Chapter 63: A Sudden Encounter with an Old Friend in Hezhou (Part Two...)
Two figures slowly walked towards the mountain road in the distance.
One was dressed in simple clothes, radiant and composed. The other was dressed as a servant, neither servile nor arrogant, with alert eyes.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I heard that all my colleagues are gathered here... I just happened to come and join in the fun." Prefect Mu glossed over the sensitive topic with a somewhat relaxed tone, his gaze sweeping across the scene. Several county magistrates couldn't help but forcibly avert their gazes, the Liuzhou county magistrate's eyes darting around as he forced a fawning smile.
"Prefect Mu...," Qi Chengming addressed him meaningfully, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the top of the other's head before quickly averting it. "Fortunately, you're here. Let's take a look at this new crop together."
Well, that's rather impolite.
However, Qi Chengming had only communicated with the second son of the Mu family through letters, and both parties tacitly agreed to arrange for Mu Maoshi to be appointed as the prefect. They had never met in person, so he didn't know that the other party was actually like this...
Premature baldness at a young age.
He is clearly a hardworking and dedicated magistrate.
"Your Highness, please continue. There's no need to worry about me," Mu Maoshi replied, his tone gentle and warm like a spring breeze, though his eyes held a hint of scrutiny. He accepted the greeting amicably and, without another word, followed the others to get a rake, his gaze falling upon the acre of fine paddy field before him... and the unfamiliar mounds of earth beside it.
When he was still the magistrate of Liujiang County in Liuzhou, he had heard a little about this Prince Rui.
Mu Maoshi gazed at the still somewhat immature-looking boy, a complex emotion flickering in his lowered eyes: "..."
At first, the rumors coming from Liuzhou were scattered, about how bad the prince was—spoiled, gluttonous, and capricious—all the typical flaws of a prince. Mu Maoshi's heart pounded with worry for the people.
Liuzhou is too poor to withstand the turmoil of supporting a prince.
But over time, the policies and changes coming from the county seat showed that everything was turning for the better. The prince's spoiled and capricious behavior actually improved the lives of the people of Liuzhou, and surprisingly, he didn't exploit ordinary citizens! He only accepted tributes from merchants! He also restricted soldiers from disturbing the people and from buying on credit!
Each of these three points is unbelievable.
Mu Maoshi was not pleased but rather surprised, falling into a deep silence: "..."
His father was a Grand Secretary who served as Grand Tutor to two emperors, and having been exposed to political influence from a young age, Mu Maoshi's political acumen was impeccable. At that moment, Mu Maoshi realized the sinister intentions of Prince Rui—being able to issue these favorable decrees was tantamount to him already controlling the Liuzhou County government.
What does Prince Rui want to do?
it goes without saying.
Mu Maoshi then faced two intense internal struggles: should he frankly report Prince Rui's ambitions, causing Liuzhou Prefecture to fall back under the control of those two corrupt officials with bad reputations who preyed on the people? Or should he acquiesce to Prince Rui's actions? Because everything he did was genuinely for the good of the people.
The former is condemned by the conscience of the official in charge, while the latter is whipped for the loyalty and duty of the subject.
Although Mu Maoshi was politically astute, he was an honest and kind man. At most, he had gained some experience in dealing with cunning criminals over the years as a county magistrate. Now, he was completely at a loss as to what to do.
Mu Maoshi suffered for a long time and became very thin.
Before he could make a decision, the hurricane arrived.
He hadn't expected that the tacit balance maintained between Prince Rui and the government would be broken so easily. To quickly convey better countermeasures and rescue plans, Prince Rui made no secret of sending men and imperial guards to various counties. Mu Maoshi had to admit… they had been a great help.
Once they had weathered the crisis together and news had resumed, Mu Maoshi heard about Prince Rui's various strategies in Liuzhou City: treating the sick, recruiting people for the county government, and organizing the people to build houses. He even strongly advised the other counties to follow suit...
Mu Maoshi sighed and gave in.
He still couldn't let go of his loyalty as a subject, but Prince Rui was willing to do all sorts of things for the common people whose lives were as worthless as grass, disregarding his own safety. He was a good prince. At least in these times of crisis, Mu Maoshi wouldn't do anything as despicable as stabbing someone in the back.
We'll have to talk about it later.
Then things took an unexpected turn... Prince Rui actually sent a letter suggesting that he become the new prefect. When Mu Maoshi received this letter, he could hardly believe how surprised and delighted he was.
He didn't even realize that his opinion of Prince Rui had risen to a higher level.
As a prefect, he would have the ability to restrain the prince's ambitions and fulfill his loyalty to the emperor. At the same time, he would no longer need to tolerate incompetent superiors.
Yes, he will try his best to reclaim the rights that Prince Rui has excessively encroached upon in Liuzhou, and to take back what belongs to him as the prefect. He also doesn't mind listening to Prince Rui's suggestions and developments, as long as those ideas are beneficial to the people.
Mu Maoshi glanced deeply at the officials from Liuzhou Prefecture around him, his vigilance and respect rising alternately in his heart.
That's right, he will always keep an eye on Prince Rui.
This was the response and decision-making process when Mu Maoshi took office.
...
"Start digging! Be careful not to damage the potatoes underneath," Master Qin called out, raising his voice as he strode along the edge of the field.
As someone relatively familiar with potatoes, he became one of the people offering guidance. Standing beside the county magistrates were the county assistant, the registrar, and their respective advisors. Everyone whispered among themselves, staring at the bare mounds of earth, and clumsily began to work.
"There's not even a leaf or a root, what are we digging for?" someone muttered under their breath, not out of doubt, but out of sheer skepticism about the land.
“If you had come a few days earlier, you would have seen the ground covered with leaves and roots.” Qi Chengming happened to know the reason. He carefully dug out a small potato from the soil and smiled. “In case these seeds get sick later, the people on the farm cleaned up the stems and leaves early on.”
The stems and leaves above ground, exposed to wind and rain, and even with the best efforts to apply pesticides, will still carry various pathogens that can easily infect potatoes, causing the seeds to spoil the following year and rendering them unusable. Therefore, these pathogens must be thoroughly cleaned from the ground before digging up the potatoes.
"So...so many!" A surprised exclamation could be heard from some county official in the distance.
This caused a stir among those around him.
Qi Chengming straightened up, rubbing his aching back, and looked over curiously. That familiar face... was he the new magistrate of Rong County? His name was Huang Yun. He was a local scion of a prominent family whom Huang had recommended. He wasn't very learned, but he was upright and not rigid in his thinking. He had been unemployed for many years, spending his time at home growing flowers and plants.
Even Old Master Huang, who had surrendered to his family, said that his nephew wasn't particularly talented, but he was familiar with the local situation and wasn't a bad person, which made him excellent. He suggested that Old Master Huang hire several advisors to help him after he took office, as he would be a good local official.
Huang Yun's eyes widened in disbelief. He had brought the most advisors, four or five in total, most of whom were skilled farmers accustomed to farm work. With just a few strokes of their hoes, they dug out bunches of potato chunks from the mud. The group piled their harvest together, creating a visually stunning effect in a short time.
This...this is way too much!
Huang Yun gasped, grabbing his county magistrate's sleeve: "Quick... quick, weigh it! We've only harvested one row, haven't we? This yield..."
He was trembling slightly.
Huang Yun is not detached from worldly affairs. Even the highest-yielding rice could not possibly have such an exaggerated yield in a single row!
The county magistrate was in charge of managing grain taxes. Several county magistrates eagerly gathered around the junior official who had brought the measuring instruments, urging him to ask, "How much?"
"..." After the clerk quickly weighed the item, he calculated the result: "...more than half a bushel!"
Because he was unfamiliar with the process, Mu Maoshi, who had just dug out a small potato, stumbled slightly due to his weak legs and turned to ask, "So, what did he say about the yield?"
"Master...you heard me right. One row of land, more than half a bushel!" Even the servant who usually called him was stammering in shock. You have to know that ten bushels is one shi (a unit of dry measure), and the highest yield of a mu (a unit of land area) of top-quality rice is only ten shi. Now that this is after a disaster, it would be a blessing from heaven to get three or four shi.
But what are they hearing now?
This new crop called potato... it's only dug up a small area, less than one-twentieth of an acre? A little over half a bushel!
Prefect Mu was completely flustered. He couldn't contain himself and grabbed Qi Chengming's hand, bombarding him with questions: "Can this potato be used as a staple food? Is it easy to store? Is it difficult to grow?"
The questions were all spot on.
"Insolence!" Song Gu suddenly stepped forward, his face somewhat unpleasant. But after Qi Chengming waved his hand, he smoothly withdrew his angry expression, stepped back, and remained calm as if nothing had happened.
Xiao Dezi, who had followed, was stunned: "?"
Wow, that's something!
—My chance to shine was stolen by Steward Song!
Regardless of the circumstances, as a prince, being suddenly offended would inevitably cause those around him to defend him. However, these close associates all knew that His Highness didn't care about such trivial matters at all; he was a truly frugal and pragmatic person.
So what should we do?
You have to learn to change your expression like Steward Song.
"I apologize... I was offended." Prefect Mu steadied himself, realizing how offensive his actions had been, and quickly released his grip to apologize. But he couldn't afford to be agitated; he could see how many people around him were deeply moved. The more deeply the county magistrate and his clerk were connected to the people, the more they understood the suffering of the common people and how difficult farming was.
Now, anyone with a little mental arithmetic can guess how many earth-shattering changes this "potato" will bring.
Mu Maoshi was unable to remain calm.
"I regret to inform you that potatoes cannot replace staple food for tax payment, and they can easily lead to a complete crop failure if not planted carefully. Storing them in this warm and humid south is even more difficult." Qi Chengming's blunt words revealed the disappointment on Prefect Mu's face.
The people who had gathered around at some point unconsciously let out a frustrated sigh: "...Sigh."
It's all bad news.
“But its yield is indeed high. Think about it, in a disaster year like this… if potatoes were planted, how many people could be saved?” Qi Chengming asked with a smile.
He understood the fervor and fascination ancient people felt when potatoes suddenly appeared, but those officials who issued the order should have remained calm and rational, and not deified the potato. It wasn't a life-saving miracle food; it had many flaws, and it was merely a last resort.
“That’s enough…” Mu Zhizhou murmured, the first to show a satisfied smile, and then calmly expressed his opinion to Qi Chengming, “Does His Highness want us to promote potatoes?”
"What does Prefect Mu think?" Qi Chengming had been observing him coldly for a while, and politely asked in return.
Finding a way to get along with this Prefect Mu is the most urgent task, and now is the opportunity to test the waters.
How exactly should this right be divided?
"This is life-saving food. Your Highness is kind-hearted, so it is my duty to help you," Prefect Mu said calmly, his words short and forceful, yet conveying his goodwill. Although it was a reserved kind of goodwill.
"Okay." Qi Chengming smiled contentedly.
He understood Prefect Mu's bottom line and realized that this new prefect would not be someone to tie his hands. Because Qi Chengming genuinely cared for the people, Prefect Mu would only be bound to his cause and become his ally.
On this day, the experimental farm achieved a great victory—a total of thirty-seven bushels of potatoes were harvested from half an acre of land.
Many officials were so excited that their hearts were pounding, and the most moved couldn't hold back their tears. The officials from the counties who returned from there had no further objections and quickly drafted plans to promote the potato seedlings. However, the seedlings were scarce; the thirty-odd shi (a unit of dry measure) of seeds were only enough for promotion within Liuzhou City. The other counties would have to wait until the next spring's harvest if they wanted more…
However, none of this mattered to Qi Chengming anymore.
After Potato's successful appearance, he can happily complete the task and reap the reward.
It wasn't just the potato reward; there were also the phased rewards for rebuilding the entire Liuzhou city after the hurricane—six or seven in total. Qi Chengming, with his hoarding nature, patiently saved up until now before happily preparing to cleanse his hands and burn incense to claim them.
It's all because... those mission descriptions contained unknown random rewards.
What could it be?
A familiar-looking eunuch brought over a basin of water, and Qi Chengming absentmindedly and diligently washed his hands, feeling extremely uneasy. He had never been very confident in his luck. However, his various experiences after transmigrating made him feel that he was actually quite lucky, turning misfortune into good fortune.
"Hey, Worry-free!!"
A familiar voice, slightly breathless, interrupted Qi Chengming's thoughts as it approached from afar. Hurried footsteps followed, and ahead of him was Xiao Chengzi, who, with a troubled expression, had to cooperate with this uninvited guest, raising his voice to announce first, "Your Highness, Mr. Wen requests an audience!"
The Second Young Master Wen burst in almost simultaneously with the announcement.
He strode in, his long hair billowing behind him. The young man's expression was solemn and strange, a mixture of joy and doubt. His clear voice echoed throughout the flower hall: "Wuyou, you have no idea what I encountered in Hezhou this time!"
That was someone Wen Zhongnan, who would later become General Wen, knew.
That person has a great deal of connection with the Marquis of Weiyong's household, which means he has a connection with the new emperor.
Everything is fine, but... but why is Wen Zhongnan meeting the other person in Hezhou now?!
"What did you encounter?" Qi Chengming waved the towel, and the little eunuch carrying the basin of water tactfully left. He asked very tolerantly, his voice much softer.
Qi Chengming silently closed the infrastructure system page.
The lottery and prize collection... we'll talk about that later. Let me hear what happened first.
Having been trapped in Liuzhou City for several months, Qi Chengming had already tried everything around him to pass the time. Currently, he still spends his days reading books from the infrastructure system, handling miscellaneous tasks, and practicing playing the piano. But life without a cell phone is really tough; even though Qi Chengming has been in this world for so long, he still can't get used to it.
Therefore, he was extremely interested in Wen Er's experiences.
"I... well, it's hard to say. I saw someone." Wen Zhongnan didn't finish speaking until he sat down and poured himself a cup of tea, carefully considering how to describe it.
In his previous life, that person was also a trusted minister of the new emperor, a military general who fought in the south and north and made great achievements. But... he didn't emerge so early, and he shouldn't have appeared in Hezhou, which has nothing to do with him at all.
Wen Zhongnan didn't pay attention to the other party in the early stages, and only learned about his existence after they crossed paths on the battlefield later.
Now... all of this is so strange.
Wen Zhongnan suspected that the other person had also encountered a fortuitous event, as he hadn't seen them since their chance meeting that day. Wen Zhongnan hadn't taken many people with him to Hezhou, and after spending several days there without achieving anything, he decided to return home first.
Should I tell Wuyou about this?
If he tells her, there might be a risk of his past life being exposed; if he doesn't, Wuyou might miss an opportunity to get to know the other person earlier.
Such thoughts flashed through his mind, and before he could even hesitate for long, Wen Zhongnan readily rode back at top speed to report the news.
"Don't worry, don't worry! I've brought you back a big arm!!"
The part about his past life is not suitable to be told, and how he met the other person becomes the difficult point.
Wen Zhongnan blinked, vaguely making up an excuse for himself: "A few years ago, when I first ventured into the martial world, I had a brief encounter with the second young master of the Wang family on the frontier. This time, when I went to Hezhou to buy dried bayberries, I ran into a man with scars and a missing limb at the entrance of the oldest and most reputable Hongsheng Millet shop, and he..."
"He looks a lot like the Second Young Master Wang you know?" Qi Chengming asked sharply.
"Then what?"
“I wanted to verify it, but I can’t find him anymore.” Wen Zhongnan cleverly disguised what he knew from his past life as a guess. “He looked very unfamiliar when he saw me. Did he have amnesia?”
"Uh—" Qi Chengming couldn't help but draw out the sound, carefully considering how to tell Wen Er in a tactful way:
You only met once, or many years ago. Is it possible that most ordinary people wouldn't remember someone like that?
“Even if he doesn’t remember me,” Wen Zhongnan’s eyes curved into a smile as he presented even more irrefutable evidence, “His home is in the capital, so why doesn’t he go home? Even if it’s because the capital is far away, or he has some kind of conflict with his family, you are his cousin, and you live so close by… why doesn’t he come to you for refuge?”
"Wait, wait, wait..." Qi Chengming suddenly said in a very low voice, his brain almost tied in knots.
"Me...his cousin? Young Master Wang the Second?" The young prince finally grasped the key point, and he stood up abruptly, repeating incredulously, "—Young Master Wang the Second?!"
Qi Chengming's memories of the period immediately after he transmigrated were the most vivid, including how he anxiously prepared for his trip every day, how he was accepted by the original owner's maternal family, his maternal grandfather's loving eyes, his maternal grandmother's gentle hands, and his younger cousin Wang Shuo's indulgent gaze that seemed to defy the Heavenly Gang.
He grabbed Wen Er's wrist, pulled him around, and barged into the main room without hesitation: "Come with me."
In the main room, next to the bed, there is a screen to block out the view.
That was the Night Banquet painting that Qi Chengming brought from the capital, a painting embroidered by the original owner's mother after she entered the palace. It was filled with nostalgia for her time in her boudoir and longing for her loved ones.
Qi Chengming searched the screen for a moment, then pointed to a figure and asked Wen Er for confirmation, "You mean him? Young Master Wang?"
The youngest child in the painting, nicknamed "Radish Head," is the toddler among the two children nestled beside his uncle and aunt. He is Wang Shuo's older brother and the second son of his uncle, who had already died in battle.
At this moment, Qi Chengming's heart pounded. He suddenly remembered that it had been said his uncle and eldest cousin had died in battle, and his second cousin had gone missing on the battlefield. In such cases, it was generally assumed that they had died without a complete body and were gone.
Who could have imagined that so many years would have passed...
Qi Chengming stared at him expectantly with his eyes.
Wen Er stared at the screen for a long time, dumbfounded, his face contorted in pain: "Wuyou, you don't think I can recognize such a small, blurry child's face on the screen, do you? Don't doubt it, the person I'm talking about is none other than the Second Young Master Wang from the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion, your cousin."
The guess suddenly came true.
Qi Chengming suddenly stood up, feeling as if a fire was burning in his heart. He was genuinely happy for his maternal grandparents and cousin—they had given him gentleness and comfort when he was in a state of constant anxiety after his transmigration. If he could help them find their relatives, that would be wonderful!
I just hope all of this is real and not just a false alarm.
“We need to go to Hezhou to confirm that person’s identity. You don’t have enough manpower, so I’ll do it,” Qi Chengming said solemnly and seriously.
The Imperial Guards couldn't be moved, but that didn't matter. He was no longer the helpless, isolated youth who had just transmigrated. He had Bai Xuan's escort team, the many veterans sent by the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion, and his own merchant caravan... He could easily select skilled individuals to form several teams.
Qi Chengming couldn't help pacing back and forth in his bedroom, his thoughts more active than ever before.
There's no time to lose, we must set off immediately!
Qi Chengming summoned Xiao Dezi to pack his luggage and urged Xiao Chengzi to send someone to the estate to find Uncle Huang.
"Wuyou, what do you mean?" Wen Zhongnan sensed something was wrong; judging from this situation...
Qi Chengming shrugged and announced casually, "I'm going to Hezhou myself."
"..." Wen Zhongnan was silent for a moment, then asked quietly, "Do you still remember that you are now a prince who cannot enter the capital without being summoned, nor leave your fiefdom without being ordered?"
“Of course Prince Rui will stay in Liuzhou City,” Qi Chengming replied just as matter-of-factly. “But Qi Er is just a merchant; Qi Er can go out.”
Even without the incident with his second cousin, Qi Chengming would have found a reason to secretly leave the city sooner or later. It's impossible for him to remain cooped up in the fiefdom indefinitely. Leaving aside trivial matters like boredom (okay, actually quite important), just consider the talented people in the original story…
If Qi Chengming, who is eager to seize the throne, cannot leave his fiefdom, how can he win over his followers?
The person in Chang'an had a clear weakness, which is why Qi Chengming could send a chef from the imperial kitchen to exploit him. What about the others? He knew the plot; he couldn't just let them go and become an ally of the Seventh Prince in the original story, could he?
"There's really no other way." Young Master Wen sighed, playing with a strand of his hair and slapping his forehead. "I'll just have to make another trip."
"...I'll go with you."
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Author's note: Qi Chengming (happy): It really was a preordained fate. My cousin wrote to say he wanted to eat bayberries, and when Wen Er went to buy bayberries for me, I unexpectedly ran into my cousin.
Wang Shuo's cousin, far away in the capital, kept his achievements and fame hidden: "...Since I knew that family members could reunite, why did I wait so many more years?"
.
Two chapters combined, almost back to normal, will continue trying six chapters a day! If I can't manage that, I'll stick to three a day. Currently, I owe an extra chapter for nutrient solution, it looks like it's almost two chapters already, I'm trembling with fear.
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