Chapter 53 It all started with a tarnished reputation! (The Emperor...)
"Fine." The unlucky Wen Zhongnan had no choice but to accept this fact.
He shrugged casually, stood up and took a few steps, no longer bothered by it: "...I'm planning to go to Hezhou. Wuyou, didn't you say last time you wanted to send some bayberries home? Bayberries are out of season now, but there are still dried bayberries. I'm going to the capital to visit an old friend for drinks. As for the pigs you asked me to raise on the estate, I can introduce someone to go in my place...I'll have him contact you later."
"You've been a great help." Despite his frantic state, Qi Chengming couldn't help but give the Second Young Master Wen a grateful smile.
A few months ago, my younger cousin wrote home asking if the bayberries from Hezhou were any good. Unfortunately, a series of events kept the caravan busy transporting medicinal herbs and supplies between Liuzhou and Wuling. They simply couldn't find the time to go to Hezhou.
Now, the Second Young Master Wen remembered a casual remark he made earlier and offered to help—"Good brother, you're really a friend."
“Oh, right, if possible… I’ll write a letter and have it delivered to the Marquis of Weiyong’s residence.” Qi Chengming frowned slightly as he remembered something. “It’s about my wet nurse… I heard she came to find me by boat a few months ago, but we’ve lost contact.”
Wen Zhongnan's smile also faded: "What are her characteristics? I've met quite a few people along the way, I'll help you find her."
“Our escort agency is the same; we travel all over the country, we go everywhere, we might know!” Bai Xuan quickly added, “Could you roughly describe her features?”
He's been working himself to the bone in Liuzhou for the past two months. He's never been away from home for so long before. When he gets home, he'll inevitably whine and pester her for a long time. His wife will probably gently ask him to stay in the study for a few days... Although coaxing is a woman's pleasure, it's good that he brings up this incident to distract his wife.
Bai Xuan didn't want to argue with his wife, and he certainly didn't want to stay in the study with a flushed face.
"..." Qi Chengming's heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, he had asked Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi in the palace, but his memory was already somewhat vague. What did that wet nurse look like?
Yes, that's how unreliable the memory of ordinary people is.
Qi Chengming remained calm. The essence of youth is an aura of "I can calmly go crazy even if the sky falls" and "I'm still indignant even if I'm in the wrong." He subtly gestured to Xiao Dezi beside him with his eyes.
Xiao Dezi, who had been clutching the hand warmer and only concerned about whether his prince had caught a chill by the river, suddenly seemed to come alive. He automatically found a reason for his prince and explained tactfully, "That wet nurse's husband's surname is Zhang. She is not tall, rather plump, with a broad forehead and dark purple lips. She always brings us fruit to eat with a smile."
"...But that's our impression from a few years ago. Zhang the wet nurse has been out of the palace for several years now, so we don't know what she looks like now."
Qi Chengming's lips twitched slightly, as if he was holding back something.
"Excuse my bluntness, but her lips are a dark purple?" Wen Zhongnan asked curiously, while habitually reaching for his fan from his robes to open it, only to be disrespectfully stopped by Xiao Dezi: "Your Highness cannot withstand the wind!"
It's so cold, let's take a break from fanning ourselves.
"I was just exhausted, not weak!" Qi Chengming couldn't help but defend himself. Anyone with a strong sense of masculinity would find it hard to accept being labeled as "weak," right?
Xiao Dezi wouldn't talk back, but he just looked at Qi Chengming with a resentful and hesitant expression, staring at him intently for a long time: "..."
Being tired requires rest, and being exposed to cold drafts is also a factor. Are these two things mutually exclusive?
Heaven knows how shocked he was when he rushed back from out of town and saw His Highness's terrible complexion and lifestyle. He couldn't help but ask Doctor Bian, who had come with him, to come and diagnose His Highness. Xiao Chengzi had advised against it before, but he was still skeptical and didn't think of insisting on calling a doctor for His Highness.
This diagnosis reveals a weak and deep pulse. The internal organs are weak, the body's vital energy is insufficient, and the yang energy is deficient and unable to rise. The pulse, though deep and forceful, is clearly a sign of deficiency of both qi and blood, and general weakness and exhaustion.
This might be reasonable for someone who has just recovered from a serious illness, but for someone who seems perfectly fine, it could be fatal.
Your Highness has been working too hard for too long and is exhausted! If this continues, it will shorten your lifespan!
Xiao Chengzi was terrified when he heard this.
Doctor Bian immediately became alert and urged the young prince to take his medicine and rest for two months. If it weren't for the fact that going up the mountain every day could help him exercise, Xiao Dezi wouldn't dare to watch his prince running to the cold riverbank every day to skip stones.
Although he had taken a lot of medicine, Qi Chengming couldn't help but praise him... He truly deserves to be called a miracle doctor; he's got real skills! After two months, not only was his health bar fully restored, but its maximum even exceeded "8"! This greatly surprised Qi Chengming.
Wow, this smells amazing!
However, Qi Chengming couldn't withstand Xiao Dezi's gaze, so he had a clever trick and changed the subject, saying, "Xiao Dezi, you haven't answered Wen Er's question yet."
“It seems that Zhang’s wet nurse was born with dark purple lips,” Xiao Dezi replied, lost in thought, unable to find the answer. “It is said that people with such lips have a noble air, which is why Zhang’s wet nurse was chosen to enter the palace.”
Qi Chengming thought to himself: This sounds like someone with a congenital heart condition or insufficient blood and qi.
“I’ve got it.” Wen Zhongnan still looked puzzled, but he crossed his arms, his brows furrowed, and he didn’t want to bother them anymore. “You guys go ahead and get busy. I’ll think about it some more… and then we’ll set off.”
Qi Chengming glanced at him, waved casually as a farewell, and walked away decisively. He had already figured out the second young master Wen's temperament: he was "playful" and had a strong sense of curiosity. Who knew how long he was muttering to himself now? Let him be.
Qi Chengming's romanticized view of Wen Er Gongzi from the original storyline has long since shattered.
The group rushed back to Liuzhou City and immediately convened the second major meeting of the year at the Prince Rui's Mansion.
This time, in addition to the original staff, the main hall was packed with many new faces. Fifteen or sixteen of them were local scholars from Liuzhou, selected primarily for their good character (those on the talent list). The stewards valued those with strong abilities. There were also the children from the estate who knew arithmetic, now serving as junior clerks assisting Master Qin.
Don't underestimate these lowly clerks; with them around, the work of the county government became much easier.
"...The biggest challenge is to explain the principles clearly to the people. Even if we can move into the new houses now, don't be too happy!" Qi Chengming earnestly advised. "And you must tell them that those restaurants and shops were gifts from merchants to me, understand?"
"It would be good to pretend that Liuzhou City is the best place, but it's all thanks to the prince. The common people are being oppressed by me and definitely need tax reductions. Because... uh, I don't grow rice on my estate. I just grow all sorts of random things for fun, which can't be eaten as a staple food at all!"
"Understood." Qin Liusong narrowed his eyes knowingly, a sharp glint flashing in them.
Your Highness is truly brilliant in using reputation to gain benefits. In such a remote place, reputation is unnecessary; the better the reputation, the more restless people from the capital will become.
He went back and sent gifts to his two good-for-nothing superiors, to show the imperial envoy their dissolute nature—if the imperial envoy couldn't control a greedy and indulgent prince, surely he could control these two derelict officials!
—From Qi Chengming to Qin Liusong, they really spared no effort in their tacit attempt to remove the prefect and governor.
"I'll go back and tell Grandpa." The speaker was a somewhat refined student, his voice shy. He was only seventeen years old. His grandfather was originally an elder of the Wei family clan. This large family used to live in the village, but now there are fourteen lanes in the west of the city all named Wei. When something happens, it is still his grandfather, being highly respected, who is responsible for showing up and announcing the matter.
"Your Highness, rest assured, they know what to say." Song Gu raised the corner of his mouth slightly, but did not say anything more.
He himself came from a poor family and knew that ordinary people had their own kind of cleverness. It might be difficult to get the whole city to suddenly lie, but if they were a little poorer and more miserable, there might be no taxes this year.
Even the most simple and clumsy old farmer can give you a wonderful performance on the spot.
Qi Chengming looked around at everyone and nodded in satisfaction.
The main meeting concluded, and next came the smaller meetings held in various localities. Master Qin led the clerks back to the county office for an emergency overtime session, buying some roast chicken and side dishes like snails to refresh everyone. Scholar Wei went home to see his grandfather. Song Gu summoned the managers of all the major shops. The stewards rushed off to their respective estates and villages…
As the night passed, the entire city of Liuzhou seemed to become even more desolate.
A passing merchant watched in surprise as many people spontaneously began to walk out of the city again, and couldn't help but ask, "What's going on? What happened this time?"
"..." The merchant Wang looked haggard, but his face couldn't hide his joy. He had received a recommendation from a nobleman and was on his way to the Wang residence today. After thinking for a moment, the merchant Wang blinked and began to fabricate a lie...
"I heard that the prince urgently needs to clear land to grow vegetables. Have you tried that 'Volcano Hibiscus' dish? It's that red berries. They must be going to clear land."
The merchant Wang then feigned a long sigh: "...What a pity! After the hurricane, only the common people suffered! There's nothing left in the fields, so we can only clear the wasteland...Even though Your Highness loves to cause trouble, you still did some good deeds!"
The merchant's eyes became suspicious and strange. He couldn't help but glance at the yamen runner standing not far away, then at the merchant Wang. His meaning was clear:
'Aren't they going to arrest him? Listen to this! He's secretly disrespecting the Prince!'
The constable rolled his eyes, showing no reaction. But his gaze turned sharply to a traveling merchant in the distance who was about to turn a corner and lift his robe, and he rushed up to him, his voice booming: "What are you doing! You need to use the public toilet!"
But before the constables could pounce, five or six people around them had already rushed forward like wolves, their excitement palpable: "I found him!" "I was the one who first saw him preparing to relieve himself!" "Let's go, to the yamen!"
The merchant looked panicked, trembling with fear. He quickly lowered his head and hurried away, completely bewildered by the situation in Liuzhou City.
If it were him... even if he hadn't ejaculated yet, he would have been so scared that he would have urinated!
Chaos is raging inside the city, which means the plan has been executed very efficiently. Things are much more difficult outside the city.
Huang Dong sat in front of a group of laborers, looking at each man's face with a kind expression.
For the past two months, or even more than two months, this group of people have been his infrastructure team, following him around on foot to draw up and improve blueprints, and then starting to build the structure brick by brick, even laying the cement by hand.
Everyone sat or squatted on the ground without any formality. It was a messy scene, with heads densely packed together, but it was very quiet as they waited for Huang Dong and Zhao Jianghu to speak.
“Panzi—I mean the Panzi from Erwan Alley.” Huang Dong randomly pointed to a man’s name, intending to test their understanding. The man awkwardly stood up from the crowd.
"If the imperial envoy for disaster relief comes and asks you why so many houses in the city are new and the city wasn't damaged by the disaster, what would you say?"
"...The strong wind blew the house down, but the prince helped us build a new one!"
"Wrong!" Huang Dong exclaimed in anguish. He quickly glanced at the note Qin Shiye had written to him. "You have to say that the city did suffer from the disaster, but the county government organized everyone to work and rebuild their houses."
"Let me ask you again, what have you been eating lately?"
"The county government cooked... porridge?" This time, Pan Zi hesitated before answering, but the second half of his sentence flowed much more smoothly, "And sometimes the prince brings meat!"
"That's not right either! You should say that Baijia Restaurant was kind-hearted and secretly brought us the leftover food and wine."
After listening for a while, someone in the crowd muttered, "Isn't that restaurant also owned by the prince...?"
"Anyway, there can't be a prince!" Huang Dong corrected decisively.
Pan Zi was also annoyed: "Just because that imperial envoy is coming, we can't even say a kind word to the prince. How long will they be gone?!"
A group of people also started shouting, protesting with fervent discontent: "Yeah, yeah!" "I can pretend to be poor, but saying something about a prince... I can't do that!" "When are they leaving? Our cement work has all stopped!"
—This is because even before the people arrived, a group of people were already resisting and hoping they would leave.
...
From afar, Wang Chuandao, his face gaunt and haggard, cried out, "Achoo!"
Riding at the head of the main group, he looked at the dense forests in the distance and the faint outline of a town visible below. He finally mustered his spirits, but his voice was still weak: "Are we finally getting there?"
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The author's note: The section on pulse diagnosis comes from "Hongyun Traditional Chinese Medicine".
This is the second update today!
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