Tao and Heaven

Chapter 5 Officials and the People

At this time, Zhao Feng got off the carriage and came to the entrance of the alley. His bright yellow robe was like the scorching sun in the sky, making the people tremble even more violently.

The spiritual wind moved slightly by Fairy Yu Hua's ears, and she could see into people's hearts and only heard fear.

She has a magical power called Di Ting.

She can hear the heart and hear the sound, and understand the cause and effect. However, due to the limited number of days in the immortal world, she can only hear the strongest thoughts of people.

These people were extremely afraid of Zhao Feng. They didn't know Zhao Feng's identity, but they were afraid of anyone who wore fancy clothes. These clothes looked like they were made of tiger skin.

Fairy Yuhua had just entered the world, but she was not blind. She could see that Daqian was not as peaceful and prosperous as they said. There were always wisps of smoke rising from the end of the plain, and there were starving people everywhere outside the city, and there was extravagance inside the city.

It was just the first time that I truly felt the fear of the people of the world towards the Zhao family.

Zhao Feng frowned, his eyes full of disdain, and said, "How could there be so many people in shabby and revealing clothes in Bianjing, the capital of the gods? It's really a disgrace to society."

Jiang Fugui came out of the mansion upon hearing the noise. He was startled by the scene outside. Then he saw Zhao Feng in the crowd and quickly knelt down, saying, "Slave, I pay my respects to His Highness the Ninth Prince."

Naturally, he had met Zhao Feng when he worked under Gu Wen, but unlike Gu Wen, he had no right to talk to him on a daily basis.

Zhao Feng glanced at him and asked, "Why are there so many dishevelled people gathered here? Are they refugees?"

Jiang Fugui was sweating profusely, fearing that the other party would misunderstand that they were taking in refugees, so he quickly explained: "Your Highness, these are the people in the city, not refugees. At most, they are barbarians, and they are all from Bianjing."

Due to the problem of population growth, the city of Bianjing has expanded in every dynasty, but the speed of expansion is not as fast as the speed of population growth. In addition, the emperor has to build new palaces every year, and has been forcibly demolishing and occupying the houses in the city.

Over time, settlements similar to markets formed outside the city. The imperial court even set up government offices for these settlements, and they had already begun to develop towards the county level.

These people outside the city were called "wild people" in Bianjing and lived in the wilderness.

"Why are you staying here all this time?"

It was because the imperial palace was expanding year after year, and the emperor had to build new palaces every year. The walls of Bianjing would not expand outwards by themselves, so naturally, the houses had to be demolished.

In theory, the imperial court would give compensation, but often the compensation money would be reduced to one tenth after being exploited at various levels. It was impossible to buy another house in Bianjing, and they did not want to leave the city and become barbarians, so they could only live on the streets.

Jiang Fugui didn't dare to tell the truth, and after a moment's hesitation, he replied, "The bills for the water room will fluctuate with the season. When it's high, there won't be enough staff, and when it's low, there won't be so many people. So Master Wen only retains some of the men, and outsources the rest."

Zhao Feng felt a little curious and asked, "What is outsourcing?"

"They only hire one-day workers. The water house doesn't hire them as long-term workers. This saves a lot of money and allows for flexible adjustments. That's why these people gather here to take on work every day."

Jiang Fugui replied that he admired his master from the bottom of his heart.

They are truly business geniuses. They have saved a lot of money just by outsourcing. And the more chaotic the world is, the more cheap labor they have.

After hearing this, Zhao Feng suddenly realized that he knew Gu Wen had a talent for business, but he was still surprised.

Then he glanced at the goddess in white clothes beside him, frowned and said with disdain: "It's true that there is no business without fraud. How dare you exploit the people like this."

The people had no money, so there was no way to collect taxes. The imperial court could not kill them all, after all, this was Bianjing. Collecting taxes from other places would destroy people's families, and many people who could not pay taxes would flee to the mountains and become bandits, but this would not happen in Bianjing, where the emperor was.

It’s not that the emperor is kind, but that the people are right beside them.

Gu Wen was taking advantage of a loophole in Daqian's laws, and Zhao Feng, as a prince, naturally didn't like it.

Jiang Fugui smiled apologetically and apologized repeatedly, not daring to complain at all.

But in his heart he almost cursed: "All the money I earned went into your pockets. At least Master Wen gave them food to eat. If you work for the court, you may even have to bring your own food and money, not to mention food."

Officials and businessmen, officials and civilians, and businessmen and civilians, all the conflicts are attributed to the Zhao family, the Taoist emperor. Fairy Yuhua takes everything into consideration, sees the cause and effect, and hears the human heart.

The royal family expanded the palace endlessly, and officials exploited the people. In the end, it was the merchants who became the good guys.

This so-called heavenly family is not worthy of being a ruler.

On the contrary, it is the impoverished Gu family that can protect the people.
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Fairy Yu Hua and Zhao Feng entered Gu Mansion one after another.

The interior is spacious and elegant, with more than a hundred servants and maids kneeling on both sides, and the roads between their steps are paved with bluestone slabs, which is a scene of wealth and luxury.

She was sure that the descendants of the Gu family did live a rich life, at least the Zhao family guaranteed his wealth. The rest was not something Fairy Yuhua could control. She was just a representative of the sect, and the real right to speak was in the hands of the True Lords in the sect.

Just like Zhao Feng was just a representative of the Zhao family, the one who really had the say was the Daojun Emperor in the palace.

Although depriving the Gu family of the opportunity was a decision made within the sect, as one of the Three Pure Ones who entered the world, she also had her own karma for enjoying the sect's influence.

No matter what the sect decides, she just wants to have a clear conscience. Paying compensation out of her own pocket is one thing, and ensuring the livelihood of his descendants is another.

"Where's Gu Wen?"

Zhao Feng sat down in the main seat and looked around. Jiang Fugui, who was accompanying him, replied, "Master Wen caught a cold yesterday. The doctor is still treating him. I have asked someone to summon him."

"Tell him to hurry up, don't let the fairy wait anxiously."

"Yes, I will go and invite you right away."

Jiang Fugui left quickly. Fairy Yuhua seemed not to notice Zhao Feng's hospitality. She turned around and asked the maid beside her, "How is Gu Wen doing in the mansion?"

The maid was stunned for a moment, wondering why the fairy lady suddenly asked about her master's living. Could it be a distant relative?

"Mr. Wen has a regular life, working from 10 am to 5 pm. He likes to practice health-preserving exercises, eat, and fight crickets."

The people in the mansion were all poor people who had been taken in. Their cultural level was not high. The little maid could only tell the story by counting on her fingers. Many of her words were vulgar, which made Zhao Feng and Feng Xiang, the master and servant, chuckle.

"Have you married?" Fairy Yu Hua's voice was elegant. The tone of her greeting was ordinary, but it would sound different if it was asked by a girl to the opposite sex of the same age.

The social atmosphere is conservative, and there are many rules and etiquette, but they are not known or considered by outsiders.

The atmosphere became a little weird.

The maid couldn't help but look at Fairy Yu Hua twice more. Her voice didn't sound like that of an elder.

"The master has never married, and never stayed in brothels. There is no maid in the mansion who has been favored by the master. She should be a good match."

Fairy Yu Hua just nodded slightly.

These days, I have come into contact with the powerful people in the mortal world. Although they are bright and beautiful on the surface, they are actually filthy and unbearable in secret. As far as Zhao Feng is concerned, the unbearable cause and effect relationships in the mansion make him uncomfortable.

He had many wives and concubines, and many lovers. He thought he had concealed it well, but he could not escape the eyes and ears of the people.

It is rare that the descendants of the Gu family still retain their pure Yang body. They are really a good match. Maybe they can be introduced to disciples in the sect.
Yu Hua remembered that there were many lazy and vulgar people in the outer sect, and every year they would send some unqualified people down the mountain to return to secular life. However, these people would not completely leave the sect, nor would they be willing to be ordinary people. They would place their hopes on the next generation and would marry some disciples and relatives in the sect, or even elders.

With such a complex network, they became big families under the mountain, controlling the wealth and land of ordinary people. A dynasty like Daqian was only a product of a special period and place, and the outside world did not allow ordinary people to become emperors.

The matter here is settled. With her guarantee, any qualified descendant of the Gu family can join the Yuqing Sect. Not to mention the family of the Three Pure Ones disciples, even the disciples themselves should be willing to condescend.

Geniuses are always a minority, and the vast majority of cultivators in the cultivation world are at the second stage of Qi training and foundation building.

(End of this chapter)