Linxia

Chapter 226, the end

Fang Lin already had a guess about this person's identity, but he didn't reveal it.

——The other party was visiting incognito, was not summoned to the palace, and did not take the initiative to reveal his identity. It was obvious that he did not want to reveal it, which created a distance between them during this meeting.

"Thank you, brother." He sat down opposite.

The white-faced, beardless man next to him frowned and was about to scold, but Emperor Hong Tai raised his hand to stop him. He looked at Fang Lin and a smile appeared on his cold face, as if he was satisfied with this tacit understanding.

Yes, it’s tacit understanding!
At this time, Fang Lin recognized Emperor Hong Tai. Emperor Hong Tai knew that Fang Lin recognized him, and Fang Lin also knew that Emperor Hong Tai knew that he recognized him. However, neither of them revealed it, maintaining a subtle tacit understanding.

In this tacit understanding, Emperor Hongtai spoke up and asked, "From your accent, I can tell that you are from another place. How does the capital look to you? How does it compare to your hometown?"

"The capital area, at the feet of the emperor, is the best place in Daxia. It has a larger population than my hometown, Huai'an Prefecture, and is more prosperous. However, in terms of city appearance and cleanliness, it is far inferior." Fang Lin said truthfully.

When Emperor Hongtai heard this, he was not angry: "In your opinion, why is it so?"

"Compared to Huai'an, the capital is more difficult to govern, as all kinds of relationships are intertwined. However, as long as the court is determined, it may be possible to rectify it. The deeper reason behind this is the different nature of the cities."

Fang Lin did not shy away from speaking his mind, showing his sincerity: "The capital is the political and cultural center of Daxia, with an underdeveloped industry and many dignitaries. It is a consumer city and relatively difficult to govern. Huai'an is different. You can see large factories and busy workers. It is a production city, with all kinds of goods shipped from north to south and even overseas. The business is developed. If there is no good environment, the entire business chain will be affected."

“That’s an interesting statement.”

Although Fang Lin's words contained some "made-up words", it was not difficult for Emperor Hongtai, who had been in correspondence with Fang Lin for a long time, to understand. He listened with an interested look, and his emotions fluctuated. He started to cough, and the handkerchief covering his mouth showed a little blood. Facing Fang Lin's inquiring eyes, he explained: "It's just an illness, it's nothing serious."

Fang Lin sighed inwardly, it was a pity that he had already asked the guards to escort Li Dongbi back home.

However, even if Li Dongbi was still there, it would probably be useless. The other party was also from the Imperial Medical Service. It is said that there are countless famous doctors in the Imperial Medical Service, and some of them are no worse than him.

Since even the Imperial Hospital couldn't cure the disease, Li Dongbi probably couldn't do anything about it either. All he could say was that the disease was incurable and no medicine could cure it.

Emperor Hongtai waved his hand, did not say anything about his own health, and asked about Fang Lin's journey.

Fang Lin answered them one by one, talking about what he saw along the way, Mr. Jiang and Mr. Qian fighting and throwing money; Ge Chong's unorthodox ideas, a book house with thousands of books, delicious food, and magical fried crabs; Yu Jiaoyu pretending to be elegant and buying fame; Jinsheng focusing on flowers and plants...all kinds of people with different interests. And on the way, he felt like riding a Taiping cart to rush on the road, and met Zhang Ruian, who was an expert in calligraphy and was eager to learn...

Emperor Hongtai listened with great interest, even when he heard Ge Chong's unorthodox ideas, mentioning the Six Classics, the Analects of Confucius, and Mencius, which are now being used by fake Confucianists as a tool to bluff people, used as a shield by hypocrites, and exploited by certain people, their original intentions have long been lost, and the spearhead is directed at the orthodox "Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism" of the current official imperial examinations. His expression did not change at all, and he even nodded slightly, as if to approve it.

His face was filled with reminiscence, and he said with emotion: "When I was young, I used to fight with those scholars out of a momentary rage, because I couldn't stand those hypocrites who talked about etiquette and morality... After fighting for many years, I saw their true colors more clearly. They talked about benevolence, righteousness and morality, and held the banner of Confucius and Mencius, but did dirty things..."

Although Emperor Hongtai did not call himself "I" in these words, his identity was exposed if one thinks carefully. However, he did not intend to conceal it.

Soon, the two talked about travel, popular novels, from Daxia to overseas, from Nanyang to the West.

Emperor Hongtai, as an emperor, was knowledgeable and extraordinary, and was able to keep up with the conversation and have a pleasant chat.

Fang Lin talked about the ongoing Renaissance in the West, the upcoming explosion of science and technology, and even the not-too-distant Industrial Revolution.

"I probably understand."

Emperor Hongtai looked solemn and asserted: "In one or two hundred years, the Western Region will become a great threat to our Eastern Region, and the disaster will be even worse than that of Liaodong."

Fang Lin was shocked by the long-term vision of Emperor Hongtai. The history of the Qing Dynasty in his previous life proved this. After thinking for a while, he said, "Even though the Western Land is undergoing a Renaissance, it has not yet widened the gap. If our Great Xia catches up and learns from the foreigners, there is a chance that we will surpass them."

"No, you're wrong."

Emperor Hongtai shook his head and said, "Oranges grown in the south of the Huai River are oranges, while oranges grown in the north of the Huai River are bitter oranges. The Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Great Explorations that you mentioned are inseparable from the culture and system of the Western Land. If the culture and system of the Western Land are the land, then the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Great Explorations are the fruits grown on the trees of this land. The culture and system of Daxia and the Western Land are completely different. If we only transplant the 'fruits on the tree', it will definitely not adapt to the local climate. Even if it looks like a cluster of flowers and abundant fruits for a while, it is just a form in vain."

In this regard, he made the opposite conclusion: "Learning from foreigners' advanced technology cannot solve the problem. If the court was weak at the time, even if Daxia looked scary for a while, it would be just a paper tiger that would break with a single poke. Even if we met a wise ruler, we could catch up for a while, but as long as the culture and system of this land did not change, in just 30 to 50 years, we would go back to the old ways and widen the gap."

"If we want to solve this problem from the root, we have to have another ideological movement like the Hundred Schools of Thought, and then we can change the world and rebuild it."

Fang Lin was horrified when he heard this. The history of his previous life also proved this point. The Westernization Movement, which only aimed to learn technology and "learn from the barbarians to control them", was indeed a failure. Even though it seemed to be vigorous and successful at the time, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 exposed the weakness.

When he heard Emperor Hongtai say, "If we want to solve the problem at the root, we have to have an ideological movement like the Hundred Schools of Thought, and then change the world and rebuild it," he subconsciously thought of the New Culture Movement and the May Fourth Movement. And, it was indeed the spark that set the whole country on fire and turned the world upside down, which allowed the people of this land to stand up again.

At this moment, Fang Lin thought of this and was even more shocked by Emperor Hongtai's gaze. He once again deeply realized: Never underestimate the people of this era, especially the elites of this era. They are no dumber than himself. The only thing they lack compared to him is the experience of their previous lives and hundreds of years of historical memory.

'As for Emperor Hongtai, he is no longer an elite. As an emperor who has fought with the elites in the court for half his life, his vision is even sharper. After being exposed to enough information, his vision can even transcend the times! '

Emperor Hongtai saw the threat from the Western Region and gave a solution, but he also knew that it was a matter of the distant future. As a person with not much time left, he did not worry about it so far and just chatted: "My Great Xia has reached the point where we can either break it down and then rebuild it, or continue along the path of the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties and take a more conservative path. The Western Region is different from my Great Xia. It is a different soil. I don't know what the scene will be like hundreds of years later if it continues along the path you described. I really want to see it!"

"I can't see it, but I can imagine it."

Fang Lin seemed to be joking, but also seemed to be serious when he said: "Hundreds of years later, there will be huge steel ships that can carry tens of thousands of pounds, iron birds that can carry hundreds of people and soar into the sky, and bridges that can span rivers and seas. The people will be able to eat and wear warm clothes, and there will be surplus food every year. Everyone will read and know how to write, and everyone will be as powerful as a dragon..."

When Emperor Hongtai listened to this description, he did not say it was absurd or ridiculous. Instead, he listened very seriously with a fascinated look on his face.

On the contrary, the white-faced, beardless man next to him changed color and shook his head slightly, thinking secretly: "What kind of huge steel ship can carry tens of thousands of pounds, what kind of iron bird can carry hundreds of people and fly in the sky, it's worthy of being a novelist, it's ridiculous."

He didn't believe a single word of these. Instead of believing them, he would rather believe the Monkey King in Journey to the West who could wield a 108,000-jin golden cudgel.

Fang Lin and Emperor Hong Tai were chatting about everything under the sun. The world is so big that they forgot about time for a moment, but in fact, this was their first meeting.

"Daddy!" At this time, Qiuqiu came down from the second floor with her short legs.

It turned out that the little guy took the initiative to ask for the task of ordering food. As soon as he went down the stairs, he saw his father and ran over quickly.

Some people on the periphery seemed to be about to take action, but they stopped immediately after the white-faced, beardless man next to them waved his hand secretly.

Qiuqiu ran over and threw herself into her father's arms. She rubbed against Fang Lin's arms, then looked at Emperor Hongtai and greeted him crisply, "Hello, uncle!"

"What a lovely girl! It's the first time we meet and you didn't bring any gifts." Emperor Hongtai touched his arms and took out a white jade pendant with a coiled dragon pattern.

Qiuqiu subconsciously looked at her father, and only accepted it after Fang Lin nodded slightly, and thanked him politely: "Thank you, uncle!"

"It's getting late, I should go too. I'm very happy to talk with you today."

Emperor Hongtai looked at the sky outside, then stood up with the help of the white-faced, beardless man beside him. Finally, he looked at Fang Lin with a very complicated expression, which seemed to be filled with reluctance, hesitation as to what to say, as well as calmness and open-mindedness about the times of separation and reunion. In the end, he only said "take care, brother", and then went out and disappeared into the dim light of the setting sun.

……

Fang Lin took Qiuqiu with him and sent Emperor Hongtai out. Qiuqiu watched the uncle leave, shook Fang Lin's hand, tilted her head and asked, "Dad, who is that uncle? Why have I never seen him before?"

"He is the most powerful person in the world."

"But he looks sick to me."

"Yes, this is the most helpless thing in the world. Even if you are the most powerful person in the world, you will get sick, grow old, and... die."

"Then... Daddy, will Qiuqiu also grow old?" Qiuqiu asked, looking up.

The little girl seemed to think that death was a very scary thing. She didn't ask about death, but only about old age.

"In Daddy's eyes, no."

"why?"

"Because, Dad probably won't see the day when you grow old."

Fang Lin turned back, pulling the jumping Qiuqiu, and the father and daughter went upstairs while talking.

……

Leave the inn.

Wei Zhongxian supported Emperor Hongtai and secretly thought that Fang Chenshi was quite capable. He had been serving the Emperor for several years, but this was the first time he had seen someone who could chat with the Emperor so well and make him so happy.

"Interesting! For the first time in my life, I know what it feels like to have friends." Emperor Hongtai said with a smile.

This is true. As mentioned before, the emperor has no confidants. If he says one more word to someone, others will ponder and suspect whether there is some hidden meaning behind it. It is impossible for him to confide in others because this will expose his weaknesses.

——That is why Emperor Hongtai loves cats, such as Lion Cat and Frosty Eyebrow Cat, because they will not betray, will not have any disloyalty to their masters, will not collude with officials and engage in corruption, and will not be greedy for power and threaten his position.

Today's situation is special. Fang Lin is an opposition figure and a pen pal with whom he has been exchanging letters for a long time. Emperor Hongtai is also terminally ill and will not live long, so there is no need to worry about these problems.

Perhaps it was due to his emotional ups and downs, or perhaps it was the breeze, he started coughing violently again.

"Your Majesty!"

Wei Zhongxian took out a handkerchief to wipe it, but due to too much blood and phlegm, the handkerchief overflowed. He then quickly wiped it with his sleeves, not caring about the stain on his hands. It was probably hard for the civil servants to imagine that the "Nine Thousand Years Old" who was so domineering and arrogant outside could be so humble and respectful in front of Emperor Hongtai.

Emperor Hongtai waved his hands, knowing that his body was almost exhausted. He had been using strong and powerful drugs recently, which exhausted his body, so this was bound to happen.

After returning to the palace, Emperor Hongtai issued an edict: "Appoint Wei Zhongxian as the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and the supervisor of the East Factory."

The eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, thanks to the Daxia system, had the power to approve memorials. In addition, he was the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot. It could be said that at this point, his actual power surpassed that of some cabinet ministers.

Wei Zhongxian bowed down in gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Hongtai stared at the man and said, "Assist the new emperor well. You can do whatever you want. Just remember three things."

"Your Majesty has ordered this, and I will never forget it."

"First, look at the civil servants!"

"Remember, eunuch, keep a close eye on them."

Emperor Hongtai nodded. As long as the eunuch group and the civil service group fought against each other and checked and balanced each other, and no one group dominated the power, the new emperor would not be sidelined.

"Second, look at Liaodong!"

Emperor Hongtai said with a look of regret on his face: "If it weren't for the natural disasters and man-made disasters that have plagued Daxia for years, I would have pacified them long ago and would not have left this disaster to the new emperor."

"The minister will bear this in mind."

"Third, if the treasury is empty and the soldiers cannot be paid, what will you do?"

Without waiting for Wei Zhongxian to answer, Emperor Hongtai said, "You can do whatever you want with the nobles in the capital and the nobles in Jiangnan, but remember one thing: you must not increase taxes outside Jiangnan."

Although Daxia had breathed a sigh of relief thanks to the promotion of sweet potatoes, the entire Daxia, except for the Jiangnan area, was still suffering. If taxes were to be raised, the people would be forced to death. On the contrary, the princes and nobles in the capital and the wealthy families in the Jiangnan area could be used as targets.

"I'll remember it!" Wei Zhongxian kept every word of these instructions in his heart.

"So good."

Emperor Hongtai nodded. Apart from the three things, he didn't say anything else. He didn't mention greed for money or power. After all, no matter how greedy for money a person is, how much can he spend; no matter how greedy for power a person is, he is still a useless person and is destined to rely on imperial power.

——He knew everything, including the fact that Wei Zhongxian had slandered Mi Wanzhong and had him dismissed from office, but he just didn't care.

"Watch over Da Xia for me. I have told the new emperor that if you don't let Da Xia down, Da Xia will not let you down."

"Your Majesty!" These heartfelt words brought tears to Wei Zhongxian's eyes. He kowtowed repeatedly until blood oozed from his forehead.

"Finally, if you have the chance, please take care of my friend... Go, leave and leave me alone!"

Emperor Hongtai looked at Wei Zhongxian's departing back and then withdrew his gaze.

He really did instruct the new emperor that if Wei Zhongxian had good sense, he would give him a good end; if he was really in a mess, he would have a backup plan and leave his body intact.

After completing all these arrangements, Emperor Hongtai felt deeply exhausted and sat down at the door. At this moment, he was like an ordinary old man, watching the sunset. His whole life suddenly appeared before his eyes: he was full of vigor and vitality when he ascended the throne, and he was scheming against the civil officials. Later, he discovered the true colors of the civil officials, which made him feel more disgusted and tired. He ignored state affairs and indulged in alchemy. Later, he was assassinated by a palace maid, but he survived and had a great enlightenment, paving the way for the new emperor...

He could feel that after struggling to survive for several years, his body was already running out of energy.

"The world is the inn of all things; time is the passer-by of hundreds of generations. Passer-by! I... don't have much time left!" Emperor Hongtai sighed and staggered to his feet. The last ray of light from the setting sun cast a long shadow on him. Behind him, large patches of inky shadows spread out, covering the majestic palace like a slowly closing curtain.

……

(End of this chapter)