Chapter 1543: A Little Tired

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Goryeo, like Liaodong, is a barren and bitterly cold place. Once you are there, I beg Your Highness to take the greatest care of yourself." Chen Sheng continued to offer his counsel. "Your servant has some fortifying, cold-resistant ginseng here that Your Highness may take along when the time comes to nourish your health. The journey to Goryeo is a thousand miles long; Your Highness must not treat it lightly."

"Yes… yes…" The Crown Prince agreed repeatedly, just like a student being lectured by his teacher.

With the two men displaying such intimacy, Zhao Song and Ning Zeguang naturally would not disturb them, but Cai De had no choice but to step forward and interrupt. After all, he was the fleet's overall commander, and the fleet needed to dock as soon as possible and make preparations for the incoming transport ships; they truly could not afford to waste time.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, the hour is already late. Please disembark now," he steeled himself and interrupted the conversation between the Crown Prince and the Marshal. "The people below have been waiting for a long time."

"Ah, yes!" The Crown Prince came back to his senses and released his grip on the Marshal's hands. "Duke of Ji, let us go down first."

"Please follow your servant, Your Highness!" Chen Sheng immediately turned around and led the Crown Prince away.

When the Crown Prince appeared at the ship's rail and descended the gangway together with the Duke of Ji, the civil and military officials, already somewhat weary from the sun, finally roused their spirits once more.

"Your servants greet the Crown Prince! May His Highness live a thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!" They bowed simultaneously, welcoming the Crown Prince with the courtesies of the new dynasty.

In the former Ming era, the Crown Prince, like the Emperor, rarely had the chance to leave the capital. Moreover, because the Emperors generally had short lifespans and the Crown Prince would ascend the throne early, officials outside the capital had little experience facing a Crown Prince. In the new dynasty, His Majesty had a firstborn son early and established him as Crown Prince, so the Crown Prince reached adulthood early as well. Furthermore, the new dynasty had no intention of keeping the Crown Prince secluded deep within the palace, so a special decree was issued to regulate the protocol for receiving the Crown Prince.

According to the Emperor's edict, the new dynasty abolished the custom of kneeling and kowtowing between officials, and this was likewise abolished for the Crown Prince. Thus, the assembled ministers and the young attendants at his side needed only to bow to the Crown Prince to show their respect. The Crown Prince did not care for cumbersome rituals and formalities, so he had no aversion to this.

Following behind the Duke of Ji, he walked down the gangway step by step, then waved to the civil and military ministers who remained bowed before him.

"Ministers, please dispense with the formalities!"

His voice was not loud, yet it seemed to carry a certain magic. As soon as the words were spoken, these people straightened their backs one after another and then respectfully awaited his arrival.

The Crown Prince usually lived in seclusion within his study. Although the attendants around him were all extremely deferential, when he saw a group of civil and military ministers welcoming him like this, and that they immediately obeyed his every word, he still felt an indescribable pleasure.

This callow youth was, just like that, tasting the sweet flavor of power for the very first time.

He did not know how many people had become infatuated with their power just like this, sinking bit by bit into the joy of doing whatever they pleased, until they finally lost all their finest qualities. Nor had anyone told him that he was still just a child who understood nothing. He could only rely on himself to stay clear-headed amidst this fog.

"Your servant is the Grand Coordinator of Liaodong, Li Jingsi, here to pay respects to His Highness the Crown Prince." When the Crown Prince passed before him, Li Jingsi approached his side and bowed once more.

"Grand Coordinator Li has toiled for many years serving in Liaodong. You have worked hard." Since he did not really know this man and had only learned of his existence from those beside him when he was leaving, the Crown Prince had no particular feeling toward him and merely responded casually.

Li Jingsi knew his own standing well, so he did not show excessive eagerness; he was satisfied as long as he had fulfilled the proper courtesies.

After briefly exchanging greetings with the assembled ministers, the Crown Prince, accompanied by the Duke of Ji and Advisor Ning, boarded a carriage that had long been waiting there. The carriage immediately set off, carrying the Crown Prince toward the post station within Jinzhou City. The road the carriage traveled was lined with soldiers on both sides, and along the way, citizens of Jinzhou City mingled among them to watch the excitement. Fortunately, the soldiers kept order, preventing any chaos.

From the moment he boarded the carriage, the Crown Prince had been watching the outside through the window, occasionally waving to the commoners, which drew cheers from them from time to time.

The carriage window was not large, and for safety's sake, cavalrymen rode alongside the carriage, so it was difficult for the people to get a clear look at the Crown Prince's true face. Yet this did not dampen the crowd's enthusiasm; the cheers rose wave after wave.

As the Crown Prince entered the city, ceremonial cannons were fired atop the city gate to welcome his arrival. With the booming thunder of the cannons, the cheers of the common people reached their peak, soaring straight into the clouds.

Compared to other places, Liaodong held the deepest affection for the new dynasty and cherished the grace of the Great Han imperial house the most. The native Han people, for the most part, were grateful that the Great Han had destroyed the Jianzhou slaves who had tormented the lands beyond the passes for so many years, delivering them from untold misery. Even the immigrants of recent years were grateful that the Great Han had pacified Liaodong, giving them a path forward.

Amidst these rising and falling cheers, the Crown Prince felt the passion of the people and could not help but feel a surge of excitement; even his face flushed slightly red.

"I never imagined… I never imagined that the public spirit in Liaodong would be so vigorous. It must be because the common people live in peace and contentment, with ample food and clothing. The Duke of Ji's pacification of Liaodong is a great achievement, and governing this once war-torn Liaodong into such a blessed land is yet another great achievement. The court… the court truly ought to thank the Duke!"

"Since I guard a region for the nation and protect the local people, it is my duty to let the commoners live in peace and contentment. How dare I claim any credit?" Chen Sheng merely smiled modestly. "Besides, His Majesty has already bestowed so many rewards upon me; how could I not repay him well…"

"Uncle accompanied Father Emperor from the very beginning, braving countless dangers for so many years. Serving as both a general and a minister is only to be expected; what rewards are there to speak of!" The Crown Prince unconsciously switched his form of address again. "My uncles have poured so much blood and toil into the Great Han, and are still campaigning endlessly on the frontiers. When I think of it, it rather makes me feel ashamed…"

"Your Highness's words truly fill your servant with trepidation. How can we, as ministers, allow the imperial house to feel any shame?" Chen Sheng hastily protested that he was unworthy of such praise. "Stationed out on the frontier these years, fatigue and hardship are unavoidable. It would be a lie to say I have never yearned for the prosperity and ease within the passes. But whenever your servant thinks that he has, for the billions of living souls within the passes, annihilated the Jianzhou slaves who were worse than beasts, and safeguarded the realm and ancestral temples of the Great Han, then this bit of fatigue and hardship is nothing at all."

"Uncle…" The Crown Prince was increasingly moved in his heart.

The Duke of Ji and the other uncles had rendered countless meritorious services for the nation, and now they still had to campaign for the country in these harsh and bitter frontier lands. Yet they were so nobly virtuous, harboring not the slightest thought of using their deeds to pressure the court. If one were to speak of a peerless statesman, this was probably what it looked like.

It was precisely because of these civil officials and military generals that the dynasty had been able to rise from humble beginnings and ultimately seize the realm.

"However, things won't be so arduous in the future. Liaodong is about to be established as a province soon. Once that happens, more than half the matters weighing on me will be gone, and I'll be much more at ease afterward, just managing the affairs of the various local garrisons." At that moment, Chen Sheng suddenly laughed as if a great burden had been lifted. "To be honest, your servant has been thinking constantly of my brothers in the capital. Once the province is established, I'll request a long leave of absence and go back to have a good drinking session with my younger brother!"

"The Marquis of Pingyuan also misses the Duke very much," the Crown Prince smiled. "When I left the capital this time, he kept asking me to send his regards to the Duke. He also said that he is now an important minister of the state, exhausting his mind and spirit for the nation, and has… has finally made something of himself, and can face his elder brother."

"Ha, it's rare that the boy has put his heart into it!" Chen Sheng burst into laughter. "Yes, he's made something of himself!"

After laughing along with the Duke of Ji for a while, the Crown Prince slowly regained his solemnity. "Actually, for this visit, Father Emperor also asked me to bring a verbal message to the Duke along the way."

"A verbal message?" Upon hearing this, the Duke of Ji immediately became serious again. "May I ask what matter His Majesty has to dispatch your servant for?"

"It is actually just to consult the Duke's opinion on the matter of establishing Liaodong as a province," the Crown Prince deliberately lowered his voice to prevent those outside from hearing. "Father Emperor said that Liaodong owes its present state to the Duke, and only the Duke can manage both military and civil affairs simultaneously, turning Liaodong into a peaceful place by sheer force of will. Therefore, since the Duke is here now, there may be no need for others to interfere and create obstacles. As for the matter of establishing the province… although the Grand Secretariat is very keen on it, this is, after all, a major affair of state that cannot be treated with the slightest negligence. It is still better to ask for the Duke's opinion. If the Duke feels that establishing the province now is too early or too rushed, Father Emperor will have the court delay it. However many years the Duke feels it should be delayed, it will be delayed for that many years…"

"His Majesty…" After hearing the message relayed by the Crown Prince, Chen Sheng felt deeply moved.

The Grand Secretariat's establishment of Liaodong as a province was ostensibly to make civil governance there smoother, but the underlying intention of weakening the power of the frontier military command was clear for anyone to see.

Chen Sheng was not angry about this. He commanded a large army in Liaodong and had held total military and administrative authority for many years. To put it bluntly, he was a regional warlord, a local emperor, which in any dynasty would breed suspicion. It was only because His Majesty and the Chancellor were both men who cherished old ties that they had moved so slowly, giving him full face. Therefore, he was also very cooperative and had no intention of resisting.

He had not expected that His Majesty would actually feel he had been given too little, and so simply let him decide the matter of establishing the province himself. The message relayed by the Crown Prince, to put it plainly, was that in consideration of his immense contributions, he was allowed to decide for himself; if he wanted to be a local emperor for a few more years, then he could be one for a few more years.

However, despite this tremendous grace from the imperial house, Chen Sheng no longer wanted it.

He had already pacified Liaodong for the people of the realm and for the imperial house, achieving such great deeds. His ambition for fame and accomplishment was already satisfied. Having spent so many years in this bitterly cold place, he was a little tired.

"I thank His Majesty for his grace, but your servant believes that establishing Liaodong as a province benefits the nation and the people, and even brooks no delay!" He stated his opinion decisively. "I request the court to make arrangements in Liaodong as soon as possible. Your servant will certainly restrain his subordinates and fully cooperate with local civil affairs!"