Ji Chang woke on his bed of brushwood as usual, tasted a few mouthfuls of bitter gall, and walked several laps around Youli to exercise before taking his carriage out to the fields.
"Buy three newspapers and get some Heartless Vegetable free!"
The streets bustled with people and rang with vendors' cries.
The first signs of a bumper harvest had barely appeared, yet vegetable prices had already fallen. Vegetables had even become free gifts with newspapers.
Ji Chang thought little of it. What fool would buy three identical newspapers? Were they buying them to collect?
"Who is the benevolent and righteous sovereign? In the age of the Three Sovereigns, we chose Shennong; in the age of the Five Emperors, we chose Yao and Shun. Today, everyone chooses him!"
Hmm? A benevolent and righteous sovereign?
Ji Chang felt rather pleased with himself. He was a benevolent and righteous sovereign!
Even in Chaoge, surely no one would call King Zhou benevolent and righteous. Wouldn't that be pinching one's nose to deceive one's eyes?
A ruler who imposed harsh laws and invented public Death by a Thousand Cuts was a benevolent and righteous sovereign?
A ruler who had confiscated the property of several noble houses and repeatedly faced rebellions was a benevolent and righteous sovereign?
A ruler who circulated Little Liu Bei and drew Erotic Illustrations was a benevolent and righteous sovereign?
King Zhou employed slaves and showed them some benevolence, but unfortunately, benevolence toward slaves did not count as benevolence.
Viewed that way, the most benevolent and righteous ruler under heaven was none other than himself!
After all, only benevolence toward nobles counted as benevolence. As for benevolence toward the common people, Ji Chang believed he still surpassed King Zhou.
"I shall have a newspaper."
"Minimum purchase of three. Comes with a