Chapter 299: The People Are Not Suffering

omoted two ranks and served as the magistrate of Su City, a wealthy region."After five years of training in Sucheng, during the tenth winter of the Great Reign, he was transferred to the Ministry of P...Chapter 299: The People Are Not Suffering

"How many people would like to be this caged bird and still can't do it, but you just have to be so dramatic."

Li Chen was getting impatient and said, "You might as well go outside and see what the real world and people's lives are like. The romantic love affairs and adventures of heroes in the Jianghu Those are just embellishments that storytellers use to make a living."

"The real world is one of hunger and hardship. People barely survive. If you weren't born into a good family, you wouldn't even be able to afford to read and write, let alone have so many lofty ideals."

"In ordinary families, if it's a son, it doesn't matter much. But if it's a daughter, the prettier ones are sold to wealthy families as concubines, and the less attractive ones become maidservants. There's always a way to sell them. If things really get desperate, they marry into a slightly better-off family in the village, exchanging for some grain from their full granary, or trading one daughter for another son-in-law, this is the usual fate of ordinary women."

"Think carefully, you are already happier than them by so much."

Su Jinpa bit her lip and said, “Isn't this the result of your mistakes, that the people live like this”

The moment these words were uttered, the swaying sedan chair fell silent.

Silence and pressure descended upon him, and Su Jinpa only then realized he had spoken out of turn.

No matter what, she absolutely couldn't tell Li Chen this.

To put it mildly, it's reckless talk. To be frank, it's disrespectful.

Su Jinpa was also somewhat frightened, but her pride and self-esteem wouldn't allow her to apologize.

I don't know how long it took, but Su Jinpa couldn't hold on any longer and was about to apologize when Li Chen said faintly, "The mistake is the court's, the mistakes of all previous emperors, not this palace's fault."

Su Jinpa pursed her lips, not knowing how to answer.

"But as the crown prince, it is my responsibility that the people are suffering. Therefore, what you say isn't entirely wrong."

"I didn't mean it that way." Su Jin whispered.

"This palace understands your meaning."

Li Chen lifted the curtain and looked at the icy snow outside. He said faintly, "A poet once said, 'May I have ten thousand houses so that all the poor scholars in the world can find shelter and happiness.' Another poet said, 'To carry on the learning of the sages of the past and to open up a peaceful era for all generations.'"

Throughout history, there have been countless people who have set lofty ambitions.

"Those who can speak freely about anything, yet when they remain silent, their world collapses. How many of them have ever considered the true foundation of any dynasty The people"

"The only solace is that the common people are suffering, and when this ends, they will suffer no more. It gets to the bone."

His gaze shifted, Li Chen's eyes fell on Su Jinpa's face. Li Chen spoke slowly: "This palace's wish is to make the people not suffer."

The four words "the common people are not suffering" seemed to possess a magical power, causing Su Jinpa's heart to skip a beat.

She looked at the Crown Prince right in front of her, so close she could almost touch him. Over this time, intentionally or unintentionally, she had heard too much, too many rumors about the prince, either by actively inquiring or passively listening.

Some say the prince is bloodthirsty, some say he is cruel, others say he is cunning and deeply scheming, and some even say his volatile temper is a misfortune for the nation.

Negative, far more than positive.

Those who gave the crown prince a bad reputation were mostly corrupt officials in court. They didn't dare to openly scold him, but instead, they would slander his name in private or send people out to smear his reputation.

He was familiar with the common people, yet he did not feel the prince's cruelty.

After all, the prince is too far removed from ordinary people.

The Crown Prince has not yet fully grasped control of the government, and therefore there are no major policies that have left a lasting impression on the people. The common folk have little recollection of the Crown Prince.

This already proves some things.

Until now, Su Jinpa had heard Li Chen's ambition for the first time.

Four simple and plain words, yet they are deafeningly profound. They must shame countless learned scholars.confusion."I'll take you out."Li Chen said calmly, "Haven't you always felt that your identity and family background have restricted you, preventing you from living the free life you imagined Then I'l...