: “I won’t, I’m going to study, they don’t charge for studying at the school, I know.”

“Mother, I beg you, please let me go to school. I will come back to work during off days, the teacher said that when the farming season is busy, he will also give me days off.”

Woman: “You’re not allowed to go! If I say no, then it’s a no! If you go to school, what will the people in the village think of us?”

“Noisy, noisy!” A man stepped into the yard and said to the woman, “You are just unable to control her!”

Woman: “Then you go ahead! She is just making a fuss about going to school!”

The man frowned and said, “Isn’t this nonsense? In all the villages in the area, only widow Zhao sent her girl to study. She has to rely on a girl when there is no man in her family, but that’s not the same in our family.”

Woman: “I said the same, she didn’t listen! What can I do!”

Man: “Isn’t Da Zhuang on vacation these few days? When he comes back, ask him to talk to his sister, he is a scholar, he will explain things better than we can.”

When the woman heard her husband mention her eldest son, she also had a smile on her face: “That’s right, our Da Zhuang is going to be the top scorer of the imperial palace examination! Of course he can convince a little girl.”

“Go, go, don’t squat there.” The woman shouted to Er Ya, “Go and pick up firewood.”

Er Ya: “You let me go to school and then I’ll go pick them up!”

The woman laughed angrily: “It’s fine if you don’t pick up firewood. Don’t eat then, and go hungry! When you stop yelling about going to school, then you will eat again.”

Er Ya: “Fine!”

However, that night, Er Ya was so hungry that she couldn’t sleep. She sneaked into the field to dig potatoes to eat, and made a fire on the field to roast them. After eating, she buried the burnt wood.

It was three days like this, in which Er Ya didn’t even taste a drop of oil, and didn’t even eat during the day. She only secretly went to the field at night to dig potatoes.

“Da Zhuang is back!” Before Er Ya entered the door, she heard her parents’ happy voices.

She pouted. Anyway, from childhood to adulthood, her brothers were always her parents’ treasures. What was she? Just a stone on the ground, something others’ won’t worry about if it was broken, nor something they would want to care about.

Er Ya didn’t expect her older brother to speak for her. Like her father and mother, her brother thought that she should just marry in the future. Sending her to study would just benefit the family she would marry into later.

“Where’s Er Ya?” She heard her older brother ask inside.

Her mother said: “Running wild somewhere again. She has been angry with your father and I these few days. Insisting on going to school as if she has the talent for it. Besides, what girl studies and learns to read?”

“It’s said outside that girls are sent to study, but that’s all in the south, and we in the north won’t put up with that.”

Er Ya pouted when she heard this.

Da Zhuang said, “Mother, I went to the city and saw that many women who come from the south are working, all of whom had studied and learned to read, and they all work as managers and supervisors in charge, earning at least two silver taels a month.”

The woman smacked her lips: “Goodness, that’s amazing, and at least two silver taels, two silver taels are enough for our family to eat for a long time.”

Different from the south, it was inconvenient to build roads in the north. Although the folk customs were simple, they did not have too much communication with the outside world. The people live a closed off life. Even though the new dynasty had been established for so long, and had been promoting the slogan that boys and girls were the same, it did not have much effect on them.

Da Zhuang said again: “If Er Ya wants to study, just let her study, putting aside taking the imperial examination in the future, it will be good to find a manager job.”

Woman: “Even if she becomes a manager, won’t she still have to get married in the future? Become a part of another family? Then she has nothing to do with our family. If we let her go to school, there will be one less person in the family who can do work.”

Er Ya felt uncomfortable as she listened to these words.

She still remembered Widow Zhao’s daughter, Yue Niang, who used to spend her days like her. Later, Widow Zhao ignored the obstruction of her relatives and sent Yue Niang to a school in the city. Yue Niang learned to read, and she also learned to use the abacus. Because her ability on the abacus was really good, some shop owners in the city even asked her if she would like to work as an accountant in their shop after graduation.

Yue Niang also told her that if you go to such a big shop to be an accountant, you would at least earn one tael a month.

Among them, the highest bidder was willing to give her two and a half taels a month.

“If you don’t study, how can you earn so much money?” Yue Niang smiled happily at that time, and said to Er Ya, “You have to go to study earlier, I went late, but if you go now, you can study several more years. After studying for a few more years, maybe you will even be able to participate in the imperial examination and become a high official!”

“I heard that there are female lords in the capital!”

Er Ya didn’t hope to take part in the imperial examination and become a high official.

She just didn’t want to do farm work at home all the time and then in the future, marry a man like her father and have a few babies.

That kind of life, she felt terrible even thinking about it.

Da Zhuang sighed: “Mother, Er Ya is also born from your stomach, she is still your daughter even after she married, besides, there is a law now, if something happens to younger brother and I, Er Ya will be supporting you in the future.”

“She can earn more money after studying. When she enters her husband’s house, she will be able to establish a firm foothold and pay filial piety to you.”

The woman waved her hand: “I don’t lack her filial piety, I have two sons!”

For them, it was a big sin for a woman to not have a son. Whoever had more sons could raise their heads higher when they went out.

The more sons, the better. As for daughters, they would always get married, and now they were not allowed to exchange marriages. (TN: old folk custom in which a daughter is married into another family in exchange for her husband’s family to marry their daughter to her brother)

If it hadn’t been for the fact that life had gotten better, these girls would have been drowned long ago.

That was how the folk customs were like here.

Da Zhuang sighed: “Mother, you should go out with Father and take a look around outside.”

Woman: “Look at what?”

Da Zhuang: “I’ll take Er Ya away this time, and let her go to school with me. It just so happens that the first grade is about to recruit new students. We can go and register first, and the school will start in September in the second half of the year.”

The woman rolled her eyes at her son, “They say that you don’t need money for studying, but what about the money for clothes, meals, and accommodation.”

Da Zhuang had nothing to say.

Sense would not be talked into his mother, and his father even more so.

Er Ya wiped her tears outside.

Her parents love her older brother the most. Her older brother even spoke for her for once, but her parents still wouldn’t let go.

Er Ya squatted in the corner, crying with her head down.

By the time she got home, the whole family had already eaten dinner. Da Zhuang was still growing and had to eat a lot. So when she went to the kitchen to search, she only found half a bun, and hurriedly devoured it.

“What are you doing?”

Er Ya turned her head and saw Da Zhuang standing at the door of the kitchen. She sniffed and said in a fierce tone that was really just a front, “What’s it to you?!”

Da Zhuang: “I heard Mother say that you want to study.”

Er Ya sullenly said: “What’s the use of what I want? I won’t be able to no matter how much I want it. In any case, it’s like this. After I get married, I won’t come back. When I give birth to a child, no matter male or female, I will send them to study. “

Da Zhuang squatted down: “I have a way, if you listen to me you can go to school.”

Er Ya didn’t believe it: “Really?”

Da Zhuang looked confident: “Why would I lie to you? I will get no benefit.”

Er Ya still didn’t believe it: “Why are you helping me?”

When he was a child, Da Zhuang bullied her a lot, and even called her names with his companions, just because she secretly ate a piece of meat that only he could eat.

Could it be that after going to school, Da Zhuang changed? Could studying have made Da Zhuang better?

Da Zhuang: “The day I went to the city, you just wait by the side of the road. I’ll have the ox cart stop and take you with me.”

Er Ya’s eyes widened: “But, but after going to the city to sign up, I still have to go back to the village. They won’t let me go in September, and I still won’t be able to go to school.”

Da Zhuang smiled and said, “How’s that a problem? You just won’t leave after you arrive in the city, and just wait for the school to start in the city. It’s called cooked rice, what’s done is done, and they won’t be able to change anything then.”

Er Ya hesitated: “Then…..I will have to live in the city for a long time, where will I get the money?”

Da Zhuang: “I started a poetry club with a few classmates in the city. We write poems for those merchants and I can earn some money for it and have a place to live. So long as we are frugal, you won’t die of starvation.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Er Ya nodded desperately: “I will be frugal, I will definitely be frugal! I can just eat one potato a day, just the size of my fist is enough! I don’t eat much!”

Da Zhuang rubbed Er Ya’s head: “Then it’s decided.”

Er Ya grabbed the hem of Da Zhuang’s shirt, raised her head, and called out sincerely, “Big brother.”

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

“Sister.” The boy followed behind the girl, his voice high and childish, holding a wooden toy in his hand.

The girl pouted: “Don’t follow me, I’m going to see Uncle!”

The boy said quickly, “I’m going to see Uncle too!”

The girl stopped and turned to look at her little brother: “What do you want to see Uncle for?”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Lin Xuan: “What does Sister want to see Uncle for?”

Lin De proudly said: “I want to show Uncle my martial arts!”

Lin Xuan stomped his feet: “I want to also!”

Lin De said strangely: “You don’t know martial arts, Mother said, you can’t learn.”

Lin Xuan suffered from a nutritional deficit in the womb, and his body was weaker than other children. He couldn’t take the cold or the heat, so Guo’er gave him a nickname, Jiaojiao. Boys being given a girl’s name could help them to avoid premature death——at least among the people such a custom was passed down.

Therefore, Lin De, the elder sister, became the object of Lin Xuan’s envy. His sister had been in good health since she was a child, and she was as strong as a calf. Although she was not very good at studying, she was very good at physical activities such as riding and shooting. Lin Xuan envied and admired his sister, hoping that one day he could become the same as his sister.

“Oh, forget it, let’s go together.” Lin De took her little brother’s hand.

They have been together since childhood, and have never been separated. They ate together, studied together, and slept together. They have yet to sleep in separate rooms, but according to Mother, they would be separated when they were seven years old.

Lin De led Lin Xuan out of the palace gate, and the attendants followed behind them.

The two siblings were taken into the palace by Lin Yuan when they were five years old. Guo’er was worried about the two children and moved back to the palace.

As for the princess’s consort…..Guo’er seemed to have forgotten that she had something like a husband.

Only when Han Ling occasionally reported to Lin Yuan did he get permission to enter the inner palace to see his children and wife.

Lin Yuan did not interfere in the affairs of this pair of husband and wife.

Standing in his position, he still hoped that Guo’er could get along with the princess’s consort.

But if it didn’t work, then it couldn’t be forced.

After all, ordinary common people could get divorced, so there was no reason Guo’er couldn’t as well.

“Your Majesty.” Er Liang stepped to the side and said, “The little princess and prince asks to see you.” (TN: unlike the emperor’s children and siblings, the princely titles of the emperor’s grandchildren or nieces and nephews are of the second and/or third rank. So the twins are Princess of the Second Rank and Prince of the Second Rank while Guo’er is a Princess of First Rank)

Lin Yuan put down the teacup and said with a smile, “Let them come in.”

Chen Baisong, who was sitting on the side, asked, “Do you want me to leave?”

Lin Yuan shook his head and smiled at Chen Baisong: “No, they are also your nephew and niece.”

Chen Baisong was stunned for a moment, as if dazed by Lin Yuan’s smile, and he nodded after a while.

“Uncle!” Lin De trotted in with her little brother. Like a whirlwind, Lin De threw herself into Lin Yuan’s arms, and was picked up by Lin Yuan and placed on his lap.

Lin Xuan stood aside shyly, envying that his sister could be held by their uncle.

Before they entered the palace, they rarely saw their uncle, barely twice a year.

But they kept hearing from their mother that their uncle was the person who loved them the most besides their mother. Their mother also said that their uncle was very, very powerful. Their uncle was the emperor and the master of the world. There was nothing in the world that their uncle could not do.

Under such teaching, even though they rarely saw Lin Yuan, they all admired their uncle.

And every time they saw their uncle, their uncle would give them gifts.

The gifts were not necessarily expensive, but they would definitely be in line with their likes and preferences. In the eyes of children, Lin Yuan was omnipotent.

And Lin De had already discovered that every time she went to see her uncle, the maids who served her would all scramble to go with her.

Lin De was puzzled before, and she asked her mother, who told her that because her uncle was the most noble person in the world, everyone wanted to get close to him and to be loved by him, and everyone he loved had a good life.

So Lin De never took the palace maids with her again.

She felt that the less people her uncle liked, the better, otherwise her uncle’s heart would be divided.

Lin De turned to look at Lin Xuan.

Well, if it was her little brother, then she was willing to give half of her uncle to him.

“What? What happened today?” Lin Yuan teased the child.

Lin De leaned on Lin Yuan’s chest and said earnestly, “Uncle, I have learned a set of martial arts.”

As she spoke, she jumped off Lin Yuan’s knees and stood in front of Lin Yuan, with a confident look on her little face, still plump with baby fat: “I’ll show you!”

After speaking, Lin De began to go through the movements.

This set of fist movements was actually taught to children so that they could keep fit, similar to modern radio gymnastics.

There was no difficulty, and there was no practical combative use. It just allowed the children not to delay the growth of the body when they were not studying.

“Xiao De is really amazing.” Lin Yuan applauded.

Lin De’s face flushed red, and she said happily, “I will be even more powerful in the future! I want to be a general!”

Lin Yuan said oddly, “Why do you want to be a general?”

Lin De said: “They all said that being a general is very powerful! You can wear very nice armor! You can command thousands of troops! Fight back those bandits who dare to harass us!”

Lin Yuan rubbed Lin De’s little head: “Then you have to work hard. Not everyone can be a general, and a general is the most powerful person.”

Lin De asked, “More powerful than you?”

Chen Baisong said next to him: “A general must be loyal to the emperor, there can be many generals, but there is only one emperor.”

Lin De’s eyes widened: “Then I want to be the most powerful general!”

Lin Yuan smiled: “Okay, Uncle is waiting for Xiao De to grow up and let Xiao De be Uncle’s general.”

“What about Jiaojiao? What do you want to do in the future?” Lin Yuan asked Lin Xuan, who was standing on the side and fidgeting with his sleeve.

Lin Xuan used his little brain to think for a while, and said, “Then I will be Sister’s military adviser, and let her always be victorious.”

Lin Yuan also reached out and rubbed Lin Xuan’s head. This pair of sister and brother were never separated under his advice. Their relationship was very good. Lin De had a carefree temperament, while Lin Xuan was much more attentive. The both of them had never quarreled with each other before.

Lin De seemed arrogant, but she never bullied her younger brother.

Lin Xuan looked weak, but he was not a weak child.

They were destined to be competitors in the future. Even if one of them wanted to back down, Lin Yuan would not allow it. In the end, it would depend on strength and ability.

But when they were still young, Lin Yuan hoped that they would have a complete and healthy family relationship, that they could experience familial affection, and that they didn’t have to face the cruel side of the world that soon.

What Lin Yuan didn’t expect was that these two children would be dependent on him like this.

But he could also understand, after all, Lin De and Lin Xuan didn’t have very deep feelings for their father.

Before they moved into the palace, Han Ling was always very busy. He was busy communicating with his colleagues and trying to find a way to make achievements. He didn’t have much time and energy to allocate to his family.

So Lin Yuan became the “father” in the eyes of the children.

The identity of the emperor was enough to gild him in a golden halo.

In fact, people, whether they were children or adults, tend to pursue the strong, worship the strong, and obey the strong. This was instinct.

People would protect the weak, but they would never worship the weak, nor want to be the weak.

Power was the proof of the strong.

The emperor who possessed the most power was the strongest.

Lin Yuan had just hugged Lin De, and this time it was changed to Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan sat obediently on Lin Yuan’s lap and said seriously, “Mother said she wants to change our teacher.”

Lin Yuan: “What’s the matter? Is the current teacher not good?”

Lin Xuan was a little confused: “I don’t know, but Mother said that the teacher is not a good teacher.”

Lin Yuan was also very puzzled. The teacher he chose for the two was the first in the second rank of candidates who passed the first imperial examination. He had real talent and knowledge, and he was more than enough to be a teacher for the children. Why would Guo’er say that he was not a good teacher? 

“Then next time you go to class, Uncle will also come visit, alright?” Lin Yuan asked.

Lin Xuan nodded and said happily, “Okay!”

Lin Xuan had delicate health and could not learn to ride horses and archery like Lin De. He spent more time indoors, so he liked to read books more than Lin De. Books were his friends other than his sister.

It was not that there were no people in the capital who wanted to send their children to Lin De and Lin Xuan as companions.

However, Lin De was just an addition, as their eyes were still focused on Lin Xuan.

After all, Lin Yuan had no children, and there were only two siblings, Lin De and Lin Xuan, in the imperial bloodline.

And Lin De was a girl, she couldn’t inherit the throne, only Lin Xuan.

Unless Princess Chang’an had a few more sons, no matter how they looked at it, Lin Xuan would be the future emperor.

Didn’t the emperor take Lin Xuan by his side to raise him?

They were sure that so long as Lin Xuan grew up, the emperor would let Lin Xuan go gain experience.

They already couldn’t wait to stand in line.

If they started now, when Lin Xuan really became emperor, they would get some benefits no matter what, right?

Lin Yuan had not spoken yet, but seeing Lin De and Lin Xuan getting older and older, and now they were six years old, it was time for them to collect their own aides. Judging people and managing people were sometimes abilities learned, though sometimes it also came naturally.

This was also talent, just don’t know which of these two siblings had such talent.

Moreover, the children of the officials and noble families grew up beside Lin De and Lin Xuan, and they could be considered to be well-known and familiar.

Whether Lin De or Lin Xuan became the emperor in the future, these children would be their “own people”.

It was just…..

Lin Yuan was a little worried that Lin De would not have any companions.

After all, the noble families still wouldn’t let their daughters go out, let alone send them into the palace as a companion.

It was also impossible to have their sons be the companion of a princess, otherwise there would be unpleasant rumors outside.

For example, the child is still so young, yet you want your son to marry the princess in the future. Truly, your shameless intentions are obvious to everyone.

Aristocratic families want face, even if they really had such intentions, they didn’t want others saying it.

After the two children left, Lin Yuan said to Chen Baisong, “Look for an opportunity later, let all the children of the noble families enter the palace, and let Lin De and Lin Xuan choose their own companions.”

Chen Baisong nodded, he felt that this method was very good, and those aristocratic families would not dare to say anything about the children’s affairs.

“Jiaojiao’s health is still not good.” Chen Baisong sighed, “How about you let me take care of him for a while.”

Lin Yuan smiled and looked at Chen Baisong: “How are you going to take care of him?”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Chen Baisong said earnestly: “His physique is weak, so naturally he needs to get more sunlight and move more. Being locked in the house all day, even healthy people would have problems.”

“Then bring Xiao De with you as well.” Lin Yuan said, “I don’t want them to be too far apart before they turn sixteen.”

No feelings could stand the wear of distance.

Chen Baisong nodded: “Alright.”

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

With less and less harassment on the borders, Lin Yuan felt a lot more at ease.

Over the years, he had focused his attention on the borders, in order to make the common people more stable and prevent the borders from being harassed all the time. With the borders being harrassed all the time, the common people couldn’t live a peaceful life, and merchants couldn’t do business with peace of mind, forced to bring many armed escorts everytime they traveled, which in turn brought the cost of business up. Even Lin Yuan felt a little distressed when he collected taxes——if the merchants hadn’t hired so many armed escorts, he could still collect a bit more tax.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Since the borders had been stabilized, both the court and the public have been singing praises.

Praising Lin Yuan as a heroic leader descended from heaven.

But in addition to the good news, there was also bad news, that was, Song Shizhao was dying.

In recent years, Song Shizhao’s physical condition had been deteriorating.

He was in his fifties when he first followed Lin Yuan, and now he was quite an old man of advanced age.

These days, Lin Yuan had been keeping an eye on Song Shizhao’s situation, and sent the best imperial physicians of the palace over, but there was still no improvement. The imperial doctors had also said that Song Shizhao was not ill, he just had a sickness everyone would eventually get——old age.

Being born, growing old, sickness and death were hurdles that mortals could not escape.

Er Liang walked in from outside the door and reported Song Shizhao’s situation. Lin Yuan hurried to the prime minister’s residence.

Song Shizhao was a very peculiar person. He seemed to have no selfish desires and did not indulge in any pleasures and vices. Although he lived in the Prime Minister Manor, the Prime Minister Manor was the residence of an official of the Yuan Dynasty. He just simply refurbished it and moved in. There were no servants in the manor, only an old servant who was always by his side.

After so many years, Song Shizhao did not marry a wife either. In fact, there were no other women in the house except the cook and the maid in charge of procuring groceries. He lived like an ascetic monk. He heard from the old servant that even when Song Shizhao ate, it was just one dish of vegetables and one bowl of rice.

Occasionally he would even forgo white rice for yellow wheat buns.

When Lin Yuan arrived, Song Shizhao’s breath came noisily like windpipes as he lay on the bed. He was thin before, but now he was even thinner. But when Lin Yuan appeared, his eyes suddenly lit up with a brightness that contradicted his advanced age!

“Your Majesty…..Your Majesty…..” Song Shizhao stretched out his hand and said with difficulty, “Excuse this official, this official cannot…..salute you…..”

Lin Yuan walked to Song Shizhao’s side, sat down, and held Song Shizhao’s outstretched hand.

He found at this time that he could no longer keep Song Shizhao. God wanted to take Song Shizhao away, and there was nothing mortals could do.

Song Shizhao looked at Lin Yuan, he grinned, the teeth in his mouth had almost all fallen out, and only a pair of front teeth were left standing.

This emperor was assisted by him.

To this day, Song Shizhao felt that he was the luckiest person. When times were in upheaval, there were so many advisors and aides, but how many of them really managed to assist the person they followed onto the throne?

No one else did it, but Song Shizhao did it! With this alone, even if he died, he should die with a smile!

But he was reluctant. He watched the growth of this emperor with his own eyes. He watched the young boy who had lived secluded in a small farmstead, and then he watched that young boy’s ambition ignite, conquering cities and land step by step, and becoming the emperor he was today.

He was really reluctant. He felt that he could live for a few more decades and then die with his emperor.

But God would not give him that much time.

Song Shizhao’s fingers twitched, and when he spoke his words were a little lisped, but he still tried to articulate each word clearly: “Your Majesty, the Mongolians should continue to be appeased, now is not the right time. We can do business with the barbarians and foreigners, but they must not be allowed to get whatever technology we have.”

This time, Lin Yuan didn’t refer to himself using “Zhen.” He looked into Song Shizhao’s eyes and said seriously, “I know, Mister.”

Song Shizhao coughed desperately, Lin Yuan stretched out his hand to pat him on the back, and Song Shizhao said, “Your Majesty, after I die, Zheng Qingfeng will be a good fit. He is a pure official and has worked in the Court of Censors. He has no roots in the imperial court, which is for the best as prime minister.”

“Other…..other people, there is no need to consider them. They, they either have inadequate temperament, or they have the habit of trying to benefit from both sides.”

Lin Yuan: “I know.”

Song Shizhao smiled at Lin Yuan.

Oh, His Majesty. He looked at His Majesty whom he had watched grow, was he already this old?

But he felt that he was still young, and he still had a lot of things he wanted to do.

Song Shizhao’s eyes looked into the distance, he thought back to a long time ago, when he was still living on the mountain.

There was no time in the mountains. He and his brothers and cousins read and write every day. They couldn’t afford paper and ink, so they used their fingers to write on the soil, or carved words like in ancient times, carving until blood dripped from their hands and still did not stop.

The elders told them that only by learning a lot could they restore the orthodoxy and reestablish the Song Dynasty in the future.

At that time, like his brothers and cousins, he hoped to go down the mountain one day, find the remaining legacy of the imperial family, and make use of what he had learned, so that he could live up to a childhood of hard work.

If the current Song Shizhao were to say, there was no need to lift up a fallen dynasty again.

Only new, new dynasties, new people, and new emperors could truly allow people like him to show their worth.

But as time passed, the elders died one by one, and the hearts of his brothers and cousins became restless.

They were all young and energetic, why must they continue to live in such a deep mountain and old forest? The first cousin to make a move sneaked down the mountain at night. Even to this day Song Shizhao had not found him, and it was likely that he was dead.

With the first one, the rest left one after another.

If it weren’t for the fact that he was the only one left in the end, he still didn’t want to go down the mountain.

Because the state of affairs below the mountain was not chaotic enough.

Only when it was chaotic to the extreme, would his appearance have more weight.

Song Shizhao recalled the past with a smile on the corner of his mouth. Lin Yuan didn’t speak, just looked at him quietly.

Later, he had no money, no food, and was caught by a merchant in the wilderness. At first, he didn’t know where he was going to be brought to, and he didn’t know what he would do in the future. That was the first time Song Shizhao felt fear.

He was not afraid of death, he was afraid that his death would be worthless, dying without anyone knowing Song Shizhao, without anyone knowing that he had prepared for this chaotic world for nearly a lifetime!

If he died, he wouldn’t be able to go down in history, not even as a laughing stock.

Song Shizhao breathed a sigh of relief when he was brought into the farmstead. He was willing to be a forced laborer and do manual work. So long as he didn’t die, he still had hope.

He survived, he didn’t starve to death, he didn’t get beaten to death, he could eat his fill as long as he worked, and he didn’t have to work all day long, because he was old, and the people in the farmstead took good care of him.

It was also at that time that he noticed the owner of the farmstead.

In his eyes, the naive, weak and young Lin Yuan.

But at that time, Lin Yuan’s innocence held a trace of strange cruelty.

Song Shizhao looked at the various orders issued by Lin Yuan, and speculated by himself, and found that these orders could be described as “the obeyer lives, the violator dies”.

Ruthless like a mask of iron, with no room for even pleasantries.

Even the laws of the imperial court have never not considered favors and emotions.

Towards such a farmstead owner, Song Shizhao only felt his blood boil in excitement. He urgently needed to find a master for himself, assist him, achieve his potential, and realize his own self-worth at the same time. He saw Lin Yuan, discovered Lin Yuan, and that impulsive feeling was uncontrollable. So he made a risky move on the chessboard.

Then he was caught by Lin Yuan, and that was the first time he had spoken to this young farmstead owner.

There was scrutiny and suspicion on the face of the young boy.

His eyes were cold and emotionless, as if he was not looking at a person, but at an item, to see how much the item was worth, whether it was worth reaching out and taking it within his grasp.

Perhaps Lin Yuan himself didn’t know what kind of expression he had at that time.

But Song Shizhao remembered it clearly. After so many years, he had never forgotten it.

Then he followed at Lin Yuan’s side and became an advisor and strategist. At the beginning, Lin Yuan used him, but he did not trust him.

At that time, he was full of confidence, and felt that Lin Yuan would soon come to trust him, because he truly and sincerely served Lin Yuan as his master.

Song Shizhao felt that the relationship between monarch and minister was a lot like the relationship between husband and wife. The husband could be unfaithful, but the wife must be loyal and dependable.

Although he felt that this reasoning was really unreasonable, it was useful, because wives depended on their husbands to live, and ministers depended on emperors to live.

He must be more loyal and dependable than a wife who loved her husband deeply.

Only in this way could he climb higher and gain Lin Yuan’s trust.

Song Shizhao thought of the past and even felt disbelief. He actually helped Lin Yuan to become the emperor, and he himself became the prime minister. Even when he was young and frivolous, he never dared to imagine such a day.

If he hadn’t met Lin Yuan at that time, perhaps he would have died long ago, either death in body or in heart.

Talent was talent only when it could be used, if not, it was just bullsh*t.

He watched His Majesty change from a young boy to a tough young man, from innocent cruelty to mature ruthlessness. Every change in His Majesty made him happy.

“Your Majesty…..” Song Shizhao opened his mouth and said, “After I die, bury me in the capital, I…..I want to be here, to watch Your Majesty…..”

Lin Yuan said softly, “Yes, don’t worry.”

Song Shizhao said again: “Zheng Qingfeng, will be suitable, suitable as prime minister.”

Lin Yuan held his hand: “After you leave, I will remove the position of prime minister. You are my first and only prime minister.”

Song Shizhao opened his mouth wide, gasping for breath. Tears fell from the corners of his eyes. He opened and closed his mouth many times before he said, “This official, thanks, thanks Your Majesty…..”

“This official’s life…..” Song Shizhao looked at Lin Yuan, “Has been worth it.”

Lin Yuan added: “I will build a university in your name, your family wealth will serve as a scholarship, and countless students will receive your grace. A hundred years later, someone will still remember you.”

Song Shizhao’s hands trembled violently, and he finally couldn’t help crying: “Your Majesty…..Your Majesty…..this old official doesn’t want to die…..”

“Your Majesty, this old official still wants, wants to follow you.”

Lin Yuan: “In the next life, you will be my prime minister as well.”

Song Shizhao’s look of laughter appeared more ugly than his crying expression: “Your Majesty, at that time, don’t, don’t dislike this old official for being too old.”

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “When you followed me in this life, you were not young either, you were as old as pickled vegetables.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Song Shizhao looked at Lin Yuan’s face, gazing deeply as if he wanted to engrave this face into his own soul, so that he would be able to remember it in the next life.

Lin Yuan said softly, “Mister, be at ease.”

Song Shizhao’s hand, which was held in Lin Yuan’s own hand, twitched and he said, “Your Majesty, this old official shall go ahead first…..”

TN: bawled my eyes out at this chapter. Seriously, if Song Shizhao was 20-30 years younger I would have shipped him with Lin Yuan (sry Chen Baisong >.<)

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

Saki woke up very early. She was the first one to get up in the courtyard every day. She had to clean and dress up before waking up her companions. Now she could earn money to support herself by teaching the new arrivals the official language of Great Ming. In fact, not only enough to support her, the money could also allow her to buy many things that she never dared to think about before.

She just bought a silver hairpin yesterday, when in the past how could she have dared to think about such a thing? When she was in her own country, the most valuable thing at home was a clay pot——it was used to cook rice, but the clay pot would crack in a short time. Iron was not available, as it was used to make weapons for the samurai, and commoners could forget about wanting to own an iron weapon in this life.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Not to mention gold and silver, those were only owned by nobles.

The girl from the same village as Saki became the lover of a nobleman, yet she didn’t see her wear any jewelry.

Saki cherished this silver hairpin very much.

She remembered that when her parents were still alive, her biggest wish was to buy a piece of cloth and make new clothes for her mother.

If only they were still alive. Now that she had money, she could ask the merchants to bring her parents here too.

“Saki.” The girl in the same room with her also woke up. Her Chinese was not very good, but she was fluent. They agreed that the bitb of them would only use Chinese to talk, so that they could get better at it earlier.

Saki also greeted her: “Yuka.”

Yuka was a little younger than Saki. She was just thirteen years old this year. She said excitedly, “I’m going to see a merchant today. I’ve saved enough money, and I’m going to bring my parents over.”

Saki was a little envious. Yuka had parents, but she didn’t, so she said, “Then you have to be careful, be polite to the merchant, and ask him nicely.”

Yuka nodded eagerly: “I know, I know!”

The merchant agreed very readily. After all, he was also planning to go to Japan. It would be easy to bring two people back on the way. So long as they were not samurai, the nobles over there would not care. Besides, no matter how small mosquitoes were, they were meat. Those who dealt in business never complained about too much money, and it was not like it would take much effort.

Moreover, when merchants like him do business between the two countries, it was convenient to bring along these women who could speak Japanese. If he ever had to ask them to do business in the future, and the two sides already have a slight friendship, it would be easier.

The merchant’s surname was Zhang, and he said to Yuka, “If your parents are still alive, I will bring them back. If I can’t find them or they are dead, there is nothing I can do.”

Yuka hurriedly knelt down, and before Merchant Zhang tried to help her up, she kowtowed: “Laoye! I know, I know.”

Merchant Zhang sighed and helped Yuka up: “Alright, you just wait for my good news in the city.”

Merchant Zhang soon left with his caravan. He also recruited a group of armed escorts, all of whom were originally Japanese pirates. These Japanese pirates were now living outside the city. Some of them sneaked into the city after learning Chinese, and didn’t live outside the city , and even went to the government office to set up a household registration, becoming a Ming person, and began to do some proper legal business.

But more Japanese pirates have no other skills, and were unwilling to bow their heads to be ordinary common people, so they just wait for merchant caravans to recruit them outside the city.

Before, these Japanese pirates also caused trouble a few times and several were killed as an example. Now they were a lot more obedient, and nothing happened for two years. Merchants were also gradually willing to use them.

After all, no one was more familiar with the situation in Japan than them.

They were also samurai, they knew where to go, who was in charge of which land, and who had real power. They knew very well.

Merchant Zhang recruited a team of Japanese pirates this time, and the leader of the team was a warrior named Ida. Speaking of, it was strange that these samurai ended up divided into several factions when they were clearly all from Japan. There were four leaders in total, each of them having no friendly feelings with each other, but neither did they completely shed all pretense of cordiality.

A few years ago, he heard that there was a fight between them, and many people died.

However, the Japanese pirates who came here were basically all absorbed by them.

The Japanese pirates never harassed the border city again.

The reason was also simple.

They needed daily necessities, food, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar, which were available only in the city. If they harass the people in the city, once the city gate was closed, they would not be able to buy anything.

And their money all came from the merchants. When merchants recruit them to do business, they could earn money. If they were not recruited, they would earn nothing.

Gradually, they also got used to this way of life.

And many of them have lovers in the city, and they were basically the women from Japan.

With women and money, Japanese pirates started families, moved to the city, lived with their women, and raised their children.

Those Japanese pirates who were still outside the city wanted to make more money, save some money, get married with their women, and eventually move to the city to live. No matter how bad life was, it was not as bad as it was in their own country. As samurais, they couldn’t serve their lord, but were forced to leave their hometowns instead, so they themselves didn’t have the face to go back.

Ida’s Chinese was very good. After they were recruited, apart from their clothes that they themselves must be responsible for, the merchants were responsible for food, accommodation and transportation. This was when their days were at their most extravagant. Wine and meat were available at any time, and they did not need to load and unload the goods.

When they got off the ship and walked up the dock in their homeland, the Japanese pirates were very calm.

They were very excited when they came back for the first time.

But after being excited, what was left was a deep confusion, the homeland in their memory, was like this?

There were dilapidated villages everywhere, men, women and children were barely clothed, there were corpses of starved children on the side of the road, and the screams of women sounded right in their ears.

Was their country always like this?

A samurai with a sword pressed a woman against a wall, laughing while raping her. The woman begged him, but he was unmoved.

Ida didn’t know what happened to him at the time. He only remembered that there was a wave of anger occupying his brain, which made his body disobey the command of his brain. He drew his sword and killed the samurai.

The woman looked at him in horror, gathered up her tattered clothes, said an inaudible thank you, and ran away.

For that dead samurai, the merchant who recruited him at the time lost a lot of money to the samurai’s lord.

Ida only felt that his heart had become desolate and there was nothing to rely on. He was a samurai. His parents and teacher told him that he should learn martial arts well and be loyal to his lord. If he could become a daimyo’s samurai, maybe one day he would become a city master. He could get the benefits he deserved, both land and beauty.

But they didn’t tell him what to do when a country was devastated.

In contrast, the Great Ming was like the kingdom of heaven.

He lived outside the city, but he could see people coming and going in the city every day. Some of them walked on their legs, some rode in horse-drawn carriages, and some rode in ox-carts. The women in Great Ming had smiles on their faces. But the women of his home country were always fearful and anxious.

The artisans and craftsmen of Great Ming were very respected. How many artisans and craftsmen were there in their country now?

Merchants come and go, they would bring a lot of goods into the city, and they would also take the goods from the city and pull them to other places to sell.

The people had plenty of food and clothing, didn’t worry about when there would be war, and didn’t worry about samurai or soldiers breaking into their homes and taking their wives and daughters.

Ida still remembered the merchant who took them there sitting on horseback, looking at the desolate scene, and exclaiming: “Is this hell?”

Hell on earth, this was probably what it looked like, right?

The merchant bought a lot of women from the lord. They were all refugees. They had no homes. Their relatives were also refugees. They had fled from other places. But the lord did not need these women. The most the women could do was to sell their bodies as there were no other methods they could make a living from, and thus did not present even the slightest contribution to the lord.

Ida watched them get on the boat, escorted them back to the city, watched them get better day by day, and one of them even became his woman.

Since then, he had often brought people back and forth between his homeland and the Great Ming.

It was just that the samurai and lords of his homeland thought he was from Great Ming.

And the people of Great Ming thought he was a Japanese slave.

When his Chinese became more and more fluent, even the people of Great Ming thought he was their compatriot.

Ida felt amused and desolate at the same time.

He grew up in his home country only to become a Ming person?

Even his woman said that it was better to be a Ming person than to be a native of their home country, and he scolded her for forgetting her roots.

But the woman said: “If we are still in our home country and I follow you, will you be able to feed me? If your fellow samurai want to f**k me, do you dare to break with them? Will the lord hold you in high regard and introduce you to the daimyo? In our homeland, you can only kneel! Living on your knees!”

Ida wanted to refute her, but couldn’t find any reason to refute.

There was chaos in the homeland and there were wars every day. The reason why he could say these words was because he was not in his homeland, he lived a good life in Great Ming, he had his own house, his woman occasionally came to see him and spend a wild and sweet night together.

He earned money to buy her rouge and jewelry, as well as fabrics.

Ida had no family, and his friends earn about the same amount of money as him, so he spent all his money on his woman.

His woman was a very shrewish woman. She was smart and beautiful. She used to always cover her face with mud back in the homeland. If not because she was afraid of pain, she might have even cut her face. When she came to Great Ming, she found that men couldn’t touch her without consent, she could now finally face others with a clean face.

Actually, Ida couldn’t tell why he became lovers with her.

She would spend his money indiscriminately, but she would also remind him to hide the money, rent a piece of land in the future, and build a small shop. They could start a small business together, she could make rice balls and pickled vegetables, and even if they couldn’t make much money they would not starve to death.

Ida remembered during his departure this time, the night before he left his woman said to him: “After this time, don’t go anymore, we have saved enough money, let’s rent a plot of land to open a shop, and I will give you a few children.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Ida pursed his lips, showing a shy smile on his face that did not belong to one his age.

He had been wandering for a long time, and he also wanted to settle down one day, form a family with his woman, have a group of children, and live a good life.

Ida looked at the scorched earth that had been burned by the fire, and sighed softly, he still loved this land, but this land could not accommodate him.

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

After all, they were a young couple, and Guo’er’s temper came and went quickly. After all, it was her first time giving birth, so she was quite angry. After a few days of softly coaxing, Han Ling was able to coax her anger away.

Lin Yuan actually didn’t care who the princess’s consort was. To put it not so nicely, there was only one princess, but there could be a bunch of princess’s consorts. After all, only Guo’er was related to him by blood. The princess’s consort was noble because of the princess. But he didn’t want Guo’er to make decisions in anger.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

After all, young couples, they said whatever was on their minds at that moment. They could change each other’s bad points.

But this matter made Lin Yuan see clearly that Han Ling was someone who could not be entrusted with important responsibilities. One’s vision, whether narrow or wide, determines one’s path.

Lin Yuan didn’t care about whether his nature was good or bad either, there were no completely good people and no completely bad people in this world.

But Han Ling was neither the kind of person who could bring benefits to the people, nor was he someone who could put down his pride to study how to diligently.

To be fair, he was an ordinary person who grew up with a feudal education.

His books were well read and his ideas were innovative enough, but he was really not suitable for holding real power.

The old palace maids brought by Lin Yuan were all experienced, and they have served the concubines in the harem of the Yuan Dynasty before. So Lin Yuan left them all at Princess Manor.

Both children were also placed by Guo’er’s side. He planned to bring them to the palace to raise them after they were three years old.

If Guo’er was reluctant to part with the children, he could ask Guo’er to live in the palace for a longer time.

The older child was a girl. Lin De was born stronger than her younger brother. She had probably snatched most of the nutrients in the womb, and so her younger brother was much weaker, looking like a wrinkled monkey when he was born. Although his sister was also red, it didn’t take long for her to become a fat baby with tender white skin. Only the younger brother remained wrinkled even when his skin was no longer red.

Guo’er hadn’t recovered yet. She had just given birth to children, so she didn’t have the consciousness of being a mother. She only asked someone to bring the children after the old palace maids reminded her. She held her daughter in one arm and her son in the other, and finally had a smile on her face: “Daughter has good looks, takes after me.”

The implication was that the son was not good-looking, taking after the father.

Han Ling thought that both children were good-looking, they were his seed, and he liked them both when he looked at them.

But thinking that the children were both surnamed Lin, he didn’t feel as happy anymore.

As a man and a princess’s consort, he would never even think about taking the initiative to divorce in his life. He could not take concubines or maids. Except for the princess, no other woman could give birth to his children.

Of course he loved the princess. The princess was young and beautiful, with a charming and cute temperament. She respected his parents, and she never acted arrogant towards him. Except for that day she gave birth and lost her temper, he and the princess have never had a spat before.

Han Ling never thought that he would betray Guo’er either.

He also knew that the children being given the Lin surname was better than the Han surname.

But…..he was the son of the Han family! Would he have to give up continuing his own family line?

No matter how close his brother’s child was, it was not his own seed.

Guo’er was leaning against Han Ling’s arms. She had already gotten over her temper. Seeing that Han Ling’s brows were slightly wrinkled, she asked with concern, “What is wrong? I lost my temper before, don’t be angry with me, if you have something to say, then just tell me.”

Han Ling whispered, “Princess…..”

Seeing Han Ling showing weakness, Guo’er felt tenderness and love: “Do you have something you want? Tell me, I will do whatever I can.”

Han Ling looked at Guo’er and finally said seriously, “Of our future children, can one of them get my surname?”

Only then did Guo’er realize that the names her brother gave to the children were all surnamed Lin.

Guo’er didn’t think there was anything wrong. Her brother was the emperor, the world belonged to the Lin family, and her children were also the blood of the Lin family. Of course, the surname Lin was better than the surname Han, and the Han family had only produced the one princess’s consort.

But she was also willing to coax Han Ling: “Alright, if there are children in the future, they will be given your surname.”

The breath that he had been holding was relieved, and Han Ling felt much more comfortable. He and the princess were still young, and there would be children in the future, there would be sons in the future.

Thinking about it like that, he was relieved.

It was a good thing for the children to be surnamed Lin. His Majesty had no children, so having the princess’s children be named Lin was a matter of honor. When the children grew up, so long as they did not make a big mistake, princely titles for both daughter and a son would not be spared.

There would always be a shortage of aristocratic titles in the world, but there would never be a shortage of aristocratic titles for the old Lin family.

With the two children in front, the children that came after would be able to live better. They were blood relatives, nothing could change that.

Han Ling figured it out, and treated Guo’er even more gently and with more consideration.

Guo’er was immersed in gentleness, and it seemed that giving birth to children was not so unacceptable.

“Your Majesty, the Princess and Princess’s Consort…..” Er Liang brought a cup of tea to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “Reconciled?”

Er Liang nodded.

Lin Yuan sighed: “Zhen just hope he can be a little better this time, and that there is no need to give him a reminder again.”

A pair of strong and powerful arms stretched out from behind Lin Yuan’s body. Chen Baisong hugged Lin Yuan’s waist, put his chin on Lin Yuan’s shoulder, and asked sleepily, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Yuan patted the back of his hand: “Guo’er gave birth.”

Chen Baisong’s eyes widened: “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He knew that Guo’er’s child would be the crown heir, and he also knew how important Guo’er’s child was.

More importantly, Lin Yuan would not be forced to get married and have his own biological son.

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “You slept like a dead pig, and such a big movement didn’t wake you up at all. So it’s better to let you sleep.”

Chen Baisong slept so soundly that he couldn’t bear to wake him up.

“What happened with the Princess’s Consort?” Chen Baisong asked strangely, remembering what Lin Yuan had just said.

Lin Yuan shook his head and said, “Too young.”

He even regretted agreeing to this marriage.

When the empress dowager made the suggestion, it was based on the fact that Han Ling’s family was simple, neither a noble family nor a big influential family. Moreover, he was also the new top scorer in the imperial palace examination. It not only saved any trouble, but it was also a suitable match, a young talent who matched Guo’er.

Otherwise, if a noble family married Guo’er, they might think about getting benefits from the only princess in the dynasty.

If Guo’er was bewitched by them.

Trouble was secondary, the main thing was their sibling relationship, and even family kinship including the empress dowager and the taishang huang might be hurt.

Since it could not be controlled, it must be eliminated from the root, that was, Guo’er would not be allowed to marry a son of the noble families.

Han Ling was undoubtedly a good choice. He was not very handsome, but he could be considered pleasant looking. He was young and energetic. He was also the top scorer of the imperial palace examination. He was confident in manners and also possessed true talent. He also had his own insight on problems of the common people and could be considered a rare talent.

The only problem was that he was rather shortsighted politically.

If it was a son of a noble family, he would jump up and kowtow in thanks when he heard that Lin Yuan named his children with the Lin surname.

The scenery that people see since childhood and the people or things they come into contact with were different, which would indeed affect their behavior and thinking patterns to a certain extent.

Although Guo’er also grew up in a the countryside, she was the daughter of a big landowner, not an ordinary small landowner, and she was not locked up in the boudoir all day. Her vision was broader than ordinary people. Later, when Lin Yuan was in Gaoyou, he also hired a teacher for Guo’er. Instead of teaching music, chess, calligraphy and painting, she was taught reading and literacy. Whatever she wanted to learn, Lin Yuan would find a teacher for her.

Guo’er had the knowledge, and her vision was also broadened. When Lin Yuan became the emperor, Guo’er was then spoiled to have the proper temperament of a princess.

Lin Yuan could almost predict the outcome of Guo’er and Han Ling’s relationship.

Chen Baisong asked, “Is the Princess’s Consort nit good?”

Lin Yuan: “It can’t be said that he is not good, but…..he may not be suitable.”

Han Ling was suitable to be a civil official, and he could honestly work in the position for a lifetime.

But he was not suitable for the twists and turns of politics at court.

Lin Yuan took off his shoes and his outer robe. He soaked his feet before getting under the quilt, but even after soaking his feet, his feet were still not warm enough. Chen Baisong naturally put his feet on his knees, using rough and warm hands to warm Lin Yuan’s feet.

Lin Yuan felt a little tickled.

When his feet were warm, the two lay side by side on the bed and talked.

Every night they were like this, once the bed curtains were put down, even if they did nothing, it would only add a bit of an ambiguous atmosphere.

But rather than doing things, Lin Yuan preferred to talk to Chen Baisong.

“The girl’s name is Lin De, and the boy’s name is Lin Xuan.” Lin Yuan suddenly said.

Chen Baisong said oddly, “Their names are reversed.”

Lin Yuan: “It’s still fine, ‘De’ is a good character, and ‘Xuan’ is also a good character.”

Chen Baisong: “That’s true.”

There were a lot of girls’ names with the character ‘De’, and it was not uncommon for boys’ names to have ‘Xuan’ in them as well.

It was just that these two names were placed together, and there was a feeling that the names were reversed and did not match their gender.

“The children should be with their mother when they are young.” Lin Yuan said softly, “After the age of three, I will bring them to the palace to raise them to see who can learn better and is more suitable to be the emperor.”

“If neither are suitable, I can only wait and look at the children that Guo’er will give birth to next.”

Chen Baisong suddenly asked: “They? You also count the girls?”

Lin Yuan nodded: “Yes.”

Lin Yuan thought that Chen Baisong was going to object. After all, Chen Baisong was a native of the era, and it was normal that he couldn’t accept a woman as emperor.

But Chen Baisong pondered for a while and then said, “Then I will teach them martial arts, but it will not be easy to teach the girl. After all, she is a girl, or you could find a female teacher who knows riding and archery to teach her.”

Lin Yuan was stunned for a moment. Chen Baisong saw that Lin Yuan didn’t speak, and asked, “What’s wrong? Suddenly in a daze?”

Lin Yuan hugged Chen Baisong and said with a smile, “I just didn’t expect it.”

For such a long time, he thought that he could not influence Chen Baisong, but it turned out that before he knew it, Chen Baisong had already been influenced by him, and their way of thinking was slowly connecting. Lin Yuan would never adapt to others, especially when he became an emperor. In the future, it would be even more impossible for him to adapt to others.

It was Chen Baisong who had been adapting to him and had been cooperating and following his lead.

Lin Yuan felt an indescribable excitement, there were people in this world who understood him, Song Shizhao, Song Lian, they all understood him to some extent.

But Chen Baisong’s understanding was different from theirs.

Lin Yuan looked into Chen Baisong’s eyes and said seriously, “You are different from before.”

Chen Baisong looked confused: “What’s the difference?”

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “You understand me better.”

Chen Baisong said proudly: “Well, just how many years have I been with you.”

Lin Yuan was startled.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

That’s right, the years had flowed by like water, and they were no longer young. Lin Yuan held Chen Baisong’s hand.

He would no longer have the time and energy to treat anyone like he did Chen Baisong.

Lin Yuan looked at the scars on Chen Baisong’s body, and said softly, “You need to take medicine. When old injuries act up, you need to speak up. You need to live longer and stay with me longer.”

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

Prev