bayedsolid Chapter 380 The miserable mandarin duck
Chapter 380 The miserable mandarin duck
At this time, the ill-fated pair of mandarin ducks were boating under the moon.
The Liujing River was as bustling as ever, with flower boats crisscrossing and lights and feasting. No one would have thought that the current emperor would be among them in disguise.
"It's been a long time since I've been here."
Li Guo was dressed like an ordinary nobleman, leaning lazily against the window, looking at the prosperous scene in front of him, feeling as if he were in another world.
"You always sneak out like this, aren't you afraid that the Queen Mother will find out and punish you?"
Sun Zhonghuai poured a glass of wine into his glass.
Li Guo smiled and said:
"How could that be! Little Dengzi has become so skilled in impersonating me that the Queen Mother wouldn't be able to tell unless she personally went into the bedroom to inspect."
"Besides, I only come out to play after I've finished handling government affairs. Right now, the government is in good order, the people are in harmony, and there's nothing serious to worry about."
Daqi's borders are now stable, and Beimang, intimidated by Daqi's artillery, dares not easily invade. Dali is governed by Mingmin, who is also on good terms with Li Ji. Looking ahead, there will be no war for decades.
As for internal affairs, there is no need to say more.
The domestic economy is prosperous and the politics is clear, so it is really peaceful.
Sun Zhonghuai smiled.
Da Qi had experienced two years of turmoil, and after fighting against foreign aggression and maintaining domestic stability, it had finally ushered in a prosperous era again.
"We must be prepared for danger even in times of peace. The Ministry of Revenue's proposals for land tax reform, and the Ministry of Works' flood control strategy..."
"Okay, okay, I got it."
Li Guo grabbed Sun Zhonghuai and stopped him from speaking any further.
He knew a little about leading troops in battle.
But when he heard about these people's livelihood policies, he felt overwhelmed.
I used to think being an emperor was easy, that all I had to do was sit on the throne and give orders to the entire court. But now that I've actually done it, I realize how tiring it is.
At first, he couldn't even understand what the ministers were saying, let alone giving orders. He had no choice but to study hard after court every day.
After all this time of hard work, he thought he had done well enough. But when Li Ji showed up, his perception of himself was shattered.
Hard work is nothing compared to true talent.
It took him half a year to figure out various policies, but Li Ji only took a day to understand them. He could also converse fluently with the old ministers who taught him, and even put forward his own unique insights.
At this moment, he was completely crushed.
However, he was not angry, but instead felt a little relieved.
Perhaps this throne should be occupied by someone who is capable.
But I just kept this in my heart and never told anyone about it.
Because he knew that the inheritance of the throne was not that simple.
The slightest carelessness can lead to turmoil.
Daqi has finally begun to recuperate and cannot allow any more unexpected events to occur.
He also wanted to wait until Li Ji grew up a little more.
"Tonight we're only talking about romance, not business!"
Li Guo picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
……
We walked on the road for three months, from early summer to early autumn.
When the red maple leaves on Mang Mountain outside Shengjing City looked like fire, the Pei family finally returned to Shengjing.
A village in the suburbs.
When Xiao Wen heard from the people sent by Pei Heng that they were not coming to take them back to the city, but to settle them in this remote farm, she exploded on the spot.
"what?"
She put her hands on her hips, unable to believe her ears, and pointed at the nanny who came to deliver the message and shouted:
"Brother Heng won't let us go back to the city and wants us to live in this godforsaken countryside? Are you mistaken?"
The nanny who delivered the message was Nanny Dong, who was recruited into the general's mansion by Su Li and later grew up with him and became the manager of the farm.
She has never eaten a grain of rice from the Marquis' Mansion.
Now I see the legendary Xiao Wenshi, with disheveled hair and tattered clothes. She used to act like a marquis's wife, but now when she heard that she was going to live in the manor, she was so angry that she even lost her composure.
Aunt Dong laughed.
"Madam, this farm covers an area of ten miles in radius. It has fertile fields, forests, orchards, and fish ponds. Although it's not the most prosperous, it's rich in products. As long as you work hard, you will definitely have no problem being self-sufficient and having enough food and clothing. How can it be a barren countryside?"
"Farming?"
Xiao Wen's voice suddenly soared.
"You're saying that not only can we not return to the city, but we have to stay on this farm and work in the fields? Impossible! Where's Pei Heng? Call him out. I want to ask him, is this how he treats his father?"
Nanny Dong was already very impatient.
"Madam, for the sake of the Duke and his wife, I respectfully address you as Madam. You are still serving your sentence. Returning from the bitter cold of Ningguta, free from the harsh wind and sun, and the days of slavery, is the Duke's greatest act of filial piety. Don't be so ungrateful as to not be so greedy and yearn for more!"
"What did you say!"
Xiao Wen was about to come up and fight.
In her opinion, she had come back from Ningguta with great difficulty just to enjoy herself. Even if she could not regain her status as a marquis' wife, she was still the legitimate mother of the Duke.
In Shengjing City, eating delicious food and drinking spicy drinks, surrounded by servants, that was the life she should enjoy.
It is definitely not like plowing the fields in this country farm, working like a horse or an ox, working from sunrise to sunset, just to earn a bite to eat.
"Pei Heng, you bastard! You tricked us back from Ningguta, only to have us work as farmers and livestock here. Your conscience has been eaten by dogs!"
Xiao Wenshi stood with her hands on her hips and cursed loudly in the direction of Shengjing.
The gap is really too big!
Along the way, she had made countless boasts to her second aunt, Gu, Bing'er and Tuan'er, but now they had all become boomerangs, piercing her body and heart.
In front of so many people, she felt humiliated.
"Sister-in-law, please stop talking. I think this is pretty good! Look, the fields are quite fertile, and they're pitch black..."
Although my second aunt was also very disappointed, this place was a thousand times better than Ningguta.
Look at these fields. As long as we work hard with the hoe, we will surely be able to grow good crops.
Looking around, there are orchards on the ground and on the mountains.
It's autumn now, and most fruits are ripe. You can pick enough to eat yourself, and you can sell the extra for a lot of money!
Raising fish in the fish pond is also a great harvest.
Not to mention, the tiled houses on the farm are much better than the thatched houses in the quarry. No need to suffer from the cold this winter!
She no longer has to suffer from frostbite on her hands! Frostbite is so itchy and painful!
I heard that there is a school in Zhuangzi.
All the children from villages near and far go to school here, for free!
Although Bing'er and Tuan'er will not be able to take the imperial examinations in the future, it will never be a bad idea for them to study for a few more years.
When Second Aunt thought of this, she felt happy in her heart.
But before she could finish her words of persuasion, Xiao Wen turned her head and said fiercely:
"Pitch black, pitch black, damn it! If you're so self-indulgent, why don't you just go and farm the land yourself? I won't do that anyway!"
As he said this, he sat down on the stone next to him.
Nanny Dong sneered a few times,
"You really think you're still a lady! If the Duke hadn't interceded for you, you'd still be a slave in Ningguta! What a joke! Such good land, if you don't want it, there are plenty of people who will. You deserve to starve to death or freeze to death! Ugh!"