Tianliangyuan

Chapter 471 Starting to Raise Gu

The two children, Xie Jingyan and Xie Jingsi, had just moved to a new environment, but they seemed completely unaffected, continuing to eat and sleep as usual.

As the morning light, like melting honey, spilled over the crib railings that were noticeably larger than the baby's, two little ones dressed in tiny clothes made of fine silk were putting on a silent show.

Suddenly, the older brother, Xie Jingyan, woke his younger brother with his chubby hand. Their eyes, with fluttering eyelashes, opened at the same time, their dark pupils reflecting each other's images, like two drops of ink chasing each other falling into the milky white morning mist.

Perhaps because it hurt from being patted, younger brother Xie Jingsi pouted and was about to cry.

But before he could even cry out, his brother Xie Jingyan slapped him again.

Of course, I didn't hit him on purpose.

But because of this, Xie Jingsi's expression froze. Whether it was because he wasn't in pain or for some other reason, he didn't cry. Instead, he blinked his eyes innocently and kicked his little feet.

Both wet nurses came over to hold the baby, and the older brother, Xie Jingyan, couldn't wait to kick his chubby, elephant-like legs and rush into the wet nurse's arms.

But her younger brother, Xie Jingsi, waited patiently for the wet nurse to pick her up.

The two children were quickly fed and put back into their cribs. Suddenly, the younger brother, Xie Jingsi, stretched out his drool-covered paw and accurately grabbed the tuft of hair on his older brother's head that always stuck up.

"ah!"

The older brother, Xie Jingyan, cried out and was quickly rescued by the wet nurse.

When Xu Zhaozhao came in, she saw this scene and couldn't help but laugh.

When Xie Jingyan and Xie Jingsi heard their mother's voice, they became excited instantly, stretching out their arms and legs as if they were just waiting for their mother to hug them.

Xu Zhaozhao walked over and sat on the embroidered stool next to the crib, reaching out to tease the two children.

The children were too young to stand up, even though they tried their best to wave their arms and kick their legs. Seeing that their mother had no intention of picking them up, they naturally cried out in distress.

The wet nurse originally intended to pick him up and comfort him, but Xu Zhaozhao stopped her.

They weren't crying, so it's okay if they get anxious. Besides, I'm here, and I'll make sure nothing happens to them.

After Xu Zhaozhao teased him for a while, Li Guang came in.

"Sister, I knew I was going to pay my respects to you but you weren't there. Turns out you've come to see your two little nephews so early."

"Have you finished your morning practice?"

"I'm done practicing. The martial arts instructor my father found for me is very strict, and I dare not disobey. I came here after taking a bath."

Xu Zhaozhao smiled and said, "Let's go then, it's time for breakfast."

Li Guang now practices his morning exercises every day. This was a suggestion that Xu Zhaozhao made to His Majesty when she entered the palace. It was all for the purpose of helping Li Guang grow up healthier, and His Majesty naturally agreed.

"Sister, I don't have to memorize my lessons today. Didn't you say you were going to take me to see how the people live? When are we leaving?"

"What's the rush! After you've had breakfast, change your clothes. It's not appropriate to be dressed like this."

"it is good."

Li Guang readily agreed without asking why.

Xu Zhaozhao plans to take him outside for a walk today.

Staying in the orchard would only give him the false impression that the world is at peace and the people live in contentment.

It is true that Daxing is peaceful now, but not everyone can eat and dress warmly.

There are many ordinary people who can't afford meat all year round.

Xu Zhaozhao only took Li Guang out today. In addition to the wet nurse, several nannies stayed behind to take care of the two children, and Zisu was also left behind.

Peony and Begonia followed Xu Zhaozhao out, accompanied by a team of guards, all dressed in ordinary civilian clothes to avoid disturbing the people.

Xu Zhaozhao deliberately took him to a farther place; the farther away a county was from the capital, the poorer it was.

Of course, they didn't go too far.

Xu Zhaozhao didn't ride in a carriage today; instead, she changed into men's clothing, and the group rode together on horseback.

Xu Zhaozhao had sent people to check this place in advance, and she was certain that it was relatively poor, and the people could eat their fill, but they shouldn't expect to eat too well.

The group dismounted here and then led Li Guang around.

Although Li Guang was not very old, he was precocious.

Xu Zhaozhao didn't need to say much for him to understand that what he saw was vastly different from what he had imagined.

It turned out that the tenant farmers he saw in the orchard who were well-fed and well-clothed were only a small fraction of the population.

But in places he doesn't usually see, so many people are suffering.

"The family you just saw originally had seven people, four of whom were men. But before the New Year, one of the men was a heavy drinker. On his way back, he fell into a ditch, passed out, and was left outside in the cold for a day and a night. He never came back to life."

Another able-bodied man was conscripted into the local army and is currently undergoing training. The family now consists only of an elderly man in his fifties and a three-year-old child; the other three women are illiterate, and the old woman is blind. How do you think they manage to survive?

Li Guang remained silent because he genuinely didn't know what to say.

He had never seen anything like it in his life.

"Let's go. Today I've shown you about ten households. This one is the most special. You can think about it more when we get back. No rush. Tell me your true feelings and thoughts within three days."

"Sister, are there many families like theirs?"

"You'll have to see for yourself."

Li Guang nodded and asked no more questions.

They didn't return to the orchard until evening.

Li Guang remained in a very low mood.

Perhaps he was influenced by those shocking images, or perhaps he was pondering the difficult problem his sister had given him.

That night, Li Guang suffered from insomnia, which was unusual for him.

Xu Zhaozhao was consciously grooming Li Guang. She didn't need Li Guang to be particularly talented or a great fighter, but he absolutely needed to have a kind and generous heart.

If we don't let him see the suffering of the people, how can he possibly be willing to stand up for them in the future?

Xu Zhaozhao had always believed that the wise rulers described in history books must be good monarchs who were willing to stand up for the people.

But in reality, it wasn't until she lived there for several years that she truly saw through it all: in the eyes of anyone in a position of power, there is only power, interests, and balance.

As for the common people, in their eyes they are nothing more than cattle and horses, who can provide them with all sorts of value. The leaders will naturally care about their lives and deaths, but what they care about is not whether these people are living well or dead, but how much benefit they can bring them if they live, and what kind of loss they will suffer if they die.

Actually, it could be put in a more tactful way.

In the eyes of those in power, there is only the big picture, not personal life or death.

If it affects the overall situation, he can kill even high-ranking officials without blinking an eye, let alone the poor people he can't see.