Chapter 38 – I Am Here With You

Chapter 38 - I Am Here With You

Ran Qinggu's tensed body suddenly relaxed, his hand grabbing Shang Rongyu's forearm for support.

Their posture was very much like that of a couple flirting on the street.

The lanterns tonight were exceptionally brilliant, and passersby carrying lanterns glanced at them, all inwardly lamenting the decline of morals in society.

Shang Rongyu didn't expect that he had frightened his Heir's Consort to such an extent. He supported him and said, "Perhaps you don't believe it, but your cousin's feelings for the Third Prince can't be concealed."

Thinking about how his Heir's Consort was deeply in love with such a person, and this person was also flirting with his Heir's Consort...

Considering how Shang Rongyu had been wise and heroic all his life, he actually fell victim to a homosexual man.

This person deceived his Heir's Consort's feelings, making his Heir's Consort remain chaste for that scoundrel.

A liar who toyed with people's emotions.

He couldn't help but grind his teeth in hatred: "It's truly disgusting."

Perhaps because Shang Rongyu's eyes were filled with disgust, Ran Qinggu looked up at him: "Very... disgusting?"

Shang Rongyu wasn't really repulsed by homosexuals; Da Su had many who favored male companionship. Many high-ranking officials kept male concubines, and there were also refined scholars who lived harmoniously with their soulmates.

As long as they truly loved each other, did not violate the law, and were willing themselves, he was indifferent.

What he hated was liars who deceived others' feelings.

In the current situation, this liar was a homosexual, and his Heir's Consort was deceived by this homosexual. Presumably, his Heir's Consort must hate homosexuals deeply.

Men should make their wives happy and stand together through thick and thin.

He nodded solemnly: "Yes, disgusting."

Ran Qinggu said indifferently: "Actually, Yu'er thinks that if it's genuine affection, it should be respected."

He didn't expect Shang Rongyu to be so repulsed by homosexuals.

If he knew that he was a man, that they lay in the same bed every day, and Shang Rongyu treated him as a woman, that they were intimate like real husband and wife, hugging and cuddling daily...

Shang Rongyu would probably dismember him?

A nameless rage ignited in Shang Rongyu's eyes: "After he deceived you like this, you're still speaking on his behalf?"

Ran Qinggu: "It's not really a deception, my cousin's affairs are none of my business, she never told me who she likes..."

"Wait..." Shang Rongyu realized something was amiss, "Didn't he like you?"

"Me?" Ran Qinggu was surprised.

Shang Rongyu nodded solemnly: "Yes, you two grew up together. After you got married, he left home, even giving you a maid to protect you... Wait... Heir's Consort, could it be that after you got married, he became a homosexual? Wasn't your cousin heterosexual before?"

Ran Qinggu: "..."

Seeing Ran Qinggu's eyes filled with the look of "Is this my husband, is he eighty percent crazy?", Shang Rongyu questioned: "What's with that look? I'm talking about serious matters. If your cousin really became a homosexual because of this, then we owe him..."

What a good kid, hurt to the point where he doesn't even like women anymore.

Who made your fate so bad, to meet me, those who compete with me for a wife never have a good outcome!

It seems that the old monk earlier didn't miscalculate; his Heir's Consort was indeed a femme fatale. The Third Prince pined for her, her cousin became a homosexual for her, if these two formed a pair, it would truly be fate playing tricks on them...

Just wonder what these two would say when reminiscing about their youth in the dead of night?

Would they talk about the women they once loved being happy in someone else's arms?

Ran Qinggu was speechless: "My cousin doesn't like me."

Shang Rongyu was surprised: "Huh?"

Ran Qinggu lied: "He wasn't leaving home because of my marriage, but because he was going away to treat an illness. When the imperial decree arrived, I had no brothers, and my father didn't like us, so my cousin brother could only take the place of my father and brother to send me off for marriage, so as not to be ridiculed."

Shang Rongyu: "...So your beloved isn't your cousin?"

Ran Qinggu was even more puzzled: "Why does His Highness say that? My relationship with my cousin is that of siblings. As an unmarried girl, where do I get a beloved from?"

Shang Rongyu was overjoyed: "Really?"

Ran Qinggu nodded: "Mm."

Shang Rongyu leaned forward and pecked Ran Qinggu's lips carefully: "Are you tired? If you're tired from walking around, let's go back."

His tone was extremely indulgent, as if tonight, if Ran Qinggu said she wanted the moon in the sky, he could pluck it down for her.

Ran Qinggu was momentarily stunned, shaking his head: "Not tired."

He wondered if in the future, when Shang Rongyu found out that he was a man, would he feel disgusted, would he show that look of revulsion?

Although Ran Qinggu said he wasn't tired, Shang Rongyu was afraid that his body couldn't handle it, so he returned to the mansion early.

Ran Qinggu discovered that tonight's Shang Rongyu had become very... gentle and considerate.

He fed him medicine with care, thoughtfully warming the side of the bed where he was to sleep first before letting him lie down.

Even when he hugged him at night, he was much gentler than usual, his hands cautiously circling his waist, his head lightly resting against his head.

Ran Qinggu's ears were filled with Shang Rongyu's faint, even breathing.

It was ticklish.

A gust of wind swept past the window, howling fiercely and stirring up the leaves that the servants had yet to sweep, rustling noisily.

Ran Qinggu suddenly realized that this winter wasn't as cold as before.

In previous winters, he would feel like facing a formidable enemy, his entire body freezing cold, with no difference in temperature between indoors and outdoors.

Shang Rongyu shifted slightly, holding Ran Qinggu even tighter. His body was like a warm stove, making the quilt cozy and warm.

Ran Qinggu suddenly felt a bit flustered.

What if Shang Rongyu found out the truth in the future?

This person was detached and unemotional, without any attachments or concerns.

It was precisely because of this that the Third Prince needed him to enter the capital to strategize for him, so he took Bai Yu's place and married into the household, after all, he still owed the Third Prince a life.

He had never considered what would happen if his identity was exposed, how he would die?

To him, being alive or dead made no difference.

Before coming here, he had even thought about directly killing Shang Rongyu, so that he could use the identity of the surviving Heir's wife to accomplish many things...

Throughout his life, he had killed many people and used many others, employing any means necessary to achieve his goals.

He had never been afraid, nor did he ever leave himself an escape route; he faced life and death with equanimity.

But now, he felt inexplicably anxious.

He suddenly feared Shang Rongyu finding out the truth, but he couldn't deceive him forever.

Two days later in the morning, Bai Yu bid farewell to the Prince's residence and prepared to head south to Jiang Nan.

Ran Qinggu hadn't expected her to leave so quickly.

He accompanied Bai Yu all the way, escorting her out of Nan Shan.

Since Shang Rongyu hadn't followed them, and the servants from the residence were far away, Bai Yu reverted to her usual way of addressing him: "Cousin, you should go back. You're not well, don't catch a chill."

Ran Qinggu: "Don't stay outside too long, return early, don't let... Mother worry."

This 'mother' referred to his aunt.

Bai Yu smiled: "I know, why have you become so naggy?"

Ran Qinggu looked at Taozi: "Go with Bai Yu. If possible, don't return to the capital again."

Taozi wasn't an orphan.

She was originally the daughter of his father's deputy general.

That deputy general suffered due to their family's misfortune and his entire clan was exterminated, except for a concubine who escaped the disaster by returning home to visit relatives and gave birth to Taozi on the road.

Later, pursuers arrived and killed the concubine, but Taozi survived because she was hidden in a pile of straw by her mother.

Ran Qinggu searched for a long time before finally finding Taozi in the northern city market and bought her.

In the end, it was his family that owed her.

Taozi looked at Ran Qinggu in confusion: "Mis... Miss, when will you be back?"

Ran Qinggu: "Soon. Alright, you two should hurry along. Otherwise, you won't reach the next town by nightfall and will have to rest in the wilderness."

He waved his hand, and a servant from the Prince's residence handed over a package, which contained some silver and provisions.

He passed the package to Bai Yu: "Take care of yourself, take care of Taozi."

Bai Yu accepted the package: "I will. Hey, this ring is so beautiful."

She noticed a blood jade ring on Ran Qinggu's left thumb.

The pattern on the ring was quite unique, and when worn on Ran Qinggu's hand, it exuded a somewhat solemn and murderous aura, making his fingers appear even colder and paler.

"Can I have it?" Seeing that the servants from the Prince's residence were far away, she acted coquettishly and asked her cousin for it.

Every time she wanted something from her cousin, as long as she asked, he would give it to her and Taozi.

And now, she was about to leave the capital, unsure when she would see her cousin again.

Her cousin would definitely give it to her.

However, she saw Ran Qinggu subconsciously touch the red ring and turn it around...

His expression was relaxed, as if recalling something pleasant.

After a while, he said: "No, I really like this ring. If you want one, I can find you an identical one. This style isn't particularly rare, it can be found in most jade shops."

Bai Yu noticed that Ran Qinggu kept touching the ring.

When he touched the ring, his expression was different.

Soft and delicate...

She finally saw a hint of emotion in her cousin's eyes.

As if, at this moment, he was truly alive.

This was the first time in her cousin's life that he had said no to her, and also the first time she heard Ran Qinggu express personal affection, saying that he really liked something.

She pouted: "Alright then. I've discovered that you've become quite stingy. As the Heir's wife, you can't even bear to part with a ring."

Ran Qinggu smiled. "Mount up quickly."

Bai Yu leapt onto her horse and looked at Ran Qinggu. "Let's go. Come back to find us soon."

Ran Qinggu nodded.

Bai Yu cracked her whip, and the two steeds galloped toward where the sun rose.

Ran Qinggu watched as Bai Yu and Taozi rode their horses, playfully chasing each other amidst laughter that was carried into his ears by the cold wind...

The red sun cast a crimson glow over the figures of the two girls.

They were so young and full of vitality.

Wishing to be swallows in the sky, not birds caged.

==

When Ran Qinggu returned to the city, large snowflakes began to fall from the sky, torn and pulled by the cold wind like broken butterflies, falling pitifully and abundantly.

In order to return to the city before the heavy snow blocked the roads, the coachman had no choice but to take a shortcut back.

The carriage wheels left a trail of varying depths on the road.

Ran Qinggu lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside.

The world was desolate and gray.

The withered grass and old trees on the hillside rustled in the cold wind, as if mocking something...

The snow fell heavily, and soon a thin layer of white covered the bleak hillside.

Chun'er hurriedly said, "Your Highness the Heir, don't look anymore. That is Beipogang, it's very ominous. Every year during wind and snow, it's the most eerie and terrifying, as if there's something unclean up there..."

Ran Qinggu seemed not to hear her words, staring straight ahead.

The vegetation on the mountain waved wildly, abnormally lush, even the weeds were thicker and more luxuriant than those on other hills.

But from a distance, he could smell a pungent odor.

The vegetation was more pungent than blood.

The howling wind blew down the northern snow, striking the vegetation with a rustling sound, while the carriage wheels creaked over the thin layer of snow...

Amidst these overlapping sounds, he seemed to hear some faint chanting in his ears.

"Indeed, the way to govern a country is to enrich the people first. When the people are rich, they are easy to govern; when they are poor, they are difficult to govern." A man held a book of poetry and taught the child in his arms word for word.

The child followed along word for word: "Indeed, the way to govern a country... when the people are poor, they are difficult to govern."

"How do you know this? When the people are rich, they will settle down and value their homes. When they settle down and value their homes, they will respect authority and fear punishment, making them easier to govern."

"How do you know this... when they respect authority and fear punishment, they are easier to govern."

"Gu-er, what this means is that governing a country requires enriching the people. When the people are rich, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and when the people are safe, families are happy, ensuring national security."

The child looked up and asked, "Father, are you leaving again tomorrow?"

The man pursed his lips, looked deeply at the child, and smiled. "There are many children like you there. Their parents were killed by the barbarians, and they are displaced. Father is just going to help them build a house, so they have a home, and I'll be back soon."

Tears welled up in the child's eyes. "But you always leave for a long time."

The man lifted the child off his lap, standing him in front of him, his expression serious. "A man serving the country in times of hardship is an honor. Father grew up with the late Crown Prince and the Emperor, we are brothers. Now that the late Crown Prince is gone, father must, on behalf of our ancestors, the late Crown Prince, and the Emperor, drive away those who invade our land."

The man's powerful and passionate voice still echoed in his ears: "After father dies, I will enter the Lingyun Pavilion, which only loyal ministers and virtuous generals can enter. There are all the iron-willed spines of our great Da Su, and spines cannot bend."

Sacrificing one's life for the country's difficulties, regarding death as if returning home.

Looking at the desolate, yellowed hillside, Ran Qinggu felt like laughing.

There was no Lingyun Pavilion, no admiration from ten thousand people, not even a place to bury his bones, only a few sparse lines in the annals and countless curses behind him.

From a young age, he was taught by his upright father to serve his country and people, to love his country, its people, its state, and the world.

But in the end, he became a traitor.

He did rebellious deeds and left a name that would stink for eternity.

He mocked the Yin family, full of loyal bones, for producing a group of descendants who abused power and brought disaster to the country, causing the people to suffer and curses to rise.

Never did he expect that his Qings, ancestors all virtuous generals and famous ministers, would reach him, having learned a set of governance skills, only to come for the purpose of turning the world upside down.

It was somewhat laughable.

Seeing Ran Qinggu lost in thought, Chun'er reached out and pulled down the curtain. "Your Highness the Heir, the wind is strong outside, and this place is a bit ominous. If it weren't for the fear that the heavy snow would block the road into the city, we wouldn't have taken a shortcut. You should stop looking. Your health isn't good, if you catch a chill from the cold wind and get sick, His Highness the Heir will blame us again."

She listened to the howling wind and snow outside and muttered, "It's almost spring, why is there such heavy snow."

Ran Qinggu leaned against the carriage wall, holding a hand warmer in his arms, silent.

This snow was indeed quite heavy, covering the ground.

Before they entered the city, the heavy snow blocked the road.

The peddlers and travelers entering the city stood in a long line at the city gate, wading through the snow. A guard saw the luxurious carriage and respectfully approached, cupping his fists at the servant and asking, "Is the person sitting inside Her Highness the Heir?"

The servant nodded in response. "It is indeed Her Highness the Heir of King Cheng."

The guard said, "His Highness the Heir sent someone to inform us that Her Highness the Heir went out of the city on business, and if she returned late, she could enter the city freely. Please hurry and enter the city, Her Highness the Heir, we are about to close the city gates."

The carriage swayed as it headed toward the city.

Chun'er wore an expression of pride. "The Heir truly loves the Heir's Consort deeply. Despite his busy official duties, he's worried that the Heir's Consort might not be able to enter the city and return home, so he specially sent someone to relay his concerns."

Ran Qinggu looked at Chun'er in surprise, who was all smiles.

Ran Qinggu was taken aback. "Chun'er, what did you just say?"

Chun'er: "The Heir is truly good to the Heir's Consort. He really loves her. In the future, the Heir's Consort will surely grow old with the Heir, spending their lives together in love."

Ran Qinggu was full of suspicion. "He loves me very much?"

Chun'er nodded. "Yes, why does the Heir's Consort ask? If the Heir didn't love you, how could he have San Su Zhai deliver a portion of glutinous rice cake to the Wangfu every day? And how could he have stormed the Eastern Palace for you... Love for someone can't be faked."

Ran Qinggu's heart was in turmoil, like this chaotic snowstorm.

The last time it was this chaotic was when his entire family was killed. After that, no matter what he did, he felt neither sorrow nor joy.

But now, his heart was in disarray.

He was good to Aunt Ran Yuru because he wanted to repay her kindness.

He was good to Taozi because her father was one of his father's generals, and his family had implicated hers, leaving her an orphan.

He kept his promise to the Third Prince because he owed him a life.

But no matter how he interacted with these people, he remained distant.

When they were happy, he was also happy, but he couldn't feel his own happiness. He tried hard to force a smile, but it came out fake, like an actor without talent, unable to fully immerse himself in the atmosphere of joy and happiness.

He constantly reminded himself that he was happy and should smile happily, so he tried desperately to smile, but he couldn't do it. He was like a stiff puppet, watching Aunt Ran Yuru be so happy, he could only force a smile to avoid ruining the mood...

He couldn't laugh, just as he couldn't cry.

During the days he was recuperating in the northern city, he lay in bed night after night, suffering from illness, his mind filled with scenes of blood and gore. At every moment, he plotted revenge.

He wanted to kill everyone who had wielded the butcher's knife that day.

One day, when his wish was fulfilled and he killed one or two of those executioners, he thought he should be happy, but he watched their bodies being trampled into pulp by horse hooves... and felt nothing.

The Northern City bandits present that day were all terrified at the sight of the mangled corpses, but he remained calm throughout, facing the transformation of living beings into a pool of flesh without any change in his demeanor.

He thought he hadn't killed enough, which was why he couldn't feel any joy or sorrow...

Then, he killed three or four, five or six... three or four hundred...

Each died in a tragic way, each suffered the same hardships his family had endured before death.

Yet, he still felt no emotional change, as if he were a walking corpse.

Unable to cry, unable to laugh.

He tried desperately to prove that he was still alive.

Until he met Shang Rongyu.

To deal with Shang Rongyu, he began to learn how to live like a "person," and also learned to play the role of a Heir's Consort seriously.

As he acted, he found that strange expressions would appear on his face, and indescribable emotions would arise in his heart.

That day at the Qixi Lantern Festival, when Shang Rongyu held his hand and wrote "Where my heart belongs is my home," he felt odd, as if a cotton ball stuffed with a stone had been stuffed inside him, warm yet heavy. Later, he realized that it was the warmth of a current that had washed over him.

That day in the Eastern Palace, when Shang Rongyu took a knife and cut off the hand of a palace maid, killing two people, and said he was coming to take him home, something welled up in his eyes. He didn't know what was happening to him, why there were so many strange, inexplicable feelings...

He suddenly realized that as long as Shang Rongyu was around, it was as if a shell called "home" followed him wherever he went...

He was amazed to discover.

Laughter wasn't forced.

Crying wasn't held back.

He didn't have to try to prove that he was still a "person," that he was still alive, and could feel some strange emotions.

Just like this moment...

In chaos.

==

The snow continued until evening, covering the entire capital in a blanket of silver, the snow illuminating the silent, long night.

By the next morning, early plum blossoms had bloomed throughout the capital.

Consort Liu, wearing a cloak, stood by the window putting on wrist guards for King Cheng. "Your Highness, the snow scenery is beautiful. I'd like to invite Noble Consort Xian and the ladies of the capital to the Wangfu to admire the snow. It's spring, we should move around more. The mansion hasn't been lively in a while, we're all familiar with each other, let's not be strangers."

King Cheng picked up his sword. "Good, you take care of the arrangements."

He asked his subordinate, "Where's the Heir? Have that little brat put on his military uniform and come to the training grounds with me."

This little brat did whatever he wanted every day. This time, if he didn't make him cry on the training grounds, he'd call him grandpa.

The subordinate respectfully replied, "The Heir spent the night at the Sinking Fish Pavilion and has yet to wake up."

King Cheng shouted, "Go, wake him up. What kind of behavior is this, so early in the morning."

The servant hurriedly answered, "Yes."

Shang Rongyu was cuddling with Ran Qinggu when he woke up in the morning, disturbed by the noise outside the Sinking Fish Pavilion. When he woke up, he realized that the person in his arms was drenched in sweat.

Although he was drenched in sweat, his body was icy cold.

Shang Rongyu frowned and quietly asked the maidservant, "What's going on?"

The maid spoke in a hushed tone, "The Duke's guard has come to deliver a message, asking the Heir to freshen up and accompany His Grace to the training grounds."

Shang Rongyu rubbed his bleary eyes. "I see, have my father wait for me."

He lay back down, gazing at Ran Qinggu.

Ran Qinggu was curled up, trapped in a nightmare, his brows tightly furrowed, his raven hair sticking to his forehead, his lips trembling occasionally as if trying to call out, but no sound escaped...

In a moment, all his helplessness dissipated, leaving only a face as still as stagnant water, drenched in sweat.

Shang Rongyu knew he was still ensnared in his nightmare, and he held him tighter.

As he pulled him into an embrace, Ran Qinggu suddenly clung tightly to Shang Rongyu.

Like a drowning man grasping the only straw, he held onto Shang Rongyu so tightly that it almost took his breath away.

Ran Qinggu saw fields strewn with corpses and wild dogs.

Those wild dogs leaped joyfully, digging through the thick snow for bodies...

He saw his brother's hand being dragged by a wild dog, the same hand that had taught him swordsmanship and shielded him from a fatal blow in times of peril.

He saw his sister-in-law's abdomen covered in blood, now dried, her unborn nephew never having the chance to see the world, buried in the belly of a dog...

He saw none of his siblings in the household left intact...

Watching this, he was drenched in cold sweat; he no longer wanted to chase those wild dogs.

He had chased them hundreds of times, yet every time he returned, the scene remained the same, the wild dogs still running about with bloody corpses in their mouths...

He was exhausted.

He curled up as tightly as possible...

The snow continued to fall heavily.

When he looked up, there was no more snow, only flesh pulp.

Flesh pulp crushed under hooves, corpses he had flayed with his own hands...and rotten flesh fried in oilpots...

All before him.

The flesh pulp, corpses, and rotten flesh seemed to move, crawling towards him, demanding retribution.

He looked down at his hands, covered in thick blood and brain matter.

He stared blankly at the moving flesh pulp and dismembered bodies.

He felt cold, then suddenly, the sky cleared.

A warm beam of sunlight shone down.

He desperately tried to grasp this ray of light, but the corpses and rotten flesh grabbed his feet, trying to drag him into the depths of the mud pit...

He struggled to hold on, again and again...

"If you don't wake up, you'll be a widow, a bereaved wife." A voice suddenly pierced through the layers of darkness, pulling him out of the abyss.

Ran Qinggu opened his eyes, realizing he was tightly embracing Shang Rongyu, squeezing him until his face turned pale.

Ran Qinggu panted, cold sweat pouring down in waves, and said hoarsely, "Sorry, I had a nightmare."

Shang Rongyu nodded. "I could tell."

He held Ran Qinggu closer. "I'm here, don't be afraid."

Ran Qinggu, lost in thought, allowed Shang Rongyu to hold him, lying quietly.

After a while, as if coming back to himself, he asked, "Heir, didn't I hear the Duke calling for you earlier?"

Shang Rongyu smiled. "Don't worry about him, it's not important. Go back to sleep, I'll stay here with you."

Ran Qinggu lay in Shang Rongyu's arms for a bit longer.

Shang Rongyu held Ran Qinggu, gripping his hand. "Why are your hands so cold?"

Ran Qinggu didn't respond.

Shang Rongyu brought Ran Qinggu's hand to his mouth and blew on it gently.

Ran Qinggu shrank back, trying to withdraw his hand.

He feared Shang Rongyu would smell the blood.

Shang Rongyu held onto Ran Qinggu's hand and unexpectedly took a bite.

Ran Qinggu looked at him in surprise.

Shang Rongyu smiled. "I think the Empress Consort's hands have a nice scent, just a faint fragrance of wood and grass."

Ran Qinggu was taken aback. "Wood and grass fragrance?"

Shang Rongyu nodded. "Yes, quite pleasant, I like it."

Ran Qinggu remained silent.

Chun'er delivered the toiletries to the room, smiling. "Heir, Empress Consort, all the plum blossoms in the courtyard are in full bloom. The snow scenery in the Duke's mansion is truly beautiful. Get up quickly to enjoy the snow."

Shang Rongyu sat up, calling to Ran Qinggu. "Empress Consort, since you've been in the capital for so long, the snowfall has always been light, melting as soon as it falls. You haven't seen the snow scenery of the Duke's mansion yet, right? Come, get up and take a look. Don't be lazy, okay?"

Ran Qinggu turned to look out the window and said indifferently, "I don't like snow."

Shang Rongyu was taken aback. "Why?"

Ran Qinggu fell silent for a moment before saying, "It's so cold, that's why I hate the snow the most."

Shang Rongyu called over a servant. "Go tell the steward to clear all the snow from the Prince's estate."

Ran Qinggu was stunned, exclaiming, "Heir..."

Shang Rongyu replied, "If you don't like it, then we won't see it."

A jumbled feeling welled up in Ran Qinggu's heart once again.

Shang Rongyu held him close. "Sleep a little more? Hm?"

Ran Qinggu shook his head. "No."

In the end, he asked indifferently, "Why are you so good to me, Heir?"

Shang Rongyu brushed the hair from his forehead behind his ear, smiling indulgently. "Have you gone silly after having a nightmare? Scared witless? You're my Heir Consort; if I don't treat you well, who else would I treat well?"

"But what if..." Ran Qinggu paused, "I wasn't your Heir Consort? Would you still be this good to me?"

"Yes," Shang Rongyu answered decisively.

"As long as it's you, I will always treat you well."

The author has something to say: Prince: With a wife, forgets his father!

Indeed, the way to govern a country is to enrich the people first. When the people are wealthy, they are easier to govern; when they are poor, they are harder to govern.

How do we know this to be true? When the people are wealthy, they settle down and value their homes, and when they settle down and value their homes, they respect authority and fear punishment, making them easier to govern.

From "Governance Requires Enriching the People" by Guan Zhong. Thank you to the little angels who cast their votes or watered nutrient fluid for me between August 18, 2020, 23:36:31, and August 20, 2020, 01:10:13.

Thank you to the little angel who threw a grenade: Yi Ye (1);

Thank you to the little angels who threw bombs: Begonia (2); Xi Qian, Sanfenzhong Re, (1);

Thank you to the little angels who watered nutrient fluid: Duan Jiayan (4 bottles); Leaf Xu (prompting for updates), Xiao Zeji, Xun Zi, 26287359, DAZAI, Lan Xi (1 bottle each);

Thank you very much for your support! I will continue to work hard!