When Hua Jin brought Xiao Huai to a mansion, Xiao Huai met Hua Shi, the former king of the Western Regions and now the governor of the Western Regions, though he didn't recognize him.
Previously, the one who held power in the Western Regions was not the current one, but his father and several of his more powerful brothers. He was just a prince who had been ostracized and hunted down and had fled to the Great Jin Dynasty because he could not gain a foothold in the Western Regions.
Therefore, Xiao Huai did not take him seriously at that time.
In the clean and bright courtyard, Hua Shi was playing with his two-year-old grandson, while his wife was pruning the leaves of an orchid.
"Hua Jin, what brings you here?"
Hua Shi saw Hua Jin come in and asked with a smile.
Hua Jin then introduced Xiao Huai behind him to him, and Hua Shi's gaze then shifted from his grandson to Xiao Huai, sizing him up.
Both sides were somewhat unfamiliar with each other, but Hua Shi's wife, Princess Qinghuan, looked at Xiao Huai a few times and felt that he looked familiar, "The Third Prince?"
Although the Third Prince had been demoted to a commoner, people still hadn't changed their way of addressing him when they first met him.
Xiao Huai also looked at Qing Huan, and after a while, he recognized her and asked in surprise, "You are... Qing Huan?"
Hua Shi had initially worried that someone was impersonating him, but now that his wife recognized him, he quickly smiled and had tea served.
After catching up for a while, Xiao Huai said, "The Western Regions are vast and the way of life is different from that of the Central Plains. Are you getting used to living here?"
Hua Shi stroked his beard and smiled happily, "At first we were a little unaccustomed to it, but the capital is bustling and convenient in every way, so we like it very much."
Seeing Hua Shi's contentment, Xiao Huai felt a pang of disappointment. He probed further with a few more questions, but Hua Shi remained cheerful, like a happy old man. Xiao Huai realized that Hua Shi lacked ambition.
After Xiao Huai left, Hua Shi shook his head and sighed to his wife, "This third prince is probably still resentful."
Qinghuan was also worried, "Won't something bad happen?"
“I don’t think it’s that serious,” Hua Shi continued to tease his grandson. “Even if something happens, it won’t be a big deal. Things are different now than before.”
In the past, perhaps one person with a horse could start a rebellion by raising a banner. After all, even in a prosperous capital, there would be poor people suffering and unable to make a living. But now, look around. Not to mention the Great Jin Dynasty, even remote places like the Western Regions and Xiaoliang County have been thriving under the Great Jin's rule. The people are well-fed, well-clothed, and enjoy all kinds of conveniences. Who would be so bored as to start a rebellion?
And even if we take a step back and assume there was an uprising, were the manufacturing battalions of the Great Jin Dynasty just sitting around doing nothing? Back in the day, the Great Jin Dynasty had only a thousand men and they managed to make ten thousand barbarian troops kneel and kowtow, all thanks to the weapons developed by the manufacturing battalions.
Xiao Huai walked along the bustling streets, feeling somewhat dazed.
This street is still a street in the capital, but it doesn't seem like it. This Great Jin is still the Great Jin, but it doesn't seem like it either.
If the rulers of the Western Regions were like this, one can imagine that the rulers of other vassal states were no better.
He stopped, looked up and sighed, lamenting that in all the world he had, there was not a single person he could rely on.
While in prison, he was full of hope, but now that he's out, he feels utterly powerless.
Before he knew it, he had arrived outside the city. But even though it was outside the city, it was still bustling, with streets, shops, and stalls everywhere.
The horn sounded again, and Xiao Huai looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a long, snake-like vehicle approaching. Curious, he walked over, but after a couple of steps, he was bumped into by someone running towards him.
The man swore at him, but it seemed someone was chasing him, so he stopped cursing and ran away.
Xiao Huai noticed that the two people chasing him were dressed in the same clothes, so he assumed they were some kind of government officials and didn't pay them any attention.
He wandered aimlessly through the streets, saw a magical long vehicle, was amazed by the telepathic conversation, and even saw something like a large bird flying rumbling in the sky!
He wandered around until noon, when his stomach started growling. He had been robbed of all his belongings and had no money for food, so he could only sit down on a step by the roadside and decide to find something to do first before making further plans.
He knows too little about the current Great Jin Dynasty; he must first gain a complete understanding of it.
Just as he was about to get up to see where he could stay, he suddenly felt something was wrong with his arms. He reached in and rummaged around and pulled out a thin black thing. When he unfolded it, he found a hidden compartment inside, which contained several silver notes.
Xiao Huai frowned and thought for a moment. It must have been put in by that person when he was bumped into. He sneered. He was just worried about not having money. This was really easy money.
Before he could even take a step, someone put their arm around his shoulder and took the silver notes from his hand.
"What? Bro, you want to swallow it yourself?"
Xiao Huai looked over and saw a young thug in his twenties. Besides him, there were several others who surrounded him, including the man who had bumped into him earlier.
Xiao Huaiqian not only failed to get the money, but also got a good beating. While he was being beaten, a group of people suddenly appeared from the crowd and arrested all the people who were beating him.
They had been watching this group of pickpockets for several days, and today they deliberately let one of them succeed so they could catch them all at once.
However, innocent people were caught up in it.
One of the men in uniform came over and helped Xiao Huai up. He seemed to be the leader of the group. The two of them looked at each other and realized, "Uh... isn't this an old acquaintance?"
This man was none other than Erzhu, who had previously promoted the Star Worship Cult's plot to rebel; he was one of Prince Rong's sons who had been sold at birth.
Ten years ago, the emperor met not only the third prince but also him and revealed his background. He was deeply shocked at the time, but he quickly came to terms with it. Moreover, after being imprisoned for so many years, his temperament had changed. He only wanted to get out and live a peaceful life, watching his younger siblings get married and have children, rather than dying in a dark and gloomy prison.
So, ten years ago, they were released and assigned to work as security guards at the train station, which gave them a job to make a living.
When were you released?
Although he was arrogant and ignored everyone in the prison cell, Erzhu was still very friendly to Xiao Huai after they had been imprisoned together for more than ten years.
"This morning."
Xiao Huai still didn't really want to talk to Erzhu, but he didn't know anyone outside, so maybe he could find a place to stay through this person.
Erzhu was also enthusiastic. He used to hate the court and its officials, but now the outside world was wonderful, and the court was not the corrupt one he had imagined. Instead, it was a place of integrity and justice.
He not only helped Xiao Huai find a place to stay, but also found him a job at the train station.
Erzhu has worked here for ten years and is a mid-level leader, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to bring someone in. However, when Xiao Huai's information was entered into the computer, the relevant personnel noticed it and reported it up the chain of command, eventually reaching the current emperor, Xiao Yi.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
