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Chapter 24: The Pedantic Men
Chapter 24: The Pedantic Men
Chapter 24
These words carried a powerful sense of awe, stirring the hearts of the ancient people who heard them.
What is a golden age?
To the ancients, a golden age was simply having enough to eat and wear!
In their era, the common people lived day to day, constantly tightening their belts, and whenever drought or natural disaster struck, they would starve to death.
But in the Noble Consort's time, even the pigs were fed better than the common people!
"How bountiful must the grain harvest be for the pigs to be fed rice?"
"Is the world two thousand years in the future truly... truly so good?"
"The common people there must be so happy!"
The ancient people let out a bittersweet smile, gazing through the screen at the piles of food in the pig troughs, their eyes reddening.
But the ancient people did not know that even the people living in the modern world were not truly happy, burdened by mortgages, car loans, and financial difficulties.
Children were studying from dawn to dusk, constantly told by their families that the only way to change their fate is to get into a good university and find a good job.
Adults were working overtime tirelessly, just to be able to afford a house and a car in the city.
If only the modern people could take a look back at the miserable lives of the ancients.
Perhaps, perhaps with that comparison, they would slow down, and learn to be content...
Unnoticed, night had already fallen.
The voices of the crew members outside reached their ears, and Gu Sang saw that it was about time, so he turned off the live stream.
After Gu Sang ended the live stream, the officials in the grand hall divided into two factions, arguing fiercely.
The elders stubbornly refused to abandon the old ways and embrace new innovations.
"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, these sweet potatoes and potatoes are foreign goods from overseas lands. As the grand empire that we are, why should we use the things of these small foreign countries?"
"And the Noble Consort's world is strange and bizarre - not only do the women walk about brazenly without propriety, they even walk arm-in-arm with men!"
"A place so shameless, how could we possibly learn from it? Those sweet potatoes and potatoes, I'm sure they are not fit for consumption!"
"..."
In an instant, the elder officials and the younger officials were all arguing loudly in the grand hall.
The young officials from humble backgrounds, who had witnessed the suffering during times of disaster, naturally supported the promotion of sweet potatoes.
They earnestly pleaded with the Emperor to send people to the southern regions to find sweet potatoes, and if they couldn't be found there, to bring them back from overseas.
The young officials knelt on the floor, tears in their eyes as they begged, "How can we not eat them? The Noble Consort herself said that these would be the best food when disaster strikes!"
"You've all seen it, sweet potatoes and such have high yields, enough to feed even the livestock."
"I don't care if they're from overseas or not! I only know that they can keep people from starving, and since food is the foundation of the people's livelihood, why should we care where it comes from?"
The elder officials shook their heads disapprovingly, stubbornly insisting, "This goes against the teachings of our ancestors."
The young officials grew so angry their voices trembled, "Ancestors, ancestors! Go look at those suffering, starving common people - they've lost even their lives, what use are your ancestors' teachings?!"
"Sweet potatoes can feed the people, can keep them alive - that is the true teaching of our ancestors!"
"Emperor Taizong once said, the people are the foundation, if we cannot even solve the problem of their sustenance..."
The two sides argued relentlessly.
Pei Changying's ears were ringing, feeling as if he was in the middle of a chaotic marketplace, both sides having their own valid points.
"Enough, what's the use of arguing? Dismissed!"
Pei Changying coldly waved his sleeve and stormed out of the grand hall in a huff.
The arguing officials: ???
The Emperor is leaving just like that?
So what does the Emperor mean?
Will we go search for sweet potatoes or not? At least give us some direction!
Only the chief eunuch following Pei Changying knew that the Emperor was just sulking at the Noble Consort.
Pei Changying could accept the live stream, but to have to acknowledge that the Noble Consort's world was good and prosperous - his pride would not allow it.
The Emperor was still naively waiting for the Noble Consort to come back and apologize, to kneel and beg him to allow the search for sweet potatoes.
But some things, once lost, are lost forever.
After dinner, Gu Sang sat on the sofa reading the script, but by 10 o'clock at night, no one had applied to connect.
Gu Sang inquired with the system, puzzled.
The system responded, "I have not sensed a strong desire to connect."
"Would the host like to initiate the connection?"
Gu Sang furrowed his brow, perplexed.
During the live stream today, the ancient people had seemed so excited about crops like rice and sweet potatoes.
Logically, there should have been many wanting to inquire about the modern world in the evening.
"The host's merit points have exceeded 100, so you may watch the feedback from the live stream for free."
"Would you like to view it?"
"View it," Gu Sang replied, curious.
The screen flickered to life.
Gu Sang saw the officials who had been present that day, all gathered together, shouting that the Noble Consort surely had ulterior motives, and that sweet potatoes might be poisonous.
They kept yelling,
"How can we consume goods from overseas? It goes against the teachings of our ancestors!"
"Bringing in food from overseas, this is simply unacceptable!"
These officials who daily proclaimed to put the people first and serve the common folk, were now just laughably petty and enraging!
After watching, Gu Sang sat silently on the sofa, unable to hold back a cold laugh.
"How ironic."
"I made it so clear, even spoonfed them the food, and yet this group of officials, constantly shouting about serving the people, are still questioning whether this food has any dignity?"
"Still questioning me, thinking I have ulterior motives?"
"Don't they realize that those tiny shreds of dignity mean nothing compared to the lives of countless starving people? Compared to the people dying of famine year after year?"
"These well-fed officials are so lofty, but what about those common folk? Every year during the hottest months, there are inevitably famines!"
Gu Sang simply wanted to rush back to the ancient era and stab those stubborn, outdated officials.
When disaster strikes,
The men have the strength to fight and grab some food, so they have a chance to survive.
But what about the women?
Defenseless in times of chaos, they are abused, humiliated, and forcibly sold into brothels! Their plight is even more bitter!
The system replied coldly, "Host."
"This is the purpose of the live stream - to gradually introduce new things to the ancient people."
"Previously, you faced the pitiful people imprisoned in the palace, who could trust and listen to you because they were utterly helpless and desperate to break free of their confinement."
"Today you faced powerful, prestigious officials, whose minds are outdated and who value status and power above all else. So they are unable to accept some modern things, they will be suspicious, probe, and consider how it benefits them, step by step, in a calculated manner."
"I understand, the higher one's position, the less they see the suffering of the common people."
"And after so long of male superiority, they may have even forgotten that women are human too," Gu Sang leaned back on the sofa, suddenly feeling the urge to change something, anything.