After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 63

The tyrant with a penchant for grandiose projects and his charming yet manipulative concubine (?) were riding in the carriage, traveling around the capital city.

“Since we haven’t had a chance to explore the city yet,” the Emperor said, lifting the curtain with an excited look, “let’s take advantage of the holiday today and check out the local customs and scenery… Xun’er, are you familiar with this part of the capital? Is there anywhere you want to go?”

Since dismounting the horse, the Emperor had been quite relaxed around Zhou Xun—showing no pretense and speaking in an unrestrained manner.

As he spoke, he gave Zhou Xun’s shoulder a hearty pat. “It’s a holiday today. Let’s go out, relax, and enjoy a good stroll!”

Zhou Xun thought for a moment and said sincerely, “I don’t have any particular place I want to visit. Just… let’s follow the Emperor’s arrangement.”

The Emperor said, “Alright.”

Looking at the sky outside and after asking the guards for the current time, he thought for a moment and said, “Since we’ve already been to Flower Street, which is a must-see tourist attraction, next…”

Zhou Xun: ?

The Emperor said, “Let’s go check out some other great places!”

The Emperor gave Zhou Xun a thumbs up.

The carriage rolled along the street, and the first place they arrived at was a large square in the city.

As soon as Zhou Xun stepped out, he was taken aback by the sight before him.

He remembered this square. Although the roads in the capital were clean and well-maintained, they were clean to a limited extent. Yesterday, after leaving the palace, he had been in Mo Garden, a place where scholars gathered, which was relatively “upper-class.” So, although the roads there seemed slightly cleaner than before, it was not shocking.

But this square, located in a poor area—such places were usually neglected by officials. There were all sorts of trash, fruit peels, and rotting meat scattered everywhere. Over time, even the residents of the area would cover their noses and avoid walking in that direction.

However…

This place, which resembled a trash dump, was now completely cleaned up!

Not only was the square cleaned, but the surrounding walls were also freshly painted and adorned with murals. Several children were playing in the square, but their actions seemed strange. Zhou Xun took a closer look and realized they seemed to be mimicking certain movements.

Certain… movements?

Zhou Xun turned his head to look again at the murals on the walls. He saw that each wall depicted figures in odd postures.

Some walls showed figures performing rituals, with other figures standing beside them, such as their family members, teachers, or officials. These murals appeared to be teaching etiquette and how to follow it. Some depicted figures doing actions like washing hands or carrying a pole more efficiently, resembling practical life tips. One wall even showed the movements the children were mimicking.

On the wall the children were imitating, there was a series of small figures, all appearing as children. Arrows indicated the sequence of movements, and there were also some dots, seemingly marking repetition counts. The figures were either stretching their arms, kicking their legs, or turning their heads, resembling some peculiar form of martial arts…

Zhou Xun: ?

He turned to see the Emperor with his chin held high, looking quite proud. Zhou Xun heard him say, “Are you satisfied with what you’re seeing?”

Zhou Xun: … I don’t understand what I’m seeing.

“… Is this some sort of physical fitness technique… or perhaps a method of cultivation?” Zhou Xun asked.

The Emperor replied, “No, this is called ‘the fledgling eagle takes flight’… no, actually, it seems to be ‘the sunshine of youth.’”

Zhou Xun: ?

“It was originally intended to plaster slogans all over the capital, but unfortunately, the literacy rate here seems too low to understand the words, so we had to use pictures instead,” the Emperor said. “The stretching and kicking technique is just the first step. Next, I’ll teach them acupressure techniques.”

Zhou Xun: “… What is acupressure technique?”

He saw the Emperor’s face break into that subtle, cold smile again, and the Emperor slowly said, “For example…”

He held up both hands, extending only his thumbs, and pressed them against his temples—

The Emperor said, “Press on the temples to stimulate the eye sockets.”

Zhou Xun: …

“Wait, wait, this kind of acupressure technique is really good for protecting the eyes, I’m not lying—”

Zhou Xun, uninterested in continuing the conversation, watched the children playing in the square. Soon, he heard a woman’s voice calling out nearby.

“Zhuzi! Bao’er! Stop fooling around! Hurry to West Street!” The woman shouted, “The officials are here again for a lecture!”

“Mom!” a sturdy little boy shouted, “I’m not fooling around. I’m teaching everyone martial arts!”

“Stop messing around. Quickly go over there. Attending a lecture earns a stamp, and collecting twelve stamps can be exchanged for rice at the government office!” the woman shouted. “Hurry up, and take your sister with you. The lecture… the lecture teaches five characters each time, and the child who remembers them the fastest will get a prize!”

After the little boy, a girl squatting on the ground playing called out. The girl, with her hair in two pigtails, shouted, “Brother is a boy, so he should go learn the characters. I don’t want to go. I’m not smart. I can’t keep up with my brother—”

“Even if you don’t want to go, you still have to!” The woman finally stormed out from the edge of the square, her demeanor fierce. “Last time, the second daughter of Lao Chai’s family answered first. The officials said that since she was a girl and so smart, they even gave her an extra half a jin(0.5kg/1.1pounds) of oil. If other girls can do it, why can’t you?”

Other women also hurried over, dragging their children toward the lecture. One child, being pulled by his mother, asked with a tilted head, “Mom, when will there be another free opera performance?”

“Yeah, yeah, did the Virus Master get defeated by the Hot Water Fairy in the end?”

“I want to see another play. It’s about a brother chased by mountain bandits, who then finds many blueprints at home and creates a device that shoots arrows that chase the bandits, finally earning a commendation from the court for this invention…”

After the women arrived, other parents also urged their children to head to West Street. Zhou Xun turned to the Emperor and asked, “What is this?”

“Oh, we tried a small experiment in the capital, setting up some educational lectures and cultural activities, with some idle officials volunteering here…” The Emperor scratched his head and said, “Education must start from a young age.”

Zhou Xun: …

The Emperor said, “Let them form a preliminary impression of these dramas. It will be easier to conduct work later on.”

Their carriage passed through this neighborhood. On the last broad street of the district, a scholar was giving a lecture.

The Emperor said, “Let’s go to another interesting place!”

As the wheels of the carriage rolled on, Zhou Xun did not just sit inside this time. He lifted the curtain and kept his eyes on the scene outside. Along the street, he saw many people, organized by officials, using shovels to clear the drains in the city.

The city’s sewage system had been in place for over a hundred years and had become somewhat clogged over time. Seeing so many people starting to clear it now, Zhou Xun found his feelings difficult to describe.

He looked relaxed, but the Emperor’s expression darkened. He lifted the curtain and said to a guard, “Go check the name of the official sitting nearby, enjoying the cool. While other people are busy clearing the drains, he is just sitting there. Tell him that this month’s salary will be cut in half. If he’s seen here next time, he can forget about his salary for the next six months!”

The guard nodded repeatedly. The Emperor continued, “What about the superior officials inspecting this area? Let them come and see. These officials are getting ten times the income from the people and are not doing the work assigned by the court but are hiding here!”

The guard took the order and left. The Emperor pulled down the curtain and cheerfully said to Zhou Xun, “Let’s go see the next place!”

Zhou Xun: …

After spending the entire morning and another afternoon, Zhou Xun began to seriously suspect that the Emperor had planned this day’s itinerary…

To show off to him.

… Though he did not understand why the Emperor wanted to show off his own achievements to him.

They had passed not only the mural square and the drain clearing scene from the morning but also a previously chaotic vegetable market now neatly arranged with stalls. When they reached the vicinity of the market, they saw an official dragging out a vendor, warning him that because he had sold two-day-old fish as fresh, he was banned from the market for the next half month.

Besides these places, Zhou Xun also saw many newly built schools and medical clinics. Some schools were even planning to provide scholarships for students from poor families. As long as they performed well in the entrance exams, they could receive a scholarship—though it was not much, it was enough to cover three meals a day. Additionally, there were schools specifically for girls, and those who graduated with excellent results could become female officials and work in newly established institutions…

Of course, the latter was still in planning.

Next, the Emperor took him to see renovated docks and various other places. During the tour, they had lunch at a restaurant. While they were eating, a storyteller downstairs recited a story that Zhou Xun had never heard before.

“… So, the demon lord, wielding the legendary sword of the hero, arrived under a tree. At that moment, a storm raged and thunder roared. Having obtained the divine sword, he was naturally overjoyed and could not help but raise the sword, letting out a wild laugh.”

“… The hero chased the demon lord and saw him under the tree, boasting. Remembering the tragic fate of his loved ones, his heart ached. Just as he was about to shout out, suddenly, a thunderbolt struck the demon lord!”

“The demon lord was instantly struck dead and scorched black! The hero was both delighted and sorrowful, shedding tears. He had avenged his great enemy! Can you guess—what caused the thunder?”

“What?” a diner asked.

“Of course, it was Heaven’s eye, punishing the sinner with thunder!”

“Justice from the heavens!”

“No, no,” the storyteller shook his head, “This story tells us that we should not stand under a tree during a thunderstorm, especially not holding a long, slender object above our heads—especially if it’s made of metal.”

Zhou Xun: …

Diner: …

Zhou Xun turned to the Emperor, who was trying to stifle his laughter, and said, “… This storyteller is one of your people.”

“Yes,” the Emperor said proudly, “He’s part of my water army.”

Zhou Xun: …

The Emperor said, “I bribed many storytellers to tell these fascinating and enlightening stories in restaurants throughout the capital.”

Zhou Xun: … Truly enlightening.

As the dishes were served, the Emperor, as usual, picked up chopsticks and divided the roast chicken on the plate into two halves. He gave Zhou Xun one leg and one wing and kept the other half for himself. While dividing the food, he asked Zhou Xun, “These are the accomplishments of this month. Do you have anything to say? Oh, there have been some changes within the government as well, but I couldn’t take you to see them… This afternoon, we’ll leave the city and go see other interesting things…”

Zhou Xun was silent for a moment and then said, “I have one thing to say…”

The Emperor asked, “What is it?”

Zhou Xun said, “Your Majesty, with so many things happening… is the treasury sufficient?”