Chapter 160 (Chapter 160) - Creating a Character
Speaking of caravans...
After more than a year of development, and with various new and expensive products finding markets, Qi Chengming's caravan is now thriving in Jiangnan and has taken root completely. After jointly establishing a factory with Guanyang, the hometown of the He family, its development has expanded even further, with local wealthy families and officials providing support and protection.
Many veterans, who had been at the forefront for the sake of their families and possessions, toiled and struggled in the caravans for the first year, growing weary and exhausted. Now, they have different options for retirement—
They could either go to Liuzhou, where under His Highness's protection they could honestly farm and no longer worry about heavy taxes and oppressive officials and gentry, or they could stay in the factories of Guanyang, happily continuing their business while being pampered.
The former earns less, but they have enough to eat and wear and can live a good life without having to worry about anything. The latter earns much more, but it is relatively less stable, and they have to work harder and observe for a while longer.
Most of the veterans who were completely unable to work chose to go to Liuzhou, where they became farmers, earning a living from the land and living a prosperous life. Those who still had some drive chose to retire to the second line and stay in Guanyang.
Qi Chengming sent a letter to the caravan leader, asking him again for details about Lord Xie and the woodblock prints.
"...Perhaps this letter of mine was written in vain," Qi Chengming said with a smile as he blew on the ink to dry the letter.
He wrote it after Bai Xuan returned from visiting the sick.
Although Bai Xuan himself and the Bai family behind him are very important to Qi Chengming, one thing is one thing, and the matter of the caravan is still a secret to them.
At that moment, Xiao Dezi was sitting on the porch outside the front yard, painfully learning how to handle general affairs from the two stewards, Song Gu and Xiao Chengzi. Xiao Chengzi, who was forced to help with writing, was also getting restless from the noise of people coming and going.
This was requested by Qi Chengming.
Over the years, Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi have been influenced by what they've seen and heard – if Song Gu hadn't been so capable and Liuzhou hadn't been so small, and if Chief Steward Song hadn't single-handedly managed both the internal and external affairs, they would have been left with no opportunity to use their talents.
He'll probably be returning to Beijing soon, and Qi Chengming will face an even more complex situation. He'll need to bring them out again for some intensive training. They may not do anything substantial then, but they will undoubtedly be his strongest shield.
Xiao Dezi was completely overwhelmed.
But when he thought about how if he had been more knowledgeable and noticed the abnormality on the washbasin when His Highness was poisoned, he wouldn't have just watched His Highness suffer in vain. So he gritted his teeth and continued to learn.
The reasons why Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi appeared in the front yard, which was unusual for them, were readily available.
During the New Year, the servants are less disciplined and their hearts are restless. Now, Eunuch De and Eunuch Cheng have come personally to tighten their belts for them. They don't need to do anything; just sitting there represents the Prince's will.
Xiao Dezi continued to grit his teeth. Xiao Chengzi, feeling dizzy from the commotion, planned to come in for a cup of tea. He couldn't help but look admiringly at His Highness, who seemed completely unaffected, and chimed in, "Why? Could it be that the recipient of Your Highness's letter can read minds and already knows what Your Highness is going to write?"
“I asked him about this at the end of last year. If there is any new information recently, I don’t need to ask him anymore—I’m afraid the reply is already on its way.”
Qi Chengming lowered his voice in the room, obscuring the specific details of the matter, and shared it with a smile.
Based on the original plot, he could deduce that the woodblock prints were related to Xie Zhongyun. The caravan knew he was paying close attention to Lord Xie, and once they found out, wouldn't they have to report urgently? Only after confirming this could Qi Chengming decide how exactly he should intervene.
I vaguely remember that Lord Xie was in a very difficult and dangerous situation when fighting against the salt merchants. This time, I will finally be able to lend a hand and get closer to him!
Yes.
Salt was being produced illegally in Lingnan, and the output was quite substantial. Although his men would only be considered mid-level salt merchants in Jiangnan, it was still illegal salt production.
Since Lord Xie is destined to bring down some arrogant and unscrupulous salt merchants who refuse to obey, why doesn't Qi Chengming take this opportunity to have his own people take their place? If things go well, not only can he secretly help them, but his own people can also be laundered without anyone noticing and obtain a few salt permits to sell salt properly.
"As long as Your Highness is happy." Xiao Chengzi didn't quite understand, but he still cheered along and said simply.
"I'm not happy about that right now. I'm happy about something else." Qi Chengming changed the subject. "You know, a new prisoner has been exiled to Lingnan. His family is currently farming while they are ill. I'm planning to provide them with porridge and medicine and send someone to look after them."
"Is there anything special about that person's identity?" Song Gu, who was outside the door, asked with interest as he poked his head in.
Even though he never paid any attention to it, he knew that His Highness had important plans in Lingnan. Many prisoners were sent to Lingnan and disappeared without a trace, like gold-devouring beasts that only took in and never came out.
Although this is not surprising at all in Lingnan, where countless people die every year in exile areas full of poisonous insects and miasma, and most of them are delicate prisoners who have been exiled, His Highness's work can be hidden in the middle and not be noticed at all.
But... that person was only assigned to ordinary farming in Lingnan, instead of being sent to participate in His Highness's affairs, and was given special care. There must be something special about him.
Song Gu racked his brains for a long time, but couldn't remember.
"Have you forgotten everything?" Qi Chengming looked at the bewildered faces of his trusted confidants and reminded them, "Do you still remember the Third Prince's cousin?"
He was also Shen Shuzhi's junior brother, the son of the former Minister of Rites, and Yu Tong, whose entire family was exiled because of the case of the Third Prince.
Even the Lunar New Year didn't stop the prisoners from setting off; they had finally arrived in Lingnan.
"Ah... the Third Prince's man!" Xiao Dezi exclaimed, his first reaction being confusion, "But Your Highness, why are you treating him so kindly?"
Qi Chengming was originally going to give the answer, but seeing Xiao Dezi ask without thinking, he shut his mouth and smiled instead.
Steward Hua was engrossed in checking the accounts without even looking up, his pen practically sparking with ink. Steward Liu, however, noticed something amiss and peeked inside, only to be met with the young prince's dangerous smile. Startled, he didn't dare look away.
Song Gu paused for a moment, a faint smile unconsciously appearing on his face. He simply waited for Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi to think, no longer intending to give them any pointers, and pretended not to see their gazes.
They dare to ask such a simple question without even thinking about it, which shows how much they've spoiled them.
Xiao Dezi stammered for a moment, then sat up straight and looked at Xiao Chengzi, quickly trying to cover for himself. "The Third Prince used to bully the people under our Second Prince's command... He is the Third Prince's cousin and the leader of the Third Prince's faction. Now that he's in our hands... my first thought was to bully him back."
Xiao Dezi sheepishly admitted his pettiness: "This time it's our turn to turn the tables and bully him."
"However, His Highness must have his reasons." Xiao Chengzi, who always worked seamlessly with Xiao Dezi, quickly filled in the gaps, racking his brains for a solution.
"Is the reason we're taking care of him now... because he's still Lord Shen's... junior brother? Are we trying to win over Lord Shen and that group of Hexi faction officials in court?"
"And he's only fit to stay and farm; he can't go anywhere else." Xiao Dezi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Could he stay as a pawn in the future? Someone to restrain the Third Prince? Because he's from the Third Prince's maternal family, we can't just ignore him no matter what."
Despite saying that, Xiao Dezi was still a little confused. The Third Prince was clearly doomed, so why was he still being so cautious and restraining? This could only be attributed to His Highness's excessive caution.
"More or less." Qi Chengming highlighted Xiao Dezi's words at the top, "Because he's only suited to stay and farm, it's better to give him a favor."
Yu Zong was of little value, but he couldn't be sent to work at the seaside dock.
Shen Shuzhi's feelings must be taken into consideration. Aside from his political stance, the former Minister of Rites, who was retiring, was very capable and had a wide network of connections. Although he was forced to retire and return to his hometown, wasn't he actually still resentful? He still had so much to contribute, and Qi Chengming was already planning his next move.
All of this combined determined the outcome of Qi Chengming's favors and ingratitude, since he hadn't taken care of that family during their exile, and Yu Tong had truly suffered all the hardships they deserved.
Qi Chengming only intended to take revenge on the culprits in the palace on behalf of the original owner of this body.
The third prince is also associated with himself, his group of companions, the palace servants who acted like foxes borrowing the tiger's power, and Consort Rong, the third prince's mother, who schemed to drive the wet nurse Liu out of the palace.
"And isn't it Your Majesty who wants to see if I will retaliate against this person?" Qi Chengming suddenly laughed and asked in return.
Otherwise, the north is a harsh and war-torn region, and it's not necessary to exile people to Lingnan in the past two years. Instead, the key figures of the Third Prince's faction should be genuinely demoted to the sphere of influence of the Second Prince, who has a grudge against the Third Prince…
Isn't it obvious what kind of result you want to see?
Song Gu frowned, deep in thought: "Is His Majesty... testing His Highness's reaction?"
"Perhaps he just wanted me to retaliate." Qi Chengming shrugged, not delving into it further. It was possible he was trying to curry favor with him; Emperor Hongren probably hadn't thought that far ahead at the time.
But Qi Chengming couldn't help but overthink it.
Once he has fully entered Emperor Hongren's eyes and become a prince with the right to inherit the throne, who is being rigorously scrutinized, Emperor Hongren will think over and over all the things he has done, judge his thoughts from his behavior, and observe his ideas.
The attitude towards the other princes was of paramount importance.
Unfortunately, the original owner of this body, the second prince, had been bullied since childhood, and he had no affection for the two younger princes. Qi Chengming was forced to pretend to be a brother, but he couldn't pull it off. He harbored no resentment at all? Emperor Hongren would never believe it. He might appear pleased on the surface, but in reality, he couldn't let go of his worries.
Therefore, Qi Chengming had to maintain the original owner's aloof and cold attitude towards the other princes, but—
Look.
He was even willing to spare the most crucial person in the Third Prince's faction—the Third Prince's own cousin. Does the brothers' attitude even need further questioning?
If Emperor Hongren truly wanted to choose an heir, he might worry that after his death, Qi Chengming would vent his resentment on the other princes, no longer favoring them and making their lives less than ideal. However, he wouldn't worry about their basic wealth and honor, or even that Qi Chengming would kill his brothers.
This is the persona that Qi Chengming wanted to portray.
In reality—he wanted to kill the Third Prince. The original owner of this body suffered a lot of bullying, and most of the hardships he endured from childhood to adulthood came from the Third Prince's family. In the end, it was his turn to transmigrate. He really couldn't tell whether he was scolded to death by Emperor Hongren in the court or whether it was a series of causes brought about by his long-term poor health.
Qi Chengming still remembered the promise he made to the original owner of this body when he transmigrated.
He will avenge that poor child, who was merely a background character mentioned only briefly in the original book.
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The author says: I've calculated the time, and each time I get sick again, it never lasts more than a week. I'm numb to it.
My head still hurts a lot today, but it's Wednesday, so I'm forcing myself to come online and update this post to catch up on the rankings.
If I stay this weak and keep getting sick, I'll just stop applying for rankings during the Lunar New Year period and take a break from writing altogether.
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