Chapter 9, the first infrastructure task is complete...
Fortunately, Wei Yongbo's wait was short, and soon he saw an adult and a child holding hands, looking like they had a good relationship.
As she drew closer, the old lady's eyes suddenly reddened: "Look..."
She couldn't continue.
The old man's breath caught in his throat, his nose stung, and he forced a smile to keep himself from losing his composure: "Second...Your Highness."
The young man before them was thin, but handsome. His eyebrows, eyes, and nose looked exactly like their beloved daughter… She was the only daughter of their Marquis of Weiyong's family, cherished like a precious jewel for over a decade, only to enter the palace and never return. The little grandson left behind never heard any news from her, and even the few words he uttered suggested that she was not doing well.
To say there was no resentment... how could that be? But Old Uncle Weiyong could only remain silent.
This longing can only be buried deep in my heart.
The old lady and the old man never imagined they would see her like this again... In the blink of an eye, it was as if their daughter had reappeared before them with a beaming smile.
"Just call me Chengming. Grandfather, Grandmother." Qi Chengming waved his hands repeatedly, bowing to the two elders. By blood, this body belonged to their grandson. Even within the royal family, this relationship could not be severed. How could they be so distant?
"Good boy!" Having said that, the old lady couldn't hold back any longer. She pulled him into her arms, tears streaming down her face as she gently stroked him. Qi Chengming felt a little stiff, but he cherished this time with his elders, so he relaxed his shoulders, trying not to appear too tense.
"Where have you lived all these years? How have you been?" The old lady hugged him and asked him about everything in detail, from what he ate and wore to how his schooling went. But she never mentioned anything about the current emperor and the princes.
Qi Chengming was sweating profusely as he answered, barely managing to keep up the fight.
He wasn't the original owner of this body, so he could only deal with many issues vaguely, and he felt uneasy inside.
"..." Marquis Weiyong and the old lady exchanged a glance, their gazes both somewhat heavy.
My grandson's life in the palace... it's just too awful. He answered even these basic questions like that, trying so hard to cover things up. What about the deeper questions he didn't ask? Even with a long-time friend looking after him, it's still too far to help.
Sitting to one side, holding a cup of tea and pretending to wait, Wang Shuo, like a little adult, had a stern face and gritted his teeth.
How could he not have thought of the problems that adults have thought of?
He only regretted that he was reborn too late... and too young, so he couldn't take care of his cousin in the palace!
Wang Shuo, who had already risen to the position of Marquis of Weiyong in the new dynasty, had no idea how such a strange encounter had befallen him, but from that day on, he developed a greater reverence for the supernatural. At this moment, he couldn't help but earnestly pray to the gods and Buddhas in his heart: 'Is there any way to quickly help my cousin?'
"I have a difficult problem..." My cousin's hesitant voice rang out a moment later.
"There is no set precedent for princes to be enfeoffed in this dynasty, and I don't know what will happen to my Prince's Mansion then... Also, the roads in Liuzhou will be remote and difficult to travel. I would like to ask my maternal grandparents to help me find some craftsmen so that we can plan and design it together."
Wang Shuo: "...!!"
“I know!” he blurted out. “I know a reclusive garden master named Huang. Although he’s not famous, he’s really amazing!”
The old man looked on with some surprise: "You even know what 'a free spirit' means?"
—My grandson, who doesn't like studying, changes his attitude the moment he meets his cousin!
The old lady suppressed her emotions, barely managing to hold back her sorrow, and asked casually, "If the Prince's Mansion doesn't have a plan... won't the Imperial Clan Court send someone to take it there?"
No wonder everyone thinks the grandson has been exiled. What dynasty's princes were thrown out before their fiefdoms were even built?
“My uncle assigned me to three crafts families, but… it’s still not enough.” Qi Chengming shook his head somewhat embarrassedly.
If his only goal was to build a mansion, the reluctant craftsmen provided by the Imperial Clan Court would suffice. He could always find a way to win them over and turn them into his own assets. However, he also had the idea of carrying out infrastructure construction in Liuzhou. When it came to urban road planning... the level of these craftsmen was not up to par, nor were they suitable for the task. Among them, only one had relevant research experience and could barely pass the test.
However, his infrastructure project is still not complete—it is clear that he needs a second master with the relevant knowledge.
"I understand, I'll hurry up and inquire for you." Old Uncle Weiyong estimated that his grandson wouldn't be staying in the capital for long, so this was a very urgent matter. Even if he found someone, persuading him to go to Liuzhou would be a problem.
He solemnly agreed.
"Me too, I said it!" Wang Shuo protested indignantly.
"Fine—and that other one you mentioned!" Old Uncle Weiyong slapped him on the head, adding irritably, "Don't get in the way of your cousin's important business!"
"Don't worry!" Wang Shuo assured him confidently.
The adults assumed he'd overheard it somewhere and didn't hold out much hope. However, they knew that Master Huang was simply unknown in his youth, described as a recluse, but in reality, he was simply wandering the mountains and forests observing and learning, obsessed with construction. He only sold his wares when he needed money. It wasn't until later that his reputation gradually spread.
Wouldn't it have been wonderful if my cousin had discovered and utilized Master Huang when he was still unknown?
His memory will be of greater use now.
"I have some roughnecks kept in the manor. I'll send them off in a few days to scout out the way for you," Old Earl Weiyong added, his eyes holding a meaningful glint. "They're all clever fellows who are quite capable..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but patted Qi Chengming's shoulder. His large, rough hand was quite strong, and the pat made Qi Chengming feel a slight pain.
"Alright." Qi Chengming smiled and accepted the offer. Was the old Marquis of Weiyong worried that the hundred imperial guards sent by the Emperor would disobey him and become a hindrance? Or was he worried that he would face difficulties in Liuzhou, a place he knew no one?
Regardless of which one it was, Qi Chengming was currently in dire need of a reliable confidant, so he accepted the offer with peace of mind.
...These are all my grandfather's heartfelt wishes.
On his return trip, Qi Chengming was treated to a feast, and the Marquis of Weiyong's residence even sent a carriage to accompany him. He accepted this unfamiliar kinship with a bittersweet feeling, feeling reluctant to leave. Even Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi were entertained in the side hall, fed delicious snacks, and ate their fill.
—To my shame, such exquisite and novel snacks could not have been made in the palace without rewards and connections.
The people in the Second Prince's household had only eaten a little better in the last two days. Therefore, Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi were very fond of the food at the Marquis of Weiyong's residence, yet they tried their best to maintain their composure and not embarrass their Highness. (Although in the end, they were enthusiastically persuaded to eat quite a lot.)
Afterwards, the elderly couple, Lord Weiyong and his wife, remained silent for a long time after hearing the report from the head maid in the side hall who had deliberately acted this way.
They also brought along the pastry recipes they had treasured at home for their grandson.
...
Three days later, the specific time for Qi Chengming to go to his fiefdom was set for the beginning of next month.
The good news was that he still had more than half a month to pack and prepare his belongings. Even better news was that the master surnamed Huang readily agreed to go to Liuzhou with Qi Chengming, but he only trusted the Marquis of Weiyong's estate, and the contract was also made with the Marquis of Weiyong's estate, promising to have several guards accompany him. Once in Liuzhou, Qi Chengming was not allowed to restrict his freedom, and he had to be allowed to leave after designing the route.
"What exactly is he after?" Qi Chengming asked suspiciously. "He traveled so far just to design roads? Is he a complete madman?"
It sounds like they're serious about signing the contract. But they're also serious about not wanting to have anything to do with Qi Chengming.
"Now even the most worthless chickens and dogs dare to look down on the prince?!" Xiao Dezi was still sulking, unable to offer any answer. He thought it was that Master Huang, who had little fame but a ton of connections, who was so arrogant that he looked down on his prince.
Qi Chengming then turned his gaze to Xiao Chengzi, who remained silent and seemingly calm. Although Xiao Chengzi's meals had improved these past two days, his round face had actually thinned out, giving him a more mature and composed appearance.
“He has impure intentions; he should be kidnapped and taken to Liuzhou.” Xiao Chengzi frowned without hesitation and gave a more radical answer.
"..." There's no hope.
Qi Chengming decisively looked away and pondered on his own.
Is it possible that Master Huang is someone who has great ambition and ability but rarely gets the chance to practice on a large scale? Even if Master Huang were willing to pay out of his own pocket, he wouldn't let a country bumpkin like him do a job like building city roads.
I don't want to think about it too much.
The meat is all in his bowl now; we'll have to figure out a way to get it in the future. Surely someone as talented as Master Huang won't just fly away? That would be utterly useless.
Qi Chengming is very confident in himself.
He can now proceed with the infrastructure construction task—the task requires over one hundred people: the Imperial Guard must meet the standards. Two design and command experts: one is Craftsman Liu selected by the Imperial Clan Court, and the other is Master Huang; both of them meet the requirements. One chief steward: The name of Chief Steward Song will be assigned. One logistics officer…
Qi Chengming hesitated for a moment before writing down Bi Shu's name.
Bishu was the palace maid who planted many bean sprouts in the back hall, trying to improve his meals. Qi Chengming discovered that she was not only intelligent and studious, but also knew some basic arithmetic. She was a truly promising talent!
Experience!
Take them out and give them experience.
The infrastructure task panel flashed, indicating approval. The text changed to "(Completed)," and after refreshing, several e-books silently appeared on the panel: "Military Supply Rules," "Sun Tzu's Art of War: Marching Chapter (Annotated Edition)," and "The Record of Trades: New Annotated Edition."
"...Hoo." Qi Chengming took a deep breath, feeling both pain and pleasure.
The trip was coming, and he was both excited and apprehensive about learning so much over the next two weeks and mastering it all. But if he didn't learn, Qi Chengming was genuinely afraid he wouldn't be able to lead such a large, makeshift team all the way to Liuzhou. He had to grit his teeth and learn!
The Second Prince's two-week intensive college entrance exam preparation class starts today!
Study until you drop dead!
To the outside world, Qi Chengming even went to the library to borrow a few books as a cover, claiming that he wanted to find some mountain maps and gazetteers of Liuzhou to learn about them in advance. Once he got into it, he became so engrossed that he immersed himself in it for more than half a month.
Xiao Dezi understood his prince's anxiety and therefore offered his full support. He tried his best to handle any miscellaneous matters so as not to disturb his prince. Fortunately, the steward, Xiao Song, seemed to have a tacit understanding and helped him with the matters. The two of them worked together to resolve most of the issues, and their interactions were incredibly smooth.
Xiao Dezi thought to himself, puzzled.
He had always been quite possessive about who His Highness's most trusted person was. But strangely, he didn't feel any sense of crisis from Chief Steward Song's busy work...
It's like they've been working together for a long time and have gotten along well...?
A note from the author:
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