in2ebook Chapter 82 When you're traveling, your identity is something you give yourself.
Chapter 82 When you're traveling, your identity is something you give yourself.
Kangxi first examined the clothes of his sons below him. He didn't think anything was wrong when he saw the first few sons, but when he saw Yinzhuo, he felt something was off no matter how he looked at him.
“Yinzhuo, isn’t your face a little too pale… and it doesn’t quite match the clothes you’re wearing.”
Haha, if you know it's not a good fit, then don't drag me along. I was perfectly fine in my own little garden, and you had to drag me out. Did you even ask for my permission? Now not only are my brothers laughing at me for being a pretty boy, but you're making fun of me too, right? You'd better watch out, or I'll cause a scene.
"Ahem, alright, let's get down to business. Remember, from now on, my identity is that of a traveling merchant, surnamed Huang. Liang Jiugong is our steward, and you are my sons. Now, before we set off, give yourselves names for when you're out there, so don't get them wrong when we get there."
Clearly, Kangxi understood Yinzhuo well. Just by looking at the expression on the man's face, he knew that if the conversation continued, the man would probably get impatient. So, he didn't give him a chance to elaborate and quickly cleared his throat to change the subject.
Upon hearing Kangxi's words, Yinzhuo became interested. A merchant? Cosplay? Choosing his own name? He understood. After all, one's identity when traveling is determined by oneself, so his name had to be impressive.
Yinti and the others nodded in understanding after hearing Kangxi's words. Unlike Yinzuo, they didn't think so much. The names they chose were quite simple, just the last character of their current names plus their surnames.
"Sixth brother, you haven't thought of one yet. It's just a pseudonym, no need to take it so seriously. If you haven't thought of one, how about your older brother gives you one?"
Seeing that Yinzhuo had been pondering for so long and was still hesitating, Yinti couldn't help but get a little anxious. He strode over and put his arm around Yinzhuo's shoulder, saying...
"I've thought it through, I've thought it through. I'm going to call it Yellow Crane Tower. That way, when I announce my name, the first thing people will think of is the line, 'The Yellow Crane has flown away and will never return, while the white clouds drift aimlessly for a thousand years.' And then... Ouch, why did you hit me, brother?"
Yinti released his arm from Yinzuo's and waved it in front of him, indicating that he was wronged and that someone else had hit him. Sure enough, when Yinzuo turned around, he saw his fourth brother staring at him with a cold face.
"Start over."
Well, it seems we can't call it Yellow Crane Tower today. In the end, Yinzhuo could only reluctantly remove the "tower" from the end and give his brothers a name that was similar to theirs.
Although Yinzhuo had learned from his elder brother before setting off that their purpose was to inspect the drought situation around the capital, he had seen a vibrant and lush scene everywhere he looked, whether in Changchun Garden or Enze Garden. This led him to make a wrong judgment about the severity of the drought outside. He thought that even if there was a shortage of water outside, it should not be too serious.
But after the group left the capital, they hadn't gone far when Yinzhuo noticed something was wrong. In previous years, the wheat in the fields along the official road should have been lush and green and in the process of heading at this time. Why was it that this year, the wheat in the fields was either sparse or looked listless and withered, completely lacking the scene of an impending harvest that was common in previous years?
The further out you go, the more severe the drought becomes. Many farmers, knowing the hope is slim, are still braving the scorching sun to scour the meager amounts of water in the ditches to irrigate their crops, hoping to hold on a little longer and hoping that God will be merciful and send down rain as soon as possible.
It's no wonder that Yinzhen was a pragmatist. While Kangxi and the others were still frowning and staring dumbfounded at the soon-to-be-dried-up wheat field, he had already dismounted and gone to rest under a tree by the roadside. Seeing this, Kangxi and the others also quickly dismounted and walked to the tree.
"Brother, how long has this drought lasted? Do you still have enough food at home? Has the government sent anyone to check the situation and offer any solutions?"
The old man saw that although Emperor Kangxi and his entourage were dressed simply, they all had extraordinary bearing. Hearing Kangxi's question, he had doubts in his heart but dared not not answer.
"In response to your question, sir, since the beginning of spring, there has only been one rain, and not a single drop has fallen since. It's been over two months now. At first, there was water in the river, so we could carry water to irrigate the fields, but water eventually runs out. I estimate that the river will dry up in a few days, and then we'll have nothing to irrigate. We still have some grain at home, but that won't last long. If it doesn't rain soon, this year's wheat harvest will be a complete failure, and the whole family will starve to death. As for the government, they did send someone to inquire about the situation a few days ago, but what can they do if it doesn't rain..."
The old man couldn't help but shed tears as he spoke. After hearing the old man's words, Kangxi's expression became even more solemn. Yinzhu went to the edge of the field to examine it carefully and found that the field was dry and cracked. In many places, the soil could be scooped up and turned into sand. Under such circumstances, the little water that everyone had carried from the river was like a drop in the ocean.
For several days in a row, the situation was similar wherever they went. After returning from their trip, everyone was in a very heavy mood. Even Yinzhuo, who was usually easygoing, had no appetite when faced with a table full of delicious food. Everyone managed to eat a few bites before having the food taken away.
"As you have seen today, the drought around the capital is this severe. You can imagine the situation in more distant areas. Do you have any solutions for this drought?"
Faced with Kangxi's question, everyone frowned. As the saying goes, if the sky doesn't rain, what can they do? They looked at each other in bewilderment, and finally, Crown Prince Yinreng was the first to stand up.
"Father, I believe our most urgent task is to first ascertain the extent of the drought, then open the granaries to distribute grain to prevent panic and unrest caused by food shortages. After that, we should do our utmost to find water sources and salvage the crops in the fields. Finally, if you issue an edict to reduce taxes, it will also relieve the people of their worries."
Emperor Kangxi agreed with Yinreng's words, since the previous disasters had been handled in a similar manner. The most urgent task was to find a water source as soon as possible, or for the heavens to grant a heavy rain; otherwise, it would be difficult to have a harvest this year.
"Father, you can have the Ministry of Works expedite the forging of several shovels like these. When searching for water, have them take a few with them. These things can bring up soil from deep underground, so they won't waste their time digging for a long time only to find there's no water down there."
Yinzhuo forgot where he had seen such a method before, saying that in some places in modern rural areas people still use Luoyang shovels to dig wells. He thought that the Luoyang shovel was invented to explore underground soil, so this was perfect. So while Kangxi and Yinti were discussing, he ran to the table next to him, grabbed paper and pen, and drew a picture of the Luoyang shovel.