Chapter 619: Goodbye, the humble ancestral home~

Da Wang came out of the imperial prison and went straight to the rear palace to see Elder Princess Changchang. This fourth sister's condition was clearly much better than when she had just returned, though her formerly lively personality had changed; when she saw him and Lao Qi, she would show a… somewhat elder-like demeanor. She would feel Lao Qi's clothes to see if they were thick enough, and would remind him to wear more when it got cold, lest his hands and feet freeze and become itchy. Da Wang felt that, despite her young age, she already had the bearing of that aunt from the Northern Border; it would be perfect to let them keep each other company.

"Imperial Sister, this time I plan to let you and Lao Qi stay in the Northern Border, accompanying Fifth Sister and the Noble Consort as before. See if there's anything you want to bring—people or things—and bring them all this time."

Changchang was a little surprised, then realized the Northern Border was the emperor's main base; being able to send her there to accompany Ningguo was a great favor. She immediately said she only needed to bring the one maid she had brought back from Wusun; nothing else was necessary.

Da Wang also knew she had little patrimony, and nodded. But Changchang deliberately proposed to bring that maid she had brought back from Wusun, giving Da Wang a new impression of her. This person, raised in the palace, how could he not know that those who climb to power don't necessarily like the witnesses of their embarrassing past? Changchang could actually have thrown her aside in the Perpetual Peace imperial palace, letting that Wusun period be buried in dust, after all he had already said to let her and Lao Qi stay in the Northern Border.

Da Wang silently thought, I'm also poor; when the Imperial Sister remarries in the future, I'll certainly grant her some decent property. Thinking of this, that guy got angry again: when she first married that old man, although he wasn't that generous, he still gave her a dowry and a whole entourage of maids, yet she brought back only a living person! He'll also count this against the Wusun account.

"Imperial Sister, when you have nothing to do, go more often to Lao Qi's place to help him see what he should bring." Da Wang found her something to do. By putting himself in others' shoes, Da Wang felt that if he went out and came back to find his mother and younger brother gone, and he spent all day idling in this empty palace, he'd go crazy.

The unfortunate Granary Director was summoned alone again, and Da Wang ordered him to prepare provisions for another ten thousand cavalry, quickly.

Currently, the Mysterious Armor Cavalry stationed in Perpetual Peace numbers fifty thousand, and he wants to bring ten thousand back home.

The Granary Director was bald, but Xie Yuan sensed another meaning. Actually, keeping the cavalry stationed in Perpetual Peace unmoved saves the most money; escorting Da Wang wouldn't even need ten thousand, because the Owl Cavalry will surely follow his movements. From Perpetual Peace to Secluded Prefecture, this route has already been firmly held by the court, with garrisons at the borders, and most of the forces at Luo River Pass have already moved forward.

Insisting on bringing an extra ten thousand cavalry is so extravagant… it doesn't feel right.

When asked, Da Wang declared solemnly: "The Mysterious Armor Cavalry now has only twenty thousand left in Secluded Prefecture; Secluded Prefecture is our foundation, I'm not at ease!"

Now, assuming the 'city' in the saying 'city falls, people die' still refers to Secluded Prefecture, Da Wang felt that whether or not he uses this excuse, bringing an extra ten thousand is reasonable.

Not because I'm poor or can't afford the trouble—I'll definitely bring the eighty thousand iron cavalry of Secluded Prefecture wherever I go.

Xie Yuan: ……

Besides, we ought to praise you for being sensible!

What could Xie Yuan do? This guy's mouth is tighter than a clam at crucial moments.

Da Wang initially took nothing when he went south; now his clothes are all newly made in Perpetual Peace, and he can go home with just a lift of his leg, but others cannot.

Da Wang's single remark about bringing families along made the marching troop stretch another ten-odd li.

He only thought he was doing a good deed, incidentally bringing some officials' families to Secluded Prefecture; anyway, if you don't resign your post, you'll probably have to go yourself later. He didn't expect this would also stimulate Perpetual Peace's economy, and it's not a minor stimulation.

Heguang told him that now in Perpetual Peace there's nothing that doesn't sell; if it's storable dry goods, they're in high demand.

Hehe, the Perpetual Peace nobles think the Northern Border is a place where people eat raw meat, drink blood, and gnaw tree bark! Letting them take a trip to the Northern Border is practically exile, yet they still need to bring plenty of stuff, and since I don't limit their numbers or vehicles, I'm afraid they'll end up with silver but nothing to buy! There really used to be exile to Secluded Prefecture, but the steppe tribes loved coming there to capture slaves, and the court saw it as aiding the enemy, so later they began exiling to the southern borders instead.

Heguang is still beyond belief!

Da Wang's occupation of Perpetual Peace allowed their business to be openly brought over and laid out. When the Chief Steward left Secluded Prefecture, he had stored a batch of goods in the family estate warehouse, and recently they have been gradually transferred out for sale.

"…The most astonishing thing is dried sea fish—everyone said it's a Secluded Prefecture product, and as soon as it was put out yesterday it was all snatched up. We went to great trouble to transport it, and they snatched it away only to take it back to the Northern Border?"

Da Wang didn't care, just buy it—moving his estate to Secluded Prefecture would be best.

At first he watched it gleefully, but later the Perpetual Peace stockpiling frenzy didn't die down, and he began to feel a bit overwhelmed.

"In their hearts, just how barren is our Secluded Prefecture?!"

"Fine, let them look down on Secluded Prefecture; when they return penniless and unable to buy anything, I'll show up and laugh!"

Heguang: ……I really want to go back and have a look.

In the blink of an eye the departure day arrived, after all it couldn't be delayed much longer, or else they'd run into the big snowfall as the temperature dropped.

Before dawn, all of Perpetual Peace woke up; unlike others who were about to be exiled to the northern desert, Da Wang got up early, ate a bowl of dry rice, and excitedly paced around the Establishing Regulations Palace over and over, utterly unable to sleep.

He waved farewell to each palace, saying, "Goodbye! Shabby imperial palace～I'm going back to live a good life～"

Zhao Bao: ……

It's to the extent that the ancestral spirits would jump out and strike him.

When the time was about right, Da Wang put on layer after layer of elaborate ceremonial robes; once dressed, he was sealed, and he obediently submitted to being arranged.

After Da Wang's ascension, his first tour to the Dragon Rise Land was splendidly attended, and the people of Perpetual Peace came to see him off.