The doors of the shops in Qifen Alley are open.

But there were also few pedestrians on the streets, which seemed very deserted.

Li Chenan just sighed and said:

"Brother, I do want to do something for Ningguo and the people of Ningguo. It's not about pity, but this damn conscience!"

"The tiredness I'm talking about is not physical tiredness, but... mental tiredness!"

"A large number of officials in the court were beheaded and their homes were confiscated. The remaining less than half of the officials are all capable ministers, but when I come to these people, many of them can obey orders, but they have subjective initiative.

Too bad!”

Seemingly worried that Hua Manting could not understand the word subjective initiative, Li Chenan explained again: "What I mean is that, including the six ministers, they are used to following the steps and lack initiative, planning and foresight in work.

wait."

"Of course, the reason why they are jumping one step at a time may be the result of Ji Tai's power in the past two decades. They are worried about making mistakes, taking responsibility, worrying about offending others, and worrying about losing their hat."

"This kind of official can maintain success, but lacks the determination to forge ahead."

"In addition, there are officials from various places. The Imperial City Department has their details, but I have no one to use, and I can't do anything to them yet."

"So I plan to hold an additional Autumn Palace next year to select a group of young officials. However, I will most likely not be in Kyoto during the Autumn Palace. Who will preside over this matter?"

"If one person is not good enough, he kills a group of corrupt officials and replaces them with another group of corrupt officials!"

"For the common people, the skin-picker has gone and the oil-boiler has come. This is simply adding insult to injury!"

"How can there be peace in the world?"

"Actually, the so-called world is what matters to the king. As for the people... they just hope to have a sheltered home where they can live and work in peace and contentment."

"They have this ideal, but it is difficult to realize it."

"In the eyes of many rulers throughout the dynasties, they are sheep with an unlimited supply of wool!"

“It’s okay to gather wool, but at the end of the dynasty, the rulers felt that the wool could not grow, so they simply slaughtered the sheep with their swords!”

"Do they have common people in their eyes?"

"No."

"The only thing they have in mind is the power that is hard to give up!"

"While they are sucking the blood of the people, they are telling the people that this is your honor!"

Hua Manting turned her head towards Li Chenan in surprise, and saw Li Chenan laughing at himself, "Why do they dare to be so unscrupulous? Because people are easy to bully!"

"The common people are at the bottom of the social structure. They are the cornerstone of a country, but the cornerstone bears the weight of the building built on top!"

"It is difficult for those who stand at the top of the building to see the pain of the foundation stone."

"Everyone in this building doesn't understand the hardships of the foundation, and they all think that this is a matter of course!"

"So, when social wealth is distributed, from top to bottom, the benefits do not go to the cornerstone."

"They will always be trampled under the feet of their rulers!"

"As far as the country's current scientific examination system is concerned, studying is a luxury. It is almost impossible for the cornerstones to climb up through the imperial examination."

"They don't even have three meals a day. How can they have extra money for their children to pass the academic examinations and become officials?"

"This door is closed to them and difficult to open."

"But when the country is in danger, the people sitting in this building will think of the cornerstone below, so tell them that the time has come to protect our country!"

"A government decree selects people from the common people and sends them to the front line. It is still the people at the bottom who die, and it is still the old men in the building who enjoy the fruits of victory!"

"How many of the officials in the court have the lofty thought of worrying about their people when they live high in temples, and worrying about their king when they live far away from the rivers and lakes?"

"How many people have the great ambition to worry about the world's worries first, and rejoice after the world's happiness?"

Having said this, Li Chenan shook his head and raised the corner of his mouth, which made the whole court look shocked: "That's too far."

He suddenly stopped and pointed to the right:

"Your side."

Hua Manting turned around and saw a charcoal seller in thin clothes standing beside this street and in the snowy sky!

It was a stooped little old man wearing a bamboo hat.

He put his hands in his sleeves and hugged his chest tightly. His feet kept pacing on the ground, huddled in the cold.

In front of him was an ox cart filled with charcoal.

The charcoal has been covered with heavy snow, which means that he has been standing here for a long time and has not sold any charcoal for a long time.

But even though he was so cold, he didn't light a charcoal fire to keep warm.

Seeing that it was getting late, he seemed to have no intention of going back.

Li Chenan took a deep breath, with a hint of sadness in his low tone:

"That's what life is for!"

"Live, and live hard!"

"Obviously, prices have increased a lot this year, and this winter is obviously colder than before, but he can't sell his charcoal... because there is no money left in the people's pockets!"

"As long as the cold doesn't kill anyone, everyone will keep their clothes tight and make do with it."

"As a result, his charcoal is more difficult to sell."

"But he is still selling, even if it is getting late."

"Maybe he needs the money from selling this car of charcoal to buy some grains for his family, or maybe he needs to buy a cotton-padded jacket for his family to survive this cold winter."

"Looking at Ningguo, how many people are there like him?"

When the three of them walked up to the charcoal seller, the little old man had already raised his head.

There was already a glimmer of hope in his old eyes on his dark face.

"Master, Master, would you like to buy some charcoal?"

"My little man, this charcoal is very good. How about selling it to you at a cheaper price?"

Li Chenan nodded, turned to Amu and said: "Take him to Meiyuan."

"What do you do?"

"It's okay with me."...

"……good!"

Li Chenan looked at the charcoal seller and said with a smile: "Old man, let him go. I want all your charcoal. Go to my house to settle the bill."

The little old man obviously did not expect to meet such a big buyer. He was very excited, his body was shaking, and his words became stuttering:

"Many, thank you sir!"

He knelt on the ground!

He kowtowed three times to Li Chenan!

"You are a good man, little old man. I wish you long life!"

His poor words could not express the excitement in his heart at this moment, but what he did made Li Chenan extremely sad inside.

Looking at the old man driving an ox cart following Amu in the wind and snow, Li Chen rested for a long time.

Suddenly blurted out:

"The charcoal seller cuts down firewood and burns charcoal in the southern mountains.

His face was dusty and smoky, his temples were gray and his fingers were black.

Where do you make money from selling charcoal? You have clothes on your back and food in your mouth.

Poor man, he is only dressed in sobriety, and his heart is so miserable that he wishes it would be cold."

He stepped forward.

The garden full of flowers followed him closely, and listened to him read again:

"At night there is a foot of snow outside the city, and at dawn the charcoal cart is rolling over the ice tracks.

…

A cart of charcoal weighs more than a thousand kilograms, and the palace envoys will regret it.

Half a piece of red gauze and one foot of silk are tied to the cow's head and filled with charcoal."

"Brother, if we prosper, the people will suffer, if we die, the people will suffer!"

"Who the hell did the people provoke?"

"Why should we suffer?!"

"This fucking old society!"
Chapter completed!