Ye Jingchen felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, as if he had met a savior.
He gestured to Xie Chang'an with his eyes to let go of him, but Xie Chang'an refused. The two stared at each other for a while before Xie Chang'an finally got up reluctantly.
Ye Jingchen sat up in bed, straightened his clothes and hair that Xie Chang'an had messed up, and gestured to Xie Chang'an to hide, but Xie Chang'an didn't move.
Ye Jingchen had no choice but to put on his clothes, clear his throat, and say, "Come in."
Wu Zemin led several maids in, who were carrying toiletries.
When Wu Zemin came in and saw Xie Chang'an, he was taken aback. "Xie Chang'an, you're here too."
"I was a bit of a sleepyhead, so he came to wake me up," Ye Jingchen explained.
“I figured it was time for Your Highness to get up, so I brought people over to help you with your washing up. The Prefect’s residence is simple; did Your Highness rest well yesterday?” Wu Zemin asked.
"It's simpler than the capital city. You've worked hard these past three years!" Ye Jingchen said to Wu Zemin.
"As the local official in charge of this area, it is my dereliction of duty to fail to ensure that the people here live a prosperous life!" Wu Zemin said with some shame.
"You have done a great job these past three years! I believe that under your governance, the people of Beiping will live better and better lives!"
Wu Zemin's political achievements over the past three years have been remarkable, and the tax revenue of Beiping County has increased significantly compared to previous years!
"I have been following the governance guidelines that His Highness the Crown Prince gave me. The changes that Beiping County has undergone are all thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Can you stop flattering each other this early in the morning? Go wash up and eat, I'm hungry!" Xie Chang'an, who had been left out, watched Ye Jingchen talking to Wu Zemin without even glancing at him, and said coldly with a stern face.
Wu Zemin had already witnessed Xie Chang'an's bad temper and didn't take it to heart.
"Breakfast is ready. Xie Chang'an, you should go wash up first. Someone is already waiting outside your room," he said to Xie Chang'an.
Xie Chang'an was somewhat reluctant to leave now, leaving Ye Jingchen and Wu Zemin alone, but he did not wash up because he came to find Ye Jingchen as soon as he woke up.
"You go ahead, I'm hungry too. If we finish eating soon, we can stroll around Beiping County together," Ye Jingchen said to Xie Chang'an.
Xie Chang'an left with a cold face.
"Young Master Xie's temper is still the same as before; he's only willing to listen to His Highness the Crown Prince," Wu Zemin said with a smile.
Ye Jingchen thought to himself, "That's right! This is something I've painstakingly built up over the past ten years. Unfortunately, I went too far and it changed the nature of our relationship!"
However, in his original life plan, he was supposed to become all alone once his brothers and sisters got married. Now, it's not bad that Xie Chang'an is with him.
However, if they want to be together, there are still many obstacles to overcome.
I wonder if Xie Chang'an will be able to overcome all those difficulties!
Especially his family!
Wu Zemin arranged for the breakfast at the Prefectural Governor's residence to be local specialties of Beiping County. Although these foods were not as refined and delicate as those in the Imperial City, they had their own unique flavor.
After finishing his meal, Wu Zemin had to go to the government office to work, so he instructed the steward of the prefectural governor's office to take Ye Jingchen and Xie Chang'an out for a stroll.
Ye Jingchen only planned to stay in Beiping County for half a day before heading to the Shenwei Army's garrison in the afternoon.
The biggest difference between Beiping County and the Imperial City is the architecture; almost all the houses here are made of stone.
The environment in northern Xinjiang is harsh. Compared with wooden houses, stone houses are naturally ventilated, warm in winter and cool in summer. Moreover, stone is wear-resistant, weather-resistant, and has a longer service life than wooden houses.
Aside from the buildings, the goods sold on the streets, the people's clothing, and even their physical appearance and language were very different from those in the imperial city.
However, the happy smiles on people's faces are the same.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to buy things, Ye Jingchen chatted with some merchants who could speak Mandarin. They all said that since a new prefect was appointed three years ago, their lives have been much better than before.
"You've written such detailed management guidelines for him. If he still can't do it, then it just means he's not a good person!"
"Whether it's the improved grain varieties, new crops, or trade policies, it's all thanks to you. You're the one they should be most grateful to!"
Whenever Xie Chang'an heard someone praise their young and promising prefect, he would retort in Ye Jingchen's ear.
"Did all six years of friendship go to waste?" Ye Jingchen asked sincerely.
"Have I ever had any dealings with them over the years?" Xie Chang'an asked without the slightest hint of guilt.
When he first went to Wenhua Hall, he also intended to befriend the other three companions chosen by Ye Jingchen. Their identities, abilities, and future achievements were all worth Xie Chang'an's efforts.
However, his first meeting with Ye Jingchen made him realize that something was wrong with Ye Jingchen, and he then focused all his attention on Ye Jingchen.
After testing each other, he hadn't even figured out Ye Jingchen's background when Ye Jingchen exposed his secrets. After that, he formed an alliance with Ye Jingchen, and Ye Jingchen could help him achieve anything he wanted to do. Therefore, it seemed pointless to make friends with other people.
Xie Chang'an generally doesn't do things that are meaningless.
Therefore, he stayed in the Wenhua Hall for so many years, and apart from Ye Jingchen, he never took the initiative to talk to anyone.
“Speaking of which, it’s partly His Highness’s fault that I don’t get along with them. If it weren’t for His Highness making me lose the desire to make friends with others, would I have been all alone for so many years? So His Highness should make it up to me!” On the bustling street, with the steward of the prefect’s mansion following not far behind them, Xie Chang’an put his arm around Ye Jingchen’s shoulder, nuzzled Ye Jingchen’s head, and whispered in his ear.
After saying this, he actually gently bit Ye Jingchen's earlobe.
It's not his fault; the only one to blame is Ye Jingchen's overly sensitive ears. He just leaned in to speak, and his earlobes turned pink.
How could he possibly resist?
Ye Jingchen shuddered at the bite, quickly covering his feverish ear with his hand and glaring fiercely at Xie Chang'an.
The person who was so innocent last night has learned to flirt with him in the street today!
Men are indeed natural experts in this area!
Ye Jingchen covered his ears with one hand and slapped Xie Chang'an's hand off his shoulder with the other, keeping a step's distance from Xie Chang'an.
Didn't you see how strange the butler's gaze was towards the two of them?
After spending the morning touring Beiping County, Wu Zemin treated them to lunch at a restaurant, where they also drank some wine.
Ye Jingchen only drank a small cup before daring not to drink any more. The wine here was much stronger than the wine in the imperial city, and he was afraid of getting drunk.
But it does taste really good.
Seeing that Ye Jingchen liked it, Xie Chang'an specially bought two jugs of wine to take with him when he left.
After the meal, they bid farewell to Wu Zemin and headed to the Shenwei Army's encampment.
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