Chapter 3

The terms "a prosperous people and a strong country" and "a strong country and a prosperous people" may seem similar, but in reality, there is a world of difference between them.

First, let's talk about "a strong country and a prosperous people." This is the term commonly used in today's Great Wei, emphasizing the state as the foundation, placing the definition of the state before the people. What is the state? The state is the social and political system, the ancestral heritage of the Ji and Zhao royal families. In Great Wei, the Son of Heaven and the state are inseparable; the Son of Heaven is the state, and the state is the Son of Heaven's state.

This phrase aligns with the current situation in Great Wei, emphasizing "the state as the foundation" and "loyalty to the ruler and love for the country."

On the other hand, the phrase "a prosperous people and a strong country" runs counter to the first. Although it literally means "when the people are prosperous, the country will be strong," the issue lies in placing the people first, before the state and the Son of Heaven of Great Wei. Its true meaning is "the people as the foundation."

This involves political will. It is important to understand that in today's world, whether in Great Wei or other countries, the state is "the state as the foundation," with the state and the Son of Heaven being the top priority, which is the "loyalty" advocated by Confucianism. However, the phrase "a prosperous people and a strong country" defines the state as "the people as the foundation," placing the people's livelihood before the imperial power, which is contrary to the ideology of imperial rule. In other words, this phrase is politically incorrect in today's Great Wei.

To put it bluntly, it is fortunate that the person who proposed this phrase is the eighth son of the Son of Heaven of Great Wei, Zhao Yuanxi. Otherwise, if an ordinary scholar had proposed it, it would have been a serious matter.

Because of this, the three officials of the Secretariat—He Xiangxu, the Chancellor, Lin Yuyang, the Left Secretary, and Yu Ziqi, the Right Secretary—dared not speak rashly. They looked at each other, their expressions deeply cautious.

Perhaps they were still guessing whether this phrase might have come from the mouth of a young scholar just starting his career, as only those who are new to the world, full of enthusiasm, would, due to their youth, ignore the supreme imperial power and place the common people first. After several years of experience in the bureaucracy, they would gradually realize that their role as officials is not to benefit the people but to assist the imperial power in ruling the people.

Because they clearly understood this, none of the three Secretariat ministers dared to speak.

Seeing this, the old eunuch Tong Xian whispered to Zhao Yuanxi, "Your Majesty, if the truth is not revealed, the three ministers may not dare to discuss this matter in detail."

Noticing the relaxed tone of Tong Xian, He Xiangxu's heart stirred. He thought that if it really came from the mouth of a presumptuous scholar, Tong Xian's tone would not be so relaxed.

This is a guiding light!

However, He Xiangxu still had to ask, "I boldly ask Your Majesty, from whose mouth did this phrase come?"

In fact, the Son of Heaven of Great Wei also understood the implications, but he did not expect that even his three most trusted Secretariat ministers would be so cautious.

He explained with a smile, "It was said by my eighth son, Hongrun."

Upon hearing that it was a prince who said it, the three Secretariat ministers breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that since it was a prince, there was no political issue with the phrase.

The Son of Heaven of Great Wei saw the expressions of the three ministers and scolded them, "I was just asking casually, but look at you, all so timid. He Xiangxu, you are twenty years older than I am."

He Xiangxu, the Chancellor, was not bothered by this and humorously replied, "As the saying goes, the older a person gets, the smaller their courage. I am over sixty, and my courage is like a grain of rice. How can I withstand any shock? Your Majesty, my heart was pounding just now."

The Son of Heaven of Great Wei laughed heartily, "You old rascal, you were once a man of great courage. I don't believe it."

The emperor and his ministers joked together, and as they talked, they returned to the topic of "a prosperous people and a strong country." This time, the three Secretariat ministers had no reservations and began to discuss it.

Lin Yuyang, the Left Secretary, spoke first, "Putting aside other matters, I believe that the eighth prince's phrase 'a prosperous people and a strong country' is indeed a strategy for a strong country and a prosperous people. The strength of a country first depends on its military power. How is military power evaluated? First, by the training of the soldiers, and second, by military equipment. ... In every generation, the military equipment of Great Wei has been very costly, and where does this money come from? Taxes! And taxes come from the people. If the people are prosperous, taxes will flow smoothly, and the treasury will be full, allowing for large sums of money to support the military. Conversely, if the people cannot even afford food, how can they pay taxes? Without taxes, the treasury will be in difficulty, and the Ministry of Revenue will have no money to support the military."

The Son of Heaven of Great Wei deeply agreed. Taxes are the foundation of the state, a well-known fact.

But how can the people become prosperous?

Yu Ziqi, the Right Secretary, solemnly proposed a strategy: "Promote commerce!"

The Son of Heaven of Great Wei frowned and said nothing.

Promoting commerce means vigorously supporting the people in developing commerce, encouraging them to sell local specialties to other places and earn a profit. However, the path of making money through commerce has been controlled by the wealthy and powerful for generations. If Zhao Yuanxi vigorously supports the people in developing commerce, it will undoubtedly harm the interests of the wealthy and powerful.

Behind the wealthy and powerful are usually noble lords, even royal princes, the upper class. The various issues and relationships involved are complex and cannot be simply resolved by proposing a policy of promoting commerce.

Seemingly sensing the emperor's concerns, Yu Ziqi whispered, "The wealth of Great Wei is limited. More here means less there, and this is a natural law. ... I believe the key issue is not the amount of wealth but where it is used. As the saying goes, 'The rich have wine and meat, while the poor freeze to death on the road.' Some people have no food for the next meal, while others can spend a fortune in a brothel..."

"Cough!" He Xiangxu, the Chancellor, interrupted Yu Ziqi's overly radical words with a cough, as Yu Ziqi's words were directly targeting the powerful class in Great Wei.

Yu Ziqi glanced at He Xiangxu, realizing he had spoken out of turn, and did not say anything more.

Linz Yuyang, seeing that the topic had become heavy, quickly tried to lighten the mood, smiling, "Yu Ziqi is too cynical. When a wealthy young man spent a fortune to win a beauty's smile, it was once considered a fine story. I didn't expect it to be so despicable in Yu Ziqi's mouth."

"Humph!" Yu Ziqi, the Right Secretary, snorted but did not say more.

The Son of Heaven of Great Wei listened silently. In fact, he had heard about the things Yu Ziqi mentioned, but the wasteful spending of wealthy young men was not something the Son of Heaven of Great Wei needed to manage. Moreover, were there not similar incidents involving the royal princes?

Two years ago, the eldest sons of two dukes fought over a courtesan, disgracing the Ji and Zhao royal families of Great Wei.

"Your Majesty, it's about time. Why don't we have a meal first?"

Beside him, the old eunuch Tong Xian, seeing the Son of Heaven's unhappy expression, quickly changed the subject.

"Um." Zhao Yuanxi nodded.

Seeing this, Tong Xian sent someone to bring the meal.

Although he was the Son of Heaven of Great Wei, Zhao Yuanxi's daily meals were quite simple, with only a few dishes. Only on major holidays would he hold a banquet in the grand hall to invite his ministers.

On other days, Zhao Yuanxi would have the meals sent to the Chui Gong Hall, including the meals for the three Secretariat ministers. Then, the four of them would have their meal in the Chui Gong Hall, rest in the adjacent side hall after the meal, or start the afternoon work, continuing to review the endless documents.

This was the daily life of the Son of Heaven of Great Wei and the Secretariat ministers.

However, after the meal today, the Son of Heaven of Great Wei had other thoughts.

"Tong Xian, where is Hongrun's residence?"

"Eight Prince?" The old eunuch thought for a moment and bowed, "It is the Wenzhao Pavilion."

"Who is serving him?"

"Your Majesty, in the Wenzhao Pavilion, there are twenty young eunuchs responsible for serving the Eighth Prince's daily life and cleaning the pavilion. Additionally, the Clan Office has assigned ten clan guards as the Eighth Prince's personal bodyguards, making a total of thirty people."

"Um." The Son of Heaven of Great Wei nodded.

Although the princes have favorites and non-favorites, their treatment before marriage is the same, according to the ancestral rules.

"I want to go and see." Zhao Yuanxi stood up and smiled at the three Secretariat ministers, "Would the three of you like to accompany me?"

Since there was a rest period after the meal, and the three Secretariat ministers were also curious about the Eighth Prince Hongrun who proposed the phrase "a prosperous people and a strong country," they all expressed their willingness to go together after the Son of Heaven asked.

Thus, the group set out from the Wende Hall and slowly made their way to the Eighth Prince Hongrun's residence.

According to the ancestral rules of Great Wei, princes only have the right to leave the palace and establish their own households after they turn fifteen and are granted a dukedom and a position. Before that, the princes' residences are located in the gardens inside the Bianjing Palace. This is because the gardens have a good view, and they are close to the Eastern Palace and the Inner Palace, which facilitates brotherly relations and visits to their mothers.

Another reason is that the princes' residences are far from the main hall of the Bianjing Palace, the Daqing Hall. According to the ancestral rules, princes are strictly prohibited from contacting any officials before they leave the palace, whether actively or passively. As the emperor's sons, they only need to study in the palace school and do not need to interact with others.

It is worth noting that the princes' residences are not allowed to have palace maids, to prevent the princes from losing their innocence at a young age and to prevent unscrupulous palace maids from seducing the young and naive princes.

Therefore, before leaving the palace, the princes are only accompanied by eunuchs and guards sent by the Clan Office, and the only women they can see are their mothers.

In other words, the life of a prince is not as good as people imagine.

After about an incense stick's time, the Son of Heaven of Great Wei, Zhao Yuanxi, led the old eunuch Tong Xian and the three Secretariat ministers to the Wenzhao Pavilion.

But upon seeing the plaque on the pavilion, Zhao Yuanxi was immediately stunned.

Because the plaque did not read "Wenzhao Pavilion" but "Xiaoyao Pavilion."

"Is this not the Wenzhao Pavilion?" The Son of Heaven of Great Wei looked at the leading eunuch Tong Xian, puzzled.

In fact, Tong Xian was also very puzzled, thinking, "This is clearly the Wenzhao Pavilion, how did it become the Xiaoyao Pavilion?"

"The old servant... the old servant has never heard of a Xiaoyao Pavilion in the palace..."

Tong Xian's words made the Son of Heaven of Great Wei feel strange. As the Son of Heaven of Great Wei, Zhao Yuanxi had never heard of a Xiaoyao Pavilion in the Bianjing Palace.

Thinking about this, the Son of Heaven of Great Wei called over a guard standing on the corridor outside the hall and asked, "Is this the Wenzhao Pavilion?"

The guard first bowed to the Son of Heaven of Great Wei and then respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, this is indeed the Wenzhao Pavilion."

"Then what is this..." Zhao Yuanxi pointed to the plaque on the Wenzhao Pavilion, puzzled.

The guard smiled bitterly and hesitated, "Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince thought 'Wenzhao Pavilion' sounded unpleasant and ordered the Ministry of Works to carve a new plaque 'Xiaoyao Pavilion' and replace it..."

The Son of Heaven of Great Wei frowned, thinking that the palaces and pavilions in the Bianjing Palace were ordered by the previous emperors and could not be changed arbitrarily.

"No rules!" Zhao Yuanxi scolded and ordered, "Go and inform him that I have arrived and ask the Eighth Prince to come and receive me!"

"This..." The guard looked troubled, "Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince is not in the pavilion..."

"Um?" Zhao Yuanxi was taken aback and then realized, "Could he be at the palace school?"

"Uh, he might not be at the palace school either..."

"Um? Could he be visiting his mother in the Inner Palace?"

"He visited this morning..."

"Then where is he?" The Son of Heaven of Great Wei was more and more confused, thinking that if he was not at the palace school, not visiting his mother in the Inner Palace, and not in the Wenzhao Pavilion, where could Zhao Hongrun have gone?

At this moment, the Son of Heaven of Great Wei suddenly heard a commotion in the distance.

"I... I really flew... Your Highness, Your Highness, I flew..."

"Ha ha ha, hold on tight..."

"Don't worry, Your Highness..."

The Son of Heaven of Great Wei frowned, wondering who dared to make such a commotion in the palace.

He followed the sound and, to his surprise, saw a group of people laughing on the stone-paved courtyard square in the distance.

Among them was the Eighth Prince, Zhao Hongrun, whom he had seen in the Wende Hall that morning!

Looking up at the sky, Zhao Yuanxi was shocked to see a strange bird-like object floating in the air. More surprisingly, there was a person tied to the bottom of the object, who, based on the clothing, was likely a guard sent by the Clan Office to a prince.

'What is that strange thing that can make a person fly in the air?'

The Son of Heaven of Great Wei was extremely surprised and walked silently to the back of the group.

Zhao Yuanxi noticed that his son Hongrun's nine guards were holding a thin rope together, which was connected to the "strange bird" in the sky. If there were no mistakes, the strange bird that could carry a person was likely flying in the air with the help of the wind.

"Cough!" Zhao Yuanxi coughed.

Before that, neither the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun nor his guards had noticed the Son of Heaven of Great Wei standing behind them, as their attention was focused on the sky.

Now, Zhao Yuanxi's cough made the nine guards on the ground, who were holding the rope, react first. They turned around and, upon seeing the Son of Heaven standing behind them with a stern expression, were almost frightened to death and immediately knelt down.

"Your Majesty!"

Before they could finish speaking, a惨叫 came from the sky.

Zhao Yuanxi looked up and was shocked to see the "strange bird" in the sky, due to the loss of the rope, unable to maintain stability in the wind, and suddenly plummeted.

"Bad, bad, Mu Qing is falling, quick, quick, go save him!"

Zhao Yuanxi's eighth son, Zhao Hongrun, also forgot to greet his father and, in a panic, led the nine guards to save the person.

Seeing this group of people running frantically to catch the guard falling from the sky, Zhao Yuanxi did not know what to say.

Behind the Son of Heaven of Great Wei, the three Secretariat ministers also looked as if they had seen a ghost, staring at each other.

"Your Majesty, the wind here is strong, it may harm your health. Why don't we move to the Wenzhao Pavilion?" Tong Xian asked carefully.

Zhao Yuanxi took a deep breath, "Tell that disobedient son that I am waiting for him in his residence!"

"Yes."