Chapter 256: The Yin King's Manor in the Mortal World

Great King returning didn't receive any useful news, but Zhu Ti, who had already left home in the evening, came back to look for him, saying that many refugees from Cool Province had come to Merged Province.

"Today we encountered a big wave, about six or seven hundred people; the big cities of Merged Province have already closed their gates, so they probably can't get in. Your Highness, if you want, you can send people out to guide the refugees to continue eastward."

Refugees are just population, after all; the Great King still wants them.

He isn't short of land; with spring plowing approaching, he won't need to wait long before it can be used.

He idly lay in bed, pulling up the full topographic map to look; first he enlarged the Red Water Refugee Village, discovering that it had quietly fallen into sleep. To save lamp oil, only a few scattered lights remained lit.

The large village, with a population of over two or three thousand, had expanded far into the surroundings; many of them had already stayed a full year, and under the current new policy, after another year they would be able to receive official household registration in Secluded Province.

The Great King looked on, ever more pleased; after all, they're just population, and in the future they'll all be his own people!

The next day, the Great King announced his refugee resettlement policy at the court assembly; of course, some people didn't quite agree.

In these troubled times, even big cities dare not let refugees in, yet they want to actively recruit them? But the Great King's prestige is now at its peak; no one dares to oppose him, especially since both the Chancellor and the Grand Tutor agree.

"Since everyone agrees, let's just decide it like that? The policy stays the same as before; the Red Water Refugee Village is relatively stable, so we can draw personnel to oversee the new refugee villages. Putting them all in one place wouldn't fit— I, the prince, have looked at the map, and this time the refugees will be settled on the level ground south of Peace and Health County, where a mountain provides good terrain to block the north wind and there are still few inhabitants. If everyone agrees, let's quickly build the settlement. Once built, don't make it so that it can't be lived in after just a year or two."

The subordinate officials below were still thinking, the Great King's memory is really excellent— better not offend him in the future. When he first came to Secluded Province, he was still young, had only gone outside once, yet he remembers the terrain so well? They even know there's no one living there!

Who could know that the Great King has the full topographic map, how many bears are in each empty plot— he can find out whatever he wants to know.

That day the Great King dispatched a detachment to collect refugees along the way and bring them to Secluded Province. Actually the Great King himself was eager to give it a try, but the Chancellor had anticipated his train of thought. After the court assembly dispersed, he specifically instructed the Great King that the outside was very chaotic, telling him to stay put in Secluded Province.

On his way back, the Great King still pouted, unhappy— what did they think he was! Well, he indeed was thinking that.

Just after returning to the Year Feather Hall, Wei Shen came running over, saying, "Is the really stupid person living in the Hall of Joy and Pleasure the one you brought back?"

The Great King was shocked: "We didn't see him in Chang'an, did we? How could you forget him so quickly?"

Wei Shen rolled his eyes: "When we saw him in Chang'an, he wasn't nearly as stupid as he looks now."

After a long time, his cousin had already forgotten how shocked he was two years ago when he saw the Yin King's Manor.

Back then, it was still the Great King who personally brought him in; yesterday the Great King threw Liang Bin out, and when he had wandered enough on Vermilion Bird Avenue, empty-handed and wanting to lodge at the prince's manor, the Great King's personal guards brought him to the Southern Splendor Gate.

Then Liang Bin felt dazed, thinking he must have been given some kind of knockout drug on the street, and now he was hallucinating.

He stood on the bridge over the moat, shaking his head wildly trying to clear his mind, causing all the on‑duty soldiers on the castle battlements to look over, wondering whether he had some hidden ailment or was signaling his accomplices.

Coincidentally, when he returned, a bit of fog had risen, which is quite normal for the coastal Secluded Province.

But now, with the brightly lit Yin King's Manor, Liang Bin felt ever more as if he were in a dream.

The lofty battlements of the Yin King's Manor, half‑hidden in the mist, grew ever more mysterious, while the exquisite lighting infinitely magnified that hazy beauty.

His foggy mind suddenly recalled a joke from Chang'an— yes, back then they had all taken it as a joke.

"Heavenly White Jade Capital, the Yin King's Manor on earth."

He suddenly remembered that phrase.

They said that if there is a place in the mortal world that can rival the White Jade Capital, it is the Yin King's Manor in Secluded Province.

How did they say it back then? They said it might have started as someone mocking the Yin King's Manor, and as it was passed along it became distorted. Back then the Prince of Guangling neither affirmed nor denied it, saying that when he went there it was indeed very crude, not fitting the regulations for a feudal prince, and after it was rebuilt he didn't know what it was like.

Everyone took this as a funny anecdote… but could it actually be true?

After a while, the guide‑guard stepped forward and politely urged him to hurry back and rest; all we heard was Liang Bin murmuring, "…It really is true, it really is true…"

That guard was already used to it— outsiders seeing the Yin King's Manor for the first time always react this way. He stood ever more straight and proud, feeling proud!

Given the Liang family's standing, Liang Bin gets a share in the palace banquets every year; now he just wants to say that the imperial palace in Chang'an… is just like that.

Liang Bin just gaped and followed the guards into the prince's manor, then along the eastern corridor into the guests' quarters; Zhao Bao personally came to arrange Liang Bin's food and lodging, and also told him the Great King's school‑release time, so he could go find him once the Great King returned to the manor.

... if he hadn't skipped school.

The next day the Great King still hadn't gone to school; Liang Bin was touring near the Hall of Joy and Pleasure when he ran into Wei Shen, who was just idly strolling about.

His clueless country‑bumpkin act made Wei Shen feel as if he'd run into his own self from two years ago, which didn't please him much, so he came over especially to complain about the Liang family's blockhead.