Chapter 57: Countryside

The scorching sun climbed above the horizon, stealing the last trace of coolness from the summer morning.

Even though Zhao Xu was wearing the thinnest long robe, he still felt the intense heat.

At this moment, he began to miss the undershirts and loose shorts of his own era.

However, it was not all that bad.

At the very least, when the little maidservants helped him dress, he could see infinite spring scenery through their slightly open collars.

"Your Highness..."

A faint rosy flush appeared on Luan'er's cheeks.

It was unclear whether it was because of the heat or because of Zhao Xu's burning gaze.

"Heh heh..." Zhao Xu withdrew his gaze, smirking incessantly.

Luan'er smiled through her shyness, having grown accustomed to Yan Wang's predatory gaze toward her.

To her, this had become a tacit game of playfulness between master and servant.

"Your Highness, a letter from Jingshi." Feng'er walked in, swaying her waist at this moment.

Seeing that Zhao Xu's clothes were not yet properly fastened, she picked up the belt from the side and wrapped her arms around Zhao Xu's waist to cinch it for him.

Zhao Xu took the letter.

A few days ago, he had asked the Dong Family to send a letter for him, handing it to Guan Zhong in Jinling, and instructed him to bribe Liang Cheng to send news to him.

At the very least, he wanted the Emperor Zhao Heng and the Ninth Prince's mother in the palace to know about his situation.

At this point in time, there should indeed be a reply.

Feng'er gave him two letters.

The first was written by Guan Zhong, and the second was written by the Ninth Prince's mother, Noble Lady Mi.

He first tore open Guan Zhong's letter and scanned it.

In the letter, Guan Zhong stated that he had already sent ten thousand taels of silver to Liang Cheng and had promised further benefits to Liang Cheng.

After he returned, Liang Cheng specifically sent a servant to the Merchant Association to present a plaque.

With this exchange, Liang Cheng could be considered to be intentionally protecting the Merchant Association.

Seeing this, Zhao Xu let out a light sigh of relief.

With Liang Cheng doing this, his Merchant Association could be a bit safer in Jingshi.

As for the Emperor, the letter said that the message Liang Cheng brought back was that the Emperor had not issued any decree or the like.

Next, he opened Noble Lady Mi's letter.

He saw that the letter was stained with tear marks, and it read: "Xu, since you left for your fief in Yan Commandery, Mother has missed you day and night and often goes to Xiangguo Temple to pray. Now that I have learned your brain ailment has healed, Mother is overjoyed and has no more regrets in this life. I only hope you will govern diligently and love the people in Yan Commandery, and not act recklessly. When the day comes for you to visit home, you and I, mother and son, shall meet again. This is also what your Imperial Father wishes..."

Zhao Xu finished reading it sentence by sentence and sighed slightly.

He had inherited everything from the Ninth Prince, including an Emperor father and a Noble Lady mother.

In his memories, Zhao Heng was strict and indifferent toward him, and naturally, he did not have much feeling for Zhao Heng either.

In his heart, the feelings of father and son were few, while the sense of ruler and subject was greater.

As for Noble Lady Mi, he still felt a sense of warmth.

After all, she was one of the few people in this world who would care for him.

"What your Imperial Father wishes." Chewing on this sentence, Zhao Xu felt something was not quite right.

This sentence was clearly telling him that Zhao Heng had gone to see her and had spoken about him; this sentence was also something Zhao Heng had specifically asked her to add.

At the end of the letter, there were two more sentences, but they were for Luan'er and Feng'er, instructing them to take good care of Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu showed them to the two girls, and their eyes instantly turned red.

By this time, his clothes were already fastened.

Zhao Xu walked out of the bedchamber, his brows slightly locked.

The Emperor Zhao Heng did not dare to issue a public decree to comfort him.

Yet he did so in Noble Lady Mi's letter, which clearly showed he had misgivings.

After a moment of thought, he understood.

It was likely that he feared some forces in Yanzhou would be detrimental to him.

Yet, even though he had figured it out, he felt a wave of sorrow.

The majestic Emperor of the Great Song actually had to be so cautious.

From this point, one could see the sinister nature of the current situation.

"Of the twelve Imperial Princes, I am the only one sent to a fief, while the others linger in Jingshi, fighting for power and profit, with every one of them backed by powerful noble families.

No matter who becomes the next Emperor, I fear they will all be reduced to pawns of the powerful clans." Zhao Xu sneered.

It was tradition for the Great Song to enfeoff the Imperial Princes.

But for the Imperial Princes, they were unwilling to go to their fiefs.

After all, who would want to leave the wealthy and prosperous Jingshi?

Furthermore, once they left Jingshi, it was equivalent to leaving the center of power, losing any chance at the throne.

Moreover, the fiefs could not be inherited, and after death, their descendants could only enjoy some stipends, which made it even less necessary for capable Imperial Princes to manage them painstakingly.

Therefore, generally speaking, most Imperial Princes would only send trusted subordinates from their estates to manage their fiefs.

"One man's poison is another man's elixir." Zhao Xu shook his head.

In the eyes of the other Imperial Princes, he must be very pitiful, with no one to support him, forced to come to this barren land to suffer.

And he viewed the other Imperial Princes like insects in a jar, fighting and bickering in Jingshi, which was meaningless.

Shaking his head, Zhao Xu cast these thoughts aside.

His goal had always been firm, and that was to work hard to manage his own fief.

Once he turns Yan Commandery into a fortress, no matter how the outside world rages, he will remain standing firm.

Thinking of this, a trace of a smile appeared on his lips.

This smile was also for the little schemes Zhao Heng had against him.

At the very least, it seemed that Zhao Heng supported him in his heart.

It was just that he was worried his strength was too weak and he would suffer a backlash.

If he felt that even the Yuan Family could not wipe him out in one go,

he believed that Zhao Heng would then openly support him.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Liu Fu's figure appear before the archway in the backyard, stopping there.

Adjusting his clothes, he walked toward Liu Fu.

Today, he and Liu Fu had agreed to go inspect the countryside.

His policies had already been implemented in one village.

He needed to go see if the officials from the Government Office had done their jobs properly.

Outside the gate, Xu Lie had already prepared a horse for Zhao Xu.

The group traveled along the north-south main road of Yan Commandery toward the north of the city.

"Your Highness, this is your first time leaving the city."

After exiting the North Gate of Yancheng, Liu Fu pointed his horse whip toward the lush forest in the distance.

"Indeed, this is the vast territory of this Prince."

Breathing in the fresh air, gazing at the azure sky and the rippling green fields, he felt relaxed and happy.

Urging their horses forward along the dirt official road, the group passed through forests, rice paddies, ponds, and small streams.

They continued north along a small stream until they reached their destination for this trip, Fushi Village.

"Your Highness, this is Fushi Village. The fertile land surrounding the village was all exchanged by the Prince's Mansion from the Rich Clan. Currently, this village has five hundred households, and the rice in the fields has already been planted."

Dismounting, Liu Fu led Zhao Xu to the edge of the fields.

Zhao Xu looked toward the fields, where the rice seedlings were already glowing green.

And by around November, these rice paddies would be ready for harvest.

By then, the food supply in Yan Commandery would be sufficient.

At this thought, he revealed a satisfied smile.

"Let's go into the village and take a look." Zhao Xu walked along the field ridges toward a cluster of thatched cottages.

His arrival had already attracted the attention of the villagers.

The village children hid in groups of three or five behind thick willow trees, curiously peeking at him.

Seeing these young children, he suddenly felt a complex mix of emotions in his heart.

These children's clothes were tattered, to the point where they could be described as barely covering their bodies.

There were even some who were completely naked.

From their bodies, one could clearly see their ribs one by one.