The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 297 Liu Bei bestows a marriage upon Li Yi, who laments: "Your Majesty has truly caused this humble subject great suffering!"
Meanwhile, Liu Bei visited the capital in Hebei, where he had Li Yi confront the ministers who opposed the new policies.

Li Yi then asked, "Does anyone have any objections?"

The first person to step forward was Situ Wang Lang.

Wang Lang was able to become such a high-ranking official because he was qualified enough.

As the former governor of Kuaiji, he was already a high-ranking official with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure).

Later, he served under Liu Bei as an advisor, and due to his outstanding political achievements, he was promoted to Minister of Works.

In the novel *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, he is portrayed as a clown who was verbally abused to death by Zhuge Liang. Historically, however, he is known as:

"Their literary knowledge is extensive and profound; they are truly outstanding talents of their time."

He was a man of strict and generous character, often displaying dignity, and was respectful, frugal, and economical.

Even gifts received as part of the wedding banquet should be resolutely refused.

It was precisely this meticulous and traditional person who represented the "conservative" faction.

He believed that the new laws implemented by Li Yi were too advanced for his time.

Not to mention that Liu Shou was enfeoffed in "Qi", which was originally a place of etiquette.

It is utterly disgraceful to introduce new policies here, such as including encouraging widows to remarry in the constitution.

This is a blatant provocation against Confucius and his Confucian scholars!
Wang Lang stepped forward first, his boots clattering loudly on the floor tiles.

"This old minister deserves death."

Wang Lang's silver beard trembled. "The Book of Rites says, 'Once you have offered sacrifices to someone, you will never change your mind.'"

"Does the Prime Minister intend to destroy this thousand-year-old code of conduct, so that all women of China will become fickle and opportunistic?"

"If laws and decrees are used to destroy this moral order, it is no different from leading beasts to devour people."

"This old minister humbly requests the Prime Minister to reconsider."

Li Yi flicked his wide sleeves and replied in a clear voice:
"When Minister Wang came to Hebei, did he see many widows and orphans in the city streets and alleys?"

"The men in these families, affected by the war, either perished in ditches or died on the battlefield."

"Left behind only an orphan and a widow, with no one to rely on."

"An old woman gleaned grain in a frosty field, while her young son drowned in a cold well."

"Does Situ insist on demanding 'chastity' without considering the lives of these people?!"

Upon seeing this, Imperial Censor Hua Xin quickly stepped forward to defuse the situation, saying:

"...Prime Minister, you are mistaken. These people may be pitiful, but how can such a matter be written into the law?"

This is the core argument of the conservatives.

We can refrain from discriminating against widows, but we should enshrine laws specifically encouraging widows to remarry, and even have the government personally step in to protect them.

This is perhaps a bit of an overcorrection.

In response, Li Yi simply stroked his beard and said calmly:

"When Xiao He entered Qin, he first took the laws, regulations, and records."

"In times of chaos, the priority should be to save the people, not to recite scriptures."

This……

With just one sentence, Hua Xin was rendered speechless.

Because throughout Chinese history, the "people" have always been the core of politics.

All other issues have to take a backseat.

Li Yi didn't say much, but he silenced Wang Lang and Hua Xin, the two conservatives who were the first to fight.

There may be those who disagree, but seeing that the two big shots have already been defeated, how could they dare to go up and make a fool of themselves?

They all sat in place, without saying a word.

Seeing that no one had any further objections, Li Yi, feeling rather bored, also summarized the meeting.

“I know you adhere to old customs, but in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures should be taken; this is the natural order of things.”

"You are all well-read people, sitting in the halls of power, you should also open your eyes and see the suffering of the people at the bottom of society."

"Pity the tears of the widows of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and grieve for the cries of the orphans of Youzhou."

"Instead of engaging in empty talk about lofty ideals here!"

The entire room fell silent, heads bowed, saying nothing.

"If the sky had feelings, it would also grow old; the righteous path of the world is vicissitudes."

"As officials, you should think about this more and consider the people's needs."

it is good!
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei finally couldn't help but stand up.

He was originally just observing from the sidelines and had no intention of intervening.

But to everyone's surprise, this debate turned into a personal educational event for Li Yi.

Upon hearing the insightful point, Liu Bei couldn't help but step forward and share his thoughts.

"What the Prime Minister said is exactly what I think."

"The world is indeed far better than it was ten years ago. You all hold high positions and enjoy a life of leisure, seemingly forgetting your duties."

There's a saying that I often repeat to myself.

"Please don't find me long-winded—"

"Those who achieve great things throughout history have all placed the people at the foundation, valued the people, and prioritized the people. The ruler is less important than the people!"

"Regardless of the drawbacks of the Prime Minister's new policies, as long as they are good for the country and the people."

"In my opinion, there is nothing that cannot be done."

The officials stood straight in place, heads bowed, ears perked up, listening to Liu Bei's instructions.

After they finished speaking, they all clasped their hands in greeting and said in unison:

"Your Majesty's words are as firm as gold and stone, and we will remember them in our hearts."

The implementation of this new policy was ultimately achieved through the combined pressure exerted by Liu Bei and his minister Li Yi.

Actually, the content of this new policy is neither too big nor too small.

It didn't touch people's cake.

The reason why this provoked opposition from scholar-officials led by Kong Rong is, as the saying goes:

"When people are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame; when their granaries are full, they know etiquette."

To put it bluntly, it's because these people have had a good life for too long that they start to care about whether these things are in accordance with etiquette and law.

If this were ten years ago, a time of constant turmoil, uncertainty, and even food shortages, it would be a different story.

Who cares if you're a widow or not?

This reform can only be considered as Liu Bei and Li Yi's initial test of the officials.

When the world is truly unified in the future, and the pie of the big shots is threatened, that will be the real challenge!

Subsequently,

Liu Bei summoned Li Yi and Chen Qun to discuss the specific constitution and charter with them.

"...The Prime Minister's plan is good, but we should adhere to the middle ground."

“If it goes too far, it will become the policy of the Cao family, which will only cause resentment among the people.”

"Be very careful."

"I have repeatedly emphasized that Cao Cao is hasty, while I am lenient."

"Cao Cao is violent, I am benevolent."

"Cao Cao is cunning, I am loyal."

"Only by doing the opposite of what Cao Cao did things succeed."

"Never lose credibility and integrity for the sake of petty gains."

Li Yi replied, "Your Majesty is wise."

"Cao Cao's mistake was that he forcibly gathered widows to marry his generals and soldiers, which led officials to seize women's wives and children to fill quotas."

"What I am about to present is only advice, not coercion, like a spring breeze and rain, letting things take their natural course."

This differs from Cao Cao's practice of forcibly gathering widows together for government distribution.

Li Yi merely introduced relevant policies to encourage women to remarry; these policies were not mandatory.

"……good."

Liu Bei nodded in satisfaction.

"However, the Prime Minister should carefully consider the specific regulations."

"The nation's wealth should not be entirely used for this."

The implication was that Li Yi must keep a close eye on the budget.

Even if the State of Qi is wealthy, it cannot squander its wealth.

A country's annual expenditures are multifaceted; if one aspect exceeds its budget, it will have to resort to borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

Ultimately, this made a mess of the national finances.

Chen Qun is an expert in this field.

Liu Bei then asked Chen Qun:

"Please speak to me first about the long article."

Chen Qun stroked his beard and said slowly:

"In the past, when Goujian governed Yue, he prioritized the survival and development of the people."

"A daughter will be given two jugs of wine and a pig."

"For the birth of a son, bestow upon him two jugs of wine and a dog."

“If a woman has three or more children, the government will provide her with a wet nurse.”

According to the "Discourses on Salt and Iron", its value is equivalent to 500,000 coins today.

"Therefore, the 'three thousand Yue soldiers conquered Wu' was a great achievement."

King Goujian of Yue went to great lengths to encourage childbirth.

Subsidies are given only for having children.

After saying this, Chen Qun gave another counterexample.

"The Law of Ancestors":

“Women aged fifteen to thirty who do not marry shall be subject to an annual tax of 120 coins.”

"Many people sell their daughters to marry into families, and there are abandoned infants on the roads."

Due to the sharp decline in population at the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang adopted a much simpler and more drastic approach to encourage childbirth.

The law stipulates that women who are unmarried between the ages of fifteen and thirty must pay a single fee, which is imposed directly on them.

This places a huge burden on ordinary people.

Many families have resorted to selling their daughters to avoid taxes, leading to numerous tragedies.

Chen Qun's point was that this policy of encouraging widows to remarry should neither be rushed nor delayed.

Chen Qun quickly drafted the preliminary charter.

It is roughly as follows:

First, any widow who remarries shall be given three strings of cash as "settlement money".

All those who receive the resettlement allowance must be registered by name, and each person is limited to receiving it only once.

To prevent someone from deliberately defrauding the government of money, repeatedly divorcing wives to exploit bugs.

Second, newlywed couples will be exempt from taxes for one year.

This measure is still a government welfare program designed to encourage widows to remarry.

Third, widows were allowed to choose their own husbands, with the government acting as guarantors.

This measure was taken to prevent landlords and powerful families from bullying orphans and widows, and from forcibly marrying or selling them.

It is also to protect the first law.

Because some powerful figures might use their power to forcibly take widows as their wives.

He not only swindled the government out of resettlement funds, but also took advantage of women for free.

If the woman doesn't receive a penny of the government's resettlement allowance, she may have already been evicted from her home.

Fourth, those who bully the lonely and widowed will be severely punished, and those who violate this rule will be publicly displayed in cangue.

This is still to further protect widows, especially since there will be more and more ill-intentioned people when they have "value".

After drafting the preliminary plan, Chen Qun handed it over to Liu Bei and Li Yi for review.

Liu Bei basically agreed with Chen Qun's various regulations.

However, Li Yi added further to this.

In Li Yi's view, many women are quite traditional and unwilling to remarry.

We could set up a "Hall of Virtuous Women" to take in those who do not wish to remarry.

Then they were given textile tools and materials so that they could support themselves.

In this way, they can gain the support of conservatives.

It can also drive the development of the country's handicraft industry, achieving the best of both worlds.

Liu Bei was overjoyed, and with the combined efforts of everyone, he finally managed to implement the new policies.

Liu Bei personally wrote the proclamation, which was then proclaimed throughout the country.

People gathered at the city wall to watch.

The notice read:
The King of Qi issued an edict:

"I, the King, have inherited the Mandate of Heaven and rule over all lands."

“Whenever I read the reports from the prefectures and counties, I would invariably stop eating and wander around in the middle of the night.”

"Since Emperors Huan and Ling lost their virtue, the country has been in disarray for thirty years."

"Countless brave men have fallen by the sword, and countless women weep blood in their boudoirs."

"Although the world has been cleansed now, the tragic situation of one in a hundred people being left behind is still vivid in our minds."

The Book of Rites says, “Food and sex are the greatest desires of humankind,” while the Book of Changes says, “Heaven and earth are in harmony, and all things are transformed and perfected.”

"Now, when I travel to Hebei, I find many widows carrying firewood to draw water from wells amidst the ice and frost."

“When I was in Xuzhou, there were many widows who sold their hair to exchange for grain in the market.”

"Whenever I see this, I am filled with grief and indignation."

“When Guan Zhong governed Qi, he established brothels to provide for the women who frequented the city.”

"Duke Zhou established rites and appointed matchmakers to unite widowers and bachelors."

"Therefore, I wish to follow the will of Heaven to cherish life, to continue the ancestral rites of my extinct family, and to comfort the loyal souls in the netherworld."

"Issue this decree and proclaim it to the world."

"All of us in Qi should show compassion for the widowed and orphaned, and work together to promote good governance."

"Hopefully, there will be no resentful women within the family, and no unmarried men without."

"so that peace may come in the future."

"In the third month of spring in the thirteenth year of Jian'an, an imperial edict was issued."

The announcement caused an uproar.

Some might say, "King Qi has always been kind and benevolent, so why did he follow Cao Cao's example and force a widow to remarry?"

"...Hey, Cao Cao forced widows to remarry, but the King of Qi did not give such an order."

"...Hiss, the government is actually going to give three strings of cash to this remarried woman. That's enough to buy six fat sheep."

Originally, everyone was just watching the new policy with amusement, but then their eyes caught sight of the line below: the rewards and benefits for remarriage.

Everyone's interest was immediately piqued.

For many ordinary families, three strings of cash is an amount of money that can change their fate.

Not to mention that they will be exempt from taxes for a year.

This is incredibly tempting for people.

Once the imperial edict was issued, it originated from Hebei, so the land of Hebei was the first to benefit from it.

For a time, Hebei witnessed a grand wedding season.

Every day, people line up in front of the official media office to seek fame, including many talented individuals from humble backgrounds.

In Widow's Lane, the sound of spinning wheels can be heard every night, accompanied by the sound of reading the Book of Poetry.

This surge in popularity has also boosted economic development.

Many businessmen seized the opportunity, under Li Yi's intentional or unintentional promotion.

Numerous wedding shops have sprung up in the market, specializing in selling wedding attire for remarriages.

Handan wineries have produced a new brew called "Xu Xian Hong".

The largest shareholder behind this distillery is Li Yi.

Li Yi attached great importance to brand effect, and he seized this opportunity to promote the birth of Handan's famous liquor brand.

Once the hype starts, when people remarry in the future, they will definitely prioritize drinking "Xu Xian Hong" from Handan, Hebei.

Unbeknownst to many, the name "Li" is behind many industries in Hebei.

The Li family has become a major oligarch in Hebei.

Ten days after the new policies were promulgated, Li Yi sat alone in the back garden of the Prime Minister's residence.

He was pleased to see widows remarrying, but he still felt the process was somewhat inefficient.

There are certainly still many people in Hebei who have doubts about this matter.

Just as I was pondering this, Liu Bei walked towards me.

Li Yi rose and bowed. Liu Bei helped him up and asked:
"What were you thinking about just now, Prime Minister? You were so engrossed that you didn't even notice me arriving."

Li Yi then confided his thoughts to Liu Bei.

"Although the legislation is comprehensive, there are still many people in the public who are watching and waiting."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei flicked his sleeves, sat down, and laughed loudly:

"The Prime Minister was wise all his life, but made a foolish mistake at this moment."

"Have you not heard of the story of Yanzi serving Duke Ling of Qi?" "In the past, Duke Ling liked to have palace women dress as men, and the people all followed suit, which Duke Ling repeatedly forbade but could not stop."

"Later, when asked about this, Yanzi replied, 'If the ruler allows someone to wear it internally but forbids it from being worn externally, it's like hanging a cow's head on the door while asking to buy horse meat.'"

"If the ruler does not order his subjects to submit, then no one outside will dare to act."

"Duke Ling accepted it, but within a month, no one in the country accepted it."

"This is what is meant by rectifying oneself and influencing others."

"Now that the Prime Minister wishes to change customs and habits, why not set an example and bring the Zhenji Studio into his fold?"

Li Yi's teacup trembled. "Your Majesty's words..."

"hehe."

“Mistress Yuan was widowed before she even entered the family; she was a widow who had been waiting for her husband to marry into the family.”

Liu Bei picked up a fallen flower and said, "If the Prime Minister marries her, then we shall travel together to Nanpi."

"Given the Prime Minister's prestige in Hebei, the people of Hebei will surely vie to emulate him."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Yi had already suddenly understood.

Zhen Mi was a famous talented woman in Hebei, and Yuan's former subordinates were spread throughout Youji.

With his reputation soaring, Zhen Mi has been diligent and conscientious in serving as his "secretary" for the past few years.

It's time to give her a proper status.

Seeing Li Yi lost in thought, Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh:

"So the Prime Minister really does like Zhen Jishi."

Li Yi was taken aback and quickly asked, "What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?"

Liu Bei then explained:

"I have bestowed upon you countless beauties, yet you have refused them all."

"Sometimes it is bestowed upon a lady, sometimes it is rewarded to soldiers."

"I thought you were just like me, not interested in beautiful women."

"Only today, when I mentioned Zhen's Studio, did I realize that it wasn't that I didn't love it, but that I hadn't met the right person yet."

Li Yi was startled, but not by his own feelings for Zhen Mi.

Instead, they were amazed that Lao Liu knew so much!
"This..." Li Yi was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

Liu Bei smiled; this was truly a rare sight.

“Excellent! As I have said, you, as the governor of Hebei, should set an example for the people of Hebei.”

"How about I personally bestow this marriage upon you two, and you choose an auspicious day to get married?"

After being ridiculed by Liu Bei, Li Yi immediately shrugged and said in a joking manner:

"Alas, Your Majesty has truly caused this humble subject great suffering!"

Hahaha.

The two of them burst into laughter at the same time, and the laughter continued.

When he was young, Li Yi came to the back garden.

Zhen Mi was seen writing documents under a crabapple tree.

As the wind blows, petals fall and cover the green bamboo slips.

With a gentle touch of her slender fingers, she was even more stunning than the crabapple blossoms.

Li Yi couldn't find a topic to talk about for a while, so he started talking about work.

"Does the press office feel that the new policy is hindering things?"

When Zhen Mi saw Li Yi arrive, she put down her pen and smiled faintly.
"The Prime Minister's plan is excellent."

"Yesterday I saw the Zhang family daughter from the south of the city remarrying, and the wedding procession was..."

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she suddenly stopped and lowered her head, her earlobes already tinged with the color of begonia.

Li Yin stepped forward, took the booklet from her hand, and their fingers touched.

But I felt that her wrist was slightly cool like jade, and there was a hidden fragrance of eucommia in her sleeve.

"You've been busy with registrations these past few days; it must have been really hard work."

Li Yi flipped through the booklet, which contained records of widows who had not yet remarried.

Upon turning to the last page, a line of annotation was clearly visible:
"On the 22nd of March, the Zhen family of the Prime Minister requested to be removed from the list of officials."

The ink is still fresh.

Upon seeing this, Zhen Mi panicked and hurriedly tried to retrieve it.

Li Yi, however, had already grasped her soft hand and smiled:

"It was originally unknown that the secretary was also in the register."

Instead of being annoyed by Li Yi's flirtatious and frivolous words, Zhen Mi's cheeks flushed red.

"I...I was merely testing the waters..."

His voice gradually lowered to a whisper.

Li Yinai said solemnly:
"Just now, the King of Qi bestowed a marriage upon me and sent me here to propose marriage."

As he spoke, he took the official seal and placed it on the stone table, then continued:
"If you agree, then this seal will be used to issue the marriage certificate."

Upon seeing this, Zhen Mi gently stroked the seal and gazed at Li Yi with tender affection, saying:

"Does the Prime Minister know that when I was removed from the register three years ago, I had already marked myself with the three words 'Waiting for Li Lang'?"

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and the crabapple blossoms fell like rain from the tree.

(That year, all the crabapple trees in Hebei bloomed in pairs, which people considered an auspicious sign.)

Five days later, Liu Bei personally bestowed a golden plaque, and also presented a bushel of pearls, a hundred cattle, and a hundred sheep as a congratulatory gift.

That night, the Prime Minister's residence was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.

Whether they were civil or military officials from Hebei, or high-ranking officials from Xuzhou, they all sent congratulatory gifts and came to the wedding banquet.

Even before the wedding, Hebei had already begun a massive publicity campaign.

The Prime Minister said he was going to marry Lady Zhen and ordered his servants to distribute a large sum of money as a wedding gift.

Li Yi already had a legal wife, so Zhen Mi's position was rather awkward.

But Li Yi deliberately made the wedding exceptionally grand, as if afraid that others wouldn't know he had married a "widow".

Everyone's busy tonight.

Mi Zhen, accustomed to her role as the mistress of the house, personally inspected the nuptial wine vessels.

He specially selected a pair of celadon mandarin duck cups and presented them to Zhen Mi.

She then ordered people to perfume the wedding dresses with lily fragrance for three days.

Yuan Ying chimed in, muttering under her breath, "I knew my husband was biased!"

Mi Zhen held a box of coral rouge in her hands and said to Yuan Ying:

"Alright, today is your husband's wedding day, don't make him angry."

"Let's quickly take this rouge to Sister Mi as well."

"understood."

Yuan Ying joked around, but she still listened to Sister Mi.

At this moment, Zhen Mi, in the bridal chamber, sighed and said to the maid beside her:

"I have known the two ladies for a long time and we are like sisters."

"I am marrying the Prime Minister today not to destroy this family, but to join it."

Just then, Mi Zhen led Yuan Ying inside.

Mi Zhen stepped forward, took her hand, and said, "Don't be afraid, sister."

Yuan Ying suddenly took out candied fruit from her sleeve.
"Here! Eat this, and you won't be nervous anymore."

"This is how Ying'er looked when she married her husband."

Speaking of this, it seemed as if she was recalling some past events, and she blushed.

Since the three had known each other for a long time, they were chatting and laughing together in the new house, and were quite harmonious.

At this moment, Li Yi was busy socializing and drinking with guests.

The Hebei military officers were very familiar with him, and since they were all drunk, they spoke without restraint, saying one after another:

"Your Excellency is truly blessed!"

He married three wives, all of whom were exceptionally beautiful.

"Each one is extraordinary!"

Mi Zhen, Yuan Ying, and Zhen Mi were all wives, while Tao Hong was only a concubine.

The three women were all of extraordinary birth, far surpassing the status of a mere concubine.
"Alright, everyone, stop trying to get the Prime Minister to drink."

"Don't let it delay your wedding night."

Liu Bei said this half-jokingly.

Seeing that the king had spoken, the crowd stopped joking around.

Tell the Prime Minister to hurry back to his bridal chamber.

Li Yi thanked them all and went back to his room to rest.

When they entered the room, Zhen Mi, despite her burning desire, forced herself to suppress it.

When Li Yi sat down on the edge of the bed, the two newlyweds finally reached the point of passionate lovemaking.

It is:

The flickering red candlelight illuminates her new makeup, while the warm begonia-covered tent carries the fragrance of spring.

After three years of longing, we finally held hands; our love will endure as long as the sun and moon.

……

Thanks to the example set by Li Yi and Zhen Mi, the people of Hebei gradually accepted the new policy of widows remarrying.

Liu Bei, taking advantage of his rare trip to Hebei, continued to tour the region and inspect the lives of the people.

On this day, he walked incognito on the street, with Xu Chu as his bodyguard.

Suddenly, a children's rhyme was heard coming from the roadside:
"Zhen family silk, Mi family salt."

"Li Xiang strung together like a pearl necklace."

"Xuzhou whip, Huainan boat."

"Jingzhou rice was exchanged for Youzhou felt."

"Granaries full of gold, fields full of silver."

"Give the poor money to buy medicine."

"How many years have you been the richest man in the world?"

"Laughing, I point to the towering waves of the Zhang River!"

Liu Bei frowned and called out to the child:

"Little boy, come here."

Since Liu Bei was dressed in purple, he was clearly a man of great wealth and status.

The child knew he wasn't a bad person, and there were many people around, so he hopped over.

Liu Bei squatted down and asked him with a smile:
"Little boy, who taught you this rhyme?"

The child bit his finger and mumbled in silence.

Seeing this, Jian Yong bought a melon from the market and handed it to the child.

"Can we talk now?"

"whee."

The child, having received the food, immediately smiled and said:

"This is what my father taught me."

"Who is your father?" Liu Bei asked again.

"My father's name is Niu Er."

This……

Liu Bei and Jian Yong exchanged a glance; the name sounded like that of an ordinary commoner.

I doubt they've ever read a book, let alone been able to compose nursery rhymes.

Jian Yong pondered for a moment, then asked:

"Who taught your father this nursery rhyme?"

"...Hmm, I don't know, you'll have to ask my dad."

The child, munching on a melon, spoke with an innocent and naive expression.

Liu Bei then ordered Xu Chu to bring over the man named Niu Er.

When Niu Er saw that it was government soldiers looking for him, he was so frightened that he bowed repeatedly as soon as he arrived in front of Liu Bei.

"Sir, spare my life! Sir, spare my life!"

"I am a law-abiding citizen! A law-abiding citizen! I have never done anything immoral, illegal, or disorderly!"

Liu Bei then said:

"I will only ask you a few questions. If you answer truthfully, you will naturally be innocent."

Niu Er hurriedly said:

"Just ask, sir. I will tell you everything I know without hiding a word."

"The songs your children sing, are they ones you taught them?"

Niu Er was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

"It was taught by a petty person."

"But I just thought the song was catchy, so I taught it to the child."

"I haven't thought about it too much."

hiss……

Liu Bei took a deep breath and asked again:
"So where did you learn this song from?"

Niu Er answered without hesitation:
"Where is there a need to learn?"

"This folk song has been passed down orally among the people of Hebei. As long as you are from Hebei, how could you not know it?"

Oh?
Liu Bei seemed to be thinking about something, and immediately ordered Xu Chu to send Niu Er back, and also rewarded him with two chickens.

Then he asked Jian Yong:

"What do you think is the origin of this nursery rhyme?"

Jian Yong then said:
"Isn't Gongyou in charge of affairs in the Prime Minister's residence?"

"He must know something about it."

Liu Bei agreed and immediately summoned Sun Qian for questioning.

Then he told Sun Qian about the folk songs he had heard.

They asked Sun Qian if he knew about this matter.

"……this."

When Liu Bei asked, Sun Qian looked embarrassed, but still cupped his hands in greeting and said:
"I dare not deceive Your Majesty; such a thing did indeed happen in Hebei."

original,

The Zhen family controls the trade routes in Hebei and possesses a vast amount of commercial resources.

The Mi family controlled the trade routes in Xuzhou and also the nation's vital salt resources.

The Li family, on the other hand, possesses power and political resources that are second only to the emperor.

The three families were also related by marriage, so they relied on this relationship.

With the combined efforts of the Li, Zhen, and Mi families, Li Yi not only gained control of a large number of shares in Hebei enterprises.

They also expanded their trade routes to the Xuzhou and Huainan areas.

They also planned to dump goods into Jingzhou.

There was no other reason than that Li Yi had friends in every prefecture and county.

These friends are all wealthy and powerful, and they have absolute authority in their localities.

Therefore, everyone opened doors for each other, cooperated for mutual benefit and win-win results.

Over the years, the Li family accumulated a vast fortune.

Li Yi himself was practically the richest man in the Han Dynasty.

At least so far, I haven't heard of any family in the Han Dynasty that was wealthier than the Li family.

However, Li Yi was a low-key person and often gave away his wealth to help the poor or to support industries that benefited the people.

He was a very kind and generous man, which is why he always had a good reputation.

It's just unclear how this nursery rhyme came about recently.

This nursery rhyme, seemingly praising the Li family's wealth, is actually full of satire.

The line reads, "How many years have you been the richest man? I laugh and point to the towering waves of the Zhang River!"

It describes the Li family's wealth as vast as a river, and also implies the potential for their family's power to grow once it is established.

It will surely become the second largest surname in the Han Dynasty after Liu.

"Does Prime Minister Li himself know this folk song?"

Liu Bei, with a grave expression, asked Sun Qian.

"This……"

Sun Qian looked troubled again and sighed:
"This folk song originated from the common people, and Prime Minister Li was busy with official duties every day."

Where can we hear this folk song?

……

(End of this chapter)