Su He left the palace in disguise and paid a private visit to the capital incognito.
He wanted to take a look at the situation in the capital after the disaster.
In the palace, he learned from the officials that the people could live and work in peace and contentment, and the plague would have little impact.
The fanciful things officials said in memorials were not as good as seeing it with his own eyes.
Su He looked at Zhou Fangzhi who was accompanying him. He was dressed like a butler and had a few fake beards.
Su He is surrounded by several Qilin Guard soldiers who are proficient in defense and are responsible for protecting his safety.
Everyone carries a pistol.
If you really encounter special circumstances, you only need to hold on for a minute or two, and a large force will dare to come.
Su He would never be stupid. Even the most important protection personnel were removed during the private visit incognito.
Zhou Fangzhi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Huang, where should we go first?"
Su He looked at the crowded street and said, "Let's go to the train station first and take a look."
Trains have become the most important transportation hub in the Dahua Dynasty.
The situation around the train station can reflect the real situation among the people.
The railway station is one of the places with the largest flow of people and the most developed commerce.
Depression has occurred in places like this, and no matter how hard officials try to whitewash it, they can't cover it up.
Su He and his party took a carriage to the Beijing Railway Station.
From time to time, there is a plume of black smoke rising into the sky, and the sound of the collision of train wheels and rails can be heard from a long distance.
The noisy environment did not affect the vendors doing business and people in a hurry.
"Baozi, meat buns costing a penny each."
"Selling candied haws on a stick, two skewers of candied haws for one penny."
“Getting train tickets on your behalf is fast and convenient.”
Su He listened to the shouts of the vendors. There were many small stalls around the train station, and they were working hard to sell their products.
People coming and going spoke dialects from different places, and their faces were very relaxed, without the expressions of suffering after a major disaster.
The train station is the same as usual, and the bustling place is still there.
Su He observed the people coming and going at the train station, and he was in a relaxed mood.
He found himself at the door of a tavern.
Su He decided to go in and listen to what the people were talking about.
In this ordinary tavern, you can hear the most authentic language of the people.
He found a seat by the window and sat down, calling to the busy waiter: "Bring me a table of wine and food. What wine do you have?"
After the waiter heard the greeting, he cleverly ran to Su He's table.
"Hello, distinguished guests, we have ordinary wine and white wine, which one do you want? Liquor is more expensive, a bottle costs at least thirty coins.
Drink different wines and have different side dishes. The signature dishes of this small shop will surely satisfy you."
"No white wine, the content is too high. Drinking too much will delay things. Let's have a jar of ordinary wine, which will just quench the thirst of the guys. Let's serve your restaurant's signature dishes. I can afford this money, sir."
The waiter looked at Su He's gorgeous clothes and suggested with a smile: "Sir, our best-selling ordinary wines include sweet potato wine and sugarcane wine, which are both big brands of Nanyang Shengheju.
The signature dishes of the shop are braised pork and various delicious pickles. With the wine you drink, it is recommended to eat braised pork.
The mutton is too fishy and can't be suppressed without strong liquor. Our small shop doesn't have that much money, so we need to add more spices to remove the fishy smell."
The waiter told the truth to prevent anyone from causing trouble after drinking.
Su He said proudly: "Here are three jars of sugar cane wine and a pound of braised pork."
After he finished speaking, he directly placed one or two silver coins on the corner of the table.
"I just came to the capital to do business and don't know the situation in the capital. I will reward you with the remaining money and tell us about the current situation in the capital."
After the waiter heard this, a surprised smile appeared on his face.
It's not lunch time now, and the tavern isn't busy at all. The reward is as much as his ten days' salary.
This is the largest reward he has received in this period.
The waiter took the menu and quickly ran to the kitchen. He quickly brought out the food and wine and waited at the dinner table for the generous gentleman to ask questions.
Su He let the guards eat wine and food while he chatted with the waiter.
"Xiaoer, there was a plague in the capital some time ago. Do you think it has a big impact on the city?"
When Su He saw the waiter's embarrassed expression, he immediately realized that this question was too serious.
How could a low-level waiter know the impact of the plague on the capital city?
Su He immediately added: "Talk about whether the plague has had a big impact on your tavern."
When the waiter heard the guest officer asking about this matter, he said with a frustrated face: "This matter has a great impact on our tavern. The tavern cannot be opened for more than a month.
A villain can only receive the meager income.
The boss was very anxious and kept pulling his hair.
The villain's wages can still be paid out, and he lives in a tavern, so the impact on the villain is not that big.
But the plague is really terrible. Once encountering the plague, both dignitaries and ordinary people may lose their lives.
The owner has done a good job in protecting himself. When he heard the government’s propaganda, he immediately asked everyone to take protective measures.
The owner has raised a few more cats, there are no mice in the store, and none of us are sick.
The cloth shop next door was in a miserable situation. They had no food and were not worried about mice nibbling on the food. The owner was too stingy to keep a cat.
Even the boss and his assistants all got sick, and three people died. This is really terrible."
When the waiter said this, he looked horrified and did not want to continue talking about the disaster.
When Su He saw this situation, he changed the topic in time and chatted with the waiter about other things in the capital while listening to the chats of the drinkers in the tavern.
The waiter's mouth went dry. He saw five or six more people coming into the store and said shyly: "Sir, please take your time to drink and eat. I have to entertain other guests.
If you want to know more, I will come over and tell you later."
What Su He wanted to know, he had already asked through insinuations.
He waved his hand and asked the waiter to take the silver coins and leave.
From the boy's mouth, he learned that it was all the behavior of low-level officials.
The capital is at the feet of the emperor, and the entire imperial court is paying close attention to dealing with the plague this time.
Officials at the bottom did not dare to be too presumptuous. They implemented various policies of the court and distributed food to the people who were under blockade.
These things are done fairly well.
Su He also learned that the people were extremely satisfied with the reaction of the imperial court and praised it as the Holy King coming to the imperial court.
The emergence of this situation is due to a strong contrast. The Ming Dynasty had only been destroyed for a few years, and some things were still fresh in the minds of the people.
The Ming Dynasty's methods to deal with the plague were almost useless.
This is why people develop the habit of being ready to flee their hometowns once they encounter a major plague.
Their past experience shows that fleeing from the outbreak site after a plague is the best way to save life.
The approach of the Dahua Dynasty was completely different from that of the Ming Dynasty. They used various means to fight the plague.
The people began to distrust the imperial court, and when the imperial court really controlled the spread of the plague, they were not a little shocked.
Su He knew that the prerequisite for the Dahua Dynasty to do this well was that the government had been able to reach the village level.
Breaking the situation of imperial power not going to the countryside and extending its tentacles to every place, only then can everyone unite as one and obey the imperial court's arrangements.
Agricultural countries cannot do this, which requires a large number of officials.
A large number of officials can crush the tax revenue of the imperial court.
Only Dahua, a country founded on industry and commerce, no longer relies on agriculture for most of the country's tax revenue.
Only in this way can we support a large-scale official system.
Su He stood up and left the tavern to continue to understand the situation in the capital.
He saw that most of the people on the street were smiling, and then he got rid of the worries in his heart.
It is impossible for people whose lives are unsatisfactory to walk on the road with a smile on their faces.
Su He visited many grain stores and vegetable markets. He saw that grain prices were very stable after the disaster, and he was completely relieved.
Food prices are an important indicator of whether the disaster has passed.
Most people at the bottom are running around for food and clothing. As long as food prices do not fluctuate greatly, their lives will not be greatly affected.
When Su He came out of the vegetable market, he heard many people talking about the cat appreciation convention.
"Brother, what kind of event is the Cat Appreciation Conference? Why is everyone talking about it?"
A young scholar-looking man heard Su He's question and was very unhappy after being interrupted.
But seeing Su He's more gorgeous clothes, he immediately changed into a smiling face.
He couldn't afford to offend anyone wearing silk and satin.
"You must have just arrived in the capital from out of town. The Cat Appreciation Conference has been promoted for more than ten days.
Several leading singers in Caifeng Pavilion held a cat appreciation party in Caifeng Pavilion.
They are cooperating with Shuntian Prefecture, and many heroic cats will appear at the cat appreciation conference this time."
Su He was more curious about the cat appreciation convention. He took a bus to Caifeng Pavilion to see the cat appreciation convention.
"Fang Zhi, why didn't I remember that Shuntian Mansion is going to hold a cat appreciation conference."
Su He was very confused. The status of Shuntian Mansion was sensitive, and it was necessary to ask the court for permission to hold any activities.
As an emperor, it is impossible for him to be unaware of such activities.
After Zhou Fangzhi thought about it, he replied: "Your Majesty, after the plague ended, we went through the statistics of Shuntian Mansion.
People who keep cats at home are about ten times less likely to get sick than those who don't keep cats.
Your Majesty has ordered the cabinet to find ways to guide the public morals and encourage people to raise cats.
The Shuntian Prefecture probably came up with a way to cooperate with the singer after receiving the order."
Su He knew the singer, which was the name derived from the singer.
The Dahua Dynasty completely banned Han women from being prostitutes.
Many women who came from brothels had no other talents and continued on the road of performing arts. They formed the group of singers.
This group belongs to the lower class, and their status in society is generally not high.
But if you really become famous, you can earn money in one year that you cannot earn in a lifetime from other jobs.
The court had previously discussed whether to ban this business.
Su He made the final decision that as long as taxes are paid on time and no laws are violated, the business will be allowed to develop.
The carriage arrived at Caifeng Pavilion, which is not too far from Liubu and is on the main road. It is the most prosperous place in the capital.
Many officials who went to court would pass by this road.
The owner of Caifeng Pavilion chose this location, which shows that he put in a lot of hard work.
Zhou Fangzhi found out the situation of Caifeng Pavilion and said: "Master Huang, you need to buy a ticket to enter Caifeng Pavilion.
One ticket costs ten taels of silver coins, and only one person is allowed to enter per ticket."
While Zhou Fangzhi was inquiring about the situation, he also quietly ordered his subordinates to investigate the situation in Caifeng Pavilion in detail.
Su He saw many people wearing silk and satin entering outside Caifeng Pavilion, including many solemnly dressed women.
These women do not have the aura of prostitution, and are accompanied by maids. They do not look like the singers from Caifeng Pavilion.
Hearing Zhou Fangzhi's words, he smiled and said: "This place is very good, he doesn't cheat the poor.
There are also many women entering Caifeng Pavilion, which shows that this is a serious place."
A group of them bought tickets and entered Caifeng Pavilion.
Su He walked into Caifeng Pavilion and found that the decoration here was extremely gorgeous.
The interior decoration makes extensive use of glass products, which is a very trendy decoration method in this era.
Caifeng Pavilion is arranged like a large theater.
There are many lofts on the second floor, and there is a large stage in the middle of the first floor with many seats in front of the stage.
Su He immediately saw that there were many cats on the stage.
These cats are extremely beautiful and adorable just by looking at them.
They inadvertently show off their sharp claws, which shows that these cats are also extraordinary in martial arts.
As soon as Su He entered Caifeng Pavilion, a waiter asked if he could go to the attic on the second floor, where the service would be better.
Su He waved his hand, he was not going to go to the attic.
He has seen many familiar figures here.
If you act too outstandingly, you will be recognized by others.
He and Zhou Fangzhi had put on makeup, and the guards around them also had new faces, so they would not be recognized under normal circumstances.
Su He took his seat downstairs and waited for a short time before the cat appreciation event in Caifeng Pavilion officially began.
Liu Rushi walked out of the backstage with Gu Hengbo, Dong Xiaowan, and Li Xiangjun.
Each of them holds a cat in their arms.
Liu Rushi said in a cheerful tone: "This time the plague is rampant, cats have made great contributions.
The cat in my arms killed five hundred and sixty-three mice, and was named General Cat by His Majesty.
I have a new song called General Cat, please enjoy it."
Su He listened to this novel song, which was different from all the songs he had heard before.
The music industry of the Dahua Dynasty has developed music with unique characteristics.
He also knows why Caifeng Pavilion is so popular. These singers are indeed stunning in the world.
Su He has seen so many top beauties, and these are the top ones.
The lead singer is only about 20 years old, and the other three look to be 16 or 17 years old, in their prime.
Zhou Fangzhi's subordinates sent information, and he introduced at the side: "Master Huang, I just learned about the situation of these leading singers.
They came from the south of the Yangtze River, and their names were Liu Rushi, Gu Hengbo, Dong Xiaowan and Li Xiangjun.
This Caifeng Pavilion was bought by people from the Duke's Government of Fujian for 30% of its value."
When Su He heard Zhou Fangzhi's introduction, he looked at the four beautiful singers on the stage and was no longer surprised.
These four people are four of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai in the late Ming Dynasty. Women who can make a name for themselves in history are both talented and beautiful.
He also heard that Zhang Yuliang married a woman who was a singer in Jiangnan, which caused a lot of discussion among the people.
Liu Rushi and her sisters finished singing the song General Cat.
She held the cats in her hands and said, "I have been entrusted by Shuntian Mansion to find qualified owners for these cats.
The money raised will help people affected by this disaster.
These cats are hero cats who can protect their owners from the plague."
Su He understood clearly that the cat appreciation convention was to auction off these cats that had done meritorious service to raise money.
The competition among these people is fierce. Buying these heroic cats can protect the safety of your home and earn a reputation. Many people are willing to buy them.
The cat appreciation party ended and Su He walked out of Caifeng Pavilion. He did not buy a cat.
Su He praised it: "Shuntian Mansion has done a good job in this event. Please inform the Ministry of Rites and ask the newspapers to publicize it more.
These singers are doing very well, don't let them be harassed by other people."