Chapter 13: The Boundary Ditch (Continued)

"Do they eat rice north of the Huai too?"

Zhao Jiu walked out of a thatched mud-brick house, holding a rice jar in his arms, followed by an old man who looked somewhat nervous. But the first words out of his mouth betrayed his reliance on empirical assumptions. "I saw that all around here are wheat stacks and bean stalks, with very few rice stalks. So why are beans so rare, and noodles even rarer than rice?"

"Reporting... reporting to Your Highness."

The old man trembled violently, extremely nervous. The village head, who had clearly seen through the identity of this 'Your Highness,' could only lie prostrate on the ground with his rear in the air. With no other choice, the know-it-all Yang Yizhong, Yang the Attendant, had to step in personally. "North of the Yellow River, everything relies on river transport. Rice and cloth from Huainan are all shipped to Dongjing. Therefore, most people north of the Yellow River can eat rice. Besides that, wheat doesn't store well, and beans are precious. So the people north of the Huai first eat steamed bread made from wheat flour, then sell the beans. When they need to store grain, they use millet for long-term storage and rice for short-term storage."

Zhao Jiu suddenly understood. Combining this with the earlier data of the Great Song's population of one hundred and twenty million, how could he not realize that this was a result of the population reaching a certain level, the refinement of social division of labor, and the subsequent development of a commodity economy!

And according to Yang Yizhong, it was clear that the rice from Huainan, due to its large output, naturally circulated and supplemented the region north of the Huai. Beans at this time were more like cash crops, used to exchange for money. Millet, or small grain, was far inferior to rice, white flour, and beans in terms of yield, value, and even taste. However, because it was extremely resistant to storage, it maintained a certain value for a long time.

"Does the elder have any millet at home?" With this thought, Zhao Jiu turned directly to the old man.

"No, no!" This old man was already a bit senile and confused. After seeing the 'Your Highness' guarded by dozens of cavalry, he was even more terrified, to the point where he couldn't even speak smoothly.

Fortunately, this was the heartland of the Central Plains, and the accent was still native to Zhao Jiu, so communication was barely manageable.

"Prepare a little!" Zhao Jiu sighed slightly at the sight and handed the rice jar back.

"Th-thank you, Your Highness." The old man, startled, hurried to take it, not knowing if he had even noticed the other's reminder.

Zhao Jiu returned the rice jar, said nothing more, and mounted his horse directly. Without paying any attention to the village head, who was already trembling and prostrate on the ground, he slowly left this second village he had visited, escorted by a group of Red Heart Squad cavalry.

To be honest, Zhao Jiu's mood was very complicated at this moment.

First of all, he had visited two villages close to the temporary imperial residence today, and the scenes in both were not as bad as he had imagined... based on his modern man's sense of superiority, his mental supplementation of ancient low productivity and severe class contradictions, plus the so-called cruel rural environment during wartime that he had learned from those web novels.

So, the villages here should have been 'white bones exposed in the wild, for a thousand miles no cock crows,' plus 'the old man fled over the wall, the old woman went out to see.'

However, the reality was about half and half.

'For a thousand miles no cock crows' was indeed true, but 'white bones exposed in the wild' was really not there. 'The old woman went out to see' was also true, but the old man really hadn't fled over the wall; he also came out to see together... Among them, there was no cock crowing, only old men and old women going out to see. This was clearly because the place was too close to the military camp of the temporary imperial residence, and the common people had left to avoid possible military disasters.

But at the same time, the roads in the village were neat. Although the local thatched mud houses were not without some particularly dilapidated ones, hinting at the complete bankruptcy and flight of the owners, overall, the varying shades of new and old colors, and the vitality that most houses and courtyards could not conceal, still indicated that these two villages were still relatively healthy.

Besides that, the coarse cloth clothes of the old and weak who stayed in the village were also clean. The village head just now was even wearing a dyed, neatly patterned silk robe with hidden floral designs.

In short, low productivity existed, internal oppression caused by the war in the north also existed, the gap between rich and poor was obvious, and the bottom-level common people counting the rice in their jars to get by was witnessed firsthand... But as long as the chaos of war hadn't spread here, this was still a normal countryside.

Moreover, before, when he was at Mingdao Palace, Zhao Jiu had not gone out to see things. But perhaps it was because that place was further north, and the surrounding area was mostly 'imperial estates' of Mingdao Palace. The few times he traveled far, he also galloped in the early morning and then hurried back. Therefore, this Zhao Emperor found it difficult to get in touch with the real grassroots scene. As a result, he had imagined the Great Song, which that Daoist Retired Emperor had governed for decades, as the scene after the death of the Wanli Emperor—something that could still be faked on the surface but was actually an end-times era that would collapse at a touch.

But now it seemed that this place was at most the Jiajing period. The so-called 'Jiajing, Jiajing, every family clean'—because of the exploitation by the self-righteous Daoist Emperor and the corruption of the bureaucrats, the people were struggling on the brink of bankruptcy, that was true. But it still seemed a bit far from the entire society losing control and being beyond salvation.

But saying that, doesn't it make that Daoist Retired Emperor even more capable of causing trouble? The Jiajing Emperor also had the character 'Jing' in his era name, and he could also cause trouble. But he didn't cause a 'Jingkang Humiliation,' did he?!

Of course, considering this Emperor's poor historical level and his broad, rough imagination, plus the fact that he hadn't lived through the Jiajing or Wanli periods, it might just be wishful thinking on his part!

"Your Majesty truly has the benevolent heart of a sage emperor."

Seeing Zhao Jiu unconsciously heading towards the Boundary Ditch while lost in thought, Yang Yizhong finally couldn't help but speak again. "Knowing that there are bandits ahead, and that winter battles will inevitably cut off the Ying and Huai Rivers, combined with the winter freeze, it might be difficult to transport goods all winter, so you reminded the old man to store some millet."

"The old man may not listen. And with war breaking out across the land, Hebei and Hedong have basically fallen. You say the Great Song has one hundred and twenty million people. How many are suffering from the scourge of war now? At least ten or twenty million. How many will suffer in the future? At least thirty or forty million." Zhao Jiu came to his senses on the horse but spoke slowly without turning his head. "So for the Son of Heaven to perform such a small act of kindness is almost like a joke..."

"No, it's not!" Yang Yizhong quickly corrected him with a serious expression. "As the saying goes, 'A gentleman, upon hearing the sound, cannot bear to eat its meat; upon seeing it alive, cannot bear to see it die.' Your Majesty investigated the people's condition and understood their hardships. Even if it was just a casual word of goodwill, it is precisely where the benevolent heart of a gentleman lies. And how can the benevolent heart of a gentleman be divided between the Son of Heaven and ordinary people?"

Liu Yan, standing by, wanted to follow up with flattery, but when he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn't find the right words and could only force himself to add: "Your Majesty, I think so too."

Hearing this, Zhao Jiu up ahead couldn't help but burst into laughter, laughing until tears came out. Then he turned his head and glanced at the two men. "Pingfu (Liu Yan), if you can't speak, then don't. Zhengfu (Yang Yizhong), if you can speak, feel free to say more... Zhengfu, aren't you just worried that if I really go to the Boundary Ditch market, Prime Minister Li will reprimand or even punish you? That's why you're subtly reminding me, saying that it's fine to roam the countryside, but I really shouldn't enter the Boundary Ditch. Because as the Emperor, doing this kind of thing is meaningless. It's more useful to play the part of a puppet."

Yang Yizhong, with his dignified appearance, let out a rare dry laugh and didn't refute. But he spurred his horse forward and immediately resumed his usual dignified posture:

"Your Majesty! I am not only afraid of the Prime Minister, but also worried about Your Majesty's safety... In the market, you can't gallop horses, it's not good to show blades. Not to mention the turbulent times; if there really is someone bold enough, there could be trouble at close quarters. Just this outfit of yours, a round-collared red robe, pretending to be a prince, isn't even enough to fool those country folk. Once you enter the market town, it will inevitably alert those with sharp eyes. Then your identity will be exposed. With so many people, good and bad mixed together, something will inevitably go wrong. And Your Majesty won't really be able to see anything."

Zhao Jiu slowly nodded and said with a straight face: "I understand. Zhengfu is advising me to take off this robe before going!"

Yang Yizhong was caught between laughter and tears.

At the same time, Liu Yan, Liu Pingfu, who was behind and couldn't keep up or get a word in, also looked at the two men ahead with a strange expression... To be fair, Zhao Jiu was the Emperor. Whether he was accomplished in both civil and military arts, or had a sharp tongue, that was the Emperor's prerogative, no room for discussion. But after months of serving the Emperor daily, Liu Yan had discovered that Yang Yizhong, whom he had always thought of as a dignified figure, was actually a truly remarkable person.

This Yang had been a general for six generations, truly from a military family. He had a dignified appearance, a tall stature, strict military discipline, and was an excellent archer and horseman. At first glance, he seemed like a famous general of old. But how had he learned this kind of circuitous, civil-official skill? And he, a jinshi (even if it was a Liao dynasty jinshi, it was still a jinshi), didn't understand any of this, to the point where the Emperor said he was afraid Liu Pingfu couldn't speak well.

Just as Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan were each lost in their own thoughts, Zhao Jiu, after finishing his cold joke, saw that the two men beside and behind him were momentarily distracted. He suddenly seized the opportunity to spur his horse, dashing out a hundred paces in an instant, heading straight for the Boundary Ditch... Yang and Liu were stunned for a moment, then inwardly cried out in alarm, and both spurred their horses to catch up as fast as they could.

To be fair, the Council of State meeting in the Buddhist hall had only ended in the afternoon. It was already afternoon when they came out. After visiting two villages, it was now almost evening. So Yang Yizhong's real intention was to keep saying 'nice things' to stall this Emperor, letting the matter fizzle out.

However, after spending time together, although Zhao Jiu might not fully understand Yang Yizhong's devious thoughts, he had become alert. And as the Emperor, he could flip the table and be willful at any time... Of course, it might also be that he was tired of being forced by Prime Minister Li to play the role of Psyduck... So he suddenly threw a tantrum and ran off.

Back to the present. Not to mention that Liu Yan couldn't understand why the Emperor, who had grown up in Bianliang, the most prosperous place under heaven, was so eager to go play in such a crude market town. Nor to mention Yang Yizhong's anxiety, fearing that the Emperor was tired of his flattery... Only this Zhao Jiu was naturally good at riding horses. Moreover, on the plain, he took the lead and galloped freely. But Yang, Liu, and the cavalry behind them, because they were all wearing armor, simply couldn't catch up with the Emperor's fine horse. Instead, they fell further and further behind, to the point where the two of them later couldn't think about anything else and just chased desperately.

It wasn't until sunset that Yang and Liu, leading several dozen cavalry, finally caught up with Zhao Jiu. To their surprise, the Emperor hadn't entered the market town. Instead, he had stopped his horse on the Ying River embankment on the southwest side of the town, heading towards the temporary imperial residence. From this high vantage point, he was staring blankly at the small town of Boundary Ditch.

Yang and Liu didn't dare to disturb the Emperor, so they stopped their horses and looked out together.

This small riverside town in the Central Plains had a ferry in front connecting to the Ying River, and behind it, wooden fences piled with earth formed a dike. It was only a few hundred paces in circumference, with only a few dozen proper large houses. There were also thatched sheds made of wood and grass, forming an open-air market, which looked quite crude.

However, at this moment, the temporary imperial residence was stationed a few li away. The young men and women from the several villages in between had all come here to take shelter. Some family members and servants of the officials at the temporary residence were also here, selling gold and pearls and buying scarce goods like cloth and grain. So it did seem a bit more crowded and lively.

At this time, the setting sun was gradually descending. The market was about to close. Some bold villagers, dressed in short jackets, worried about their homes, came out of the dike in groups of three or five, chatting about the day's sights as they cautiously headed back to their villages. Meanwhile, some merchants and common people were repeatedly calling out to the ferry fishermen and boatmen, asking them to help ferry them west across the river. They had apparently come from the opposite bank of the Ying River and now wanted to return home.

Turning his head slightly, he saw that the last group to leave the dike was clearly the people in charge of purchasing for the temporary imperial residence. A few young eunuchs were shouting orders, urging laborers to drive out large carts. They were coming along the embankment towards them. When they got close, only visible in the faint light of the setting sun, it became clear that they were transporting several cartloads of winter vegetables to the temporary residence.

Zhao Jiu stood there for a long time, watching this group approach from far to near. When the leader got close, he noticed something amiss, hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects. Only then did Zhao Jiu smile and ask:

"Chief Eunuch Zhang, let me ask you, what vegetables did you buy? Did you pay for them?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li keeps a tight watch, so we dare not not pay. But this place is too poor and wild. Besides winter vegetables, there are no seasonal delicacies!" The eunuch surnamed Zhang, overjoyed that the Emperor had called him 'Chief Eunuch,' scrambled to his feet to take credit. "However, I, your humble servant, dared not let Your Majesty and Lady Pan suffer. I searched for half a day, first found some local fresh fish, and then actually found a family selling ginger and fermented beans that had come down the river! I asked clearly; they fled from Dongjing City. The flavor is authentic. Tonight, Your Majesty and Lady Pan will have a treat!"

Zhao Jiu didn't know what 'ginger and fermented beans' were, but that didn't stop him from laughing heartily as he urged the other to quickly return to the temple that served as the temporary imperial residence.

However, after watching this group disappear into the fading light of the early winter sunset, the next moment, the sun completely set. In the twilight, this Zhao Emperor suddenly stopped laughing, and then his expression turned gloomy.

Liu Yan and Yang Yizhong, who had been keeping an eye on the Emperor, both noticed this almost simultaneously. However, just as Liu Pingfu became even more confused and bewildered, Yang Zhengfu, who was good at reading people and was gradually getting to know this Emperor, suddenly realized in his heart—the Emperor was still worried that the Jin forces would send their main army in pursuit. And once the Jin army marched south into the Central Plains, this imperfect and not-so-prosperous scene would cease to exist.

What could he say? Yang Yizhong recalled his own experiences fleeing from Hebei in the past, remembered those families that were broken and destroyed, and couldn't help but feel gloomy himself... He could only say that, in the mind of the ever-scheming Yang Yizhong, even if the Emperor had truly been possessed by some demon after falling into the well, it was a good demon with a benevolent heart.

PS: Thanks to the alliance leaders, Lord Xiahou, Xiao Long, and 233... I actually didn't notice... Ashamed... Nineteen alliances now. Thank you all for your support.