Chapter 3333 If You Don’t Understand, Don’t Change It
Nan Yan said, "Then, when will the emperor take me over to take a look?"
"You want to go over there?"
"certainly!"
Nan Yan acted as if it was a matter of course, even raising her voice several degrees. "Your Majesty brought me to Handongwei this time, wasn't it about the Parthian envoys? How could I refuse to go when they are here?"
“…”
"Or—"
Nan Yan deliberately glanced at him and tugged at her sleeve, saying, "Your Majesty doesn't want me to go to the Lotus Heart Hall?"
Naturally, her words had a sour taste.
Although he was originally in a heavy mood, after a few jokes and joking around, Zhu Feng seemed to have somewhat escaped the heaviness of the nightmare that had been haunting him for so many years. Looking at the young woman in front of him, he shook his head and smiled.
"You can go if you want."
When Nan Yan heard this, she said to him, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Despite saying so, Zhu Feng fell ill again that evening. He still had a fever, though it wasn't severe, but the recurring low-grade fever in this weather was still extremely torturous. Nan Yan stayed by his side, practically refusing to eat or drink, carefully serving him tea and water. Every time she brought him a brewed medicine, she tasted it first before slowly feeding it to Zhu Feng.
After three days of careful care, the fever subsided.
Nan Yan had also been tormented to the point of losing almost all her weight. When Zhu Feng regained consciousness, he looked at her haggard appearance and couldn't help but hold her hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Nan Yan's eyes were red from staying up late, but she finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him wake up.
So she sat by the bed and said angrily, "If Your Majesty doesn't take care of your health, it won't be you who will fall ill first, but me."
Zhu Feng smiled.
Nan Yan helped him eat something, then moved a few steps in the yard. After dark, she went to bed early. This was the first time Nan Yan had lain down on the bed in the past few days. She cautiously got into Zhu Feng's arms, holding his waist, which had become much thinner, tightly with both hands.
Zhu Feng smiled and lowered his head: "What's wrong?"
Nan Yan buried her face in his arms and whispered, "Why is the emperor always sick lately?"
Zhu Feng smiled bitterly and said, "How would I know about your illness?"
Nan Yan sighed deeply.
In fact, she might not be unaware that the incident from his childhood had been weighing on Zhu Feng's mind for so many years, even haunting his dreams. Now that she finally knew a little about the reason, it was impossible that there was no impact at all. Zhu Feng's illness was not so much typhoid fever as it was the coldness in his heart, and all of it came out.
As his biological mother, Empress Xiaoci, who raised him from childhood, was actually the one who killed his biological mother.
Not everyone can bear this kind of blow.
Nan Yan couldn't even imagine what a blow it would be to Zhu Feng if the secret in her heart that she dared not tell anyone really came true.
Now, she was even a little glad that the old uncle had passed away.
At this moment, she felt a blow on her forehead. It was Zhu Feng who nudged her forehead with his chin. Nan Yan looked up at him. Zhu Feng asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Nan Yan smiled and shook her head: "Nothing."
Zhu Feng looked into her eyes for a while, then sighed softly: "Go to bed early."
Nan Yan snuggled into his arms obediently.
Zhu Feng spent the next few days recuperating. Although a great battle and two consecutive illnesses had damaged his vitality, he had a good foundation and was fine after a few days of recuperation. However, a lot of time was wasted. On the seventh day, Chen Zixiao sent someone to bring back the news that everything had been arranged in Bailong City and the Lianxin Guild Hall was almost settled.
So Zhu Feng took Nan Yan and set off for Bailong City.
Nan Yan had been here before. As soon as the carriage arrived at the city gate, she could see that the people guarding the city were different from before. They were soldiers from the imperial court. This was natural. In the past, there was no sky over Bailong City, and only several major families in the city worked together to protect the city. Since the last surrender of the city, this place became the territory of Yan State, and naturally it was the soldiers from the imperial court who came to guard it.
Ying Shao took out the token in front, and the soldiers guarding the city immediately opened the city gate and knelt on both sides to welcome the emperor's carriage into the city.
Nan Yan couldn't help but lift a corner of the curtain and look out.
The outside still looked the same as when I came here before, with people coming and going in the streets and alleys, and the traffic was busy. The streets were still lined with shops, and the vendors were shouting at the top of their lungs to attract customers. It was very lively.
Nan Yan lowered the curtain and said to Zhu Feng, "Why is this place exactly the same as before? Nothing has changed."
Zhu Feng squinted his eyes and glanced at her.
"How do I change it?"
Nan Yan said, "I thought that since the imperial court took over this place, they would make some changes."
Zhu Feng chuckled and said, "I simply let the imperial court take over the power of the major families in the city and incorporated the militia into the imperial court's organization. Nothing else will be changed."
"Why?"
"This Bailong City is just a remote little town, yet it has become the largest commercial hub in the northwest. Its population is small, yet its annual tax revenue is almost half of that of Yangzhou. I think even with my abilities, I might not be able to manage a small city like this."
"Your Majesty, please don't underestimate yourself."
"This is the truth. Although the internal strife among the Xue family members has now ended, the prosperity of this city is indeed due to their governance."
“…”
"I cannot let such a good city be destroyed by my hands, by the hands of the imperial court."
“…”
"So, after the imperial court took over this place, I issued an order that no rules in the city can be easily changed. If you don't understand, don't change it."
Nan Yan nodded slightly.
That's true.
Although internal strife had previously broken out among the major families of Bailong City, ultimately leading to a change of ownership, they were, in fact, highly skilled in the management of the city. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to maintain their independence from the Yan and Nian nations for so many years. Ultimately, they were experts in the management of the city. The people were already somewhat uneasy after the imperial court took control of the city, and a hasty change of policy would only further unsettle them. Not only would the city be in chaos, but trade with the nations of the Western Regions would also be affected, which would be a disastrous outcome.
Therefore, the most correct thing for the imperial court to do when its troops arrive here is not to mess around except taking over the place.
The carriage traveled through the city for a long time, and the noisy sounds around them never stopped. Nan Yan asked, "Hasn't the emperor made any arrangements in the city? It seems like no one here knows the emperor is here."
Zhu Feng shook his head: "No need to make a big fuss."
The last time he came here to meet the envoys from the Parthian Empire, he even had people book some of the taller buildings around. But this time, the entire Bailong City was already the territory of the Yan Kingdom, so he felt more at ease.
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