Chapter 918 - 96: Rule of Qi Huan and the Common People’s Transformation

Nowadays, although she is no longer in the weaving workshop, that experience transformed her.

She dares to loudly check accounts with delivery men, can understand simple contracts, and even secretly bought a few books compiled by the Gu Clan school, "Introduction to Women’s Literacy" and "Practical Arithmetic," to read at home.

She discovered that some patterns and colors brought by the Sea Merchants, regularly visiting the shop, vaguely correspond with the "geometric shapes" and "exotic color palettes" in the books she had secretly read.

This discovery made her heartbeat quicken, as if she glimpsed the secrets of a larger world.

At midday, the busiest period on the canal had passed.

In the tea shed, several resting old men were smoking dry tobacco, with conversations shifting from livelihood to the scenery of past and present.

"Speaking of life these days, there is plenty of work at the docks, and the taxes are clearly marked, which is better than the previous dynasty’s layers upon layers of extortion." An old man with a missing tooth smacked his lips. "But the law... hey, they say even the Imperial Family can be judged?"

"I always feel... a bit uneasy in my heart."

"What’s there to feel uneasy about?" Another old soldier who had been in the army for a few years scoffed, "Zhao the Imperial Family... oh, now it’s Your Majesty sitting in the palace, with Grand Tutor Gu and Marshal Yue and other capable ministers assisting, setting rules, catching corrupt officials, we ordinary folks just pay taxes on time and work diligently, isn’t that all there is to it?"

"Do you actually want to see the Emperor every day?" He lowered his voice, "The public trial thing from years ago, just listen to it in plays, do we really think we can interfere?"

"However... they say if you go to the state government to file a complaint now, there’s really a ’supervising officer’ accepting petitions, unlike before, when even knocking the drum at the door broke wouldn’t get attention."

Zhang the Fifth was wiping the table, pondering in his mind.

Emperor? Too distant.

Grand Tutor? Marshal? Also too distant.

But words like "the canal office’s rules," "the weaving workshop’s wages," "supervising officer," are appearing more and more frequently in his life now.

Unlike the old days when officials were solely feared, they are now mixed with a bit of expectation, a bit of practicality, and a bit of uncertainty.

It’s a vague feeling.

This world doesn’t seem to be entirely decided by the whims of someone sitting at the top, there also seem to be some places that can reason, that abide by rules, even if those "rules" work intermittently.

The sun sets in the west.

Zhang the Fifth’s tea shed received a few rare guests.

Leading them was a Foreign Merchant with deep-set eyes and a high nose, wearing a white cloth headscarf and a brocade long robe, accompanied by two other foreign-looking attendants and an interpreter.

Apparently, they had just disembarked, travel-worn, yet expressing unabashed curiosity and inquiry at the orderly loading and unloading of cargo at the docks, clear tax signboards, and the subtly different expressions of the passersby — not purely numb or fearful but carrying a hint of busyness and calculation.

And around them, the tea patrons also turned to look, although there wasn’t the curiosity of the past.

In recent years, with the continuous development of maritime trade.

People have grown accustomed to these visiting foreign merchants.

At first, there were those who would take advantage of their unfamiliarity, but with the prevalence of interpreters, such occurrences are increasingly rare.

Seeing that these people had indeed brought an interpreter, the tea patrons showed little interest.

At this moment, the interpreter deftly ordered tea and snacks, while the Foreign Merchant scanned his surroundings intently, using clumsy Mandarin mixed with the interpreter’s translations, engaging with the neighboring resting old sailor: "Old gentleman, your ships are so many, so busy, going to many places?"

"Not fearing, pirates?"

"Not fearing, officials... uh, extortion?"

His tone was full of amazement.

Though he had heard countless legends about Kyushu and the mysterious Gu Clan, actually arriving on this land still left him astonished.

It was a feeling the onlookers couldn’t quite comprehend.

The things on this land were beyond what they could even dream of.

The common folk actually had the opportunity to drink tea and chat idly; how could that be?

The old sailor tapped his tobacco pipe, with a touch of knowledgeable pride: "Pirates? With the Ryukyu Navy around, which pirate would dare?"

"As for officials..."

He snorted, pointed to a large notice on the tax card wall not far away, "Look, it’s all written there, the grades of goods, how much tax, how much wastage, black and white paper with a red seal."

"If they dare to ask more, we can put petitions in the communication box, and with luck, really have a supervisory officer come to ask questions."

"Though not always effective, it’s better than completely blind as before."

Ali listened attentively, nodding repeatedly, his eyes showing increasing amazement.

Though he had traveled far and wide, seen many bustling ports, such open listing of tax rates and an apparent complaints system were indeed rare.

He whispered to the interpreter, who translated: "Ali Sir said, in Gulin and Basra, too, they need to deal with tax officials, but mostly through private negotiations."

"Different from the rules here."

At this time, Zhou Qiao’er came to deliver newly arrived samples of Southern Ocean fabric dyed with exotic designs for Zhang the Fifth to see.

Ali was instantly attracted by the bright colors and unique patterns, even more surprised to see that the one negotiating prices, confirming patterns and sizes was this young woman, speaking clearly, calculating efficiently, without the usual timidity of women from the inner chambers.

After the transaction, Ali couldn’t help but praise through the interpreter: "Miss is so capable, in your country, can women publicly manage affairs like this?"

Zhou Qiao’er blushed slightly, yet straightened her back, speaking clearly: "Looking after the family shop."

"Nowadays in the city, there are quite a few women working and bookkeeping, in weaving workshops, embroidery houses, and even large merchant firms."

"The Gu Clan school also enrolls female students, teaching literacy and arithmetic."

She didn’t mention she was also secretly studying, but the calmness was enough to amaze Ali.

During the conversation, Ali revealed his other important purpose for this trip — a pilgrimage.

Cautiously, he took out a small silk package from his breast, opened it, revealing not gold or silver, but a piece of old wood inscribed with strange symbols, and a scroll, neatly written but evidently aged.

The scroll records in Arabic and messy Chinese characters, decades ago, his grandfather encountered danger in a storm, rescued by an Eastern fleet bearing this wood badge mark, the fleet leader not only provided food, water, repaired the ship, but also taught a simple method for correcting course with stars.

At the end of the scroll, written with more devout penmanship: "The ship of Eastern Wisdom, the clan of Mercy Passage, Gu Clan."

"It’s clan sanctuary, Julu."

"Grandfather’s dying wish was, if possible, to personally go to Julu, thank the clan of grace, to pay respects to the source of wisdom." Ali’s tone was full of reverence, "We’ve come all the way east, hearing more and more legends about the Gu Clan."

"In Zhan City, they say Gu Clan ancestors taught them to build dykes and channel water."

"In Java, there’s a port offering sacrifices to the Mercy Passage Duke who supposedly, is Gu Clan ancestor."

"Here, everywhere can see Gu Clan schools, hear of Gu Clan’s ’law’ and ’system.’" His eyes sparkled with mixed enthusiasm, "Julu, what kind of place is it?"

"Is Gu Clan truly the mythical progeny possessing ancient wisdom, guiding order?"

The seasoned interpreter was almost translating the foreign merchant’s words in real-time.

Upon hearing the words "Gu Clan,"

The entire tea shop fell silent, but what followed was bustling noise, even though this conversation might have happened countless times to these common folk, it still didn’t dampen their enthusiasm.

The Gu Clan has already become a symbol of Kyushu.

This scene was not only within this tea shop, not only in Lin’an City, but all over the world!...

....

(Ps: Earnestly requesting monthly votes, asking brothers for your kind support, fish greatly appreciates it. Many brothers have mentioned fish never writes about the changes of ordinary people, so fish is writing about it in this Chapter, it’s not padding, ha.)