Su Ling looked at the guard beside her and asked, "What's wrong? Have all the workers in the village been evacuated? Is it because I came to the village that all the workers are being ordered to leave?"
Perhaps Lady Tea didn't want anyone to disturb your rest?
The eldest prince closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before saying, "It can't be like that. This woman must have ulterior motives. The village is preparing to build a market, so why has construction suddenly stopped? Is she trying to drive me away?"
"No way, how could she possibly have such thoughts? Neither the judge nor the magistrate said anything, so why would a mere lady like her have such ideas?"
The eldest prince sneered and ordered, "Pass down the order to reward every household with fifty taels of silver. Also, find out why the workers here aren't working."
"Yes, Your Highness!" the guards replied in unison.
Soon, news spread throughout the village: "The newly arrived prince has started distributing silver, right there in the drying yard!"
The guards who were banging gongs perked up, and the sound of gongs and drums echoed through the village, instantly making the whole village lively.
People flocked to the drying yard, some with curiosity, others with anticipation. The village children followed behind, laughing and playing.
Upon arriving at the drying ground, they saw the First Prince standing on a platform, surrounded by rows of neatly arranged guards. His cold gaze swept over the crowd, then he raised the silver in his hand and loudly proclaimed, "This is your reward. Take it back and live a good life!"
People seemed to be shaken by the Crown Prince's words, and for a moment no one moved.
Suddenly, a childish voice broke the silence. A little boy pushed his way out of the crowd, excitedly pointing at the silver in the prince's hand, and shouted, "Look, so much silver!"
The eldest prince's gaze fell on the little boy, a smile playing on his lips. He walked up to the boy and handed him the silver. The little boy's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the silver, then he looked up at the eldest prince, his eyes filled with gratitude.
People around began to come forward to receive their rewards. The drying ground was filled with laughter and joy. Children ran and played among the crowd, while the eldest prince stood aside, watching all this with a smile.
Liang Shuyan squeezed through the crowd and immediately spotted the First Prince. She hurried over, wanting to speak to him. However, the First Prince seemed oblivious to her arrival; he was completely absorbed in watching those receiving their rewards.
Liang Shuyan was somewhat displeased, but she suppressed her emotions and said softly, "Your Highness, you are truly generous."
The eldest prince turned his head and smiled slightly, "Lady Tea, you've arrived."
Everyone around was busy, and the laughter of children filled the air. Liang Shuyan watched all this, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew that this money couldn't solve their long-term problems, but it could at least allow them to live a better life for a while.
Liang Shuyan didn't want to say anything, but the First Prince had already stepped forward, and she couldn't avoid him. So she said, "Your Highness, what are you doing? If this continues, won't it make the villagers lazy, with everyone just waiting for Your Highness's reward without doing anything? More importantly, people from other villages are also saying that His Majesty is unfair. Isn't this intentionally damaging His Majesty's reputation?"
No sooner had Liang Shuyan finished speaking than the First Prince stood before her. His expression was inscrutable, his deep eyes gleaming sharply in the sunlight. Liang Shuyan instinctively wanted to take a step back, but felt she had nowhere to escape.
“Liang Shuyan, what do you think?” The First Prince spoke slowly, his voice deep and powerful, as if echoing from a deep valley. “I did this after careful consideration. Do you want these villagers to continue living in hunger and cold? I just want to inspire them and let them understand that as long as they are willing to work hard, they can change their fate.”
He gently raised his hand, pointing to the villagers who had gathered around, "Look at the smiles on their faces, isn't that the best proof?"
Liang Shuyan felt somewhat helpless. Faced with the Crown Prince's compassion, what right did she, a mere woman, have to stop him?
Liang Shuyan remained silent for a moment.
She looked up at the eldest prince, her eyes flashing with complex emotions. She knew that what the eldest prince said wasn't entirely unreasonable; he cared about the entire village and these people living at the bottom of society. His goal was to enable everyone to live a better life, even if such change required some sacrifice.
The camera zooms in, and the villagers who had been watching gradually come into view. Their faces beam with radiant smiles, illuminating the entire village like the sun. Their eyes sparkle with hope, like stars dotting the night sky.
They looked at the eldest prince with eyes full of reverence and gratitude. They knew that the prince's arrival would bring unprecedented changes to their lives. Their lives would no longer be simple and impoverished, but filled with hope and opportunity.
The eldest prince stood there, smiling as he looked at them, his heart filled with joy. He knew that the changes he brought about might not be immediate, but the seeds had already taken deep root in their hearts.
They will take root, sprout, and grow strong, eventually becoming the pillars of their lives and leading them to a better future.
Liang Shuyan spoke in a low voice: "Your Highness, what do you mean by doing this? There are many people who are worse off than the people in our village. Why give all the money to the residents of Daling Village? If word gets out, won't it say that the Emperor is biased towards our Daling Village?"
"How dare you! You mere tea lady, spouting such nonsense and intimidating me with the Emperor at every turn! What do you think you're doing? Don't think I can't do anything about you."
Lady Cha, however, showed no fear, and gave a cold laugh: "Has Your Highness forgotten that this world belongs to the Su family, and the Emperor is the Emperor of the people? Although Your Highness is a prince, if you act improperly and anger the people, even the Emperor cannot protect you. I'm making this clear right here today. If Your Highness treats the people well, I will keep quiet. Otherwise, sooner or later, Your Highness will understand that what I said today is true."
The moment Lady Cha uttered those words, the atmosphere in the entire hall instantly turned tense. The First Prince, his face turning ashen with rage, was speechless for a moment.
The eldest prince clenched his fists tightly, his teeth grinding together, clearly enraged to the extreme. He glared at Lady Cha, his eyes seemingly spitting fire. However, faced with Lady Cha's sarcastic remarks, he couldn't find a single word to refute her.
Inside the main hall, the air seemed to freeze, even breathing became cautious. Everyone was silent, only daring to exchange furtive glances, no one daring to utter a sound. In a corner of the hall, a pot of flourishing peonies stood out starkly in the oppressive atmosphere, its petals trembling gently in the breeze, as if mocking the Crown Prince's incompetence.
The eldest prince's chest heaved as he tried to calm his anger, his gaze sweeping back and forth across the hall as if searching for something.
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