His smile was warm, but Lord Yan felt a chill run down his spine.
"This... Your Majesty, I really will try to find a way. We can't just leave the disaster victims without anyone to care for them, can we?"
He said with a forced smile.
"What Lord Yan says is quite right, it is indeed not easy. After all, no one can conjure up food, right?" Shu Chengfeng sighed, "Lord Yan, think about it slowly. I will be heading south soon. It will be good to have a result then."
"This... His Majesty did not order Your Highness to go, did he? After all, disaster areas are prone to epidemics and the like. Even if they are not, they are so far away. Why would Your Highness go to such trouble..." Lord Yan hesitated.
“My father trusts me, so I cannot refuse to go. If I don’t go, how will I know how the disaster area is? If I go and see, and if the disaster is not so serious, then Lord Yan won’t need to worry too much, right?” Shu Chengfeng said.
"Your Highness personally attends to every matter, truly a model for us all! I am ashamed to admit my inferiority." Lord Yan rose and bowed with his hands clasped.
"You're too kind, sir," Shu Chengfeng said.
"When will Your Highness travel south?"
"The sooner the better, of course. I just met Lord Hu from the Imperial Observatory, who said that the tenth of this month is an auspicious day for travel. What do you think, Lord Yan?" Shu Chengfeng asked.
"Ah...this subject doesn't understand this, but since Lord Hu says it's an auspicious day, then it must be an auspicious day. This subject understands," Lord Yan hurriedly replied.
"That's good, Lord Yan, don't worry, there are still several days left. Sigh, I'm not in a hurry, I can wait. It's just that the disaster victims can't wait. Our Great Yan Dynasty is prosperous, how can we watch the disaster and not be worried?" Shu Chengfeng frowned and shook his head.
"Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince cares deeply for the people; it is truly a blessing for all the people under heaven," Lord Yan hurriedly replied.
After that, we stopped talking about that and just chatted over tea and snacks.
The main problem was that Lord Yan couldn't sit still any longer, and soon after, he left under the pretext of having something to do.
Shu Chengfeng continued drinking his tea, waiting for Ding Min and Wei Xiao to arrive.
The two arrived shortly afterward.
"Your Highness."
"Wei Xiao, send someone out of the capital. Go and take a look first."
"Yes, I've found the men. They're all unremarkable. I'll have them go now." With that, he bowed and left.
"What's the rush? Why don't you have a sip of tea?" Shu Chengfeng chuckled.
"Hehe, of course he's anxious. It's alright, he's just making arrangements. He can come back later or go back to the manor for a drink, it's the same." Ding Min sat down.
"This fellow surnamed Yan appears to be a loyal subject, but his relationship with the Second Prince is ambiguous," Ding Min scoffed. "This matter, though troublesome, isn't that difficult. What's the meaning behind his deliberate obstruction?"
"It's not a lie that there isn't much food in the capital," Shu Chengfeng said softly.
Last winter, due to unusual activity in the north, more grain and fodder were sent north.
With the addition of a heavy snowfall, life in the north has become extremely difficult, and disaster relief is essential.
The north is a military stronghold; not only Daiyang Pass, but also many troops stationed in the capital region need to eat.
We could have replenished our supplies once the autumn harvest came in.
This is just good luck.
However, it wasn't that there wouldn't be any relief food available. Shu Chengfeng knew very well that the disaster situation in Laiyang Prefecture wasn't that severe.
Even Laiyang Prefecture itself could provide disaster relief. But local officials are rarely that kind-hearted.
If something goes wrong, it must be reported to the imperial court, especially natural disasters.
Zhou Chongguang, the prefect of Laiyang Prefecture, was Zhou Jingfei's cousin.
He has been very useful over the years. However, he is, after all, a cousin, not a blood brother, and his rise to prominence has not been due to nepotism.
"I've already selected the men. If we're heading south, it won't just be the guards. Lord Shangguan, you'll also need to arrange for the Imperial Guards to go with you. It'll most likely be Wan Sheng."
Wan Sheng was the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards. When the crown prince of a country went south, he was the one who would at least accompany and protect him.
However, Wan Sheng was much more cunning than Shangguan Ba, and no one knew which side he was truly on.
Of course, he usually just listened to Shangguan Ba, who was loyal to His Majesty. After all, Shangguan Ba was originally a guard from the Prince's residence and was someone His Majesty sent to the battlefield to make meritorious contributions.
He is His Majesty's confidant. He is someone His Majesty personally promoted.
"Hmm, it's alright." Shu Chengfeng didn't care about that.
“However, in my opinion, Zuo Zhizhen might also come along,” Ding Min said with a smile.
Zuo Zhizhen, Left Guard of the Imperial Guard.
The Imperial Guards were the guards of the Imperial City, protecting the entire Imperial Palace.
The Palace Guard Division was responsible for guarding the palace for a long time. Yu Qi was the commander and Du Tao was the deputy commander.
Because they have been in His Majesty's presence for a long time, they hold a very high position.
But in reality, their rights were the same as those of the Imperial Guards.
This Zuo Zhizhen was naturally someone Ding Min had recruited.
There definitely needs to be our own people in the Imperial Guard. Their rank can't be too low either.
Shu Chengfeng nodded, drank another cup of tea, and then stood up: "Let's go back to the manor first."
Upon returning to the Crown Prince's residence, Shu Chengfeng went directly to the main courtyard.
He told the Crown Princess that he would be heading south soon.
The Crown Princess was feeling unwell; she had just returned and was already leaving again.
But she also knew that the Crown Prince was busy with important matters and couldn't always stay in the palace.
She was just feeling uncomfortable; she wasn't pregnant yet.
At a time like this, it's impossible to take a proper Crown Princess out to serve her.
"How long will this trip take?" the Crown Princess asked.
"That's a question that stumps me. As for the exact time, I'm afraid we'll only know when we get there. It will probably take more than a month," Shu Chengfeng said.
"Ah, Your Highness has had a long journey, having only just returned from Chengzhou a few days ago..." the Crown Princess sighed.
"Jialan, you've suffered so much, there's nothing I can do. The disaster came so suddenly." Shu Chengfeng patted her hand a few times, "The affairs of the manor will have to be handled by you."
"It's alright, I'll take good care of the child, and the affairs of the manor are nothing. I just feel sorry for Your Highness, who is working so hard." The Crown Princess said apologetically.
"As long as Jiao Lan remembers me, I will not hesitate to go to great lengths." Shu Chengfeng smiled and put his arm around her.
The Crown Princess blushed, and the people in the room tactfully withdrew.
That day, the Crown Prince spent his time with the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess announced the matter early the next morning.
Ye Liangdi couldn't accept it the most; she was pregnant, how could her cousin go out?
Unfortunately, she was pregnant and couldn't go with us...
Yan Nangui didn't seem to care; he wouldn't take her this time. She had just gone with him last time.
However, quite a few people want to go.
Everyone spoke very nicely to the Crown Princess, but it was all just a way of recommending themselves.
After everyone dispersed, they came out and inquired about each other's news.
Yan Nangui didn't participate and returned home early.
I originally planned to sit in the pear orchard for a while, but the sky darkened, and as soon as I entered, there was a faint rumble of thunder.
It looks like it's going to rain.
This is June, the time when the weather is as changeable as a child's face.
I had just changed my clothes when the rain started pouring down.
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