With the issues at the clinic and casino completely resolved, Gu Yuzhi's desire to go to Xinliang was rekindled. After pestering Xie Changshi for two days, Xie Changshi finally relented, gathered manpower, and began preparations for going to Xinliang.
Gu Yuzhi hurriedly asked Xu Mama to bring more delicious food for Chen Dianyi, as he hadn't forgotten that Chen Dianyi had lost a lot of weight when she came back last time.
On the first day of May, Gu Yuzhi finally embarked on his journey to Xinliang once again.
Unlike his previous anxiety, Gu Yuzhi was overjoyed this time. As soon as he left the suburbs, he noticed something different.
When I traveled to Xinliang in autumn, the official road was lined with weeds taller than a person. Now all the weeds have been pulled up and trees have been planted instead.
Gu Yuzhi clung tightly to the car window sill, looking at the neat rows of small trees outside. Her little face immediately lit up with a smile: "Were these trees planted by Prefect Qi?"
Teacher Shu said that poplar trees are not demanding in terms of soil, and the survival rate of cuttings is very high.
Gu Yuzhi didn't understand what cuttings were, but now, looking at these tiny cuttings and combining them with what Teacher Shu had said, he instantly understood.
Chief Secretary Xie said, "Yes. His Highness ordered trees to be planted when the official road was being repaired. After Prefect Qi inquired about the reason, he ordered the trees on both sides of the official road to be cleared away."
The weeds were uprooted and burned on the spot. The ashes mixed with the soil, and with the arrival of spring and the abundance of moisture in the land, these young poplars sprouted new buds after only a little over a month of planting.
Although it's a bit rough around the edges, it's still more pleasing to the eye than being completely overgrown with weeds.
Shu Xiaohan shared the same thought as Xie Changshi: "Don't underestimate these few rows of poplars now. As long as they are well maintained, they will grow tall in two years. At that time, the scenery along the official road will be different in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Especially in autumn, the long official road will be lined with golden leaves. Just thinking about it is very beautiful."
If this were in modern times, it would definitely become a viral sensation.
Gu Yuzhi thought about it for a moment, and her smile deepened: "I really want to see Xin Liang soon."
At such a young age, Gu Yuzhi didn't understand what duckweed was, but he truly felt no sense of belonging to Changzhou. Xinliang, as his fiefdom, was the place where he would live forever, and Gu Yuzhi naturally wanted to build it up better.
After traveling for three days, the group finally arrived at the Xinliang region.
Looking at the two characters "Xin Liang" on the boundary marker, Gu Yuzhi rubbed his eyes hard.
The boundary marker has been replaced with a new one, and the font is Xie Changshi's familiar one, but is this really Xin Liang?
Gu Yuzhi hurriedly jumped off the carriage, staring wide-eyed at the entrance to Xinliang's official road.
Although he had always felt that Xin Liang would change a lot, Gu Yuzhi still found it hard to imagine until he saw it with his own eyes.
His little mouth was wide open, as if an egg could fit inside: "The changes are really huge!"
The narrow, winding path has been transformed into a wide official road. Just like outside Changzhou Prefecture, the weeds have all been replaced by poplar trees. However, unlike Changzhou Prefecture, the poplar trees are planted in squares, and the land within these squares has been cultivated and planted with crops.
Unlike the poplar trees, the crops have already grown, and as far as the eye can see, there is a lush green expanse that is particularly pleasing to the eye.
Gu Yuzhi ran merrily along both sides of the official road for quite a while, his short legs punctuating his cheerful giggles.
Xueye, who had been confined to the carriage, finally jumped down and followed Gu Yuzhi, lying to her heart's content. The two of them ran on the newly built official road for a long time.
When Gu Yuzhi rejoined the main group, he was sweating profusely. He had taken off his long coat and was draped over Xue Ye. The man and the wolf climbed back into the carriage, their breathing becoming much heavier, clearly exhausted.
Gu Yuzhi took the tea from Xie Changshi and gulped down several cups before chuckling again: "I saw someone far ahead on a snowy night. Afraid of being discovered, I grabbed my clothes and ran back. Otherwise, I could have gone a little further."
Upon hearing its name, Xueye nuzzled its head against Gu Yuzhi's hand, its fawning behavior devoid of any wolfish nature, resembling more like a dog.
Gu Yuzhi patted the wolf's head, feeling very happy.
After meeting Xin Liang, he realized that his previous assumptions were a bit too timid.
Gu Yuzhi straightened her back, her gaze unwilling to leave the car window even for a moment: "If my brother saw how much Xinliang has changed, he would definitely praise me!"
Chief Secretary Xie nodded, and just as he was about to speak, the young prince said, "Chief Secretary Xie, I heard that you are very good at painting. When you go back this time, could you paint two paintings? Just a comparison of Xinliang last year and this year."
Teacher Shu said that the poplar trees will be very beautiful in autumn when they grow up, and he really wants his elder brother to see them, but the poplar trees are still too small now...
Gu Yuzhi rolled his big, round eyes. In a few years, when the poplar tree grows up, Xin Liang will definitely change even more. He should have learned to paint, and then he will paint the autumn of the poplar tree for his elder brother to see!
Xie Changshi hadn't expected that just by coming to Xinliang, the young prince would assign him an extra task.
However, drawing is not out of the question.
"When Chen Dianyi returned to the residence last time, he said that the construction of His Highness's residence was progressing quite quickly, and the craftsmen predicted that the residence would be completed before the snowfall this year."
To save money and speed up the construction of the Prince's Mansion, almost all the timber used was sourced locally. After all, the area surrounding the Prince's Mansion was filled with official residences, streets, and other buildings, so there was no harm in using the felled trees.
Gu Yuzhi nodded repeatedly. Once those mansions were all built, he would secretly write to his elder brother, the Emperor, to ask if Xie Changshi and the others' families could come to Xinliang for a reunion.
He heard officials in the mansion speak of their families with regret more than once, and he saw Xie Changshi standing in the courtyard, looking at the moon with his hands behind his back more than once.
Teacher Shu said, "I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, and lower my head to think of my hometown."
He thought that Xie Changshi was not only missing the capital, but also his family.
He didn't understand why, if he missed his family, he didn't bring them all with him.
Gu Yuzhi asked several times. At first, Xie Changshi would answer, but later he fell silent.
It was from that moment that Gu Yuzhi realized this matter was definitely not simple. Although he was young, he had seen similar things in the palace before.
After that, Gu Yuzhi never mentioned it again, but even though he didn't talk about it, he still kept it in his mind.
Xie Changshi was unaware that the young prince was busy planning to bring his family over; he was only thinking about what would happen after the young prince moved into Xinliang: "Once Your Highness moves to Xinliang, you will begin learning the Six Arts."
Compared to the cramped Changzhou, the Prince's Mansion was not only large, but also had a dedicated archery range.
Upon hearing Xie Changshi mention this, Gu Yuzhi became happy again. Riding a horse, riding a horse! He had been looking forward to riding a horse for a long time!
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