Old Fang turned around, took his seat, nodded, and with a smile, took out so silver coins from his sleeve and placed them on the table to tip the shop assistant, inquiring in a low voice, "Is this Shuoyang Army... the very ones trained by the Princess of Zhen to attack bandits?"
The shop assistant, receiving the tip, bead even more brightly, his tone increasingly fawning, "Oh my! Thank you for the tip! You an the patrolling Shuoyang Army... they are indeed the troops trained by the Princess of Zhen to fight bandits for the people of Shuoyang. Now the Shuoyang soldiers patrol the city all day long. Not to ntion those bandits... even the petty criminals within the city are too scared to show their faces!"
Old Fang nodded and asked again, "That young lady... is she the fifth daughter of the Bai family?"
"That’s right! Isn’t it said that the direct descendants of the Bai Clan have an ancestral law that the sons and daughters of the Bai family must join the army for training? Later on... when all the Bai n died on the battlefield, the training of the fifth and sixth daughters was delayed. Then... when the Shuoyang Army was established, the two young ladies trained with the Shuoyang Army. They started as ordinary soldiers and now... they’ve beco centurions! After all, they are indeed the offspring of the Bai family, truly impressive! Look at our Princess of Zhen and Commandery Princess Gaoyi... they were invincible in the wars against the Liang Kingdom!"
The shop assistant, speaking of the Princess of Zhen and Commandery Princess Gaoyi, and the Bai family, couldn’t hide his admiration, smiling as he said, "Who says won are not as good as n! Don’t you agree?"
Old Fang’s heart sank continuously; he hadn’t expected the Princess of Zhen’s prestige in Shuoyang to be so high.
"I have been walking around the city for a long ti, but I haven’t seen any beggar..." Old Fang again asked with a smile, "I rember that it was said that the refugees from Huayang City had all co to Shuoyang City. Have they all left?"
Talking about this, the shop assistant’s eyes grew even brighter, "Leave? Before, Shuoyang indeed received a large number of refugees from Huayang City. The Princess of Zhen thought about how they would be resettled in the future, and later on... those who were healthy and strong were healed and then joined the army. As for those who were weak, well... Shuoyang saved their lives, they couldn’t be saved for free! These people were settled inside or outside Shuoyang City, repaying the dicine and food originally spent to save them through their labor."
"Actually, the Princess of Zhen didn’t really want to collect any dicine fees, but she didn’t want those disaster victims to think that they could get sothing for nothing by coming to Shuoyang! They could repay the dicine and food with their labor and also earn so money to live on."
"Later, the Princess of Zhen introduced reward asures, and these people settled in Shuoyang steadily. Anyone who made remarkable achievents was rewarded! For example, two years ago, Wang Ren, who improved the thod of irrigating farmland and increased the grain yield per mu, look... now Wang Ren not only has been employed by the governnt, but the Princess of Zhen also arranged for him to have a residence. His whole family has their own small yard! Life is really good for them!"
"The original beggars in Shuoyang have all been properly arranged. Those without household registration... were given new registrations. These people, after being registered, would have their household registration records separately archived. Every half a month, the Shuoyang Army would check on what these people were doing. Even if they wanted to sell themselves or do business, the local officials and the Shuoyang Army wouldn’t intervene! The only rule was that people in Shuoyang were not allowed to give money or food to beggars, not to encourage the habit of idle living! Naturally... if there were those too old to work and without children, the Shuoyang Army would also make proper arrangents for them."
The shop assistant, speaking more because of Old Fang’s tip, smiled and said, "Everyone in Shuoyang now lives well. As Lord Bai Qingping, in charge of the Shuoyang Army, said, as long as one is willing to work hard, everyone in Shuoyang can have a good life! Sir, enjoy your al. Call if you need anything! I’ll go get busy!"
Old Fang nodded, the more he listened, the more he felt fear. None of these things had been reported to the Imperial Court by the local governor of Shuoyang or Bai Qingyan. Bai Qingyan intended to make Shuoyang her Bai family’s private territory!
Old Fang was calculating in his mind how to inform the Crown Prince of this when he overheard a few tables next to him discussing matters of Dadu City.
"I heard that King Liang colluded with the Left Pri Minister Li Mao and the head of the Imperial Guards, Fan Yuhuai, to rebel! They want to kill the Crown Prince and the Emperor! You just ca back from Dadu City, is this true?" soone asked their friend.
The person who had just returned from Dadu City nodded repeatedly in astonishnt, "Your news is so fast! It’s going to be a coup! I was already at the gate of Dadu City that day, and when I heard that all four gates of Dadu City were sealed! Only entry was allowed, no exits! I dared not go in, so I had my apprentice deliver the tea inside the city. I found an excuse to turn back! I was just about to tell you about this today."
"What else do you need to say! I just returned from the neighboring county. Word has spread there... they say the Crown Prince and the Emperor are now trapped in the Imperial Palace, and it seems that the second young lady of the Bai family is leading the troops in resistance!"
"Yes, this news has spread far and wide. I heard it all along the way back from Dadu City, in tea houses and inns. Everyone is talking about it!"
"I find it hard to believe. If King Liang really wants to stage a coup, how could news of his actions spread so quickly?"
"They say the Crown Prince sensed King Liang’s movents and sent people to spread the word, hoping soone would raise troops to save the country! It’s also to make sure people know, so if one day... King Liang kills the Emperor and blas it on the Crown Prince, there might be soone to clear his na. The Crown Prince is afraid of being cursed after his death."
"Actually, even if the Crown Prince didn’t send people to spread the news, I wouldn’t believe he would kill the Emperor! The Crown Prince is already the Crown Prince. Once the Emperor passes... the throne would be his! Why would he need to commit regicide? It doesn’t make sense!"
"Imperial family power struggles are deadly serious, the winner takes all..."
Old Fang couldn’t sit still after hearing this. He sprang up, knocking his stool over loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the tavern.
Old Fang’s face was pale, his breath unstable...
King Liang has rebelled?
He dared not stay any longer. He turned hurriedly and ran downstairs.
The four guards who escorted Old Fang to Shuoyang were eating downstairs and hadn’t finished their al. Seeing Old Fang hurry down, they wiped their mouths, put down their silver coins, and grabbed their swords to follow. "Sir, where are we going?"
"Back to Dadu City! Imdiately! Now!" Old Fang’s voice was uncontrollably high-pitched and trembling. He couldn’t imagine... if Fan Yuhuai and Li Mao had joined King Liang, and King Liang rebelled while Liu Hong and the Princess of Zhen led the main forces of Jin to Daliang, how long could the Crown Prince hold out?
"Yes!" One of the guards quickly rushed out to get the carriage.
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