Heading further north.
The weather grew colder.
Shi Zhenxiang had originally wanted to head south, but Sheng Jinyan wanted to take the opportunity to go north to the Border Pass and have a look.
Shi Zhenxiang remembered that her parents and brothers were also at the Border Pass, so she wanted to take the children to visit their maternal grandparents.
The children were in high spirits along the way, chattering nonstop.
During the day while driving the carriage, Sheng Jinyan taught the children to read and write inside the carriage.
At night, he and the Nanny took turns keeping watch.
Shi Zhenxiang slept at night and switched off with the Nanny to drive the carriage during the day.
As for washing clothes and cooking, Sheng Jinyan took care of everything.
Whenever she was asked to go up the mountain and chop firewood, she would claim she had no strength and her hands hurt.
When Sheng Jinyan pinched her hand, it was indeed as soft as noodles, clearly not suited for chopping wood, so he gave up.
Although he found Shi Zhenxiang fussy, she was very good at providing him with emotional value; every time he chatted with her, he felt very happy, so he tacitly agreed not to let her work, and he was happy doing it himself.
As for the Nannies, at first they were quite alarmed seeing a Supreme Ruler personally washing clothes and cooking.
They rushed to wash the clothes and also vied to cook.
But Shi Zhenxiang would keep praising Sheng Jinyan whenever she saw him cooking, saying things like, "Oh my, Your Majesty, the food you make is way too delicious~ It's a hundred times better than the Imperial Kitchen."
Or, when Sheng Jinyan was chopping wood, Shi Zhenxiang would look at him with admiration, "Oh heavens, Your Majesty, your wood-chopping posture is way too handsome, so manly. Oh my, I admire you so much~~"
Every time he was praised by her like this, Sheng Jinyan worked with even more vigor.
He even deliberately took off his coat while chopping wood to show off his biceps to Shi Zhenxiang.
Seeing that, Shi Zhenxiang couldn't help but reach out and touch, clicking her tongue, "Your Majesty's muscles are the best in the world. No man in this world has a better figure than Your Majesty."
"You have both looks and physique. No man in this world is as outstanding as you."
Forget the Nannies feeling awkward, even the Princesses covered their faces.
They thought to themselves that Imperial Consort really knew how to flatter Father Emperor.
She had coaxed Father Emperor until he was like an embryo.
But this tactic was indeed effective; anyway, Sheng Jinyan now worked very consciously without needing to be called.
The Princesses followed suit, also emphasizing praise.
This made Sheng Jinyan in a very good mood every day.
When they left the small town and headed further north, the temperature plummeted.
Earlier, staying in the carriage with an extra thick coat could keep them warm, but the further north they went, the lower the temperature dropped.
The children were so cold they huddled together for warmth.
Afraid the children might catch cold, Shi Zhenxiang hurriedly took out the thick down-padded coats she had ordered to be made earlier and had the children put them on.
She also put thick clothing on the horses, fearing they might get cold.
Shi Zhenxiang rubbed her stiff, cold hands and said to Sheng Jinyan, "Your Majesty, let's take the towns instead and find an Inn to stay in."
Seeing the snow falling heavier and heavier, traveling the mountain path would likely freeze them to death.
Only then did Sheng Jinyan realize that heading north in deep winter was indeed not a wise idea.
But since they had already come this way, they had to persevere.
For now, however, they really needed to find an Inn.
But when they reached the Inn in a town and asked about the price, it turned out to be twenty taels of silver a night?
It was even more expensive than the Capital City.
Sheng Jinyan immediately bargained with the Shopkeeper, "What kind of charcoal are you using to charge twenty taels a night?"
A rip-off?
The Shopkeeper saw he was tall and strong and didn't dare to argue directly, only insisted, "Charcoal is expensive now. If you want it cheaper, then don't burn charcoal tonight. I'll give you one night for ten taels."
Sheng Jinyan was so angry he laughed.
If you don't come among the common people, you won't know; only when you come do you realize how outrageous the prices are in smaller places.
He turned around and went to ask at another Inn.
The result was still that expensive.
Shi Zhenxiang thought about it and said, "Otherwise, let's ask a family to put us up. Maybe for five taels of silver they'll agree."
Sheng Jinyan's eyes lit up. "Good idea. I'll go ask right away."
Shi Zhenxiang told him to take the Eldest Princess and the Second Princess along.
With the children there, the family wouldn't be so wary.
Sheng Jinyan did as told and took his two daughters to knock on doors.
He found a family with a fairly large courtyard and knocked to ask. As soon as they heard five taels of silver, they naturally welcomed him and immediately invited them in.
"Our family heats the kang. If you don't mind, you can all squeeze together and sleep on the kang."
Seeing the warm, cozy interior, Sheng Jinyan felt even more that the Shopkeeper was heartless.
Farmer courtyards are good indeed—high quality and low price.
He also asked the Farmer's Wife for some coarse grains to eat and shared the pheasant he had hunted in the mountains with the farmer's family.
Seeing there was meat to eat, the Farmer's Wife naturally smiled and went to make chicken soup.
A big pot of chicken soup was cooked, and twenty or thirty people all drank a bowl together, feeling warm in their bellies.
While eating, Sheng Jinyan chatted with the Farmer's Wife, "Auntie, why are the prices at the Inns around here so high? Twenty taels a night? Isn't that robbery?"
Hearing this, the Farmer's Wife sighed, "In the years of war, no one could make much money. Now the war is over, but it's snowing heavily, the weather is so cold, it's hard to go out and do business."
Because the economy couldn't circulate, prices naturally became expensive.
Plus, heavy snow blocked the roads, so food, clothing, shelter, and transportation all went up in price.
Sheng Jinyan felt a mixture of emotions hearing this.
He felt he had not been competent enough as Emperor.
The common people had been suffering all along; if only he could make them live a good life.
Shi Zhenxiang saw he was in a bad mood and added a piece of chicken butt to his bowl.
Sheng Jinyan....
He didn't like chicken butt.
It tasted like chicken poop.
Shi Zhenxiang....
She thought he wasn't picky about food, but it turned out he was.
Sheng Jinyan silently put the chicken butt into her bowl. "Since you're not picky, you eat it."
Shi Zhenxiang....
Seriously, he held grudges.
Shi Zhenxiang naturally wouldn't eat the chicken butt either. She silently picked it up and put it into the bowl of the little boy next to her who was eyeing it greedily.
"Kid, you eat it."
That little boy then gobbled down the chicken butt, making it taste like the best thing in the world.
Seeing how generous they were, the farmer's family gave them some extra roasted sweet potatoes to eat.
They ate and drank their fill.
Lying on the kang, Sheng Jinyan chatted with Shi Zhenxiang, "Tell me, how can I let the common people of the world live a good life?"
Shi Zhenxiang hesitated and asked, "Isn't it said that the harem must not interfere in politics? Can Your Subject express her opinion?"
Sheng Jinyan looked at her as if she were a fool, "Why are you so feudal?"
The harem cannot interfere in politics, but this isn't the harem.
Silly woman.
Not smart at all.
Shi Zhenxiang....
Just because I praised you a few times, you really think you're the number one man in the world?
Hmph~
Narcissist.
But on the surface, she still had to be respectful and flattering, "Yes, Your Subject was foolish."
"But Your Subject thinks that if you want the common people to live well, first, there must be no war."
Once war breaks out, sacrifices are inevitable.
The death of one soldier means the breaking of a family.
Moreover, war requires an endless supply of grain and fodder, which is how the National Treasury gets depleted.
So war must stop.
Next, the economy must keep up.
First, there must be a bountiful harvest of grain.
Only when there is enough grain and people are full can they do more things.
Next, for the economy, the best way to do business is to circulate it across the country, not just do small business in one small place.
Ideally, circulation should happen throughout the country and even abroad.
Only then can money flow and the economy prosper.
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