The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 556 - 545: The Theory of Rebellion

Chapter 556: Chapter 545: The Theory of Rebellion

Li Erlang couldn’t help but sit up straight and asked with a smile, "Then do you think the Prince of Yizhou is a good official or a bad one?"

"I haven’t met him, so how would I know if he’s a good official or a bad one?" Manbao answered matter-of-factly, "I’ll tell you after I’ve met him."

Bai Shanbao couldn’t help but glance at Manbao, not saying a word.

Li Erlang, who obviously hadn’t expected such an answer, smiled and asked, "Then based on what you’ve heard and seen, do you think the Prince of Yizhou is a good official or a bad one?"

Bai Shanbao couldn’t help but say, "He’s not a good official."

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

Bai Shanbao said, "Excluding the year of the flood, two years have also passed, and Yizhou only had a tax exemption for three years. Taxes will be collected again this autumn, and up until now, the price of grain in Yizhou remains high, very different compared to three years ago."

Bai Shanbao continued, "Yizhou is his fief, which shows that he’s not much of a good official."

"The officials in Yizhou are appointed by the imperial court, and the Prince of Yizhou has no power to appoint or dismiss them. If there’s poor management, how can it be the fault of the Prince of Yizhou?"

"If the Prince of Yizhou has no power to appoint or dismiss officials and can’t manage local affairs, then why would the imperial court grant him a fief?" Bai Shanbao said, "If it’s just for wealth, wouldn’t it be better to keep the imperial sons in the capital?"

Li Erlang was caught off guard and found himself at a loss for words.

The four attendants beside him exchanged glances, their expressions complex as they looked at Bai Shan.

Manbao nodded, "They say that when imperial sons are given fiefs, they aren’t allowed to do this or that. But in reality, their fiefdoms are their domains, so whether a king is good or bad, one can tell by looking at the people of his fiefdom."

Li Erlang looked baffled and said, "King Ju Jun was considered by the people to be the best official, yet in the end, he rebelled."

Manbao quietly nibbled on a pastry from her plate, and hearing that, she laughed, "The Prince of Yizhou is not capable of being a Wang Mang, at most he could be a Liu Bi."

Bai Shanbao nodded, "If he could be like King Ju Jun, then we, the people of Yizhou, might enjoy a few years of fortune."

Manbao nodded repeatedly, "Especially for my family, we would definitely enjoy even more fortune."

The four attendants sitting on the side were dripping with cold sweat.

"Why?" Li Erlang asked, his expression unchanged, "If there was someone like King Ju Jun for you, wouldn’t you be willing to follow him in rebellion?"

Manbao shook her head, "What’s the point of rebelling? The Emperor hasn’t forced my entire family to go to war or to give their lives filling ditches. If he wanted to be like King Ju Jun, then he would have to respect our choices."

Li Erlang: "... But isn’t it wrong not to repay someone for their kindness?"

Manbao looked at him curiously and said, "This is the Prince of Yizhou’s fief. Everything he eats, drinks, and uses is provided by us. How much of our annual taxes and levies end up in his estate?"

"Thus, it’s only right that he treat us well. We would like him and be grateful to him, but let’s forget about any rebellion; it’s risky and could cost lives." After a moment of thought, Manbao continued, "But I don’t have to worry about that because I have my dad."

Her father wasn’t foolish enough to let the family join a rebellion; if there were really people in the village forming factions and plotting a rebellion, her dad would surely take them and hide in the mountains first.

This was the first time Li Erlang had heard such reasoning, and it took him a while to come to terms with it.

Bai Shanbao, Manbao, and Bai Erlang all looked up at him with doubt, even Zhou Silang maintained his gaze on him.

Li Erlang, with a heart lifted in suspense, asked, "What’s the matter? Is there something on my face?"

"No," Manbao said, "Mr. Li Er, let’s not talk about rebellion anymore. Throughout history, there have been so many who have rebelled, but how many have succeeded? So let’s just live our lives peacefully."

Li Erlang couldn’t help but laugh, "What if the sovereign is foolish and incompetent?"

"Heaven will strike him down," Manbao said calmly, "If Heaven doesn’t strike, then the wise ministers at court will scold him. If the scolding doesn’t wake him, then the people will naturally change the Emperor. But the current Emperor is alright, so we don’t need to worry about that for now, and you shouldn’t think about rebelling either—it could harm both others and oneself."

The food arrived quickly, just as Li Erlang was at a loss for what to say next, he quieted down and everyone began dining in silence.

After they were full, Manbao said, "Mr. Li Er, consider the discussion we just had as the thank-you for inviting us to dine. If we meet again in the future, let’s pretend we don’t know each other."

Li Erlang: ...

The four attendants: ...

Bai Shanbao nodded, folding his hands in salute and said, "We shall not meet again."

Bai Erlang also folded his hands in salute, then left with Bai Shanbao and the others. Once they were far enough away, he asked, "Why should we never meet again?"

Manbao said, "They seem too complicated. We are still children, vulnerable, so it’s better not to associate with such people."

Bai Shanbao nodded, "And they also don’t look like good people."

"Where do they not look like good people?"

"Good people wouldn’t ask about rebelling and the like." Bai Shanbao felt that they had had a quite enjoyable interaction, and with a tinge of regret, he cautioned Bai Erlang, "You must not let slip what we’ve discussed in the private room today."

Manbao was also instructing Zhou Silang, "Silang, you mustn’t talk about this either, not even to our parents."

"I know, I know," Zhou Silang said, "Don’t worry, I’ve got it all figured out."

Li Erlang stood at the door of the restaurant, watching them leave, and turning to his attendants with a laugh, he said, "We’ve become vermin to be strenuously avoided."

As the attendants were about to jest, a carriage came down the street. The person inside lifted the curtain just enough to see them.

As their gazes met, there was a moment of surprise followed by a slight smile from one side, while the person in the carriage gaped, hastily stopping the carriage. A man hurriedly descended, lifting his robes, about to kneel. Li Erlang reached out to steady him, saying with a smile, "Why so formal?"

"Saint, Saint!"

Li Erlang smiled, "Since we’ve bumped into each other, let’s visit your residence."

The newly appointed Governor of Jiannan, Lord Zhang, broke out in sweat and stepped aside, hastily inviting him into the carriage.

Li Erlang glanced back at one of his attendants before accepting Lord Zhang’s hand and boarding the carriage.

The attendant took a couple of steps back and vanished into the crowd, intending to find someone to clear their tracks.

Unaware of everything, Manbao and the others returned home, where Mr. Zhuang had not yet come back from meeting his visitors. The youngsters yawned and decided to take a nap in the afternoon.

After waking, they found a ladder to climb up the wall to watch the commotion at the Yan Family’s house across the way.

The inspecting County Magistrate Tang walked around the garden with his hands behind his back; sensing the gaze, he looked up and saw Manbao, who waved cheerfully at him, "Lord Tang, are you fixing the walls?"