It turned out that Emperor An was asking about Jing Zhe's arrangements for the newspaper, Wenxiangju, and Zhangjia Winery. After all, these three places all belonged to Jing Zhe's businesses. The newspaper was one thing, but Wenxiangju and Zhangjia Winery were solid support for the future implementation of compulsory education, so Emperor An had to be concerned.
Upon hearing that this was the question, Jing Zhe replied in the same way, "I'm not prepared."
"..."
Such a calm answer left Emperor An speechless.
After a long pause, he said, "Well, the time was a bit short, and it's understandable that you weren't prepared. But don't feel pressured. If needed, I can send someone to help you manage it for a while."
"Your Majesty, no need."
Although the newspaper was a subordinate department directly under Emperor An's jurisdiction, the atmosphere of officialdom within the newspaper was not strong, or even non-existent; it was more like a workplace.
This was something Jing Zhe deliberately created, because he didn't want Emperor An to interfere in the newspaper's affairs and ruin everything he had done.
“Your Majesty, the newspaper is on track. Even though I'm in Jingzhou, most of the work is being done by others. I only provide direction, and Editor-in-Chief Chen Jiannan is in charge of overseeing it. Before I leave, I'd like to give you some final instructions: send back news of interesting events happening in Jinxi every few days via carrier pigeon. I've also told my second sister to check on things when she has free time!”
Hearing this, Emperor An did not press the matter further, but earnestly instructed the two: "You must know why I sent you to Jinxi this time, so you must be careful in every aspect. It would be best if you could accomplish it, but even if you cannot, you must at least get out unscathed."
"Yes, Your Majesty (Father)!"
Then Emperor An specifically instructed Su Moyan: "You haven't traveled far before, and Jinxi is different from other places. This time when you go out, you must observe and think more, and stay with Jing Zhe. Do not act on your own!"
"Yes, Father, I obey your command!"
Su Moyan bowed in response, but felt a sense of frustration in her heart.
The original plan was for Jing Zhe to assist him in going to Jinxi, but it sounds like he's the one assisting him.
Seemingly guessing his thoughts, Emperor An said, "Mo Yan, don't feel unconvinced. Apart from your higher status and position than Jing Zhe, is there anything else you can do that surpasses him in?"
Su Moyan glanced up at Jing Zhe, then lowered her head again. Although she didn't want to admit it, the truth was...
No!
Hearing Emperor An so bluntly belittle his son while praising himself, Jing Zhe was flattered, but had a thought that he didn't know whether to say...
This is the future monarch of Anguo!
If we offend him, will we still have a place to stand in the future?
He really wanted to ask Emperor An: Is this really a good idea?
"Your Majesty, what virtue or ability do I possess to be compared with His Highness the Crown Prince? Your Majesty, please don't flatter me so much, or I won't dare to go to Jinxi!"
Fortunately, having met Su Moyan a few times before, Jing Zhe knew that Su Moyan was not the kind of scheming or treacherous person. As he spoke, he glanced at Su Moyan, and just as he expected, Su Moyan did not show much annoyance on his face. When he noticed that Jing Zhe was looking at him, he even smiled at him.
Seeing Jing Zhe's strong will to survive, Emperor An suddenly wanted to laugh: "You don't need to worry. I know Mo Yan's personality best, otherwise I wouldn't have let you go to Jinxi with him!"
Su Moyan listened without showing any discomfort and smiled, "Father is right, and what Father said is the truth. President Jing has nothing to fear. Besides, who in the world dares to say that their talent surpasses that of President Jing? Even the Third Prince of Southern Qi, who is known for his extraordinary talent, cannot hold his head high in front of President Jing. Therefore, it is already a great honor for me that Father can compare me to President Jing!"
"..."
It's rare to find a crown prince as gentle as Su Moyan. However, he would certainly be a good ruler. But it would be difficult for him to sit on that throne on his own.
"Your Highness is too kind!"
Jing Zhe cupped his hands in greeting again.
Emperor An smiled and said, "You two don't need to be so polite anymore. You'll have your chance to talk when we get to Jinxi! Today, I mainly want to give you some instructions. In Jinxi, you'll mainly rely on Jing Zhe. However, given Mo Yan's status, you can have him assist you if needed. As for what happens after we get to Jinxi, you can both stay at the Prince of Jin's residence!"
"ah?"
“Mo Yan will have to stay at the Prince of Jin’s residence once he goes to Jinxi. It’s the right thing to do, both for public and private reasons. The Prince of Jin’s heir previously stayed at the Eastern Palace when he came to the capital, so the Prince of Jin should show his hospitality to Mo Yan. Moreover, with the Prince of Jin’s heir in Jingzhou, people in Jinxi are sure to be spreading rumors that I want to harm him or take him hostage. So, Mo Yan should go to the Prince of Jin’s residence to shut them up!”
"..."
Jing Zhe roughly understood Emperor An's thoughts. Wasn't it just for show, to demonstrate that he had no ulterior motives in bringing Su Xinping to Jingzhou? Otherwise, why would he feel comfortable letting the Crown Prince live in the Prince of Jin's residence?
But he still couldn't understand what he was going to do.
Has Emperor An forgotten the deep-seated hatred between the Jing family and the Prince of Jin?
Seemingly guessing his thoughts, Emperor An said, "The most dangerous place is the safest place. I'm afraid Prince Jin already knew you were going to Jinxi. The reason I arranged for Mo Yan to go with you was actually to protect you."
Jing Zhe was taken aback at first, but then he understood.
If he were to go to Jinxi on his own, Prince Jin might send assassins along the way to kill him without anyone noticing. But with the Crown Prince accompanying him, Prince Jin wouldn't have the guts to do so!
So, the Crown Prince was his talisman!
Su Moyan was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this.
It turns out that his purpose in being there was not only to assist Jing Zhe, but also to shield him from hatred... No one else has ever gone to such lengths for the Crown Prince.
Even so, he never complained, because he knew that when he went to Jinxi, Jing Zhe would do the most dangerous and difficult work, and he would just follow behind and reap the rewards.
Therefore, he was still somewhat grateful to Jing Zhe.
Emperor An continued, "The same applies to Jinxi. Jinxi is Prince Jin's territory, and making someone disappear is a piece of cake for him. If Mo Yan lives in Prince Jin's mansion while you live outside, it will be even more convenient for Prince Jin to take action. So you'd better live in Prince Jin's mansion with Mo Yan!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will follow your arrangements!"
Jing Zhe said, but inwardly he was chuckling.
Although he appears to be a civil official, his current combat prowess is frighteningly strong, especially since others cannot tell that he knows martial arts. If a few people are sent to cause him trouble, they won't even be enough to fill his teeth!
Moreover, Jing Zhe had already planned to make a few miniature hand grenades to carry with him in the next couple of days, just in case.
————
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