Chapter 24 The fateful encounter in the third act 4
A man dressed in white flashed through the long corridor in front of the Wende Palace, and hurried towards the Mozhu Hall where the fragrance of books was faintly wafting. Upon seeing this, the palace maids and attendants he met along the way dispersed to both sides and bowed their knees in salute.
The young man in white bowed slightly and returned the salute, not neglecting everyone he met. However, his pace did not stop at all, and he ran so fast that his breath was heavy in his mouth and nose, and his face was flushed.
"Oh, young master, why are you coming back just now! Didn't I already send you a message using Brother Parrot?"
A strong figure suddenly emerged from the thorns and grabbed the young man's arm.
"Brother Shitou, you really scared me! I thought I was blocked by Master Gou!"
The young man in white raised his sleeves and wiped the glistening beads of sweat on his forehead.
"Where did you get your head and body so dirty? It's better if you don't wipe it, but once you wipe it, your face will be covered with plaster! If you go to see the Grand Tutor like this, won't you force him to complain to the Lord?"
The person who spoke was the personal bodyguard named Wan Shi beside Young Master Ye. He was a full ten years older than Qi Ziyin and had passed the age of weaklings. He had also served in the Baisha Camp for several years and was worshiped as a guerrilla general.
.Because of his calm personality and meticulous behavior, he was specially transferred to the palace by the Prime Minister of the country to accompany the young master to practice martial arts and strengthen his body.
"Master, is he already waiting?"
"Not yet, otherwise can I run out to meet you? Young Master, please go and freshen up and change into clean clothes. I have already ordered the ladies to boil the water."
"Just freshen up and not change clothes - is that okay?" Qi Ziyin lowered his head reluctantly. At this time, he seemed to be able to vaguely smell Ning Yue's faint body fragrance on his chest, and he was reluctant to take it off.
of this robe.
"I told the young master not to wear white clothes when going out, but you just refused to listen. Now this robe has almost turned into earth color, and it must not be worn anymore!"
Wan Shi couldn't help but pick up the boy and turned into a side room on the side of the corridor. Qi Ziyin was scolded, so he had to lower his head and follow silently.
The country of Ye was once called the Kingdom of Night, and it has always been customary to wear black clothes, but this young master likes to wear plain clothes. He often explains that white represents the sun, and since the country has been renamed Ye, there is no need to wear it.
Xuanyi.
It's just that this white color is the color of the ascended emperor. A hundred years ago, this would have been a serious crime of disobedience. However, now that the emperor is weak, from Duke Ye to the servants in the palace, no one is too lazy to do so.
Leave him alone.
After washing up, Qi Ziyin reluctantly put on new clothes with the fragrance of soap locust, and continued to rush to the Mozhu Hall with half-wet hair. However, he was still half a moment later than the time agreed by the master.
"Wan Shi, didn't I ask you to bring Master Zi Yin here earlier? I was made to wait here for a cup of tea in vain!"
Master Gou, whose real name was Qinghong, was a skinny old man, but he was a veteran of three dynasties in the palace and was worshiped as Taifu. Although his beard and hair were all white, his spirit was still strong and his words were full of energy.
"Master Taifu, calm down. The young master has been studying hard day and night for the past few days. He was washing up to relieve his fatigue, so he wasted some time. I failed to remind you in time. If you want to punish me, you can punish me."
Seeing that Wan Shi was obviously speaking for him, Qi Ziyin couldn't help but feel a little guilty, and immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply:
"Master, it's none of Brother Shitou's business. I forgot the time. Just punish me."
"Yes, yes, if you make a mistake, you will be punished. How can you let others take your place? The way of governing a country requires careful consideration and calculation of the consequences. Otherwise, it will be the misfortune of the country and the people. Indeed, I see the young master
You behaved very responsibly today, and I feel very happy. If you can answer the next test questions, you will be spared this punishment."
"Excuse me, Master." The boy in white nodded quickly.
Gou Qinghong, who was opposite him, didn't say much and stroked his beard under his chin and asked:
"It has been more than half a month since Young Master Ziyin majored in reading "National Policy·Footnote to the People". I would like to ask you, now that Ye State is in peace in Wanzhou and has not entered the war, refugees have poured in one after another and bandits are everywhere. What are the ways to deal with it?
?”
Qi Ziyin composed himself, thought for a moment and replied loudly:
"The people are the foundation of the world. The people serve the farmers for their livelihood. If they do not take care of the basics and do nothing, their livelihood will not be successful. There are many plains and big rivers in the territory of Ye State, so the refugees should be sparse instead of blocked, and they should be rewarded and encouraged.
Those who have farmland can also open up their fields widely and allow the people to exchange grain for their sins so that they can rest and recuperate. The land rent can also be changed from fifteen taxes to one thirty taxes, and the corvée law can be changed from one battle every year to one every three years.
The corvee is a small sum of money. In this way, it may be possible to pacify the people and prevent them from being displaced, causing trouble, and becoming bandits."
"Yes, it's really good. This policy is well-founded and has a clear idea. It can be reported to the palace during the meeting, so as to relieve the king of the country's worries."
Listening to the child's clear answer, a smile of approval gradually appeared on the old man's face. However, just when Qi Ziyin thought he had escaped by chance, the teacher who had just praised him continued to ask:
"However, if we only significantly reduce the land tax, we will need to add additional business tax to prevent the national treasury from being depleted. However, the interests of the chamber of commerce will inevitably be compromised. Our country, Ye, has always valued business. I wonder what your young master's explanation is for this?
"
"This...this..." Qi Ziyin suddenly faltered. He knew that the answer to this question was in the section of "Business Theory" that he was supposed to study today. However, after playing outside all day, he couldn't say a word.
Didn't even look at it.
The Master’s brows that had just relaxed gradually started to frown again:
"Why can't you answer the answer, young master? If you study carefully according to the chapters prescribed by me every day, you should be able to answer this question easily. Even if there are some obscure parts, why didn't you ask me for advice during the day? Could it be today?
Are you not concentrating on studying?"
"Master Taifu is really aware of everything. The young master is indeed feeling unwell today, so he went back to the house to rest early without having lunch. He did not mean to be lazy." Wan Shi quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Have I asked you? If the young master is really feeling unwell today, and whether he has been lazy, we will know tomorrow by asking his study companions. Do you two think I am so easy to deceive?"
"Master... I was really lazy today. Please don't be angry, master, and don't hit me. I promise I will make up for it tomorrow, I promise!" Seeing that he could no longer hide it, the young man could only whisper.
Begged.
"What a nonsense! Tomorrow comes tomorrow, and the homework assigned is just like child's play. Has the young master ever paid attention to me, the master? Although the young master is not a direct descendant, in the future he will be like Jinghai Marquis assisting the king.
, I will do my best to assist Prince Zixiu. If I don’t discipline him, I will betray the trust of the king!”
Qi Ziyin knew that the master would never be soft-hearted, and thought that he would be slapped a dozen times more today, but he still did not dare to stretch out his small hands rubbing his clothes. The old man in front of him waited for a moment, but saw that the young man did not take the initiative to take the hand.
When he came to accept his punishment, he immediately became more angry, slammed the door and left the Mozhu Hall.
"It seems that Master Gou has complained to the lord of the country. Young lord, why don't you hurry up and follow me to catch up and apologize?"
Wan Shi watched the beard-blowing old man disappearing at the end of the corridor. He was about to pull the boy to chase him. But when he turned around, he saw Qi Ziyin behind him who had temporarily avoided the ruler. He didn't seem to be in a hurry at all, but pushed him away.
From the two windows beside me, I was stunned as I looked at the night sky over the bamboo garden outside the windows.
"Oh, young master, you act like you have nothing to do with this matter! If the master wants to do something, just let him do it. Do you know that once this matter is reported to the king, you will be banned from the palace for the next month?
I can only concentrate on studying."
"Then I would rather be put in solitary confinement. Master, hitting someone on the hand will hurt. I'm not like Brother Shitou, who has learned martial arts and has calluses all over his hands. No matter how many times I get beaten, it won't hurt."
"That - that's not possible. The king will not only punish you, but also punish me. Young Master Ziyin, just do it well and go and apologize to the Grand Tutor?"
Wan Shi tried to persuade him again, but the child beside him didn't seem to hear him at all. He just lay at the window and stared blankly at the pair of bright moons in the sky.
The young guard suddenly felt a little pitiful for the child who was forced to study all day long. He could only sigh softly, closed the door and went to go find Gou Qinghong to plead for mercy.
At this moment, Qi Ziyin's mind recalled the faces of the two new friends he had met during the day. In his eyes at this time, the twin moons hanging in the heart of the sky were like a pair of silver mirrors with magical powers. One of them was
Only Jiang Yan's dark and stubborn face emerged, while the other one gradually transformed into the girl with red hair and blue eyes who was jumping around on the roof, her dress fluttering.
The night wind gradually picked up, carrying a hint of the salty smell of the ocean tide, and gradually lowered the surrounding temperature. Qi Ziyin did not feel cold at all. He was still lying motionless by the window in his single clothes, with a hint of smile on his face unconsciously.
Smile.
Thank you for your tasteful attention to "Twin Moon". I hope the wheat grown by Xiaoli will suit your taste. You can follow the official account of the same name~