After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 64

The Emperor: …

… That was a truly heart-wrenching question.

“Well, speaking of the treasury, there’s still a lot of silver in it,” the Emperor said. “Previous emperors, both Gaozong and my father, left behind a considerable amount of money. Currently, the Dajing is in a prosperous era, and the treasury is very well-stocked. If this continues…”

Zhou Xun: …

… Never mind, at least for now, the “encouragement of learning” policy is only being implemented in the capital. Although the capital is the most prosperous city in Dajing, its population is ultimately limited, and it can withstand the Emperor’s reforms. Additionally, since the capital gathers the best educational and employment resources in Dajing, scholars and officials from across the land often come here, either to take exams or to test their luck, hoping to change their lives through knowledge. These scholars and officials are among the most educated in the country, and having them assist in implementing the Emperor’s policies is effective.

“Implementing these measures in the capital is feasible, but if it were to be expanded nationwide, perhaps His Majesty’s treasury…” Zhou Xun reminded him, “might not be able to sustain it…”

The Emperor: …

“Sigh, so I was thinking of bringing in some money through trade, like the overland Silk Road, the maritime Silk Road, and bringing in more resources to exchange for money.” The Emperor scratched his head in frustration. “But there’s the Northern Wei blocking the overland route, and I can’t find suitable people for the maritime route. Sigh… ahhh!”

The Emperor sighed and slumped over the table. “I’m so poor…”

Zhou Xun: … The ruler of a nation is telling me he’s poor.

“Other transmigrators have golden fingers—some have their own libraries, some have golden fingers, some have grandpas, and some even bring their own Taobao and a whole cafeteria. But for me, I have nothing…”

Zhou Xun: …

“Life is still long, no need to rush,” Zhou Xun said gently, holding his hand. “Your Majesty, you still have at least forty years.”

The Emperor: “Hehe, right, I still have you.”

Zhou Xun: … 

“However, some methods that consume less silver and are more convenient can be promoted to various city-states,” Zhou Xun suggested. “For example, drawing murals on physical fitness, murals on etiquette, and so on. As for literacy…”

Zhou Xun thought for a moment: “Perhaps it can also be presented through murals.”

The Emperor: “Oh?”

“The characters in Dajing are pictographs and are similar to real-world objects. For instance, the characters for ‘fish,’ ‘moon,’ and ‘river.’ We could draw the shapes of these objects on walls and write the corresponding characters next to them. This way, it not only decorates the space but also helps educate the people on how to recognize characters,” Zhou Xun said calmly.

“Besides, the storytellers’ stories… are quite interesting. Spending a little silver to hire storytellers from various places, as well as impoverished scholars and even skillful middle-aged women, to tell educational stories in different regions is also an effective method. For children, composing some nursery rhymes that incorporate encouragement to learn and develop good habits into lively and cheerful rhymes could teach them through singing. Children naturally enjoy playing, singing, and reciting tongue twisters. Educational entertainment might be more effective than using silver to entice them to attend lectures…”

As Zhou Xun spoke, he saw the Emperor’s mouth drop open.

The Emperor: “?? How did you come up with this idea?”

Zhou Xun: “… Is it inappropriate?”

“It’s appropriate, very appropriate,” the Emperor murmured, suddenly hitting the table with his chopsticks. “Yes, relying solely on government propaganda isn’t enough; we need to come from and go to the people! But singing…”

Zhou Xun: ?

The Emperor: “Did your inspiration come from Wu Guang finding people to sing ‘The Rise of the Great Chu, Chen Sheng as King’? The content from ‘The Book of Chen She’?”

Zhou Xun: ??

Zhou Xun actually didn’t come up with this idea from that story, but he truly didn’t know how the Emperor made that connection.

“Oh, and besides singing, there’s also repetition. Human nature is to repeat…” The Emperor pondered, “We need to write some interesting, rhyming slogans and spread them everywhere, encouraging people to repeat them voluntarily, like ‘Golden Fertilizer, Golden Fertilizer, Farmers need it,’ ‘Heng Yuan Xiang, Sheep, Sheep, Sheep,’ and ‘For festivals, don’t give gifts; gifts should be Brain White Gold,’ and so on…”

“The most important thing is to make the people recognize and support the Emperor’s initiatives,” Zhou Xun reminded. “Using financial rewards to stimulate the people’s enthusiasm is only temporary; you need to give them a deeper, intrinsic reason and enthusiasm to engage in these activities. For example…”

The Emperor: “I’ve got it!”

Zhou Xun: ?? What has the Emperor got?

“‘Top Ten Influential Figures in Jing State’ commendation!” The Emperor clapped his hands. “And also establish exemplary models in various regions, with tasks from all walks of life—not just limited to academia. Even workers digging manure can receive this title. The commendations will be monthly, quarterly, and annually, publicly praised in their respective towns to encourage and commend diligent individuals…”

Zhou Xun: “That’s actually a good idea.”

The Emperor pondered for a long time and found the plan feasible. He then ordered the secret guards to bring paper and ink. He set up the ink, brush, and paper in the private room and began to write down his ideas on rice paper.

… Zhou Xun couldn’t help but sigh after a while. The Emperor’s handwriting, to say it was atrocious, would be an understatement.

… And the speed was slower than a turtle’s crawl.

So he sighed and said, “Let me handle it.”

“This,” the Emperor scratched his head, seemingly embarrassed, “I feel bad troubling you… I’ll do it myself…”

Zhou Xun lowered his head.

Zhou Xun: … Before being polite, just take back your hand that was directly handing me the brush.

Though the Emperor said he felt bad, his body was honest. Zhou Xun took the brush and wrote down his ideas one by one. The Emperor, watching him, continued, “But money is indeed a problem. Everything requires money now—building medical facilities needs money, maintaining the army needs money, painting city walls needs money, cleaning canals needs money, reinforcing riverbanks needs money… Looking at it all, there isn’t a single free project!”

Zhou Xun finished the last stroke, dried the ink on the brush, and said helplessly, “Your Majesty, you’re being too impatient.”

The Emperor was stunned. “Am I too impatient?”

Zhou Xun then realized he had spoken out of turn.

The Emperor is the ruler of the world. How to manage the court and govern the country is the Emperor’s sole responsibility. Imperial authority is supreme and unquestionable; the Emperor’s will is the direction of the entire nation, and as a subject… or even a commoner, one can only offer suggestions but cannot directly oppose the Emperor’s opinions.

He suddenly thought of General Shen.

General Shen and Gaozong were acquaintances from humble beginnings, but as both achieved success, they grew increasingly estranged. One reason was… Gaozong was no longer the young man he used to be but an Emperor. Yet General Shen had not realized his own change in status and still saw him as the young man in the Cold Palace, needing to protect him.

Even General Shen and Gaozong had such a relationship.

Moreover, Zhou Xun had always known… the Emperor was actually very stubborn deep down. He believed in the direction he was taking, and it was this confidence and belief that allowed him to walk so brightly and firmly. The Emperor was indeed open to listening to others’ opinions—as long as they did not contradict his intended direction.

“I believe it’s better to do things as quickly as possible,” the Emperor said, as Zhou Xun had expected. Though he was scratching his head, his attitude was firm. “As the saying goes, ‘the longer the night, the more dreams.’ If we can finish a task early, why wait longer? It’s likely to encounter more problems…”

Zhou Xun paused and still said, “Handling so many projects simultaneously will inevitably consume a large amount of silver. The treasury will be drained…”

“There’s always a foundation,” the Emperor said with a bright smile, “And I’m also working on developing trade routes and increasing food production. Although it might be a bit exhausting in the short term, in the long run…”

“Many things are interconnected. For instance, grain warehouses in various regions should always be stocked with food to face sudden natural disasters. And if multiple plans are carried out simultaneously, even if Your Majesty works around the clock, including skipping sleep, it’s impossible to monitor every aspect of each project—so in this situation, are the results truly what Your Majesty desires?”

“That’s why I said Your Majesty is too impatient—Your Majesty has already accomplished many great things. There are still decades ahead. You can make even greater changes in these decades. So, there’s no need to rush to implement all the plans at once; just proceed step by step. Sometimes, having too many issues can make it harder to grasp the situation, which is not ideal.”

Seeing the Emperor’s slightly stunned expression, Zhou Xun realized he might have been a bit too harsh and felt a bit regretful.

To be honest, so far, despite the seemingly excessive efforts, everything the Emperor had done was within his own control…

“You’re right.”

Zhou Xun didn’t expect him to respond like this and widened his eyes slightly.

“Ah, indeed I’ve been a bit impatient… I always want to get things done faster and better, but I’ve overlooked the objective laws of development…”

“Actually, I’ve overstepped,” Zhou Xun said. “This… is not really something I should discuss.”

Since the matter was already brought up, Zhou Xun then asked, “How are the people sent to investigate trade routes now?”

1. 1. **“Golden Fertilizer, Golden Fertilizer, Farmers need it”**:

   – This slogan is promoting a product called “Golden Fertilizer” by emphasizing its importance for farmers. The repetition makes it memorable and highlights the product’s essential role in agriculture.

2. 2. **“Heng Yuan Xiang, Sheep, Sheep, Sheep”**:

   – “Heng Yuan Xiang” is a brand name, likely related to a product involving sheep (e.g., wool or meat). The repetition of “Sheep” makes the brand name stand out and reinforces the association with sheep.

3. 3. **“For festivals, don’t give gifts; gifts should be Brain White Gold”**:

   – This phrase suggests that “Brain White Gold” is the ideal gift for festivals, promoting it as a superior choice over traditional gifts. It implies that “Brain White Gold” is valuable and desirable.