Chenxi ignored him and just followed him silently. Once Ye Jingchen entered the armory, he disappeared.
"Why didn't Young Master Xie come back with His Highness?" he asked as soon as he met Zhang Zhe.
Ye Jingchen glanced at him and said with a smile, "Lord Zhang, are you perhaps confused? Xie Chang'an has no official position or rank, what qualifications does he have to enter the armory?"
"It was my oversight!" Zhang Zhe smiled and continued, "Your Highness's concern for this batch of military supplies must stem from your friendship with Young Master Xie!"
His words were all probing.
Unfortunately, this kind of probing makes it impossible to determine whether the other party is simply curious or has ulterior motives, since Xie Chang'an is the one who is putting on a show in front of him!
Ye Jingchen cursed Xie Chang'an in his heart, blaming him for having a brain fart and coming up with such a stupid idea.
"What I value is the peace of the Northern Frontier. What does it have to do with Xie Chang'an?" Ye Jingchen pretended not to understand his meaning and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Zhang Zhe met his gaze, probably trying to glean some clue from his face.
A moment later, Ye Jingchen's puzzled expression turned into a probing one, "Lord Zhang, how come you've become as strange as Xie Chang'an in just one meal?"
Zhang Zhe caught the key point in Ye Jingchen's words and tentatively asked, "Young Master Xie and His Highness didn't have a good relationship before?"
Ye Jingchen scoffed, "With his arrogant, domineering, and cocky personality, who can he possibly get along with?"
That's true!
If Zhang Zhe hadn't truly admired Xie Chang'an's horsemanship, he would never have tolerated his arrogance and rudeness today!
But then Xie Chang'an's reaction today is very strange!
If Xie Chang'an was deliberately pretending to have a close relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince in front of him, then what was Xie Chang'an's purpose?
Did you deliberately provoke him?
Or was it a deliberate attempt to mislead him?
Whether it was a preconceived notion or not, he always felt that whether Xie Chang'an was deliberately targeting him or pretending to be close to His Highness the Crown Prince, it was all a sign of jealousy!
Or perhaps—His Highness the Crown Prince is the one who wants to mislead him?
After all, His Majesty dislikes Xie Shaoling and certainly doesn't want His Highness the Crown Prince to befriend Xie Chang'an, let alone tolerate the two of them being together!
Thinking about it this way, both Xie Chang'an and His Highness the Crown Prince's motives make perfect sense!
"Does Your Highness know the reason for Young Master Xie's unusual behavior today?" Zhang Zhe continued to probe.
"Who knows what's wrong with him? Never mind him. Military supplies are of utmost importance, and we must not allow any mistakes. Lord Zhang should pay close attention!" Ye Jingchen immediately changed the subject.
"Your Highness, I will certainly live up to your expectations!" Zhang Zhe quickly replied.
"It's not that we can't let you down, but that we can't let Your Majesty down! We are all Your Majesty's subjects!" Ye Jingchen corrected him righteously.
Zhang Zhe repeatedly agreed, secretly thinking that he could only try to test the waters later.
"I heard you've been overseeing the armory these past two days? These matters are handled by the Inspectorate; why should a crown prince like yourself be present?" the emperor asked when he went to pay his respects.
"Father, have you forgotten the narrow victory last year?" Ye Jingchen asked quietly.
This is what he doesn't understand: why do these people think that as long as they win, everything will be fine?
Don't they understand the meaning of the word 'narrow victory'?
Or is it that they simply couldn't see the number of soldiers killed or wounded in the northern frontier during last year's battle?
Don't you understand such a simple principle as 'being prepared for danger in times of peace'?
Da Yuan's death was not unjust!
Unlike his previous life, when China's military equipment had become the best in the world, 99% of Chinese people still had a fear of insufficient military strength!
If the rulers and ministers of Dayuan had this awareness, they would have destroyed the Northern Barbarians long ago!
"You should pay more attention to the promotion of grain varieties; it's a great thing that benefits the country and its people!" The emperor calmly changed the subject.
Ye Jingchen: ?
Good grief! He's not even responding to a word!
"I have already discussed this matter with Minister Fan Tong of the Ministry of Revenue. We will allocate grain seeds and experienced farmers from the counties that have already started using the new grain seeds, and provide guidance to other counties nearby. The Ministry of Revenue will be responsible for the central allocation, and local governments will fully cooperate. We will ensure that all people have access to the new grain seeds before the spring of next year," Ye Jingchen said.
"Why is only Fan Tong cooperating with you? What is Cao Jin doing? Where are the others in the Ministry of Revenue?" the emperor asked sternly.
“Fan Tong is the most capable; I don’t think much of the others,” Ye Jingchen said bluntly.
"You certainly know how to pick people!" the emperor sneered, his expression turning rather unpleasant.
The fact that the Crown Prince looks down on those people in the Ministry of Revenue shows that he has poor judgment and that the people he has appointed are unsuitable.
"Father, have you considered a very serious problem?" Ye Jingchen suddenly asked very seriously.
"What's the problem?" the emperor asked.
“The Duke of Zhenguo is now in his fifties, even older than Prime Minister Wang. He is getting old, and you should consider sending someone to succeed him!” Ye Jingchen said.
"He's so old, he might not even be able to lift a gun anymore. It's time for him to go back to the capital to enjoy his retirement!"
Upon hearing Ye Jingchen's words, the emperor's expression immediately turned even more unpleasant.
"Then tell me, who do you think would be suitable to replace him?" he asked.
Ye Jingchen shrugged, looking completely innocent. "Your subject doesn't know who can use it and who can't. Your subject is just reminding Father!"
"I thought you were going to recommend Xie Shaoling?" the emperor sneered.
"I don't know Prince Xie well, so I dare not make a recommendation!" Ye Jingchen said quickly.
"Why did your guards fight Xie Chang'an today in the north of the city?" the emperor asked.
This fatherly love is everywhere!
"If you don't like him, just hit him. Does he dare to go back and complain?" Ye Jingchen said in a nonchalant tone.
"Since you dislike Xie Chang'an, why do you care about the Duke of Zhenguo?" the emperor asked inquiringly.
"One thing at a time. Xie Chang'an is Xie Chang'an, and the Duke of Zhenguo is the Duke of Zhenguo! How can Xie Chang'an, a mere brat who hasn't even grown his first hair, be compared to the Duke of Zhenguo, who has guarded the border of Dayuan for decades?" Ye Jingchen asked disdainfully.
"It was the Divine Might Army that protected the peace of the Great Abyss for decades!" the emperor corrected.
“Father, although I admire the Duke of Zhenguo, I have no selfish motives this time! You see, the Duke of Zhenguo is already so old. If something were to happen to him at this crucial moment in the battle between the two armies, wouldn’t it disrupt the morale of the Divine Might Army?”
"Furthermore, if we continue to let the Duke of Zhenguo, who is almost sixty years old, guard the northern border, the northern barbarians will think that our Great Yuan has no one left, and they may look down on our Great Yuan because of this! The people of Great Yuan will also doubt Great Yuan because of this!" Ye Jingchen said to the emperor.
The emperor was silent for a moment before speaking: "What you say makes sense. I will consider this matter after the spring of next year!"
"Father is wise! Our Great Yuan is not without generals besides the Duke of Zhenguo!" Ye Jingchen said with a half-hearted flattery.
The emperor, who had no generals to rely on, was immediately feeling extremely distressed!
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