Sky Curtain: My Great Qin must have an aircraft carrier!

"Depend on!"

Lu Li looked at the video on his phone, and his face immediately darkened.

The video discusses cases of child abduction and includes several blurry old photos, all of which are street scenes from the late 1990s.

This immediately stirred up Lu Li's childhood memories.

It was during the millennium, and he went to the market to buy groceries with his grandfather.

Lu Li saw candied hawthorns at the intersection and asked his grandfather for money to go and buy some.

Just as he was paying, a beggar suddenly squeezed through the crowd and yanked him hard.

Lu Li found it strange at the time, feeling that the beggar's eyes were very unfriendly and made him feel cold.

Just as Lu Li was about to be dragged away, his grandfather arrived, grabbed the beggar, and questioned him about whether he was a human trafficker.

Fortunately, Grandpa reacted quickly, otherwise Lu Li would most likely have been in trouble!

"These human traffickers are despicable! They should be executed by slow slicing, just like in the Ming and Qing dynasties!"

"Let's see if these beasts dare to traffic children again!"

Lu Li grew angrier the more she thought about it, and clicked on the video to continue playing.

Next is the fourth type of beggar, the one with talents, who is a respectable type of beggar.

Because at least it's a way of earning a living through one's own efforts and receiving wages.

What talents did beggars rely on to beg in the past?

The most common instrument is the bamboo clapper, which is used to keep time for oneself while singing rhymes.

These people usually walk the streets and alleys, and in front of those shops, they say a few words: "The general store has all kinds of goods, brown sugar is good and white sugar is sweet, if you want to buy sugar, you can save money."

The shopkeeper, pleased with the money spent, naturally wouldn't make things difficult for the beggar.

But if you don't give them money, the beggar will most likely start to insult you.

"Taking big strides with bamboo clappers, he came to a general store. The cigarettes and tea leaves were covered in mold, and half a box of matches couldn't be lit. He bought on a large scale and sold on a small scale. Can you imagine how wicked this person is?"

That's roughly the set of techniques.

However, to be able to rap spontaneously, you still need to have a certain level of skill.

This line of work requires knowing how to treat people and how to be likable without offending them; it's a skill.

"It's alright, at least it's a respectable profession."

Zhu Yuanzhang leaned back in his chair and, for the first time ever, nodded.

Compared to those swindlers and beasts who harmed young children, beggars with special talents are much more pleasing to the eye.

At least they earn their living through their own skills, instead of just lying on the ground and acting like scoundrels.

Zhu Biao breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw his father's expression soften.

He was truly afraid that in a fit of anger, Old Zhu would arrest all the beggars in Yingtian Prefecture and skin them alive.

Before he could fully relax, Zhu Yuanzhang added a nonchalant remark.

"But we can just pretend we didn't see these street performers making a ruckus in front of shops and vendors."

"If someone dares to perform in front of a wealthy family's main gate, that's extortion!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice suddenly turned cold.

"We'll see how sharp our swords are then."

Zhu Biao scratched his head. Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang was still Zhu Yuanzhang.

We will never give a beggar a break just because he changed his methods.

But upon closer examination, there's nothing wrong with that statement.

The business of begging already teeters on the edge of extortion.

If left unchecked, these clapper-beaters will eventually turn into local bullies who prey on the villagers.

Next is the last type, which is also the most heinous—the rogue type.

To be honest, most organized beggar groups are hooligans and scoundrels.

They would lie if they could, extort money, and even commit rape and kidnapping; they were capable of any despicable act.

In the past, beggars would ask merchants for lucky charms, and if they didn't get what they wanted, they would smear excrement on the merchant's wall.

Or they could gather a large group of beggars to block your doorway, preventing you from opening your business.

So everyone should understand that most of the beggars you encounter are actually scammers!

If you encounter genuine difficulties, it is recommended to call the police. Never try to test people's character on your own.

As the sound faded, comments appeared on the screen.

(Are those livestreamers considered beggars? Some big spenders send gifts, and they immediately read out the congratulatory message "Think about it.")

(What a tricky angle. If it's the kind of person who's just begging, wouldn't they be a cyber beggar?)

(By the way, there seem to be very few beggars these days; I haven't seen one on the street for several years.)

(Really? It's crazy Thursdays lately, and I'm broke, but I'd do anything for 50 V's!)

(grass!)

The atmosphere immediately lightened as the comments section erupted with jokes and banter.

Earlier dynasties such as the Qin and Han were not particularly concerned about the problem of beggars.

During the Qin Dynasty, the registered households and common people were the primary targets of the crackdown, making it difficult for vagrants and beggars to gain significant influence.

The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system and also had a social relief system, such as providing food rations to elderly people living alone.

Although there are homeless people on their own land, they are far from being professional beggars.

However, in later dynasties, especially during periods of developed commodity economy, things became more complicated.

Zhao Kuangyin looked at the darkening sky, his face so black it seemed to drip water.

Even in such a prosperous new China, beggars could not be completely eliminated.

Wouldn't that mean the Song Dynasty had even less hope?

Thinking about this, Zhao Kuangyin became somewhat agitated.

"Zeping, think of a way to completely solve this beggar problem for me!"

Zhao Kuangyin was a rough man and too lazy to think about such complicated matters, so he simply passed the problem on to others.

Zhao Pu's pen hung in mid-air, his lips twitching.

How to completely solve the problem of beggars?

What can I do if even later generations couldn't solve this problem?

Do you really think I'm some kind of clay idol in a temple, that I can just make a wish and it will come true?

Zhao Pu put down his pen, bowed, and said, "I believe this matter requires lengthy discussion. I will return to the Council of State Affairs now and summon the ministers of all departments to discuss it carefully and come up with a proper plan."

As Zhao Pu spoke, he moved silently toward the outside of the hall.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Kuangyin strode down the steps and grabbed Zhao Pu's sleeve forcefully.

"Hey, Zeping, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

Zhao Kuangyin grinned, his hand gripping the object with tremendous force. "You are my trusted advisor, so come up with a solution to this trivial matter right here."

Zhao Pu was pulled so hard he stumbled, secretly groaning inwardly.

This martial artist has incredible strength; I can't pull him away, and I can't escape.

Zhao Pu had no choice but to grit his teeth and quickly calculate in his mind.

Sending people to the streets to distinguish between real and fake beggars is definitely not feasible; even if the constables worked themselves to death, they would never finish investigating.

We can't just arrest them and torture them, can we? What about our reputation?

After a brainstorming session, Zhao Pu suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

"Your Majesty, I have carefully considered Tianmu's words, and there is indeed a solution."

"Oh? Zeping, please speak!" Zhao Kuangyin perked up.

"Most people who become beggars have suffered from natural disasters or man-made calamities and lost their ability to work."

Zhao Pu pried open Zhao Kuangyin's fingers and pointed to the mountain of memorials piled up on the table.

"It just so happens that the Ministry of Industry is currently engaged in salt production, glass research, and papermaking improvements, all of which require a large workforce."

"I believe the court could step in and select certain positions specifically for beggars in the city."

"In this way, one can naturally distinguish between genuine and fake beggars."

"Wow—amazing!"

Zhao Kuangyin rubbed the stubble on his chin, becoming more and more engrossed in the conversation.

This is a good idea. Those real beggars are just trying to survive, and they'll fight over food as long as there's any to eat.

Those fake beggars aren't after food and clothing; they're after money without having to work.

If you really offer a job, you'll naturally be able to tell if a beggar is genuine or not.

Zhao Kuangyin became more and more excited as he thought about it, and was even already planning how to create those fake beggars.

"Then we'll do it your way!"

But at this point, Zhao Kuangyin's face hardened again.

"Let's make this clear first: once these people enter the workshop, anyone who slacks off will be fired."

"How dare they act like scoundrels under my very nose! I'll break their legs!"

Zhao Pu bowed and accepted the order: "Your Majesty is wise. I will immediately draft an edict and have it jointly supervised by the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Ministry of Works."

Having resolved this matter, Zhao Kuangyin was in high spirits and turned to look at the sky again.

As the recitation began, a burly man, about eight feet tall, stood in the center of the screen, with the character "德" (virtue) behind him.

The oppressive feeling was overwhelming, making everyone feel almost suffocated, and they all had the same question.

Who exactly is this brave man?