Eagle-eyed and wolf-watching

Chapter 1703 I am Ye Mingsheng

Faced with Ye Mingsheng's direct question, Lin Yongkang was silent for a moment, but after hesitating, he raised his head and said:
"I would like to share with Your Majesty the views of some ordinary people on the reforms!"

After saying that, Lin Yongliang seemed to have misunderstood and quickly continued:
"Lord Ye, rest assured, I will not say anything treasonous in the letter that would cause you trouble!"

Hearing Lin Yongkang say this, Ye Mingsheng became even more curious about what the doctor wanted to tell him.

Seeing that Ye Mingsheng remained silent, Lin Yongkang assumed that Ye Mingsheng was unwilling, and instead of forcing him, he said:

"Lord Ye, my request may be a bit abrupt. If you find it difficult, please let it go. As a doctor, treating the sick and saving lives is simply my duty!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingsheng waved his hand and said:

"Dr. Lin, you misunderstand. It may be difficult for others to deliver a letter to the Emperor, but it is not a difficult task for me!"

"I can deliver your letter to the emperor, but only if I know what you are writing to him!"

Hearing Ye Mingsheng say this, a glimmer of hope reappeared in Lin Yongkang's previously disappointed eyes. He hesitated for a moment and said:

"Lord Ye, to be honest, I don't know exactly what to write. I just have some things I want to say to His Majesty!"

"Dr. Lin, just tell me your thoughts directly. Say whatever's on your mind..."

"That's a long story!"

"Then start from the beginning. I have plenty of time to listen to you today!"

After speaking, Ye Mingsheng sat down on the stone chair and gestured to Jingren and Lin Yongkang to sit down as well.

Jingren immediately sat down and looked at Lin Yongkang with curiosity. The Crown Prince of Daqian was also very curious about what the doctor who had cured him wanted to say to his father.

Seeing this, Lin Yongkang hesitated for a moment before sitting down as well, and then organized his thoughts before speaking:

"Actually, when the Fengwu Army first entered the pass, I thought Ye Mingsheng was an unethical bastard!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingsheng remained calm, his expression not changing much, but Ye Jingren's expression turned extremely surprised.

Lin Yongkang regretted his words and looked at Ye Mingsheng somewhat awkwardly. Ye Mingsheng smiled and said:

"You're not the only one who thinks so; I also think he's a jerk sometimes!"

If Jingren was surprised when Lin Yongkang said he thought Ye Mingsheng was a bastard, then when he heard his father say that he was a bastard, his mouth gaped open, as if he couldn't believe that Ye Mingsheng would say he was a bastard.

Lin Yongkang was also somewhat shocked, but after the initial shock, he said with some emotion:
"Lord Ye, you don't need to do this for me!"

"Dr. Lin, please don't misunderstand. That's really what I think. Just keep talking!"

Hearing Ye Mingsheng say this, Lin Yongkang continued:

"I'm fifty-one years old this year, half-buried in the ground. I was born in Yuyang Prefecture and have lived in Youyan my whole life. As far back as I can remember, the Luobei people in the north have been our greatest danger!"

“Every year, these barbarians from the grasslands would come south to plunder. When I was ten years old, the Luobei people invaded the border again. My parents and more than a dozen relatives from the Lin family fled south to escape the war. This escape turned into a life-or-death ordeal. On the way, we were discovered by the Luobei people. In order to escape the Luobei people, we scattered and fled for our lives!”

“My parents were lucky; they managed to escape with me. But my dozen or so relatives weren’t so lucky. More than twenty of them died, and the rest were scattered and their whereabouts are completely unknown!”

"After my parents came to Lüqiao Town, my father settled down here by relying on his family's traditional medical skills, but the Luobei people still kept raiding south every year!"

"Countless people in Youyan have died at the hands of these beasts!" Lin Yongkang's eyes involuntarily reddened as he said this!
"This continued until I was in my thirties, when Lord Zhao came to Youyan to serve as governor. I knew that Lord Zhao was not a good person, but he did have one advantage for the people of Youyan: he was able to hold off the Luobei people!"

"In the past, when Lord Zhao was in Youyan, he could only barely defend a few major cities whenever the Luo Bei people raided. Small places like ours were simply beyond his reach. The Luo Bei people could be said to have no one to rely on!"

"After Lord Zhao arrived, he was able to keep the Luobei people under control on the Yuyang front line, which made us people from small places much safer. So even though Lord Zhao levied a lot of taxes, we Youyan people accepted it!"

"That's why, when the Fengwu Army launched a surprise attack on Lord Zhao during the New Year, I felt that His Majesty was an unethical scoundrel. I worried that without Lord Zhao protecting the peace of the region, Youyan would probably return to the situation before, where the Luobei people swept through the land..."

Ye Mingsheng had initially found Lin Yongkang's ideas somewhat intriguing, but hearing Lin Yongkang's sincere words, Ye Mingsheng's attitude gradually became more serious, and he asked:

What are your thoughts on Ye Mingsheng now?

After hearing this, Lin Yongkang thought for a moment and said:
"Now, among the common people, there are many who speak ill of His Majesty, saying that he indulges in debauchery, levies exorbitant taxes, persecutes loyal officials, is capricious, and needs beautiful women every night. But I think he is a good emperor!"

"Oh? Dr. Lin, why do you have such a thought?"

"Because I can feel that the lives of the people in Lüqiao Town are getting better. The government is collecting less tax, the constables no longer dare to openly ask for money, there are fewer people lending money at high interest rates, and the people have been allocated land. Their food, clothing, and housing are all getting better!"

"So even if those people say His Majesty is a cruel and tyrannical person, I still think he is a good emperor. If he had become emperor sooner, this old man could have lived a few more good days, and my son might not have had to die!"

By the end, Lin Yongkang's expression had become very regretful; clearly, the pain of a parent outliving their child was an eternal wound in his heart.

Ye Mingsheng continued to ask at this moment:
"Now that you think Ye Mingsheng is a good person, is there anything else you want to say to him?"

Upon hearing Ye Mingsheng's question, Lin Yongkang replied with a serious expression:

"It is precisely because I believe His Majesty is a good emperor that I think we cannot allow him to make one mistake after another!" "Make one mistake after another? What do you mean by that, Doctor Lin?"

"Although His Majesty has made many improvements during his tenure, there is one thing he has made that is absolutely wrong!"

"His Majesty does not have sufficient respect for the teachings of the sages. Instead, he admires those strange and ingenious skills, and even wants to include them in the imperial examinations. This is like buying the box and returning the pearl, abandoning what is near for what is far, causing pain to loved ones and joy to enemies..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingsheng was taken aback. He had thought that Lin Yongkang would say something new, but the old doctor was just repeating the same old tune.

Ye Mingsheng looked at the heartbroken Lin Yongkang and said:
"Besides this, do you have any other ideas?"

"That's it! Instead of respecting the way of the sages, His Majesty favors those strange and ingenious skills. In my opinion, this is His Majesty's biggest problem. Now, His Majesty's close ministers are all sycophants who dare not tell His Majesty the truth. But the pen of history is like a knife. What will future generations think after His Majesty passes away?"

"Although I am just an ordinary man, I still don't want to see His Majesty continue to make the same mistakes!"

Ye Mingsheng smiled at the righteous and eloquent Lin Yongkang and asked:

"Dr. Lin, is there anything you haven't finished wishing for?"

Although he didn't know why Ye Mingsheng suddenly changed the subject and asked him this, Lin Yongkang shook his head and said:

"I'm living a good life now. Besides wanting to offer advice to His Majesty, I just want to be there for my granddaughter as she grows up, to see her get married and have someone to rely on. That way, I can close my eyes in peace!"

Ye Mingsheng nodded slightly upon hearing this and said:
"Since that's the case, Dr. Lin, you've got what you wanted!"

Lin Yongkang said with some surprise:
"What do you mean, Lord Ye?"

"Didn't you want to offer advice to His Majesty? Now you've got your wish!"

Upon hearing Ye Mingsheng's words, Lin Yongkang was first taken aback, then reacted and asked incredulously:
"Lord Ye, you mean...?"

"That's right! I'm not Ye Kui, I'm Ye Mingsheng!"

Upon hearing Ye Mingsheng introduce himself, Lin Yongkang stood up excitedly, his body trembling slightly as he looked at Ye Mingsheng.

Seeing Lin Yongkang's expression, Ye Mingsheng smiled and said:

"Dr. Lin, I can understand your thinking. Isn't it true that all other professions are inferior except for studying?"

"You wouldn't understand if I said too much. You're already quite old, and it's very difficult for me to change your mind. So I don't plan to lecture you with grand principles. I just want to tell you that I understand your thoughts, but unfortunately, this era has changed!"

"Whether it's a water buffalo or a yellow ox, a good ox is one that can plow the land. Therefore, enabling the people to live a good life is the most important thing, and it is also what the imperial court should do. As for everything else, it is secondary!"

"So Dr. Lin, you can enjoy your retirement at home, live a good life and see what our Great Qian is really like, watch your granddaughter grow up and get married!"

"As for my merits and demerits, that will be judged by future generations. I, Ye, do not seek merit, but only to have a clear conscience. In this way, I will not have lived up to my life's work!"

After saying this, Ye Mingsheng took out a jade pendant from his pocket and pointed it at Jingren, saying:

"His name is Ye Jingren, my eldest son, and also the Crown Prince of Daqian. So, Doctor Lin, you saved him and made a great contribution to Daqian. Since you have no other wishes, I will bestow this jade pendant upon you!"

"In the future, if you or your descendants have any wishes, you can bring this token to the Yijing Prefecture government office..."

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Yijing Palace
In Furen Palace, Empress Dowager Ye Cuishi sat in the main seat, while Empress An Miaoyi sat to the side. Below, two matrons unfurled a long scroll, and Minister of Works Su Junjie explained the contents of the scroll to these two women, who held the most prestigious positions in the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Your Mausoleum, your De Mausoleum was built in Fengshan, Liaoyang. It stretches from Fengshan De Mausoleum Guard in the east to the mountainside of Baiyun Peak in the south, Longyanpo in the west, and Liujiapuzi in the north. The De Mausoleum area is about five miles long!"

"The mausoleum area mainly consists of the spirit path, stele pavilions, and mausoleum palace!"

"According to Her Majesty the Empress's arrangement, twelve pairs of stone beasts and twelve human figures will be placed on the spirit path of the Deling Mausoleum. The posthumous title stele pavilion will record Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's life, tell of Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's virtues and the deeds of raising His Majesty. The stele pavilion will be square in shape with a pyramidal roof at the four corners, and the structure will be made of brick and stone!"

"The mausoleum complex consists of a mausoleum gate, a sacrificial hall, side halls, a square city tower, a treasure city and treasure dome, and an underground palace. The mausoleum gate is built of brick and stone, with a vermilion gate and golden door studs. The sacrificial hall is where you worship the Empress Dowager. It has a hip roof and seven bays. The square city is a brick-built platform. The Ming Tower is located on the square city, and inside the tower stands a stele inscribed with the Empress Dowager's title..."

As Su Junjie recounted his final resting place, Empress Dowager Ye Cui's expression became complicated.

Although Ye Cuishi hasn't had any major health problems lately, she can clearly feel that she has aged a lot, so there are some things she feels she needs to consider as soon as possible.

The most important thing among these was the construction of her own mausoleum. In fact, she had considered her own affairs more than ten years ago. However, as Ye Mingsheng ascended to the throne and became the Empress Dowager, the previous arrangements were no longer sufficient. In recent years, due to the tightness of the imperial treasury, it was impossible to undertake another large-scale project while building Furen Palace. Therefore, Ye Cui's De Mausoleum has always been in the planning stage and has not been officially built.

Now, Lady Ye Cui hopes to complete the construction of the Deling Mausoleum as soon as possible, so that when she closes her eyes one day, she will have a place to rest.

To be honest, at this point, Ye Cuishi couldn't understand Su Junjie's various professional introductions to Deling, but she knew even more clearly that Su Junjie wouldn't dare to fool her on such a matter, even if he had ten times the courage.

So after Su Junjie finished speaking, Madam Ye Cui nodded slightly and said:
"The design is excellent. When can construction begin on the Deling Mausoleum?"

Su Junjie answered without hesitation:

"As long as the money is in place, construction can begin immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Ye Cui looked at An Miaoyi beside her. Feeling her mother-in-law's gaze, An Miaoyi also felt a wave of pressure wash over her.

Because of the enormous cost of building Furen Palace, the imperial treasury had very little spare money during the years of its construction. Now that Furen Palace has only recently been completed, the imperial treasury has not yet fully recovered. If a large-scale construction project is launched to build the Deling Mausoleum at this time, the imperial treasury simply cannot support it!
Although she couldn't quite put the math into account, from a political perspective, An Miaoyi knew she couldn't refuse Ye Cui's request...