I've been through a lot during this time, and now that I'm in the position of Crown Prince, and about to get married, I can't help but feel a lot of emotions.

Of course, it is also full of expectations.

After sitting in the chair for a long time, Zhu Yunwen got up again and went to the Wenhua Hall.

During his absence, Zhu Yunwen did not learn much about many important matters of the court.

Upon arriving at the Wenhua Hall, Zhu Yunwen found Yang Rong, Yang Pu, and Yang Shiqi expertly reviewing various memorials. He smiled and said:

"The three of you are indeed very diligent. No matter where I go or how long I stay, there are always the three of you doing these trivial things for me in the rear. It is really hard work."

Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, the three Yangs immediately stood up, bowed to Zhu Yunwen, and then Yang Shiqi said:

"Your Highness, you flatter us. As your subjects, we should share the burdens of the Emperor and the Crown Prince."

Moreover, the Crown Prince has shown us great favor and importance; it would be inexcusable for the three of us not to be grateful and to strive to do something to repay him.”

Hearing Yang Shiqi say this, Zhu Yunwen stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.

"My relationship with you is not merely that of ruler and subject. We are also friends. I trust you, and you are willing to share my burdens, which is a good thing."

By the way, while I was away, was there anything that was difficult to handle, or anything that needed to be reported?

After everyone sat down, Yang Pu took out a memorial and said to Zhu Yunwen:

“If you don’t ask, there’s really nothing to report. But if you do ask, then there’s quite a lot to report. The memorial I have here is a report submitted by the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province.”

It is said that in a place called Heiyun County, which is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province, bandits and outlaws frequently raided and robbed homes. The county government also frequently applied for silver to suppress these bandits and outlaws.

However, after each suppression of the mountain bandits, there would only be a period of peace before they would reappear. So the government applied for funds to continue the suppression.

In short, there were mountain bandits every year, and outlaws every month. In severe cases, bandits would even come down from the mountains once a week. The county government was busy suppressing the bandits, and the bandits' crimes in the mountains and rivers were quite regular.

This caused headaches for the officials in the county government and the prefectural government, and the provincial government of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, which was in even greater distress.

However, this matter could never be resolved, whether by the provincial government, the prefectural government, or the county government.

No matter how many soldiers and officers were dispatched, they could never completely eradicate the bandits and mountain brigands of Heiyun County. It was truly strange and made one suspect that something was amiss.

Zhu Yunwen narrowed his eyes and said:

"Such a thing exists? This is the first time I've ever heard of it. Are there really no way to wipe out these mountain bandits and brigands? Is the government really helpless against them?"

Yang Pu gave a wry smile and said:

"In short, based on my experience, this matter is probably not so simple, which is why it has attracted the attention of the Provincial Judicial Commissioner of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces."

After all, the amount of money spent on suppressing bandits and eliminating mountain thieves every year is so enormous that even the provincial government is finding it difficult to bear the burden.

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office repeatedly ordered these three levels of government to unite and resolve the matter thoroughly, but to no avail.

Zhu Yunwen: "A mere few mountain bandits and brigands, and even the county, prefecture, and provincial governments are so helpless against them? Even at great cost, they still cannot be completely eliminated? Isn't that a bit too exaggerated?"

Yang Shiqi said:

"That's what we think too. The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province is also helpless about this. He can only write a memorial to see how the court will handle this matter."

This stopped us all in a bind. We were too far away to know the full story, and couldn't offer a solution immediately.

Zhu Yunwen paused for a moment, then said to Yang Shiqi:

"So what you three mean is that there's a problem here, and a very serious one at that."

Yang Shiqi nodded:

"That's right, there are no bandits that can't be wiped out, no mountain thieves that can't be eliminated. Besides, with so many government departments and such a huge investment, how could we possibly fail to solve the problem?"

However, the fact that the problem remains unresolved suggests that the issue lies elsewhere. This necessitates a thorough investigation to uncover the truth. Otherwise, the problem may never be solved.

Zhu Yunwen waved his sleeve and said to Yang Shiqi:

"Well then, since I'm free anyway, I'll make the trip myself."

Yang Rong was taken aback:

"Isn't Your Highness getting married in a month? Isn't it inappropriate to leave at this time?"

Zhu Yunwen said with a smile:

"Nowadays, the whole country has paved roads. A trip to Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces only takes a few days. Once we get there, it won't take long to resolve the issues. What could possibly cause any delays? In any case, all the preparations are being handled by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites. I don't need to do anything."

Yang Pu: "Will Your Highness go as the Crown Prince? I'm afraid if you go as the Crown Prince, you won't be able to find any results."

These words reminded Zhu Yunwen, who then fell silent for a moment:

"I'll change my identity and become the magistrate of Black Cloud County. As for my background, I'll be an official transferred from elsewhere. I want to see if I can really solve the problem of the bandits and outlaws in Black Cloud County."