Chapter 43: He Made His Move
Qi Zheng’s birthday banquet—Chen Bai only attended half of it, because the king summoned him to draft an edict.
Chen Bai paused. At this hour?
What matter had to be handled at a time like this?
Not daring to delay, Chen Bai went to the palace. There were two edicts he needed to draft.
Looking at the two edicts in his hands, Chen Bai frowned.
Both were related to Qi Zheng. The first was to commend Qi Zheng for his contribution in presenting the potatoes. It was basically a letter of praise. It rewarded him with some gold and silver, though the court usually did not reward much money. Most of the time, it was only symbolic.
The second edict was more interesting. It was an edict appointing Crown Prince Jiao to oversee the promotion of potatoes. On the surface, it seemed to have nothing to do with Qi Zheng, but the potatoes had been offered by Qi Zheng, yet Crown Prince Jiao was being asked to promote them.
Promoting potatoes—something that benefited the people’s livelihood—was the easiest way to build reputation.
And that was it. In other words, Qi Zheng received a letter of praise and some silver. On the surface, he was praised grandly, but in reality, he gained no real benefit at all.
As for Crown Prince Jiao, he had done nothing, yet instead received an excellent opportunity to build his reputation.
Chen Bai felt troubled.
In truth, he still had many concerns about the alliance Qi Zheng had proposed. Once he agreed, it would absolutely be a road covered in thorns. Even if Qi Zheng were merely an ordinary prince, it would not be this difficult. Chen Bai had already deeply experienced how disliked Qi Zheng was by the king. To ally with someone like him meant facing far too many problems.
But he also could not just watch Crown Prince Jiao accumulate reputation like this. This path to reputation had been created by him. It could benefit anyone, but absolutely not Crown Prince Jiao.
Perhaps, just as Qi Zheng had said, he actually had no choice. At least this time, he had no choice. He could not stop this edict. The only thing he could do was inform Qi Zheng of the news in advance.
It might seem insignificant, but if the king found out, it would be a capital crime.
Chen Bai remained calm and handed the drafted edicts to the palace attendant. He was just about to leave, but after thinking for a moment, he said to the attendant beside him, “I’m a little tired. Have someone bring some tea and snacks. I’ll eat something before leaving.”
The palace attendant looked at Chen Bai in surprise, then withdrew.
The pastries Chen Bai wanted were quickly brought over, but the one who delivered them was a different palace attendant. Chen Bai smiled without comment. Hopefully, he was just overthinking things.
As for the palace attendant from earlier, he was already standing before the king.
“The Grand Scholar of the Brush remains in the palace drinking tea. He said he would leave the palace after finishing his tea. He does not seem to be in a hurry to go to the Second Prince’s residence.”
Proper, cautious, and careful with his words. Only old palace hands like them knew just how thoroughly the king controlled the entire palace and the ministers of court.
The king gave a low hum. “Report every detail of his movements today.”
Chen Zixiu and Qi Zheng were too close. The Grand Scholar of the Brush he needed could only be loyal to him alone. Some things would become clear once tested. The contents of those two edicts were extremely important to Prince Zheng. If Chen Zixiu truly had any connection with Prince Zheng, he would definitely think of some way to notify him.
At this moment, Chen Bai was leisurely drinking tea and eating pastries. Finding an opportunity, he secretly sent a message with the hand hidden inside his sleeve. The message was very short, only a few words: “Chen Zixiu asked me to inform you: the edict has been drafted. All matters regarding potatoes will be handed over to Crown Prince Jiao.”
Qi Zheng replied with a voice message, but Chen Bai did not dare listen. It was not that he was being overly suspicious; the palace attendant at the door glanced at him from time to time.
So Chen Bai leisurely continued drinking his tea. He drank until evening before slowly leaving the palace.
Once he reached the street, everywhere was filled with voices discussing the auspicious potatoes.
“I heard Prince Zheng presented the king with an auspicious crop called potatoes.”
“I heard these potatoes can be eaten as a staple food, with a yield of a thousand jin per mu. It’s simply unbelievable. If they’re promoted throughout Great Qian, won’t Great Qian no longer have to fear famine in the future?”
“A merit that will last for a thousand autumns.”
Even while sitting in the carriage, Chen Bai could hear such discussions all along the road.
In contrast, the contents of the two edicts he had drafted were not mentioned at all, as if they did not exist.
A smile flashed across Chen Bai’s face.
Everyone in the marketplace knew that the potatoes had been presented by Qi Zheng. On what basis should such a contribution be handed to Crown Prince Jiao for free? Even the king could not chill the heart of a meritorious subject so much just for the sake of cultivating the crown prince.
The mouths of the masses could sometimes become a weapon used to check and balance others. Qi Zheng truly did not let go of any opportunity he could use. In this way, he blocked the issuing of the two edicts.
At this moment, inside the palace.
The king frowned as he looked at the steward kneeling below. “Chen Zixiu stayed in the palace all day today. Did he have contact with anyone?”
“No. This humble one can be certain of that.”
The king’s expression became unreadable. If it was not Chen Zixiu, then who could it be…
Before the edicts were issued, the news that Prince Zheng had presented potatoes had already spread throughout Shangjing. Although it was the truth, the two edicts could no longer be issued conveniently.
But who could have known the contents of the edicts in advance? Or was it only a coincidence, with the timing happening to fall on Prince Zheng’s birthday today? He should not have had time to arrange all this.
The only thing that could be confirmed now was that Chen Zixiu had definitely not leaked the news. The palace was so strictly guarded that even a fly could not fly out, let alone Chen Zixiu, who had not come into contact with anyone.
The brush in the king’s hand paused. He disliked this feeling. For someone born with an extremely strong desire for control, this was unforgivable.
The king’s voice became somewhat low. “Have the secret guards thoroughly investigate everyone who entered and left the palace today…”
If it was a coincidence, then fine. But if someone inside the palace had truly leaked the news…
The palace attendant could not help shivering. His heart clenched in terror. Logically speaking, only a handful of people could come into contact with an edict drafted by the king’s order. Yet for the sake of that tiny suspicion in his heart, the king was actually ordering the secret guards to investigate the entire palace. Who knew how many people would suffer misfortune.
After Chen Bai returned home, he picked up his phone. He was researching Great Qian’s history.
“At least let me see who eventually ascended the throne in history.”
He originally did not want to get caught up in such a complicated, deceptive struggle between court and princes. Teaching classes and farming would have been much better. But the current situation was not something he could control. It was no longer up to him.
From the moment he sent that message to Qi Zheng through his phone, there was no turning back. He understood that very clearly.
That moment had also marked the official beginning of his alliance with Qi Zheng. He only hoped Qi Zheng would remember the promise he had made. Chen Bai was a vulgar person. What he wanted was nothing more than a free, easy, peaceful, and stable life. The prerequisite for such a simple wish was that Crown Prince Jiao could not ascend the throne. But judging from the current situation, the king was clearly favoring Crown Prince Jiao, even doing his utmost to create opportunities for Crown Prince Jiao to build merit. In that case, aside from allying with Qi Zheng, he truly had no other choice.
The other princes did not dare offend Crown Prince Jiao to death. As for those who tried to play both sides, Chen Bai dared choose them even less, because if anything happened, they would probably throw him out to take the blame immediately.
Chen Bai sighed. At least in Qi Zheng’s eyes, Chen Zixiu was rather useful right now. With Mountain Lord standing behind Chen Zixiu as well, Qi Zheng would not sell him out so easily.
Chen Bai sighed while reading the information he had found on his phone, only to suddenly freeze.
Great Qian had once experienced an extremely severe incident of burning books and burying scholars. Aside from some records on geography, culture, and local gazetteers, almost all records about Great Qian’s history had been burned to ashes in that great fire.
Many foreign historians even believed that Great Qian might not have truly existed at all, but was instead a fabricated story.
Chen Bai read through the information in surprise. Many historians had devoted themselves to studying Great Qian’s history, but there were far too few historical records. There were very few things that could be used for reference. Most surviving materials were small artifacts and documents on local customs.
As for the succession of the imperial family, there was not even the slightest record.
“No wonder some foreign experts think Great Qian was fabricated.”
Chen Bai thought that he had originally wanted to rely on prior knowledge and foresight to strategize, at least avoiding being drawn into whirlpools during major events and not choosing the wrong side. Now, it seemed he still had to rely on himself.
…
The next day was a rest day.
He had originally planned to go to the school to teach, but he was called to the palace again.
It was also to draft an edict. The contents were similar to yesterday’s two edicts, except two edicts had now become one.
Qi Zheng’s reward was basically unchanged, except for one additional clause: Qi Zheng would be responsible for promoting the potatoes.
As for Crown Prince Jiao’s portion, it had been directly canceled.
After a night of fermentation, the matter had already settled. Sometimes, the king also had to take certain things into consideration, especially public sentiment. He had to weigh the importance of matters before making a decision. This time, Qi Zheng’s contribution had clearly reached a point where it could not be ignored.
The palace attendant took away the edict and casually said, “The king said that today is a rest day. Grand Scholar of the Brush should go back early and rest.”
Chen Bai glanced at the palace attendant before walking out. He still had to go to the school to teach, and it was already rather late.
That edict was taken without delay to Qi Zheng’s residence to be proclaimed, and it was also posted on Shangjing’s public notice board.
Chen Bai sat in his carriage and returned to the residence. When he came out again and passed by the notice board, he heard people discussing it.
“After Prince Zheng returned from Zhao, he kept a low profile all this time. Who would have thought that recently he would accomplish so many things of merit for Great Qian?”
“First, he resolved the siege of the border city and drove out Ba’s army. Now he has offered potatoes, contributing to the people’s livelihood. I heard that once potatoes are planted on a large scale, they can greatly solve famine in Great Qian. This is truly extraordinary.”
“Wasn’t Crown Prince Jiao previously responsible for solving the refugee famine issue? He worked on it for so many years without improvement. Prince Zheng has only been back from Zhao for how long, yet he already found a solution. He doesn’t seem as violent and absurd as the rumors say.”
“Who said Prince Zheng was an ill-fated lone star who cursed his six relatives and the world? In my opinion, that’s all nonsense.”
“…”
Listening to these people’s discussions, Chen Bai frowned slightly. Qi Zheng had now stepped into everyone’s sight. Inevitably, people would compare him with Crown Prince Jiao.
Was this a good thing? Not necessarily.
Qi Zheng acting so openly was somewhat unexpected to Chen Bai. He did not know how Qi Zheng planned to respond to this situation. This was clearly an open confrontation with Crown Prince Jiao.
However, with Qi Zheng’s “repressed and showy” personality, he usually acted quietly on his own. Since he had now stepped into the open, he should have already arranged his countermeasures.
Chen Bai shook his head and sighed. “Walking across a single-plank bridge. One more step ahead might be a cliff.”
Then he continued toward the city outskirts.
At this moment, in the crown prince’s residence.
Crown Prince Jiao’s expression was extremely ugly. “What does Father mean by this? He actually handed such an important matter as promoting potatoes to Qi Zheng?”
Was this not the kind of thing that only the crown prince should do?
Could it be that Father had developed some other thoughts about Qi Zheng? He could not help thinking this way, because solving Great Qian’s famine problem was far too important. Why would Father let another prince do it? Was that not creating a problem for him, creating a rival?
Father must know the consequences of doing this, but he still did it. So…
Crown Prince Jiao paced back and forth, every thought in his heart showing clearly on his face.
Someone comforted him, “Your Highness is the current crown prince. Even if you do nothing, and even if you have made no mistakes, you are still the future ruler of Great Qian.”
Crown Prince Jiao acted as if he had not heard it. Instead, he looked toward one person. “Meng Huanchao, what do you think?”
It was none other than the crown prince’s chief retainer, Meng Huanchao, one of Great Qian’s Four Gentlemen.
He was a young man with refined brows and bright eyes, looking extremely handsome.
Meng Huanchao smiled. “Please have the others withdraw, Your Highness.”
Everyone present was a retainer or strategist of the crown prince’s residence. Which one of them was not usually proud and arrogant? Their gazes toward Meng Huanchao were displeased.
Meng Huanchao’s face still carried a gentle smile. He looked completely harmless. To be honest, much of Crown Prince Jiao’s usual demeanor had been learned from this man.
Crown Prince Jiao waved his hand without the slightest hesitation and had the others withdraw.
The others: “…”
The crown prince’s residence had over a hundred retainers, but only they themselves knew that, in truth, the only retainer truly in the crown prince’s heart was probably Meng Huanchao.
It was said that a scholar would die for one who understood him. Meng Huanchao’s life could be considered satisfying enough. Who knew how many people thought this as they left? Although they harbored resentment, who would dare openly offend the number-one favorite in front of the crown prince?
After everyone had left, Meng Huanchao finally spoke. “Although Your Highness is the current crown prince, the future ruler of Great Qian, in the end, whether one can sit in that position is still only a matter of one edict from the king. Now that the king values Prince Zheng so highly, there is indeed something strange about it. A person’s likes and dislikes can change with time. The king disliked Prince Zheng in the past, but that does not mean he will continue to dislike him in the future—especially when all the merits Prince Zheng has displayed now are great contributions to Great Qian.”
Crown Prince Jiao frowned and paced back and forth. Was that not exactly the case? Others saw him as the crown prince, beneath one man and above ten thousand, but who knew that he lived every day in fear and trepidation, terrified of displeasing the king?
Crown Prince Jiao said, “But now that the edict has already been issued, what can still be done? If that Chen Zixiu could be used by me, perhaps I could have received the news earlier. Unfortunately… who could have thought that someone who was once only a noble family’s young master, easily manipulated by others, would climb so quickly to the position of Grand Scholar of the Brush?”
Meng Huanchao looked at Crown Prince Jiao. “He is merely an abandoned pawn, an insignificant figure. Why should Your Highness trouble yourself over him? Losing one Grand Scholar of the Brush is not some great matter. The main issue now is to stop Prince Zheng from taking over the task of promoting potatoes for the court.”
Crown Prince Jiao froze. “Such a benefit—can he refuse it?”
Besides, it was not as if he could refuse just because he wanted to. The imperial edict had already been issued.
The corners of Meng Huanchao’s mouth lifted. “Then create a reason that makes him unable to help the court promote potatoes.”
Crown Prince Jiao looked at Meng Huanchao in confusion. “How can that be done? Please teach me.”
Meng Huanchao narrowed his eyes and said without the slightest hesitation, “Kill him.”
The room fell into absolute silence.
Even Crown Prince Jiao’s heart clenched. No matter how much the king disliked Qi Zheng, he would never allow him to simply kill his son.
No wonder Meng Huanchao had made everyone withdraw. If this proposal alone were leaked, his crown prince’s residence would be in huge trouble. Moreover, this was not the first time Meng Huanchao had made such a suggestion.
Crown Prince Jiao looked at Meng Huanchao’s smiling expression. Perhaps this was the bearing a person who did great things should have. Even when discussing a plan to assassinate a prince of the current dynasty, his expression did not change. Sometimes, Crown Prince Jiao truly was rather envious of him.
Meng Huanchao continued, “Your Highness is still not decisive enough. As long as Prince Zheng dies, all your problems will be solved. Moreover, the other princes are still young now, but once they grow up, who can guarantee that a second Prince Zheng will not appear? Will Your Highness still hesitate like this then, worrying about royal kinship?”
Crown Prince Jiao: “…”
What royal kinship? What he was worried about was the king’s attitude. However, he could not say such words aloud. In front of Meng Huanchao, he still had to maintain some grace, rather than appear cold and heartless.
Meng Huanchao glanced at Crown Prince Jiao, and his words grew increasingly bold. “The king is in the prime of his life. How long will Your Highness have to wait before sitting in that position? Ten years? Twenty years? In such a long time, no one can guarantee that a capable prince favored by the king will not appear. If Your Highness refuses to harden your heart, you will only face an even more difficult situation in the future.”
Crown Prince Jiao suddenly said, “That may not necessarily be the case.”
Meng Huanchao froze. “Your Highness?”
Crown Prince Jiao looked around, then lowered his voice. “Sir is the chief retainer of my residence, the person I trust the most. I am not afraid to tell you: the king’s body is not as healthy as it appears on the surface. In the past, the king personally went to war several times and sustained many hidden injuries. Added to years of exhausting state affairs, I’m afraid the time when they erupt is not far off.”
Meng Huanchao: “…”
This was news even he did not know.
As if seeing Meng Huanchao’s doubt, Crown Prince Jiao said quietly, “Sir, do not doubt it. The one who told me this was none other than Sun Huairen, the head imperial physician. I fear even the king himself does not yet know this, because… he does not dare say it.”
The king had always been overbearing and severe. If Sun Huairen said it aloud, there was no guarantee he would keep his life. The king might very well pin the responsibility on him, the head imperial physician.
As for why Sun Huairen had told Crown Prince Jiao, it was because he was saving himself, finding himself a way out. One could say this was already his last resort after being forced into a corner. If anyone learned that he had secretly told Crown Prince Jiao about His Majesty’s physical condition, that too would be a dead end. He had entrusted his family, fortune, and life to Crown Prince Jiao, so the news was credible.
Meng Huanchao thought for a moment, then said, “Is that not even better? As long as Prince Zheng alone is dealt with, Your Highness will have no more worries. You need only wait to sit in that position. I congratulate Your Highness in advance.”
Both men’s words were somewhat treasonous.
Crown Prince Jiao was indeed tempted. Just as Meng Huanchao said, Qi Zheng was the only prince who posed a threat to him. The others were still young.
But he was truly worried about the king’s attitude.
Meng Huanchao delivered the final straw. “Your Highness, please rest assured. Leave this matter to me. I guarantee it will be done without anyone knowing. Even if there is some flaw, it will have nothing to do with the crown prince. Your Highness also knows my origins. Although I am a scholar, I came from the wilds. The people I know are also… desperate bandits forced into hardship by life. As long as a little benefit is secretly given to them, they can be gathered. I guarantee they will be a force not to be underestimated, and I will not tell them that the one they are intercepting and killing is Prince Zheng…”
“No matter who investigates, it will only seem like a group of lawless wanderers acting on their own. It will not trace back to me, much less to the crown prince.”
“Taking ten thousand steps back, even if the king finds out it has something to do with Your Highness, by then, will the king still have any other choice? Apart from handing Great Qian to Your Highness, who else can he hand it to?”
Crown Prince Jiao: “…”
That was right. He was Great Qian’s only choice.
“Your Highness, do not hesitate any longer. Prince Zheng is the only threat right now. He must be removed.”
Crown Prince Jiao gritted his teeth. “Do it cleanly.”
Meng Huanchao nodded. “Only you and I will know. Everything will be arranged properly.”
Thus, after Meng Huanchao left the crown prince’s residence, a note appeared on the king’s desk in the palace.
“Three days from now, Crown Prince Jiao will ambush and kill Prince Zheng.”
The signature was a plum blossom. This was a secret mark, representing the identity of one of the spies he had trained. Only he knew who this plum blossom represented. His four secret agents—Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum—did not even know of one another’s existence.
When the king received the news, the first thing he thought of was not how outrageous it was, nor how angry he should be. Instead, he frowned and wondered: where did Crown Prince Jiao get the people to carry out an assassination?
Military power was in his hands. The number of residence guards under each prince was roughly the same. Logically speaking, killing the other party should not be so easy.
The saying that the royal family was heartless was not just empty words.
After a long while, the king summoned someone. “Three days from now, send people to keep a close watch on Prince Zheng.”
Nothing more.
At this moment, because Chen Bai had arrived late at the school, the group of students was playing so happily they had almost lost their minds.
“Prince Zheng, is your dog called Alaskan? It’s chubby and plump, so cute.”
Qi Zheng looked at the dog he was holding. “…”
It was indeed chubby, and clingy too. Its paws and nose were all pink. Who knew whether it would gain some presence when it grew up? Right now, it looked far too foolishly adorable.
With Mountain Lord absent, he was the one managing this group of students. At first, the students had been quite obedient. But now? They were all gathered around his dog, watching it curiously.
“Prince Zheng, I’ll give your Alaskan some dried meat. This jerky has no salt. It was roasted on the stove for a long time before it dried.”
The person feeding the jerky had practically draped their entire body over the Alaskan, rubbing their little face against it nonstop.
Qi Zheng: “…”
In the past, no one dared approach him. His expression clearly said strangers should stay away. But now, it seemed no one cared about his expression anymore. They were all looking at his dog.
Taking a dog like this out seemed capable of changing even one’s lifestyle and personality. Truly magical.
“Why hasn’t teacher come yet?”
“I wonder what he’ll teach today. The flowers we planted in the flowerpots last time have all sprouted.”
At this moment, another group of students ran over.
“Prince Zheng, guess what’s in our hands.”
The group looked mysterious, holding out their closed hands.
Qi Zheng: “…”
These students did not mind his lack of response and ran over to Lexun instead. “Lexun, guess what’s in our hands.”
Lexun’s cool face: “…”
She had never seen anyone able to be this happy. Looking at them, her own mood somehow seemed to improve too.
She did not speak, only looked in confusion at the hands held out before her.
When the palms opened, both Qi Zheng and Lexun froze.
They were tiny birds, truly tiny, only the size of little pebbles. They looked as if they had just broken out of their shells.
“Haha, these are the eggs teacher hatched in that box. Just now, we climbed over to peek, and we saw them running all over the box.”
“…”
They had actually hatched.
Qi Zheng’s face darkened. Mountain Lord was not here, and these students had actually taken the newly hatched little birds into their hands to play.
He quickly had them put the birds back.
When Qi Zheng walked to the next room, the floor was full of little moving pebbles. There were probably over a hundred of them, chirping nonstop.
“The box was too small, so we let them out.”
“We spread dry grass on the ground, but they kept jumping outside.”
When Chen Bai arrived, this was the scene he saw: a group of students surrounding and trying to block the finger-sized little quails. Although the quails were tiny, each one was extremely clever and full of energy.
“…Teacher, what are these? They don’t look like chickens or birds.”
“I think they’re little birds, but little birds don’t run around when they’re born. Their bodies are soft.”
Chen Bai quickly found small dishes and filled them with cooled boiled water. He also bought some fine rice for feeding small birds and scattered it on the ground.
Only then did the little quails gather together.
Then he used a frame to enclose them, finally making things less troublesome.
Thankfully, the weather was hot now, so it was fine for them to run on the ground. Otherwise, they would freeze to death.
The dogs nearby were also so excited they could hardly stand it. They were being held back by people; otherwise, they probably would have come over to tease the birds.
It seemed he would have to teach these students how to raise quails.
Leaving the space to the little quails, the group of students followed him back to the multifunctional electronic classroom.
There were two lessons today. One was raising quails.
These students also learned the name of the little creatures and chattered about them nonstop.
The fluffy little quails were naturally lovable.
“In the future, we’ll catch bugs for them to eat.”
“There are lots of crickets on the mountain, and they chirp really loudly. In the future, we’ll bring bamboo tubes, catch them, and feed them.”
Chen Bai smiled. Quails had a very fast growth cycle. They could basically lay eggs in thirty-five days, which showed how fast they grew. In just a few days, they could eat insects. With some fine rice added, they were not difficult to raise.
The thing to be careful of was probably… not letting this group of overly curious students play them to death, or letting the excited dogs accidentally tease them to death.
Then came the second lesson, still a planting lesson.
Chen Bai went to the carriage and brought in the things he had prepared early in the morning.
They were basket after basket of fruit.
Apples, pears, cherries, sweet cherries, peaches, oranges, red dates…
Everything was available.
Rows of fruit baskets were placed there, stunning everyone.
“This is a pear? My goodness, it’s so big. The pears back home are only this tiny.”
“And this orange too. It’s so big, and the color is beautiful. A golden orange.”
“And what is this? It looks like a gemstone.” Someone pointed at the sweet cherries, unable to name them. They were red and translucent, indeed like gemstones. They were not very large, but their appearance was excellent.
“Are all of these edible fruits? I thought our grapes were already the prettiest and tastiest.”
Even Qi Zheng and Lexun froze. They had been born into the royal family and had seen plenty of fruit tributes from various places, so their knowledge could be considered decent. But now, among these fruits that looked so pleasing, there were many even they did not recognize. The ones they did recognize also seemed very different—far prettier and more tempting than any they had seen before.
Just looking at them made people want to have a taste.
As usual, Chen Bai placed an explanatory sign behind each fruit basket.
“This is today’s lesson. Each of you will choose one type of fruit to plant. However, this time is a little different. We need to plant these fruits on the mountain, and the workload will be very heavy. So you only need to guide others on how to plant the fruit you chose, keep it alive, and make it blossom and bear fruit.”
“The fruit baskets placed before you show what they will look like when mature. Now, you may taste them and read the introductions behind them to choose the fruit you like for planting.”
This could be considered a proper practical lesson arranged for these students.
The planting location was a nearby mountain. When Chen Bai had arrived, he had already discussed it with Qi Zheng.
Chen Bai continued, “Prince Zheng has agreed to lend people to you. You will guide them in planting and caring for the trees. When the fruit you planted yourselves ripens, not only can you eat as much as you like, but ten percent of the profit from what is sold will also belong to you.”
As Chen Bai spoke, he glanced at Qi Zheng. Now that he and Qi Zheng were allied, there were some things he had to start considering.
Do not look at these children as still young. The meaning behind them was different. They were attending his classes, and in the future, they definitely would not remain ordinary. Once they had a relationship of shared interests, that relationship would play a crucial role later on.
Human relationships could change at any moment because of all kinds of circumstances. Only relationships maintained by shared benefit could last longer.
This sounded a little cold, but it was the truth.
The students’ mouths all opened into little O-shapes. In the future, they could eat the fruits they planted however they wanted? And when the fruits were sold, they could even get ten percent of the profit?
Look at these fruits. No matter which one it was, there would be no need to worry about selling it. Of course, the most important thing was that they could eat as much as they wanted.
Oh my goodness, so exciting.
Chen Bai smiled. “Now go choose the fruit you like and try it. Plant what you like.”
Today was especially lively. A group of students gathered around the fruit baskets, tasting them one by one.
“What should I do? They’re all too delicious. I don’t know what to choose.”
They were dazzled by the choices. The key point was that they were truly delicious.
“Aiya, I’ll just choose the prettiest-looking one.”
Chen Xiaobu held a huge red apple and bit into it. “So crisp and sweet. I choose this. That orange is pretty good too. It’s ugly-looking, and its name is actually ugly orange. Haha.”
Lexun chose cherries, holding one up under the sun. It looked like a red gemstone.
Chen Bai did not bother with them. Once they had made their choices, he led them toward the nearby mountain.
The reason he had arrived so late at the academy was because he had gone to this mountain. He had bought quite a number of fruit saplings and piled them there. They were all half-grown fruit saplings, either two-year-old or three-year-old saplings, at the stage where they could soon bear fruit. As they slowly grew, they would bear more and more.
The money for buying the saplings had come from Qi Zheng. The land, fruit trees, and labor were all provided by Qi Zheng, so naturally, the other party would take the majority of the profits.
When they arrived, people were already waiting there. They were all people who had moved into Qi Zheng’s territory.
It had to be mentioned that as the grapes and rabbits sold extremely well, more and more people were willing to move in. Otherwise, Qi Zheng truly would not have had enough manpower for his plan to expand breeding.
The mountain was divided into eighty plots, one plot for each student.
After that, the students led people away to guide them on how to plant.
Previously, they had only planted flowers and grasses, all by hand. This time, the lesson leaned more toward forming the habit of technical guidance, because when they grew up, they would probably use this skill even more.
The entire mountain suddenly became bustling and lively. From time to time, the students could be heard speaking loudly and passionately.
This was not something that could be completed in a short while. It certainly could not be finished today. Just clearing weeds and developing the barren mountain would take quite some time. It would be enough to keep these students busy for a long while.
Chen Bai and Qi Zheng sat halfway up the mountain eating fruit. The Alaskan Malamute kept trying to beg fruit from Chen Bai.
Chen Bai found it rather amusing. Qi Zheng had actually become like everyone else, bringing his dog along whenever he went out, while still putting on an indifferent expression.
He finally understood why King Zhou of Shang had liked a fox so much that he was denounced by the feudal lords, and in the end still refused to repent.
Speaking of which, King Zhou of Shang was quite pitiful too. Wasn’t he just fond of petting foxes?
It was the same principle as Qi Zheng liking to pet dogs now. Fortunately, this was no longer the Shang-Zhou era. The royal family was not forbidden from keeping pets. At most, people would say one was neglecting proper duties for playthings. It would not go so far as being denounced by feudal lords.
Chen Bai scratched the dog’s chin. “This is how it’s fun.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
Did he think Qi Zheng did not know? Qi Zheng had already secretly petted it before.
When the sun was about to set, the group of students finally returned reluctantly, wiping the sweat from their foreheads.
“You have to plant them properly according to our method. We’ll come check every afternoon after school.”
“What should I do? I don’t want to attend classes at Shangjing Academy at all anymore.”
Chen Bai smiled. That was impossible. The lessons at Shangjing Academy were like cultural classes, while his lessons were like technical classes. Both were necessary.
When Chen Xiaobu left, he still had a big red apple stuffed in his arms. “I’m taking this back for my brother. Whenever my brother has something good to eat, he always saves it for me. This time, I want to save something for my brother too.”
Chen Bai: “…”
He had not doted on this brat for nothing.
Gan Xin also opened his small pouch. Inside was a peach. He smiled so slyly. “I’m taking this back for my mother to see how pretty and delicious the fruits here are.”
Although they were tired today, it had still been an especially happy day for them. They had tasted so many fruits, all of them unbelievably delicious.
After returning, Chen Bai went to court as usual.
Ever since becoming the Grand Scholar of the Brush in the hall, Chen Bai had grown increasingly familiar with the operations of Great Qian. He had even begun to understand the situations in various regions more and more.
Of course, he also saw many undercurrents surging beneath the surface. The court seemed calm and peaceful, but underneath, it might not be so tranquil.
Three days later, a piece of news shocked the entire Shangjing.
Prince Zheng had been attacked at Wuli Slope outside the city. Whether he was alive or dead was unknown.
A prince had actually been attacked outside Shangjing. How absurd was that? How chaotic did that make the security of Shangjing seem?
In truth, Great Qian’s laws were strict. At least in Shangjing, Chen Bai had seen very few crimes, because the punishments were far too severe.
The king was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. The entire court seemed to turn upside down as well. If someone dared assassinate a prince, then they would not fear assassinating them either.
After court was dismissed, Chen Bai sent Qi Zheng a message. “You were attacked? How are your injuries?”
“Mm. Meng Huanchao led the people.”
Chen Bai: “…”
He did not mention his injuries, but the amount of information revealed was enormous.
Only after a long while did Chen Bai ask, “Did the king know beforehand?”
Meng Huanchao was someone the king had planted beside Crown Prince Jiao. Yet today, in court, the king had been thunderously furious and ordered people to thoroughly investigate the attack.
It seemed that if the king wanted the truth to come out, the truth would come out. If he wanted the case to remain forever unsolved, then it would never be solved.
For some reason, Chen Bai felt a chill in his heart. The king was like a hand manipulating everything.
Qi Zheng said directly, “How could he not know? It was originally done for the king to see.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Probably only Crown Prince Jiao thought it had been done without anyone knowing.
