Chapter 42: The Emperor and His Ministers Have Already Met with the Right Time (42)

The carriage stopped at the door of Yingzuilou.

"What's wrong with you?" Shen Minghuan glanced at Chen Xin, who looked absent-minded and almost fell down when he got off the carriage.

Chen Xin blinked blankly, and suddenly realized that his expression was terribly sad. He lowered his head slightly and said as calmly as possible: "The people are ignorant, so they are desperate."

Shen Minghuan looked at him in surprise, thought for a while, and said: "When Confucius traveled around the countries in the past, he should have been more desperate than you."

It was not because of the suffering of the people, but because of those ignorant, uncivilized eyes that looked like demons and beasts.

It was an era when rituals and music collapsed, so the saints spent their entire lives teaching everyone without distinction, spreading the seeds of knowledge to every corner of the world.

He taught the world what "benevolence", "ritual", "virtue", and "gentleman" are.

Chen Xin was stunned, and Lu Suiping was also stunned.

Confucius is known as the "Teacher of All Ages". Everyone who has read "The Analects" is his disciple.

The master dared to be the first in the world. Their path is much easier than it was then. If we still don't have the courage to move forward, wouldn't it make the saint despair again?

Shen Minghuan ignored the two dazed literati. He took out a folding fan from his sleeve and stepped over the threshold of Yingzuilou.

Chen Xin looked at the man's back woodenly, as if he heard him say to him with a smile: "Go and enlighten the people, so that the scholars of future generations don't have to despair because of this."

Lu Suiping patted his shoulder, "Chen Xin, this is difficult, but——"

Don't not do it just because it's difficult.

"I, Brother Qu, Brother Lu Zhi... We will all help you."

Chen Xin turned his head and smiled at him: "Let's do it together."

*

When Luo Xiuyuan was still the King of Spirits, out of caution, he had very complex information channels between him and his subordinates, and even had different ways of contacting different people.

After he became the emperor, he continued to use it for a short period of time. Later, his subordinates found that Shen Minghuan didn't care about it at all. They were like fools defending against it, so they gradually abandoned it.

After all, although it is safe, it is really troublesome.

To this day, when Luo Xiuyuan's subordinates have something to ask him, they either write a letter openly or go to the palace openly.

So when Luo Xiuyuan received the message of requesting a meeting from a channel that had not been used for a long time, he was a little confused.

No, to ask to see him, go directly to the palace, could it be that Chang Mao still didn't let him in?

When he looked at the person who sent the message, Luo Xiuyuan understood that it was Shen Duo.

Everyone knows that the position of the head of the Shen family has been replaced by someone else. Shen Minghuan violated the ancestral precepts and usurped the throne. The former head of the family, Shen Changqing, expelled him from the Shen family.

Shen Duo is a man who never gives in to personal feelings. He has already submitted to His Majesty. He also has some evidence against Shen Minghuan, which makes him afraid to act rashly and has to worship His Majesty as the emperor.

The Shen family's actions naturally offended Shen Minghuan.

Now there are guards outside the Shen Mansion every day, which is no different from house arrest. Although there is no explicit order to prohibit entry and exit, even if the servants go out to buy, there will be guards around them.

Luo Xiuyuan knew that this was not the case.

After Shen Minghuan killed Xue Huai, his reputation spread all over Yanling overnight. A servant of the Shen family fought with the gossipers outside to protect their son.

After Shen Minghuan knew about this, he suppressed the news and turned around to have people surround the Shen Mansion tightly.

People with dark minds think it is imprisonment and regard it as proof of a broken relationship.

But they know that it is actually protection, which not only blocks the mouths of the gossipers, but also prevents the villains.

Otherwise, with the frequency of Shen Minghuan being assassinated, his family would not be so calm.

"Uncle, long time no see, how are you?" Luo Xiuyuan's expression was complicated. Shen Duo did not look "well", in just a few days, he was much thinner than the last time they met.

Shen Duo coughed twice, he had just recovered from a serious illness, his voice was still a little hoarse, "Your Majesty."

Luo Xiuyuan reached out to help him, stopped him from saluting, and whispered: "Uncle, Minghuan didn't blame you, you... why do you have to suffer yourself."

Anyone in the world has the right to blame Shen Duo for not trusting Shen Minghuan and repeatedly making that person sad, only he Luo Xiuyuan can't, because Shen Duo is loyal to him and will act like this.

Luo Xiuyuan felt a little aggrieved for no reason.

Luo Xiuyuan is willing to help his friend untie the knot, he knows that the other party is also looking forward to reconciliation with his father, so after a few words with Shen Duo, he asked Chang Mao to invite Shen Minghuan over.

Even if that person is concerned about the noble family, Yingzuilou is his territory, and he can still guarantee the safety and secrecy here.

The system cried so loudly in Shen Minghuan's mind, and he was still immersed in the picture just now: [Host, you are so pitiful, this is too touching. ]

[Is it so exaggerated? ] Shen Minghuan helplessly: [Do you think I am carrying great pain and want to save all living beings from danger even if I am misunderstood and despised by thousands of people? Xiaojiu, I am not that kind of person. ]

Just now, when the old man knelt down and said the first sentence, he suddenly thought of a brilliant idea. The silence and the appropriate fragility afterwards were also somewhat acting.

Shen Minghuan admitted that he had resentment in his heart.

He was an evil ghost that crawled back from hell, and he was incompatible with this world.

Chang Mao quickly passed him and opened the door for Shen Minghuan before Chen Xiaoyu, who glared at him fiercely.

Shen Minghuan seemed a little surprised to see the people in the room.

"Your Majesty, there is one more," he suddenly smiled: "Father."

Shen Duo was a little uneasy, he didn't know how to put his hands and feet, and he just responded awkwardly: "Ming, Minghuan."

Luo Xiuyuan looked at Shen Minghuan's expression, and saw that this man was not angry, so he was relieved. He was worried that this man would blame him for meddling in other people's business.

But Luo Xiuyuan suddenly realized that with this man's temperament, even if he was dissatisfied, he would not show it, but would only keep it in his heart and embarrass himself, so he probably couldn't see it.

Luo Xiuyuan was a little frustrated again.

"Your Majesty," Shen Minghuan asked, "Why did you summon me here... Your Majesty?"

"Oh, oh." Luo Xiuyuan came back to his senses, "Minghuan, you sit down first, um... you can be more casual."

Luo Xiuyuan had a premonition that Shen Minghuan was deliberately putting himself in the position of a minister, and he was more respectful and polite to him.

If it were in the past, this man would have sat down by himself, and would not have used the word "summon".

Luo Xiuyuan couldn't stand Shen Minghuan being humble. This man was a child of destiny, and even he was not qualified to ask him to bow his head.

So, let Minghuan be the emperor, so that he would be above millions of people.

Shen Minghuan didn't know what the other party was thinking, he nodded: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lu Suiping and others also came in, and after the ceremony, they took their seats, each of them felt very uncomfortable, and they all felt that the atmosphere was very strange.

Luo Xiuyuan coughed dryly. He called Shen Minghuan here just because of Shen Duo, what other reason could there be? At the moment, he could only quickly find another excuse.

Luo Xiuyuan said with a guilty conscience: "I heard that the Cui family still refused. Does Minghuan have a good plan?"

In fact, this is not a problem at all. The Cui family cannot stand alone. They cannot reverse the trend of equal distribution of land. Compromise is inevitable. It's just a matter of time.

"Good plan? It's the same as before." Shen Minghuan said lightly: "Kill them."

"...Don't joke." Luo Xiuyuan frowned, "The Cui family is different from those evil families. They are kind to tenants and many people have received their kindness."

Luo Xiuyuan was very firm: "The Cui family has no faults and has not violated the laws of Daqi. I don't agree with you forcing them to donate land."

Luo Xiuyuan has stopped Shen Minghuan from killing people countless times. The previous times were because he was afraid that Shen Minghuan's reputation would be damaged, but this time it was because of the justice he insisted on in his heart.

"Donate land?" Shen Minghuan emphasized the word "offer", and he suddenly smiled.

"Your Majesty, do you know the price of one mu of good farmland?" Shen Minghuan said, "Seven taels of silver."

"If the weather is good, there is no drought or flood, after a year of hard work, this mu of farmland can probably earn twenty taels of silver. But the common people can get less than two taels."

"It can barely support the livelihood of a family and prevent them from starving to death, that's all. But the noble families can do nothing, they don't have to face the loess and back to the sky, they don't have to endure the scorching sun and take care of the seedlings, and they can earn at least fifteen taels."

"Fifteen taels per mu, one hundred mu is one hundred and fifty taels, this money, a common family will have to go without food and drink for seventy-five years." Shen Minghuan sighed: "Many people even live Less than seventy-five years old.

Shen Minghuan looked at Luo Xiuyuan: "Your Majesty, that is not farmland, it is a poisonous snake that is wrapped around the people and sucks their blood."

"I can buy it at a price of eight taels per mu, which is one tael higher. That is the income of the people for half a year. But as you can see, they are still not satisfied."

"Do you feel that you have lost money? No, they are still making money, but not as much as before. But," Shen Minghuan paused, "they shouldn't have made so much money."

No matter how much Luo Xiuyuan loves the people like his own children, he is, after all, a royal noble who does not know the suffering of the people. This is the first time he has heard the comparison between the lives of the people and the aristocratic families so directly.

He was silent for a moment, still shook his head firmly: "But..."

"No buts." Shen Minghuan interrupted him, "I just returned what should belong to the people. If they can only barely make ends meet after a year of hard work, it means that we who are in power are incompetent."

"If the Cui family is really as kind and generous as your majesty said, they should lead by example instead of repeatedly delaying and hindering the implementation of the equal-field law. Their hearts are damnable."

Luo Xiuyuan still shook his head. He had his own opinions and was not an emperor who could be led by the nose by others' words. "I know what you said makes sense, but Minghuan, that's unfair to the Cui family. Although the Cui family is rich, it is also the accumulation of several generations of their wealth. Every cent is earned cleanly and legitimately. They did nothing wrong. If the court forcibly takes it away, what is the difference between us and bandits and wolves?"

He looked at Shen Minghuan and refused to give in: "Unless they have committed a serious crime, we can only wait for them to figure it out themselves."

This "figure it out" can actually do a lot of tricks. This can also be regarded as Luo Xiuyuan's compromise with Shen Minghuan. He can calculate, but not hurting people and not robbing by force are Luo Xiuyuan's bottom line.

Shen Minghuan looked at him steadily and suddenly asked: "Your Majesty, do you want to protect the Cui family?"

Luo Xiuyuan pursed his lips: "Yes."

The two of them were in a stalemate and silent for a while.

After a while, Shen Minghuan nodded: "I understand."