Chapter 58: Shangjing Express Delivery
“Is it really two copper coins for one ride? Why does it sound like going to the nearest lane and the farthest lane costs the same?”
Someone still did not quite believe it and could not help asking. This rule really was rather confusing. Did that not mean the farther one rode, the better the deal?
The coachman glanced over and replied, “The one-way fare is two copper coins. No matter how far, it’s this price. Once you reach the terminal station, you must get off. You cannot stay on the carriage forever. If you want to ride back, the fare is calculated again.”
The rule was actually very simple; it was just difficult to understand for a moment.
After saying that, the coachman added, “Oh, right. The elderly and children pay half price. One copper coin to board.”
Everyone: “…”
What strange rule was this again? But it was very friendly to the elderly and children.
Were two copper coins expensive? Not expensive. But for ordinary commoners, it was still money.
However, they were not modern people who had to take public transportation to work every day. If they only rode it occasionally, this price was unbelievably cheap.
Transportation in ancient times was very inconvenient. Even within the same city, visiting relatives and dropping by someone’s home was difficult.
The only slightly more convenient option was a carriage, but ordinary commoners generally could not afford to rent one. Only noble households kept horses and bought carriages for themselves.
So carriages had always been a symbol of noble travel.
Many commoners had probably seen carriages often, but those who had truly sat in one themselves were likely very, very few.
Someone’s eyes shifted. He took out two copper coins. A common little citizen like him also wanted to experience what sitting in a carriage felt like. It was only two copper coins; he could afford it. Even if this coachman went back on his word and only pulled him for a short distance before making him get off, he still felt the experience would be worth it.
The coachman pointed at a strange box beside him. The box was odd. Only a small slit had been left on top, so narrow that even a hand could not reach inside. “Just throw the copper coins in there.”
Another commoner was also tempted. His daughter had married into a family in the Western Market, but because walking there really took too much time, he did not see her even twice a year. If two copper coins could truly take him to the Western Market, he had to try.
At this station, only two people got on, because the public carriage was still something new. Only those who happened to come across it by chance would encounter it.
Then they discovered that whenever the carriage reached a street with that special sign, it would stop. The coachman would use the same fixed tone and say, “XX Station has arrived. Those who wish to get off may get off.”
It made people extremely confused. There was no one on the carriage getting off.
Then he called out to the people outside, “Anyone going toward XX? Passing through XX, XX…”
His tone was fixed, just like when they had first encountered the coachman.
Two more curious commoners got on. The people inside the carriage looked at one another.
Different people sat in the same carriage. At first, it was a little awkward, but slowly, they realized it was just like that. Everyone did their own thing. No one interfered with anyone else.
It was like strangers meeting by chance on the road. Those who were interested could chat a little. Those who were not could simply treat the others as one of countless passersby in life. There was no need to remember the other person, nor any need to be remembered by others.
It was that simple.
After the awkwardness in the carriage passed, someone finally asked the coachman, “Will this carriage still be here tomorrow? Tomorrow I’ll take my grandson to visit relatives too. Oh, right, my grandson is still a child, so it seems he only needs one copper coin.”
The coachman replied, “Yes. From now on, Shangjing will have them every day. Basically, one comes every two hours, so there’s no need to panic if you miss one. You only need to find the nearest station platform and wait. The platform is the place where you saw the sign standing just now.”
Public carriage?
Everyone looked at one another. Was that not exactly a public carriage? One only needed to pay an unexpectedly small amount of money, and anyone could ride.
One every two hours? That was quite good. As long as they remembered the approximate time, they could just wait. If their home was closer to a station, it would be even more convenient.
“There will be one every day from now on? Tsk, then won’t traveling around Shangjing be much more convenient for us?”
“Exactly. In the past, only noble lords sat in carriages and went wherever they wanted. We commoners could only walk. Every day, we could only wander around our own tiny bit of land.”
To be honest, the coachman was also somewhat emotional. When he received this job, he had been stunned for a long time. In the past, he drove carriages for merchant caravans, but later, because his leg illness acted up, he could no longer go to bumpy places. He had thought his life would become difficult from then on. In the end, someone had come to find him and asked him to be a coachman for this public carriage. Every day, he only needed to drive along a fixed route at a fixed speed. The wages were not especially high, but they were stable.
To be honest, following merchant caravans all over the place had been so hard. Every time, he had to live in fear of running into mountain bandits. It would be terrible if he lost his life just from driving a carriage for others. Not to mention that eating wind and sleeping under the dew on the road had been common. And even then, he might not earn as steadily as now.
Now look at this. The roads were flat, and he did not have to worry about mountain bandits. When he was in the mood, he could even chat with the passengers. So this was an amazing job.
At that moment, someone inside the carriage asked, “So there isn’t only this one public carriage of yours? Who came up with such an idea? From now on, won’t travel in Shangjing be much easier? Tsk, it really is a wild idea, but also practical and convenient for the people. This public carriage is simply made especially to benefit us commoners. This is a true merit.”
As soon as the coachman heard this, he became enthusiastic. The person had given him such a stable job, so he was grateful from the bottom of his heart. Whenever their employer was mentioned, he could not help wanting to praise him a few times and express what he felt.
“Of course there isn’t only this public carriage. Let me tell you, the main roads all have them now. I know all the coachmen. They’re all experienced hands who have driven carriages for many years. They’re steady as can be. You don’t need to worry at all about any accident. Our employer even specially reminded us that it’s fine if we don’t collect the fare, but we must guarantee the passengers’ safety. This is the first time I’ve seen a noble care so much about commoners’ safety.”
“As for our employer…”
At this point, the coachman could not help thinking of that Grand Scholar Zhaoxue, who was as pure and lofty as spring snow, earnestly instructing them over and over: no matter what, they had to ensure the passengers’ safety; no matter what, they had to deliver the passengers to their destination.
But this was a business. Yet what he thought about was not making money, but ensuring the commoners’ travel safety and convenience.
Their employer was different. Different from anyone else. That was right. From the moment Grand Scholar Zhaoxue struck the Drum of Grievance for the common people, everyone already knew that this noble was very different.
The coachman said, “Our employers are Grand Scholar Zhaoxue and Prince Zheng. Grand Scholar Zhaoxue proposed the idea of the public carriage system to make travel convenient for the people, while Prince Zheng was the one who implemented it.”
With a stir, everyone in the carriage, whether they knew one another or not, began discussing.
“Grand Scholar Zhaoxue and Prince Zheng just resolved the floods in Ye City and the other two places and performed such great merit. Now, as soon as they’ve returned, they’ve provided us with such cheap carriages…”
“I told you that phrase, ‘When governance is smooth and people are harmonious, all under Heaven shall have great fortune,’ was talking about Prince Zheng. Look at this. We now only need two copper coins to sit in a carriage that only nobles could sit in before and cross more than half of Shangjing. In the past, this was something we couldn’t even imagine.”
“Exactly. I never thought I’d get to sit in a carriage in this lifetime.”
“Then you can ride more often from now on. Anyway, two copper coins aren’t painful to spend.”
They discussed it lively. And it was not only this carriage. The carriages on other routes were basically the same.
Suddenly, someone asked, “With only two copper coins for the fare, won’t Prince Zheng suffer a huge loss? This…”
Sure enough, someone became worried. If he lost money, maybe this public carriage would disappear in the future. If such a good thing vanished again, what a pity that would be.
Someone even muttered quietly, “Actually… actually, even if it were a little more expensive, we could accept it.”
Of course, his voice was small, because for commoners, the cheaper the better.
In fact, Qi Zheng had once had the same concern. Even if he was doing good deeds and accumulating virtue, he could not ruin his household, right? If he bankrupted his own residence because of this, it would not be worth the loss.
In the end, Chen Bai calculated the accounts in front of him. After that, Qi Zheng stopped struggling with it and even became extremely proactive.
Because although two copper coins looked small, it could not withstand accumulating constantly every day.
According to the account book Chen Bai gave Qi Zheng, it would only take two years to recover the investment. After two years, once the costs were deducted, it would be the beginning of pure profit.
At that time, Qi Zheng had held the account book and read it for a long time. He had also recalculated it for a long time. To be honest, even he found it somewhat unbelievable. A seemingly money-losing matter could actually make money.
Some things were just like that. Some industries seemed unprofitable, but once the accounts were listed clearly, that might not be the case at all.
Moreover, these public carriages had other uses as well.
When they reached a station, the coachman got off for a moment, because someone was waiting there with a package.
“I heard you can help people deliver items? I happen to have something that needs to be sent from the Eastern Market to the Western Market.”
He sounded rather uneasy, because the small item he needed to send was not anything important, yet it still had to be delivered. To specially have someone make the trip for him felt really unreasonable.
The coachman frowned and glanced at a spot beside the station platform where the words “Express Delivery Point” were written. Someone was standing there.
According to what his employer had told him, accepting items was not his responsibility. He only needed to drive the carriage. If there were items that needed to be delivered, the people at the express delivery point would have already packed them properly in advance. He did not even need to get off the carriage. Once he arrived, the people at the express delivery point would naturally check the items. In any case, he only had to drive the carriage, wait briefly while the delivery point staff placed items into the additional box installed at the back of the carriage, or wait for them to take items from the carriage.
The public carriage and express delivery were two systems. Although they intersected, they mainly each handled their own matters.
He could not help looking toward the person at the express delivery point.
That person shrugged. “This man refused to believe that we would help him deliver an item. He insisted on waiting until the special carriage came before he would believe it.”
It was also because he had explained it too mysteriously. He had said that a special carriage would help deliver the item, and only two copper coins would be charged for labor.
Who would believe that? For such a worthless little object, they would specially dispatch a carriage to deliver it for him?
No matter how one listened, it sounded mysterious.
But now, the carriage… had really arrived.
The man stared, completely stunned.
“Do you believe it now? Hurry and place the order. I’ll give you a receipt. If the item is lost or if anything goes wrong, you can come to us for compensation. After we deliver the item, we’ll also have the other party sign to confirm receipt.”
“From now on, we will collect express deliveries at this location every day.”
“Our express delivery points and the public carriages that transport the items are guaranteed by Grand Scholar Zhaoxue and Prince Zheng. Don’t worry. As long as you keep your receipt properly, nothing will happen to your package.”
Everyone: “…”
What express delivery? What package?
And yet, they seemed to understand a little.
“Two copper coins can send a package from the Eastern Market to the Western Market?”
If one delivered it personally, it would take both time and effort. That was no longer a matter of just two copper coins.
“Mm. As long as it’s within Shangjing City, it can basically be delivered on the same day. If something unexpected happens, such as rainy weather, then at the latest it will arrive the next day.”
“Oh, right. Our employer has also opened a bus route to Cloud Academy. In the future, if you want to go see the peacocks, buy rabbits, pick grapes, and so on, you can also take the bus there. If you’re really too lazy to go, you can place an order directly at our express delivery point. Just tell us how many rabbits or how many grapes you want to buy, and basically, we can deliver the goods to your hands that very same day.”
Everyone opened their mouths. “…”
Whether it was the bus system or express delivery, both were still rather novel to them. They needed some time to digest it. Even so, they could already feel the convenience within.
Someone really did speak up. “I can buy a rabbit too? I haven’t left the city in ages. I kind of miss those big, fat rabbits.”
“I’ll fill out an order slip for you. Give me your home address, and roughly when you’ll be at home, so we can arrange for someone to deliver it to your door. If you place the order now, you’ll probably receive what you want by evening…”
The basic function of express delivery began to take effect.
Tsk, tsk. Qi Zheng was raising more and more rabbits anyway. This was just right for expanding his sales channels. There were also those grapes and fruits, and even the vegetables in the greenhouses. They would all come in handy once they matured.
Without stepping out the door, one could still eat fresh rabbit and fruits and vegetables. The convenience of that could be imagined. It might even change the living habits of the people of Shangjing.
So the benefits of the bus system were not limited to the tiny bit of fare it collected.
What Chen Bai and the others were doing now, aside from gaining reputation, was taking control of Shangjing’s transportation capacity.
To change the entire way of life in Shangjing overnight, making it more convenient and better—such domestic governance ability, which of the hundred officials in court could accomplish it? Which of the princes could compare?
In the end, everyone would understand that if the common people wanted to live good lives, and if the hundred officials wanted to usher in an unprecedented flourishing age, then they could only have one choice.
Qi Zheng was now trying to find ways to buy horse carriages. Recently, he had bought up all the idle carriages in Shangjing, but even then, he could only manage one carriage every one or two hours, and only on the main roads.
As for those smaller, branching streets, there was no way to cover them yet. The common people still had to walk a stretch themselves.
Recently, the people of Shangjing had all been studying which bus route to take to go where, how to transfer most conveniently, and they were also learning how to read the route signs at the stations, using the stations listed above to figure out the most worthwhile way to ride.
The express delivery points were also becoming increasingly popular. Whose household did not have some item that needed to be sent somewhere? But making a trip oneself was truly troublesome. Better to hand it to an express delivery point. Not only was it faster than going in person, they even delivered it to the door.
There was a feeling of service right to one’s home.
How could the common people of ancient times have ever experienced such thoughtful service?
And so, whether it was the bus system or express delivery, both swiftly affected the whole of Shangjing at a speed no one had expected, perfectly entering every person’s way of life.
As for the people of Shangjing, the names they mentioned most now were none other than Grand Scholar Zhaoxue and Qi Zheng.
Even the court was full of splendid reactions. Who would have thought that in such a short time, Grand Scholar Zhaoxue and Prince Zheng could make such a grand move?
What remarkable domestic governance ability.
The hundred officials had originally thought that because the Great King disliked Qi Zheng, they could not possibly stand on Qi Zheng’s side. But now, it seemed some of them had begun to waver.
At Cloud Academy, Chen Bai and Qi Zheng were hiding in a room holding a meeting. “How effective was the second step?”
Qi Zheng glanced at Chen Bai. “The fact that the Great King still has not issued an edict to appoint a new crown prince already proves it was effective.”
Qi Zheng’s reputation was currently flourishing. If the Great King appointed a wastrel prince as Great Qian’s heir apparent at a time like this, it would truly be somewhat improper. In front of Qi Zheng, the other princes appeared far too dim and colorless.
So no matter what, he had to avoid this moment when Qi Zheng’s momentum was at its peak.
The corners of Chen Bai’s mouth rose. Avoid it?
Since Qi Zheng had already begun to shine, then he would only grow brighter, and only make the others appear even more lackluster.
From now on, every day would be a time when Qi Zheng’s momentum was at its peak. Delaying was useless.
Chen Bai said, “Then let’s begin the third step.”
When one person shone too brightly, it was easy to draw jealousy. In that case, he might as well let the people around him shine too, so that everyone would know that only by staying around this greatest point of light could they also emit their own radiance.
After Chen Bai and Qi Zheng finished their meeting and came out, a group of students were playing enthusiastically.
Chen Bai could not help asking, “In two days, I’m planning to have you go to different places in Shangjing to publicly teach. How are your preparations?”
It really was public teaching—promoting the correct cultivation of a new vegetable, ju.
After such a long period of research, they had resolved the two problems with the ju they grew: insect damage and bitter taste.
This was a matter concerning the livelihood of all the people under heaven. It could be said to be even more shocking than the bus system and express delivery.
Once it no longer had bitterness and could be planted in large quantities, at the very least, their Great Qian would no longer so easily have people starve to death.
Perhaps the flavor was a little plain, and perhaps its nutritional value was not high either, but… their first step, what they sought, was merely… to stop people from starving to death.
In Chen Bai’s eyes, this was very simple, the most basic requirement. But in this era, it was far too difficult.
The little faces of the group of students were flushed with excitement. “All our speeches and all the data are ready.”
They were still so young, and yet they were already going to begin public teaching in Shangjing.
Did one know what public teaching was?
That was something only the world’s famous scholars and great masters with their own doctrines would do.
How could they not be excited? If they were still at Shangjing Academy, they would still be students obediently listening to lessons.
Chen Bai was not actually worried about these students, because the directed cultivation of lettuce had been completed by these students step by step on their own. They were more familiar with the whole process than anyone else.
The only thing he worried about was that these students were still young, and he was afraid they might not express themselves clearly.
Chen Bai asked, “Why haven’t I seen Meng Huanchao?”
Now that a world-famous scholar like Meng Huanchao had come to the academy, how could Chen Bai possibly let him go to waste? Meng Huanchao’s broad learning and insight were far better than the masters of Shangjing Academy.
These students were now staying at the academy every day and refusing to go to Shangjing Academy no matter what, because they felt it was simply torture.
Chen Bai was also worried. In this era, if one did not study the Four Books and Five Classics, how was one any different from being illiterate?
The things he taught were detached from this era, but he could not discard the things of this era itself either. Otherwise, his students would become a group of oddballs isolated from society. That was not Chen Bai’s goal.
The thought of his students becoming a bunch of illiterates made Chen Bai’s brows furrow into the shape of the character “?.”
So as soon as Meng Huanchao came to the academy, Chen Bai arranged matters for him, making the world’s number one confidant look after the children.
A student replied, “Lord Meng isn’t at the academy today.”
Chen Bai froze. Ever since Meng Huanchao had come, in Chen Bai’s memory, he had always stayed together with the group of students.
He muttered, “I told him to teach the students, yet he runs off on his own. When he comes back, see if I don’t cut off his internet.”
“Haha, Brother Bai, that threat is useless on him, because Lord Meng can’t even use a mouse.”
“He’s still at the stage of learning how to use the electric pot to cook wontons. He can’t even handle the washing machine.”
Chen Bai froze. “Meng Huanchao is learning these things from you?”
He really could not understand it. That kind of person was actually interested in these things. It was a little unexpected.
Once this was mentioned, the group of students became excited. “Lord Meng is super studious. Whatever we do, he learns.”
“Even when we were researching lettuce, he was studying beside us.”
“He even studies the tables we use to record data for ages.”
“Lord Meng really loves learning. No wonder he became a famous scholar known throughout the world.”
Chen Bai gave an “oh.” He had only known that Meng Huanchao was close with these students. He had not expected him to have integrated into them like this.
Perhaps it was because he found the things in their academy novel?
After thinking about it, he did not find anything wrong with it. Their academy did have many things that could not be spoken of to outsiders, but Meng Huanchao was Qi Zheng’s man. Even if he learned about them, it should not matter.
He said, “This is your first time publicly teaching. You represent our Cloud Academy, so you must treat it seriously.”
Actually, the ones even more excited than these students were the students’ parents. When those parents heard the news, each and every one of them was thrilled.
If this succeeded, it would truly bring glory to the family.
What young genius? Nonsense. Could any young genius be like their child, publicly teaching in Shangjing at such a young age?
So in truth, Chen Bai did not even need to supervise them. Their families’ parents were supervising them even more strictly.
As Chen Bai walked, he thought, “No, I have to arrange a timetable for Meng Huanchao. Otherwise, whenever I need him, he’ll happen to be absent.”
At this moment, in Shangjing, inside a hidden teahouse.
Meng Huanchao, whose face was covered by a hooded cloak, pushed open the door to a room.
Inside the room, tea mist drifted faintly. A man sat at the seat, pouring tea.
If Chen Bai saw this person, he would certainly be extremely shocked.
Was this not the Crown Prince of Wei, Su Jin, the student of the Former Sage who was famous for his skill in alliance-building and vertical-and-horizontal diplomacy, and whose Wei State was known for having spies throughout the world?
Ever since Su Jin had arrived in Great Qian, it was as if there were no such person at all. No wonder Chen Bai had completely forgotten about him.
But now, one forgotten person and one person who should never have appeared here were actually meeting.
The Crown Prince of Wei had a noble status and was also a student of the Former Sage. No matter where he went, no matter which country he was in, he would be treated with respect.
Yet at this moment, Su Jin stood up and bowed deeply to Meng Huanchao. “Little Imperial Uncle, it has been ten years. Have you been well?”
The world all said that he was a student of the Former Sage, noble beyond compare. But who knew that he was only a nominal disciple of the Former Sage? The true direct disciple was standing right before him now. Only, this man, who should have been draped in boundless glory, had instead become the filthiest, most unspeakable spy in the world.
It was the entire Wei imperial family who had delayed him, abandoned him, and pushed this peerless man into the abyss of darkness in order to infiltrate spies into the various states. The other party deserved this great bow from him.
“…”
