Chapter 049 Who will call the imperial physician for orders?
Liu Chang had just walked up to Liu Ying and hadn't even given him the gift when Liu Ying grabbed his hand, pulled him to his side, and made him sit next to him.
Liu Ying smiled and patted his head, then looked at Xiao He and said, "This is my seventh eldest brother..."
Xiao He smiled and said, "I've heard of your name for a long time."
Liu Chang looked at the amiable uncle in front of him, no, it should be the grandfather, who looked much older than his father, with gray hair and beard, but handsome and full of temperament. Liu Chang couldn't help but sigh: What a handsome old man! He is much more handsome than his father!
" Chief, come and meet the Prime Minister."
"Prime Minister?"
Liu Chang looked at Xiao He with disdain and arrogance, "What's wrong with you being the prime minister? I don't even bow to my father!"
"Don't be rude to Prime Minister Xiao!"
Seeing Liu Chang's servile appearance, Liu Ying patted him on the back of the head and looked at Xiao He helplessly, "My inferior brother is young, please forgive me, Prime Minister..."
"Xiao Xiang? Xiao He???"
Liu Chang's eyes widened. He stood up quickly and sat next to Xiao He. "Are you Xiao He?"
"Exactly ."
"Oh, second brother, why didn't you say so earlier? Since he is Xiao He, I should bow down to him, I should bow down to him..."
Liu Chang then stood up and bowed to Xiao He.
"Brother, you cannot address your elders by their names..."
"No problem, no problem... Come, sit down."
Xiao He was smiling and didn't care about After Liu Chang sat down obediently, Xiao He looked at him and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: This kid really looks like his father, much more than Master Ruyi.
"It's like this. The prince believes that we need to find a way to properly arrange for the refugees who have fled the war... The prince's idea is to manufacture a large number of textile machines, establish government-run centralized textile sites in Luo, Liang, Yan and other places, recruit refugees, and let them work for the government..."
"This loom was made by you. It still has many defects and its parts are easily damaged. I wonder if you have any ideas to improve it? It's ok to lower the efficiency a little, as long as it can be more stable and there won't be any problems..."
"this……"
Liu Chang frowned. He knew that the textile machine he made was indeed not perfect. However, he had figured out the machine based on his vague memory, and he was not a professional in this field. If he wanted to improve it, he really couldn't find a good way in a short period of time.
"I have seen the design that Your Highness drew. The craftsmen said that the design seems to be flawed and is missing several important parts..."
"I'll find a way... Can I ask someone from Shangfang to help me?"
"Of course you can. As long as Your Highness is willing, you can call anyone, not just Shang Fang!"
The topic from then on was not about Liu Chang. Liu Ying and Xiao He talked about a series of problems. In addition to the problem of disaster victims, there was also how to deal with the problem of reduced grain production next year. Zhao and Dai were fighting, and the young and strong people in other places went to the battlefield. There were fewer people farming. If there were no countermeasures, there would be a situation where the farmland was in trance, food was insufficient, and a large number of people starved to death.
Liu Chang sat next to them, without saying a word, just listening attentively.
Xiao He had a lot of things to do, so he talked to Liu Ying for a while and then hurriedly got up. In addition to domestic affairs, he was also responsible for the logistics of the war. After seeing Xiao He off, Liu Ying took Liu Chang back to his seat and asked him about his journey.
Liu Chang originally had a lot of things he wanted to brag about, but after the conversation between Liu Ying and Xiao He just now, those bragging suddenly became meaningless.
"Brother, is the Han so short of food?"
"All along the way, I saw people holding farm tools and preparing to work... They have been working hard, so why are they still short of food?"
Liu Ying sighed deeply and his expression became somewhat complicated.
"There has always been a shortage of food... The treasury is always empty... There is no savings."
"The Central Plains is okay. You haven't been to enough places. You don't know that the people in most places in the Han Dynasty don't have enough food to eat. They just barely make ends meet and don't starve to death... Of course, many people starve to death every year... The Prime Minister has thought of many ways... reduce taxes, don't use corvée labor... The situation is better than a few years ago, but it hasn't improved much."
"There is not enough food, not enough farm tools, not enough oxen... Last year, more than 6,000 people died of starvation according to reports from various places... If we investigate carefully, we really don't know how many people there are."
"Alas... there are always wars in the country... every war will destroy four or five years of hard work... this is why the Prime Minister repeatedly wrote letters to the Queen, insisting that the Queen execute the Marquis of Huaiyin."
Liu Ying saw Liu Chang sitting there in a daze, not saying a word.
"What are you thinking about?"
“Nothing…Nothing…”
Liu Chang left the storage hall in a panic, as if escaping.
Without Empress Lu's presence, the Pepper Palace became deserted. Occasionally, a few attendants or palace maids hurried by without making any sound. Liu Chang sat on the stone steps, his chin supported by his hands , staring blankly into the distance and sighing.
"What are you thinking about?"
Liu Chang was stunned and looked up. Liu Heng was standing in front of him with his hands behind his back, staring at him indifferently.
"Fourth brother? Why are you here?"
"Mr. Gai has changed another book. He asked me to give it to you... Start going to Tianlu Pavilion tomorrow."
"oh."
Liu Chang took the book and continued to sit there.
Liu Heng thought about it and sat down next to him, and they both looked into the distance together.
"Fourth Brother..."
"Um?"
"I finally understand why you don't eat beef."
"Um."
"I don't know...how many oxen have I eaten over the years..."
"It's okay. Most of the cows you eat are already dead..."
"There are so many people in the world who can't afford to eat...but I can't do anything."
"Why can't you do it? Didn't you improve the spinning machine? This could have saved many people..."
"Cloth can't be eaten... Even if you want to exchange cloth, you have to have food to exchange..."
"Then you should improve the farm tools. You have such a talent that you can't waste it."
"But I know nothing about farm tools... Fourth brother, I... have taken apart a spinning wheel, but I have never seen any farm tools... I have never been to the fields and have never farmed for a day..." Liu Chang said aggrievedly.
Liu Heng frowned suddenly and angrily cursed: "What nonsense are you talking about, you bastard!"
"Did the Marquis of Huaiyin know how to fight when he was born? Did the Prime Minister know how to govern a country when he learned to walk? Did the Marquis of Liu know how to make plans when he was born?"
"Didn't they all master these skills through learning? You don't even dare to try, you don't even dare to learn, how dare you give up?"
"But this is different..."
"What's the difference? Aren't their skills inferior to your ability to make machines?!"
"I……"
Liu Chang's eyes widened and he was speechless for a long time.
"At your age, you can make a machine like that, which is enough to prove that you are talented... Don't waste your talent. If you don't understand, go learn from someone who knows! If you want to do something for the people of the world, then don't sit here and sigh. What's the point? If you feel guilty ten thousand times, will the people live a better life? If you stop eating beef, will every household have a working ox?"
"Go do something! Even if you fail, it's better than just sitting here in a daze!"
"good!"
Liu Chang suddenly jumped up and said, "I'll go to Shangfang right now!"
"I want to make lots and lots of machines! I want to make sure everyone in the world has clothes to wear and enough food to eat!"
"Then why are you still staying here?!"
Liu Chang immediately ran towards Shang Fang. After running a few steps, he suddenly stopped, ran back, and pointed at Liu Heng, "By the way, although you are my brother, if you dare to scold me again next time, don't blame me for fighting you! I'll let you go this time! There won't be a next time!"
After saying that, Liu Chang disappeared without a trace.
Liu Heng sat on the stone steps, watching the short figure running away, and burst into laughter.
"This brat!"
…
"I am coming!!"
Liu Chang rushed into the Shangfang Mansion and shouted loudly: "Is there a spinning wheel that has been made? Give me one, and we will see if there is anything that can be improved!"
"Oh, bring me all the farm tools, and find me some people who know about farm tools!"
"Also, find me a few people who have been promoted to noble titles for making machines. The more the better!"
"This is all for the people of the world!"
The craftsmen and eunuchs in the Shangfang Mansion were staring at the lively Liu Chang in amazement and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Who will call the imperial physician?
