HCB Chapter 188 The King and His Officials in Huaxi Village
Chapter 188 The King and His Officials in Huaxi Village
At this time, several children from Liu the blacksmith's family in the village could not suppress their curiosity and quietly came to the emperor.
One of the chubby little boys was Tiedan, the youngest son of Liu the blacksmith.
He opened his big round eyes, looked up at the emperor, and asked in a baby voice, "Grandpa Emperor, that big carriage you ride in is so majestic. Can I have a ride too?"
When the emperor heard this, he couldn't help but be amused by the child's innocence, and said with a smile: "Haha, little kid, that is my carriage for traveling, you can't just sit on it casually. But seeing that you are so clever, I will reward you with a piece of cake." As he said that, he took a piece of peanut cake from the table and handed it to Tiedan.
Tiedan took the peanut biscuits and jumped for joy. He was so excited as if he had found some rare treasure. He kept saying, "Thank you, Grandpa Emperor! Grandpa Emperor is so kind!"
Liu the blacksmith next to him had just been telling Tiedan to go back, but Tiedan not only didn't listen, but also said such words directly. He was so scared that he lost his soul and broke out in a cold sweat.
Seeing that the emperor was not angry, he dared to breathe a sigh of relief.
Seeing this, the other children, including Tiedan's brother Shitou and sister Huaer, also gathered around, their eyes full of envy.
The emperor also gave each of them a piece of peanut cake.
The children were holding peanut cookies and chattering, and the originally somewhat restrained atmosphere became relaxed and cheerful.
Seeing this, the village head hurried forward and said, "Your Majesty, these children have never seen the world and don't know the rules. I hope Your Majesty will not blame them."
The emperor waved his hand and said, "It's okay, it's okay. Children are innocent and lively, and I like them very much."
In this warm and cheerful atmosphere, the prefect and the county magistrate were not idle either.
When the prefect saw this scene, he had an idea and thought that this was a good opportunity to please the emperor.
He hurried forward and said to the emperor with a broad smile, "Your Majesty, look at how innocent and adorable the children in this village are. It's all thanks to your wisdom and grace. The fact that Huaxi Village is so lively today is also a blessing brought by your presence."
The magistrate on the side also quickly echoed, "That's right, Your Majesty, your brilliance is like the warm winter sun, shining upon this land, allowing the people to live and work in peace and contentment, and the children to be free from worries. This is truly a blessing for us, and for the whole world."
The emperor nodded slightly and said with a smile, "You two are too kind. All the people in this world are my subjects. I naturally hope that they can live a stable and happy life. I am also very pleased that the people of Huaxi Village have shown such warm hospitality today."
The emperor nodded slightly, then spoke slowly, "As I traveled along, I saw that Huaxi Village had ample farmland, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the neighbors were harmonious. Everything was in good order, which was truly remarkable. I'm curious about how the prefect and county magistrates meticulously governed this area to achieve such a peaceful scene. Could you please tell me in detail? I'd like to hear it."
Seeing the emperor in a good mood, the prefect took the opportunity to reply, "Your Majesty, we, your servants, dare not slack off in our daily governance of this area. We have always paid close attention to the village's farmland irrigation. Every year before the spring plowing, we organize the villagers to repair the ditches to ensure that the farmland has sufficient water for irrigation. This way, we can guarantee the grain production and ensure that the people can have enough food and clothing."
The magistrate quickly added, "Your Majesty, not only that, but we have also put a lot of effort into maintaining public security. We have patrols of the yamen, which patrol the villages and towns day and night to prevent thieves from harassing the people. We also set up courts in the villages on weekdays to mediate disputes between villagers and ensure that everyone can live in harmony."
"There is also the matter of education, Your Majesty. We have set up private schools in Huaxi Village and the surrounding towns and villages to encourage villagers to send their children to learn to read and write. Although they are not as good as the schools in the city, they can also allow children to learn some principles of life and basic knowledge, so that they can contribute to Your Majesty and this land in the future." The prefect added.
The emperor listened with approval and said, "Well, that's very good. This is what you are doing for the benefit of the people. I will remember what you said today."
Upon hearing this, the prefect and the county magistrate were overjoyed and quickly knelt to express their gratitude: "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. We will do our best to live up to your expectations."
Just as the prefect and the county magistrate were kneeling down to express their gratitude, Han Jingrui frowned.
He looked at his father, the prefect Han Zhuoyuan, who was trying his best to please the emperor, and his heart was filled with disgust.
In his opinion, Han Zhuoyuan only knew how to flatter his superiors, completely losing his usual serious demeanor as an official.
After the excitement was over, the prefect remembered that his son Han Jingrui was also here.
He hurried over to Han Jingrui and asked anxiously, "Jingrui, are you hurt anywhere? No, are you?"
Han Jingrui glanced at his father coldly and replied nonchalantly, "Don't worry about it. I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. How can I get hurt so easily?"
As he said this, he turned his head and looked away, as if he didn't want to look at his father anymore.
However, in Han Jingrui's heart, he still longs for his father's true care.
However, he was sent to learn martial arts by his father since he was a child, and their relationship was already distant. His father was always busy with official affairs on weekdays, and his concern for him was mostly superficial. Today's behavior of flattering the emperor made him feel extremely disappointed.
So even though his father seemed to be concerned about his question at this moment, he was unwilling to appreciate it, but just silently hid his expectation of fatherly love deep in his heart.
In the kitchen, the aroma of food became stronger and stronger, and continued to waft around.
The women brought out stewed mutton and radish soup, steamed buns, fried sesame cakes, a few stir-fried dishes, as well as braised duck, braised chicken pieces, and steamed cured meats, and placed them on the makeshift table.
The emperor came over accompanied by the prefect, county magistrate, and village head. Looking at the steaming hot food, he nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, fellow villagers. Thank you for your hard work."
The village head quickly replied, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is what we common people should do."
The prefect and the county magistrate were also standing beside him, smiling and nodding humbly.
At this time, a young soldier with a wounded arm said gratefully to Aunt Liu who was serving him rice: "Thank you, Aunt Liu. I feel much warmer after eating this hot rice."
Mr. Liu, an old man with gray hair, was holding a few freshly baked sweet potatoes in his hands. The skin of the sweet potatoes was burnt black by the charcoal fire, and several cracks appeared on them, and steam was coming out of them.
The old man walked towards a group of soldiers with a smile on his face and said, "Soldiers, try these freshly baked sweet potatoes to warm you up."
The soldiers hurriedly took it, feeling the warmth from the sweet potatoes and expressing their gratitude repeatedly.