My Emperor Father Can Read Minds
Chapter 68

Behind the large tree, there was a pile of dry grass, and among the dry grass, four children, barely clothed, were squeezed inside.

Describing the condition of these four children as “barely clothed” is actually a more subtle way of putting it.

These children were practically naked!

One of them was wearing a small patched cloth, but the other three were completely bare-chested, their dirty and thin bodies visible, and their lower halves hidden in the dry grass, making it hard to distinguish their gender!

Their filthy, emaciated appearance gave off the impoverished feeling of extreme poverty, immediately leaving Wei Yu stunned.

How should he put it?

He had heard from the Grand Tutor before, and knew that many of the common people of Great Wei were barely clothed and often went hungry. Some farming families even had five or six members, yet they were so poor that they only had two sets of clothes to change into. During the day, the able-bodied would wear the clothes and work, while those without clothes would stay at home lying on their beds. It was only at night, under the cover of darkness, that they could go out to do what they wished…

Having even one piece of clothing, even if full of patches, was considered a great blessing for many farming families.

Such a situation was even worse in the resource-deprived like Hanzhou.

Wei Yu pursed his lips and glanced one last time at the four children huddled in the dry grass before looking away and turning to leave.

What people say or read in books often doesn’t compare to seeing it with your own eyes.

Wei Yu now understood why historical dramas often had scenes where nobles secretly visited the common folk.

Even though these scenes seemed old and overused, they were still the most direct way to witness the truth.

Fang Sheng walked over and glanced behind the tree, asking, “Your Highness, is something wrong?”

Wei Yu shook his head.

He didn’t speak, but Fang Sheng’s question startled the four children behind the tree.

The children were panicking.

“Ah! They’re coming!”

“The kidnappers are here, quick, let’s go!”

“Big Hua, go quickly, find your grandfather and tell him about the kidnappers!”

Fang Sheng: …

Wei Yu silently took a deep breath.

These brainless little kids really shattered his soft, sentimental heart in one go.

What kidnappers would target children who looked like they had no power and influence?!

The rustling sounds behind the tree grew louder, and a small figure wrapped in sackcloth jumped out from behind the tree, stumbling as it ran off into the distance.

Fang Sheng quickly glanced at the child and softly asked Wei Yu, “Your Highness, shall we chase?”

Wei Yu shook his head, “Forget it, it’s probably a child from a farming family on the estate. Don’t worry, someone must have already gone to report it.”

Earlier, a farmer had run towards the estate, so someone would likely be here soon.

Sure enough, before Wei Yu even finished speaking, a group of people appeared in the distance.

Wei Yu took a couple of steps forward, squinting his eyes to look at the group coming towards them.

The person in the middle was wearing a blue silk robe, somewhat plump, contrasting sharply with the thin, emaciated servants following him.

Was he the steward of the estate?

He certainly looked well-fed and well-dressed.

Wei Yu had a thought, and when the steward’s group stopped in front of them, he remained silent and calmly waited for the steward’s response.

The middle-aged man in the blue silk robe smiled, his eyes filled with curiosity as he looked at Wei Yu.

The two exchanged a few glances, and in the end, the middle-aged man was the first to yield.

He raised his hand in salute and spoke with some respect, “I am He Yong. This is the estate of the Wise King. I do not know who you are, and what brings you here?”

Wei Yu did not speak.

Fang Sheng coldly eyed him and pulled out a waist token from his chest.

“This is His Highness, the Wise King.”

The waist token was something Wei Yu had given to Fang Sheng earlier, fearing he might lose it while riding.

It was a gold waist token with a four-clawed dragon pattern, symbolizing royal status.

Seeing the waist token, He Yong’s face visibly changed. His smile shifted from calm to flustered and forced, then to joyful as he and his followers immediately knelt before Wei Yu.

He Yong cried out, “I, a mere commoner, pay my respects to His Highness the Wise King. I am too blind to recognize Your Highness’s arrival. Please forgive me!”

It was a bit theatrical.

Wei Yu felt indifferent to his performance, his gaze shifting behind him to the people standing in the background.

He Yong was dressed in luxurious silk, but the people behind him were all wearing patched coarse linen clothes. Though they were clean and neat, they were far from dignified.

Especially their faces—thin, hunched backs, and thickened joints—all clearly showing signs of long-term hunger and hard labor.

His gaze returned to He Yong, and Wei Yu gestured for them to rise.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your mercy.”

He Yong stood up, a smile still on his face as he looked at Wei Yu, trying to please him, “I did not know His Highness was coming today. The estate is unprepared. If you need anything, I will make sure to handle it for you.”

His words were polite, but if you listened closely, it was clear that the plump man was trying to rush them out.

Wei Yu glanced at him, raised his whip, and pointed at the people behind him, “Are these all tenants from the estate?”

The tenants were farmers who rented land from others and paid rent according to the rules.

These people could not withstand natural disasters and wars, and when the country was affected by frequent warfare or extravagant palace spending, they often went bankrupt, sold their land to survive, and became tenants.

As the Great Wei developed, tenants not only had to pay rent, but in times of need, they might also be required to serve or become part of their master’s household.

He Yong replied, “Yes, these are all tenants of the estate.”

Getting his answer, Wei Yu asked, “How much is the rent for the estate?”

He Yong glanced at him and cautiously replied, “Each tenant pays seven-tenths of the crop, as decided previously.”

Seven-tenths of the harvest as rent—meaning, at the end of a year’s labor, the tenants only received three-tenths of the crop for their families?

What could three-tenths of the harvest support? Just enough to feed the family for a year, and Wei Yu couldn’t even imagine how they survived the rest of the time!

No wonder they were all so poor and exhausted!

It was almost like borrowing money at exorbitant interest rates.

Wei Yu sighed inwardly, deeply moved by the high rent set by his fourth brother.

Though he knew that high rent might be common in this era, it didn’t stop him from thinking his fourth brother was heartless.

Looking at the thin, exhausted, and numb faces of the people, Wei Yu sighed again.

Perhaps he would never learn to kill his conscience and be a completely cold-hearted, deaf, and mute person in this era.

Seeing others suffering, he couldn’t help but want to meddle…

It was hard.

He must be a sage who came down to earth to undergo trials.

As for whether He Yong was pocketing money, Wei Yu was still unsure. Seven-tenths rent would definitely wear down a normal person, and he needed to have Fang Sheng investigate further before making a decision.

As for now…

Wei Yu looked at the guards behind him. “There are three more children behind the tree. Take off your outer clothes and bring the children into the estate.”