amaotonovel Chapter 831 I am an official from the countryside in the south.
Chapter 831 I am an official from the countryside in the south.
Li Shanchang, with a dark and sour face, led a group of officials with equally unpleasant expressions as they strolled around Dengzhou Prefecture, their main purpose being to observe and instruct them at the same time.
Seeing the advantages of the Dengzhou Prefecture's planning, he pulled out the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works next door and gave him a scolding.
Seeing the spirit and radiance on the faces of the people of Dengzhou Prefecture, he pulled out the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and gave him a good scolding.
Upon seeing the students returning home from school on the main street of Dengzhou Prefecture, he reprimanded the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
In short, if I've been wronged elsewhere, I'll take it out on you.
Until Li Shanchang suddenly heard a sound in his ear.
"I'm sure these people are from the countryside in the south!"
"You're wrong, these people should be officials!"
"That's an official from the countryside in the south!"
How do you know he's not from the countryside in the north?
"Are you stupid? The magistrates of dozens of counties in the north are all students of our master. They have seen more of the world than we have. They might even think of us as country bumpkins. How could they possibly be like these few people?"
"Speaking of the north, that Lord Li is truly remarkable. He actually dared to lead eight hundred Mongols out of the pass to fight the Hu Yuan, and was even awarded the title of Earl for his merits."
"It's just a rumor; I heard that more than one person has gone beyond the Great Wall."
"It's a pity we don't have that chance."
"..."
Li Shanchang's face darkened even more, and he even wondered why his ears were still so sharp, and why he couldn't be like a normal old man in his sixties who was hard of hearing and had poor eyesight.
Finally unable to bear it any longer, Li Shanchang turned to the two whispering scholars and said, "I am from the capital, not some country official."
The two students, dressed in Confucian robes, were immediately embarrassed because their whispers were overheard. They bowed to Li Shanchang and said, "Greetings, sir. We were being impolite and rude. Please forgive us."
Li Shanchang gave a soft hum and looked at the two students, asking, "I ask you, why do you say that we are officials from the southern countryside?"
The two students blushed, and one of them bowed to Li Shanchang again, saying, "Sir, we know we were wrong, please forgive us."
Another student also bowed and apologized, adding, "It was our fault that you gentlemen, who seemed to be of noble birth, were looking around on the street. We asked you a few questions, and we hope you will forgive us."
Li Shanchang immediately became interested and asked, "Where did you two get the idea that we have an air of nobility? From what you two just said, did you think we were officials from the south? How did you figure that out?"
The two students exchanged a glance, and one of them cupped his hands and replied, "Although the gentlemen are also wearing Confucian robes, when they walk, the old gentleman is clearly in the lead, and the other gentlemen are following behind him. They all walk with an official gait, so we guess that the gentlemen are officials."
"The old gentleman pointed out the streets and pedestrians of the prefectural city many times. Although there was a slight dissatisfaction on his face, upon closer inspection, it was not that he was dissatisfied with the prefectural city. He also spoke in official language. Therefore, the student guessed that the old gentleman must be an official from the south."
Another person also bowed and replied, "I also guessed that you gentlemen came from the south, but I am used to arguing with my classmates, so I just made a few random rebuttals."
Li Shanchang hummed in agreement and said, "Let's call it a day. However, you should all remember this well: never speak ill of others in front of others, and never speak ill of others behind their backs."
"As a student, one should study diligently and pursue knowledge, so as not to disappoint your patriarch's painstaking efforts."
"Go."
After reprimanding the two students, Li Shanchang led several officials, including vice ministers and junior ministers, forward.
Li Shanchang did not ask the two students' names, nor did he intend to retaliate against them.
After all, everyone has had moments when they've betrayed someone behind their back.
If these two students can sincerely repent, they might be able to make a name for themselves in the future.
If one cannot sincerely repent, one will not go far in the future.
As the current Grand Secretary, there's no need for me to bother with them.
but!
The fact that these two students could utter the word "countryside" means that someone must have mentioned it to them!
If I don't bother with those two students, how can I not bother with you, Yang the Madman?
With this in mind, Li Shanchang quickened his pace and led the group of officials straight to the Dengzhou government office.
Then they came up empty-handed.
Xu Liang, the Assistant Prefect of Dengzhou, bowed with a beaming smile, "Prime Minister Li, please forgive me. His Highness and the Prefect are still at the border market. I will send someone to invite them back immediately. Please wait a moment, Prime Minister Li."
Li Shanchang said with a dark face, "No need. I was just planning to go to the border market to broaden my horizons. You can just take me there."
……
Just as Xu Liang led Li Shanchang and others straight to the border market, Yang Shaofeng was giving a speech to the envoys of various vassal states in the market.
"Starting this year, the Ming Dynasty will raise the purchase price of fine horses."
"The price of a bolt of silk, which was originally ten taels of silver, has been increased to twelve taels of silver per bolt."
"If there are exceptionally good breeds of horses, the price can be even higher."
"Let me put it this way: there is no upper limit to the price of truly top-tier warhorses."
"In addition, the control over swords and bows and arrows will be gradually relaxed."
"We may purchase a batch of swords from Korea, Siam, and Champa as appropriate."
"Similarly, the control over glass products will be relaxed to some extent. Starting this month, the quota for glass products in all vassal states will be increased by 10%."
After outlining a whole host of benefits, Yang Shaofeng suddenly changed the subject, saying, "The rules of the market were set by me. All you have to do is obediently abide by them, and that's how you make money."
At this point, Yang Shaofeng suddenly turned his gaze to Park Sung-sung, "Vice Envoy Park, why don't you explain to me what that Goryeo merchant named Choi Myung-ho has been up to lately at Heaven on Earth?"
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, Park Sung-sung stood up abruptly, suppressing the trembling in his legs, and replied with a cupped hand: "Your Highness, please calm down. I will deal with that Choi Myung-ho immediately."
Yang Shaofeng sneered and then turned his gaze to the Siamese envoy, Polonmoroja: "Did I say before that Siamese ivory is only allowed to appear in tribute and trade markets?"
Polonmoroja also stood up abruptly, his voice trembling as he said, "Your Highness, please calm down. I will deal with those illegal merchants immediately and will never allow ivory to appear anywhere else."
Yang Shaofeng glanced coldly at the group of envoys and sneered, "Don't think that you can make any funny plans just because you're outside the border market."