Chapter 54 A Spoiled and Tyrannical New Ruler? (Afterwards...)

"Lord Wang, please take a rest." A junior official beside him helped Wang Chuandao dismount from his horse with concern.

"Cough cough... I'm fine." Wang Chuandao was a tall and imposing official from the Ministry of Personnel, standing eight feet tall with a rugged face. People often mistook him for a military general.

But this time, the journey to provide disaster relief was far too long and arduous. A true northerner, he had taken the waterways whenever possible to save time, resulting in severe nausea and vomiting, compounded by the change in environment. By the time he finally arrived, this once burly man was emaciated, pale, and utterly exhausted.

"Let's hurry into the city... find the county government to get the disaster relief list, quickly verify the casualties, and then... pay our respects to the Prince." Wang Chuandao waved his hand without a smile, only he knew the anxiety in his heart.

The clerk suddenly realized what was going on, glanced at Liuzhou City, and said nothing more.

They weren't just here for disaster relief this time. No wonder Lord Wang rushed here so frantically, looking utterly devastated, as if his mother had died; he was practically weeping. The Emperor must have issued some secret decree, after all… a prince is here too, and they need to ensure his safety.

Following the imperial envoy were several minor officials from the Ministry of Personnel, a densely packed procession and a general dressed as a military officer. They were responsible for escorting disaster relief supplies, and included an inspection team to investigate whether the disaster situation had been concealed, whether officials had neglected their duties, and the specific circumstances of the people.

The group traveled another ten miles or so and arrived outside Liuzhou City, where they saw vast stretches of wasteland filled with people. Several members of the group quickly dismounted and ran over to join the people, asking them questions with concern.

Wang Chuandao walked and observed along the way.

As they passed through wastelands, villages, alleys, and crossed rivers, a few people stayed behind each time to inquire about their whereabouts. Only the main force remained, maintaining its pace and drawing ever closer to the county government office. From afar, they could see the prefect, magistrate, and the entire county government staff had arrived, waiting there in a grand procession.

Wang Chuandao glanced around, a strange feeling creeping into his heart: "..."

This city of Liuzhou...

Wasn't it said to be dilapidated and desolate? It was too far away, almost a place of exile, full of poisonous insects and miasma. And that doesn't even include the disasters that had occurred.

Looking back now, it seems the poisonous insects and miasma had indeed come true. About 30% of their group suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, and more than a dozen people were left behind due to loss of mobility. The rest were listless, had poor digestion, and were barely managing to keep going, fearing the southern climate like a tiger.

But what about the others? None of them match!

The main road was muddy, but as we approached the county government office, the ground was covered with a layer of gray, neither-soil nor-stone stuff. The horses' hooves made a crisp, hard sound as they trod, "clatter-clatter-clatter," making their ride much smoother, sounding almost as good as the ground outside the imperial palace in the capital, which was drenched in glutinous rice juice.

There were quite a few merchants coming and going on the main street, and the rows of houses were brand new and straight, without a single patch of peeling paint. These were clearly newly built, high-quality houses... much better than those in ordinary counties, right? Were they all rebuilt after the disaster?

Wang Chuandao found it hard to believe that the local officials were so capable. But then he thought about how this was the new emperor's ancestral home... and suddenly he wasn't surprised anymore. However, his heart couldn't help but pound in his chest—

This incident never happened in the previous life, and the Emperor didn't send anyone to Liuzhou for disaster relief. What if the Second Prince had secretly developed all of this in his own territory, and now their disaster relief team has stumbled upon it? What will happen when they return and report it?

Wang Chuandao still remembered how the Second Prince was overlooked by his brothers in the early stages of the succession struggle, only to shine brightly and rise to power later on. If this disaster relief effort disrupts the Second Prince's period of preparation…

Wang Chuandao dared not think about it anymore.

He was a loyal subject. Even if he were to be reborn, he would remain loyal to His Majesty now and to the new emperor in the future. But he hadn't considered... what if the new emperor was no longer the next crown prince? Deep down, Wang Chuandao resisted this outcome, so he knew what to do.

"Your Excellency and your brothers have come from afar, thank you for your hard work!" From a distance, a middle-aged man greeted them politely, bowing with a solemn expression. Wang Chuandao compared the man's appearance with the information he had reviewed before leaving; this should be the prefect.

"If you have any questions, please come to the prefectural office to inquire. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality," the prefect of Liuzhou said, offering polite greetings with great apology. Though his face was oily, his expression was genuinely worried.

When Wang Chuandao realized that this might be one of the ministers His Highness had relied on in his early years, his expression became more serious, and he dismounted to return the greeting: "You flatter me."

He strode in first, and someone quickly took his horse's reins and led it away. Behind him, someone shouted, "Take good care of the adults' horses!" A yamen runner responded in a low voice, his tone weak and listless.

Wang Chuandao sensed something was off about the atmosphere. He alerted himself, but outwardly remained calm as he waved his hand, signaling his team to hand over the account books, the county annals for the period, and the details of their response to the hurricane to the county officials. While the large group was in the somewhat chaotic state of the county office, one or two of Wang Chuandao's men quietly slipped out to gather information.

Not long after, the prefect reappeared, this time looking much more approachable: "Everyone must be tired and sleepy, right? The inn has made arrangements for you all. We've ordered a meal from the restaurant—oh, just the simplest home-cooked food! It's nothing, so please enjoy your meal while you eat..."

Wang Chuandao's expression softened slightly. He knew everyone was exhausted and their stomachs were rumbling with hunger, so he couldn't bear to refuse and greeted them politely.

Who knew that the meal brought out was glistening with oil, and looked and smelled delicious. The irresistible aroma was so enticing that it could be smelled from a great distance, and there were even large chunks of chicken legs and chicken meat in it.

"..." Wang Chuandao's brows furrowed completely, and he lost his appetite.

They came to provide disaster relief, but their journey had seemed completely unrelated to any such efforts. Now, a seemingly simple yet subtly extravagant meal awaited them. What was wrong with these two officials? Even though they were subjects of the Second Prince, he couldn't help but feel disgusted. They were either stupid or incompetent.

Even if Liuzhou has indeed been secretly developed very well by His Highness the Second Prince, are you really not even willing to pretend in front of the Imperial Envoy? Such bribery and flattery...

"How was the food?" the prefect asked, showing his concern.

"Very good...very good." Wang Chuandao suppressed his anger, forcing an unnatural, twitching smile as he spoke. He was naturally dark-skinned, and this made him look even more serious. The prefect assumed he was just not good at smiling, which was why his sudden, frightening smile was alarming, and inwardly shuddered.

After finishing the meal, I continued working.

The minor officials of the Ministry of Personnel gathered in a circle, studying the densely packed documents and plans. Sometimes they would even take out their abacuses to do calculations, their expressions changing from time to time, some showing admiration and praise.

Wang Chuandao was no pushover either; his experience from two lifetimes gave him a clear understanding of complex calculations, and he was quite surprised after just a few glances at the document.

Judging from the literal records alone, Liuzhou's plans for dealing with hurricanes and floods are practically perfect.

First, they issued advance warnings to the surrounding areas, reinforced the city walls, evacuated the people, and tirelessly appealed against the consumption of diseased meat. Afterward, they concentrated on treating the sick and even took the initiative to release grain as a form of work relief, which enabled the people to build such good houses...

Wang Chuandao's two men returned at some point and whispered something to him discreetly.

"..." Wang Chuandao's mind was in turmoil, and he could hardly process what he had heard.

What? !

The perfect solution from the county government is true, but the credit doesn't belong to the prefect or the governor. It was only after a clerk in the county government suggested it that it was taken seriously by Magistrate Mu of Liujiang County and spread far and wide. Why didn't the prefect write it that way in his memorial to the throne?

The situation at the county government office was indeed off; the yamen runners and the officials at the prefectural government office were very awkward with each other, and the yamen runners were only assigned to odd jobs. But the officials at the prefectural government office were clearly even less familiar with the place, yet they were all vying to impress the staff…

When Wang Chuandao heard this, a big question mark and the word "stealing credit" popped into his mind.

Is this some kind of attempt to steal credit?

Are these two officials really working for the new emperor? I didn't see them again in my previous life... It's very suspicious.

Wang Chuandao began to have doubts.

And he had just sent his men outside to inquire about the prince's safety—this was very bad; Wang Chuandao had overheard an unbelievable version of the story:

The Prince Rui who came here was spoiled, fastidious, extravagant, and loved to cause trouble. The reason why Liuzhou City looked so prosperous was actually because merchants who came here to curry favor with the prince provided all kinds of goods, but the common people had nothing to do with it.

The prince, who also lived in the city, only knew how to indulge in food and drink every day. Even during the disaster, he did not stop. He hired many people to work for him and forced the people to grow what he wanted instead of staple food, thus wasting a lot of land.

Even after the disaster, the most important thing is disaster relief and helping the people... The prince only thinks about repairing his magnificent palace, like the luxurious floor that Wang Chuandao just saw... So that's where it came from.

Although this prince wasn't lecherous, his naive and childish cruelty—his version of "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"—caused immense harm to the people. The image of a spoiled, willful prince, disregarding the disaster and only caring for himself, is vividly portrayed…

Wang Chuandao: "?"

He stood there dumbfounded for a long time, unable to believe his ears. He even considered asking his trusted aide again: 'I ordered you to investigate the Second Prince, but which prince did you investigate? Isn't Prince Rui, who came to Liuzhou to assume his fiefdom, the Second Prince?!'

But Wang Chuandao knew his hearing and memory were excellent. It was impossible for him to mistake which prince was which.

—That's right! The new emperor in the previous life was the second prince who came to Liuzhou!

When Wang Chuandao suddenly realized what was happening, his vision went black, and he almost screamed in agony.

Ahhh!

Where is his wise and mighty new emperor?! Where did his new emperor go?! Why has he become so extravagant, tyrannical, and utterly depraved in this life?! (Qi Chengming: Not really!)

No, this can't be! There must be something fishy going on. He has to find out the reason!!!

Wang Chuandao, despite his weakened state and near-fainting state, stubbornly and frantically thought to himself.

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Author's Note: Tragic! My cold turned into bronchitis and I ended up in the hospital. This is the first update. I'll see if I can add another one tonight. I can't manage three updates now qwq.