Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 187 This matter will be resolved.
When the convoy stopped, Zhu Youjian smelled the freshly turned soil, which carried the scent of rotting grass roots.

This is Tianzitun.

In the minds of the accompanying officials, imperial estates had always been synonymous with festering sores and malignant tumors, lawless places where eunuchs and nobles would seize property by trickery and then raise henchmen to levy exorbitant taxes.

But the scene before them overturned their understanding.

There are no walls or archways, only a straight, compacted dirt road.

On both sides of the road are fields laid out in a grid pattern, with tender seedlings sprouting and lush greenery.

What alarmed them most were the crisscrossing waterways that resembled a spider web.

The Yongding River is as unruly as a wild horse, while the waters of the Chaobai River and Tonghui River are as precious as gold and jade. They have always been controlled by high-ranking officials and nobles, and have never flowed so generously into ordinary fields.
This is no longer irrigation; it is violence perpetrated against barren land with endless water resources and absolute power!
At the end of the canal are rows of neatly planned villages.

The rammed earth walls are sturdy and thick. Although there is not a single tile, there is no sign of dilapidation or crookedness. Instead, they exude a neat and orderly air, like a military camp.

Farmers are still working in the fields.

When they saw the dark, imposing army, their faces showed surprise and awe, but not much fear. They simply stopped what they were doing and stood at a distance, bowing respectfully.

Amidst the complex gazes of everyone, the dragon carriage was pushed open from the inside.

The emperor calmly stepped down from his carriage, leaving a clear footprint on the ground, and casually walked towards a village not far away.

In a farmhouse with its gate half open, a dark-skinned middle-aged man was chopping firewood in the yard when he was suddenly startled to see a group of people walk in. The man in the lead had an extraordinary air about him, and he was so frightened that the axe in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

He was completely stunned, his mind went blank, and all that remained was the fear etched into his bones by generations of ancestors. He knelt down with a thud, pulling the terrified boy beside him to kowtow repeatedly, muttering incoherently, "This humble subject...this humble subject kowtows to Your Excellency! Kowtows to Your Excellency!"

He dared not look up, nor dared to think about who it was; he only prayed that this catastrophic disaster would not befall him.

The emperor walked over quietly, bent down, and picked up the axe that had fallen to the ground. He weighed the axe in his hand and then gently touched the blade with his fingers, as if he were studying a novel gadget.

The courtyard was silent, save for the man's heavy breathing and the child's suppressed sobs.

The man kneeling on the ground was named Zhao Tiezhu. He had been fleeing famine since he could remember. He had seen soldiers, bandits, and tax collectors, each of whom meant disaster.

He had never seen such a scene before. Instead of hitting or scolding him, the leader picked up his axe.

He trembled even more violently. Was he about to... have his house confiscated and beheaded?
"This axe is dull."

A calm voice sounded above his head, and Zhao Tiezhu trembled violently.

"Get up," the emperor said casually, even with a hint of taking it for granted. "How can I ask you questions if you're always kneeling? I'm not some clay idol in a temple."

Zhao Tiezhu was stunned. He cautiously raised a slit in his eye and saw that the nobleman had already leaned the axe against the woodpile and was looking down at his son, who was terrified like a chick. There seemed to be a hint of a smile on his face.
The feeling was like a distant, high-ranking relative returning to his hometown and seeing his nephews and nieces.

In this strange atmosphere, Zhao Tiezhu's fear subsided slightly, replaced by a sense of helplessness and panic. He stood up shakily, holding the child, not knowing where to put his hands and feet.

"I ask you," the emperor finally looked at him, his gaze calm, "are you used to life here?"

“Used…used…” Zhao Tiezhu’s voice was still trembling, but he was able to say complete words.

"The land is yours, the water is delivered to the fields, and the first year is rent and tax-free," the emperor looked him into the eyes and asked, word by word, "have the government fulfilled all these promises?"

Upon hearing these words, Zhao Tiezhu felt as if an invisible force had pierced through him from head to toe.

The word "朕" (the imperial "I") that had initially filled him with doubt now collided violently with these words that pierced his heart, exploding into a dazzling and mesmerizing flash of lightning in his mind!

The Emperor... It's the Emperor!
The emperor, who hangs high in the heavens, shining as brightly as the sun and moon, and who rules over the fate of billions of living beings, is now standing in his own muddy courtyard, asking himself if he is used to living like this!
This realization was like an invisible mountain, crashing down on his soul.

Zhao Tiezhu's body, which had just managed to stand up straight, suddenly went limp, and his knees were about to collapse and kneel down again.

The fear at this moment was a hundred or a thousand times greater than before; it was the kind of trembling and shock that a mortal feels when suddenly confronting a deity!
He felt that he had committed an unforgivable crime by standing in front of the emperor!
However, just as his knees bent and his forehead was about to touch the soil again—

The immense joy that had been suppressed by suffering for half his life, and the hope that was ignited by the new life, the boundless gratitude that came from the land beneath his feet, from the flowing water in front of his door, and from a stable future, erupted from his chest like a volcano!
This scorching power forcefully shattered the mountain called fear, even making him forget to kneel in worship!

He did not kneel down, but instead pulled his son next to him over and made him look at the emperor. He straightened his back, his face flushed with excitement, a mixture of awe, ecstasy and tears welling up in his eyes.

He pointed to the ground beneath his feet, as if offering the most devout sacrifice to the gods:
"His Majesty!!"

He uttered that address in a low growl, as if he had used up all the strength of half his life.

"It really is His Majesty! This humble subject...this humble subject has finally met you! It's all been fulfilled! Everything has been fulfilled!" His voice suddenly rose, and he boasted incoherently, "This humble subject has land! Land that can be passed on to Gouzi! Look at that irrigation canal, fresh water is delivered right to the fields! The officials said that we don't have to pay anything in the first year, and in subsequent years, after paying our share of the imperial grain, the rest...is all ours!"

His eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion: "Before, as a refugee, I had to fight with wild dogs for food, and I didn't know if I would live to see tomorrow... Now, I feel at peace! Your Majesty, I'll cultivate this land with my life on the line! I have inexhaustible energy!"

This outburst of earthy, ecstatic joy left the officials behind him with complex expressions.

Bi Ziyan was deeply moved. What he saw was no longer a cold household registration and tax book, but a living person, bursting with vitality because of hope.

The emperor's calm expression was replaced by a genuine smile.

He looked at the man in front of him, who was so excited he was almost dancing with joy, and waited until the man calmed down a bit before speaking gently: "Being able to eat your fill, have the strength to work, and feel at ease is a good thing."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more casual, as if chatting casually: "But that's not enough. I want to hear if there are any other difficulties in your life besides these. Don't be afraid, since I've asked, I want to hear the truth."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tiezhu's soaring joy vanished abruptly, and he reverted to being the fearful and timid peasant he once was.

He waved his hands repeatedly, shaking his head like a rattle-drum: "No! No! Your Majesty, having land to cultivate and food to eat is already a blessing from our ancestors. How could I, a commoner, dare to ask for anything more... Very good! Everything is good!"

He was terrified that the emperor would think he was a treacherous commoner who had taken advantage of the situation and was now acting innocent, which would be a grave offense.

The emperor simply looked at him quietly, his eyes seemingly able to see through people's hearts.

He didn't press for details, but simply said, "Really? Rice, oil, salt, clothing, food, shelter, and transportation—you really have no trouble at all?"

The word "salt" was like a needle, gently pricking the most itchy spot in Zhao Tiezhu's heart.

His expression immediately became extremely conflicted. He wanted to speak but dared not, his lips trembling several times as he looked pleadingly at his equally nervous wife.

Under the emperor's calm yet encouraging gaze, he finally steeled himself, as if making a tremendous decision, scratched his head, and his voice suddenly became softer, almost like a mosquito's hum:
"Your Majesty... everything is fine, except... except for that salt... it's too expensive..."

Seeing that the emperor was not angry, he quickly finished speaking, as if afraid the emperor would change his mind and refuse to listen: "Official salt costs tens of coins per pound, and it's often unavailable. We...we can only secretly buy from those smugglers. It's cheaper, but...it's illegal, and we're always worried..."

After saying that, he immediately lowered his head, looking as if he was waiting to be punished.

The emperor remained calm after hearing this.

He simply shifted his gaze slowly from Zhao Tiezhu's simple yet conflicted face and looked towards the southeast.

"I understand," he said calmly. "This matter will be resolved."

(End of this chapter)