Chapter 157 Prince Rui's Concealment? Yes...
"cough……"
Dai Xiyu hurriedly came out of the east courtyard, coughed twice, and looked very uncomfortable.
"Eunuch Dai, how is it going?" Song Gu asked with a forced smile. "You can hand these people over to us for detention, or do whatever you want with them. Our Prince's Mansion will cooperate."
"No, cough, we'll have to trouble Steward Song for a while longer. He'll escort you back after we leave." Dai Xiyu forced a polite greeting, while the palace guards who were with him listened in silence, exchanging glances discreetly.
When the newly appointed governor of Yulin committed a crime, he was summoned back by order of the emperor. Just then, the imperial eunuch and his guards came to Liuzhou and took the offending official with them on their way back.
So Dai Xiyu still kept this matter in mind.
Who would have thought that this convicted official... and his henchmen, were still imprisoned in the Prince's mansion in Liuzhou? Even though rumors had spread from His Majesty that he would be reprimanded, Dai Xiyu had assumed they would at least be transferred to the county jail as a formality.
Having witnessed their plight firsthand, Dai Xiyu was astonished by their wretched state. They appeared respectable, seemingly unaffected by any mistreatment, but did the eunuchs not know the ways of secretly torturing people?
There were only a few people in total, and they were all kept in separate cells, with no one to talk to. It's unclear how long they've been locked up alone.
Upon seeing them arrive, he was overjoyed, tears streaming down his face, appearing as if he had suffered a great injustice. He was so vulnerable, unlike the corrupt official who used to be able to do whatever he wanted.
Ouch... to turn someone like this.
If word gets out, it'll just be that they've locked him up for questioning. This second prince really isn't very magnanimous!
After Dai Xiyu came out, his attitude became inexplicably much more respectful.
"Come, everyone, you've come from afar. The Prince Rui's residence doesn't have much to offer, but we've prepared a feast to welcome you. Please—" Song Gu invited with a smile. This time, Dai Xiyu didn't refuse and hurriedly accepted, somewhat humbly.
We had a satisfying meal and drinks.
Even though Dai Xiyu had been somewhat apprehensive before, he relaxed considerably in his drunken state. The atmosphere at the banquet became lively, and Song Gu invited a group of people from the county government to sit with him, including Qin Liusong, who was adept at currying favor, making the scene even more festive.
"Your Excellency, you look much more haggard lately?" Once the atmosphere warmed up, Song Gu no longer needed to keep company, allowing the visitor from the capital to secretly inquire about news. Song Gu simply turned to talk to the Liuzhou County Magistrate sitting nearby.
"Sigh." The county magistrate had heavy dark circles under his eyes, his face was pale, and he looked listless, as if he had been working on official business for many days in a row, exuding a faint sense of death.
Upon hearing Song Gu's question, the county magistrate could only sigh with reluctance, "Master Qin... he's been a bit excited lately."
That's a very euphemistic way of putting it.
Around the end of the year, Master Qin, for some unknown reason, began to calculate all the changes in Liuzhou over the past three years, write reports, and leave behind new development details for the next six months. Because he was so busy with all aspects, the entire county government was also forced to get busy.
A quick-witted person noticed his unusually busy pace and approached to ask what was wrong. The question was like a bolt from the blue: Master Qin was planning to finalize the entire five-year project!
The county magistrate was truly living a life worse than death, but the other party had paid him a generous fee for his trouble. Since their county office had always listened to Master Qin, they could only complain a bit and keep the gentleman company.
"No matter how hard you work, you must take care of yourself," Song Gu said with concern, deliberately picking out these words to chat with acquaintances. Pretending not to see the guards going out to sober up, he subtly asked someone a question.
The more Dai Xiyu inquired, the more cold sweat broke out on her brow.
What……
They've traveled through five or six large prefectures, all using something called "Wang Ji Ping Piao," which is supposedly the most widely circulated currency in the south. Even outsiders like them face restrictions when trying to redeem these piao. Even bringing up their connections in the palace doesn't grant them any special privileges. This almost made Dai Xiyu very angry, and he's making a mental note of it, waiting to report back.
Is this kind of thing... part of Prince Rui's property?
With just this one point, Dai Xiyu suddenly understood why His Majesty had asked him to investigate secretly.
'Oh my god!!'
When they returned to their lodgings—Steward Song had arranged two small courtyards for them to stay in the Prince's mansion—Dai Xiyu and the other guards who were responsible for gathering information were even more bewildered when they compared the information.
Sweet potatoes, corn, and potatoes—each yielding over a thousand catties per mu (approximately 0.16 acres)...
Wow, really?
Are the glass artifacts that are so popular in Kyoto actually made in Liuzhou?
Compared to these critical issues, everything else is trivial.
No wonder that unfortunate governor ended up in Liuzhou through shady dealings; it's not just a lucrative opportunity, it's something everyone would be envious of. So, really, could an ordinary prince have achieved such merit quietly?
Of course His Majesty is anxious!
Dai Xiyu then recalled a piece of information that someone at the banquet had inadvertently revealed—that the local prefect seemed to be in close communication with the capital recently, and that there seemed to be quite a few strangers coming to Liuzhou lately.
He thought of His Majesty's style of doing things and felt a chill.
No, His Majesty said he wanted to hear his report, but he might have secretly sent people to investigate as well. This two-pronged approach, one overt and one covert, is His Majesty's plan. If he doesn't try to tell the truth... he'll be seen as a traitor!
Thinking of this, Dai Xiyu's original tendency to avoid the situation disappeared, leaving only urgency.
He leaned forward, sitting in front of the candlelight, staring intently at the guards, and asked, "Tell me again what you just saw, Prince Rui... isn't there something wrong with it?"
"That's right." The two guards exchanged glances before truthfully reporting, "We just saw Prince Rui..."
"I can smell it; it's the smell of medicine, though I can't quite place what it is," another person said. He added that he had been frail and sickly since childhood and only grew up around the age of ten, so he was very good at recognizing familiar medicinal smells.
"Is he secretly ill? Does he not want us to find out?" Dai Xiyu wondered suspiciously.
He instinctively wanted to gather more information about Prince Rui's weaknesses or vulnerabilities.
"While we're staying here, keep your spirits up and observe carefully." Dai Xiyu continued in a low voice, methodically instructing the guards, specifying who should inquire about what. "Alright, go ahead."
These are the details that Prince Rui wanted to hide from them and from His Majesty, but Dai Xiyu wanted to find out. What to do when they got back was up to His Majesty.
"Understood." The guards, outwardly obeying the imperial eunuch, went back to rest without further ado.
However, one of the guards lay on the couch and secretly reviewed everything he had observed that day in his mind. He recited the wording of the memorial in his mind before falling asleep.
In another room, a guard tossed and turned, finally lighting a candle and secretly writing a letter, his face filled with worry and his teeth clenched.
'Wasn't it agreed that the prefect was also one of our men? Is this a betrayal?' 'His Highness Prince Rui is not in good health; I will find a way to examine the dregs of the medicine…'
That night, everyone in the small east courtyard had different thoughts.
Over the next three or four days, the guards used every trick in the book.
Because of the arrival of people from the capital, Qi Chengming hid the militia in secret and sent them to Lingnan for training. This allowed him to disperse the Imperial Guards into the city to fill the security gaps, making the defenses of Prince Rui's residence visibly weaker.
The rest is none of Qi Chengming's business.
The guards were all veterans who had retired from the battlefield; this was already the result of him going easy on them. If even the guards from the capital couldn't fool them, then there was nothing that could be done.
For this reason, Qi Chengming even summoned Commander Mao and instructed him to tell the spies in Liuzhou that if they encountered anyone asking questions at pharmacies or clinics, or spying on fields and factories, they should not report it for the time being, but just keep a close watch on them.
This was also to make it easier for them to act; otherwise, Qi Chengming was afraid that if the guards made any unusual moves, they would be taken to the county government.
How can the play continue like that?
Qi Chengming wasn't doing nothing these past few days, just playing along with the head eunuch. After the New Year, Liuzhou would be busy preparing for spring planting again.
Last year, Liuzhou's population doubled, and there were plenty of people willing to reclaim wasteland or relocate to the Lingnan region for farming. A rough estimate suggests that this year, tens of thousands of acres of fertile land can be cultivated. This would not only allow Liuzhou to be self-sufficient, but also, barring major natural or man-made disasters, provide relief to neighboring prefectures in case of emergencies.
In the states where rationing is available, people can probably imagine the beautiful scene of not starving to death.
—Although the term "fertile land" is often misleading, and newly reclaimed land isn't much better in the first few years, what can you expect when high-yield crops are planted there? So-so is acceptable. As long as the people can barely survive, and don't even mention going hungry, that's already considered a great deed.
Meanwhile, Shen Shuzhi received a letter from the capital containing details about Mr. Qin's engagement.
His Majesty has surprisingly announced the suspension of the talent show this year.
This is good news for Qi Chengming and those who have daughters of school age.
Qin Liusong's former father-in-law's family was not in a hurry to choose a son-in-law. After Shen Shuzhi's wife inquired indirectly, she also got the hint that the girl who had been engaged was not happy and had caused some trouble.
"Mr. Qin, look." Qi Chengming then brought Qin Liusong over and shared the good news with him, "There's no need to rush for now."
"Phew...that's good, that's good." Qin Liusong felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart, and he murmured with a hint of joy.
Anything he says or promises now is meaningless.
Once he has studied properly and is going to take the imperial examination—or before that, he can return to the capital with the new emperor and then reconnect with the emperor—we can then try to rekindle our relationship.
Otherwise, no matter how anxious Qin Liusong was, it would be useless.
"I've heard that Mr. Qin has been very diligent at the yamen lately?" Qi Chengming raised his eyebrows and looked at him.
Qin Liusong, having his plan exposed, couldn't help but look somewhat embarrassed: "Your Highness, it's better to be safe than sorry. However, I will be careful..."
"Take care of your health. It's kind of you to take care of things in Liuzhou, but you should be more concerned about your own future." Qi Chengming couldn't help but worry about Qin Liusong and gave him a few words of advice in his old-fashioned manner.
Mr. Qin is so foolish!
At this critical juncture, why is Mr. Qin not putting aside most of his affairs to focus on studying, but instead busy making arrangements for Liuzhou's future? Those arrangements are indeed important, but they are not indispensable for Qin Liusong to make.
Don't focus too much on official business and forget about your personal matters!
"Yes, yes." Qin Liusong repeatedly admitted his mistake, enjoying the feeling of being nagged by the new emperor.
He never mentioned that he was originally a learned man who needed to study diligently, but he didn't need to exert himself like a candidate who had never studied before.
...
After being busy for five or six days, Qi Chengming turned his attention back to the mansion and finally waited until Eunuch Dai and his group found out the truth.
"So they finally know I'm poisoned?" Qi Chengming's eyes lit up, feeling that things had taken a turn for the better.
He was busy these days, but he had to feign illness from time to time, pretending to be dizzy, vomiting, and having nightmares. He also had to put on makeup and sneakily pretend to take medicine. The entire main courtyard was busy playing along with his act, running around like crazy.
At first, Qi Chengming was quite excited, but once he got really busy, he started to complain that it affected his efficiency... He finally realized it!
"...They even identified the type of poison His Highness was suffering from." Doctor Bian's expression was somewhat subtle and strange.
In this respect, he, a proper doctor, had to admit that he had lost to the Grand Eunuch of the palace.
They're just more familiar with each other!
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