Chapter 299: Many Are Obedient Subjects—There Must Be a Root!

Su Beihai's face flushed with rage, yet he was powerless to act.

Among the crowd, someone shouted out:

"Look at this magistrate—he's stingy to the bone, miserly as hell."

"Don't let the dignity of the official be ruined!"

The old man on the ground cried out even louder.

"This carriage had no eyes—it's trying to kill an old man! My leg's probably ruined."

"Murder! Where is justice?!"

After hearing this, Su Beihai frowned and pulled out another thirty taels of silver from his sleeve, shoving it without hesitation into the hand of an official beside him, his gesture urgent:

"Hurry! Hurry!"

This time, the official did not toss the silver onto the ground but carefully handed it to the old man below.

"Master Li, please stop this charade today!"

The old man shook his hand, weighed the silver in his palm, clicked his tongue, and feigned surprise:

"Oh!"

"Master Su is a man of integrity—this is true gold and silver, a gesture of real goodwill!"

The old man wore tattered hemp clothing; the official reached out to help him up.

"Don't touch me—I can stand on my own!"

The old man pushed himself up with ease, brushed the dust off his trousers, and rose with practiced, fluid motion.

There was not a trace of pain or injury!

Yu Wen Liqian's maid had finally figured it out—this was nothing but extortion.

Under the bright sun, someone dared to block the governor's carriage and stage such a farce before countless eyes—truly, morals have decayed; how absurd that such a thing should happen in Yan!

It's an outright rebellion!

The maid snapped: "Princess…"

Yu Wen Liqian paid no heed; her gaze had caught something subtle.

Though the old man wore ragged hemp on the outside, his inner collar was silk brocade—a detail that added to the mystery.

Yu Wen Liqian turned to the laborers nearby; their outer garments were tattered, but the cuffs of their sleeves revealed fine fabric.

Most women dressed plainly, yet their hairpins and earrings gleamed with gold, silver, and jade rings.

Some women dressed far more boldly—exposing their shoulders, chests, and thighs.

This would be utterly forbidden in Han!

And more:

Su Beihai had casually tossed out forty taels of silver—back in Han, a butcher earned barely forty taels a year, and a private tutor earned only fifty.

One tael of gold equaled ten taels of silver, or ten guan.

One tael of silver could be exchanged for a thousand wen.

Under my father's rule, the people's income has greatly increased.

A dan of rice now costs three to four thousand wen.

With greater emphasis on agriculture, rice prices have fallen year by year; at the start of this year, they dipped below two thousand five hundred wen, prompting countless Confucian scholars to praise my father's wisdom and virtue.

Coarse hemp cloth—the lowest grade—costs about thirty wen.

Hemp cloth costs six hundred wen.

The silk on these dockworkers' bodies is nearly worth a full tael of silver.

Yu Wen Liqian was no pampered palace bird—she had traveled widely and understood the people's hardships firsthand.

A commoner earning a hundred wen a day, a merchant earning two hundred and fifty, were considered well-off.

Pork cost thirty wen per jin; fine flour cost thirty-five wen per jin.

Most commoners bartered goods instead of using coin.

Government clerks of the ninth rank earned sixty taels; those of the lowest ninth rank earned slightly less—fifty taels.

Only at the eighth rank did one receive eighty taels; the lowest eighth rank earned seventy.

A first-rank official's salary was two thousand taels—only the official stipend from court.

In recent years, Yan has promoted frugality, starting from the imperial harem, eliminating extravagance, and making it a widespread custom.

In contrast, the Prince of Yan dares to use twelve horses to pull his carriage—such absurd luxury!

Truly, profligate beyond measure!

Yu Wen Liqian shook her head slightly, scanning the crowd; their faces were healthy, their spirits full.

Along the entire journey, she had not seen a single beggar.

Remember this:

Even in Han's capital, beggars were unavoidable.

The old man who had just pretended to be injured rose calmly, sat down quietly before the crowd, pulled out a pipe from his pocket, and began smoking leisurely, puffing smoke as he stared at the carriage ahead.

A sea of people blocked the road, showing no intention to clear a path.

Su Beihai watched the gathered crowd—no one moved.

"Princess, please don't rush."

Yu Wen Liqian merely smiled faintly:

"Master Su, rest easy—we've traveled a thousand li already; we'll arrive soon enough. There's no need to hurry."

"Master Su, why has the Qing Gang come out today?"

Su Beihai made no attempt to hide his answer:

"This goes back to two edicts issued last year."

"Years ago, houses in Jiakangcheng were half-rented, half-owned; in recent years, property prices have risen again and again—over the past decade, they've more than doubled tenfold, and this year? Even the best houses at the start of the year were priced at astronomical sums."

Su Beihai chuckled bitterly: "A few years ago, working hard for four or five years could buy you a two-courtyard home; now, you'd barely afford the stone lions at the gate."

"Fortunately, last year, the Prince of Yan issued an edict: only residents of Jiakangcheng may buy property within the city, and each household may own only one house. A second house requires official guarantee and a thirty percent higher price."

Yu Wen Liqian nodded slightly—she well knew how exorbitant property prices were in Han's capital.

Yet her confusion deepened: why restrict home purchases to locals?

Su Beihai's brow furrowed with resignation: "This ties into another, even stricter edict. To control the influence of outsiders on Jiakangcheng, the Prince of Yan decreed that anyone wishing to settle here must first reside in the city for a full year and pay a full year's labor tax to the Prince's court before qualifying to buy property—these two edicts operate together."

"But still, too many outsiders flood into Jiakangcheng—nearly a million people arrive each year!"

Yu Wen Liqian understood every word, yet not their meaning.

"What does this have to do with the Qing Gang?"

Su Beihai realized: this Han princess knew nothing of Yan's policies.

"Think of it this way: when people from surrounding counties buy homes in Jiakangcheng, they must settle here—and then they compete with locals for jobs."

"The Qing Gang mostly consists of dockworkers and carters; with more outsiders, most of these jobs are taken by them. To compete, they lower wages, which drives down pay for everyone."

Yu Wen Liqian now understood: outsiders were naturally cheaper labor.

The Qing Gang was protecting its own interests!

"Then why block our carriage?"

Su Beihai's expression darkened:

"The Prince of Yan's imperial envoy arrives in a few days. The Qing Gang wants to stir up trouble, fabricate public grievances—those are exactly the kind of incidents the court's censors love to exploit!"

"So today, the government office was understaffed—we had to rush out with only a few of us. Princess, I apologize."

Yu Wen Liqian didn't care about that—she now understood.

It seemed Su Beihai's account was true, yet what was unfolding was still shocking.

The people were openly defying the government!

A phenomenon unheard of in history!

Yu Wen Liqian stared at the old man smoking his pipe—what was his true motive?

The maid beside her growled:

"If this rabble were in Han, they'd be beaten to death on the spot."

In Han, even minor clerks carried themselves like gods—let alone officials.

Troublesome devils, feared like wolves and leopards!

In my country, Han, such rabble would be punished immediately. Ritual and hierarchy are the foundation of state order; to refuse to bow before an official, regardless of status, is grave disrespect.

Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, Teacher—the Ruler stands supreme; the people are beneath.

Official authority must inspire awe; the people must hold reverence.

The great Confucians once said: only when each person fulfills their role can the state be peaceful and prosperous for generations.

In other words, to ensure the people's peace and contentment, keep them bound to one task for life—then the state will flourish.

Su Beihai noticed her thoughts and explained:

"The Prince of Yan has been too lenient toward his people. Yan law has abolished most punishments and established multiple protections for the common folk."

"No arrest or corporal punishment without grave crime—and if local officials violate this, their punishment is doubled."

"Combined with the Prince's own example, this has trickled down—resulting in ever bolder, more brazen behavior among the people."

Su Beihai sighed:

"I envy the officials of the other four states—those people are honest, obedient, unlike Yan's folk who know the law inside out and invent endless tricks."

"Now private schools are everywhere; every household has children who can read. The Prince of Yan even sends officials monthly to teach the Yan law directly to the people."

Yuwen Liqian listened to Su Beihai's complaints, gazing at the soldiers around her clad in heavy armor and wielding long spears, steel blades in hand, glinting coldly, each standing as straight as pines.

The road was crowded with bustling civilians.

Officials around them held clubs.

The civilians held no weapons, yet showed not a trace of fear, chatting and laughing.

Some mischievous children ran over, imitating the soldiers' postures, jumping and hopping before being shooed away.

It was as festive as a holiday!

Yuwen Liqian was momentarily perplexed.

In her understanding, the people—the foundation of the state—were usually at the lowest rung of society, always appearing weak and helpless before the government.

Yet the scene before her completely overturned her beliefs.

They were confronting the government offices.

Step inside, and the terrifying beating sticks awaited—who wasn't afraid?

Half the government compound opened southward!

How?

These civilians, laughing and chatting, carried no weapons, not even a blade—yet dared to block the Prefect's carriage and openly defy the authorities. Where did their courage come from?

A towering tree must have its roots; a flood circling the mountains must have its source.

Even the tallest trees have their roots; even the waters encircling the hills have their origin.

After much thought, she could see only one possibility.

That unoccupied Yan Prince's mansion, that living tomb on Mount Zhongnan, that Yan Prince who had cultivated for ten years!

When Lu Chen, then Junior Protector, returned to the northern lands, the northern people slaughtered sheep and oxen in celebration.

When the Yan Prince ascended Mount Zhongnan!

Ten thousand people burned incense, as if worshipping a god!

(End of Chapter)