Chapter 1282 The dust has settled

Chapter 1282 The dust has settled

Chapter 1282 The dust has settled
Before Ying put on the hemp shirt, Yang Xianrong put it on carelessly.

That's just the way she is, content and happy.

"We can't sell many of these banana and hemp shirts," Yang Xianrong said as they sat down.

Shao Xun did not deny it.

The ramie shirt Yang Xianrong wore was not the translucent one worn by Ying Shi. It used more silk and was relatively thicker. But even this kind of clothing was not suitable for ordinary people or even the soldiers.

What they want is thick and wear-resistant, not thin and breathable.

Therefore, the banana-kudzu shirt is destined to be popular only among the upper class, and the market is not as big as that of ordinary kudzu shirts.

"But the banana and kudzu shirts are not good. There are still people who buy kudzu shirts." Shao Xun said: "If you want to sell things, the first way is to make people make money. With more money, they will naturally buy the things they have longed for."

"What about the second one?" Yang Xianrong asked.

"Of course, we have to lower the high prices." Shao Xun said with a smile, "It's not that the people don't want to buy things, they just don't have the money. It's so hot this year, who doesn't want a cool shirt? They just don't have the money. But if it's really cheap enough, people will buy it. In the early years, wooden farm tools were very popular, and it's still the same now, but more and more people are using iron farm tools. Why? Wars are not so frequent now, and the iron originally used to forge military equipment is used to make farm tools. If it's cheap, people will buy it."

Shan Yinan came over and poured tea for the two of them.

Shao Xun pointed to the side and motioned for her to sit down.

Shan Yinan didn't hesitate and sat down directly.

"You don't avoid me now?" Yang Xianrong sneered.

Shan Yinan looked out the window at the night scene.

She was also wearing a ramie shirt, but it was woven very densely, so it was light and breathable without being revealing.

It turns out that Shao Ze's dark and perverted desires only remain with the Shi and Yan families. As for Shan Yinan and Zhuge Wenbiao, they play the game in a different way, like gentlemen.

Of course, this is not accurate enough.

Which gentleman uses power to pressure others? To put it bluntly, it is just to give Shan and Zhuge a way out, half-heartedly.

Just play anyway.

"Changqiu, aren't you sending people to Jiangnan to build a manor?" Shao Xun asked.

"Why go?" Yang Xianrong shook his head and said, "If someone in the Sun family is willing to go, we can just lend a hand when the time comes. I have hundreds of thousands of livestock in the north. It may seem like a lot, but aren't they all yours?"

"Do you know what A Guan has been doing recently?" Shao Xun suddenly asked a seemingly nonsensical question.

Yang Xianrong is the biological mother of the Eighth Brother, Shu Gong Shao Hou. How could she not know what her son is busy with?
Well, she really didn't know.

"Maybe he's working on a loom." Yang Xianrong said, "I've spent so much money, but I don't know how long it will take to get my money back. How many people in the north buy twill cloth?"

"If he does it early, he should be able to make a lot of money," Shao Xun said.

The consumer market is the most critical. Currently, the market for fur cloth has just emerged and is not big. Only those who act quickly can make money.

The biggest cost is the machinery, and wool is nothing because the Hu people cannot use it all and it is worthless.

"It's rare that you stay in the capital for a long time. I didn't see you often in previous years." Yang Xianrong picked up the tea bowl and took a sip.

"After years of war, shouldn't we take a break?" Shao Xun shook his head and laughed, "If the war continues, the people won't even want the land they were given and will just hide away. To them, military service and corvée labor are more terrible than taxes. When the reign was changed and amnesty was announced, many people came back to reunite with their parents, wives and children, with tears streaming down their faces."

The change of era name was usually followed by a general amnesty. Things like evading military service and corvée labor were included in the amnesty, and even bandits and thieves would not be questioned about their past as long as they turned themselves in and were willing to be registered as civilians.

This is the characteristic of the feudal era, and it has certain positive significance in pacifying local areas.

After defeating Li Cheng, Shao Xun had planned to accumulate for two or three years, wait for the navy to be built, and then launch the campaign to destroy Jin. During these two or three years, he would launch high-intensity harassment in various places in Jiangdong, destroy their production, shake their hearts, and bribe their officials, so that he could gather more than 50,000 combat troops, 30,000 navy, and more than 200,000 logistical support personnel in three years to defeat the enemy in one blow.

However, they did not expect that the enemy could not even survive the first attack, which turned into a large-scale rebellion, and the country was destroyed in less than a year.

None of the backup plans he had arranged in Baling, Poyang and other places came to any use. He used the tactic of adding fuel to the fire throughout the war, and the enemy was in great chaos, so they were defeated in a confusion.

It was refreshing to destroy Li Cheng in one year and Sima Jin in another, but the pressure on people's livelihood was enormous.

Now the most important thing is to digest the newly acquired land, recuperate and let the people catch their breath, so that we can have the ability to launch a war to destroy Murong Xianbei - fighting Murong Xianbei will not cause any major military problems, but the cost will be huge, and most of the cost will certainly be on the road.

"So you just went to have a casual chat with others?" Yang Xianrong said.

"On the first day, I was still interested and the conversation was quite meaningful. The second and third days were also okay, but after that, it was no longer so." Shao Xun said, "I might as well come back and accompany you."

After saying that, he gently put his arms around Shan Yinan's waist.

Shan Yinan's waist stiffened for a moment, then quickly softened again.

"How's "A New Account of Tales of the World"?" Shao Xun looked at Shan Yinan and asked.

"A new chapter called 'Principles' has been added, and the story of Cao Chong weighing an elephant has been rewritten as you requested," Shan Yinan said.

"Sign the Shishuo Xinyu with your own name, or find a tight-lipped member of the Shan or Yang clan to sign it. Don't use my name," Shao Xun said.

"Why?" Shan Yinan asked.

"The Zhenming reform system advocated seeking truth from facts, and I also demanded the spirit of questioning and empirical evidence. No unfounded things can be said, otherwise I will be the leader in destroying the atmosphere." Shao Xun said: "So it can only be spread in the form of a collection of anecdotes."

"You think a lot." Yang Xianrong couldn't help but complain.

Shao Xun smiled and said, "Of course, because I have enough time to do so. If the Liang Dynasty salvaged something that could be used in military warfare from a sunken ship in the ocean, but could only copy and improve it instead of building it on the map first, it would be behind in theory. We should be more anxious then, and not worry about anything else, and save lives first. But now we have too much time, and we don't have to lag behind even if we stay where we are for hundreds of years. In this case, we should do things right from the root."

Yang Xianrong didn't understand what he said, but she wasn't interested in delving into it, so she just said, "You can talk to Yi Nan about the truth."

After saying that, he looked at the two of them with a sneer and left.

Shan Yinan also wanted to get up, but was stopped by Shao Xun and fell into his arms.

The banana shirt is extremely thin and transparent, yet extremely smooth, just like the skin underneath.

"Everything has its own way, and so do people." Shao Xun said, "Why do you reject this?"

Shan Yinan slowly calmed down, half lying in Shao Xun's arms, and shook his head gently, "I feel uncomfortable."

"Then today..." Shao Xun said.

Shan Yinan was silent for a long time, then said, "You are the emperor and I am just a woman, so I can only obey your orders."

Shao Xun asked greedily: "Is there no other reason?"

Shan Yinan turned his head and looked at him, saying, "What other reason could there be?"

"For example..." Shao Xun said, "For example, are you willing?"

Shan Yinan said with a clear smile in his eyes, "If I am not willing, will His Majesty let me go?"

"No." Shao Xun said firmly.

How can you let go of one of the most important medals in your life?
Shan Yinan leaned her head back into Shao Xun's arms and said, "In fact, two years before the fall of Jin, I was already exhausted. I often got up in the middle of the night and had trouble falling asleep. I have been here for more than half a year but rarely wake up from my dreams. My aunt often accompanies me to play. Since I am here, I will make the best of it. The worst that can happen is..." At this point, she turned her head, glanced at Shao Xun, and said, "The worst that can happen is just serving you."

There was actually a hint of charm in this glance, which was very different from her usual strong character.

"I don't have the courage to commit suicide, because I always feel that I have lived in vain. I have never experienced the smoke of Wu Yue Shui, nor have I appreciated the lonely smoke in the desert. I am not reconciled to this..." Shan Yinan continued.

"If you commit suicide, where can I find you?"

"What are you looking for me for?"

"It is a pity that such a beauty has passed away."

"Is there no other reason?" Shan Yinan asked back.

"What other reason could there be?" Shao Xun said with a smile.

Shan Yinan also laughed.

"Actually, I didn't understand the reason and used the wrong method before." Shao Xun whispered in Shan Yinan's ear.

As he spoke, Shao Xun had already started moving.

Under the evening light, the sky is gently unveiled, revealing the holy snow-capped mountains standing proudly.

"If you don't understand the truth, nothing will work." Shao Xun continued, "If you put in more effort, you will feel much better."

Shan Yinan began to breathe slightly.

She felt that the noise coming from her ears made her very uncomfortable, but she also seemed to be looking forward to it vaguely.

The sound seemed to be a whisper from the bottom of her heart, and the heat seemed to burn her whole body.

"That day when we were playing with each other by breaking ice cones under the corridor, I knew what you were like." Shao Xun's voice was very light: "Later, when you smiled among the falling flowers, I was even more certain. Compared to when you first came, you were more true to your nature at that time, without any restraints."

Shan Yinan looked up at Shao Xun with a complicated look in his eyes.

"Don't think too much. You still have a long life." Shao Xun almost stuck to Shan Yinan's ear and gently bit her earlobe.

Shan Yinan trembled suddenly.

...

After a long time, Shao Xun said with emotion: "When the time comes, everything will be done."

Shan Yinan lay on the couch, turning his face away awkwardly, his face full of shyness.

"It's okay now..." Shao Xun said softly.

...

After a long time, Shan Yinan suddenly came back to his senses, gently pushed Shao Xun's chest with both hands, and said, "Your Majesty, stop. I'm a little scared and feel a little strange."

Shao Xun ignored her.

After a moment, Shan Yinan suddenly widened his eyes, arched his back slightly, and grabbed Shao Xun's back with both hands, leaving several bloody marks.

When her arched back fell again, her eyes were extremely unfocused and her mouth was unconsciously open, like a fish out of water.

……

Early in the morning, the Shangshi Bureau delivered breakfast again.

Yang Xianrong didn't know what was going on. She was furious when she saw Shan Yinan's face becoming softer and more charming with fewer hard lines on it.

The atmosphere between the couple became more harmonious and natural. They didn't even need to talk. Just a few small movements in their eyes and eyebrows made the other party understand.

"Once you have tasted the marrow, you will know the taste." Yang Xianrong sneered.

Shan Yinan gently sat down next to Yang Xianrong and whispered soft words into her ear for a long time before she calmed down.

Shao Xun ate his breakfast calmly, his heart full of joy.

In the next few days, he stayed in Fanghuayuan every night, so much so that on the first day of June, he almost didn't want to go to court.

But he finally knew the importance of it.

At the grand court meeting that day, the edict written by the prince himself, reviewed by Shao Xun and sent to the Ministry of Personnel, was read out in court.

"Edict to Eliminate Bad Customs"

"When I founded the country, I worked hard day and night. Every time I read the classics since the end of the Jin Dynasty, I couldn't help but sigh. When the Yongjia period was turbulent and the Central Plains suffered, and the scholars in the country migrated to the south, I still saw students holding whisks and talking nonsense, holding ivory tablets and talking about leisure. Idle talk ruined the country and became a laughing stock of the barbarians; abstruse ideas harmed the government and eventually led to the ruin of China."

"…Some people wear their hair loose and go barefoot to show that they are open-minded, while others drink too much and dress casually to show that they are romantic. Those who wear untidy hats and robes are called unrestrained, while those who neglect their property are called noble and pure. In schools, people only talk about Laozi and Zhuangzi, while those in prefectures and counties only talk about the principles of Yi. As a result, the fields in the south are full of weeds, the granaries are short of grain and silk, the boats are slow to move, and the armor is rusted. This is not just going against the moral code and letting nature take its course, but it is actually going against human ethics and abandoning the rules and regulations!"

"… the fertile fields of the Three Wus should be opened up, and ponds should be built in the rivers and lakes of Jingyang. All crafts can be studied in detail; astronomy and calendar calculations should be studied in detail. The Mohist method of the three tables should be the standard for studying things; Xunzi's theory of solving obscurations can be the standard for seeking truth."

"…From now on, when we examine people in the imperial court, we will only examine the money, grain and criminal law; when we select and appoint officials, we will first check the number of households cultivating land. Those who talk about mysterious things and neglect their duties will be sent to Minyue to teach the people how to make terraced fields; those who use clever words to mislead the people will be sent to Jiaoguang to supervise the construction of ships. In this way, rituals and music can flourish after the granaries are full, and literature can be completed when the armor and weapons are sufficient. Announce this to let everyone know!"

Most of the content was written by the prince, and Shao Xun only revised a small part, mainly the third paragraph.

Through the process of drafting the edict, Shao Xun also peeked into the prince's heart.

The discussions during this period still had an impact on him.

He saw the harm of worshipping the mysterious and the empty and knew that the bad practice must be eradicated, but that was all.

Overall, the prince is actually a fairly qualified defender of the feudal dynasty.

He is neither stupid nor lazy in his work. He knows what he wants and how to maintain stability.

The country will not perish in the second generation if it is handed over to him, but he is not interested in doing anything else.

Shao Xun even doubted whether the prince would do these things if he had not conquered the Murong Xianbei during his lifetime, or had not sent troops to control the Western Regions until his death.

Never mind, let's think on the bright side. The prince is only eighteen years old and still has room for improvement.

Furthermore, some battles can be fought by his generation, and then the complete territory can be handed over to the next generation.

What the second generation needs to do is to change customs and strengthen actual control. This is a tedious and meticulous job, which is more suitable for the prince.

On June 15th, Empress Yu Wenjun requested that the young daughter of Secretary General Lu Chen be made Crown Princess, and Shao Xun agreed.

The Taichang Temple immediately sent someone to discuss all matters of etiquette with the Lu family.

At the same time, Shao Xun summoned several adult sons to Beijing to carry out a new round of adjustments to their work.

(End of this chapter)