Chapter 154 The Second Prince is Mighty?! (Excerpt...)
For Emperor Hongren, who had just finished a rare day off, the content he heard at this grand court assembly was merely remnants of what had happened before the new year.
He frowned impatiently as he listened to the officials below the steps recount in detail how many things the second prince had done outside:
'Accepting filial piety' is perfectly reasonable.
'Driven by profit,' this is normal.
He secretly colluded with local officials, making them obey his orders. This vassal king was quite clever.
'The Yang family of Yulin oppressed the people, and Prince Rui took advantage of the riverbank incident to expose them completely, resulting in the exile of the entire clan…'
Naive thoughts and actions, but concern for the people... surprisingly, a bit perceptive and resourceful? Was it unintentional or genuinely perceptive?
'Many of these novel and highly profitable factories were established by the second prince…'
Emperor Hongren was shocked.
How can I not see that he has this ability or this talent?
Upon hearing this, the old emperor sat up slightly, became more attentive, and his spirits lifted.
Last year, the war left the country devastated and the treasury was so empty it could run a horse. He was a little envious of his second son's gluttonous appetite for money.
...He's not entirely useless, is he?
"The Wangji ration coupons, which circulate widely in the south, are highly likely backed by Prince Rui, and their prices in several cities are extremely stable. It's conceivable that this method might be applicable to the capital and other regions."
Emperor Hongren's thoughts came to a standstill.
who?
"And it was discovered that three or four kinds of divine grains, weighing up to a thousand catties each, were being grown in Liuzhou... The local people lived in peace and prosperity, and everyone sang of the Star Lord's blessings."
Emperor Hongren sat expressionlessly on his throne, still deep in thought.
What?
Not to mention the emperor was dumbfounded.
The entire court buzzed as if a pot of water were boiling. The ministers exchanged incredulous glances, verifying the testimonies of the officials who had stepped forward to report, and the officials who followed to corroborate their statements.
Everyone double-checked it.
Who is this ginseng?
Are you talking about the second prince?
Is he the same "Prince Rui" who was unremarkable from childhood, sandwiched between the eldest and third princes, so that the ministers barely remembered him, he was not favored by His Majesty, and was thrown out as soon as he came of age, with his chosen fiefdom being a godforsaken place like Liuzhou?
Liuzhou?
Has it become a prosperous new place, overflowing with wealth?
How come I can understand each word individually, but the combination of them is so absurd?
"Last year, no, the year before last, didn't Liuzhou suffer a disaster? They even sent your relief team there." An official who was on good terms with Wang Chuandao grabbed his friend and asked, somewhat doubting his own memory.
At that time, Liuzhou was practically nonexistent. Even a high-ranking official like Grand Secretary Mu was worried about his son, and in desperation, he submitted a memorial to the court accusing the emperor of favoritism. The Lingnan region of Liuzhou, like the harsh and cold lands to the north, was despised and considered a worthless and remote place that no one wanted to even look at.
Shipyards would not be built in that area.
This is... more than a year later, and Liuzhou is now known as "Little Jiangnan"?
The ministers looked at each other, and no matter how eloquently the impeaching officials spoke, accusing Prince Rui of causing much public resentment, the ministers were reluctant to believe it was true.
"Wang Chen, you two have been to the south, tell me, is this true or false?" Emperor Hongren had patiently listened to the argument for a long time, but his mind was completely confused. He interrupted the conversation and called out Wang Chuandao and Shen Shuzhi, the two former imperial envoys.
Wang Chuandao and Shen Shuzhi exchanged a glance from afar.
Even without any prior notice, the two stepped forward together, cupped their hands in response, and said:
“Your Majesty, when I went to provide disaster relief, all I saw were rebuilt houses and a mess everywhere. I couldn’t see anything else.” “Your Majesty, the Yulin floods have lasted for many years. The local people are deeply entrenched and no powerful clans are innocent. I dare not disobey Prince Rui’s orders.”
Try your best to distance yourself from the situation, to completely clear yourself of any wrongdoing.
Emperor Hongren above fell silent again, his expression unreadable as he pondered something.
An unassuming imperial censor silently surveyed the noisy court, and suddenly had an epiphany.
One after another, people claiming to be related to the new emperor are popping up...
There must be some of their reborn people mixed in here!
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Author's Note: This chapter is short because it's to fill a ranking gap! Whew, I'm exhausted...
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