Chapter 909: Chapter 907: Rumors
Zhou Biyao stepped forward to support Lady Zhao, while Wong Qiao feigned ignorance and asked Xiuqin with surprise, "You’ve been with Mother so well, why suddenly think of staying behind? Let’s go back together, you still have family by your side, if you stay here alone, what will you do if something happens? Everything is packed, why be so troublesome? Hurry and get in the carriage, can’t you see how many people are waiting?"
Xiuqin had already begun working for Jiang Yifan at the time when Lady Zhao forced Wong Qiao to leave the Qi family, passing messages back and forth through an inconspicuous old woman servant beside Ye Xinyan.
Both Wong Qiao and Zhou Biyao were aware of her actions. At this moment, seeing the expressions of Wong Qiao and Zhou Biyao, Xiuqin understood that Wong Qiao was feeling sorry for his mother, afraid that Lady Zhao would be more hurt, and hence pretended not to know about it.
It turns out her honest cousin also knew how to put on an act at times.
Xiuqin and Wong Qiao didn’t intend to deceive Lady Zhao deliberately, but had no choice and chose this moment to inform Lady Zhao. Truly, Lady Zhao’s fighting spirit was too strong to be handled carelessly.
According to Lady Zhao’s personality, if she had known earlier that Xiuqin wanted to leave, she would certainly want to make sure of everything. Even if it was all explained, if Xiuqin staying behind was not to her liking, she might have taken measures, perhaps Xiuqin really wouldn’t have been able to stay.
Xiuqin did not respond to Wong Qiao’s words, but kowtowed to Lady Zhao once again: "Xiuqin apologizes to Aunt, please take care in the future. Both Cousin and Sister-in-law are filial and kind-hearted, as long as Aunt becomes the kind of elderly who is free from worries and enjoys the peace brought by the filial piety of children and grandchildren, you will be able to live the enviable life of an affluent elderly lady. This is all I can say, Xiuqin now bids farewell."
Xiuqin kowtowed three times to Lady Zhao, without taking anything with her, stood up, walked straight through the crowd, and left.
Zhou Biyao supported Lady Zhao, persuading continuously: "Mother, don’t be angry. Let’s go too, since Xiuqin has the intention to leave, even if we keep her, her heart won’t be here. Better not to push it, let’s get in the carriage."
Lady Zhao watched furiously as Xiuqin disappeared through the crowd, her face turning pale with anger. Upon hearing Zhou Biyao’s persuasion, she forcefully shook off her hand, her angry gaze sweeping back and forth over her son and daughter-in-law.
However, besides seeing worry and helplessness on their faces, she found no other signs.
Lady Zhao did not know where to vent her anger, her eyes gradually turned red under the gaze of the crowd, but she still stubbornly glared at Wong Qiao.
She’d thought that after raising her son and seeing him achieve success, she could enjoy life. But this son of hers, as he grew up, his heart grew too. Now successful, he no longer holds her, his own mother, in high regard, having the temerity to criticize her.
Among the neighbors seeing them off, an aunt couldn’t bear it and stepped forward to tug on Lady Zhao, advising: "Sister-in-law of the Wong family, about to embark on a long journey, don’t be angry. Little Xiuqin, we all see it, she has always been wholehearted in serving you. Though she isn’t returning with you, I heard her words just now, and they weren’t false.
We have been neighbors for more than a year, Ah Qiao and Ah Qiao’s wife are both good. With such a considerate son and daughter-in-law, being a worry-free elderly isn’t wonderful? It’s the kind of good life we all yearn for, Sister-in-law of the Wong family, cherish this blessing."
After this aunt spoke, a few older aunts and uncles nearby agreed with her immediately.
Wong Qiao and Zhou Biyao repeatedly thanked the group, helping Lady Zhao into the carriage. Xiao Cui looked somewhat enviously in the direction Xiuqin left and hurriedly boarded as well.
As the carriage began to move, Lady Zhao slumped tiredly inside the carriage, the weakness following her recent illness resurfaced.
Could she really be wrong? A few days ago, her always sensible and filial son criticized her in such a manner. Today, though Xiuqin didn’t speak as harshly, her words inside and out suggested she interfered too much.
Even those neighbors with whom she had no particular relationship seemed to echo the same sentiment. Could she really be the kind of person who doesn’t know how to cherish blessings? From what those neighbors implied, her son, daughter-in-law, including Xiuqin, are all good, almost directly saying she isn’t.
Is she really wrong?
......
The weather was getting hotter, and no rain had yet fallen in Yuanzhou and surrounding areas. After the Emperor and several Cabinet elders deliberated, there was no other expectation but to send people to various places in Yuanzhou to check the storage situation of local granaries and provide appropriate relief when needed.
The capital also began to gather available financial resources to be sent to Yuanzhou, aiming to control the situation before the affected areas faced widespread starvation.
The court’s response was considered rapid, yet even so, rumors spread throughout the Yuanzhou region, claiming that the half-year drought should not have led to such repeated severe disasters. The reason, it was said, lay in the Emperor’s obstinate use of authority to build useless constructions year after year, causing heavy taxes that deplete the household reserves of the Yuanzhou populace, leaving them with no means to withstand the disaster.
The Emperor, though not arrogant enough to consider himself an exceptionally wise ruler, believed he was far superior compared to previous generations of rulers.
During his decades-long reign over the Great Xia Dynasty, there had been a burgeoning resurgence. Military generals secured the borders, deterring foreign enemies, and there were fewer wars. And the national strength, except for the recent years where the Crown Prince had frayed the State Treasury, was still considerably fine, enough to claim the people’s well-being.
Yet in the provinces under his rule, such defamatory words against a monarch spread, greatly angering the Emperor. He didn’t even bother trying to conceal these rumors—in truth, even if he wanted to, he probably wouldn’t be able to hide them.
He summoned the four elders of the Cabinet, the Crown Prince, Prince Yu, along with the Minister of Revenue and two vice ministers, to the Diligent Governance Hall.
In extreme anger, the Emperor directly threw the secret memorial presented by Lih Mian at Yu Shiqing’s head: "Take a good look at what’s written here. Get together the tax records of Yuanzhou area from these recent years, compare them with the tax situation from twenty years ago. Bring it up in the Imperial Court and explain what this oppressive tax policy is about? I want to see just how I’ve been oppressing my subjects!"
Yu Shiqing dared not dodge, obediently taking the hit. He hurriedly straightened his hat, fumbling the secret memorial into his hands, albeit not daring to look, and continuously kowtowed, muttering, "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. Your Majesty, please quell your anger."
One knows one’s own situation, Yu Shiqing naturally understood that the court had been building railway tracks for three consecutive years.
The first year used iron tracks, although the cost was high, most of the iron materials were from the government’s accumulated reserves over the years. Even if Prince Fu took this opportunity to mine and smelt iron in large quantities, it wasn’t the main expense.
And the wooden tracks built last year had significantly lower costs. The use of civilian labor in the construction of the tracks had also been greatly reduced. Not only did it save on room and board for these laborers, but when they returned home, they could engage in farming or their own livelihoods without significantly affecting the people’s subsistence.
This year was the same, with the administration of the construction and laying of wooden tracks mainly under the staff of Prince Yu’s Mansion. Similarly, the cost wasn’t very high.