Still hiding in the shadows, Ah Wu stared at the little one sitting in the magistrate’s chair, remaining silent for a moment before stepping out.
Just a moment ago, the little one had a serious expression. But as soon as he saw Ah Wu, his face lit up and transformed.
“Ah Wu!”
The little one jumped down from the chair and happily rushed towards Ah Wu.
His serious magistrate persona couldn’t last for even a few minutes in front of Ah Wu.
As soon as Ah Wu saw him running over, he opened his arms to catch him. The little one felt even lighter than the last time Ah Wu had held him.
“Little one, have you not been eating well lately?”
“I have!”
The little one clung to Ah Wu, bursting with joy. He looked up, his crescent-shaped eyes gleaming. “But I haven’t eaten today yet.”
Ah Wu patted his head and said softly, “I’ll make something for you.”
At Guan Shan Residence, although they had a cafeteria at school, they had still learned to cook.
The teacher had said that the future was uncertain, and learning to cook in advance meant that if one day they had no chef, they wouldn’t starve.
All the students at Guan Shan Residence had learned how to cook. Outside, people often said that gentlemen should stay away from the kitchen, but not at Guan Shan Residence.
The teacher had said that food was the most important thing to the people. In the past, there had even been famous poets who had invented many dishes while serving as officials.
There was no shame in learning to cook.
Among the students learning to cook, Ah Wu was the most skilled.
The little one, on the other hand, wasn’t very good. The only thing he could somewhat manage was cooking noodles for himself.
“Ah Wu, let’s eat a little later. We haven’t finished checking this place yet.”
The little one rubbed his face against Ah Wu’s for a while before finally pulling back a little.
Ah Wu held his hand and nodded. “Alright.”
Hand in hand, they walked together. Ah Wu didn’t need to ask anything; the little one rattled off everything that had happened here, like pouring out beans.
He spoke so much that his mouth became dry.
Seeing this, Ah Wu poured him some water.
As they sipped their water, Ling Fu, who had been exploring the private vaults of the county office, came running over.
“Little Seven, aren’t you going to come and take a look—”
Before Ling Fu could finish his sentence, his eyes landed on Ah Wu’s face.
Ah Wu rarely interacted with anyone from the royal palace when he returned to Qi Dynasty, so he and the chubby Ling Fu were still unfamiliar with each other.
“Sixth Brother, Ah Wu came to visit me,” the little one explained, introducing Ah Wu cheerfully. “He just arrived.”
Ling Fu stared at Ah Wu for a long moment before nodding in acknowledgment.
Not long after, Jiang Yan and Chen Zhou also arrived.
The group of children stood together, and Ah Wu, as usual, kept a calm expression, not showing much enthusiasm.
However, whether Ah Wu was enthusiastic or not didn’t matter to Ling Fu and the others.
“Little Seven, should we move the things from the private vault or leave them here?”
“Yeah, if we leave them here, what if someone comes and steals them?”
“Could this county office get robbed?”
Their questions made the little one pause and think for a few seconds.
After a moment of thought, the little one replied, “Move everything!”
Behind Jiao Da was a governor with many more soldiers than the county office had.
Before everything was fully resolved, the little one wanted to play it safe.
The items in the private vault were all going to be needed.
“Move them to our manor,” the little one ordered, waving his hand, directing the people to move everything.
Aside from moving the items, the little one also gathered everyone in the county office. The soldiers who had been knocked out by Ah Wu were now awake.
After gathering the people, the little one revealed his identity in front of them all.
“From today on, there is no more Lord Jiao. I am in charge of Ping County!”
The little one had replaced Jiao Da’s official position.
Once he revealed his identity, everyone in the county office was completely dumbfounded.
In this remote area of Yanzhou Prefecture, far from the emperor’s reach, no one had expected a precious young prince to arrive.
“If you all listen to me and follow my orders, I won’t harm you. But if you disobey, don’t blame me for being rude.”
The most favored young prince of the Qi dynasty carried a lot of weight with his words.
So, as soon as he finished speaking, everyone obediently agreed.
The little one glanced at the guard he had brought with him.
The guard then proceeded to distribute a string of coins to each person.
The little one, newly appointed to his position, knew he was going to be very busy in the days ahead.
If these officials decided to slack off, it would cause a lot of trouble for the little one.
Even if he wanted to replace them, it would still take some time.
After settling matters in the county office, the little one left with Ah Wu and his Sixth Brother.
On the way, Jiang Yan and Chen Zhou didn’t crowd into the same carriage as the little one. Four people in one carriage wasn’t nearly as comfortable as two.
In the little one’s carriage, Ah Wu sat on his left, and his Sixth Brother sat on his right.
The two occasionally exchanged glances, both feeling that the other was a bit out of place.
The chubby Ling Fu grumbled inwardly, “This is my little brother Little Seven. He should be close to me, not this Ah Wu fellow who just showed up and is already clinging to my brother!”
Ah Wu, on the other hand, didn’t have many thoughts. He simply glanced at Ling Fu and then refocused his attention on the little one.
“Little Seven, I’m sure some of those people were loyal to Jiao Da. Do you think that as soon as we leave, they’ll go and report us?”
Ling Fu ignored Ah Wu and directed the question at his brother.
The little prince nodded. “Of course, some of them will go to report us.”
Jiao Da had controlled the county office for so long that it was obvious there would be some of his cronies around.
Now that Jiao Da had been captured, his loyal followers would surely try to find a way to help him.
“If you know they’ll report us, why not deal with them now?”
“I’ve asked Big Brother to keep an eye on them secretly.”
“Fair enough.”
As they talked, Ling Fu suddenly sighed. “Little Seven, I feel like you’re really good at being an official!”
Being an official was different from being a prince, but in these past few days, Ling Fu had watched his brother handle things, and it felt like he was doing everything an official would do.
“I know a little bit,” the little one admitted honestly. “I’ve taken practical courses in being an official.”
From low-level officials to high-ranking ones, he had experienced them all.
Ling Fu: “…”
Ling Fu gave him a thumbs up. “Guan Shan Residence’s courses are really amazing!”
If he had known, he would’ve gone with Little Seven when he went there!
But that thought lasted only a second before Ling Fu shook his head, dismissing it.
He had almost forgotten that Little Seven had told him before that Guan Shan Residence had a lot of tests and courses.
If he had gone, it wouldn’t have been as easy as staying in the palace.
He didn’t have grand ambitions, so learning so much seemed unnecessary.
“You keep up the good work,” Ling Fu said, patting his little brother on the shoulder. With a firm expression on his chubby face, he added, “Sixth Brother will always support you!”
With Ling Fu chatting away with the little one, Ah Wu didn’t get a chance to speak.
The carriage continued on its way to the residence.
The journey wasn’t long, so it didn’t take much time before they arrived.
After all the excitement, the children were hungry.
As soon as the little one stepped through the door, he specifically told the head housekeeper, “Serve the meal now, and make sure there’s plenty of meat.”
Everyone who had come with the little one, from the head housekeeper to the stable boys and carriage drivers, had been carefully selected by the palace.
Since these people had been chosen by the royal family, their capabilities were unquestionable.
The little one changed his clothes, washed his hands, and after being served some stomach-soothing tea, sat down to eat.
Ah Wu sat beside him, quietly eating as well.
“Ah Wu, this is my mother’s private kitchen,” the little one said while gnawing on a bone. “My mother was worried I wouldn’t eat well, so she brought the kitchen staff with me.”
The cuisine in Yanzhou Prefecture was different from that in the capital.
The palace had made special arrangements to ensure that the young prince and the other children ate well.
Ah Wu wasn’t picky about food; for him, eating was more about filling his stomach.
At the table, only the children chatted, while the servants attending them remained silent, not making a sound.
After the meal, the little one went to take a bath.
He didn’t allow anyone to help him with the bath, but he did permit Ah Wu to join him.
Two bath barrels were placed side by side, with the little one and Ah Wu each soaking in one.
“Ah Wu.”
Sitting in the water, the little one splashed it with his small hands. His face was dotted with water droplets, making his already clear and handsome face look even more radiant. “I’m really happy you came.”
Since seeing Ah Wu, the little one had visibly been in a good mood.
Ah Wu reached out and pinched the little one’s wet cheek but said nothing, simply responding with a soft “Mm,” indicating that he understood.
“Oh, right, Ah Wu, did you see Big Boss when you came?”
“No.”
“You don’t know where Big Boss went?”
“No idea.”
“Sigh, I miss Big Boss.”
Ever since Lian Qing disappeared, Big Boss, who had always been at Guan Shan Residence, had been gone for a long time.
The little one rubbed his face, missing both Big Boss and Lian Qing.
While the little one was soaking in the bath, thinking of them, far away in the palace of the Qi dynasty, someone was also thinking about him.
“In a place like Yanzhou Prefecture, Little Seven may not be safe.”
Ling Chen had thought it over repeatedly and still felt uneasy.
Not only was he worried, but Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi were also concerned.
“Has the letter to Murong Xu been delivered?”
Ling Chen furrowed his brow, asking the person beside him.
The head eunuch at his side bowed and replied, “Judging by the timing, General Murong should have received it by now.”
Ling Chen had made numerous arrangements to ensure his beloved younger brother’s safety.
He had also written to Nanzhou, the region next to Yanzhou Prefecture, and besides securing support from Nanzhou, Ling Chen had given his brother a wealth of special privileges.
His little brother Little Seven had the authority to dismiss officials.
His little brother Little Seven also had the right to mobilize troops.
Even with so many privileges in his brother’s hands, Ling Chen still worried—wondering if he had forgotten to give him something.
“Your Majesty, please rest assured. The young prince is blessed with good fortune and will be fine wherever he goes.”
Whether or not the little prince received the palace’s worries was unknown.
After his bath, the little one put on his pale moon-colored pajamas but didn’t go straight to bed. Instead, he stood at the doorway and instructed, “Change the plaque at the entrance tomorrow.”
“Change it to ‘Prince’s Residence.'”
The little one lifted his chin and added, “Make the plaque bigger!”
What he had done today could not be kept secret.
Since he had already replaced Jiao Da, the little one knew that if he wanted to get things done, he couldn’t afford to keep a low profile anymore.
Being low-key wouldn’t get things done.
While the little one was putting up plaques and issuing proclamations, the governor of Yanzhou Prefecture, Zhuo Tai, was watching his every move, his face dark and stormy.
“He’s a prince. Why isn’t he staying in the capital? What’s he doing coming here to stir things up?!”
Zhuo Tai had been enjoying his role as a local despot, but suddenly, a prince arrived, and judging by his actions, he wasn’t here with good intentions. This naturally infuriated Zhuo Tai.
The advisors at his residence, seeing his grim expression, didn’t want to provoke him but had no choice but to speak up. “My lord, the seventh prince has not yet been granted a title. His visit here may be related to that.”
“Although Yanzhou Prefecture is remote, it is vast and populous. If the seventh prince wants to become King Yan…”
At these words, the veins on Zhuo Tai’s forehead bulged.
Yanzhou Prefecture was currently his domain, but if a King Yan were appointed, Zhuo Tai, as the governor, would be overshadowed.
“Who did the seventh prince bring with him?”
“The sixth prince and the shizi of the Duke’s estate.”
These two were the most notable figures accompanying the little prince.
Upon hearing that there was another prince and the Duke’s shizi with him, the coldness in Zhuo Tai’s face deepened.
His expression wasn’t just cold; it now carried a murderous intent.
“My lord, we absolutely cannot act against them!”
One of Zhuo Tai’s smarter advisors, chilled by the murderous aura, hurriedly spoke out.
“If something happens to two princes and the Duke’s shizi, the emperor and the Duke’s estate won’t let it slide.”
“Even if we can prove that their deaths had nothing to do with us, the emperor won’t care about evidence.”
If only one minor noble had come and an “accident” occurred, they could have gambled on clearing themselves of any blame.
But if all of these high-ranking individuals were harmed, no one would care about evidence.
Everyone involved would be buried with them!
The advisor’s words caused Zhuo Tai’s murderous intent to subside slightly.
“My lord, the sixth and seventh princes, as well as the Duke’s shizi, are still young. We can appease them.”
“If we make them happy, they might even speak well of us when they return to the capital…”
After much persuasion from his advisors, Zhuo Tai changed his approach toward the children.
“Fine, I’ll follow your advice.”
Zhuo Tai said flatly, “Gather some toys and things kids like. I’ll deliver them personally.”
“Understood.”
With the governor’s residence not planning any aggressive actions, the little one had no need to pressure them.
Without the governor’s threat, the little one could focus on his business—or rather, his “work.”
“Wan Ming, take this. This is a method for enriching the fields.”
“The other parts of the Qi dynasty have already adopted it, but this area hasn’t yet.”
The method for enriching fields was a reward the little one had received at Guan Shan Residence.
After handing it to his older brother, his brother had successfully promoted it elsewhere.
But in remote areas like Yanzhou Prefecture, especially in some villages, it hadn’t been implemented yet.
Wan Ming took the paper and, after reading about the yield increase, looked astonished. “Your Highness, following this method of fertilizing the fields, can production really increase by this much?”
“Yes,” the little one nodded. “In some places, yields have increased several times over.”
The little one spoke casually, but Wan Ming was overwhelmed with excitement.
He had heard about the method of enriching the fields before, but ever since arriving here, he had never seen it firsthand. Moreover, the authorities had never provided any specific instructions for improving the land.
“First, let everyone use it so that they can fill their bellies.”
Building roads and fostering trade were certainly important, but compared to those, food was the top priority.
“For those who use the land enrichment method, this year’s taxes will be reduced.”
The little one knew that forcing farmers to use a new farming technique might not be easily accepted, so he offered them this benefit.
“On behalf of the entire county of Bo, I thank Your Highness!”
The news of a tax reduction was such a grand gesture that Wan Ming was overwhelmed with excitement. He immediately knelt on the ground, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.
The little one reached out to help him up. “I’ve told you not to kneel. Just do your job well, and that’s enough.”
With his eyes reddened, Wan Ming still kowtowed several times before standing up.
Ping County and Bo County were the first to implement the land enrichment decree, as Ping County was now under the little prince’s jurisdiction, and Bo County was under Wan Ming’s control.
After the land enrichment decree was enacted, the little one sat in a chair and put a checkmark on the first item in his plan. After checking it off, as he was looking at the second item, someone rushed in.
“Little Seven, more people have come!”
Ever since the little one had hung up the sign identifying him as a prince, revealing his true identity, and ousting Jiao Da from his position, he had become the center of attention in Yanzhou Prefecture.
Many people wanted to curry favor with him. There were so many visitors and gifts being sent to his residence that they were impossible to count.
Sometimes, when the little one looked at the list of gifts, he was left speechless.
“What did they bring this time?”
“They brought a lot of beautiful children.”
The little one: “?”
Eww