Fifteen days ago, Author: Zhu Xin Xia Ren
Chapter 5: Officials and Commoners
At this moment, Zhao Feng stepped down from the carriage and arrived at the entrance of the alley.
Clad in a bright yellow robe that resembled the scorching sun in the sky, he made the common people tremble even more violently.
Beside Fairy Yuhua, a divine wind whispered in her ears, revealing the fears of the people.
She possessed a divine ability called "Listening to Truth," which allowed her to hear the sounds of the heart and perceive cause and effect.
However, due to the limitations of her cultivation level, she could only hear the strongest thoughts of the heart.
These people were extremely afraid of Zhao Feng.
They did not know his identity, but they feared anyone dressed in luxurious attire, like the tiger-skin-like clothes he wore.
Fairy Yuhua had just entered the mortal world, but she was not blind.
She could see that Great Gan was not as peaceful and prosperous as they claimed.
Smoke signals rose at the end of the plains, hungry people roamed outside the city, and extravagance ran rampant within the city.
It was the first time she truly felt the fear of the people towards the Zhao family.
Furrowing his brows, Zhao Feng couldn't contain the disdain in his eyes and said, "In the divine capital of Bianjing, how can there be so many poorly dressed and exposed individuals? It truly disgraces our culture."
At this moment, Jiang Fugui, who had heard the commotion from the mansion, came out.
Startled by the scene outside, he quickly knelt down upon seeing Zhao Feng in the crowd and said, "This servant pays respects to the Ninth Prince."
Having worked under Gu Wen, he had naturally seen Zhao Feng before.
However, unlike with Gu Wen, he had no qualifications to converse with Zhao Feng on a regular basis.
Glancing at him, Zhao Feng asked, "Why are there so many disheveled people gathered here? Are they refugees?"
Jiang Fugui immediately broke into a cold sweat, fearing that Zhao Feng might misunderstand and think they were sheltering refugees.
He hurriedly explained, "Replying to the Ninth Prince, these are all commoners from the city, not refugees. At most, they can be considered wild folk, all residents of Bianjing."
Due to the issue of population growth, Bianjing City had expanded throughout the dynasties, but the expansion rate could not keep up with the population increase.
Moreover, the emperor had to build new palaces every year, constantly demolishing and seizing civilian residences within the city.
Over time, settlements similar to markets formed outside the city walls.
The court even established yamens for these settlements, which had already begun to develop at the county level.
These commoners outside the city were called "wild folk" by the residents of Bianjing, living in the wilderness.
"Why do they stay here?" Zhao Feng inquired.
It was all because the imperial palace expanded year after year, and the emperor built new palaces annually.
The city walls of Bianjing would not expand on their own, so they had to demolish and relocate the residents.
In theory, the court would provide compensation, but often these compensations were heavily exploited, with only a fraction reaching the people.
It was impossible to buy another house in Bianjing, and they did not want to become wild folk outside the city.
In the end, they could only wander the streets and alleys.
Jiang Fugui dared not speak the truth and hesitated for a moment before replying, "The water supply and demand fluctuate with the seasons. When it rises, there are not enough workers, and when it falls, there is no need for so many people. Therefore, Master Wen only retains some able-bodied men and outsources the rest."
Zhao Feng found this somewhat intriguing and asked, "What do you mean by outsourcing?"
"Hiring workers for a day only. Master Wen does not employ them as permanent laborers in the water house, saving a lot of money and allowing for flexible adjustments in the workforce. That's why these people gather here, to find daily work," Jiang Fugui explained, admiring his master from the bottom of his heart.
He was truly a business genius.
Just this outsourcing method alone saved a considerable amount of money.
Moreover, the more chaotic the world became, the more cheap labor they had at their disposal.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng suddenly realized.
He knew of Gu Wen's talent in business, but he was still amazed.
Then, he glanced at the white-robed divine maiden beside him and frowned with disdain, saying, "Truly, there is no honesty in business. To exploit the common people in such a manner."
If the common people had no money, they could not pay taxes.
The court could not simply exterminate them, as this was Bianjing.
Taxation from outside regions would drive people to ruin, with many unable to pay taxes turning to banditry in the mountains.
But under the feet of the Bianjing emperor, this was not the case.
It was not that the emperor was benevolent, but rather the common people were right beside them.
Gu Wen was exploiting loopholes in the laws of Great Gan, which naturally displeased Zhao Feng as a prince.
Jiang Fugui wore a smile on his face, repeatedly apologizing and not daring to show any resentment.
However, deep down, he almost cursed: 'The wealth earned all ends up in your pockets.
At least Master Wen provides people with a meal.
When working for the court, they might not even get a meal, let alone be paid.
They might have to bring their own food and money.'
The conflicts between officials and merchants, officials and commoners, and merchants and commoners all ultimately traced back to the Zhao family, the imperial emperor.
Fairy Yuhua observed everything with her eyes, seeing cause and effect, and hearing the thoughts of people.
The royal family endlessly expanded their palaces, while officials exploited the common people, and in the end, it was the merchants who appeared virtuous.
This so-called royal family was not acting like true rulers.
It was the fallen Gu family that actually sheltered the common people.
Fairy Yuhua and Zhao Feng entered the Gu Mansion one after the other.
The mansion was spacious and grand, with over a hundred servants and maids kneeling on both sides.
The paths were paved with blue stone slabs, exuding an air of wealth and splendor.
She could confirm that the descendants of the Gu family indeed lived in luxury, at least ensured by the Zhao family.
The rest was beyond Fairy Yuhua's control; she was currently just a representative of the sect in the mortal world, with the real authority lying in the hands of the true immortals within the sect.
Just as Zhao Feng was only a representative of the Zhao family, the true authority lay with the Daoist Emperor in the palace.
Although depriving the Gu family of opportunities was an internal decision, as a disciple of the Three Purities who benefited from the sect's residual blessings, she also had a karmic connection.
Regardless of the sect's internal decisions, she only sought to have a clear conscience.
Compensating from her own pocket was one aspect, ensuring the livelihood of their descendants was another.
"Where is Gu Wen?" Zhao Feng asked.
Seating himself at the main seat and looking around, Zhao Feng, accompanied by Jiang Fugui, inquired, "Yesterday, Master Wen caught a cold, and the doctor is still treating him. I have already sent someone to fetch him."
"Make sure he comes quickly, don't keep the fairy waiting," Zhao Feng instructed.
"Yes, I will go and fetch him immediately."
As Jiang Fugui hurried away, Fairy Yuhua, as if ignoring Zhao Feng's attentiveness, turned to the maid beside her and asked, "How is Gu Wen's life in the mansion?"
The maid was momentarily stunned, unsure why this immortal suddenly inquired about her master's well-being.
Was she a distant relative?
"Master Wen leads a disciplined life, rising at ten and retiring at five. He enjoys practicing health cultivation, eating, cricket fighting..."
The residents of the mansion were all poor people who had been taken in, with low levels of education.
The young maid could only recount in a somewhat crude manner, causing both Zhao Feng and Feng Xiang, the main servant, to chuckle.
"Has he taken a wife?" Fairy Yuhua's voice was gentle and casual, but the tone of inquiry was different from that of a senior asking a same-age person.
The social atmosphere was conservative, with numerous rules and etiquette, but it was not something outsiders understood the nuances of.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
The maid couldn't help but glance at Fairy Yuhua a few more times.
From her voice, she didn't sound like an elder.
"Master has never taken a wife, nor does he stay in places of debauchery. There are no maids in the mansion favored by Master Wen. It would be a suitable match..."
Fairy Yuhua simply nodded.
Having interacted with the powerful and wealthy in the mortal realm for some time, although they appeared glamorous on the surface, there was often hidden filth behind the scenes.
For Zhao Feng, the unsightly karmic relationships within the mansion made him uncomfortable.
With concubines aplenty, the situation was complicated.
He thought he had concealed it well, but he couldn't escape the scrutiny of her divine listening.
The descendants of the Gu family still possessed a pure Yang body, which was rare.
They were indeed a suitable match and could even be recommended to the sect's disciples...
Fairy Yuhua remembered the many lazy and vulgar individuals in the outer sect, who were sent back to secular life every year.
These individuals did not completely leave the sect, nor did they willingly become ordinary people.
They pinned their hopes on the next generation, marrying relatives of some disciples within the sect, or even elders.
In this intricate web of relationships, they formed large families at the foot of the mountain, controlling the wealth, land, and laws of ordinary people.
Dynasties like Great Gan were just products of specific times and places; the outside world did not offer ordinary people the chance to become emperors.
With this matter settled, she could guarantee that qualified descendants of the Gu family could enter the Jade Clear Sect.
Not to mention a family of disciples of the Three Purities, even the disciples themselves would be willing to humble themselves.
The geniuses were always a minority; the vast majority of cultivators in the cultivation world were in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages.
Many books are now hard to find, so cherish what you have.