Prince Rui's trip was actually to avoid the Emperor's pressure to get married.
As for that so-called two-year agreement, it's just a pretext for delaying things.
We should try to delay it as long as possible.
So far, Prince Rui still has no intention of getting married, after all, it's not easy to meet someone who makes your heart flutter.
"I've heard that there are many beautiful women in Jiangnan. If Your Highness is going to choose a concubine, perhaps you'll meet someone who suits your taste if you go to Jiangnan."
"This is what the guard Li Si suggested."
Prince Rui thought for a moment, and realized that there were many young women in the capital who came from Jiangnan.
Putting aside everything else, there are several concubines in the palace who come from Jiangnan, and there are also a few who throw themselves at him or fall down.
I didn't have a good impression of any of them.
Shaking off the goosebumps that had risen on his body, Prince Rui resolutely avoided the topic of going to Jiangnan.
As for where he was going, he really had no idea.
So the dignified Prince Rui did something that left everyone speechless.
That means every day, whether you come out of the post station or the inn.
After driving the carriage out, they followed whichever way the horses went.
That approach was a mess, and sometimes it even backtracked.
What's even funnier is that he changed the lead horse every day.
Oh dear, this makes it even less purposeful.
The information reported to the Emperor by the investigators who were tracking Prince Rui was becoming increasingly outrageous.
The Emperor was now completely convinced that the young man truly had no intention of getting married.
"So be it, let him be. I have so many sons, one more won't make a difference in continuing the royal line."
If the Emperor hadn't spoken with such venom, Rong Fuhai probably would have believed him.
Prince Rui traveled in circles for nearly a month before arriving at the former Taifu Palace.
He started to think about which direction to go.
"To the west, there's mostly desert; to the north, it borders northern Mongolia..."
As I was thinking, I noticed the whip on the small table on the carriage.
Prince Rui recalled the image of whipping a villain in the street.
With a slight smile, he asked,
"Where have my younger cousin's father-in-law and brothers gone to take up their posts?"
In fact, he knew and remembered. He just needed someone to provide a ladder for him.
After hearing Li Si's answer, Prince Rui appeared to be thinking.
"Then let's go to the Northeast. We can also take a look along the way at how the newly appointed county magistrates of the Zhao family govern their counties."
Alright, in a perfectly legitimate manner, Prince Rui and his entourage changed their route to the Northeast.
Along the way, Prince Rui and his entourage experienced firsthand the difficulties that Zhao Yonggeng and his group faced on their journey.
Because they set out late, their journey was more difficult.
After arriving in Qi County and Hei County, Prince Rui did not send anyone to the county government to report in advance. Instead, he wandered around like an ordinary rich young master.
They even changed into coarse cloth and short tunics to go to the countryside and learn about the local customs.
I sensed that the two Zhao brothers, despite their young age, were exceptionally capable.
He admired the county town's well-managed management and would surely send a letter to his father, who was sitting in the capital.
Of course, Prince Rui did not only inspect Qi County and Hei County. He would stay for two days in each town he visited, and then personally or through his guards would go to check on the people's conditions.
Regarding the official roads, only the roads near Qi County and Hei County have been repaired.
Stones are used as a base to fill gaps as needed.
Next, fine sand is added and compacted, followed by a mixture of cement and coarse sand to level the surface.
The road surface was simply engraved with various patterns.
In particular, a certain gap should be left at intervals.
When he felt he had done his research, Prince Rui personally visited Zhao Qingluan.
He naturally received a warm welcome from Zhao Qingluan.
However, the food Zhao Qingluan served him was not some rare delicacy, but rather authentic Northeastern cuisine, such as chicken stew with mushrooms and pork stew with vermicelli.
The mushrooms were dried and rehydrated, and the pork was bought locally. The only problem was that the meaty smell was masked by the generous amount of seasonings added.
The vermicelli was something I brought with me when I parted ways with the main group of the Zhao family.
If it weren't for Prince Rui's arrival, he wouldn't have been willing to take it out.
After all, eat less.
Where would a county magistrate host a dinner party with only two dishes, especially when the guest is the famous Prince Rui?
But Zhao Qingluan did exactly that.
The only thing that made people feel valued was the meal; these two dishes were cooked by Zhao Qingluan himself.
A meal must be accompanied by wine, so Zhao Qingluan took out his treasured jar of fruit wine, which Zhao Qingyan had given him.
If Prince Rui hadn't inadvertently seen Zhao Qingluan's pained expression, he would have truly believed that the young man was either unwilling to entertain him or was genuinely poor.
"Qingluan is the magistrate of this county, so why is the yamen so deserted? Does he even need to cook for himself?"
Prince Rui was very curious.
Zhao Qingluan answered while pouring the wine.
"To be honest, Your Highness, I'm new here and I know that Hei County is really poor."
In order to quickly cure the entire county, I not only accepted the favors from my family, but also spent all the money my parents gave me when they divided the family property on this county.
Of course, the money I gave was only a loan to the county, not a donation.
I will take it back once the government has recouped its investment.
Your Highness, please don't think I'm stingy. These two dishes cost me a whole month's worth of food money.
As for the wine, it was a gift from my cousin, and it's worth about a hundred or eighty taels of silver.
They did hire a maid to help with washing clothes and sweeping the yard.
As for the cooks, forget about them; the food they make isn't even as good as what the lower official whips up.
Your Highness, please. It's all my fault for being so talkative.
If we keep talking, the food will get cold.
Prince Rui felt as if his hand holding the chopsticks weighed a ton.
Although the Zhao family is not extremely wealthy, they are still considered well-off, so Zhao Qingluan must have a considerable amount of money.
It is truly rare for someone to be willing to dedicate their entire fortune to governing a county.
Because of Zhao Qingluan's feigned poverty and sob story, Prince Rui no longer complained about the meager menu.
The moment Prince Rui took a bite of the chicken, his eyes lit up. It tasted delicious.
The two of them didn't say a word, just focused on eating.
Soon, the two dishes on the table were completely devoured by the two of them.
Prince Rui rubbed his full stomach.
"Oh my, I haven't eaten this much in ages. Qingluan's cooking is excellent."
Zhao Qingluan chuckled.
"If Prince Rui likes to eat it, then Qingluan will make it again. However, Prince Rui will have to pay for the ingredients himself later."
Qingluan was a poor county magistrate.
Prince Rui was amused and burst into laughter.
People say that a clean prefect can make 100,000 taels of silver in three years. No official is immune to corruption and making money.
How did we end up with a county magistrate like you, who almost lost his socks? You really are a peculiar character among officials.
Zhao Qingluan looked at Prince Rui,
"Your Highness, does the Emperor know what you're saying? This is the first time I've ever seen a son undermine his own father."
Prince Rui laughed even more unrestrainedly.
"Tell me, you family of scholars, what is the purpose of your studies? If not for power or profit, what are you after?"
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