Back to the Beginning of Ming to do Charity

Chapter 93: Personal Charm

TN: bonus chapter!?

"The Little White Lotus Sect is no divine sect, it is simply a cult of evil! Inside is just a pile of filthy and nauseating things, completely unheard of."

Scholars gathered to chat. There were many people in the teahouse. These scholars discussed this recent event on the side, and around them there were also many people listening with their ears perked. Scholars were trend-setters. Generally speaking, even if the common people did not understand they would still follow along and agree that whatever the scholars held esteem for was good, and whatever the scholars belittled was bad.

"The lords should kill them all! Allowing such people to live in this world is just disgusting."

"Some people don't believe it. I heard that the followers of the Little White Lotus Sect all thought that their Leader was threatened."

"There are certain people, even if they see it with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, as long as they don't want to believe it, they won't believe it anyway."

"Pitiful yet hateful."

"Most people in this world are like this, but they don't know it themselves."

Lin Yuan was sitting behind a screen in the teahouse, a pot of hot tea on his table. The tea master's hand was trembling slightly as he served on the side. He did not expect that such an important character would come to their teahouse to drink tea, and he himself could come and serve him. When the tea master was pouring tea, his hand shook, and the tea spilled on the table. His breathing stopped for a moment, his body kneeling down before his brain even got the order.

"En?" Lin Yuan was puzzled.

The tea master couldn't even say a complete sentence. As soon as he spoke, his teeth would chatter against each other: "South, South Bodhisattva forgive me..caomin, caomin.." (TN: personal reference used by commoners when speaking with royalty or high officials)

Lin Yuan just stood up, seeming not to see the spilled tea on the table, and said to the tea master: "You are excused, you don't need to serve here."

The tea master used both hands and feet to support himself, almost crawling out.

Just a moment longer and he estimated that he would not be able to hold on anymore. When he was far away, the tea master touched his crotch area and found that it was soaked through.

"The smell of urine!"

"Who urinated? You can't even hold in your pee so what do you even come out in public for?"

The tea master quickly hid away, his face flushed red. It was unknown whether it was out of fear or excitement.

Lin Yuan went out to walk around for once. The people following him all kept a comfortable distance not too far away. These people were equivalent to security guards, but unlike security guards, if he really did fall into danger, these people would rather protect him even at the cost of their own lives.

But Lin Yuan felt that there was actually no need to be so vigilantafter all, few people had seen his face, and would not match his face with his identity. If he went out alone, at most he would just be regarded as a rich young master. But with so many people following him, this would only let others know that he had a special identity at just a glance.

However, regarding this matter about him going out.

Song Shizhao, Song Lian, Luo Ben, Wu Changqing and the others all had the same opinion. Mainly that his identity was now too noble, and if he met with any accident then everything would be over. Therefore, he should avoid going out if at all possible, and it would be even better to stay in the government official manor and remain under heavy protection. This way the officials could feel at ease.

Lin Yuan coming out this time was his own stubborn decision. He felt that if he stayed in the government office, he would definitely get sick from the stuffiness. Faced with a bunch of official duties every day, his eyes were always dry and uncomfortable. There were no eye drops in this era after all. Many times, his eyes were so dry and sore that they teared up involuntarily. A few times, Song Shizhao stumbled upon his tearing eyes and thought that those were tears of sadness for the tragic situations of the common people in other parts of the empire.

And for some reason this kind of misunderstanding even spread out among the people.

Saying that he couldn't bear to see the common people's miserable state, crying every day, crying every night, crying so much his eyes almost went blind.

Several times Lin Yuan heard the rumors that he had cried himself blind.

Many people sincerely believed that he was blind.

And Lin Yuan could not specially explain something small like this, so he could only pretend that he didn't know anythingthe common people seem to think that he could handle political affairs well even if he was blind. Looking at this from another perspective, the common people were quite confident in him.

He was sitting in a teahouse now, listening to the scholars outside talking loudly. There were also smart scholars who read more books but did not study themselves into bookish fools. They were more wise and far-sighted than others.

"The way I see it, the South Bodhisattva is going to bring under control the chaos below."

"To put it bluntly, the government is afraid that these cults will really encourage their believers to rebel."

"Just don't know how long it will take."

"I think this is a good thing. The common people are too ignorant. If the people above remain inactive and ignorant as well, the world will be even more chaotic."

"Isnt the dog court like this? The emperor is enjoying debauchery and sumptuous entertainment in the palace every day. What does he care about the suffering of the people and what harm evil cults can do? The way I see it, he only cares whether the beauty serving him today is beautiful or not, and whether the wine served to him tomorrow is mellow or not. If you ask me, with an emperor like that, there is really no difference from a pig."

"In fact, even pigs are better, pigs can be killed and eaten."

Don't know since when, but the awe these scholars had for the emperor of Yuan Dynasty had completely disappeared.

But such scholars were still a minority. Most scholars dared not say anything even if they knew the absurdity of the emperor above them. The emperor was the emperor, and the emperor could do no wrong.

It was the fault of the officials and ministers for not admonishing the emperor. In their opinion, even if the officials kowtowed until their heads broke open and they died, they must still try to convince the emperor.

Lin Yuan listened while sitting in the private room with a teacup in his hand. He listened with great interest. Having been sitting on the top for so long he hadn't heard these words in a long time. The people that now surrounded him were shrewd human beings. Every one of them possessed twisting and turning schemes and thoughts, their words flawless of anything that could ve used against themand even brother Dao rarely chatted with him like before.

The distinction between monarch and minister was becoming more and more obvious.

Although this was not a bad thing, Lin Yuan still felt lonely sometimes.

Despite having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time Lin Yuan felt this feeling of coldness that came from standing in a high place.

In such a position, he had no friends. The status gap was too great. He held the power of life and death in his hands and no one would be so lacking in self-awareness enough to try to be friends with Lin Yuan.

Sometimes when Lin Yuan thought about it, he felt that being an emperor was also a very miserable thing. In order to be a sage ruler, one must be busy every day, waking up earlier than a rooster and sleeping later than a dog. There were so many officials, but each had his own thoughts and interests. There were so many concubines who wanted to lay on the same bed as the emperor, but the emperor didn't even know whether she was sincere or not.

There were so many children, but these children who grew up in an environment full of power struggles, every one of them just wanted to get the most benefit out of him.

Such a life..seemed to be quite miserable.

That was why there were so many incapable monarchs. If you were a bit more incapable, you could live a bit more happier.

You could get rid of the officials you hated, and support the ones you liked, alienate the concubines you hated, and dote on the concubines you liked.

Now listening to these scholars chatting, Lin Yuan found it to be very interesting, a smile curling the corners of his mouth, his appearance looking very cheered.

The guards in civilian clothes looked at Lin Yuans expression, and they were relievedthey were afraid that these scholars would anger the South Bodhisattva with their thoughtless words. It was nothing if these people were unlucky but what if they vexed the South Bodhisattva badly?

If one asked where Lin Yuan's most diehard fans were, it must be the people around him.

Sometimes Lin Yuan also found it incredible. These people followed him every day, and knew that he had to eat three meals a day and go to the toilet every day. How could they truly think he was a god? Was this not too bizarre?

The scholars had now shifted from the topic of cults to the people's livelihood.

One of them said: "Say, the South Bodhisattva spends all his energy on lowly people. Does he know that one must rely on scholars to govern the country? I wanted to say this before, what is happening in Pingjiang now? Scholars put their energy into forming cliques to please surname Wu. It's a mess. Have you ever seen any of them really become an official?"

Several other scholars did not speak. Lin Yuan continued to listen with great interest.

The man said again: "The way I see it, the South Bodhisattva is just letting them fight, and when they get tired of fighting, he'll come out. At that time those people will be obedient."

"Why do what you just said sound so chilling?"

"That's right, this doesn't look like selecting an official, it looks more like raising Gu." (TN: Gu=legendary venomous insect)

"But I also think that the South Bodhisattva may look like he appreciates and respects talents, but it is just all words and not anything real."

"What do you mean by this? Is it possible to have scholars ask for official posts? Everyone still knows some shame!"

The person who spoke at the beginning said again: "At first there were officials being conferred, and the title sounded nice and all. And the two courtesy officials didn't have to do anything. Just that, and they were still forced to their deaths."

Mentioning the two who died, the scholars didn't know what to say.

Although they felt a bit of sympathy, but more so they only felt a sense of schadenfreude amusement.

They all knew that the South Bodhisattva would definitely use scholars, it was just that he didn't want people to see him as being threatened by the scholars' power.

So they didn't have to do anything, but just wait quietly.

Those people who wanted to take the initiative could do so, and when those people hit their heads and bleed, wouldn't they benefit in the end?

Lin Yuan sighed leisurely as he listened to the scholars talking.

If this was in modern times, where there were so many scholars and civil servants everywhere, no one would have this kind of thinking.

The root of the cause was that there were too few people who were literate in this era, and every one of them was precious. They were used to the days of being put on a pedestal.

"Brother Yang, having said so much, what are your good strategies?" Someone suddenly asked, his tone not very good.

This brother Yang said: "It is impossible to get anywhere with Lord Wu. If we want to go further, we might as well ask Magistrate Song."

Magistrate Song was Song Lian.

Someone sneered: "That Magistrate Song has just arrived, and he has yet to even steady his feet, so how can he manage our affairs?"

Brother Yang: "This is just my simple suggestion, it doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves, I will be leaving first."

Lin Yuan turned his head and said to the guards around him: "That surnamed Yang, pay some attention to him."

The guards quickly said: "Yes."

A couple of guards had already followed the man surnamed Yang out, and it was likely that they would follow the other to his residence.

Lin Yuan didn't understand. He had put up such a big sign like Song Lian there in front of them. Song Lian's reputation was also quite prestigious. Moreover, there was still a shortage of people under his hand. Why didn't those scholars go see him instead of stubbornly sticking to Wu Changqing's side?

Was it possible that..Wu Changqing had some kind of special personal charm, and it was just that he had not discovered it?