Chapter 124 Your Majesty, Miaowu, there's work to be done...

Fan Zhongyan frowned.

The whereabouts of His Highness the Crown Prince are considered a state secret. No more than a handful of people in Bianjing know, and all of them have been given a strict gag order by the Emperor; they will not easily reveal this information.

Although Su Shi was a friend of the Crown Prince, he was only thirteen years old and his rank was not high enough to participate in the core affairs of the state. It was assumed that the Emperor would not go to such lengths to inform him of this.

so……

How did you find out?

When Su Shi saw that Fan Zhongyan's opening remark was not a refusal but an inquiry, he was immediately delighted. However, he still maintained a composed demeanor and replied, "It was my own guess."

He began his long and detailed account of the initial doubts, then moved on to the fact that the palace had sent honeycomb briquettes and asked him to write promotional articles, and finally to the content of the four articles in the "Seeking Knowledge Daily," meticulously unraveling the mystery to deduce the Crown Prince's whereabouts.

Fan Zhongyan immediately breathed a sigh of relief—thank goodness, no one had leaked the secret. Moreover, the conditions for deducing the correct answer were extremely stringent; one had to be extremely familiar with His Highness the Crown Prince and have participated in some of the Northern Expedition's affairs.

Currently, apart from Su Shi and his son Fan Chunren, no other person meets this requirement.

That's good. The Crown Prince's safety is assured.

Fan Zhongyan's expression softened considerably, and his gaze towards Su Shi became more gentle: "You did very well. Even if you guessed it, you must keep it a secret. You must not easily reveal it to your parents or relatives."

Fan Zhongyan did the same. He didn't say a word to Fan Chunren.

Su Shi obediently replied, "That's how it should be. My father is unaware of this. I have never mentioned it to him."

"As for whether your letter can reach His Highness, that's not up to me." Although Fan Zhongyan verbally expressed his reluctance, he reached out and took the letter, putting it into his robes.

Su Shi's eyes lit up instantly: "You're willing, you're willing..."

"At most, I can ask for you; ultimately, it depends on the Emperor's decision."

The next day, the letter was delivered to the official's desk, along with a plan for converting copper coins into cash. The official picked it up with great interest, loosened the seal—it was stuck shut—and asked, "Is this a letter from Su Shi? To Su'er?"

"That's right, Your Majesty."

After Fan Zhongyan recounted the entire story of how Su Shi sent the letter, he remained silent and handed over the power of judgment to the person in front of him who was above ten thousand others.

After listening, the emperor stroked his beard and said with deep emotion, "To have a confidant who cares about him is a great blessing in Su'er's life!"

"Never mind, anyway, there are quite a lot of supplies to be sent to Yunzhou this time, so sending a letter won't take much transport. If Su Shi wants to write a letter, just send it to him."

Fan Zhongyan gave the emperor a deep look: "You actually agreed."

Emperor Renzong asked doubtfully, "Why would I disagree?"

"Moreover, Su'er is going to a foreign country alone, far away from his parents and friends. He must be feeling anxious and uneasy. Letting him see his friend's handwriting and know that someone thousands of miles away cares about him can be a small comfort—Fan Qing, can you guarantee that this wasn't what you were thinking when you handed me this letter?"

Fan Zhongyan: "..."

Fan Zhongyan: "…………"

Surprisingly, the Emperor saw right through my thoughts!

Emperor Renzong smiled and held out one hand: "Hand it over—don't tell me you didn't write to Su'er."

Fan Zhongyan silently took out a letter from his sleeve.

"That's right, Fan Qing, you're his master!"

Two private letters, hitchhiking along with countless sums of money and grain, were transported into Yunzhou while Fusu was busy running around. The "lonely journey north" and "desolate and lonely" scenario that the officials and others had anticipated did not materialize.

That's exactly right. In Fusu's view across two generations, Yunzhou was an inherent part of China's territory. What "entering the North"? That's just going on a business trip to the North!

He misses his family and friends a little, but not much. Because he's just too busy right now! He can only squeeze out a little time to process his emotions before bed, and before he can even get into a deep sleep, he's already kicked into a sweet dream.

After the daily production of honeycomb briquettes reached 103, Fusu ordered the soldiers to build factories with all their might. Huangnitang was dug almost to its bottom, and rows of factories sprang up. Many people were busy going in and out, and the chimneys spewed smoke day and night.

Honeycomb briquettes themselves were produced in a continuous stream.

But they were quickly divided up as soon as they appeared. Fusu had no choice but to order that a basket of coal be exchanged for a basket of potatoes. So people from his own village, the next village, the next town... whoever heard the rumors came to see for themselves, and then returned home satisfied with a basket of potatoes.

After returning home with their bountiful harvest, they spread the word to their fellow villagers, and more and more people flocked to Fusu's village. It should be noted that in Yunzhou, coal mines were not limited to just one village, and coal was not a rare commodity; however, the potatoes they traded were enough to feed their entire family for ten days.

This deal is such a great deal!

But problems soon arose – the potatoes Fusu brought were running out.

Five hundred elite soldiers were still doing heavy manual labor like ramming houses and making coal briquettes; the amount of rations they consumed per meal was astronomical. Fusu certainly couldn't treat them unfairly, so after leaving them enough potatoes, he had to change the existing rules after looking at the inventory.

A basket of coal can be exchanged for half a basket of honeycomb briquettes.

In terms of heating efficiency, honeycomb briquettes are three times more efficient than ordinary coal. So, the villagers actually profit more, but the Song Dynasty, represented by Fusu, also gains a significant surplus, making it a win-win situation.

But after hearing that the reward wasn't potatoes, many people lost interest and didn't want to come again. However, some villagers who had tried honeycomb briquettes once found them to be very useful, much better than coal. The ratio of raw materials to output remained at a stable level.

But Fusu was not satisfied.

The stabilization of Wujia Village is a good thing, but Yunzhou has more than just Wujia Village with coal resources. He wanted to explore other places, explore mines, and build new coal briquette factories. Unfortunately, there weren't enough potatoes, so they weren't attractive to people from other areas, and the new map couldn't be developed.

Therefore, the cartload of supplies sent by the Song Dynasty became a timely help in need.

When Fusu saw the entire cartload of fabric, his dark eyes lit up, and he was so excited he was almost crying. It was as if countless honeycomb briquette factories were beckoning to him.

"This was given to me by the Emperor?"

He enunciated each word carefully, confirming with the envoy: "They're all for me, no, they should be for Yunzhou?"

“That’s right, Your Highness, you’ve asked three times already.”

The eunuch in charge of escorting the supplies was also an old acquaintance of Fusu. It was Huaiji, an eunuch who had been by his side since the time of the Imperial Academy, and who was very familiar with both Fusu and the Emperor. This time, when it came to escorting supplies from the north and south, the Emperor immediately thought of Huaiji and felt that he was the most suitable person to escort the supplies.

"That's wonderful!" Fusu almost jumped up while patting Huaiji's shoulder a few times: "Huaiji, I knew it, you came up with a good name, I'll have good luck as soon as you arrive."

Even materialists can't help but be superstitious when faced with a "long-awaited rain after a drought".

Huaiji pursed his lips and smiled shyly.

He was three years older than Fusu, and was currently eleven years old. Ordinary men at this age would experience what's called "puberty," with acne, voice changes, and many embarrassing situations. But because of his physical condition, he had none of these worries. His only concern was that his body was starting to grow taller; he was becoming more refined, and his handsome face was magnified proportionally, vaguely revealing the outline of a future heartthrob.

Fusu scrutinized the face for a moment, then pouted unhappily: If the person involved in the future Miaowu's falling out with her husband because of Liang Huaiji had this face, it would be quite convincing.

"By the way, how has Miaowu been lately?"

Liang Huaiji looked up in bewilderment, his eyes wide: "This humble servant has not seen Her Highness the First Princess recently."

He was originally a person of great wisdom, but after becoming a messenger at the Imperial Academy, his unit became the Funing Palace of the Emperor. Later, he was frequently dispatched by the Emperor to relay messages between him and His Highness the Crown Prince. His interactions with the princess gradually decreased.

Liang Huaiji, quick-witted as ever, soon realized the reason for the fleeting displeasure on Fusu's face. He quietly took half a step back and said in a flustered tone, "For nearly a month, I have not seen Her Highness's face. I cannot answer Your Highness's question, please forgive me."

Fusu: "..."

Wait—that's not what I meant—

He frowned, his face pale and bitter, and opened his mouth, feeling that he couldn't explain himself: He couldn't very well say, "Huaiji, you've misunderstood, I support you getting together with the princess, could I?" What kind of talk would that be?

The situation was temporarily brought to a standstill.

Huaiji, ever the considerate one, solemnly pulled out several letters from his bosom: "These are letters from His Highness the Crown Prince's teachers and friends. Please take your time to read them. I'm going to keep an eye on them as they count the supplies."

Fusu held the letter in his hand, only able to see Huaiji's hurried back. He lowered his head, and the names signed on the letter slightly eased his depressed mood.

The Emperor. Minister Fan. And Su Shi.

Wait, what's Su Shi doing here?

Logically speaking, he shouldn't know that he's in Yunzhou, so why did he send a letter?

Fusu's hand itched to open the letter, wanting to tear off the sealing wax to see what was inside. But after all, public matters came before private; what if the Emperor and his tutor's letters contained state affairs? It was better to read theirs first.

He first opened the official's letter, shook it out of the envelope, and unfolded a thin sheet of paper.

The letter contained little else, mainly praising his superb marketing skills in honeycomb briquettes... No, that little bit of content was already deadly! The official had liked to praise him since he was a child, but later, knowing that he didn't like it, he would praise him to others behind his back.

This time, instead of a face-to-face conversation, the Emperor went all out, showering his praises with unrestrained sycophancy. On a grand scale, he described them as "a pillar of white jade supporting the sky," "a beam of purple gold spanning the sea," and "without Su'er, the Great Song Dynasty wouldn't know what to do," and so on. More specifically, he described his strategy for selling honeycomb briquettes as "observing the vastness of the universe and understanding the subtleties of the human heart," "like observing a person under a lamp, or searching for a needle in the moonlight"... Fusu got goosebumps reading it all.

Of course, there were also words of concern at the end: eat and dress well, you can enjoy a little luxury when you're out, but don't deprive yourself. If you, Su'er, deprive yourself, your mother and I won't be able to eat well in Bianjing, and so on.

The last paragraph alone is fine. But considering the entire letter, Fusu suspected he had been subjected to some kind of psychological attack after reading it.

He listlessly tore open Fan Zhongyan's letter. Surely, Prime Minister Fan wouldn't be so ostentatious?

Thank goodness, it didn't happen.

Fan Zhongyan's discussion largely revolved around economic calculations: how much military expenditure was incurred, how much revenue was generated from selling honeycomb briquettes, and how many resources and supplies were sent to Yunzhou. The conclusion reached was that simply burning a certain number of honeycomb briquettes would be enough to quell the war against Yunzhou.

Even if the number exceeds this, the fact that the Great Song Dynasty incorporated Yunzhou will not only expand its territory to the north by a large margin, but will also bring pure positive economic benefits!

Your Highness, keep it up!

Fusu was immediately filled with fighting spirit. He calculated the number in his mind: once the factory was fully built and put into use, it would take another seven days to reach the goal estimated by Fan Zhongyan.

Alright, now we really need to go all out.

Incidentally, Fusu took another look at the Emperor's letter. There was not a trace of state affairs on it, only family matters and flattery. He suspected that the Emperor had coordinated the contents of the letter with Fan Zhongyan beforehand, one urging him on state affairs, the other encouraging him with flattery (although he didn't need it), a perfect match.

What else would Su Shi write?

Having been through the ordeal of the previous two people, Fusu's act of tearing up the letter was tinged with a hint of trepidation. Given Su Shi's unrestrained and unconventional nature, now that he had guessed that Fusu's true identity was in Yunzhou, who knew what extraordinary things he might write?

But Fusu guessed wrong again.

The letter was written very normally, very sincerely, so normally that it was almost...unlike Su Shi. Fu Su had only read two lines when he flipped back to the envelope to confirm that the signature was correct.

Su Shi first wrote about his deduction of the entire process of Fusu's time in Yunzhou. The court launched a northern expedition, but the key figure in charge was not present. The palace sent northern specialties in the name of the Crown Prince, and Fan Zhongyan also wrote an article about Yunzhou.

Besides, whose creation could be such a novel and amazing invention as honeycomb briquettes, besides Your Highness?

When Fusu saw this sentence, his ears turned a little red.

Then came a stream of rambling thoughts, completely different from Su Shi's style: Is it cold in Yunzhou now? With honeycomb briquettes burning, at least the houses shouldn't be cold, right? What are the people like in Yunzhou? Are they hospitable? Are they fierce? Do the locals treat you, the Crown Prince of the Song Dynasty, well? Do they still consider themselves Han Chinese?

After expressing his concern, Su Shi also mentioned many of his own stories: how he outwitted his superior Wang Anshi and persuaded the legendary censor Sima Guang to get his article about honeycomb briquettes published in the Qiuzhi Bao column. He said that it was not an exaggeration to say that he had contributed to the success of honeycomb briquettes.

Upon seeing this, Fusu finally realized that the reason honeycomb briquettes were selling so well was because the government had hired someone to write advertorials! No wonder the father knows his son best; he thought exactly the same thing.

Su Shi then wrote: "Recently, the court has been preoccupied with the Northern Expedition, so things have been relatively peaceful. I also have time to sort out my family affairs. Do you remember my elder sister? The one who was to marry my cousin Cheng from my maternal family."

Father said she'll be of marriageable age next year and can consider getting married. But I'm listening to Your Highness and want her to marry later, then invite her to Bianjing for a trip before returning to Meishan to get married. Shouldn't she at least make enough money before returning home?

My father initially disagreed, but it was only after I brought up Your Highness's name and said that this was your intention towards the eldest princess that he relented.

well……

If Fusu was initially moved and touched by Su Shi's concern for him, by the time he saw the last paragraph, his expression had turned to horror: No, how could it be so fast!?

He remembered that when they talked about Su Shi's sister, they only mentioned that she had just gotten engaged. How come only five years have passed, and she's already waiting to be married?

She'll be of marriageable age in two years, which means she'll only be thirteen this year. Fusu felt a pang of sadness: Thirteen years old, in modern times she'd just be a first-year junior high school girl, but in a generation where early marriage is the norm, she'd already be a bride-to-be.

If it were someone else, Fusu would advise her to cherish her health and be free to marry, but Su Shi's own sister's marriage was something he was determined to stop, even if it meant getting involved in karma. The historical Su family elder sister, however, was tormented by her husband's family and her aunt's family after marrying into the Cheng family, and died young, before she was even twenty.

With a perfectly good human life right in front of us, what harm is there in getting involved in some karma?

Fusu picked up his pen and wrote: "That's right, you did the right thing! A woman's time in her boudoir is incredibly precious; there's nothing wrong with bringing her to Bianjing to broaden her horizons. To put it bluntly, she might not have such a comfortable life in her husband's family afterward."

By the way, if your older sister is thirteen this year, she's about the same age as my older sister Miaowu. Should I act as a go-between and introduce them? They might get along very well!

After finishing this letter to Su Shi, Fusu quickly wrote two more letters, addressed to "Your Majesty" and "My Wise Sister" respectively.

Your Majesty, Elder Sister, wake up! Time to get to work!

-

Meishan, Su family.

Since five years ago, when Su Xun, the patriarch of the Su family, and his eldest son Su Shi both passed the imperial examination, the Su family has risen from one of the local scholarly families in Meishan to a prominent clan. During festivals, the local county magistrate would make a special trip to their home to present them with New Year's gifts in a very courteous manner.

However, Su Xun's wife, Madam Cheng, did not follow her husband to Bianjing to become an official's wife. Her youngest son, Su Zhe, was studying at a local academy with a renowned scholar and could not be easily moved. Her daughter was betrothed to her nephew and would marry in Meishan in the future, so Madam Cheng simply stayed in the local area to manage the household and raise her son and daughter.

Actually, there was another reason why Madam Cheng stayed in the local area. Her daughter, Su Zhen, had privately asked her: "Because my father and younger brother are officials in the capital, although the Cheng family came to congratulate us, some of their relatives have been gossiping, saying that my Su family is probably materialistic and should break off the engagement and choose a better son-in-law."

"If you also go north, there will be no one to oversee things, leaving me alone in Meishan to take care of my younger brother... I'm afraid the rumors will spread even more horrible and unpleasant."

Madam Cheng paused for a moment: "These are just gossips from collateral branches, Zhen'er, don't take them to heart."

However, she accepted her daughter's suggestion and stayed in Meishan to oversee the situation, and the rumors did indeed subside somewhat.

But in recent years, it has gradually become difficult to suppress.

Why? It all stemmed from Su Shi, whom the whole family was so proud of. Su Shi and the Crown Prince had both entered the Imperial Academy and passed the imperial examinations in the same year, and their close friendship was no secret in the court.

Leaving aside himself, at the young age of thirteen, he was already listed as an editor in the "Seeking Knowledge Daily," making every student in Meishan proud. Just take Su Xun as an example; because he was the father of the Crown Prince's close friend, he rarely made enemies in official circles, and his career could be described as meteoric.

With such a son, the future prospects of the Su family extend far beyond Meishan.

The rumors weighing on Su Zhen intensified. Although she was engaged to her cousin, almost everyone except her family assumed she would break off the engagement and go to the capital to find a good husband. Even her childhood sweetheart cousin, in his correspondence, was full of sarcasm, saying that he was nothing but a frog in a well and unworthy of a swan.

After receiving the letter, Su Zhen cried all night.

She hadn't told anyone about this, only learning the wedding ceremony from Madam Cheng every day. Until a letter from her younger brother in the capital shattered the peace she had painstakingly built.

My younger brother wrote in his letter: "Sister, I've calculated that you'll be getting married soon, but you've never been to Bianjing yet. I don't know if your future brother-in-law will be able to send you. Why don't you take advantage of your time at home and have Father and your brother bring you to visit?"

The mother showed her the letter: "Zhen'er, what are your thoughts?"

Su Zhen remained silent for a long time before saying, "Mother, I want to go."

"What about your aunt? I'm afraid she'll say some unpleasant things when she hears you're going to Bianjing..."

Su Zhen's expression shifted dramatically, but she quickly regained her composure: "Mother, I want to go."

"..."

Madam Cheng sighed softly, "Never mind, Mother knows."

Half a month later, in a small sedan chair, a beautiful young woman, barely out of her teens, used her fingers to lift the curtain. Through the narrow gap, an unimaginable scene flashed before her eyes like a streak of light. The young woman was startled by the excessive extravagance and quickly lifted the curtain, but a moment later, she eagerly lifted it again.

So this is Bianjing.

It has absolutely nothing in common with Meishan.

When Father and Brother visited the capital, was this the magnificent scene they witnessed?

Su Zhen lowered the curtain, shutting out the world. Her gaze lingered on her plain clothes and embroidered shoes. She shrank back, feeling out of place with the outside world.

The sedan chair swayed and rocked, and after an unknown amount of time, Su Zhen noticed that the voices outside were gradually thinning out, and he became increasingly nervous.

"We've arrived," the sedan chair carriers said.

After a moment, a young girl stepped out of the sedan chair, biting her lip and timidly looking towards the mansion. Everything was unfamiliar, except for the character "Su" on the plaque, which felt familiar and dear to her.

My father and younger brother live here.

Thinking of this, Su Zhen pushed the door open and entered. The seemingly heavy door was pushed open very quickly, and she didn't even feel that she had used much force.

Just as Su Zhen was feeling puzzled, a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her suddenly appeared behind the door, a face that evoked a flood of emotions within her.

"Sister, welcome to Bianjing!"

Su Shi said.

The servants behind Su Zhen were carrying her trunks and boxes towards the gate. Seeing this, Su Shi immediately stepped forward to help: "Sister, let me do it. You go inside and rest!"

Su Zhen responded timidly, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped over the high threshold. She leaned over and looked inside, feeling that everything in the house was unfamiliar, and she didn't know where to rest.

However, it won't be needed for a long time.

"May I ask if this is Su Shi's elder sister, Lady Su? Your Highness and the Princess would like to invite you to the palace for a chat."

Behind the group, a eunuch dressed in yellow robes appeared out of nowhere and invited Su Zhen with a smile.

-----------------------

Author's Note: This dungeon won't be very long, and it's also part of the main storyline. [Let me see...]

The sixth day of the month, great, it's one-fifth of September already!