Chapter 264

In the past,

only high-ranking officials and nobles could send their children to study at such places!

Now, by simply buying a house, can one's children study alongside the Hanlin scholars?

Even if those few acres of land in the village were worth a fortune, could they be more important than the future of one's own children?

Before these common people could even come to their senses,

Su Qiao pointed to twenty spots on the map and said,

"Look here again!"

"This is the People-Benefiting Pharmacy prepared for the citizens of our Outer City; consultation fees are set at cost price only!"

The People-Benefiting Pharmacy!

For the citizens of Jin Ling,

it was an existence akin to a god.

Since the founding of the Great Ming,

these People-Benefiting Pharmacies had been established as ancestral law.

Not only were the medicines the cheapest available,

but the Physicians on duty

were all Imperial Physicians who had come from the Taiyi Academy!

Every year, the Taiyi Academy would select Imperial Physicians to rotate and practice in the various provinces of the Great Ming; this was also the Taiyi Academy's main duty.

Treating the Imperial Family in the palace was, at best, merely a side job.

Whenever a plague struck, it was the poor and humble who relied on the People-Benefiting Pharmacy to distribute medicine and survive!

Before this,

the entire Jin Ling had only one People-Benefiting Pharmacy!

Looking at the common people before him,

Su Qiao could not help but cough twice, then said,

"In addition, the Court will provide certain other guarantees in this area."

"Facilities such as convenient carriages will be established and gradually constructed."

These Great Ming citizens, who usually only paid the imperial grain tax,

upon hearing Su Qiao's words,

made their judgment in an instant.

Buy!

This house.

Even if it means selling pots and iron, we must buy it!

Leaving aside the convenient carriages they had never seen before,

just based on this Community School and the People-Benefiting Pharmacy,

we must buy!

"my lord Su, where can we buy these houses?!"

"Yes, my lord Su, what is the price of these houses!"

"And, for our houses, how many children per family can enter the Community School?"

Hearing these questions, Su Qiao hurriedly replied,

"We will accept any number of children; as long as they are children living in our ward, every single one must study and learn to read and write without exception!"

"Furthermore, I, Su Mou, guarantee to you all that the Court will not collect a single silver coin for tuition."

"If any Community School abuses the collection of tuition, please go to the Censorate and petition the Censors to remonstrate!"

"As for the price, each house is different; as for how to buy, our Bureau of Paper Money Issuance will naturally only accept our Great Ming Paper Money and Hongwu Tongbao!"

Su Qiao's voice,

like a thunderclap,

exploded among the crowd in an instant.

Soon, someone came to their senses.

Taking advantage of the fact that the crowd had not yet recovered,

he dashed forward to the window of the Bureau of Paper Money Issuance where paper money was exchanged.

On the other side, others suddenly came to their senses.

"Who here today came to exchange paper money? I'll take it all, however much there is! You don't need to queue here anymore! ~"

"Tsk! Do you take us for fools?"

"Child's mother, hurry home to get the silver; even if it means selling pots and iron, we must snatch a residence! 553"

……

……

Outside the Qianqing Palace,

all the Censors of the Censorate and all the Six Offices of Remonstrance followed closely behind Watching Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng.

"Your subject Huang Zicheng submits a memorial of death remonstrance against Su Qiao for twenty-eight capital crimes, bowing to present it to the Son of Heaven!"

"We, your subjects, second this!"

"……"

Hearing the clamoring voices of the civil officials outside the hall,

Zhu Yuanzhang's face grew gloomy.

He slowly walked out of the great hall.

Looking at Huang Zicheng before him, he asked,

"Huang Zicheng, what do you and your kind intend to do?"

Huang Zicheng prostrated himself before Zhu Yuanzhang and shouted loudly,

"Your Majesty, we can no longer tolerate Su Qiao's chaotic governance. Great chaos is approaching. We eat the people's salaries; how can we sit idly by!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth, looked at Huang Zicheng, and rebuked,

"I use Su Qiao for my own reasons. Why must you make such a racket!"

Huang Zicheng, with tears in his eyes, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said,

"Appointing officials is the Art of emperors, not something we subjects can rashly discuss!"

"But has Your Majesty heard?"

"The Great Ming Treasure Notes issued by our court: one note of Treasure Notes is now worth less than four hundred cash among the common people!"

"Within the walls of Jin Ling, broken walls and ruins are everywhere!"

"How can we be those who write of peace throughout the world yet refuse to bow their heads to see the common folk!"

"Your Majesty, I, your subject, bow my head. I offer my life in exchange for that beast's head!"

Qi Tai also knelt to the ground on his own.

He shouted loudly,

"I, your subject, wish to join Lord Huang. With the two of our lives, we exchange for that beast's head!"

"I, your subject, am also willing to exchange!"

"And I, your subject!"

The censors behind Huang and Qi.

After hearing Huang Zicheng's grand speech.

Immediately, tears welled up in their eyes.

A true man should be like this!

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth, looking at the assembly of ministers before him.

"Are the Treasure Notes truly worth less than four hundred cash now?"

Huang Zicheng pointed toward the distant Chengtian Sect and said,

"If Your Majesty does not believe it, go to Chengtian Sect and see for yourself!"

"Our Great Ming people are right now outside Chengtian Sect, holding Treasure Notes and seeking to exchange them for cash with Su Qiao!"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and said,