Chapter 1461: Growth (Part 5)

The mother is very wealthy, which Zhao Mingming and Fu Jingjing have firmly recognized since childhood, but money cannot be used indiscriminately. Even if it belongs to them, spending should be moderate, which is part of the education they have received since childhood.

So, when they grew a bit older and started managing some industries that their parents divided for them, the elders sighed, "Back then, His Majesty had hard times, wishing to split a copper coin into four to spend. Minister Fu stayed up all night trying to figure out ways to make money for His Majesty."

Zhao Mingming and Fu Jingjing were both incredulous, "My mother the emperor would lack money?"

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

The elders laughed and told the two young princes, "One year, His Majesty saved on lamp oil by making a fire, but a gusty wind that night almost ignited the documents on the desk with flying sparks."

"Moreover, reading by firelight strained the eyes, and now His Majesty often suffers from eye disease, likely because of those times," the elder chuckled, "You two young princes were born into good times, so you only see prosperity."

Fu Jingjing was speechless, but Zhao Mingming recalled the war in Liaodong.

Liaodong was very poor, and from Luoyang to Liaodong, there were many impoverished places along the way, places she only glimpsed or couldn’t see at all.

Mother said that not seeing them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Others can ignore what they don’t see, but she cannot, because she is the Crown Princess, and she has a responsibility to this country.

Seeing is her most basic duty!

Zhao Mingming asked, "Are there still households that can’t afford lamp oil now?"

The elder smiled, "Of course there are many."

Fu Jingjing: "So they don’t use electric lights?"

From the generators required for radio stations, to coal mining and usage, steam technology quickly developed, and electricity has been used in Luoyang for several years.

But this is Luoyang; other places still have limited electricity supply, and construction is ongoing.

Most of Fu Jingjing’s study life was in Luoyang, differing from his sister’s educational approach. He was exposed to the most advanced and best things; he could draw electrical diagrams and even design a factory’s power system independently, but he couldn’t light a match to make a fire.

However, Zhao Mingming had to not only stand beside her father to understand how gasoline powered a car but also understand the subtleties of court officials’ testimonies and squat among impoverished commoners to light fires with flints and break dry cow dung with her hands to throw into the fire for warmth...

So Zhao Mingming patted her brother’s head, "I’ll take you to see places without lamp oil. Even if you don’t have to worry about these things, you shouldn’t be like Emperor Hui and wonder why they don’t eat meat porridge."

The people’s development was rapid, Zhao Hanzhang’s authority was strong, and the people trusted her, so policies could enter the grassroots.

With talent exams combined with schools and literacy campaigns, she could draw talents continuously from the grassroots, enabling policies to reach the bottom through these talents.

The nine provinces of the world operated like her arms, with infrastructure quickly unfolding, and agriculture and handicrafts rapidly advancing, significantly improving people’s lives compared to before.

At least the vast majority of people felt contented.

But this comparison is with the hardest times before; Zhao Mingming didn’t understand why to compare with the worst times?

"It should be compared to those who are happy, or at least to the median. Only when everyone compares with the median and feels happy and satisfied can we say we have achieved something politically, right?"

The elder laughed, "Human desires are insatiable, Your Highness, how can political achievements be quantified by people’s happiness?"

"That’s because you define many people by a few," Zhao Mingming argued, "Having clothes, food, and shelter and not suffering from hunger or cold are the basics. To have books to read and respect for the elderly and young is the second level, achieving this would mean happiness."

"My mother said all her life, as long as she could reach the first level, it would be sufficient. What I have to do is reach the second level."

The elder was moved to hear this and quickly said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has already achieved the second level, truly. Nowadays, community schools are widely established, and from the age of seven, children can attend school for five years. Every child will recognize words and numbers, it’s already respecting the young."

Last year, the court issued a new policy extending compulsory education from three to five years.

Children over the age of seven must attend five years of schooling, with tuition and book fees waived.

The elder believed their great emperor had long achieved the second level, but Zhao Mingming knew it was far from enough.

She had seen data at her mother’s side more than once, and her mother would point at the figures and say, "Behind each number is a person. As long as one number exists, it means someone cannot attend school or learn the skills to make a living from public affairs; this is wrong."

"And some people aren’t even in those numbers."

Mother told Zhao Mingming that the relationship between a country and its people is like that between parents and children.

Parents who love their children have distant plans for them.

Teaching moral virtues and skills for living, making them strong, healthy, long-lived, and happy is a lifelong wish for parents, and so it is for a country.

As a king, fulfilling that wish is its duty.

So Zhao Mingming always knew what her responsibilities were.

At this moment, she made up her mind and, avoiding others, said to Fu Jingjing, "When I return, I’ll take the talent examination."

Fu Jingjing was stunned and asked, "You want to be the top scorer?"

Zhao Mingming: "I’d like to, but I know I can’t achieve that at this age, plus with this face, the results wouldn’t be genuine."

Fu Jingjing: "Are you going to disguise yourself? How?"

Fu Jingjing, of course, didn’t suspect his sister would undergo surgery, so his eyes lit up with a wild idea, "Human skin mask?"

Zhao Mingming: "... You should read fewer miscellaneous books. That’s a pigskin mask. I don’t need a mask; I’ll participate in the provincial examination, not the national exam."

Outside of Luoyang, not many people recognized Zhao Mingming; it’s quite easy for her to conceal her identity, especially with her mother’s assistance.

When Zhao Hanzhang heard she was thinking about gaining grassroots experience, she immediately made arrangements for her personally.

"Guangzhou, Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Xuzhou, Qingzhou, and Jizhou, Youzhou, Bingzhou, among the twenty-one provinces in the country, pick whichever you want. Which province do you want to go to?"

Zhao Mingming was surprised by her mother’s decisiveness and hesitated a moment before tentatively saying, "Yu State?"

"Oh, Yu State wouldn’t do," Zhao Hanzhang assessed her face and said, "Too many acquaintances in Yu State; you couldn’t hide yourself."

Zhao Mingming casually pointed at a spot on the map, "Then anyplace is fine."

Zhao Hanzhang glanced and smiled slightly, "Xuzhou, huh, a good place, go ahead."

Zhao Mingming then became a student in a poor county under Xuzhou jurisdiction and hurriedly traveled with her companions to participate in the provincial talent examination in Xuzhou.