Chapter 117.2
Lin Beifan pointed to the other delicacies on the table, Not just this bear paw, but each of these exotic dishes has dozens of people working hard behind the scenes! This whole table of dishes, in total, indirectly involves the livelihoods of at least a thousand people!
It can be said that for my own desire, at least a thousand people are working hard! At the same time, if you think about it the other way around, it is me who provide for them; I am their provider and caretaker!
Without me, they would all be out of a job, left to drink the northwest wind!
That is my answer to you!
Why do I toil the people and deplete the wealth, yet the common folk can still live and work in peace and contentment? Its because they need these jobs. Only when they have work can they earn money, and only with money can they support themselves, their wives, children, and the elderly. Only then can they live and work in peace and contentment!
Song Yufei fell into contemplation.
She had naively thought that as long as the emperor didnt engage in toilsome and costly projects, it would be good for the people!
But now she realized that she might have been wrong!
If the emperor didnt undertake these toilsome and costly projects, then many common people would have no food to eat!
For instance, right now, if the Emperor before me refuses to eat a bears paw, then dozens of people behind the scenes will lose their jobs. If he further abstains from other delicacies of land and sea, then thousands behind him will be out of work.
Including their families, tens of thousands of people would fall into poverty.
Looking at it this way, it seems that extravagance and waste are right!
But this doesnt make sense!
Ive also seen many countries where extravagance and waste led to universal grievances, with the eventual outcome being the collapse of the nation and the ruin of families.
So why is it that when it comes to Great Xia, things are completely different?
So, she brought up the question.
As long as the money is enough! Do you know how much silver I spent for this meal?
I dont know! Song Yufei shook her head.
Lin Beifan raised a finger: At least 1,000 taels!
Song Yufeis eyes widened: That much?
Nothing less!
Lin Beifan shook his head with a smile: 1,000 taels of silver could support how many families, you should know without me saying! So as long as the money is sufficient, there will be no exploitation or harm to the people! They would still come crying and begging to work for me without my coercion!
By the same principle, why do I undertake such massive construction projects, toiling the people and draining the treasury, yet the common folk are willing to accept it as sweet? Its because I pay them well and ensure they have enough to eat, so they are willing to work hard for me!
Lin Beifan pointed out the window: Do you believe that if I were to announce that all work should cease, no more roads or houses to be built, no more land to be cleared or farmed, the first to object would be them?
I absolutely believe it! Song Yufei said without hesitation, recalling the expressions of the common people.
She finally understood how Great Xia had developed.
It was entirely because the Emperor was willing to spend money, willing to invest heavily. The common people needed the work, they needed the money, so they rushed to do it, willing to endure the hardship and fatigue!
Now, even if you wanted to stop, you couldnt, and the first to object would be them!
This foolish emperor, with his unique methods, has forged a prosperous and powerful nation!
Thank you, Your Majesty, for enlightening me! To be honest, I came here with misunderstandings, thinking that Your Majesty was a foolish and incompetent ruler! But now it seems that you are not foolish at all; instead, you are a wise and virtuous sovereign! A wise ruler should not be slandered, and I will explain to the outside world to clear your name!
Lin Beifan waved his hand dismissively: Theres no need for that. Let the outside world say what it will; I dont care!
Rest assured, Your Majesty, I have a certain status and influence in the rivers and lakes, and I can clear the stains from your reputation, allowing more people to know you and making your good name last forever!
Lin Beifan waved his hand again: I truly do not need those reputations! Whether as a foolish emperor or a wise monarch, I am simply doing what I believe to be right! If you truly want to help me, then say nothing at all!
Why? Song Yufei was puzzled.
Which emperor does not wish to earn the title of a wise ruler and be remembered for generations?
But the Emperor before me, he actually doesnt want the throne?
Because being a foolish emperor is comfortable!
Lin Beifan groaned, You can do as you please, indulge in pleasures, do whatever you want without the burden of reputation! What else can others do besides calling me a foolish emperor?
Song Yufei burst out laughing.
The words are crude, but the reasoning is solid!
Indeed, being a foolish emperor means you can do whatever you want, following your hearts desires without anyone interfering!
Others might at most curse him as a foolish emperor!
But whats the use of cursing when the other party doesnt even care about their reputation?
Lets not talk about me for now, lets talk about you!
Me? Song Yufei was somewhat confused.
Yes, about you! Miss Song, would you be interested in serving Great Xia and working for me?
Lin Beifan said with a smile: I am desperately seeking talented individuals, and I always welcome those who come! If you join us, I will surely treat you with the courtesy of a national scholar!
Thats right, Lin Beifan was indeed assessing her!
Young in age, highly skilled in martial arts, and also appeared to be very beautiful!
If he doesnt charm her over, it would simply be a waste of talent!
Song Yufei was just about to decline, but the words that came out changed: Ill consider it! However, I have a sect behind me, and Im usually busy with sect missions, Im afraid I might not be able to serve Your Majesty!
Thats easy, you can just be an honorary official! If theres something I need help with and you think you can help, then do so; if not, then its fine, you have a lot of autonomy! Lin Beifan said with a smile.
This time, Song Yufei did not hesitate: Alright! As long as it doesnt go against the moral code of the rivers and lakes, I am willing to lend a hand!
Great! Lin Beifan laughed heartily.
He had charmed another Innate talent over, how delightful!
After the two had drunk three cups of wine, Song Yufei left the imperial palace.
Afterward, she utilized the power of her sect to conduct a comprehensive investigation of Great Xia.
She gained a deeper understanding of Great Xia.
Just one year ago, Great Xia was a small kingdom, fraught with crises and on the brink of collapse!
However, since Lin Beifan ascended the throne, he reversed the decline and set the kingdom on a path of rapid development! He has led multiple successful military campaigns, emerging victorious each time and expanding the territory by more than threefold!
He initiated massive construction projects, mining operations, river dredging, land reclamation, and now the building of roads and the imperial palace, among others. Despite such extensive mobilization of resources and financial expenditure, the kingdom did not decline but grew even stronger!
The population grew from the original 3 million to over 10 million today, and it continues to become wealthier!
The more one knows, the more one admires Lin Beifan.
Just looking at these political achievements, they are truly dazzling, surpassing many wise monarchs in excellence.
However, if one examines the process, every action is that of a foolish emperor.
At the start, he gave away his territory for the sake of a beauty!
He carelessly provoked other nations, hastily initiating conflicts!
He embarked on grand construction projects, exhausting the people and draining the treasury!
Reinstating treacherous officials, monopolizing the courts principles!
Indulging in luxury, wallowing in extreme desires!
Song Yufei now doesnt even know how to evaluate Lin Beifan!
To call him muddle-headed, he truly is!
Yet such a muddle-headed person has managed to develop the country better and better, allowing the people under his rule to live increasingly well!
Alas! The world has been in chaos for so long! As the saying goes, Under the heavens, long periods of division will be followed by unity, and long periods of unity will be followed by division. Its time for a wise and enlightened monarch to emerge to end this era of turmoil! Lin Beifan, he is a potential candidate for us!
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