My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

The Time Hotel is quiet late at night, with only the occasional car headlights casting brief shadows on the walls outside the window.

Zhu Biao lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

What he saw and heard today was like a tidal wave impacting his understanding.

The complex look in the Emperor's eyes, the domineering declaration of that Emperor Wu of Han...

In particular, Chen Mo's fantastical tale about a billion tons of steel and productivity left him deeply troubled.

I couldn't fall asleep no matter what I did, and I was also a bit thirsty.

So he got up, put on his coat, and went downstairs to get a drink of water and sort out his thoughts.

The wooden staircase creaked slightly.

When he got to the first floor, he was surprised to find that the light was still on behind the counter.

Chen Mo wasn't asleep. He was holding a pen in his mouth, frowning at the laptop screen, his fingers tapping away on the keyboard. There were several open ledgers and a pile of receipts next to him.

"Brother Chen... Brother Chen?" Zhu Biao called out softly, somewhat surprised. "It's so late, why aren't you resting yet?"

Chen Mo looked up at the sound and saw that it was Zhu Biao. He smiled wearily and put down his pen.

"Hey, don't even mention it, I'm settling accounts. This lousy hotel, business is bad, but there's always a lot of trouble. This month's water and electricity bills, internet fees, and the outstanding payments for previous orders... a bunch of numbers are giving me a headache."

Chen Mo rubbed his temples and complained naturally.

Zhu Biao walked to the counter and looked at the jumping characters and tables on the screen. Although he couldn't understand them at all, he could sense Chen Mo's agitation.

He was somewhat puzzled.

"Brother Chen, since you possess such...supernatural powers, able to know events a thousand years into the future, and your visitors are all people who seem unbelievable to us, why would you still be troubled by these mundane matters?"

"puff--"

Chen Mo laughed.

"Look at what you're saying. Knowing is one thing, but you still have to live your life."

Chen Mo started counting on his fingers.

"Look, you have to eat, but if you don't pay the electricity bill, they'll really cut off your power. Then, not only will your room lights be out, but my computer will also be out of service."

He pointed to the computer and used an analogy.

"It's just like when you're the crown prince, you have to handle state affairs. Knowing about important national matters doesn't mean you don't have to worry about the expenses of the Eastern Palace, right?"

Zhu Biao nodded thoughtfully, then looked curiously at a flat, glowing box next to Chen Mo and asked.

"Brother Chen, what is life like for ordinary people in your later generations? Is it all as convenient and wonderful as this inn of yours?"

Chen Mo leaned back, stretched, and complained.

"Well, it has its pros and cons."

"The pressure is immense! Don't be fooled by the fact that we have cars to go out, elevators to go upstairs, and can order things online with just a few taps on our phones."

Chen Mo picked up his phone and showed it to Zhu Biao before continuing.

"But the competition is fierce. You have to study hard from a young age, get into good schools, and find good jobs, otherwise you might not even be able to afford a house and become a mortgage slave."

Chen Mo kept complaining.

"When you're working, you don't even have to work day or night. Look at me, I'm still doing accounts in the middle of the night!"

"Many people stare at computers all day long, their eyes are almost blind, and backaches are the norm."

"That's for office workers; those on the front lines are even more exhausted..."

"Even children can't escape the cycle of intense competition, getting up at six in the morning and attending classes until after nine at night."

"These days, almost no young person is not nearsighted."

Zhu Biao sat quietly to the side, not feeling bored at all, but rather finding it incredibly interesting.

Chen Mo was still complaining.

"Interpersonal relationships are also complicated, and sometimes it feels no easier than your palace intrigues."

"I have to keep an eye on this group and that circle every day, afraid of missing any news. It's exhausting."

Ultimately, productivity has increased and minds have become more open, but people are still people.

"Everyone compares themselves to others."

But as he complained, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of pride.

"However, the benefits are quite real."

"At least, for ordinary people here, as long as they are willing to work, they have no problem having enough to eat and wear."

"Something like braised pork knuckle rice is something you can eat whenever you want; it's not a big deal."

"If you get sick, you have medical insurance and can go to a hospital like today, so that a minor illness won't turn into a major one, and a major illness will just leave you to wait to die."

"All children can go to school, regardless of whether they are boys or girls, and at least they can read and write without any problems."

"It's convenient to go out. If you want to go to faraway places, you can get there in a few days by high-speed rail or plane, unlike back in your day when it would take months to travel far."

"And unlike where you are, you don't need permission to leave the county."

"They are well-informed; they can find out what's happening in the world very quickly."

Chen Mo paused for a moment and looked at Zhu Biao.

"In short, in our era, ordinary people don't live such mysterious or poetic lives. But they live more real and stable lives."

"The troubles are one kind of trouble, but the benefits are also real benefits. You don't have to worry too much about sudden wars, or be afraid of starving or freezing to death. As long as you don't do anything reckless, it's easy to live a peaceful and safe life and pursue your own little happiness."

Chen Mo glanced at Zhu Biao and smiled proudly.

"At least, I have always been proud to be Chinese."

"Although there are always all sorts of negative voices online, we have to admit that the surrounding environment and facilities are getting better."

"Although there are always many people criticizing, how many are actually just parroting others? How many are taking things out of context? And how much of it is just rumors?"

Chen Mo looked at Zhu Biao and smiled.

"Here, if you put aside everything else, at least you've worked hard. We won't make you rich, but at least you can make a living."

"To live a peaceful and uneventful life...and pursue my own little moments..."

Zhu Biao murmured the same sentence over and over.

After a while, he glanced at Chen Mo and asked as if he had suddenly thought of something.

"Brother Chen, are you still not married?"

Chen Mo fell silent.

After a moment, he let out a deep sigh.

"Oh, I almost forgot. These days, most of the time, we decide for ourselves when we get married."

"Oh! Then why isn't Brother Chen married yet?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo's face revealed an expression that was a mixture of helplessness and a hint of indignation.

"Because getting married is difficult!"

Is it difficult to get married?

Zhu Biao was even more puzzled.

In his time, marriage was a major life event, and it was all about the parents' wishes and the matchmaker's words.

Especially for royalty and nobility, marriage was often a tool for political alliances.

Whether they are from ordinary or wealthy families, everyone eventually gets married, regardless of gender or social status.

Otherwise, people will talk behind your back.

Even royalty is no exception.

Therefore, he simply couldn't understand where the difficulty lay.

"Could it be that people in later generations, by not adhering to etiquette and laws and having the freedom to choose their own marriage partners, have found it more difficult?"

Chen Mo asked, puzzled.

"We've achieved self-reliance, but the cost has been too high!"

Chen Mo slapped his thigh and began to pour out his grievances.

"You have no idea! Getting married here nowadays isn't just about mutual affection anymore!"

He stretched out his hand again and counted on his fingers for Zhu Biao to hear:

"First, you need to be rich! Not just ordinary rich. You need to own a house, right?"

"Good heavens, with the little money I make running this run-down hotel, I probably couldn't even afford a toilet in the city if I saved it all my life!"

"No house? You won't be able to get past many girls' parents' objections!"

"Secondly, the bride price! This is the money given by the groom's family to the bride's family."

"With the current market conditions, prices are skyrocketing. It's easy to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan, and you also need a car and savings. Who can afford that?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao asked in surprise.

"Don't they give dowries?"

"According to the rules of etiquette, the woman's family should also provide a dowry for her married daughter as a source of confidence for her."

"dowry?"

Chen Mo chuckled.

"Maybe so! But now some of the dowry was given to her brother for his wedding as soon as it was given to her."

"He truly is a brother-supporting fanatic."

"..."

Zhu Biao remained silent.

Chen Mo continued to complain.

"And unlike your time, girls nowadays don't often stay in their rooms before marriage."

"These days, just dating is exhausting. You need gifts on holidays, surprises on ordinary days, instant replies to messages, and your emotions have to be taken care of..."

"Being a bit of a straight man—meaning not quite understanding girls' feelings—can easily get you labeled as inappropriate."

"..."

Zhu Biao's mouth twitched.

Chen Mo became more and more excited as he spoke.

"And that's not all. If you get married, the children you have might not even be yours, and the worst part is you'll have to support them!"

"Some women nowadays specialize in swindling people out of marriage and dowry money, and then divorce their husbands after a short time and find the next one."

"...Don't the government care?"

Zhu Biao couldn't help but ask a question.

Chen Mo did not answer, but just looked at Zhu Biao with a helpless expression.

Seeing this, Zhu Biao understood his meaning and fell into silence.

"So you see, here we have so many guys like me, it's not that they don't want to get married, it's that they simply can't afford it!"

"Getting married means decades of car and mortgage payments, and then there are the costs of tutoring and baby formula once you have children..."

"You're practically pinned down!"

"At this point, it's absolutely impossible for you to lose your job."

"Because if you lose your job and default on your loan, they'll take your house and car and auction them off, and you'll still have to pay off the loan after that!"

"So, the boss can use you to the extreme because he's convinced you can't lose your job."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao couldn't help but scoff.

"Aren't those just cattle and horses?"

So that's why!

Chen Mo clapped his hands.

"It's better to live a carefree life on my own. At most, I'll be pressured by my parents to get married and asked by relatives and friends if I have a partner."

"It's a bit of a hassle, but it's better than being burdened with decades of mortgage payments and emptying our savings, right?"

He sighed and said in a tone that was half-joking and half-seriously.

"Sometimes I envy you guys back then. Even though arranged marriages didn't offer much freedom, at least you didn't have to worry about houses, cars, and money until you went bald!"

"Not to mention you princes, with your three palaces and six courtyards... well, let's not talk about that."

Zhu Biao paused slightly, then asked hesitantly.

"Then... if two people are mutually in love but cannot be together because of these material possessions, wouldn't that be a great tragedy? Will the court... and future officials not show compassion and provide guidance?"

Chen Mo gave a wry smile.

"How can we guide the market? Housing prices aren't something the government can just lower at will."

"Lowering housing prices is indeed easy, but the problem is that the bubble crisis triggered by lower housing prices will be troublesome."

Chen Mo sighed.

"Everyone is very competitive. It's already hard enough to live, and the cost of getting married and having children is so high, so now many people simply choose not to get married or have children. We call this 'lying flat'."

"Lie down?"

Zhu Biao heard another new word that he couldn't understand.

"Well... sigh, it's pretty much like I feel like there's no point in trying, so I might as well just stop trying and do whatever makes me comfortable."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao frowned.

"Brother Chen, you are mistaken. Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no offspring. Population is the foundation of the nation. If the people are unwilling to have children, where will the country's taxes, soldiers, and labor come from? If this continues, the nation will cease to exist!"

Chen Mo shrugged.

"Your position determines your perspective."

"I'm not the one sitting in that position, why should I worry about it?"

"In addition, the problem you mentioned is what we call aging."

"Aging population?"

Zhu Biao was stunned for a moment, then heard another new word.

"The proportion of young people is decreasing, while the proportion of elderly people is increasing."

"With fewer people working and creating wealth, there are more people needing retirement and medical care, which will place a heavy burden on the country."

"So the imperial court... is also anxious, and is encouraging childbirth in various ways, but the results... hehe."

He shrugged.

"Then why is that?" Zhu Biao pressed. "Even if, as you say, marriage is difficult, it shouldn't be this bad..."

"Because there are too many people!"

"A lot of people?"

Zhu Biao was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously retorted.

"The Ming Dynasty's territory spans thousands of miles, with fertile lands stretching for thousands of miles. If managed properly, what is there to fear about a large population? A large population means great strength, which is precisely a sign of prosperity..."

Chen Mo looked at him with a mysterious smile that seemed to say, "You're still too young," and asked slowly.

"Young Master Zhu, then guess how many people are here right now?"

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment.

"Our Great Ming Dynasty currently has nearly 60 million people, and it will surely prosper even more in future generations, perhaps even doubling its population? Could it be...?"

Zhu Biao paused for a moment, then said a number he considered very large.

"Three hundred million people?"

Chen Mo shook his head, his smile becoming even stranger.

Zhu Biao's heart tightened. Had he guessed too little?

He gritted his teeth and uttered a number that seemed almost impossible to him: "Six hundred million people?"

"Guess again."

Zhu Biao's heart began to race; he felt his imagination was running out.

He took a deep breath and, using his wildest imagination, said in a trembling voice.

"There can't possibly be... a billion people, right?"

Chen Mo smiled slightly, took out his phone, and spoke to Zhu Biao.

"According to the latest data, there are eight billion people in the world right now. In China alone, there are 1.4 billion people."

"Fourteen...billion?"

Zhu Biao was dumbfounded.

What an idiot!

Utterly stupid!

How big is this number?

It is about twenty-three times the size of the Ming Dynasty today.

What does this mean?

Zhu Biao couldn't believe it, he absolutely couldn't believe it.

He didn't even know how to manage or restrain so many people.

All his previous ideas about governing the country and ensuring its stability seemed so... insignificant and laughable in the face of such a massive and despairing population.

Too many people?

There are far more than just too many!

It was simply... a sea of ​​people, an overwhelming crowd!

He finally understood why "not wanting to have children" had become a social problem.

Seeing Zhu Biao completely stunned and absent-minded, Chen Mo sighed and put away his phone.

"Now you understand, right?"

"We are facing completely different kinds of troubles than you are."

"You're worried about not having enough people, but we're worried about a series of new problems that come with having too many people."

"The art of governing a country is never static."