When I walked out of the Mohist martial arts hall, the sky was still thin. A red sun slowly rose from the distant east, bringing light that was not yet warm.
Mo Qiu was wearing a short brown and coarse linen clothes, and he looked no different from an ordinary farmer with his face facing the loess and his back to the sky.
Winter has just passed, the air is still chilly, and the streets are already full of people.
There are also various hawking sounds, which constitute the movement of life.
"They sell meat buns! Great big meat buns! Thin skin and lots of stuffing!"
“Tofu curd~ It’s salty, sweet, spicy and sour. A bowl of it in the morning will keep you going all day long!”
"The steamed buns are freshly steamed and very soft!"
Mo Qiu strolled on the streets full of shouts. In the past few years, his living standard has been very high. Three meals a day are served by the imperial chef's apprentice. It's not that he goes out to look for food, he just relies on his own thoughts. , just take a turn.
Since guards from other martial arts schools defected to the Mohist martial arts gym four years ago, he has rarely taught people in person.
In Gu Dan's words: The owner of the museum is mainly used as a mascot and a boss.
As a "mascot", he can have more time to busy with the things he wants to do.
After thinking about it, Mo Qiu walked over and ordered a portion of meat buns and two portions of steamed buns, wrapped in the cheapest straw paper - the oil paper shop would never let them go, and they would have to pay extra.
Anyway, it will be eaten soon, so there is no need.
Carrying the food, Mo Qiu hurried to the outskirts of the mountain forest. There was a woodcutter working hard on the roadside.
"You two, have you eaten?"
Mo Qiu handed over the meat buns and steamed buns he just bought.
"Ouch! Why did you bring something here again?!" The woodcutter was obviously familiar with Mo Qiu and waved his hands repeatedly.
"Eat, I'll take you some time, that's right."
Mo Qiu naturally placed the meat buns and steamed buns in the hands of the boy who was obviously smaller, but also dark and thin, with only one pair of arms that looked quite thick.
Although he was said to be a young man, he actually looked weathered, his skin was rough and dull, and even his expression was dull.
The young man's lips moved, probably because he wanted to say thank you, but in the end he just reached out and took it without saying a word.
Then a slap fell on his head.
"I can't even say thank you!"
The older woodcutter gave him a slap in the face, and then said with a smile: "I can't tell you those stories today. The tasks have been several times heavier recently, and I really can't afford any delay."
"Oh? Why is that?" Mo Qiu was slightly surprised.
A woodcutter can't just find a forest to cut down. All the forests around the imperial capital are owned by their owners.
No matter how much you chop from the mountain, you have to deduct what others have before it finally falls into your own hands.
The hardships are not necessarily much greater than farming.
It's just that in the autumn, you have to work hard to chop more. Now that winter has just passed, firewood is not easy to sell, so how can the workload be increased several times?
"How do we know? The people above said that this time we will cut down the trees! We can't do the same as before. Making more money will only make us more tired."
The woodcutter obviously didn't think that much. What if he was assigned a task from above? Just do it!
Just giving money is enough.
"good."
Mo Qiu nodded slightly, did not continue to disturb, and walked towards the places he was already familiar with on weekdays.
Markets, ship shops, teahouses...even a Taoist platform not far from Qingfeng Temple. Occasionally, alchemists from Qingfeng Temple would come up to preach and distribute some porridge mixed with vegetables.
As the saying goes, cicadas wake up before the golden wind moves them, and the woodcutter is not an exception.
In the market, the farm tools that should have been placed all over the floor were almost missing, and most of the boatmen in the boat shop were missing. The storyteller in the teahouse told stories about immortals visiting the mortal world.
Even in front of the Taoist platform not far from Qingfeng Temple, today there is an old Taoist bragging about how magnificent and attractive the palace in the sky is.
"Something is wrong."
Mo Qiu quickly noticed something unusual.
Everything is connected to everything. Winter has just passed, how can the woodcutter's tasks increase again? There are also certain numbers of ships coming and going! It rarely happens that it is as empty as it is today.
But before he could find out more about it, a piece of news spread like a storm throughout the entire imperial capital.
Emperor Zongming wants to build the Wanshou Immortal Palace!
That is the Immortal Palace, which is naturally not comparable to ordinary human mansions.
It's just that the emperor is kind and doesn't want to enjoy such an honor just by himself.
People with lofty ideals among the people can donate treasures and money together, and special officials will record them. Officials in the court can also be allocated one or two fairy palaces in name.
As for going in if you can't live there, that's another matter.
When he heard the news, Mo Qiu even thought he heard it wrong. He grabbed the clothes of the officials who were preaching everywhere and asked with bulging veins: "What did you just say? Say it again!"
The clerk was about to curse angrily, but when he saw Mo Qiu's figure, he couldn't help but soften his tone and said: "The emperor wants to build the Longevity Immortal Palace."
"last sentence!"
"Thirty thousand corvees were levied..."
Before he finished speaking, Mo Qiu had already let go.
He returned to the martial arts hall almost out of his mind, his eyes looking a little blank.
Three hundred thousand corvees doesn't sound like much.
But this is corvée!
No matter what you eat, what clothes you wear, or what tools you use, just work!
The so-called 300,000 yuan involves millions of families!
You want to abandon your wife and children, throw away the crops in the field, and your livelihood, and risk your life for one person's selfish desires!
"Brother Mo, what's your expression?"
Gu Dan, who was exercising in the yard, noticed something was wrong with Mo Qiu and couldn't help but ask.
"Brother Gu..."
Mo Qiu's tall body seemed to become a little rickety at that moment, but in an instant he straightened up again, and even showed a smile. He said, "I can't stay here any longer."
"What happened?" Gu Dan noticed something was wrong and asked immediately.
"The emperor wants to build the Wanshou Immortal Palace and mobilize 300,000 corvees. He wants to congratulate the people." Mo Qiu said calmly.
"Three hundred thousand corvees?!"
Gu Dan was also shocked.
On such a large scale, why are you digging a canal, Dog Emperor?
At least the canal can be of some use, but building a palace is of no use, right?
"The sky and the earth are not clear, the floods are not rolling, the fire is not burning, and the king's virtue is not Yao Yao, it is the leader of thousands of people." Mo Qiu raised his head and stared at the sky, murmured: "The emperor just asks for immortality. You have gone astray, and now... you are about to lose your morality!"
Gu Dan frowned and said quickly: "Brother Mo, be careful what you say!"
No matter how dissatisfied he was, such a direct attack on the emperor's virtue could kill someone if spread.
"Be careful of what you say. The civil and military officials of the entire dynasty were careful of their words and deeds, and yet they were able to make this happen. That's because there were too many people who were cautious about what they said, and too many who cherished their lives."
Mo Qiu's eyes became sharp, "Once this matter is confirmed, there will be no change. No matter what, I can't just watch this happen."
