Zhulan returned to the carriage, and Li sat down by the window, saying in the smallest voice: "Mother, the emperor must go too!"
"Didn't you hear me just now? The emperor wants to go to my lecture."
Li really didn't hear it. She was stunned when she saw her mother bowing. Later, she bowed in a daze and followed her back to her own carriage. Now, when she heard her mother's words, her eyes widened, "Is it time to listen to your lecture?"
Bamboo orchid, "... "
She was already upset enough and didn't want to listen to what Li said, so she closed her eyes and didn't look at Li.
Li, "..."
Mother was unhappy, so she shut her mouth obediently and even her breathing became lighter.
The carriage swayed slowly to the orphanage. Because it was winter, the construction progress was slow and only two-thirds of the original house was completed. The current progress was possible thanks to the recent rise in temperature.
The retired emperor went in first with his hands behind his back. Zhulan cursed a few words in her heart, then went in with the empress dowager with a smile on her face.
The Queen Mother looked around curiously, "There are quite a few people here."
"The strong laborers near the village came to build houses for food because they were short of food."
The Queen Mother was silent for a few seconds and then said, "Can the orphans from East City adapt to moving here?"
"Adapt. These children are very obedient when they are given stuttering."
To put it bluntly, the children are very numb. As long as they are sure that they are not abandoned, the orphans from Dongcheng are very obedient when they move to the village. They don't cry or make a fuss, and they do whatever they are told to do, just like puppets without souls.
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Then I must take a good look."
Zhulan thought to herself, you will definitely be disappointed after seeing it. It's lively. Everyone likes a lively life, not a puppet.
Zhuangzi took in 130 orphans, and sent some of them back after investigation. Together with the orphans in Dongcheng, there were more than 300 orphans in Zhuangzi, one-third of whom were girls and two-thirds were boys.
What is very different between ancient times and today is that there were no disabled or sick children in ancient times, and the survival of the fittest was even more cruel. In addition, in the years of food shortage, sick and disabled children did not live to grow up and died in childhood.
The living environment in ancient times was harsh, with natural disasters and man-made calamities being the most unfriendly to children and the elderly.
So the children in the orphanage don't have any major illnesses except severe malnutrition, and after a few days of care, they are all able to work.
The retired emperor looked at the more than 300 children kneeling outside. Zhulan took a deep breath and pretended not to see anything. This is the imperial power in ancient times.
Zhulan looked at those who were smart and eager to show off, so she kowtowed with all her might. Even though the snow outside showed signs of melting, the ground was still hard. They kowtowed very sincerely, and some of them even had bruises on their foreheads.
The Emperor Retired and the Empress Dowager did not think anything was wrong. As they were the representatives of imperial power, they were very happy instead.
Zhulan curled the corners of her mouth and said, "Oh, I have to be careful when speaking in this class. Imperial power, imperial power."
The Queen Mother asked, "Does Zhuangzi have a house that can accommodate more than 300 people?"
Zhu Lan shook her head, "Not yet. The house I will build later can accommodate up to 100 people."
The Queen Mother pointed at the three hundred children and asked, "You want to give separate lessons?"
"No, I informed the steward yesterday that we will give lessons outside today. The children should wear old cotton-padded clothes and have a fire in the yard. They won't be cold for half an hour."
The newly built house is very damp and needs to be warmed up by fire. It cannot be used now. Besides, she doesn't want to separate it, as it will make her tired.
The retired emperor and the empress dowager naturally would not be cold, as they were wearing plenty of clothes and sat in a makeshift shed with a brazier set up and tea, snacks and snacks provided. Zhulan walked up to the prepared platform and prepared to give a lecture.
In order to let all the children hear her speech, she made a simple loudspeaker. Even with the simple loudspeaker, she still had to shout. Fortunately, there was no wind today and the sun was still bright. God was kind to her.
Zhulan looked at the children in the audience, orphans under the strict system, who were very obedient. There were more than 300 children, the youngest was five years old, there were no children under five years old, and there were not many children five years old. They were able to survive because they had brothers or sisters to support them. The five-year-old children were very obedient and dared not make any noise.
Zhulan was not happy that no one was making trouble. Instead, she felt very depressed. She took a deep breath and said, "Children, you all know me, so I don't need to introduce myself. Today I want to give you a lesson on the topic of being human."
The emperor looked towards the stage, then at the children below. The children's eyes were filled with confusion. The emperor didn't even drink his tea, and listened attentively to Yang's class.
Zhulan smiled. "Today we are going to talk about what it means to be a human being. Before we start, I want to tell you a few true stories. My eldest son told me..."
Zhulan didn't interact either because it was unrealistic and no one would respond. These kids were very numb.
She knew that when she bought the children for food, it was a few days after her eldest son came back. Telling it now would stimulate the children's nerves, and they would continue to listen if they reacted.
The practice of exchanging one's own children for food happened too often in ancient times.
After listening to a few stories, the children's eyes showed fluctuations. Some of the children knew that they, the orphans, had been hiding from people during the disaster years, and in their eyes, people were scarier than beasts.
The story of Zhulan ends, "People have moral bottom lines. People know what to do and what not to do. The court promulgates laws..."
The lecture lasted for more than half an hour, and Zhulan's throat was a little sore from shouting. What she said was not profound, and she tried her best to explain the principles in plain language. She ended with a few short stories.
These children need brainwashing, and they need to be made to re-recognize themselves. Only when they live can they think about the future. Of course, the main purpose is to brainwash. What is practical for these children is to eat well and dress warmly.
The emperor waited until the children left before looking at Yang deeply. Her plain words revealed the truth, which was Yang's strength. Several of her stories were very good. Yang was interesting.
The Queen Mother whispered, "Mrs. Yang gave a good lecture today. Before the lecture, the children's eyes were blank, but after the lecture, some of them straightened their backs a little."
The Emperor, "I'll tell you what I've heard. It's not a wasted trip, is it?"
The Queen Mother felt a little uncomfortable, she had not agreed to come and listen to Yang's lecture. She had seen female teachers since she was a child, and all female teachers' lectures were the same. She also did not expect that Yang's lectures would be so interesting, and even the topics shocked her. It is not easy for a person to be like a human being.
Zhulan's throat was so hoarse that it was about to smoke. Alas, for the sake of her own throat, she would have to give separate lectures in the future. The only regret was that he did not invite the female teacher.
The Emperor gestured for Yang to come over, "You speak well and deserve a reward."
Zhulan's heart twitched. Imperial power, oh imperial power. Then she breathed a sigh of relief. When she spoke, she did not dare to offend the imperial power in the slightest. She avoided all the minefields. It was really too hard for her. "I just spoke what I thought in my heart. The exchange of children for cannibalism made me feel too much. I was responsible for the orphanage and did what I should do. I do not deserve the reward."