ebookland Chapter 256: About the Development of the Fiefdom (14)
Chapter 256: About the Development of the Fiefdom (14)
Just when the emperor and his entourage went to participate in the food competition, Shi Lidie and her group of sisters also arrived in Pingcheng.
It was rare for such a grand event to take place in the fiefdom, so the school was on holiday and all departments had specially adjusted their shifts. She brought Chen Shuting, Du Mingyue, Gu Qinglan and Qin Mengyao to Pingcheng.
The five people rented a courtyard and lived in it. Coincidentally, the location was near the courtyard where the emperor and his entourage lived.
However, the two sides have not met yet.
"Princess, after we settle down, shall we go directly to the food competition?" Chen Shuting asked.
"Let's not go for now. The food competition has just started, so there will definitely be a lot of people going, and it will be crowded." Shi Lidie said, "Let's wait a few days until there are fewer people, and then go."
"So what are we going to do these days?" Gu Qinglan asked.
"Go incognito and inspect some institutions in Pingcheng to see if they are doing their job properly." Shi Lidie said with a smile, "For example, orphanages, nursing homes, public study rooms, and other places."
Shi Lidie proposed to run many places, and her starting point was definitely for the good of the people.
Chen Zhao's execution was very effective, but the human heart is unpredictable in this world. If there is no constant supervision and inspection, these welfare institutions that take care of the people may become a means for some parasites to make money.
Therefore, Shi Lidie would send people to look around every once in a while, or go out and look around herself.
She never makes a fuss, but hides her identity. Only by integrating into the folk can she hear the most authentic voices and see the most authentic faces.
This time she came to Pingcheng to attend the food conference, and also did these inspection tasks by the way.
So, after a few people settled down, they immediately changed their clothes and went around visiting. The first stop they went to was the orphanage.
The manager didn't know them and thought they were just wealthy ladies from other places who came to Pingcheng for tourism. He repeated everything he had explained to the emperor and others before, and finally asked them if they wanted to donate money.
Everyone wanted to donate, so the person in charge took Shi Lidie and the others there.
When registering the donation account, Shi Lidie saw the name on the account book with sharp eyes and immediately took a breath of cold air. She picked up the book and looked through it carefully:
"Chen Qingren? Du Yuanshan? Qin Xun? Gu Heng?"
After reading these names, she looked up at her sisters with a subtle expression:
"There are many people with the same name in this world, but it shouldn't be a coincidence that these names appear together, right?"
A few people gathered around and saw another name next to these names: Huang Xiuqi.
Everyone:...
Confirmed, this should be His Majesty the Emperor.
Xiuqi was the prince's name, and the surname Huang was used probably to make it similar to the word "Huang".
Shi Lidie didn't say anything else. After donating ten taels of silver, she silently wrote her name. Others followed suit and left the orphanage after donating.
As soon as he went out, Gu Qinglan couldn't help but speak:
"Your Majesty and my father are all here, but they didn't even send us a message. Are you still angry with us?"
"Maybe. My father has a straightforward temper and has never liked my personality. I committed treason and ran away from the capital. I think he must be eager to arrest me and torture me in the Dali Temple." Du Mingyue also said.
Except for Chen Shuting who came out with her family's consent, the others all threw away their divorce papers and came on their own. So when they learned that their fathers were coming, they were not in a very good mood.
Although they felt that what they were doing was meaningful and they never regretted their choice, in this era, it was indeed a disgrace to the family.
After hearing this, Shi Lidie comforted them:
"No, they didn't give me the news because they were also on a secret visit, and they might have to satisfy your majesty's evil taste and see what the fiefdom I govern has become."
"If they were still mad at you, they wouldn't be donating to the orphanage."
"Why do you say that?" Qin Mengyao asked.
"The manager took us around the orphanage. Didn't you see? The children in the kindergarten are reading with the picture books compiled by Mengyao and I. If Master Qin is still angry, how could he support the orphanage?" Shi Lidie said with a smile.
Chen Shuting also comforted everyone:
"Okay, you guys have done it, and you all say you don't regret it, so there's no need to be so anxious. They can come, and once they know our contributions to the fiefdom and our reputation in the fiefdom, they will definitely change their minds."
"If you don't believe me, Xiaodie and I will go meet them and ask them for you and you'll know."
"Okay, let's not think about it anymore and go to the nursing home." Gu Qinglan said immediately.
Just as an orphanage is a place dedicated to raising children, a nursing home is a place dedicated to caring for the elderly. Basically, those who are cared for are poor old people who have no children, no descendants, and no extra money at home.
People in this era place great emphasis on filial piety. As long as children are still alive, they will not abandon their elderly parents.
Therefore, the people who are cared for in nursing homes are the elderly who are truly helpless.
However, the elderly in nursing homes are not given free food and accommodation. Those who are still able to work will be given some work within their capabilities. No matter how much they do, they always need to rely on their own labor in exchange for care.
As for those who are paralyzed and unable to work, there is nothing we can do.
After these elderly people pass away, the nursing home will pay for their burial, so that at least they have a place to go after death. In the words of this era, their bodies will not be left in the wilderness and become wandering ghosts.
Everything is normal in the nursing home. It does not need donations. After all, most of the elderly people are still able to work, so they can receive some subsidies. The rest will be subsidized by Shi Lidie herself, and it can be regarded as charity.
Anyway, she has money, and if she spends money on charity, she can earn it back from other things.
After all, she did not forget that she had two shops in the capital that were making a lot of money. As long as the shops in the capital were open, she would never lack money to spend.
After visiting the old people, Shi Lidie took her sisters to the public study.
They originally thought it was just an ordinary inspection, but unexpectedly, they met the emperor and his entourage here.
The emperor and his entourage ate so much at the food street and had used up all their redeemed food coupons that they felt they could not eat any more. They planned to come back the next day, so they went out for a stroll and while strolling they came to the public study.
At this time, the emperor and several court officials were watching in the study. There were many young men in blue cloth gowns sitting at the tables, writing furiously. Some were copying books, and some were completing their homework.
The emperor stood behind a young man, watching him write a policy paper, and could not help but speak:
"Great! This essay has a very novel angle on the topic, it's an excellent piece of writing!"
Shi Lidie, who was familiar with the emperor's voice, heard the voice as soon as she came in and was stunned.