"What are you bringing me here for?"
Zong Zhengqing Qi was young after all. After dispelling Yan Chu's anger at taking him out of the palace, she was attracted by the bustling scenes on both sides of the street.
Especially those stalls that pinch clay figurines and tie kites, with a wide range of items on them, let Zong zhengqingqi have nowhere to put his eyes.
There are also some vendors selling ice sugar gourd along the street, carrying targets full of sugar gourd, red sugar coating on wooden strings, wrapped in round and full fruits. Although he has not tasted the taste, he can't help salivating just looking at the attractive appearance and wants to go down and buy a string to taste.
All this has always lived only in Zongzheng Qingqi's ears.
Different from other royal brothers who have left the palace and opened the house, and a foreigner's younger brother who borrowed the light of imperial concubine Jiang, the family was granted a virtual Jue without real power. Zong zhengqingqi's other relatives are far away in the northwest. They have not been out of the palace since childhood. They can only listen to the interesting stories described by the imperial brothers and emperors who have been outside the palace and the palace maidens and eunuchs who have come in from outside the palace.
Because he wants face and has a tight mouth, Zong zhengqingqi always shows a disdainful expression when listening to the emperor's brother telling stories outside the palace, but in fact, in his heart, he has long been curious about the world on the other side of the imperial city.
This time, when Yan Chu was unprepared, he took him out of the palace and saw the scene he had imagined in his dream. Zong zhengqingqi turned her head and looked at Yan Chu's face, which was also pleasing to the eye.
But why didn't the carriage stop at the most bustling market in the capital?
Zong zhengqingqi looked at the scenery outside the window becoming more and more single, and the houses on both sides were becoming more and more old. The carriage went out of the city gate and drove to an unknown place in zongzhengqingqi's doubt. The original joy of leaving the palace gradually sank down, and the initial worry floated to her mind.
Especially at this moment, when he stepped on the muddy path in the countryside and looked at the boundless fields around him, there were only a few old farmers leading cattle to uproot and loosen the soil for the newly harvested land, as well as a group of children playing merrily on the ridge.
Zong zhengqingqi looked at Yan Chu warily. What did he bring him to this place for.
"Uncle, how's the harvest in the field this year?"
Yan Chu ignored Zong Zhengqing Qi's questions, but got out of the carriage and went straight to the old farmer farming in the nearest field.
"The harvest is good. We have had good weather these years. The harvest is good every year. With the accession of the new emperor and the reduction of 30% of taxes, we can have a prosperous year this year."
The clothes of Yan Chu and Zong Zhengqing Qi today are shabby and rough in Zong Zhengqing Qi's eyes, but in the eyes of the old farmer, the clean and decent brocade is better than the expensive dead people's cloth they rarely see when they go to the cloth shop in the city. At first glance, they are the masters and young masters of rich people.
Therefore, facing Yan Chu's question, the old farmer smiled and answered.
Zong Zhengqing Qi's face cleared up after listening to the old farmer's words. He came forward with great interest: "uncle, what do you think of the new emperor now?"
With that, he glanced at Yan Chu. The old man seemed to be reasonable. He certainly couldn't get used to the current situation of eunuchs in the court.
He wanted to see how Xiao Chu would feel if he was scolded by an old farmer pointing at his nose.
"Can't say can't say."
The old farmer waved his hand and looked at Zong zhengqingqi's expression as if he were looking at something strange.
That's the emperor, the emperor above. Don't worry about the son of heaven?
The young master of this family looks white and clever. How can he ask so mindless.
"Sir, don't be angry with the old man. I'm talkative. Your childe has to teach well. Now the royal guards in the east hall are so powerful. Before, there was a lazy man next to our village who was drunk and scolded the little emperor. He was taken away by the royal guards the next day." The old man's face was a little frightened, and his preaching attitude towards Yan Chu was also sincere.
"Young master, you're so smart. If you say anything wrong, you'll suffer."
It is said that if you enter the East Hall, you have to take off the skin if you don't die. In the hearts of ordinary people, that is a taboo, which is more terrible than prison.
"What did the lazy man scold the little emperor?"
Zong Zhengqing Qi was angry and became a puffer fish. He had just ascended the throne. Before he was in power, someone scolded him. Obviously, the government affairs were handled by Xiao Chu. Why scold him? When you think about it, Zong Zhengqing Qi stared at Xiao Chu and blamed him.
"Why don't you listen to advice?"
The old farmer was angry. The lazy man scolded the little emperor and was caught by the people of the royal guards. In front of him, the little childe asked him to repeat the lazy man's words. Don't you want him to be caught together.
The old farmer realized that the little childe was a troublesome man. He carried a hoe and planned to plough on the other side. At that time, the little childe said something he shouldn't say and implicated him.
"Don't go."
Zong Zhengqing Qi searched all over her body and couldn't find anything valuable. Suddenly, she thought that the jade wrench on her hand had not been removed when she just changed her clothes. Without thinking, she pulled down the jade ring on her finger and handed it to the old farmer: "can you say it now?"
The old farmer's behavior made him think of those palace maids and eunuchs in the palace, and some low-ranking and unpopular concubines. If they want to make their life in the palace easier, they must constantly take money to buy the slaves of the manufacturing department and the imperial dining room. Only in this way can they eat hot meals and wear beautiful clothes in season.
He thought that the old farmer was the same. He didn't want to say those words to him because he didn't get any benefits.
"You little childe."
The old farmer sighed. He didn't understand why he broke the casserole and asked about the deadly thing.
"If you don't want to say the question I just asked you, I'll ask you another question. As long as you answer, the jade trigger is yours."
Zong Zhengqing Qi looked at Yan Chu and saw that the other party had no intention to stop his behavior. She stood up and said to the old farmer with a little arrogance.
"Old man, our young master is naturally curious. If he asks, you can say it well."
The bodyguard who had been standing behind them, after receiving Yan Chu's eyes, stepped forward and exchanged the jade wrench in Zong Zhengqing Qi's hand for a ingot of broken silver. It was estimated that there should be four or five money. For farmers who depend on heaven, this is not a small amount.
"Well, young master, just ask, but it's too difficult for me, old man."
In the eyes of the old farmer, the silver money was much more valuable than the jade wrench he had never seen. Under the temptation of money, he hesitated for a moment, thought about his young grandson, and dared to promise.
"Uncle, listen to your tone just now. Are you afraid of royal guards?"
Zong zhengqingqi also knew that the old farmer would not answer his previous question, so he simply put the question aside and planned to check it again when he returned to the palace. Now for him, Xiaxiao Chu's face is more important.
"Afraid, who is not afraid of the royal guards?" One by one, the evil spirits were almost like the Lord of hell. The old farmer trembled and said without thinking.
"If one day the royal guards no longer exist, will you be happier?"
Royal guards are the minions of Xiao Chu. Now the courtiers are afraid of Xiao Chu, largely because they are afraid of the royal guards behind him. If the royal guards disappear, Xiao Chu's strength will be reduced by half.
Zong zhengqingqi seems to see that Xiao Chu doesn't like him now. He doesn't take precautions against him. He even indulges him intentionally or unintentionally, which doesn't mean to suppress his growth at all.
He didn't understand whether it was the other party's confidence or some other reason, but it was also a good thing for him.
It is also because he has seen through this. Now he is not so formal in front of Xiao Chu, but occasionally he is afraid.
"Why did the royal guards disappear?" The old farmer was stunned when he heard Zong zhengqingqi's words. He asked suspiciously, with a trace of sadness on his face.
Looking at the old farmer's expression, Zong Zhengqing stopped with a smile on her face. He thought what he saw would be the old farmer's expression of joy and relief.
He turned his head and looked at Xiao Chu, who had not spoken. The other party seemed not surprised by the old farmer's reaction.
Even there was no wave in the other party's eyes, as if he had just asked those questions. In his eyes, they were just children playing foolishly, which could not have any impact on him.
"Aren't you afraid of royal guards?" Zong Zhengqing Qi squeezed the jade wrench in her hand and looked at the old farmer with his majesty as an emperor.
Just because he is young and his momentum has not yet become a climate, in the eyes of others, he is a spoiled and arrogant little childe.
He lost his temper because he didn't get the answer he wanted.
"I'm afraid of the royal guards. Yes, but since we have the royal guards, our life is much better than before, so why should I be happy that the royal guards disappear?"
The old farmer looked at Zong zhengqingqi and said: "In the past, we had to pay taxes in addition to all kinds of taxes set up by the above officials. When the county master gave birth to a baby, we had to pay taxes. When the magistrate took a concubine, we had to pay taxes. We are still at the foot of the imperial city. Those people are so brave, not to mention other places. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away. The days must be more difficult than us, but we can Since the appearance of the royal guards, all corrupt officials have been arrested, and the taxes have been normal. We people can have a balance every year when we have enough to eat and drink. It's too late for us to thank them. "
In the past, there was no east hall or royal guards. The old emperor was dazed and incompetent. He was laissez faire to his officials. Corrupt officials in the imperial court were rampant, and the people were miserable. Even if there were no natural disasters, life would be difficult.
No matter who is the emperor or who is in power, the people only know that they have had a good life since the East Hall. What about the fierce reputation of the East Hall governor Xiao Chu and his royal guards? It's really good to get tangible benefits.
"When the royal guards catch people, they also catch those who should be caught, such as the lazy man. Who wants him to say what he shouldn't say? I'm an honest man like an old farmer and live a good life. No matter whether others are right or wrong and have a magnanimous heart, how can I want the royal guards to disappear?"
The old farmer's words made Zong Zhengqing Qi speechless. He looked at the old farmer who received the silver ingot and looked at Xiao Chu.
Conspiracy must be conspiracy. Xiao Chu brought him here to let him listen to these words so as to reduce his vigilance.
As a wise and mighty emperor, he is not so easy to fool.
"What else do you want to ask? Let's go back to town after asking."
Zong Zhengqing Qi glared at Xiao Chu. He had to go back to the city and ask more people. He didn't believe it. Xiao Chu's ability was so great that he bought people all over the world.