Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 16 The first thing he said was Old Heshen
"Study, learn shit!"

Li Ming expressed his determination not to be corrupted by the reactionary feudal ethics and stood up to leave.

Fang Xuanling said kindly:
"Your Highness, why worry? Today is a court holiday, so I am here to supervise the distribution of porridge and grain.

"It is not for the purpose of teaching Your Highness and the other young masters. Your Highness is free to do as you please."

Speaking of this, Li Ming became even angrier and looked around.

The corner that had been ignored before was now crowded with servants from various households.

They set up several rows of large pots in the open space and cooked the food that was sent to them.

The young masters of various families stopped reading and devoted themselves to helping in fetching water and chopping wood, and were very busy.

How did my luxury store become like this... Li Ming's eyes darkened and he turned around to leave.

Fang Xuanling drank his tea and recited the legal provisions as if nothing had happened:

"The Zhenguan Code states that if one sells cheap goods as expensive or buys expensive goods as cheap, he shall be beaten with eighty sticks. If one sells utensils and silk or cloth in a way that is too short or too narrow, he shall be beaten with sixty sticks.

"By the way, Your Highness, did you go to the West Market Office to register when you opened your shop? The Miscellaneous Laws states..."

"I, Li Ming, am devoted to learning. As the saying goes, once a teacher, always a father. If you don't mind, I would like to take you as my adoptive father." Li Ming knelt obediently beside Mr. Fang.

"Your Highness, please honor me. I am unworthy of this. Slurp~" Fang Xuanling sipped the hot tea with a smile.

The young prince is quite sensible and flexible, unlike other arrogant children from aristocratic families, let alone the royal family.

In the turbulent court, this trait is not a bad one, really not a bad one.

Prime Minister Fang did what he said and did not instill feudal dregs into the little prince. He just drank tea, ate pickled plums, and occasionally gave a few words to the servants.

Like magic, the busy soup kitchen scene immediately became well organized, busy but not chaotic.

Letting the famous prime minister of history to manage the porridge distribution is really like using a Yamato cannon to order a dog - a waste of talent.

Li Ming had no idea what this old fox was up to and he sat there feeling anxious. Whenever he had a chance he would glare at a young man who, for some unknown reason, had suddenly resolved to be self-reliant.

Fang Yize avoided his gaze and said that he didn't know how Ming Ge's secret base was discovered by Mr. Fang.

First, rule out the possibility that I let the secret slip.

Fang Xuanling glanced at the grinning Li Ming and said deliberately:
"If Your Highness feels that the refugees are filthy, I will immediately cancel the porridge distribution."

"No, no, that's not necessary." Who could bear this kind of moral blackmail? Li Ming had no choice but to accept it.

Fang Xuanling smiled slightly:
"It is all thanks to your Highness's guidance, otherwise people like us would not only suffer the pain of the people."

Li Ming’s toes were about to dig out the Daming Palace: “Stop talking, stop talking…”

The rice smells delicious and the porridge is almost ready.

Outside the shop, some refugees had already followed the smell and were stopped outside by the servants.

Fang Xuanling nodded to the leading servant and said, "Let them in."

"Wait a minute." Li Ming interrupted, "Add sand to the porridge."

what?
Not only the children and servants, but even Fang Xuanling was puzzled.

Adding sand to food, is this like making refugees eat shit?
What kind of tyrannical behavior is this?
Fang Xuanling sighed in disappointment:

"The people have done nothing wrong. If Your Highness is angry with me, I should take the blame, but why are you taking your anger out on the refugees?"

Li Ming snorted disapprovingly and poked his thumb at the increasing number of refugees:
"How can you ensure that the people who come to receive relief are the poor who are truly in need, rather than the lazy people who come to eat for free?"

Fang Xuanling was at a loss for a moment and sat there motionless.

After being stuck for a few seconds, his movements returned to normal and he nodded to Fang Yize:
"Just do as your highness says!"

Then he ordered the servants:
"If anyone looks uncomfortable or has trouble swallowing the porridge, arrest them immediately!"

After using two exclamation marks, Fang Yize swore that he had never seen his father, who was never surprised by fame or disgrace, so excited.

Li Ming immediately showed respect to his nominal assistant minister:
"As expected of Mr. Fang, he is a man of great wisdom and judgment. He has a high level of comprehension."

Throwing sand into the porridge may not bother the truly starving disaster victims or refugees, but it can screen out the parasites who are taking advantage of the welfare for free.

This is what he read when he was reading "The Iron-Tongued and Bronze-Jawed Ji Xiaolan", who was taught by Heshen and others.

Unexpectedly, Fang Xuanling saw through the old corrupt official's tricks at a glance, and even went a step further and made preparations for the next step. It seems that I have underestimated the superpowers of the ancient prime minister.

The court is too scary, I want to go home.

Fang Xuanling sat cross-legged at the table. The tea he had just poured had gone cold, but he didn't drink a single sip.

Just sit there quietly, like a statue.

When the refugees poured in and received alms in an orderly manner under the command of the servants, he said with a slightly trembling voice as if he had suddenly woken up:

"Your Highness, what a good plan!"

After such a long time, I can still add the exclamation mark for the third time in a row.

Mr. Fang was really shocked.

In the past few days, he has begun to look at his nominal master with new eyes.

But he is just a child after all, and at best he is a promising future and a potential ruler.

Unexpectedly, the little prince refreshed his cognition again today.

This is an effective and sophisticated method that even veteran officials who have worked among the people for decades might not be able to come up with!
But what did the young Prince Li Ming think?
Could it be that he could...

Fang Xuanling found that his thoughts were beginning to get out of control and he began to run wild.

Perhaps, the real opportunity is right beside us...

…………

"Get out of the way!"

A short, scoundrel boy secretly exerted his strength, pushed aside the skinny refugees, and quietly came to the front of the soup distribution team.

His name was Lai Junchen. Because of his ugly appearance, laziness, bravery and aggressiveness, he was not well-known among the neighbors, but he was notorious.

Today, when he was wandering around the West Market, he happened to meet a rich idiot giving out porridge.

In the spirit of "if you don't take advantage, you will lose", he smeared dirt on himself and shamelessly mixed into the group of refugees.

"Are you a refugee?" The big man making porridge looked down at him.

In the past, the ones distributing porridge were all young ladies who ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddhist scriptures. Why did they change to big men this time... Lai Junchen muttered in his heart, tugged at his loose clothes, and deliberately stuttered:
"Yes... yes, sir, I've become thinner due to hunger."

There was someone waiting behind, so the big man didn't say much and gave him a big spoonful.

"That's all, you're so stingy." Lai Junchen cursed behind his back. He sniffed the fragrant rice porridge and his saliva immediately flowed down.

This time I was lucky enough to meet a very rich idiot who actually gave rice to the refugees!
He couldn't wait to swallow it in one gulp.

"Pfft! Shit, what's in the porridge?"

Lai Junchen had a mouthful of sand and was about to make a scene when he suddenly found himself being manipulated by a man.

"Take a trip with us."

…………

Li Ming sat cross-legged, his chin supported by one hand and tapping the mat impatiently with the other.

In front of him stood a row of dejected men and women, all of whom were caught for falsely claiming relief food.

Li Ming was already unhappy about being tricked by Fang Xuanling and his son Fang Yize.

Now a group of freeloaders have arrived, competing with the poor refugees for resources.

Doesn’t he know that His Royal Highness Prince Cao hates freeloaders the most?

Fang Xuanling said slowly: "According to the Zhenguan Law..."

"Don't be so green." Li Ming waved his hands impatiently, "Either throw him to the government or spank him, pick one."

The freeloader monsters were dragged away by the muscular servants, wailing all the way.

Among the miserable howls, a duck's voice was particularly prominent:

"My dear! My dear! Don't hit me, I will pay you!"

(End of this chapter)