Chapter 207: Chapter 206: Losing His Mind

Qin Yao asked him, “What do you think is the most important component of a stable and powerful country?”

This wasn’t difficult; Liu Ji could answer offhand, “Vast and fertile land, and hardworking citizens.”

Qin Yao nodded and asked again, “What reasons could undermine the vastness of the land and the industriousness of the people?”

This was also easy to answer, as it was right before his eyes.

Liu Ji pointed to the manors on both sides of the official road; all these lands belonged to the county’s big landlords. These people, either rich or noble, had early on used their power to seize the best farmland.

And for ordinary people to make a living, they had to rent and farm the landlords’ land, becoming tenant farmers.

If all the land became like this, coupled with pest infestations like today or wars like last year, and these land-holding and powerful landlords not only don’t reduce the rent but increase it, then it would become extremely difficult for the people to survive.

When people are pushed to the brink, they will rebel.

Liu Ji said heavily, “Frequent natural disasters and wars have left the people homeless and the fertile land abandoned. It’s the corruption of the old dynasty and the indulgence of local tyrants in annexing land, privately raising soldiers, and shaking the country’s foundation.”

Qin Yao looked at him in pleasant surprise; it seems he wasn’t entirely useless.

She asked the first question again, “So, after finally unifying a country after decades of chaos, what should be the next step?”

She did not let him answer but continued, “The people should be allowed to recuperate, labor and taxes should be reduced, wars should be avoided, and this devastated land should be given time to heal.”

“It’s not that we’re afraid of those barbarians to the north; it’s just that there are more important things to do now than teach them a lesson.”

If we were afraid, Sheng Country wouldn’t have sent troops last year; they would have proactively offered marriage alliances to show weakness from the start.

Instead of raising the subject of marriage alliances and ceasefire in a conciliatory manner after winning a battle.

“If the war in the north doesn’t stop, it will be us, the common people, who will suffer.”

Qin Yao looked at Liu Ji, pointing at him, “Without the Commandery Princess volunteering for marriage to stop the war, you would still be at the border as a grain transporter, and taxes this year would increase. The consequences of the pest would be dozens of times more severe than what you see now.”

“The trade caravans can’t conduct foreign trade, and the economy would be severely impacted. The book box I just made probably wouldn’t sell at all.”

“The chain reactions from a war go beyond ordinary people’s imagination, and these chain reactions, spread across each person, can destroy originally peaceful small households.”

As they reached the city gate, Qin Yao took the reins from Liu Ji and said calmly, “I’m just an ordinary person, and I only see that this decision of a marriage alliance has brought me a peaceful life.”

“Not everyone can be like the Commandery Princess, willing to sacrifice themselves for others.”

In any case, she couldn’t do it.

She glanced at Liu Ji, who, feeling guilty, swallowed hard. He couldn’t do it either.

A sense of guilt welled up inside him, and Liu Ji whispered, “I really deserve to die!”

Qin Yao handed two coins as entrance fee to the city officials, feeling the pinch.

She had only planned to go outside the city to see the pest situation in the county and had forgotten that getting back into the city required paying a fee.

If she had known, she would have gone alone; now she had to pay for Liu Ji’s share too. Not worth it!

The couple parted at the back door of the tavern, and before leaving, Liu Ji received fifty cents for living expenses, grinning from ear to ear.

Qin Yao returned to the inn, had dinner, and then helped out in the lobby, as she wasn’t staying in a guest room. Manager Fan didn’t charge her for lodging.

When Qin Yao tried to pay, he got angry and she could only do some chores to cover the lodging fee.

As for Liu Ji, the moment he got money in hand, he spent eight cents enjoying a lavish meat dumpling meal.

After stuffing himself, he rubbed his stomach and returned to the academy.

During his absence, the academy students who participated in the retest had been eagerly discussing, fearing others didn’t know the retest topics were the same as the initial test, talking excitedly.

Liu Ji, who had just returned, was so startled he steered clear of them from afar.

But when he reached the dormitory, he feared these fools would implicate him, so he turned back and went insane, roundly scolding the students, driving them all away.

Since returning from the border, Liu Ji wasn’t even afraid of Scholar Fan anymore.

He went around madly cursing everyone, so much so that even Scholar Fan now avoided him, not to mention other ordinary students in the academy who lacked any power.

After Liu Ji’s angry outburst, the academy soon quieted down, and no one dared mention the retest exam papers again.

He snorted, then turned back to his dormitory.

Opening the dormitory door, the familiar smell of stinky feet wafted out. Unable to bear it, Liu Ji pinched his nose, picked up the discarded shoes and socks with a pair of iron tongs used for coals, and threw them all out!

His roommates were shocked and protested angrily, “Liu Ji! What gives you the right to throw out our shoes and socks?”

Liu Ji took his washbasin and face towel, walked past them without a word.

This wasn’t the first time he had reminded them to pay attention to personal hygiene, but they turned a deaf ear and piled the stinky socks in the corner for a month without washing once.

And now they had the nerve to ask him why?

The roommates watched helplessly as Liu Ji ignored them, took the basin to fetch water to wash his face and feet, and turned red with anger.

As they rolled up their sleeves, preparing for a fight, Liu Ji turned his face to them and pointed toward the city tavern,

“I’ll tell you, my wife is staying in Manager Fan’s tavern now. Just try touching a hair on me.”

The roommates all took a big step back; everyone knew Liu Ji’s wife could flatten them with a single punch!

“Liu Ji, you, you…” The roommates stammered, unable to come up with a fierce retort.

But they felt aggrieved; why was Liu Ji suddenly mad at them and threw out their shoes and socks?

Was it just because they smelled bad enough to rile him up?

Why didn’t they see him so angry before!

Liu Ji wiped his face clean, poured out the water in the washbasin, washed his feet clean, and seeing his roommates’ dejected looks, finally felt some of his guilt towards Princess Huixiang dissipate.

Pointing at them, he righteously lectured, “The Commandery Princess is a great person, sacrificing her small self for the greater good. What do you short-sighted people know about that!”

With that, he viciously added, “If I ever hear any of you saying the Commandery Princess’s marriage alliance was a humiliation for Sheng Country’s people, I’ll have my wife crush you!”

The roommates glanced at each other, only thinking Liu Ji had gone off the deep end again.

Liu Ji hung up his face towel, looking disdainfully at his roommates, “From now on, anyone who doesn’t wash their face or feet doesn’t get to sleep inside. I’ll beat anyone I catch!”

Afraid they wouldn’t believe him, he imitated Da Lang’s morning exercise stance, assumed a horse stance, and threw a couple of punches, “I’ve trained with my wife, you know.”

His three roommates shuddered and quickly picked up their shoes and socks to wash.

That night, the faint stench of feet finally disappeared. Having been at the academy for so long, Liu Ji breathed the fresh air and finally had a peaceful night’s sleep.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep