Chapter 370 White Lie

The once powerful and populous Ming Dynasty was defeated by the Qing Empire in the north due to corruption and incompetence, and lost its territory and a large number of people.

Some people were lost due to natural disasters, man-made disasters, hunger and death, etc., and the uprisings of Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong and other local rebels, and the continuous wars, and a large number of people were lost.

Population is the primary productive force. If you want to restore population growth, you can only have more children, but many poor people can't get married. Without a wife, you naturally can't have children.

Zhu Youjian didn't want to sell the singing girl, dancing girl and maid of the Luo family, but wanted to reward her to the officers and soldiers who had made meritorious contributions. This would not only solve the soldiers' lifelong affairs, increase the population of the Ming Dynasty, but also gain their gratitude and loyalty. At the same time, it would also give these women a good destination, which is at least much better than being sold.

He had thought about it long ago, and he would follow this method when he confiscated the family in the future. However, the solution had been thought of long ago, but it was not implemented immediately because he had to play a routine.

"The emperor is worried?"

Since Liu Rushi entered the palace and broke through the thin window paper, the relationship between the two has rapidly heated up. Zhu Youjian sneaked into Liu Rushi's house under the banner of a secret visit and discussed life ideals with her.

Zhu Youjian knew that he had only captured Liu Rushi's body and half of her heart. If he wanted to capture her heart, he had to cater to her preferences. Therefore, after a lot of hard work, he pretended to be worried.

Liu Rushi was smart and saw that he was worried. She asked carefully. She knew that although she was very favored now, she could not guarantee that she would always be favored. What if the emperor just wanted something new?

In terms of appearance, she was not as good as Chen Yuanyuan. At most, she could share the same beauty with Li Xiangjun. However, Li Xiangjun was not only younger than her, but also lively and clever, very likable. In terms of talent, they each had their own strengths. She not only had no advantage, but was at a disadvantage.

Liu Rushi knew very well that although the three of them had fallen into prostitution, Chen Yuanyuan and Li Xiangjun remained virgins, while she had married Qian Qianyi as a concubine. This alone meant that she had lost the qualification to enter the palace as a concubine.

Therefore, she recognized the reality, adjusted her status and mentality, and did not seek to enter the palace as a concubine. It was enough to just ask for a place in the emperor's heart. After all, in this era, it was very difficult for a woman without a man to rely on to survive alone.

Of course, she also had her own advantages, which was some experience accumulated from helping Qian Qianyi handle official documents, which might help the emperor share some pressure, but she was worried that the emperor would blame her for interfering in politics.

"Well, I am worried that those women will marry the wrong person and blame me in return, alas..."

Zhu Youjian was secretly happy in his heart. He was just looking forward to Liu Rushi's curious questioning. He immediately mobilized the muscles on his face and sighed faintly.

The expression was in place, and he gave a full thumbs up to his acting skills, hehe.

He told the situation and his thoughts, with an expression that showed that he cared about the women of the Luo family, but he was also worried that the women would blame him for marrying the wrong man and being cheated for life.

"No, the emperor is kind, and those women will be grateful to the emperor for life." Liu Rushi said softly, with a smile and infinite tenderness in her eyes.

Her inner softness was really touched.

The brothel is not only a place to sell smiles, but also a place for intelligence gathering. She has heard a lot of things in the dust, and even knows a lot of secrets that ordinary people don't know.

She knows how hard the sisters in the building who force themselves to smile live, but compared with the wives of the officials who were sent to the Jiaosifang, they are much luckier. Jiaosifang is a hell for women.

The emperor abolished Jiaosifang under great pressure. He was not only wise, but also kind, which made her respect him. Now she has a headache to place the wives of the prisoners, which makes her even more moved. The emperor is really a wise king.

The emperor's arrangement was really the most appropriate, giving those women a good home. Compared to the tragic fate of being sold, they were grateful, so how could they blame the emperor?

"I feel relieved after hearing what Yinniang (also known as Liu Yin) said, hehe..." Zhu Youjian hugged Liu Rushi with a relieved expression.

I even schemed against my own woman, am I going too far? However, this is a white lie, so it's not a sin, right?