amaotonovel Chapter 778 The Famous Conman Zhu Biao
Chapter 778 The Famous Conman Zhu Biao
From Huai'an Prefecture to Fengyang, and then from Fengyang to Ningyang, Zhu Biao kept pondering a question the whole way.
Is it more the brother-in-law or the one who lost more?
However, regardless of who loses more, they both lose money anyway.
In the end, the only beneficiaries were Xu Jingyu, the prefect of Huai'an, and the people of Huai'an.
If you include the people of Huai'an Prefecture, it seems like there's no real loss or gain.
So, should I persuade my brother-in-law to go to Beiping with me, and then find a few places to rip him off along the way?
He walked and thought all the way, and only when he stood in front of Li Qi, Liu Lian, Chang Sheng, Chang Mao and other second-generation nobles did Zhu Biao temporarily suppress his desire to continue fleecing them.
"They've gotten much darker, but they've also gotten much stronger."
Zhu Biao patted Li Qi on the shoulder, and then patted Liu Lian, Chang Sheng, Chang Mao and others on the shoulder.
"I was originally worried that some of you might not be able to endure this suffering."
"Now it seems that you have all done a good job. You have not disappointed your parents, your father, or me."
"..."
Li Qi, Liu Lian, Chang Sheng, Chang Mao, and others immediately became excited. Chang Mao, with tears in his eyes, exclaimed, "Your Highness seems to have gotten darker too!"
Zhu Biao's face immediately darkened.
Chang Mao, if you can't speak, you can sew your mouth shut, then no one will think you're mute!
Explain to me what you mean by "I seem to have darkened up too"?
Zhu Biao snorted coldly and said, "Of course I've turned black too."
Chang Mao scratched his head, and Zhu Biao changed his expression again, smiling as he said, "Father and the adults in your family are old brothers who have supported each other all the way. You and I are also brothers who grew up together since childhood."
"When Father became emperor, he needed the assistance of the adults in your family. When I become emperor in the future, I will also need the assistance of my brothers."
"While you are busy with labor and training, how can I enjoy a life of luxury in the palace all by myself?"
"While you are working in Ningyang to cultivate the land, I have also reclaimed a piece of land in the palace."
"While you were receiving training in Ningyang County, I didn't stop training even while I was in the palace."
"Therefore, it's not acceptable for only you to turn dark while I am not allowed to turn dark as well."
As Zhu Biao finished speaking, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but pat the back of his head.
It's over.
Look at the state of Li Qi, Liu Lian, Chang Sheng, and Chang Mao, that bunch of idiots, now.
I'm afraid that if Zhu Biao gave the order, these fools would all dare to yell and shout to join him in rebellion.
Black sesame dumplings, terrifyingly delicious.
Yang Shaofeng was internally ranting, but Zhu Biao summoned the commander of the Eastern Palace guards and had the hundreds of boxes he had brought all the way from the capital to Ningyang County carried over.
"This is for Qi-ge'er."
"This is Lian-ge'er's."
“These are for Sheng-ge’er and Mao-ge’er.”
"..."
Three hundred packages, neither too big nor too small, were distributed by Zhu Biao to the three hundred second-generation nobles present.
"I will come to Ningyang County again before I return to the capital. You can write letters home then and I will take them back to you."
"In addition, the Cabinet, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue are preparing to reorganize the post stations."
"Once the post stations are restructured into post offices, they will take on some of the functions of letter delivery."
"At that time, no matter where you are, you will be able to send letters, clothes, or other things home through the post station."
After a slight pause, Zhu Biao added, "To be precise, all the soldiers of our Great Ming Dynasty could send letters or other things through the post stations."
"Each person has one opportunity per month to send a letter for free, and two opportunities per year to send items for free."
"Of course, items will be weighed before being sent, and they cannot exceed a certain weight or size."
"Furthermore, the Grand General's Office is also preparing to reform the garrison system, such as stipulating the length of service, increasing leave for visiting relatives, and increasing subsidies for soldiers serving in the military."
"These messages will gradually be sent to the army. You must remember to understand them carefully, as they will be useful in the future, whether you are an official or a commander."
"..."
……
As it turns out, deceiving people can be addictive.
Or perhaps, Zhu Biao's black sesame glutinous rice ball was never a good thing to begin with.
After fooling Li Qi and Chang Sheng, the notorious conman Zhu Biao then went to see the three hundred Jinshi graduates from the special imperial examination of the fifth year of the Hongwu reign with a smile.
Then they launched a deceptive offensive against them.
"I originally thought that some of you would not be able to bear this suffering and would try to transfer away from Ningyang Farm."
"Now it seems that I underestimated you all."
"Good, good. After this experience, you have shed your former frailty and gained a touch of heroism."
"You have not disappointed Father Emperor, nor have you disappointed me."
"..."
After a string of free praises, Zhu Biao said seriously, "Having worked on the Ningyang Farm for almost a year, you should all know how difficult farming is, right?"
All three hundred successful candidates in the imperial examinations remained silent.
Not easy?
It's been incredibly tough.
Although Yan Zhenqing's "Exhortation to Learning" says, "The lamp burns at midnight and the rooster crows at dawn; this is the time for a man to study," in reality, very few scholars actually studied at midnight and dawn.
But farming is different; farming truly requires working late into the night and rising at dawn.
Especially the summer harvest and summer management during the height of summer.
To avoid the hottest part of the day, people often choose to work in the fields before dawn, or work at night when the moonlight is bright.
Sometimes, in order to rush the harvest before it rains, they can't even avoid the hottest part of the day at noon.
Even having an hour of rest each day is considered good.
The peasant women also faced difficulties.
Silkworm rearing, silk reeling, cocoon peeling, and weaving.
Besides farm work such as sowing seeds and picking cotton, the women also had to cook for their families, wash and mend clothes, tidy up the house, and take care of the children. They were never free from any day or night.
Even worse, a portion of the grain grown with such madness and the cloth spun through the night had to be used to pay taxes.
The clerk of the Ningyang County Hundred Household Office once said, "The food and clothing we eat and wear are all earned through the hard work of farming and weaving. If we turn around and harm the people, wouldn't that be like eating from a bowl and then smashing the pot after putting down the chopsticks? Would that even be considered human?"
Looking at the group of silent Jinshi graduates, Zhu Biao smiled again and said, "Meng Chang said in the 'Admonition Stone Inscription,' 'Your salary and emoluments are the people's blood and sweat; the common people are easy to oppress, but Heaven is hard to deceive.'"
"Officials in other places may take this as a warning."
"But I believe that you are the ones who can best understand this statement."
"If you are ever appointed as officials in the future, you must remember this sentence and put it into practice."
"To rise to high office and become a prime minister, to leave a mark on history, is the only way to live up to the reputation of those who were called out outside the Donghua Gate."