Chapter 176: Arrangements for a Long Journey

October, the seventh year of Chongwu.

The Rensheng Emperor, accompanied by the Empress, ended his five-month-long southern tour.

During this period, the emperor and the empress traveled to various cities, inspected government affairs, severely punished corrupt officials; personally observed the people's sentiments to provide a basis for formulating appropriate policies; offered sacrifices to heaven and earth, sincerely prayed for peace and prosperity in the country; promoted the economy, advocated agriculture and commerce, and encouraged women to engage in business; publicized the imperial power, and displayed the grace and majesty of the royal family...

Every move of the emperor and empress was recorded by historians and was destined to be recorded in the glorious history books and praised by future generations.

In the tenth year of Chongwu, the ten-year-old eldest prince Jun Yihuan, after undergoing rigorous tests by the Grand Tutor and His Majesty, was finally allowed to officially enter the court and participate in government affairs.

Since he was six years old, Jun Yihuan would go to General Wei's mansion to practice martial arts every morning.

General Wei was a brave veteran who had fought on the battlefield with his father and conquered the world. He had a sharp look and was in high spirits.

Not only did he teach Jun Yihuan how to ride a horse and shoot arrows step by step, every move was strictly followed, but he also taught him the art of war and strategies with great care, every word was meaningful.

Today, Jun Yihuan went to the training ground as usual and trained with the soldiers in the rain.

He did not return to the palace until the sun had set and the rays of the sun were as bleak as blood. It was already the evening hour.

Usually, after finishing training in the training ground, he would go straight back to the prince's residence to wash up and rest.

However, today, because he was summoned by his father, Jun Yihuan did not even have time to tidy himself up after returning, and hurried to the Qianqing Palace.

"Your son pays homage to His Majesty, Father." Jun Yihuan knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together, and spoke in a loud but respectful voice.

Jun Yihuan has been training in martial arts for four years. Although he is only ten years old, he is already nearly seven feet tall (less than 1.7 meters).

He was dressed in a blue dragon robe, the corners of which swayed slightly in the wind. His posture was as straight as a pine tree, and he was extraordinarily handsome. Between his eyebrows and eyes, he perfectly inherited the heroic spirit of His Majesty and the gentleness of the Queen.

"Get up."

"Thank you, Father."

Jun Yihuan stood up and stood with his head bowed.

"I summoned you here today because I have important instructions for you. Many towns in Jinzhou have been hit by drought recently."

Jun Zechen sat on the dragon chair with a solemn expression.

"The food harvest was poor, prices were rising, many disaster victims turned into thieves and disrupted public order, and many people were forced to leave their homes in search of water and food, forming a wave of refugees, which brought a lot of pressure and instability to the surrounding cities."

As Jun Zechen spoke, he tapped the table lightly with his fingers, worry revealed in his eyes.

"I would like to arrange for you to go to Jinzhou to handle this matter. At the same time, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Works and the Langzhong of the Ministry of Revenue will assist you."

This is a major test for the eldest prince by Jun Zechen. The drought in Jinzhou is extremely severe and the situation is complicated. It requires a person with extraordinary wisdom, a big picture, excellent leadership, compassion and a strong sense of responsibility to coordinate the overall situation and handle this difficult matter.

Jun Yihuan grew up under his own careful teaching. At the age of four, he went to the prince's institute to receive systematic training. At the age of seven, he began to hone his skills among the civil and military officials in the court. This year, he was able to enter the court to participate in politics.

If the drought can be solved perfectly this time, not only will we be able to win the wholehearted support of the people, but we will also be able to establish a very high prestige among the ministers.

"Yes, Father, I will definitely fulfill my mission."

Jun Yihuan's young face was serious, his eyes were firm, his hands were clasped together, and he solemnly accepted the important task entrusted by his father.

At this moment, he actually had a hint of the majestic aura of Emperor Jun Zechen.

"You will set out in three days. Today you will go to Kunning Palace to see your mother, but you are not allowed to tell her that you are going away."

Jun Zechen narrowed his eyes slightly and gave the order in a serious tone.

He knew very well that Yaoyao loved her son dearly, and although there were times when he had to teach Jun Yihuan sternly, in a place like this where disasters were severe and bandits were lurking from time to time, even if he made thorough arrangements, accidents were bound to happen.

Whenever a disaster strikes, there are always some people who will do anything to make money, so it is not surprising that they would do anything crazy in private.

Maybe even more serious situations will arise, for example, some officials in the court who are dissatisfied with Jun Yihuan's participation in government affairs will set a trap in Jinzhou?

No one can accurately predict these potential dangers and variables.

But Jun Yihuan must go. No matter whether there are conspiracies or tricks ahead, he must face them and try his best to overcome them.

If he could turn around and cleverly plot against the bad guys behind the scenes, Jun Zechen would truly look upon him with new eyes.

This is how he came here at first.

In such a dangerous situation, Jun Zechen was really worried that Yaoyao would lose sleep and eat because of Jun Yihuan after knowing it, so it was better to keep the matter secret.

Every time the emperor talked about his mother, he seemed like a different person. Although Jun Yihuan had long been accustomed to this, he couldn't help but twitch his lips.

"Yes, I will go see you later, and I won't let you worry about me."

He knew what his father was thinking, and he didn't want to worry his mother, so no matter what his daily studies were or the many problems he had encountered recently in the court, Jun Yihuan kept silent and didn't reveal a single word to his mother.

He will always find a way to solve it.

My father once said that he would protect my mother for the rest of his life, and Jun Yihuan had the same idea.

Since this is something he must experience and bear, he will never let his father and mother down, nor will he let his mother worry about him day and night.

Afterwards, Jun Yihuan was about to leave.

"etc."

Jun Zechen suddenly called out to Jun Yihuan, then frowned and said with a look of disgust, "You just came back from the training ground?"

Jun Yihuan was a little confused and was stunned for a moment, but he still quickly replied: "Yes."

"Look at your clothes. There are quite a few scratches on them. There are also some small wounds on your neck. Go change your clothes first and try to cover up the wounds on your body. Don't let your mother see them and feel sad."

I have never seen her care so much for me, but she has been doting on Jun Yihuan since he was a child.

"Yes, I will change it right away."

Then he reached out and touched his neck. "Hiss," it really hurt a little. There was indeed a wound.

Jun Yihuan left the Qianqing Palace and returned to the prince's residence to change into clothes that could cover the wound on his neck. Only then did he feel at ease and prepare to go to the Kunning Palace.

Unexpectedly, when Jun Yihuan passed by Yu Garden, he happened to meet Yan Zhaoyi.

When Yan Zhaoyi saw the eldest prince, she hurriedly saluted and said, "Your concubine greets the eldest prince." There was a hint of deliberate respect in her voice.

"Yan Zhaoyi, please get up."

Jun Yihuan raised his head slightly with an indifferent expression.

As the eldest son of the empress, he had a noble status. In the entire palace, he only had to pay his respects to his grandmother, father and mother. Everyone else had to salute him respectfully when they saw him.

"Is the eldest prince planning to go to Kunning Palace?"

Yan Zhaoyi had a smile on his face and stared at Jun Yihuan as he asked tentatively.

"yes."

Jun Yihuan responded briefly with a cold look in his eyes, and he had no intention of chatting more with Yan Zhaoyi.

Seeing how cold he was, Yan Zhaoyi's expression instantly turned ugly.

Her seventh prince is now eight years old. Since he went to the prince's residence at the age of five, he can only return to Yuqing Palace at designated times. Unlike the eldest prince, he can return whenever he wants.

Moreover, the eldest prince has entered the court at an early age. In another two years, it is unknown whether her son can pass the assessment of the Grand Tutor and His Majesty and enter the court at the young age of ten.

Thinking of this, Yan Zhaoyi felt even more uncomfortable.

Jun Yihuan was about to turn around and leave when Yan Zhaoyi spoke again, "I wonder if the eldest prince knows how your seventh brother is doing in the prince's school. If there is anything he doesn't understand, he will have to ask you, the eldest prince, to teach him."

As soon as Yan Zhaoyi finished speaking, she was heard by Concubine Xian who was taking Princess Ruixi for a stroll in Yu Garden. Princess Ruixi naturally heard it as well.

Princess Ruixi is also eight years old this year. She has been raised in the palace since she was a child, and she has never suffered any injustice.

Whether she heard it from her mother or from Concubine Xian, Princess Ruixi had no good feelings towards Yan Zhaoyi.

She walked quickly to Jun Yihuan's side, grabbed his sleeve, and interrupted Yan Zhaoyi's words.

"Big brother, Ning An hasn't seen you for a long time!" The voice was clear and pleasant, full of joy.

When Jun Yihuan saw the imperial sister, his expression softened instantly. The corners of his mouth slightly lifted, and he reached out and gently touched her head, "Well, Ning An is beautiful again."

When Yan Zhaoyi saw Concubine Xian and Princess Ruixi coming over, she knelt down and bowed to greet them.

"I have met Her Majesty the Concubine, Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Over the years, Concubine Xian often deliberately embarrassed Yan Zhaoyi over some seemingly insignificant but difficult matters.

At this moment, she was still as usual, deliberately delaying calling out when Yan Zhaoyi was performing the ceremony.

Yan Zhaoyi maintained the posture of saluting, her body gradually shaking.

Although she was used to Concubine Xian's troubles over the years, her face turned from pale to blue when she saw her being disrespected in front of the younger generation such as the Crown Prince and Princess Ruixi.

She bit her lips tightly and clenched her hands into fists in her sleeves.

Concubine Xian kept time, feeling proud of herself for a while, and then she said slowly, "Get up."

Afterwards, Princess Ruixi raised her chin and said in a coquettish voice, "Yan Zhaoyi, my brother is very busy with government affairs now, and he has little time to return to Kunning Palace. How can he have time to teach my seventh brother?"

She blinked her big eyes and spoke rudely with her innocent face.

"When I went to the prince's residence to visit my fifth brother, I found that my seventh brother was not very serious about his studies. Yan Zhaoyi should teach him well when he returns to Yuqing Palace."

The little girl raised her head and stared straight at Yan Zhaoyi.

"Don't let your father worry."

Yan Zhaoyi's face suddenly showed a trace of embarrassment. She forced a smile and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

She was actually taught a lesson by an eight-year-old girl.

Jun Yihuan was pressed for time and wanted to go back to Kunning Palace to have dinner with his mother. He really didn't want to continue dealing with Yan Zhaoyi here.

He frowned slightly and said, "Royal sister, let's go. Let's go back to Kunning Palace today to have dinner with mother."

Princess Ruixi liked to cling to her eldest brother when she was a child. When she heard this, her eyes lit up with joy and she quickly held his hand.

Cheered: "Good!"

Yan Zhaoyi looked at Jun Yihuan's back with a ruthless look in her eyes. She would not let them be so proud!