Chapter 156

Zhang Tu's thought was correct; as soon as the new conscription labor notice was posted, the registration site of the Flying Eagle Guard immediately became hotly sought after, and he could even afford to be picky about physical fitness.

Those stuck at the age limits can be boldly weeded out; even those with average fitness in a simple physical test are mercilessly struck from the rolls. The king really brought a spring breeze to the conscription work.

In just three days, the king received the good news that ten thousand people had gathered.

The whole camp began busily preparing for war training.

Classmates in the Jia class of the academy noticed that the connection‑backed student was skipping class every few days, while the king, accompanied by Wei Shen, threw himself into the vigorous grand drill.

He also snatched away the NPC who taught martial arts at the academy—though five were assigned, normally only four were seen around the academy.

The king daily hefted his heavy sword and fought alongside a group of adults; his height shot up quickly, the flesh on his body diminished, and Zhao Bao felt heartbroken each day, saying, "Your Highness, you're having such a hard time, Your Highness, you're suffering so much, Your Highness even has a waist now!"

Onlooking Bai Ze: ……

Isn't this a good thing?

Bai Ze raised his head again and glanced at the king twice; his looks were shooting up, and the little fatty could hardly get the words out.

Youzhou welcomed another spring sowing; the king set aside his martial arts and went out to the fields to farm.

He again asked Tong Hui to plow his wasteland, then as usual personally went out to sow the seeds.

This time the king resolved to manage well, never letting yesterday's situation recur.

This time the ranch has draft oxen, so at least little Zao doesn't need to go out.

Xie Yuan finally discovered that the so‑called 'relation‑backed' student who got in through his connections hadn't shown up at the academy for a long time, and he went to find him personally.

The Grand Tutor, hearing his purpose, showed an expression hard to put into words; although the king had skipped school, he really hadn't been idle a single day, making it hard to blame him.

Grand Tutor Xu took Xie Yuan and his disciple to the king's field and found the king busily working in full swing.

The ox plowed the land; Wei Shen held the plow in front, making furrows, while the king scattered seeds behind, with a small pony not yet as tall as him trotting alongside, carrying a basket that seemed to hold seeds.

The most astonishing thing was that behind them was also a bear—a brown hulking beast puffing and dragging a wooden implement, following the king, as if it were tamping the soil.

This?

This really isn't something ordinary technique can achieve.

The inexperienced Lu Xin gasped in shock, "Is that bear a spirit?"

Xie Yuan was looking at the plow that Wei Shen was holding.

Youzhou is interesting; it constantly lets him discover treasures.

The Grand Tutor, unaware they'd seen Winnie, explained: "That bear has been with His Highness since birth, raised in the Prince's manor, very human‑savvy, so there's nothing to fear."

Lu Xin stared at the bear, unable to look away—not just the bear, that horse is also quite strange. The question is how the Prince made them so obedient.

Looking closely, the bear walks along the outside of the furrow, honestly following straight behind the king without stepping on the seeds he just scattered.

That's a mountain forest beast, a bear—this is too strange.

Xie Yuan then asked about the curved‑shaft plow; the Grand Tutor replied nonchalantly, "Last year the king imported it from overseas; His Highness's farm‑tool shop has sold it for two years, and I see most common folk now use it—even without oxen a donkey can pull it, very convenient and fast, allowing one to till several times, even ten‑plus times, the area a person could manage."

Xie Yuan: "……If this were promoted, it would save labor and time in farming—it's a good thing."

The Grand Tutor was extremely proud: "Yes, last year His Highness ordered the Minister of Fields to promote it, and wealthy merchants bought it to sell in Jiangnan—hasn't Chen Commandery got it yet? The king seeks no profit, only to benefit the people; he'd allow casual imitation, even have the Internal Affairs Office send guidance."

Xie Yuan shook his head and ordered Lu Xin to go back to the king's farm‑tool shop and buy one to bring back to Chen Commandery. The land held by the Xie clan, a great family, is no less than that of a county's commoners.

What he saw and heard today simply raised Xie Yuan's evaluation of the king to another level.

He knew the Prince of You was open‑minded, clever, and already had his own way of governing at a young age, but he hadn't expected him to go this far—even to go down to the fields and reclaim land alongside the garrison soldiers.

Seeing him manage that bear so obediently was no simple matter… Just as he thought that, he saw the bear plop its rear onto the ground……

In the distant field, the king put his hands on his hips and scolded Winnie: "You can't do that; it's not mealtime yet, you can't disrupt the planting schedule just because of your selfishness—do you understand?"

Wei Shen rolled his eyes, "It doesn't understand a thing!"

That's not entirely true; after eating so many animal‑feed pellets, Winnie does understand a bit.

But right now, though it's not the usual mealtime, it's feeling especially hungry today.

How to put it? Normally lying in the Suiyu Hall doesn't consume that much; if it ever got hungry early, even without the king it could scrounge something to eat. After all, the king loves his pet—when it taps its food bowl, the little eunuchs in the Suiyu Hall dare not overfeed it, but they'll go to the kitchen to find something to tide it over.

This morning's food might not have been enough, and after working half the morning, the bear went on strike.

Winnie first patted the seed basket that resembled its food bowl, then patted its belly; the king ignored it, telling it to hold out until noon to return to the manor, whereupon it just sat down on its rear.

If not fed, it won't get up—just like that!

The king angrily shouted, "Get up! Hold out until noon, then I'll give you a lamb leg to eat!"

Winnie twisted its rear on the ground twice—no, it wants to eat now, the kid is too hungry!

The king raised his small neck, stern and impartial: "You don't mind losing face, you're already a full‑grown bear—what would the eighty‑thousand taels think? What would Cover‑Heaven think? And what would Wei Shen think? You don't care about face at all, do you?!"

Wei Shen: "I…… I beg you, I have no idea."

The feed pellets aren't free; Winnie glanced at the horse, then at Wei Shen, feeling it might lose face—unexpectedly it rolled onto the ground, 'wooo~' faint from hunger.

It thought the king would surely give it something to eat this time.

Who knew the king lowered his gaze to his clothes—after crawling through the dirt half the morning they were filthy, with nothing to lose, and he sneered, "I'll force this king to pull out a trump move!"

The king also threw himself to the ground, "I'm furious to death, I'm faint from rage!"

Winnie lifted its head to look at the neighbor lying beside it: ……

Wei Shen: ……

Far off, Xie Yuan: ……What what way of governing?

The Grand Tutor nearly choked on his own saliva, coughed twice, then quickly called out to Xie Yuan: "Your Highness is busy, Mr. Xie, come with me to the front hall for a cup of tea?" If they lingered a moment longer, the king's persona would completely fly away.

Xie Yuan burst out laughing, then didn't forget to tell Lu Xin: "Draw it down, draw this down!"

The Prince of You is indeed a sly one, but also a child‑hearted scamp—very interesting.

Lu Xin: ……

They stood there watching the distant absurd standoff for a while; unexpectedly, in the end it was the bear that first climbed to its feet.

Winnie got up and patted the dust off himself, then carefully lifted Da Wang up...

Da Wang's proud attitude goes without saying, he brushed off the dust from the Ga Wu box hanging on his body, patted it open and poured out a handful of rubber candy, he and Winnie split them one each, and gave a slap and a sweet date...

Wei Shen was speechless, yet impressed, "You're really more bearlike than a bear, this time you must stay a few more days in Prosperous Prefecture, my father's misunderstanding of you is really deep."

ps Da Wang is heading to the capital tomorrow! ~