Old Li must have been the handsome lad of every village for miles around in his youth. Thick brows, large eyes, and a square face-he fit traditional standards of beauty and was pleasing to look at.
Of course, the most important thing was that, although Old Li had stabbed him once, he had corrected his mistake and was now using the reforms to shield him from further blows.
"Minister Li, accompany me outside the palace."
He would get out for some fresh air and check on the reforms while he was at it. As the key to sustainable Foolishness Value production, the reforms had to be monitored from beginning to end. Any unexpected mishap would spell trouble.
Before long, Zi Shou and Li Jing arrived at the North Market. Since both the Bank and Duobao were located there, it was the liveliest of the four markets.
Ten stone slabs stood in the center of the North Market, right beside Duobao's fortune-telling stall, where crowds gathered.
In his spare time, Duobao would explain the laws on the slabs to people. After all, few could read. Although officials had been dispatched specifically to spread the word, a fortune-telling Daoist like Duobao inspired greater trust.
"Daoist, will it rain anytime soon?" The old woman's heartless vegetables had sold well today, but the horse betting had yet to open, so she was wandering about with nothing to do.
Duobao accepted a coin and calculated on his fingers. "It will rain in three days. The rainfall will be light and stop after five days."
The wrinkles on the old woman's face bunched together as she smiled like an old chrysanthemum in bloom.
Zi Shou was puzzled. Rainy days should have been bad for business, so why was this woman so happy?
Li Jing explained from