Chapter 1586: Investigating the Sufferings of the People

Fang Xing and Mochou had New Year's Eve dinner, and then Fang Xing read the words about finding a happy ending to Mochou.

"...the two of them held hands and looked at each other, speechless and choked. The traitor was caught by the government and regretted it. It's true that people tend to be good, but the consequences are not good."

Fang Xing closed his notebook, looked sideways, and couldn't help but smile.

Mochou, who was lying on the bed, had a slightly red face. She was holding Fang Xing's clothes with one hand and covering her belly with the other. She had already fallen asleep.

Fang Xing leaned on the bed frame, thinking about the envoys who had been hiding in the post house for a long time, thinking about Zhu Gaochi in Peking who would change his reign name tomorrow, and his wife and children at home...

…

The window paper was slightly white, and Fang Xing, who had been dozing on the bed frame all night, moved his stiff neck.

"Knock knock knock!"

There was a very quiet knock on the door. Fang Xing gently took Mochou's hand away and tiptoed to open the door. As soon as the person goes out, he quickly closes the door with his backhand.

"Uncle, His Highness is out."

The visitor was Shen Shitou, and he said angrily: "His Royal Highness brought Jia Quan and some guards with him, saying he was going to see how the people celebrate the New Year."

Fang Xing yawned, and then someone brought toiletries.

After washing up, Fang Xing took a look at Mochou who was still awake, and told his younger brother: "Let her sleep, and when she wakes up, tell her that His Highness and I have something to do and will be back later."

The younger brother agreed and went to the kitchen to prepare Mochou's breakfast.

…

The New Year is here, and there are not many people in Jinling City.

At this time, most people are preparing for tonight's dinner, including putting up peach charms, preparing new clothes for their children, and paying New Year greetings...

Most of the shops are closed, and the occasional two that are open are mostly grocery stores. There will definitely be no waiters. The shopkeeper is standing guard in the store, eagerly waiting for someone who is in need of something to come and buy something.

Fang Xing also saw a half-grown man hawking a sheep along the street. In such a cold weather, he wore a tattered jacket and stretched out his hands to wipe his nose from time to time.

As he got closer, the boy looked longingly at Fang Xing, who was riding on the horse. "You must have bought this sheep. This sheep was brought up by the little boy to graze on the mountain every day. It runs every day and the meat is delicious."

Fang Xing lowered his head and saw a pair of hemp shoes. Looking up again, he asked: "Where is home?"

Going out to sell sheep on the first day of the new year, needless to say, the family must be waiting for money.

The boy sniffed, and before the mucus came out again, he said, "Noble sir, my home is more than ten miles outside the city."

"Lao Qi, I bought this sheep."

Xin Laoqi asked the price but didn't counter-offer, and even gave the child a handful of candies.

"Thank you, noble man."

The boy immediately ate a piece of candy, and then wanted to kneel down to thank him, but was lifted up by Xin Laoqi.

"Hurry home and celebrate the New Year."

So Xin Laoqi took the sheep with one hand and the horse with the other, and followed slowly.

…

As the previous capital, Jinling was naturally second to none in prosperity. Even though the capital was now moved to Beiping, Jinling City still relied on the wealth in the south to become the center.

Han people like to live in groups, and Jinling City is very big, but no matter whether they are dignitaries or ordinary people, everyone crowds to the south of the city, and there are even "illegal buildings" blocking the roads.

In the northwest city area, it seemed a bit empty, except for thousands of households gathered near the city wall.

Zhu Zhanji is here, with a row of carriages behind him, and the carriages are full of food.

This house is very unique because it is a brick house with a thatched roof.

Jia Quan knocked on the door, waited for an old woman to open the door, and said, "Your Highness is here to see you."

The old woman's ears are not very good.

She whispered: "What? Take a rest? It's just dawn. My house is not an inn. Get out!"

As she said that, she was about to close the door. If it were a young man, Jia Quan would have to let him know the consequences of being rude today, but the old man could not.

"Old man, it's Your Highness! Your Highness!"

The old woman looked at Zhu Zhanji behind Jia Shen. She probably had a bad look in her eyes, and muttered: "If you are young and don't learn well, you don't know how to help at home. If you just go out and wander around, you will definitely have no future..."

At this time, a middle-aged man heard a noise coming out. After seeing what Jia Quan was wearing, he came up and asked, "Is your honor asking for directions?"

Jia Quan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your Highness, come and see your home."

"Your Highness?"

The man trembled.

"I have met His Highness!"

When Zhu Zhanji appeared, there was no need to identify him, and the man immediately knelt down.

The old woman was also stunned, but she pulled the man away and said, "Boss, get up, these are all liars!"

Jia Quan's face was full of black lines, but Zhu Zhanji smiled and said: "Get up, I just want to see how your family is preparing for the New Year."

The man stood up and said loudly to the old woman: "Mother, this is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

What followed was a lot of panic. After it was over, Zhu Zhanji went inside.

He looked at the peach charm, praised it a few times, and then went to the kitchen.

The kitchen was very simple. Zhu Zhanji looked at the rice vat and even reached in to fish out a handful of rice and took a closer look.

"It's good rice."

The accompanying man laughed and said, "Your Highness, you have to eat a few good meals during the Chinese New Year!"

Zhu Zhanji put the rice back and looked at a few fish and a killed chicken in the basin.

Seeing Zhu Zhanji's expressionless face, the six ministers who came after hearing the news were all a little ashamed.

There are five people in this family, and a few fish and a chicken are probably the food for the past few days.

Zhu Zhanji put his hand on the stove, feeling the coldness, and knew that the family had not eaten breakfast.

So many big figures appeared in his kitchen, and the man's legs were a little weak. He said awkwardly: "Your Highness, there was no chicken last year, so I went to the river to catch fish and bought half a catty of meat. This year is better. My mother raised a few chickens at home, and killed one during the New Year..."

Zhu Zhanji nodded and said, "Today, I will have breakfast at your house."

Uh!

Fang Xing came later, and seeing the male host's panic, he said: "When it comes to cooking, probably no one here can be better than me. Come, use that chicken."

Zhu Zhanji left the kitchen, asked the male host about his livelihood and income, and then asked Jia Quan to get two porks and a bag of rice for him.

The man was already very excited, and quickly called his family out to pay his respects.

Old mother, wife, two half-grown children.

Zhu Zhanji smiled and stopped him from kneeling, then gave candy to the two children and a piece of cotton cloth to the old woman.

After Fang Xing cooked braised diced chicken and noodles, the man was already in tears.

"Your Highness is kind, and my family can only pray morning and night, wishing your Highness good health."

The prince inspected and gave gifts, Xinghe Bo cooked, and the six ministers helped to light the fire and wash the pots in the kitchen.

This strange encounter will probably become a permanent topic of the man's family.

The soup is chicken bone soup, and after adding braised diced chicken, even the ministers praised it and said that Fang Xing was the reincarnation of the god of cooking.

"Keep the soup, you can make hot pot or soak rice."

After eating noodles, Zhu Zhanji said goodbye to the family cordially, touched the tops of the two children's heads, and finally gave each of them a set of four treasures of the study.

"Study hard, serve the country when you grow up, and be filial to your elders."

This is a kind crown prince. The family who never thought of such an opportunity were stunned. Before Zhu Zhanji left, the old woman remembered something and ran into the house with an exclamation.

When she came out again, the old woman held a yellowed talisman paper in her hand and handed it to Zhu Zhanji solemnly.

"Your Highness, this is what I asked for in the Taoist temple back then. My family has relied on it to keep safe all these years."

The ministers looked at the talisman paper with black lines on their faces, but Zhu Zhanji took it and said with a smile: "Thank you, old man. I came here today and everyone saw it. I think no one will dare to trouble your family in the future. Live a good life."

The officials present remembered this family and thought about going back to tell the people below that if anyone dared to touch this family, then they should quickly find a rope to hang the whole family to avoid implicating others.

Zhu Zhanji went out and saw thousands of people outside.

"Meet Your Highness!"

No kneeling, no need to kneel at this time, the people just bowed.

Zhu Zhanji smiled and walked to the front. Peng Yuanshu, the minister of the Ministry of War, grabbed Fei Shi and whispered: "Be careful of assassins!"

Fei Shi was also very nervous, and Li Jing on the periphery was so nervous that he almost wet his pants.

The two desperately signaled to their subordinates to keep an eye on the crowd and protect Zhu Zhanji first if they found anything wrong.

But Zhu Zhanji himself did not feel a sense of crisis. He said, "Today, I am here to see everyone and see what everyone eats during the New Year."

The words were short, but they made the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture sweat.

Then Zhu Zhanji took the lead and took these people to see it one by one.

Is this a show?

Fang Xing was thinking in the back.

After thinking for a long time without getting the point, Fang Xing finally laughed at himself.

It doesn't matter whether it is a show or not. What matters is that Zhu Zhanji knows to understand the people's feelings.

Knowing the people's lives, it is better to have a target in future governance.

Most of the emperors in the future lived in the deep palace and grew up in the hands of women. Once they ascended the throne, apart from some imperial skills, they knew almost nothing about the suffering of the people and could only believe what others said.

From time to time, cheers from the people came from the front, probably because Zhu Zhanji said some inspiring words.

The common people are the easiest to satisfy, but also the hardest to satisfy.

Looking at those smiling faces and the bags of rice being carried away, Fang Xing felt that these were not a problem.

"...I wish you all the best this year..."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"