Zhang Shou had seen sedan chairs many times in various TV dramas and scenic spots, but he had traveled a lot in this huge imperial capital during his two visits to Beijing, but he had hardly seen a sedan chair. So, when the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture rushed him out of the Duke of Zhao's mansion as if he was asking for his life, and heard that a sedan chair was sent to pick him up, he was really curious.
But when he got to the door, he suddenly realized. It was a sedan, because the huge sedan was carried high by two sturdy mules. It was a sedan! And next to the sedan, there was a person standing there awkwardly. Who else could it be but Deng Xiaodai
"Young sir." Deng Xiaodai finally took a few steps forward to greet Zhang Shou, and then whispered, "I have no choice. The prefect has ordered me to come. He has been very angry these days and has spoken less and less. His face is as cold as ice. No one dares to make him angry, for fear that his knife-like eyes will slash at you."
What else could Zhang Shou say? Even the old lady, who was so considerate and sometimes even daring, had to send him to the Chuihua Gate, and even ordered people to deceive and delay Zhu Ying. This showed how strong this Wang Datou, as mentioned by his teacher Ge Yong, was. Therefore, he could only sigh helplessly and said, "Let's not talk nonsense anymore. Since it's urgent, let's go!"
The sedan chair was very high, so one had to use a special staircase to get up. After entering, Zhang Shou realized that it was very spacious. Besides, since it was powered by animals, he didn't want Deng Xiaodai to walk with the sedan chair, so he simply asked him to get on the sedan chair with him. The two of them sat opposite each other. Perhaps because they had been silent for a long time, Deng Xiaodai felt a little itchy in his throat, so he had to make small talk.
"Young sir, when Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, he thought that human-powered sedan chairs were a waste, so he ordered iron signs to be erected in all cities and towns across the country, prohibiting officials of all ranks from riding human-powered sedan chairs. Only the elderly over seventy and those with mobility problems could hire a bamboo sedan chair carried by two people. However, because horse-drawn carriages were bumpy, more comfortable sedan chairs came into being."
Zhang Shou could clearly feel that as the mule moved forward, the sedan chair trembled slightly, but compared to the bumps of the carriage on the ground, this vibration was completely within the acceptable range. He leaned his right hand on the small square table in front of him and suddenly asked, "Then this sedan chair should only be used by people of certain grades, right? Otherwise, I wouldn't have seen so many of them since I came to Beijing."
"Yes, the Emperor Taizu stipulated that only officials above the third rank in the capital could have one, but they could lend it to family members and friends. After all, a sedan chair is so high that you have to use a wooden ladder to get up and down. It is impossible for the elderly over seventy or people with mobility problems to ride in it."
"Taizu often said, don't think that there are too many people in the world, so don't use too much manpower. The world is vast, and there are many places that need manpower. Don't waste it. An animal can grow up in a few years, but it takes 20 years for a person to reach adulthood. Don't treat people like animals."
Although he had heard many stories about Emperor Taizu, when hearing this decree, Zhang Shou unconsciously saw the image of an intellectual and somewhat sentimental man. After conquering the world and establishing his capital in Dadu, he was able to cherish human resources in this way, which really made him a meticulous monarch, not to mention his attitude of attaching importance to education.