Luna de Luzhou - Capítulo 9
As he spoke, he moved his chair closer to He Suchen: "In the previous dynasty, even if merchants had the money to buy, they were still prohibited by law from wearing silk and from sitting at banquets where scholars were present. Their low status was incomprehensible to people today. At that time, farmers could focus on planting without worrying about anything else. But in this era, the status of merchants has greatly improved. If they are not heavily taxed, who would be willing to stay and cultivate the land that can only feed them, instead of going into business?"
He Sucheng listened attentively and then said, "But not everyone has the talent to do business. Besides, farmers have been farming for generations, and they probably won't easily give up their profession. Common people have always been accustomed to making a living by farming, so how could they dare to abandon their livelihood to do those high-risk industries? Moreover, farmers who go into business are likely to lose money seven or eight times out of ten, so they will naturally go back to farming."
He Sushi shook his head: "If even one out of ten households abandons farming for commerce and profits from it, human nature is inherently greedy. Others will lose interest in farming and follow suit out of envy, which will create an unstoppable frenzy. Agriculture is the foundation of a nation. Our dynasty has always faced food shortages, and in years of famine, we have to import grain from Silla (present-day Korea) and Champa (present-day southern Vietnam). If a large number of farmers really abandon farming for commerce, it will shake the foundation of the nation. What will we do then?"
He added, “As for the idea that merchants value practical benefits and don’t care about status, you’re just assuming that. In the past, merchants were not even allowed to marry scholars. For merchants who already have wealth but are looked down upon, raising their status is easier than anything else to win their favor. As for heavy taxes, they are not so hard to accept.”
“I see,” He Suchen asked again, “Then what is the meaning of the so-called ‘envoy for collecting folk songs’ sent by the Emperor?”
"The position of 'Cai Feng Shi' (販風使) was established as early as the Zhou Dynasty. It was abolished during the Spring and Autumn Period, but the wise emperor re-established it. The job of this official was to carry a pass and travel around on behalf of the emperor, somewhat similar to an imperial envoy but with less power. Their duties were to inspect the performance of officials and record the customs of the people. Their records were submitted monthly and were the main basis for deciding the promotion or demotion of officials." He smiled. "My father was once a Cai Feng Shi."
He Sucheng knew his father's name was He Yuan, courtesy name Ziyuan, pen name Hanqing Laonong. He was knowledgeable, worldly-wise, skilled in poetry, and highly accomplished in playing the zither. But—
"My idol! My father, whom I've never met, is actually so impressive!" She was still daydreaming when He Su Shi continued, "Father entered officialdom through the imperial examination at the age of fifteen. He was incredibly talented back then, truly astonishing. Later, he served as an envoy to collect folk songs, traveling all over the country, and was also ordered to sail to the Western Ocean, which left him with many illnesses. The Emperor took pity on him and bestowed upon him the title of Academician of the Ziwei Pavilion and the title of Hanlin Academician. Now, all Father has to do is compile books and manage the trivial affairs of the Ministry of Rites."
He Suchen then pointed to a section in the booklet and asked, "Then what about this? The Emperor sent a fleet to the Western Ocean, and everywhere they went, the countries clearly submitted. Why not treat them as equals instead of making them vassal states? Making them vassal states would allow them to pay tribute, which would be very profitable."
“Guazi, you’re short-sighted. If you were to give something away for free, wouldn’t you give yourself the best?” he said.
He Su Chen shook his head.
"What if I let you sell things? If you have surplus items that can fetch a good price, and you can use the money to buy other things you want? Naturally, you'd bring out the better items." He picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. "It's the same principle. These distant countries are quite far from our Great Song Dynasty, and we can't manage them. If we only make them pay tribute, they'll back down in a few years. Only by firmly binding them with mutual benefit can we maintain contact and achieve shared profits. If we always try to gain without giving anything in return, we can only gain temporary benefits but lose long-term advantages." After he finished speaking, he added, "Does Guazi have any other questions?"
He Suchen was still processing what was happening when he absentmindedly shook his head, unaware that He Suchi was looking at him with a strange expression.
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I copied Emperor Huizong's words from someone's signature on a certain forum. As for the original source, well, I can't find it for now...
Please vote for me.
Chapter Sixteen, Childhood Fun
<><A><>The propaganda function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join now!!!</A><> He Suchen had always thought he was low-key and discreet enough. He had been speaking and doing little these days, showing no signs of not being from this dynasty. He was utterly mediocre. But he overlooked the fact that a ten-year-old child, especially a little girl who had never left the house and had never been in contact with the outside world, would be interested in these issues that were almost political.
Putting all that aside, wouldn't a ten-year-old child, who almost got killed by her older sister and had forgotten most of what happened after waking up, be afraid, cry, or feel anxious and fearful about the new environment? But she wasn't. When she first woke up and faced her completely unfamiliar surroundings, she was somewhat surprised but not afraid. She calmly rested and slowly inquired about what was happening in the manor. When faced with the provocations and threats from her sister who almost killed her, she not only didn't cry for protection but also completely ignored them—how could a normal child do that?
Her seemingly flawless disguise had actually aroused suspicion in many people. Even Dongkui, a maid who had only seen a little of the world in her childhood, had mentioned it to Granny Sun many times, saying that the young lady's speech, actions, and daily life were all very mature after she woke up. However, they thought that since the second master, He Ziyuan, could compose poetry at the age of five and pass the provincial examination at the age of ten, and they had also seen He Sushi as a child prodigy, and He Suchen was always praised as a little prodigy before she fell into the water, she was just talking and never guessed that her master had been replaced by someone else.
As for Granny Sun, she was already thankful to see her daughter wake up. Although she had her suspicions, she only mentioned it to He Su Shi a few times, saying that the young lady had become increasingly clever, unlike her previous naiveté, as if she had suddenly grown up. After saying this, she even felt sorry for herself, thinking that she hadn't taken good care of her. But He Su Shi responded to her words indifferently, without replying, and often looked at his sister with a strange gaze behind her back. Fortunately, he soon returned to school, which did not attract He Su Chen's attention.
She lived a very comfortable life after that. Her favorite thing to do was to sit in front of a warm cup of tea and a hand warmer, leaning back in her chair and reading. Apart from spending two or three hours each day playing with her mother, she had free time to herself.
Because her granddaughter had just recovered from a serious illness, and her sons were all in school and could only come home once every ten days, Tang's mother felt she couldn't see her. So she doted on He Suchen all the time, treating her like a precious gem. In addition, Liu Shi suddenly contracted typhoid fever for some unknown reason, and even An stopped visiting Tang's mother's courtyard. She stayed in her room with her daughter to recuperate, which made the mansion even more peaceful. He Suchen thrived in this environment.
That day, she was reading the book "Tang Jian" when Yongjiao suddenly ran over mysteriously. Seeing that no one was around, she said, "Quickly put on some warm clothes, I'll take you to play with some fun things!"
She dragged He Suchen through the halls and corridors, carefully taking countless detours, before finally managing to sneak into a large courtyard.
"Where is this place?" Seeing how cautious she was, Su Chen also followed suit, lowering his voice and hiding himself to ask.
Yongjiao put her index finger to her lips and made a "shh" gesture: "Shut up, this is where things are kept in the kitchen."
Oh my god! It's just a place to store things, is it really that big of a deal? I thought it was a place where aliens were kept or a disfavored concubine going crazy!
However, it didn't bother Yongjiao. She observed for a long time and threw a few stones at the house. Seeing that there was no movement or anyone inside, she pressed herself down and ran out. She pressed herself against the wall outside the door and did a classic action from TV dramas, peeking into the house from the outside. After looking around for a while and confirming that no one was in the house, she excitedly waved to Su Chen, telling her to come over quickly.
"Is it really necessary?!" Su Chen was both amused and exasperated, and she swayed as she ran over. She pushed open the half-closed door and slipped inside, then immediately closed the door behind her as He Su Chen entered.
He Suchen was completely stunned by her actions—anyone who didn't know better would think she was going to steal something valuable! It would be against all reason if she weren't a spy and a thief!!
Yongjiao wandered around for a while, then stopped in front of a wooden cage: "This is it, Guazi, look!"
What is it? He Suchen peeked over and saw several furry things rushing towards her, only to be stopped by the wooden frame. This startled her. Upon closer inspection, she realized they were a dozen or so rats, each about the size of a cat. She thought to herself, "What's so interesting about rats? Are you surprised that they're so big? You don't think they're rat spirits, do you?"
That's true. People these days have never seen "lean meat powder" or "pig gizzards." If you put them in a modern farm, with hormones or some kind of chemical, you could raise rats the size of pigs! (This is purely speculation; anyone interested can try it out privately and let me know the results~)
The mouse had shiny gray fur, a short tail, small ears that lay flat against its head, a short nose, long whiskers, and an oval mouth with two large, sharp teeth that stood out prominently. Its whole body was fluffy and round, extremely cute.
Hmm, this doesn't seem to be a purebred mouse. Could it be a hybrid? Perhaps a cross between a buck-toothed rabbit and a hybrid? That's rather unusual.
"These are called bamboo rats. The maid said the tenants caught them specially. Aren't they fun?" Yongjiao said proudly. "These aren't ordinary dirty, naughty rats. They're rats from the bamboo forest. They only eat bamboo, and they're rare and hard to catch. They're very clever. Don't be fooled by their thick fur; they have a lot of meat. The meat is sweet, tender, and crunchy. It's delicious!"
Ugh, horrible! You ate something so cute?! What a waste!! Uh, though I'm curious about what it tastes like.
Su Chen simply squatted down and leaned closer to look. It was really cute, with a chubby, round body, a little head that wobbled and white whiskers that swayed with it, and two neat, rectangular front teeth. When it saw people coming, it even stood up on its two front legs, like a person, its mouth open and closed, its brownish-yellow eyes looking at you innocently with watery eyes.
Perfect timing!!! Su Chen wished he could transform into a cat and catch this mouse right now for some fun.
Yongjiao stood up straight, walked around the wooden cage again and again, squatted down in a corner, and shouted, "Come and see, look here!!"
What is it now? Su Chen reluctantly turned her head and found two tiny bamboo rats in the corner. The two of them together were not even as big as her fist. They were timidly hiding under one of the bamboo rats. No wonder she hadn't seen them before!
Two bamboo rats, their heads shaking, huddled in a corner, rubbing and nuzzling each other with their heads, their gray fur trembling.
I'm going crazy! Absolutely adorable!!
The two were huddled together, watching the mouse with great interest, when the door creaked open.
"Oh my god! My little darlings!! What are you doing?!?"
"My goodness!! Stop playing with this!! This thing is vicious, it bites people at the drop of a hat, it's wild! If the young master and young lady get bitten, even killing us a hundred times wouldn't be enough to atone for it!" Granny Qin, who was in charge of the kitchen, cried out, "The other day, Old Lady Zhang, who was tidying up, accidentally bumped into it and got bitten so badly that the bone in her right hand was showing, all white and raw! It's still bleeding!! This is no joke! My dear, get out of here!!" After saying that, she shouted at the door, "Who was so blind as to let the young master and young lady into this courtyard?! Go find the young ladies and maids in the old lady's courtyard and take them back! If anything happens, you'll be in big trouble!"
An old woman peeked in from outside. When she saw Yongjiao and Su Chen blinking at her, she was so frightened that she smashed the eggs in her hand and hurriedly went out to find someone.
Aunt Qin coaxed, pleaded, and begged, almost carrying the two of them out. Yongjiao glared at her, about to explode in anger, but He Suchen suppressed a laugh and pulled her out.
Chapter Seventeen, New Year