PFC Chapter 857: The separation of life and death between the monarch and his subjects.
Chapter 857: The separation of life and death between the monarch and his subjects.
Ye Kun smiled and said, "That's a bit strange. Where did the farmers' money go?"
Jiang Yourong said: "I have read Wei Caiqin's survey report. The main reason why farmers have no money is that the population is growing too fast and too much. A family with more than a dozen children will have a lot of trouble eating.
As the saying goes, a teenager can eat his father out of money. Children in their teens are the biggest eaters.
Also, as the children grow up, the house is no longer big enough for them, so they have to build a new house. Farmers work hard and save money for several years, but they can only build a few small brick houses.
In short, as the population grows, there are many problems in rural areas, and there are problems almost every day. "
Ye Kun laughed: "Don't worry, Madam. If there is a problem, there is a solution. At present, a larger population is not a bad thing. If there is not enough land, we can open up wasteland and immigrate abroad.
If there are not enough houses, we can build houses and take soil to make bricks.”
Jiang Yourong smiled and said, "I can't explain clearly about the rural affairs. Wei Caiqin does have some ideas. The emperor should talk to her."
Ye Kun nodded: "I'll go see her tomorrow when I'm free."
Wei Caiqin is now the Minister of the Ministry of Women and Children, and is also in charge of orphanages, nursing homes, etc.
She has moved out of the palace and lives in the inner city.
Having your own residence is convenient for working.
Because they were not in the palace, Wei Caiqin and Ye Kun did not spend much time together.
Silent all night.
The next morning, when Ye Kun was washing up, he received a call from Sang Buyi's home saying that Sang Buyi had woken up.
Ye Kun quickly washed up, took a rickshaw and went straight to Sang Buzhi's home.
Sang Buyi was dying on the sickbed, but when he saw Ye Kun, his eyes lit up.
Ye Kun stepped forward and held Sang Buyi's hand: "Master Sang, I came back late. I didn't expect... that you would be bedridden."
"Your Majesty..." Sang Buyi burst into tears and choked up, "Your Majesty, this old minister can no longer serve the country."
"Lord Sang has devoted himself to the country and the people, and his name will surely go down in history. The people of China and all of China will never forget you."
"Your Majesty, I am honored to have followed you for thirty years. Following you, I have broadened my horizons and learned a lot. Now that the Nine Provinces are unified, China has completely conquered Jiaozhi and Tianzhu Continent, and has deployed troops overseas, with power spreading across the world. I will die without regrets."
"Don't say anything, Lord Sang. I have read the letter you wrote to me. I understand your intentions. Don't worry, I will follow your suggestions."
"Thank you, Your Majesty..."
Sang Buyi showed a knowing smile, took a breath, and then said: "The first emperor of the previous dynasty founded the country, hoping that the empire would last for thousands of generations, but unfortunately it died in two generations. Now, my Chinese Han will surely last for thousands of generations."
"No, there is no dynasty in the world that can last forever. At least, not in the history we know of. Ancient Greece in the West lasted for thousands of years, which is already remarkable."
Ye Kun smiled and said, "I only pray that the Chinese race will live forever, not that the Han Dynasty will last forever. But I think that if future generations are obedient, it may be possible for the Han Dynasty to last for a thousand years."
Sang Buyi smiled and said, "Could it be that the Emperor has already had a thousand-year plan?"
"I still have many methods that I haven't used yet. If I don't consider the people and only consider the rule of the dynasty, and use some inhumane methods, the Han Dynasty can continue forever."
Ye Kun leaned over and whispered a few words into Sang Buyi's ear.
When Sang Buyi heard this, he was shocked and seemed to be unbelieving.
Ye Kun smiled and said, "But I would rather lose the Ye family's kingdom than do those inhumane things. Besides, if the empire can no longer rule, I still have one last trick."
Sang Buyi closed his eyes and sighed, "Your Majesty's talent and wisdom are unmatched by the saints and sages of all ages. In this case, I am relieved."
Ye Kun nodded: "Rest assured, I will ask the best doctor to treat your body."
After seeing Sang Buyi, Ye Kun left and returned to the Sang family's study to drink tea.
Everyone present was very curious and wondered what Ye Kun had said to Sang Buyi in his ear.
Before he had finished his cup of tea, the eldest son of the Sang family ran in crying, kneeling down and shouting, "Your Majesty, my father... is gone!"
Ye Kun stood up, remained silent for a long time, and sighed:
"Pass on my order to hold a state funeral for Lord Sang. Send a telegram to the whole country and overseas, and all departments, schools, and garrison bases should fly flags at half-mast to express condolences.
An order was issued to compile Mr. Sang's life and achievements, publish them in newspapers, and broadcast them on the radio in a loop.
An order was issued: during the period of Lord Sang's funeral, all entertainment activities in the country were cancelled.
Send an order to set up a funeral committee for Lord Sang. I will be the chairman and Zhuge Hong will be the vice chairman. All the first-rank ministers in Zhuo County will be members..."
Sang Buyi's eldest son kowtowed repeatedly and knelt down to thank the emperor for his grace.
Because of Sang Buzhi's funeral, from the current perspective, its rank is second only to that of the retired emperor Gongsun Zhang.
This is an unparalleled honor, and the descendants of the Sang family can brag about it for hundreds of years.
Ye Kun straightened his clothes, bowed to Sang Buzhi's body, and then convened a funeral meeting.
All the specific work was arranged by Zhuge Hong.
Ye Kun is just a name.
Because we knew many days ago that Sang Buyi would not survive, we made preparations early on.
The funeral arrangements were well organized.
The next day, Sang Buzhi's body was sent to the National Merit Park to receive condolences from civil and military officials in the court and the people of Zhuo County.
Crown Prince Ye Feng personally kept vigil for Sang Buyi, wearing mourning clothes.
For several days, there was an endless stream of people coming to pay their respects.
Ye Kun personally wrote a eulogy and elegiac couplets, and highly praised Sang Buzhi's life in newspapers and radio.
Seven days later, Sang Buzhi's funeral arrangements were completed.
Ye Kun rested for two days and convened an enlarged meeting of the Nine Departments. He invited senior representatives of the National People's Congress and representatives of the Mohist Alliance to jointly elect Zhuge Hong as the new leader of the Nine Departments.
Zhuge Hong was young and lacked prestige.
Except for the Western Regions, people in other places don't know enough about Zhuge Hong.
Even some ordinary people have never heard of Zhuge Hong's name.
In order to improve Zhuge Hong's reputation, Ye Kun asked Wen Axiu and others to vigorously promote Zhuge Hong in newspapers and radio, and brought up the deceased Zhuge Feng to clear Zhuge Hong's name.
Before long, it was November.
Ye Kun summoned Zhuge Hong privately: "You are young after all. Now that you are in a high position, I am afraid that the grassroots officials and people will not accept it. There is still some time at the end of the year. You can represent me and go to Luoyang and Jinling to inspect and increase your prestige.
After the new year, you will go to Chang'an and Yizhou for inspection. After a round, you will have prestige and will be able to better help the prince govern the country in the future."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for thinking of me."
Zhuge Hong was very grateful and clasped his fists and said, "I will definitely follow Lord Sang's example and devote myself to the cause until my death."
Ye Kun nodded: "You arrange the tour now, and I will take care of the affairs of the court. But you must pay attention to creating an image of being close to the people, honest, and simple. To win the hearts of the people, all you need to do is be fair, law-abiding, honest, and simple."
"Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered forever."
Zhuge Hong bowed and took his leave.