“The Emperor…..the Emperor is…..” The military officer burst into tears and kowtowed several times, “Prime minister! You can’t hand over the military power!”

Inside the tent, the military officer trembled, his eyes red: “This short-sighted…..”

“Quiet.” The man sat behind a low table placed with strong wine. He was in his thirties, but the hair on his temples was already graying and his once unyielding face appeared a bit old. He took a sip of wine. The strong wine burnt his throat and he coughed a few times. He said to the military officer, “That’s the Emperor.”

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

The Emperor could not be wrong, so only he could be wrong.

But what did he do wrong?

He tried his best to turn the tide and prolong the life of the Yuan Dynasty.

During his many years in politics, he could claim with a clear conscience that he didn’t have any selfish intentions even once. He had racked his brains for the betterment of Great Yuan, but in the end he only deserved such an edict?

When the Emperor asked him to attack Chuzhou, his words were so beautiful at that time.

“Zhen and the prime minister will govern the people of the world together.”

But now, the edict said: “In the three months Toqto’a lead the troops he has made little achievement, instead employing the country’s wealth for his own use, recruiting half of the imperial court’s officials to follow him.”

“I, Toqto’a, have always been loyal to the Emperor and this country.” Toqto’a poured a cup of wine and raised his sleeve to wipe at his face, “His Majesty will one day see my sincerity.”

The military officer seemed to finally be unable to bear it anymore and said: “Hama is now the manager of state affairs, he is not a good minister! He suppresses any dissidents, frames loyal ministers, takes away any beautiful daughters of both officials and common people to send into the palace for the Emperor and his Yi Nas’ enjoyment. The ruler does not act like a ruler and the minister does not act like a minister. They have no shame, dozens of people without a piece of clothing seeking pleasure together, such ugliness and filthy behavior causes one to feel disgust!”

The so-called Yi Na were like sworn brothers but not exactly the same. This status of “brother” was only acknowledged in bed matters.

To put it more bluntly, it was just to give their promiscuous gatherings and orgies a better sounding name.

Toqto’a said with difficulty: “His Majesty likes to have fun…..”

It was not a serious crime that the Emperor liked to have fun. The rules of the world were for restraining the subjects and people, not for restraining the Emperor.

The military officer laughed: “Prime minister, why bring suffering upon oneself, it’s not worth it!”

The military officer laughed loudly as he walked out of the tent, he hadn’t even left the tent for more than a hundred steps when he committed suicide by ramming a sturdy wooden post with his head.

As he bled profusely he said with his last breath to the soldiers who ran over: “I am a warrior of the Great Yuan. I shall wait in the underworld for Hama!”

The military officer died.

After learning the news, Toqto’a went to see the corpse of the military officer. He stood next to the coffin and looked at the young face of the military officer.

This was a good child. As a nobleman, he had never made a mistake and only wanted to make a contribution and serve his country.

Why did he die?

Toqto’a’s face turned blue.

That was the Emperor. They couldn’t hate the Emperor, they could only hate Hama.

The Emperor was only tempted into evil deeds by a villain.

With tears in his eyes, he stretched out his trembling hand and closed the eyes of his military officer.

Emperor!

He shed silent tears.

Was the fate of the Great Yuan really at its end?

——

In the fifteenth year, winter.

Toqto’a sat in the house. There was no coal or firewood in the house, and it was bitterly cold. He had now been exiled to Yunnan. The news about his family was brought to him by his former colleague and friend.

His younger brother was also exiled to Diaomen, Sichuan, his eldest son was in Suzhou, and his second son was in Lanzhou. All his family properties and wealth were seized and confiscated. His wife went to Suzhou with his eldest son.

But to this day, he still did not regret the choice of surrendering his military power.

He was a courtier. As a courtier how could he go against the Emperor?

When the Emperor humiliates the minister, the minister could not retaliate against the Emperor.

Cold rice and cold tea was placed in front of him. He laughed deprecatingly and poured tea for himself.

At this time, there was a voice outside the door. The man had lowered his voice, making it impossible to distinguish his original voice.

“Prime minister, that Hama sent people to bring an edict under the guise of the Emperor’s will to grant you death. The envoys are already on the way.”

Toqto’a overturned the teacup.

The man was afraid Toqto’a did not believe it so he said: “I cannot see you being victimized by a villainous traitor, prime minister, tonight, us brothers will help you escape.”

Toqto’a looked at the tea cup in his hand.

His wife, sons, and younger brother were all in the hands of Hama. Nowx Hama had passed down an edict under the guise of the Emperor’s will. If he escaped then his family would be dead. Even if he did not have disloyal intentions, by escaping he would be painted with having disloyal intentions.

If he did not escape then he would die but also save his family.

Toqto’a said in a deep voice: “Thank you, this righteous brother.”

The person: “Prime minister!”

Toqto’a sighed: “It is my fate.”

The person: “I know what the prime minister is worried about. Us brothers have already dispersed into several teams to save your wife and brother, as well as your two sons.”

“Prime minister! The villainous traitor brings disaster and calamity to the court, are you going to die for this villain?”

Toqto’a, who had been sitting stiffly, finally moved, standing up on weak legs: “Did you say…..my brother and my wife?”

The person: “Prime minister! You are a loyal courtier! You are the pillar of the country and must not die because of a villain!”

Toqto’a covered his face with his sleeves, breathing deeply several times.

“3am tonight!” The man said, “Prime minister must not give up lightly!”

The person left and Toqto’a listened to the footsteps of the other person leaving.

He remained motionless, memories of his entire life’s experience poured into his mind. What did he do wrong, and why did he end up with such a fate?

He handed over the military power, had his properties and wealth seized, and lost everything. But why, even now, did they still not let him go?

The person who had secretly alerted Toqto’a was surnamed Yang. Yang Shaowei bowed at the waist and walked into the small courtyard quietly. He straightened his back after entering the small courtyard. He stood outside the door and called softly: “Teacher, this student is back.”

An old man’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”

Yang Shaowei walked in and closed the door. The room was lit by a candlelight. Recently, the skies had been constantly overcast and the room was dark even during the day, making it difficult to distinguish between day and night. Teacher was an old man so he especially needed a lit candle for reading and writing.

“Did you give the message?” Song Shizhao asked without turning his head as he continued to look at his writing.

Yang Shaowei knelt and sat down: “I brought it, but…..”

Song Shizhao smiled and said, “He refused?”

Yang Shaowei nodded: “I’m afraid he would rather commit suicide.”

Song Shizhao: “Do you have any good solutions?”

Yang Shaowei swallowed, and he quickly said: “I can pour out his medicine, and then bribe a passerby to bring him out of the city. As long as he is hidden in a toilet bucket, no one will check it.”

Song Shizhao shook his head: “You hide him in the toilet bucket, and when he wakes up, either he will kill you or he will kill himself.”

Yang Shaowei: “…..”

In his view, survival was more important than face.

But for Toqto’a, sometimes face might be more important than survival.

He would rather die drinking the poisoned wine bestowed upon him from the “imperial edict” than escape with his life in a toilet bucket.

Yang Shaowei quickly said: “Teacher, please teach me.”

Song Shizhao: “Kill the envoys of Hama.”

Yang Shaowei’s eyes widened.

Song Shizhao chuckled and said, “In this way, there will be no retreat for Toqto’a.”

He had sent someone to rescue Esen Temur, and Toqto’a’s elder son and wife, and then dispatched people to kill Toqtoa’s younger son.

So long as the envoys were killed, in the eyes of the world Toqto’a would be as good as having rebelled, and he could foresee Hama using it to completely crush his political rival.

When the time came, he would reunite with his younger brother and his wife and son again. Even if he wanted to die, he would definitely be stopped. And on top of that there was his hatred for Hama who had ‘killed his son’.

Yang Shaowei shuddered.

Song Shizhao glanced at him: “Well, why are you still here?”

Yang Shaowei left the house.

Song Shizhao crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it aside.

Jiangnan was a really good place.

He wondered, when would this place be included under the rule of the South Bodhisattva?

Song Shizhao smiled.

Yang Shaowei left the courtyard. He was originally from Gaoyou, but he was sent to the South Bodhisattva by his family. He knew that he was going to be a male pet, but for the family, he had to grit his teeth and compete with those other young men and women for favor. So long as he managed to gain a foothold then the rest of his family would be able to ride on his success.

But after arriving, he discovered that the South Bodhisattva didn’t seem to have any intentions towards them.

Even Chu Lin, rumored to be the most popular person at the South Bodhisattva’s side, never accompanied him in bed.

Then, the South Bodhisattva had him go to work as a minor official.

Although his family was not a big, influential family, he had been studying poetry and books since he was a child and he could even discuss state affairs somewhat.

But when he became a minor official, he finally knew just how many people there were in Gaoyou and just how many were poor people. He realized that he couldn’t do anything but talk big.

This made him feel ashamed.

He had thought it was already very shameful to become a male pet.

But he did not expect that this new self-awareness made him even more ashamed.

The most useless people were scholars.

He deeply agreed.

He did the work of a small official and worked diligently, but he didn’t expect that he would be seen by manager Song and become a student of manager Song.

His world became bigger and his horizons broadened.

He suddenly understood the things that he didn’t understand before.

Then, manager Song took him to Jiangnan.

He knew about Toqto’a Temur and about the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. It made him very angry. Before the South Bodhisattva came, he was also a citizen of Great Yuan! The Emperor didn’t want to make progress, lived absurdly, was profitless to the country and harmful to the people.

How could such a person be an Emperor?

After taking off the shell of Emperor, he was just a foolish man who only indulged in pleasure and listened to the words of treacherous villains!

The stupid man was not frightening. What was frightening was that this stupid man held supreme power in his hands.

What was frightening was that he controlled the life and death of countless people.

Yang Shaowei felt anger for the common people, for the coutry, and for the loyal ministers!

When he learned that teacher was going to recruit Toqto’a, he couldn’t help but clap his hands and applaud. The Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, how was he worthy of such a loyal minister?

——

When the court envoys arrived, Yang Shaowei took people to guard outside the side door. He heard the envoy say: “Toqto’a Temur, are you aware of your crime?”

Yang Shaowei exchanged looks with the others and nodded slightly.

When the people broke in, Toqto’a had already held the goblet of poisoned wine up to his lips.

Suddenly, his wine goblet was knocked down, and the court envoys were killed almost instantly.

It seemed like a dream.

“Prime Minister! We are here to save you!”

Toqto’a’s hands and legs trembled violently.

His face was red and eyes widened, “You are ruining me!”

The place  was already thrown in chaos at this time, the flames blazing into the skies. Toqto’a looked at Yang Shaowei: “Who is your master?!”

Yang Shaowei looked at Toqto’a.

“Bring the prime minister out!” Yang Shaowei said loudly, and then people stepped forward and took a hold of Toqto’a on both sides.

If it weren’t for the fact that Toqto’a was unarmed, how could it be so easy?

Toqto’a angrily rebuked: “Your master has the ambition of wild wolves! I will not be in the company of rebel thieves!”

Yang Shaowei smiled and said: “Prime minister, open your eyes and look! As it is today, who still has any regard for the dog court? Millions of people are now fleeing and displaced, the righteousness of the world is no longer in the hands of the court.”

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

“Prime minister! Why not change the system? With you still alive, you can give the Mongolian people a way to survival.”

Toqto’a was greatly angered: “Shameless villain!”

Yang Shaowei said loudly: “Receiving such praise from the prime minister, my actions will not be made in vain!”

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Nowadays, when big families train their children, the Confucian Six Arts was a must, especially those large families with deep roots that had their ancestral lines stretching hundreds of years back——there were even ones that claimed to have a thousand year long family history. These families had even more ways to train their children, and in even more careful ways. The upper class ruled the lower class through control over thought. As a result, the saying that “a woman without talent was a virtuous woman” came to be. But the upper echelons completely sneered at this saying themselves.

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

They were not like the common people. When their daughters married, they would belong to other people’s families. But for the big families, their daughters were also bargaining chips. They married their daughters to get more benefits, so their daughters must understand music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Not only must they be capable female masters, but also be the confidantes of their husbands.

Could you imagine the husband talking about elegant and poetic subjects, and the wife replied with how many clothes she sewed that day?

For them, needlework was just a hobby to pass the time. Those with truly good craftsmanship were seamstresses, and for families like them they could afford to raise a few dozens of seamstresses, so why bother to do it themselves? Only when they want or need to express their sincerity would they sew something personally. Such needlework represented significance and would not be given away easily.

Their wisdom and knowledge were handed down from generation to generation. There was a strict separation between the men and women in large families. Hiring male teachers? It went against etiquette. It might be fine for girls before the age of ten. But after the age of ten, any man, even their own brother, wouldn’t be seen more than a few times a year.

Hire a female teacher? How could a truly learned woman run around outside? Most educated women inherited their education from their family and they had received the most rigorous education. They must carry on the tradition and teach their own daughters so how could they still teach other families’ daughters?

Therefore, mothers usually educated their daughters. In order to ensure the quality of the next generation in the family, when large families arranged marriages for their children, the first thing to inquire was whether the other’s daughter was virtuous and whether she could read and write.

They had their own wisdom. An excellent lady of a distinguished family must not only be proficient in literature, but also know how to keep the accounts, know how to cooperate with her husband, and learn the art of managing people in the inner courtyard. Essentially, she must be an all around talent.

She must cause her husband to be unable to do without her. She must become a help to her husband and share the power with her husband. Indeed, some of the even more powerful ones could even control their husbands.

Only the daughters cultivated in this way could ensure the prosperity of the family.

Sons, now that was even more important.

In addition to the Confucian Six Arts they had to follow their father and older male relatives to increase their knowledge from childhood. They had to learn even more knowledge and skills. Sometimes they even had to learn the skills of women in the inner courtyard. Not only must they cultivate internally, but also externally.

If they were born with good looks, then that was a natural advantage. But if they weren’t born with good looks, then they must pay great attention to their dress, conversational skills, and mannerisms.

How to walk, how to keep their movements graceful and elegant, what kind of expression they should have on their face when interacting with people, what kind of clothes they should wear on different occasions——all of this must be paid with particular attention.

Chu Lin was a gongzi who was trained in this way.

He was born in Changshu. The Chu family in Changshu might not be one of the largest and most powerful families, but they had a hundred years of family history. The Chu family were not daring or courageous and could be called prudent and cautious. Whenever there was a decision to be made, the whole family would gather to discuss and discuss. Often by the time they came to a conclusion the dishes had already all cooled.

But this also brought them benefits, such as not making mistakes. So after so many years, the Chu family had not experienced any storms.

After Lin Yuan took over Changshu, the family also began to discuss among themselves. They wanted to please Lin Yuan, not mentioning gaining any benefits but at least enough to have Lin Yuan not target their family. So whether it was money or food, so long as the above showed any hints of it they would quickly send it over.

Accordingly, when they heard that Lin Yuan liked men they immediately gave Lin Yuan their best-looking son.

The underlying meaning in the gift was: “This son has no great abilities, he is not a clever man, but he is good-looking and doesn’t cause trouble. He can serve as a tea pourer by your side, or do other things. It’s up to you. Whatever you ask him to do he will do it.”

The feeling was quite a bit like a strong man cutting his wrist.

Lin Yuan didn’t believe it at first. This family was actually willing to send their son away as a plaything?

Didn’t the ancients take their face and pride very seriously?

Song Shizhao cleared it up for him.

“Dong Xian and Emperor Han Ai left a cut-sleeved story back then, and Dong Xian also presented his wife to Emperor Han Ai.” Song Shizhao laughed, “That is also a good story that captures the imagination.” (TN: cut-sleves=homosexual)

Lin Yuan: “…..Mister is joking, it’s just folklore.”

If Emperor Han Ai really had something with Dong Xian, it would prove that he was in good physical condition. How could he not give birth to a single child in his entire life? Lin Yuan felt that the so-called homosexuality was just a cover for Han Ai’s “impotence”.

If Emperor Han Ai really slept with Dong Xian’s wife, then Dong Xian’s wife should have grown a big belly, right? But that did not happen either.

This story was meant to say that Emperor Ai of Han was not a “cripple”, he just had a different sexual orientation from most people.

Song Shizhao mentioned another story from the history books: “In order to win Qi Huan’s love, Yi Ya chopped his young son into minced meat and made meatballs to serve to Qi Huan. This Chu family is nothing compared to that. “

Lin Yuan sighed: “The human heart.”

For status and personal interests and benefits.

These upper-class families could abandon everything, including their own children, and they could even give away their wives.

It was not just gifting away concubines, but gifting away their legally married wife. You must know, this was practically tearing off one’s face and inviting people to step on it.

They were willing to give up their wife, let alone their son.

In this regard, Lin Yuan felt that they were not as good as the common people who could not read a single word.

Originally, Lin Yuan thought that the Chu family was being humble. After all, anyone who saw Chu Lin would think that this was a handsome young man with a jade face and bearing of a phoenix or dragon. Every gesture he made was saturated with the elegance of a refined and cultured gongzi. The maids in the government office would blush when they saw him, and unconsciously began to pay attention to their appearance. In fact, even some of the manservants would blush when they saw him.

But Chu Lin was indeed a dumb beauty.

He was talented and learned, but he didn’t know how to use his talents and knowledge in practical ways. It was just a tool to increase his social value.

But he was very likable. Even if he didn’t say anything, the people who talked to him would be driven to keep the conversation going.

This could be considered a skill.

Lin Yuan had him receive guests. These guests included big merchants and patriarchs of big families, and then——half of these people wanted to steal him away.  Even saying such words like: “If Lin grants this request of mine, I will muster up the whole power of my family to supply any pleasures you desire.”

Among them was a big merchant named Qi. He fell in love with Chu Lin sincerely. In order to see Chu Lin, he would frequently bring gifts to Lin Yuan every three to five days. There was no other way as he didn’t have any government affairs, and small business matters were not brought to Lin Yuan and was even more unlikely to be taken care of by Chu Lin so he could only pay for gifts out of his own pocket.

Chu Lin himself didn’t know any of this.

When he was sent to Lin Yuan by his family, he didn’t know what he was actually here for.

No one in the family told him, nor did the people at the government office tell him. He also didn’t have much contact with the outside so he really thought he was here to serve as a servant for Lin Yuan.

Even though he believed in his own superiority, he also knew that even those who were superior in their talents were also subordinate to people in power. As a result, he came without any resistance.

Then he began to receive merchants and patriarchs of large households. Chu Lin felt that he was appreciated by Lin Yuan, so he frequently showed his face in front of Lin Yuan from time to time, just like a peacock showing off its feathers. He just barely refrained from singing at the top of his lungs and letting Lin Yuan know that he still had a lot more abilities.

Sometimes when Lin Yuan saw him acting like a puppy currying favor from him, he would often get the urge to go up and squeeze his face.

Lin Yuan held back.

At the same time, Lin Yuan began to reflect on himself.

Sure enough, men had no moral principles. So long as they look good, they basically weren’t picky whether the target was a man or a woman.

Hmm…..he himself was a man of no moral principles.

Then, Lin Yuan gave Chu Lin more public roles. He began to pass on Lin Yuan’s decree. Seeing this, outsiders, especially the people from large families, felt that being a “male pet” was also a way to climb the social ladder! Such a matter of passing on government orders appeared to be a trivial matter, but it also meant that he could know Lin Yuan’s movements at the earliest possible.

For families, knowing the intentions of those in power meant that they could react more quickly, scratch the itch of those in power in the best manner possible, and then enter the sights of those in power and become favored.

Wasn’t this real power?

As a result, they——collectively sent their sons over.

And all of them were good-looking.

Vigorous youth and beautiful young men. There were ones with faces that were as handsome as Pan An and ones with graceful and elegant demeanors. There were all types, any kind that could be imagined, all of whom were attractive in their own ways. (TN: Pan An=famous male beauty in Chinese history)

It made Lin Yuan seriously happy.

“Originally I had been thinking that there were too few usable people.” Lin Yuan said to Song Shizhao, “I feel much more at ease now.”

These people might not be suitable for being officials, but they all possessed real talents. At least their repertoire of knowledge was enough. Even if they could not be officials, they were absolutely enough to spread culture and ethics among the common people.

What’s more, there were already too few people that he could use, and he was reluctant to let these people remain hidden at home.

But Song Shizhao sighed: “This subordinate had never expected you to have so many calculations.”

It was just an interest in men. Something that could provide material for conversations and gossip, but who would have thought that just because of this, there were more young and strong men under the rule of the South Bodhisattva. Not only that, it also managed to lure out the next generation of those big families who had hid them so well at home.

Taking one step and looking at a hundred steps ahead. Song Shizhao bowed towards Lin Yuan: “The strength of the South Bodhisattva’s mind and the intricacy of your planning makes this subordinate happy to pledge my allegiance.”

Lin Yuan smiled at him: “It’s only a small trick. Mister, Toqto’a was relieved of his military power.”

The current emperor in Dadu was mentally retarded. To be precise, most of the entire court of civil and military officials were mentally retarded. Because they were afraid that the leading general would rebel in this troubled time they took the military power away from Toqto’a. As a result the large Yuan army broke up in an instant, and from then on, the Yuan army had no more power to contend with the rebels.

Song Shizhao: “South Bodhisattva means….”

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “Mister, would you be able to recruit him?”

Song Shizhao looked at Lin Yuan’s eyes.

At this moment, his blood was boiling in excitement!

But Song Shizhao quickly calmed down: “After all, he is a Mongolian…..” How could he be willing to do things for the Han?

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “Am I just fighting the Yuan army?”

Song Shizhao’s eyes widened.

He stood upright and straightened his clothes. Then he knelt down towards Lin Yuan: “This official will succeed with this person!”

He heard the South Bodhisattva above say to him: “Then I shall depend on Mister.”

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

Song Shizhao was prostrated on the ground. The South Bodhisattva gave him opportunities to show his strengths, in return even if he was called to be the devil’s blade, he would still be willing!

AN: Among the common people:

“I heard that the most favored person at the South Bodhisattva’s side is the son of the Chu family.”

“I imagine he must be very good in bed!”

“His figure must be the best!”

The Chu Family:

“What? Request marriage?”

“Marry who?”

“Is he crazy?! Want to marry my son?!”

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When troubled times came, the first to be abandoned was the elderly——they had lost their mobility, their bodies overwhelmed by the long-distance migration. Then came the children——so long as the husband and wife were both alive, they could always have more children. Generally speaking, the mother would try every means to save her child, but in most cases she did not have the ability to save her child. And finally, it was the women.

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

However, the ratio of women was originally very low. Poor families could not support so many children, so once they gave birth to a daughter, some of them would be discarded directly. If the family was too poor and only willing to raise sons, drowning girls was even more common.

So when Lin Yuan saw the statistics of the male to female ratio, he instantly got a headache.

There were still too few women.

Currently, among every 160 people there was only one woman, and this also included the elderly and girls under the age of twelve.

This was not a good situation.

If there were too many men, society would become unstable. Lin Yuan himself was a man, and of course he knew what men think.

In fact, men’s thinking was quite easy to understand. In society, they needed to find their own position and most men positioned themselves as the “protectors.”

They would only be at ease when there were targets in need of their protection. This target included parents, wives and children.

Most of these men now had no parents.

So if they couldn’t find a woman, if they don’t have a wife, it would not be long before they would become aggressive.

In short, nothing was pleasing to the eye, and even the smallest things could spark a fight.

Although there were not many incidents of fighting on the streets, there were definitely quite a lot of private incidents.

Even if Lin Yuan tried his best to cultivate their sense of community, have them do everything together.

But Lin Yuan also knew that this was just a temporary fix, like a time bomb it would explode without knowing when.

“There are a lot of people who have defected to you now, and there must be women among them.” Chen Baisong persuaded him in this way.

Lin Yuan shook his head: “No, it’s still too little.”

Most of the people who came seeking shelter died on the way. Think about it, a lot of adult men died on the road, not to mention women with weaker physical strength. Especially in a poor family that basically gave the best food at home to strong laborers. Because women had not had enough food and nutrition since they were young they were all malnourished more or less. Lin Yuan did not think that the probability of their survival would be higher than that of men.

When people encounter wild beasts on the road, women were often left behind. In this way, there were very few women who could safely reach Lin Yuan’s jurisdiction. If one managed to make their way then she could practically be considered a darling of fate.

“Buy.” Lin Yuan stood up, his brows furrowed. Originally, he wanted to crack down on human trafficking, but now it seemed that this was the only effective and efficient way.

The merchants quickly received this decree. Many merchants originally did not do this kind of business. After all, there were human traffickers before. Besides, for merchants this was not considered a huge profit, so it was better to sell salt and wine. Even gold and silver jewelry could be sold for a price that could buy a hundred people.

But the South Bodhisattva had spoken, and they must answer the call.

However, on this matter Xie Zicheng managed to steal the limelight from Zhou Fu. One of them was the chairman of the Merchants’ Guild and the other was the vice chairman. It seemed that the relationship between them was that of superior and subordinate but actually the relationship between the two men was that of competitors. When faced with danger, the merchants would team up and be closer to each other than their own blood brothers, but once peace arrived, they would start to fight each other again, wanting nothing more than to kill each other.

It was most popular to sell people in winter. Now, many poor families in other places had to sell their children for a living.

Girls did not sell at a very high price, only sons could be sold more expensively, so the merchants could buy girls at low prices.

The little girl who looked like a blooming jade flower covered in morning dew could be bought with just a handful of grain.

People now didn’t recognize money. They didn’t recognize copper coins and only accepted food.

Currency could only circulate when society was stable, so Lin Yuan did not push for a unified currency.

——

San Hua obediently followed behind the lord, pulling her younger sister along. The two of them were as skinny as skeletons. No one knew where they were going. Her eldest sister, second eldest sister, and elder brother had all been sold. Now at home there were only their parents and youngest brother left. Her youngest brother had not been weaned yet. After he was weaned, he might be sold as well.

They were gathered together. In addition to her and her younger sister, there were many other girls. They brought nothing as there was nothing for them to bring from home. Their parents sold them and told them that they would be living a good life.

But they didn’t even know what a good life entailed.

They wanted to stay with their parents, even if they didn’t have enough food or live the so-called good life.

They stayed in place for three days and girls were brought in one after another, and then they went on the road. San Hua had not traveled such a long way, but although the journey was long, they could eat enough, and they could have four bean curd cakes a day! Although it was just bean curd cakes, a tasty sauce was smeared on it. Back at home they didn’t even have bean curd cakes to eat.

But they still wanted to go home.

Although they didn’t have enough food to eat at home and they had to do a lot of work, at night the girls still missed home. The girls from the same place gathered together, crying and talking about their hometowns.

But they soon didn’t think about it anymore because they were too tired. Although they had clothing to keep warm and food to fill their stomachs, the journey was too long.

When they were brought into the city by the lords, they gaped open their mouths and looked at everything in front of them in disbelief——they were all from small villages. The most people they saw were the people in nearby towns. The most magnificent building they saw was the brick house of the village head. They had only heard of such a city in stories.

That was a place they would never go to in their entire lives. Maybe when they grow up, get married, and have children, they would also tell their children stories they had heard.

San Hua held her sister’s hand and poked her head out of the crowd. She didn’t know where to look at with her eyes. Her sister was asking her: “Sister, where are we going?”

San Hua: “I don’t know, wherever the lords take us we will go.”

She knew that she couldn’t go home, it was too far and she didn’t remember the way back.

They were led to a big house——very big. She had never seen such a big house in her life. Ten of them slept in a room. They had never seen the kind of beds in their new room. They had top and bottom bunks. No one dared to sleep on the top bunk, they felt that they would fall off it.

So the girls slept together two by two, and the upper bed was left empty.

San Hua and her sister slept together. Fortunately, they were both skinny. Not only could a single bed fit them, but there was plenty of space remaining. In fact it could even fit a third.

On the second day, they were called out. Those under ten years old stood on one side, those between ten and fifteen years old stood on another, and those over fifteen years old stood at a third.

San Hua saw her younger sister who was under ten years old being taken away. She cried and begged the lords not to separate her from her younger sister. Her younger sister was too young to work. She could do work for two people and only ask that they not separate them.

The lord smiled and said to her: “You are still sleeping in the same place at night. It’s just that you have different things to do during the day.”

San Hua didn’t believe it. Her parents used to coax her like this, only for her eldest sister to disappear, and then her second eldest sister disappeared not long after.

She knelt down and wanted to kowtow to the lord. She naively thought that so long as she kowtowed until her forehead bled, the lord would return her sister to her.

However, she was pulled up by a hand.

San Hua looked up and saw a handsome face. San Hua had never read a book and didn’t know many words, but she had heard the big brothers in the village who did read and study talking. She only remembered one word. Charming.

Although she didn’t know whether the word was used to describe a man or a woman, she was still willing to use the most beautiful vocabulary she possessed to describe the person in front of her.

He was very fair, his skin like jade. He was also tall, like a straight pine tree. Wherever he stood then that was the center of the world. When he raised his eyes, it would have people unconsciously hold their breath, and even not dare to stare directly at his face. Surrounding him was an imposing aura that couldn’t be described in words but was undoubtedly daunting.

San Hua didn’t dare to cry anymore. She gaped open her mouth and couldn’t make any sound.

Then she heard this good-looking person say to her: “Your sister is still young, and she is going to study. Don’t worry, you can see her every night.”

San Hua looked at him stupidly. She didn’t believe it just now no matter what but now she suddenly believed it. She nodded and said very obediently, “Then what am I going to do?”

The person smiled at her: “You just need to grow up safely. Maybe you will do something. Are you afraid of hard work?”

San Hua quickly said: “No, I’m not afraid, I can do everything! I can farm the land, take care of my brother and sister, feed chickens, and dig wild vegetables. I can do anything!”

The person was still smiling at her: “You are very amazing.”

San Hua blushed. Was she amazing? No one had praised her before, no matter how much she did, no one had praised her.

“My good girl, go and stand over there.” The man reminded her gently.

San Hua blushed and walked over, but her eyes followed him closely.

When Lin Yuan arrived, he saw a skinny little girl about to kowtow to a manager. He gave her a hand, said a few words, and then asked the manager: “Have you counted? How many people have come?”

The manager replied: “A total of 3,800 people.”

This was the first batch.

Lin Yuan’s brows finally loosen slightly from its furrow.

People would want to get married when their lives reached stability. Now, in the two most wealthy places, Gaoyou and Taizhou, the relationship between men and women was the most harmonious. Practically every day there were people getting married.

He didn’t worry about people choosing to be single.

In modern times, if there were few people getting married and fewer people giving birth, perhaps it would be a headache because newborns represent new strength. The decrease in new lives meant that society would age in the future, and then it would start to decline. For a country, this was almost fatal.

But now, marrying and starting a family was something deeply rooted in the people’s minds.

Once they had money and gained a foothold in their new surroundings, they would want to start a family, regardless of whether they were male or female.

The country was made up of small families, and these small families established social stability.

Between men and women feelings of love would inevitably sprout.

This was not something Lin Yuan could control.

Lin Yuan just tried his best to provide them with a fertile soil for love.

He hoped that people would unite because of love and give birth to new life because of love.

Lin Yuan smiled at the manager.

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

The manager was taken aback. Why was the South Bodhisattva looking at him like this? South Bodhisattva seemed to like men?

But he was already at this age and he even had two sons. How could he tactfully reject the South Bodhisattva without offending him?

Ai~ the manager sighed in his heart, it was really troublesome to be so talented and attractive.

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“Manager Zhou, today’s account book.” The servant handed the account book to Qiu Niang.

Qiu Niang sat cross-legged on the warm kang, with a small table placed on it. Her knees were covered with a quilt and she had a cup of hot tea at hand. She was now also a small manager in charge of a district of people.

Yun Niu came in from outside. It was currently snowing outside. She shook off the snowflakes on her clothes at the door. She ruffled her hair twice before walking in. In her hands she carried a small basket of coal, saying with a foolish smile: “This year’s coal is better than last year’s! There is not much smoke when it burns! It’s almost the same as silver coal!”

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

Qiu Niang hurriedly greeted her: “Come and sit down, the kang is burning, it’s warm.”

“So busy today?” Yun Niu stood not far from the door, rubbing her hands, and said, “I’m chilly all over, wait for the chill on me to disperse first.”

Qiu Niang walked down from the kang and poured a cup of hot tea for Yun Niu. Yun Niu held it with both hands.

Yun Niu smiled at Qiu Niang: “It’s really warm.”

Qiu Niang asked her: “Did you have a lot of work today?”

Although Yun Niu was originally Qiu Niang’s personal servant girl, she was the most clumsy of her four personal servant girls. Originally she would have been put to do rough manual chores, but Qiu Niang was young and had a kind heart at the time. When she saw Yun Niu being bullied by the servants, she promoted her to be her own personal maid.

Yun Niu was clumsy and made a lot of mistakes, and it was Qiu Niang who always protected her.

When being bullied by other maids and going hungry, it was Qiu Niang who dismissed the other servants and let her eat her own food.

Qiu Niang was very smart. She knew that if the maids knew she was good to Yun Niu, the maids would only bully her even harder. Yun Niu was stupid and didn’t know to complain. Qiu Niang could only think more for her.

After all, Qiu Niang was a young lady, not a young master. If she was a young master she could at least take Yun Niu as a concubine.

It was impossible for her to keep an eye on Yun Niu all the time.

Later, the maids probably discovered that Yun Niu was indeed a fool and stopped bullying her, so Yun Niu’s life became easier.

But Yun Niu herself didn’t think she had been having a hard time. The most common thing she said at that time was: “I am living a good life now!”

“Miss! Yun Niu ate meat today!”

When she was at home, Qiu Niang protected Yun Niu.

When disaster befell her home, Yun Niu protected Qiu Niang.

The master and servant pair supported each other all the way, and they managed to survived with all their hands and feet intact.

Because Yun Niu was clumsy, she was returned after working in the needle and thread bureau for a few days.

Then she went to the daycare to take care of the children——she was not good at dealing with the children and was not careful and so she was returned once again.

Yun Niu now worked as a helper in the back kitchen cutting vegetables. This time she was able to continue her work and had not been returned.

“I didn’t have much work today.” Yun Niu drank a sip of hot tea and smiled at Qiu Niang, “I was praised! The chef said that I have the quickest hands and feet! I did a better job than the newcomer.”

Yun Niu was so happy that she almost jumped up and down.

Qiu Niang was also very happy for Yun Niu. She waved her hand at Yun Niu and said, “Come here, I will teach you how to read.”

Yun Niu slumped in an instant, and she said half coquettishly and half meekly: “Miss, I can’t learn.”

She always felt that the characters were very strange. In her eyes, the characters appeared like distorted pictures. She couldn’t match them with meaning at all. It was too difficult. Only a smart person like her young lady could learn it.

Qiu Niang persuaded: “When you know how to read, you can go take the exam. Maybe you can even find a transcription job, which is easier than working in the kitchen.”

Yun Niu muttered lowly: “It’s better to relax in the kitchen.”

Qiu Niang looked at her.

Yun Niu lowered her head and said, “I’ll learn, I’ll learn alright?”

“This is Sun, your last name.” Qiu Niang taught Yun Niu to write her name.

Yun Niu looked at the word for Sun: “It looks so strange.”

Qiu Niang sighed, “I will write it to you again.”

Yun Niu still hadn’t managed to learn the word even when Qiu Niang had to start reading the account books.

Qiu Niang was helpless and could only continue to settle the accounts. Yun Niu sat next to her organizing their things. They were going to move tomorrow. Originally, this house was built for temporary living. The district under the management of Qiu Niang was a new district. It was composed of refugees and the expenses of the refugees was very huge——they didn’t have their own belongings, furniture or daily necessities. They came with only themselves and everything must be solved by Qiu Niang.

After reading the ledger and confirming that there was no problem with any of the expenses, Qiu Niang went to fetch water and wash her face and feet.

Yun Niu had heated up the water. Seeing Qiu Niang go down the kang, she hurried over to pour the water.

Qiu Niang couldn’t win with her, and said anxiously: “You are no longer my maid, I can fetch water by myself, don’t serve me!”

Yun Niu did not agree with what she said. She widened her already round eyes and said seriously: “Why am I not Miss’s maid?”

Just as Qiu Niang was about to speak, Yun Niu had already poured water into the copper basin and tested the temperature: “It’s just right! It’s not hot anymore.”

“Miss.” Yun Niu watched Qiu Niang wash her face, and said glumly from the side, “Don’t say anything like that anymore. It makes this slave uncomfortable.”

Qiu Niang glared at her, and Yun Niu quickly changed her words: “It makes me uncomfortable.”

“The young lady is the young lady.”

“I have to serve my young lady forever!”

When she was in the Zhou family, the happiest day was when the female master told her to serve the young lady.

How happy she was then! That was the young lady she was going to serve!

Yun Niu felt that a pie had fallen from the sky. She went home and told her parents and she was praised by her parents. She used to do a lot of work at home. Even if she was a maid at the Zhou family, she still had to work when she returned home. She must farm the fields, take care of her little brothers and sisters, and give all her monthly salary to her family.

As a little maid, she must take part of her monthly salary to honor older higher ranking female servants, otherwise the maids below would bully her.

But Yun Niu couldn’t not honor them, so she did the hardest work in the Zhou manor, all the dirty and smelly work was left to her.

Later, when she went to serve the young lady, the maidservants stopped bullying her and would tell her nice things. Although she didn’t understand them, they must be nice things! The maidservants were all smiling at her!

The servant girls who had bullied her before gave her gifts and begged her to mention them in front of the young lady.

When she returned home, her parents did not urge her to take care of her younger siblings.

Although Yun Niu was stupid, but she was not a complete fool. She knew that all this was because of the young lady.

So she was grateful and felt that her young lady was the best and most wonderful person in the world.

The world began to change. Her young lady was bullied by evil men so Yun Niu carried her on her back, trodding through the mountains and trying to survive. She was stronger than other girls. She had been doing rough work since childhood, so the soles of her feet had a layer of calluses. Yun Niu had never been so grateful to the heavens. If she was thinner, she might not be able to protect her young lady.

They couldn’t find anything to eat, and there were men who always looked at her young lady with wicked eyes. Yun Niu was aware of such people. She was from the bottom of society, and she knew what men thought.

So she said to the man: “Do you have anything to eat?”

The man licked his lower lip, touched his crotch, and said to her: “I have as much as you want.”

Yun Niu told him: “You give me food and I will sleep with you.”

That night, Yun Niu lost her first time in the woods. She heard the cry of her young lady not far away and felt the pain in her body. She told herself not to cry. She had to find something to eat. She must satisfy the man so he will look for her next time.

Yun Niu got a hare and a handful of dandelions.

They survived.

Once, a man kicked her away after he had got what he wanted from her.

He walked towards their shack, and he said: “I haven’t tasted a young lady before, wonder how different she is from girls like you.”

Yun Niu went crazy. She got up from the ground and hugged the man by the waist. She begged him: “You don’t touch her! You can f**k me, I’m not afraid of pain, you can hit me, but don’t touch her!”

The man kicked her again: “I’m tired of you, you b*tch, how can you compare with a delicate young lady.”

Yun Niu rushed over again. She hugged the man’s leg and stretched her neck to bite the man’s flesh. She bit a mouth full of blood. She didn’t know if it was her own or the man’s. The man felt the pain and gave another kick. This time the man was really angry. He punched her on the head, with both fist and feet. Yun Niu thought she was going to die.

It hurt so much that she couldn’t hear anything and her vision blurred.

Seeing the man walking into the shack, Yun Niu didn’t know where she got her strength. She stood up swaying, picked up a stone from the grass, and walked into the shack.

The man had already succeeded. He had pressed down on her young lady’s body, and Yun Niu could see his dirt stained bottom.

She lifted the stone and smashed it down fiercely, again and again, until it became bloody.

“Miss.” She said to Qiu Niang with her last strength, “Don’t be afraid, Yun Niu will protect you.”

Then she fell down and couldn’t remember anything.

“The days are so good now.” Yun Niu spread the quilt and lay on the kang with Qiu Niang. She whispered, “Miss, when we move to the new house, let’s go and adopt a child.”

Qiu Niang’s body was injured and could no longer give birth.

Yun Niu had miscarried a few children herself and couldn’t give birth anymore either.

They had talked before, both deciding not to get married and not to find a man. It would be nice to live a lifetime like this.

Qiu Niang nodded: “Bring a girl back.”

Yun Niu smiled and said, “I will make her clothes.”

Qiu Niang: “Your needlework is too terrible!”

Yun Niu was not convinced: “I’m going to learn, Zhao Daniang said she will teach me.”

Qiu Niang snickered: “Zhao Daniang laughed at you last time.”

“She didn’t laugh at me.” Yun Niu pouted, “Zhao Daniang said that I can sit still, and I will definitely learn well in the future.”

Qiu Niang yawned, turned over and said, “Then you go learn, and in the future make me an outfit as well.” She would not complain about Yun Niu’s craftsmanship.

Yun Niu was happy: “I will make you the best looking clothes!”

The two of them talked about what to buy after the child was picked up, when to send the child to school, and discussed what age of child to adopt. They talked and talked but they didn’t feel sleepy, so they talked until late into the night.

“Sleep, sleep. I won’t be able to get up tomorrow morning if I don’t go to sleep now.” Qiu Niang patted Yun Niu on the back.

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

Yun Niu nodded, pulled the quilt and covered it more tightly over them, and the two fell asleep together.

It was snowing outside the house, and the wind was biting cold.

The kang was burning inside the house, feeling like spring all year round.

TN: bonus chapters coming up!

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The so-called subordinates follow the example of their superiors, Lin Yuan’s actions and behavior were trends and the people were willing to spread Lin Yuan’s virtues. They were also willing to spread Lin Yuan’s absurd behavior in a kind tone——after all, the South Bodhisattva was a young person, and what young person was not absurd? Which family did not spoil their child more or less. The young masters of rich families acted even more absurd.

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In that case, what did it matter if the South Bodhisattva acted somewhat absurd?

This was like modern people chasing a star. Fans wanted nothing more than for their idols to have everything. Even if their idols did bad things, they would say, “He is still young, what’s wrong with making a few mistakes? Can you guarantee that you won’t do anything wrong for the rest of your life?”

Or “We are happy to spoil him, no matter how he acts, we are happy.”

Moreover, these fans were not only “girlfriend fans” but also “mother fans”, “daddy fans”, “brother fans” and “sister fans”.

They loved Lin Yuan in all aspects and because Lin Yuan was also young they had unlimited tolerance.

With Liu Yi and Chu Lin, Lin Yuan finally had secretaries. Although the role of these two secretaries was to accompany him when meeting guests, just like Er Liang. Chu Lin was better than Liu Yi. He was the gongzi of a large wealthy family after all. Not mentioning his smarts and talents, but holding an ordinary chat was enough. After all, he had studied the Confucian Six Arts (TN: rites or etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy or literacy, and mathematics).

Liu Yi would accompany the female guests. She would chat with them and play the guqin. Although her status was not high, but because she was the only woman next to Lin Yuan, the female guests never looked down upon her.

Another advantage of their appearance was that fewer people urged him to marry.

People no longer doubt Lin Yuan’s health.

Sometimes people’s minds were very strange. They felt that a man having many concubines was a very glorious thing and proved the man’s health and ability.

Now Lin Yuan’s move of placing these two attractive people at his side was like proving to the people of his health.

It proved that his sexual ability was healthy.

It was very effective to use this method to stabilize the people’s hearts, and now even old father Lin didn’t nag him.

However, compared with Lin Yuan, Jia Fuqing’s recent days had not been so easy. When he first came, the court had still intended to recruit Lin Yuan. He came as an envoy to the court, so he deserved some preferential treatment. He had beauties by his side, rich clothes and food, and a luxurious manor. He could get almost whatever he wanted.

He sent a letter to the court, saying that Lin Yuan had no disloyal intentions and given time, he would surely be able to recruit him.

But how could he have forseen that this person not only had a disloyal heart, but his wolfish ambition was practically obvious to all. He watched this person repel the army of the court and capture Changshu in one breath. What made him even more frightened was that, the people in Huzhou and Songjiang rebelled, and not only did they rebel, they also offered up the two lands to Lin Yuan, letting Lin Yuan capture two provinces without any effort.

Lin Yuan now had Taizhou, Gaoyou, Changshu, Huzhou and Songjiang in his hands.

Jia Fuqing wanted to send a letter to the court again, but found that he had become a prisoner, a bird in a cage.

He still lived in the original place, but the luxuries from before were all gone, the beauties were all gone, and even the servants were unwilling to take care of him. He couldn’t go onto the streets, and couldn’t go out of his manor. The hot tea became cold tea, cold tea became cold water. The food had changed from delicacies to the most common sweet potato rice.

The guards by his side when he first arrived were long gone. After such a long time, Jia Fuqing didn’t see anyone around him who was not a servant.

He finally understood that he was abandoned by the court, and not only did the court abandon him, but even the South Bodhisattva no longer had any regard for him.

He had become an abandoned pawn, a useless person.

Jia Fuqing wanted to leave this cage. He no longer cared whether he could gain success and recognition.

Being locked up here, without even the freedom to go out, what future would there even be?

After being in confinement for a year, Jia Fuqing’s pride was completely worn away. He finally lowered his head and told the servants that he wanted to see the South Bodhisattva. He had something to discuss with him, and it was a matter relating to Pingjiang Lu.

The servant had already received the order from above and reported it to Lin Yuan without any delay.

Lin Yuan put down his books with a smile on his face.

“It has been awhile. Brother Jia looks quite haggard.” Lin Yuan had on a smiling face. He had a handsome appearance so with such a smile, it caused people to feel that he was being very sincere. “Yuan had been too busy these days to spare time to see Brother Jia, it is Yuan’s fault. I hope brother Jia will understand.”

Jia Fuqing naturally had to say: “The South Bodhisattva has compassion for the people. It is the blessing of the people. Jia is just a small and humble person, how can I blame the South Bodhisattva. If you say this, it will seem as if Jia is a disagreeable person.”

Jia Fuqing had come to surrender. He told Lin Yuan the court’s deployment on Pingjiang Lu, how many soldiers there were, and how many old, weak, sick and disabled soldiers made up the ranks. Although it was only a rough estimate, it was enough for Lin Yuan.

After all, Jia Fuqing was only a civilian official, and his position did not give him access to higher level secrets.

He didn’t let Jia Fuqing leave until Lin Yuan was sure that he had dug up all the information Jia Fuqing possessed.

However, Jia Fuqing still did not get “freedom”.

He was still locked up.

Maybe it would take some time before he finally understood.

In the chaotic situation of now, people like him no longer had any place to stand.

As a a subject and offcial, loyalty was the most important thing. If he could betray the court, then one day he could also betray Lin Yuan.

No one would use such a person.

Even if he was only told the most trivial news, he would still spread it out.

From the moment he set foot in Taizhou, he was destined to have no future.

The soldiers under Lin Yuan had already been dispatched. With the increase of the refugees, the number of people in the army had also increased. Most of the soldiers were bachelors. They had lost their parents, wives and children on the way, and came here alone. They were unable to find a goal in life and didn’t have anyone they needed to support, so they joined the army. The army was in charge of their food and housing, and they didn’t have to worry about anything. There was a new set of clothes every season, and the army paid their salary every month. If in the future they retired from the army they could also rely on the money saved to marry a wife. They didn’t need to worry about the food and clothing after getting old.

Lin Yuan’s army had expanded from 300,000 to 500,000, and it was still increasing.

For the people, being a soldier was hard work. After all, the weapons had no eyes on the battlefield, and no one could guarantee that he would survive everytime.

However, in the five places under Lin Yuan’s rule, the people actually felt that it was a good thing to be a soldier. They were martyrs who died on the battlefield, and their wives, sons and daughters would be protected after their deaths. So long as they tell others that their husbands died on the battlefield, they would all be respected.

And every month there was a pension from the South Bodhisattva. Although it was not much, so long as there were people working in the family, plus this pension, there would be no problem for the family to survive.

If they were injured and disabled and could not go on the battlefield anymore, the South Bodhisattva would give them a certain amount of compensation money as well as find work for them.

The status of soldiers had risen unprecedentedly, and almost every household had a member in the army.

When the people saw the benefits, they would naturally rush forward. So long as there was one male left in the family to carry on the ancestral line. And even if there were no sons they could recruit son-in-laws. Thus, they didn’t worry that their ancestral line would be cut off.

Of course, they would feel heartache for their son/husband/father, but compared with the huge benefits, this was an acceptable sacrifice.

Sometimes Lin Yuan felt that when the common people decide to be ruthless, it could really make one shudder.

They knew that the probability of death for those who served in the army was much lower than the probability of surviving, but they were still able to send their family member away to the battlefield even as they shed tears.

Lin Yuan was not in a hurry now, so he listened to Luo Ben’s suggestion and did not directly attack Wujiang. He had Li Congrong lead a hundred thousand people and surround Wujiang. Wujiang had no food and the land was not fertile. Just relying on self sufficiency simply was not enough to feed so many people. When this 100,000 army arrive, they surrounded Wujiang and did not let people in or let them out.

They surrounded Wujiang until the city surrendered voluntarily.

The governor of Wujiang still wanted to call for help from the court, but neither the common people nor the big households could wait anymore. Although they still had some food, but no amount of food could withstand such a long siege.

So the governor opened the city gate and Li Congrong went in and took over Wujiang.

After more than a year of siege on the city, when Li Congrong entered he was shocked by the hell on earth the city had become.

On the streets were the starving. Emasculated people were even fighting each other over dead bodies.

The big households had their doors closed tightly.

Only then did Li Congrong realize that these big households were not as inactive as they appeared. A dozen smaller wealthy households had gathered together and swallowed up the bigger wealthy households. After losing contact with the outside world, everyone in the city turned from human to beast. But when the city gates opened they once again picked up moral etiquette and began to give gifts of bribery to Li Congrong.

Without food there was still gold and silver jewelry.

Their hope was that Li Congrong would not attack them.

They would give whatever Li Congrong wanted.

The master of the city might have changed, but they still needed to live on.

Compared with Wujiang, it was not so easy in other places.

Kunshan and Jiading had closed the city gates before Chen Baisong and his army arrived. They had gathered an army and also asked the court for help.

At this time, the imperial court did not have much military strength to spare, and only 100,000 troops were able to be sent for support.

Among these 100,000 people, there were many old, weak, sick and disabled. Among them, 50,000 were auxiliary soldiers. Their role was to carry munitions and use their bodies as shields during the battle to help clear the way for the soldiers behind.

These people were cannon fodder.

But the cannon fodder was also useful, and the usefulness was not small. So long as they could block the Lin family army for a second or two, the soldiers behind them would be able to stab forward with their weapons——that’s right, they even stabbed their own auxiliary soldiers, stabbing through them to get to the enemy.

So Luo Ben thought of another way. He sent someone to sneak into the enemy’s barracks, kill an auxiliary soldier, put on the clothes of the auxiliary soldier and then mix in among the rest of the enemy soldiers. It was not difficult to get in, all the auxiliary soldiers were unkempt as if they hadn’t taken a bath in a few years, maybe haven’t even washed since they were born. They stunk unbearably, and every one of them was like the walking dead, likely not even recognizing the person sleeping next to them——after all, there were people dying every day.

The person in charge did not care about them either.

After all, the auxiliary soldiers were not the core of the army, and they didn’t need to have any thoughts of their own. They just needed to rush onto the battlefield when told to.

It happened that these “human-shaped livestock” that no one cared about and could only act as cannon fodder actually had huge potential power.

The person Luo Ben sent was named Zhao Cheng. Luo Ben gave him the name, but he himself was a very good undercover agent. He had been to and survived the battlefield several times with the auxiliary soldiers to pretend to be more like them. He also gained the trust of the other auxiliary soldiers, having saved more than ten auxiliary soldiers.

Then he secretly told the auxiliary soldiers he had saved that he wanted to escape.

This move was very dangerous. So long as one of them informed the superiors what he said, he would not escape death.

But don’t know if Zhao Cheng was just that lucky, or his judgement of people was just that sound, but none of them betrayed him.

On the contrary, the auxiliary soldiers were full of yearning for the Gaoyou that he described.

——They wouldn’t be forced to be cannon fodder, they could eat enough, find work, and eat meat.

What kind of heavenly life was this?

So in the middle of the night, Zhao Cheng fled with more than 20 auxiliary soldiers.

It was the time of day when the barracks were changing defenses so the twenty-odd auxiliary soldiers fled to Chen Baisong’s encampment. From then they were now free. Whether they stayed on as a soldier of the Lin family army or went to Gaoyou, it was all up to them.

All these twenty people chose to go to Gaoyou.

Zhao Cheng returned to the enemy military camp again.

These 20 people who fled first were not discovered. After all, people died every day, and the army bookkeeper only recorded the number of main soldiers, not auxiliary soldiers. The loss of auxiliary soldiers were too high. It would be too labor-intensive to count their numbers every day.

Slowly, Zhao Cheng took away more and more people.

There were so many that had fled that it could no longer be ignored.

When the enemy general realized it, of the original 50,000 auxiliary troops, except for those lost on the battlefield, only less than 10,000 were left.

Without auxiliary troops, the combat strength of the Yuan army had dropped significantly. With no cannon fodder charging in the front, the core soldiers had to charge in the front themselves so their casualties had become heavier.

Chen Baisong and Zhu Yuanzhang were not in a hurry. They had ample supply of grain and grass, enough explosives and trebuchets, and merchants were even now sending a steady stream of military supplies over. The soldiers had warm tents and food, and they were practically at an advantage on all accounts.

Unless the court suddenly dispatched an army of 300,000, they didn’t need to be anxious at all.

It took two years for Lin Yuan to capture the entire Pingjiang Lu and Pingjiang province, and his territory was further expanded.

Although no one came to offer up entire provinces like before with Huzhou and Songjiang during this period, there were still quite a lot of cities and counties being offered to him.

His sphere of influence was getting wider and wider, so wide that even the Red Turban Army could only barely compare with him.

However, Lin Yuan had not been idle for the past two years. He had drastically reformed the areas under his rule.

Taizhou, Gaoyou, and Changshu basically did whatever he said. No one would question him. And Huzhou and Songjiang didn’t dare to question him. As for the remaining places, they had just been beaten to the ground so it was even easier to break the old rules and establish new rules.

First let these places undergo change, and then when more places joined they could be used to better influence the new conquered lands.

He first issued a clear decree that stated “everyone who establishes a household can keep private property.”

No one opposed this decree. After all, people were now used to women earning money, and it didn’t seem to matter if they could now register their own households. After all, after getting married, it was still one family, and the property would belong to the whole family.

Then there was city planning.

The roads were separated so that now there was both pedestrian walkways and space for carriages to move through. If there was a carriage on the pedestrian walkway, regardless of whether it was a commoner, a person from a large wealthy household or an official, they would all be fined.

For the first offence, only ten coins was fined, on the second offense the fine would be one hundred coins, and if there was a third offense, it would be one thousand coins.

Another thing was to vigorously rectify human trafficking.

Lin Yuan could buy people from outside, but the common people and big households couldn’t. They could only hire, and the slave contracts were all abolished.

The common people didn’t react much——they didn’t have the spare money to buy people.

The big households were very unhappy, but there was nothing they could do about it. No one wanted to try out the sharpness of Lin Yuan’s blade.

Although the big households promised, they didn’t take it seriously. After all, their maidservants and manservants were all paid monthly, which was no different from the employment requested by Lin Yuan.

The only difference was that the master could kill these servants who came with slave contracts.

——Although there were laws stipulating that the master could not kill their servants even if there was a slave contract, but even if they were killed, they would be fined at most, which made this law ineffective.

Since no one was going to sue, naturally no one would care.

And the master’s family often gave money to the magistrates and other officials so they wouldn’t preside over justice for the servants anyway.

The servants were not even counted as one of the common people. They were of even lower status and no one would care about them.

There was a big family in Gaoyou, whose surname was Yang. The family was originally of the landowning class. Later, when the South Bodhisattva captured Gaoyou, they directly bent their knees in submission. Not only did they kneel, they also knelt very quickly and decisively. They immediately offered their farm fields and land to Lin Yuan in order to save their dozens of shops in Gaoyou. They not only gave up their lands, they also gave up their slaves and money. In short, they worried about whatever Lin Yuan worried about, thought whatever Lin Yuan thought, completely regarding themselves as Lin Yuan’s sycophant.

Whatever Lin Yuan said was good, they would respond with agreements right behind.

Whatever Lin Yuan said was bad, they would scold and curse at it.

So as soon as the slave contract was abolished, they consciously felt that it was once again time for them to shine, searching everywhere and stirring up trouble.

The first unlucky target was actually close relatives, the Liu family. The Liu family was different from the Yang family. Their family was not as big as the Yang family and were reluctant to give up their wealth, so their offerings to Lin Yuan were not as big as the Yang family’s.

The Liu family was a small family. The family only gave birth to an only child when they were over forty years old.

So they couldn’t help spoiling the child.

The current eldest young master of the Liu family was called Liu Zitao. He was an unlearned hedonistic son of wealthy parents. He had lived in a large manor since he was a child and didn’t know the sufferings of the people. He had seen his parents beat and kill servants and in his opinion, this was not a big deal.

Could servants count as people?

So he never cared about the lives of those servants.

In his opinion, only those who had the same or even higher status as him were called people.

One day he discovered that one of his most cherished robe was missing. He had bought it at a very high price. It was covered with exquisite embroidery and took more than 20 seamstresses and a whole year to embroider. He was furious. He sent someone to investigate, and then he realized that it was the new maidservant who had accidentally torn it when washing. She was afraid that she would be punished, so she didn’t report it.

He had someone beat this little maid fifty times with her pants pulled down. She was beaten bloody and her waist was directly broken as a result.

The little maid was only twelve years old. She was able to cry at first, but then she couldn’t cry anymore.

Her life was not worth as much as a piece of clothing.

Naturally, the Liu family would not let outsiders know about their own affairs. In their opinion, it was normal for a little maid to die. These years, was there a lack in the number of servants who died?

Afterwards……they didn’t know how the Yang family got the news but the whole Liu family was sued by the Yang family.

“This is too much! They insult me too much!” Liu Shizhao was furious. He broke all the porcelain in the house and said to his wife, “The Yang family, the Yang family are villains!”

Madam Liu wept and cried. She only had one son, Liu Zitao, and there was only this young master in the Liu family. She couldn’t lose him. She loved him too much. Her son was already 18-19 years old but she still slept with her son, even driving away his wife to sleep in the side room. She loved her son even more than her husband.

“Husband, we only have Tao’er this one son.” Madam Liu cried, “We can’t let him have an accident, you must go beg the South Bodhisattva. We can offer gold, food, slaves, whatever so long as we keep Tao’er.”

Liu Shizhao breathed heavily, he gritted his teeth and said: “Today’s humiliation, I will repay it tenfold!”

Liu Shizhao started to give gifts. He almost emptied the entire Liu family. Lin Yuan received a lot of valuable gifts, not to mention the small staff and officials below. While Lin Yuan accepted the gifts he did not slow in sending someone to arrest Liu Zitao either.

Then he sent someone over to ask at the door of the Liu family: “Does your Liu family have a disloyal heart?”

The Liu family naturally had to say no.

Then the person asked: “Since there is no such thing, why regard the South Bodhisattva’s decree as nothing? Do you look down on the South Bodhisattva?”

This practically scared the Liu family into peeing their pants, and they continued to say no.

The person continued to ask: “Since you have no intention of disloyalty and do not look down on the South Bodhisattva, then you are dissatisfied with the South Bodhisattva’s decree? Since you are dissatisfied, then let us go and have a chat in front of the South Bodhisattva.”

The Liu family wilted. They wept bitterly, indicating that they would absolutely obey the South Bodhisattva’s words. They were the most well-behaved people of the South Bodhisattva. Whatever the South Bodhisattva asked them to do they would do. They were ignorant before. The South Bodhisattva loved the people and they ask the South Bodhisattva to spare foolish people like them.

Liu Zitao was executed.

The common people also know that he killed a servant, but in the eyes of the common people, killing a servant was not a heinous crime.

It was too common, so common that even the common people didn’t think there was anything to it.

But soon someone said——

“He is openly looking down on the South Bodhisattva, if he doesn’t listen to what the South Bodhisattva said then he deserves to die.”

“Right now there is one person who did not listen to the words of the South Bodhisattva, but what if in the future people follow in his lead. When that time comes and the people are forced into slavery, do you think you will escape? The South Bodhisattva has a loving heart but you people are not only not grateful but also think this is unreasonable. It can be seen that the people are ignorant and really make people laugh in ridicule!”

“Why, do you think the South Bodhisattva is at fault?”

The common people soon felt that, that’s right, the South Bodhisattva had already ordered this, and if you didn’t listen, then you deserved to die.

Besides, whether of not the South Bodhisattva killed people, did he need to explain it to them?

The Liu family lost its only child and fell into a slump. The Yang family took advantage and immediately swallowed up the Liu family’s property and land, and then at a speed of lightning, they made a big circle and then offered it all up to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan felt that it was really necessary for him to meet the head of the Yang family.

Speculative investment to this extent was also a talent.

To be willing to give up, to give up was to gain. The Yang family was too able to give up the benefits placed right in front of them, and too daring as well.

Song Shizhao also said at this time: “There are more males in the Yang family.”

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “Then give them the status of a free citizen.”

Because Lin Yuan was “interested” in men as well, people in many places, especially merchants, had begun to buy men from other places. There were more and more people, and after Lin Yuan restricted human trafficking, these men were naturally now his people.

When Song Shizhao knew that being “interested” in men had this benefit, his whole person was bewildered. He cupped his fist towards Lin Yuan: “My Lord is resourceful and full of strategems. Song can not even compare.”
　　
Lin Yuan said with a smile: “Why does Mister have to be modest, come, let’s talk about how to increase the number of women.”

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

When there were more men, the ratio of men to women would become imbalanced which would then lead to many troubles.

He wanted women, the more the better.

Fortunately, in other places, women were not valued.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to lure them over.

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Prev

Recently, the common people had a new topic to discuss, nowadays there were more and more new things——first there was a wave of new refugees arriving and there was quite a lot of people. As far as the eye could see outside the city it was all filled with people. They had thought it would be the same as before, the lords and officials would not let the refugees inside. After all, the common people were afraid that the refugees would come harm them if they were let in.

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

Strangely enough, however, the refugees came and were let into the city, but it was as if they hadn’t come at all!

The refugees did not steal their things, did not harass their daughters, and did not rob passers-by in places where no one was there to catch them.

The newcomers were very well-behaved. They finally found a place that was willing to accept them so everyone was obedient and well-behaved to the extreme, lest they made a mistake and was driven out. And it wasn’t just one person being driven out. If anyone made a mistake then those with the same surname among the refugees would also be driven out.

Now when they heard this, there wasn’t even any need for the soldiers to supervise them. This group of people voluntarily began to supervise each other.

If it was found that anyone had any bad intentions——they were all of refugee backgrounds so it was not possible to conceal it from the others——then they would take care of that person privately.

After giving him a beating until he couldn’t move, don’t mention doing bad things, just walking would become a problem.

If it weren’t for the fact that the officials would come asking if a dead person showed up they might even be able to commit murder.

These people were quickly incorporated into different professions.

Most of them had gone to serve the livestock, raising pigs, cattle and sheep. After all, many of these people had farming origins. Even if they had never raised livestock in their own households, they would have definitely raised it for the landowner’s family. With work to do, their worries eased and they felt that they were now the South Bodhisattva’s people.

They now had a household registration and were no longer refugees.

This was their new “home”.

They planned to take root on this land and never leave “home” again.

The common people were also very curious about these newcomers. They all lived well under the rule of the South Bodhisattva. After more than two years, there was basically nothing to worry about. There was food and work, and sometimes their “work unit” would organize community activities. During the holidays, they would go fishing or play football with friends and family and coworkers. It was as if those years when they couldn’t fill their stomachs had passed them by for a long time.

But these newcomers told them of the life outside.

More and more people had become refugees. They were like headless flies, not knowing where to go or what to do. Sometimes they could find bark to eat, sometimes there wasn’t even that. Rumors also reached them that in some places, there were even some people who had to secretly resort to cannibalizing their own children.

“Ai, they are really pitiful.”

When the people heard these things, they all sighed.

There were also innocent children who asked: “They have such miserable lives, why don’t they come over here?”

“Yeah, why don’t they come? I can share my dried sweet potato strips with them, I’ll share……en……a handful!”

“Your sweet potato strips have all been eaten already! All the ones you have now are from me! When will you pay me back!”

The children were very forgetful. They had already forgotten the difficult days from before and only remembered the days after Lin Yuan arrived.

Now they only helped out with chores at home on holidays, as they usually were at school. Sometimes when adults asked them what they learned in school, they would count them out happily.

“I learned three words today! I remember them all!”

“I can count to a hundred!”

Their faces were filled with the innocent happiness that was exclusive to children and something that adults could no longer feel. Children would feel great joy for a toy or a praise, but adults would not.

But the people were very willing to have their children go to school, even if the family needed extra hands to help with work.

Because after studying, even if they only came away literate, these children would find better jobs in the future.

Education was not an elegant thing in the eyes of the people.

On the contrary, education was a means of promotion and resulted in tangible benefits for the common people.

They would not spout the words and teachings of sages and wise men, nor would they trust everything written in the books. They only looked at the benefits and gains.

This was really……

“It’s really great.” Lin Yuan said to Song Shizhao, with a smile on his face.

Song Shizhao looked at Lin Yuan’s smiling face in a daze. He had seen Lin Yuan smile more than once. Lin Yuan was a person who loved to smile, but his smile was always gentle and distant. It was a ceremonial smile, a perfunctory smile, like a statue of a Buddha. There was no personal emotions or feelings attached to it, but just a smile for the sake of smiling.

But now, Lin Yuan’s eyebrows were practically flying and his smile came from the heart like that of a true young man.

However, Song Shizhao was also a traditional scholar after all. He really looked down upon the people who had their children go study for the motive of gaining benefits. In his opinion, if one did not learn truths and wisdom from studying then it was better not to study in the first place.

Lin Yuan also saw Song Shizhao’s unhappiness. He asked Song Shizhao, “Why did you study?”

Song Shizhao proudly yet reservedly said: “For the sake of the kingdom’s unity, for the common people to live and work in peace and contentment.”

Lin Yuan laughed at him: “What then?”

Song Shizhao paused.

Lin Yuan: “You want fame, what you want is reputation.”

“The people want less than you. They don’t want fame, but for their children to live better in the future.”

“Mister.” Lin Yuan said, “If one place all their faith in books then it is better to have no books at all.”

Suddenly, Song Shizhao had a feeling of the clouds and mist being pulled away from his eyes. His expression was momentarily stunned, and then he quickly came back to himself. He bowed in a respectful manner: “I’m not as good as Boss.”

Lin Yuan shook his head: “Mister, it’s just that we stand at different angles.”

Song Shizhao, who had left the government office, walked on the road. The streets were bustling with people. The people were buying daily necessities. He saw a shrewdish woman bargaining with the vendors, vigorously enough she became red in the face. Judging from the brisk pace when she left, she had definitely won that haggle. When Song Shizhao arrived at the door to his home he was smiling unconsciously.

Seeing Song Shizhao’s return, the doorman quickly said: “Laoye! Someone came over in the afternoon and said that he wanted to see you. Since you were not at home he said he will come back tomorrow.”

Song Shizhao nodded: “Do you recognize him?”

The doorman shook his head: “I don’t know him. He is a young man in his early twenties. He speaks the official language with a northern accent.”

Song Shizhao thought for a while, but didn’t recall any such person. He said, “I’ll leave it for tomorrow.”

Then Song Shizhao went to his study. He was feeling rather restless and he had to practice his calligraphy to settle his mind.

While writing, he recalled what Lin Yuan said to him.

He finally understood.

What he saw and what Lin Yuan saw was completely different!

He saw only the “scholar”, a scholar’s strength of character over these thousands of years! He saw the truth, morality, and the teachings left by the great sages!

But the Boss looked only at the people, and “scholars” were just tools for Boss. They had their places and what they could and should do.

Song Shizhao recalled what he had heard of the lectures given by teachers in the school.

They taught those children literacy and then taught them to read, which was completely different from the formal education received by scholars like himself.

They did not tell the children what was right or wrong.

They let the children see and think for themselves, and then had them come to an understanding by themselves.

Were the students taught in this way still the “scholars” of the past?

Would they still hold the books of sages as a golden rule like those scholars?

Song Shizhao suddenly shuddered.

But after the chill, he suddenly felt his blood boiling in excitement!

Lin Yuan wanted to establish a new order and new rules!

Song Shizhao’s hands were shaking with excitement, and he couldn’t write the words anymore. If one stroke was wrong, then the whole word would become useless.

Why did he still live on this earth? Why didn’t he die while displaced as a refugee?

It was all for today! All to stay next to the South Bodhisattva and watch him change heaven and earth!

He wondered what kind of expressions the “scholars” of the world would show when they discover this?

He was too curious! He really wanted to see it personally!

Compared with Song Shizhao, the teachers at the school were the most affected and received the most shock. They were all traditional scholars, and most of them did not come from rich families. After all, studying was not productive, and they could only rely on their families to support them before they gained a position as an official. And brush, ink, paper, inkstone, and books all costed a lot of money. Not to mention that in order to study they must find a teacher which also costed money. Most families could only cultivate one scholar, and it might not even be possible to cultivate one that could become an official.

After all, in order for the Han people to become officials they must pass the imperial examinations. But could all scholars in this world be officials?

So as the family cultivated a scholar, it often turned into a failed investment.

An originally financially comfortable family could easily be dragged down by the expense of cutlivating a scholar.

So after these scholars saw no hope of becoming officials, they could only become teachers in order to make a living.

They would also gather together to discuss major events and matters of the kingdom, all feeling that they were very talented and intelligent. It was like this until the South Bodhisattva suddenly appeared, and they suddenly became the South Bodhisattva’s “people”.

At first, when the South Bodhisattva met them and asked them to teach, some of them didn’t understand——how could there be a right and wrong way of teaching? Could the South Bodhisattva be better at teaching than they themselves?

Then, the South Bodhisattva had people give teaching lessons to these scholars.

“Absurd!”

They all said that at first.

They wanted to persuade the South Bodhisattva, to tell him that what the scholars studied was the truths and morals of the world!

The South Bodhisattva just smiled and listened to them. When they finally exhausted themselves, the South Bodhisattva replied with an expression of repentance: “It is because Yuan was not thoughtful and made it difficult for you all. How about this, since you all feel that teaching like this is not acceptable, then let’s go and see how the common people live.”

After that they were sent to farm land and take care of livestock.

Even the poorest of them had never lived like this.

Just when they were at a loss, the South Bodhisattva had someone invite them back.

The South Bodhisattva said to them: “What you knew of the common people were from books and what others told you.”

“Now that you have become one of the common people yourself, you now know what the common people are like.”

“They are more easily contented than you, and while they don’t think about the world, this world is made up of them. Without them, you would not have enough food to fill your stomachs and peace to live your days. Your brush, ink, paper and inkstone ultimately are created by them.”

“You look down on the common people, but do you know that without the people you are nothing?”

“Now, are you willing to teach?” The South Bodhisattva looked at them with a smile.

They finally lowered their heads. Don’t know who moved first but when they had all realized it, they found themselves kneeling before the South Bodhisattva.

“We are willing to follow my lord.”

They said.

There were more and more literate children.

They would become a new force, a new pillar of society.

However, the most happy and exciting thing for the common people recently was that the South Bodhisattva was going to tour the land and visit the common people. This was a new thing. Although some emperors visited the common people before, it was really an excuse to go out traveling and have fun, often bringing along many song girls and beauties. Their version of visiting the common people was to just have each place build temporary palaces and then arrive at the palaces to have fun.

Officials from all over the country would also take the wealth and daughters of the common people and present them to the emperor.

There was no need to return the wealth.

As for the daughters……although most of them were returned to their families, as women who had lost their chastity, their future would only be accompanied by the Buddha at a nunnery for a lifetime.

But the people believed that the South Bodhisattva would not do this.

They had a kind of trust in Lin Yuan that even Lin Yuan himself felt bewildered by.

The people believed that Lin Yuan was a god, a god who loved the people. This was a profound and magnanimous love. He had no selfish desires, and because he had no selfish desires naturally there wouldn’t be any material desires.

Because everything in this world belonged to him, and since it belonged to him, he could do whatever he wanted in this world.

Lin Yuan’s tour was so that he could give the people more confidence.

At the same time, it was also to win the hearts of the people.

When he left the government office, he didn’t take too many people with him. Only Chen Baisong and a small team of soldiers followed along to protect him.

“The South Bodhisattva is here! I see them!” The young boy ran home quickly.

He had put on new clothes today. Wearing new clothes on days other than the New Year was something that had never happened before. His hands were dirty and he dared not touch his clothes. The adults in the family also put on their most presentable clothes as well.

Today, the South Bodhisattva was coming to their village, and every household had made preparations in advance.

They cleaned up the house very clean, it had never been so clean before!

The young child was hugged by his mother and placed on her lap. There was a kang at home. The kang was so big that everyone in the family could sleep on it. (TN: kang=a heatable brick bed)

They could buy coal now. He heard from his mother that when he was younger, the family couldn’t afford firewood at all, let alone coal. They could only go up the mountains to cut firewood themselves, but all the nearest trees were all cut and if they went deeper into the mountains they could encounter wild beasts.

So the family always had to endure the freezing cold every winter.

His older brother had frozen to death.

His mother said that she was holding his older brother, but when she opened her eyes the next morning, his older brother was already gone.

Fortunately, the South Bodhisattva came, otherwise he might have fallen asleep on a certain night just like his older brother and never opened his eyes again.

Not only people from their village, but even people from neighboring villages came. Especially those with relatives in their village, they had already arrived when they heard the news a few days earlier.

Then yesterday some soldiers came to seal the village, but the soldiers also told them that if too many came, it would be difficult to distinguish between loyal citizens and traitors.

The people all felt that this was the right thing to do!

When Lin Yuan and his people arrived, he saw the villagers standing on the roadside. If it weren’t for the fact that they were wearing cloth robes and didn’t pull up banners, Lin Yuan would almost think he had traveled back to the modern times.

Lin Yuan first went to a family with the surname Li. There were six people in this family. The eldest son had married a wife who gave birth to three daughters.

The younger son had not yet married a wife.

Lin Yuan first asked about their lives.

Li Sanyi was very nervous. He had never been so nervous in his life. The most important official he had ever had contact with was the village head. Never in his wildest imaginations did he expect to see the South Bodhisattva one day. How could he have known that the South Bodhisattva would one day sit opposite him, on the kang where he usually sat?

The heavens above, he never thought that the South Bodhisattva’s buttocks would sit in the same place as his buttocks had sat in before.

Li Sanyi’s heart almost jumped to his throat.

He stammered and said: “This year’s harvest is good. I, my family have a good life. We are not hungry, and there are more farmable lands being opened. The harvest next year will definitely be better than this year’s!”

He even subconciously flattered: “It’s all the blessing of the South Bodhisattva. Only after you came did we have a good life.”

Li Sanyi saw the young and handsome man in front of him smiling at him. In an instant, Li Sanyi’s face flushed red and he lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the other.

He heard the other say: “That’s good. If you have any inconvenience or issue, go find village head. But if the village head refuses to solve it, then go find the county magistrate.”

Li Sanyi quickly said: “Our village head is a good man, he is very good……”

The other chuckled: “Then that’s good.”

On the same day, Lin Yuan visited every family in this village. These villagers were very excited. They were all very eager to tell Lin Yuan about the changes their lives had undergone.

“Our family used to eat chaff! And only when the year is good will there be chaff!”

The village woman had endless words: “Now there are sweet potatoes to eat, endless sweet potatoes!”

Lin Yuan smiled as he listened to her. He didn’t think that these villagers were uncouth. In truth, uncouth people were not necessarily bad people, and people who understood etiquette and morality were not necessarily good people. But most of the world was made up of uncouth people.

They didn’t know profound truths and moral teachings, but they knew how to cultivate the land and how to make the whole family live better.

They struggle to live, but perhaps even they didn’t know how much value they could create.

The news of Lin Yuan’s tour of the common people flew to all the towns under his rule as if on wings.

The people talked about it happily.

“I heard them say that the South Bodhisattva is very handsome!”

“I also heard that the South Bodhisattva is very handsome! I heard that whenever he glances at you, whether you are a man or a woman, your face will definitley blush.”

“Yah, then that must be really handsome!”

“If I had not been born twenty years early, I would have gone and recommend myself already!”

“You? Even 20 years younger you don’t look like much.”

As a result, the big households in each city inexplicably began to offer beauties to Lin Yuan. They would offer their own daughters and if their wives were good-looking, they would even offer their wives. Some people took a different approach, thinking that maybe the South Bodhisattva preferred male sex and even offered young and beautiful boys to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan laughed and accepted them all. The women would act as maids, and the young men would act as manservants.

Originally, he had already felt that there were too few people in the government office. But it was not like he could go around recruiting or buying people now. So this perfectly alleviated his urgent need.

However, in order to make the people feel at ease, he still kept two of the best looking of them by his side, but as his attendants, one man and one woman. The woman was very beautiful. She was like the morning dew and the stars in the night sky. Her eyes were like autumn lakes, and even when frowning, people would not be able to help but want to ask her why she was sad.

The man was also very beautiful. It was a beauty of a man on the cusp between a teenager and a young man. He was very good-looking with long and slender limbs, skin as delicate and white as jade. Lin Yuan once saw him smile at Er Liang and Er Liang’s eyes when looking at him instantly became like that of someone looking at the lover of his dreams.

Sure enough, so long as the person was beautiful, people didn’t care whether they were a man or a woman at all.

In fact it was quite common for the gongzi of aristocratic and wealthy families to have a few male lovers.

And there were countless people who also kept actors.

The ancients sometimes also had no integrity.

The woman was called Liu Yi and she played the guqin very well. She didn’t talk much, but because of her beauty, she was very pleasing to the eyes. At first, Lin Yuan wanted her to help with some proper work, but later found out that this was a dumb beauty——she was a song and dance entertainer. Because she was beautiful, she had been sold or passed around since she was a child. Every man who gained possession of her originally hid her in the inner courtyard, but whenever they needed help from more pwerful people, they would still send her away as a bribe.

Liu Yi was beautiful and her beauty was the foundation of her livelihood. Beauty allowed her to live a better life than ordinary people. But this beauty had also caused her to suffer. The wives and concubines and maids in the households of the men who bought her hated her. Taking advantage of the male master’s absence, they would always make her kneel and she would end up kneeling for whole days on end.

Liu Yi knew that they were jealous of her, and the more they were jealous the happier she was.

Because she made a living on this, and the education she received was only on how to please men. She was a common victim of this era.

Rather than describe her as an individual perhaps it was more accurate to describe her as a vase, a portrait, something that men liked to collect and show off.

The only thing that could not be used to describe her was an independent and dignified person.

Liu Yi felt that the South Bodhisattva was different from all the men. When he looked at her, he also had admiration in his eyes, but he didn’t touch her nor did he have sex with her. Sometimes Liu Yi even felt that the South Bodhisattva pitied her.

This was a novel experience for Liu Yi and she came to like the South Bodhisattva even more.

She followed behind the South Bodhisattva as his attendant. Her beauty amazed all who saw her, but because of the South Bodhisattva, people did not dare to look at her directly.

Liu Yi felt very comfortable.

As for the other person, Chu Lin, he was different from Liu Yi. He was a gongzi of a big and wealthy family. He had the pride of being a gongzi of a big, influential family. He also looked down on Liu Yi despite being in the same situation as Liu Yi now. He would often try to talk to Lin Yuan, let Lin Yuan discover his talent.

With these two people at his side, Lin Yuan found that fewer people urged him to get married.

The people felt that the South Bodhisattva did not need to get married too early if he didn’t want to. So long as he had a sex life and had his needs being taken care of then that was enough.

And the South Bodhisattva could be with both men and women. Didn’t this lend further proof to his universal love?

Lin Yuan: “???”

Probably with Lin Yuan as a role model many merchants and wealthy people had begun to look for male lovers.

They actually felt that having a male lover was very good——women were physically weaker after all, and people who lived pampered lives would often feel tired when they move even a little. But with a male lover they could be better served on the bed. They didn’t even need to do much of the work themselves.

It was truly too good, too considerate.

As for the male lovers, most of them were their domestic servants or servants bought from outside.

When Lin Yuan heard this, he was struck into a stupor.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So he could only have people post a notice saying that so long as one had the strength and worked hard, he could live without having to sell himself.

However, there were still good-looking men who would recommend themselves to large wealthy families.

And the men who had already become “lovers” were not willing to go to work.

They felt that this kind of life was very good.

Although they were bedded, they had food and drink. And if the master’s inner courtyard had women who were lonely, they could also cop a feel.

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

No need to work!

How wonderful!

Fortunately, there were only a few good-looking men, otherwise Lin Yuan would really become anxious.

He felt that in the future, he might not only have to protect women from being violated, but also protect good-looking men from the same.

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