Chapter 174: The wind will come on its own

The Great King was scolded by his father for a long time; when leaving the palace he still followed behind the Guangling King, hopping and skipping, and the whole Changzhang Palace gained a new understanding of the You King—that the You King is definitely no ordinary person, able to yield and stand firm, skilled at acting coquettish, playing the victim, feigning ignorance and stupidity.

Bai Li Heng thought the same: "Old Three, I heard you've been doing well in You Prefecture, so why do you still owe the emperor tribute?"

The Great King stopped hopping and, speaking earnestly, educated his second brother: "Second brother, you don't know how expensive firewood and rice are unless you manage the household—you haven't seen how poor You Prefecture is, have you? The current You Prefecture is just me piling all the money I can scrape onto the city walls and Vermilion Bird Avenue, one for safety, one to revitalize You Prefecture. With such high city walls, how could any tribute remain? Once you go to Guangling you'll understand… well, you're sharp enough to know, after all there's no place poorer than You Prefecture." The Great King grew more resentful as he spoke.

Bai Li Heng: ……

"Not hiding it from you, Second Brother, if there's a little surplus grain I'll also raise more city guards. If I hadn't experienced the slave‑catching squad crossing the border to kill and the Xianbei tribe's whole horde moving south on New Year's Eve, I'd surely be living more easily, without constantly thinking about saving money… Even with money I'd want to help the people, but I can't even guarantee they're fed and clothed—if the enemy comes, could they even pick up a knife? That would just be letting themselves be slaughtered. Your younger brother just wants to stay alive."

"Isn't there the Marquis of the Eastern Capital at Upper Valley Pass?"

"The frontier line to defend at Mountain Valley Pass is very long; after the fighting ended that New Year's Day, even Upper Valley Pass wasn't reached. Second Brother, you say enemies are attacking the city—could I, as the You King, just abandon the city and flee? Even if I fled, what would I do for the rest of my life?"

Even without the lord's heart binding him, if he wanted to flee himself, with You Prefecture gone the Great Jin would have no You King—what would he be then? The Great King stared earnestly at Bai Li Heng.

Bai Li Heng also stopped, fell silent for a moment, and curled the corner of his mouth: "If you remain my good brother forever, I can exchange a good fief for you." He didn't use the royal 'We' but just 'I'.

What does that mean? The Great King isn't stupid—he understands.

He started hopping again as he walked: "No need—if that day ever comes, you'll have to help me guard the northern border better; I'm already used to the sea breeze."

Bai Li Heng froze for a moment, then laughed.

Actually, the Great King wasn't really sure whether this whole pursuit had the Second Brother's hand in it; he instinctively felt the Second Brother wouldn't do that now, but speaking openly is good—one less enemy is one less enemy.

As for the future, the wind will come on its own.

The Great King's simple wish is merely to make You Prefecture prosperous, incidentally impregnable, incidentally make the grasslands tremble at the wind. He has no interest in ruling the vast Great Jin for now; feeding You Prefecture alone is already hard enough, thank you.

He headed south from You Prefecture all the way, and there were hardly any prosperous cities along the way—maybe the southern regions would be better?

Whoever says to give him another fief, the Great King will tell them to get lost and stay away!

The Great King's current ambition is aimed only at the northern grasslands; his original purpose in training the Eagle Riders was to point the blade at foreign tribes, not to go south and fight his brothers to the death.

The Great King felt he had accomplished something big today, and went to boast to Bai Ze: "I've spoken frankly with the Second Brother—rather than let the Eldest or Fatty Four be crown prince, it's better to have the Second Brother. It looks like he won't join in killing me anymore; from now on the suspects are down to two, and for whatever I can't uncover I'll take revenge one by one, so neither side will be too wronged—hmph!"

Bai Ze: ……You've only been slim for a few days, and you're already calling someone else Fatty Four?

However, "Innocent, there are more than just these two princes under heaven."

The Great King opened his mouth wide: "Princes, or even if there are seven or eight dukes, how would it ever be their turn? Rebel?"

He immediately denied it himself: "You don't understand the Great Jin—it won't happen, there's no such thing."

Bai Ze paid no heed to the 'Clear' foolish Great King; his current honesty doesn't mean he'll stay honest forever.

Saying it now is useless; wait until the day the world truly falls into chaos—when everyone bears the surname Bai Li, there may well be a few who are moved.

Qin lost its deer, and all under heaven chase after it.