Did The Young Prince’s Kingdom Get Destroyed Today? Chapter 168

Before going to check on the sprouting crops, the little one had to first put on his schoolbag and head to the academy.

Despite having a lot to do, he never forgot that he was still young and needed to study and gain knowledge.

Ling Fu, however, wasn’t enthusiastic about going to school. Rubbing his eyes, he called out to the little one from afar, “Little Seven, do we really have to go to school?”

He really didn’t want to attend the academy at all!

The little one walked over and took his Sixth Brother’s hand, coaxing him, “We have to go. Once we’re done with classes, we can come right back.”

Ling Fu, still downcast, followed his younger brother.

As they walked, Ling Fu noticed Ah Wu coming toward them and immediately complained, “Little Seven, why doesn’t Ah Wu have to go to school?”

Seeing Ah Wu, the little one let go of Sixth Brother’s hand and walked over, taking the breakfast Ah Wu had brought him. His beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons.

“Ah Wu, Sixth Brother and I are heading to school.”

“Mm, off you go,” Ah Wu said, gently rubbing the little one’s head, watching as he and Ling Fu continued walking.

Ling Fu, still not giving up, asked again after some distance, “Why doesn’t Ah Wu go to school? He’s not that much older than us!”

“He doesn’t go because he has work to do,” the little one replied.

As the little county magistrate, his job wasn’t easy.

Not only did he have to make sure the local people’s lives improved, but he also had to handle their cases, settle disputes, and judge right from wrong.

Most of the work he had to do was handled by Ah Wu.

Ling Fu glanced back at Ah Wu. Torn between working and attending school, he reluctantly chose the latter.

At the academy.

From the headmaster to the students, everyone was now fully aware of the little one’s identity. The Jiao family had been punished according to the law, and Jiao’s son had not returned to the academy.

Everyone, from the top down, treated the little one with a mixture of respect and fear.

After being flattered multiple times, the little one openly told them, “Here at the academy, I’m just Little Seven. You don’t have to be afraid of me.”

Although he said that, the attitudes of the other children couldn’t return to the carefree way they were before.

The little one couldn’t change that, so he simply stopped worrying about it.

In the meantime, many new faces had arrived at the academy, and they were all there for one reason— the little one.

They had come specifically for him.

“Little Seven has already eaten, so he doesn’t need your buns, thank you.”

“We have our own paper and pens.”

“Little Seven has ink, no need for more.”

“That’s my seat. Please sit somewhere else.”

Jiang Yan and Chen Zhou stood by the little one, with Jiang Yan doing most of the talking since Chen Zhou wasn’t much of a speaker. Whenever people came to curry favor with the little one, Jiang Yan blocked them.

Sometimes, when he was especially tired of it, Jiang Yan would complain to Chen Zhou.

Overall, life at the academy was quite peaceful.

The teaching here was different from that at Guan Shan Residence, and the little one could feel the difference. But he was determined to take each form of education seriously.

During a break in the day’s lessons, the little one wandered around the academy grounds.

The academy he attended was quite large, with a pleasant environment. It had been built with funding from the prestigious Zhuang family, and every tree and shrub showed their refined taste.

The little one walked around by himself, not allowing anyone to follow.

As he meandered behind a rock garden, he suddenly heard a muffled sobbing sound.

Following the sound, he came across a child leaning on a rock, silently crying while copying text.

The child wore plain clothes and had an ordinary appearance, the kind that wouldn’t stand out in a crowd of kids. His sobs were quiet, but the sorrow on his face was clear.

The little one stood there observing for a moment, then stepped forward and asked, “Why are you crying?”

Startled by the sudden voice, the child jumped, his tears spilling over as he turned around.

“Y-Your Highness…”

“What’s wrong?” the little one asked, trying to soothe the frightened child. “Don’t be afraid of me. I don’t bully people.”

“I know you don’t,” the child replied, quickly wiping his tears with his sleeve. His rough little face turned red, embarrassed that his secret crying had been discovered. “I’m fine.”

“It’s just that… I ranked last in the exams again,” he confessed, his voice trembling. “I’m too stupid.”

The academy conducted regular assessments, and if a student consistently ranked at the bottom, the teachers would ask the parents to reconsider whether the child should continue their studies.

Studying wasn’t an easy task.

For a family that wasn’t well off, supporting a child’s education could be a heavy burden.

Seeing the child’s simple clothes and knowing he had ranked last, the little one didn’t need to ask further to understand that his family probably wasn’t well-off.

“Ranking last doesn’t mean you’re stupid. Maybe you’re just not suited for studying,” the little one said, sitting beside the boy and gently patting his shoulder to comfort him.

With the little one’s encouragement, the boy’s mood slowly improved.

“Hey, what are you copying here?”

“I’m copying books,” the boy replied.

His handwriting wasn’t very neat, but he was serious about copying the book.

“I saved some of the paper that Cao Gen and the others didn’t want. I use part of it for homework, and the other part for copying books. Once I finish copying, I can sell them for money.”

The boy didn’t hide his poverty and honestly told the little one about his efforts.

“You’re really smart to be able to earn money by copying books,” the little one praised the hardworking boy. The two looked at each other, and in the end, the little one even helped him copy a page.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Thank you for helping me copy the book, and thank you for talking to me.”

After spending some time together, the two kids had to return to class. Before parting, they waved their small hands at each other in a friendly manner.

That day, apart from meeting a boy who ranked last in the exams, the little one didn’t encounter anything else exciting at the academy.

After leaving the academy, he wasted no time and immediately got into a carriage headed for the village.

It was evening by then, and the farmers weren’t ready to head home yet. They had worked in the fields under the scorching sun all day, and now that it was finally cooler, they took the opportunity to pull out weeds or do other tasks.

As the little one arrived at the fields, he heard Niu Er’s crying from afar once again.

Niu Er, the old farmer, truly loved to cry. Life’s burdens often weighed heavily on him, and though crying couldn’t solve his problems, at least it allowed him to release his emotions.

Sitting in the carriage, the little one heard Niu Er’s cries and felt a pang of anxiety.

“Jiang Jiang, do you think my crop-enrichment method has failed?!”

Ever since the enrichment method had been promoted, the increase in crop yields had been undeniable.

The little one had personally seen the numbers and the results in the areas where the method had been applied, which was why he had confidently encouraged the locals to adopt it.

Now, that confidence was wavering in the face of Niu Er’s sobbing.

“Little Seven, don’t panic. Let’s check the situation first.”

Though he was nervous, the little one sat upright in the carriage, hands clasped tightly in his lap. After a long breath, he lifted the curtain and jumped out.

If it had failed, he’d compensate everyone for their losses!

He had already prepared himself mentally, and with a determined face, he strode toward the fields.

Niu Er was sitting at the edge of the field, holding onto a heavy stalk of grain, his face wet with tears.

“These heavy ears of grain… I’ve never seen anything like this in my life!”

“When we harvest these crops, my great-great-granddaughter won’t have to go hungry anymore. Village chief, it’s all thanks to you!”

Niu Er had suffered hardship for most of his life, but recently, he had been exempt from taxes, and his crops were thriving. All the good fortune coming his way overwhelmed him with joy.

The village chief was surrounded by villagers, his usually worried expression replaced with genuine happiness. “You don’t need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank the Seventh Prince.”

“It was the Seventh Prince who brought the crop-enrichment method to us. He even exempted your taxes so you could afford to use it. He truly cares for all of you.”

The village chief had never met the Seventh Prince, but he was clearly pleased with him.

After hearing this, Niu Er choked up, full of gratitude for the prince.

And it wasn’t just Niu Er. Even the village chief had never seen so many bountiful ears of grain.

“Niu Er, stop crying! Just make sure to come out and weed the fields. That’s all you need to do. Then you can rest easy and wait for the harvest!”

The village chief suddenly remembered something important and became serious. “By the way, in the neighboring county, they didn’t use the enrichment method. Their crops are still growing like they used to.”

“Niu Xin, Niu Miao—”

The village chief named a few of the village’s strongest men.

“Before the harvest, we need to keep a close watch on the fields, especially at night. We’ll take turns standing guard.”

Everyone agreed with the chief’s plan. They had lived here all their lives and knew the hearts of the people well. Some people just couldn’t stand to see others doing better than themselves.

If their crops turned out better than others, it was bound to spark jealousy.

As the village chief organized things, the little one sat not far away, resting his chin in his small hand as he listened to the adults’ conversation.

He had already heard Niu Er’s words and knew that the crop-enrichment method had succeeded, so he sat there with a smile on his face.

After returning from the fields, Wan Ming came to the prince’s residence.

Wan Ming was there to report both the initial results of the crop-enrichment method and the progress of the recruitment.

“Your Highness, as per your instructions, we prioritized recruiting people from poor families this time,” Wan Ming explained. He added, “Of course, I also made sure to hire hardworking people.”

Working in the stone quarry was no easy task.

In addition to paying daily wages, the little one also provided lunch and dinner.

Though the meals weren’t fancy, they were plentiful and filling.

Each initiative by the little one had endeared him to the people of Ping County and Bo County.

The citizens silently expressed their gratitude toward the young prince from the capital, and the little one could feel it.

“Ah Wu.”

The little one, eyes sparkling, scooted close to Ah Wu and placed Ah Wu’s hand over his heart. “Can you feel it?”

Ah Wu: “?”

Ah Wu: “Feel what?”

The little one’s voice was full of happiness. “Here, it feels warm.”

When the little one said his heart felt warm, it wasn’t just an expression. He truly felt a warm sensation in his chest.

Ah Wu, this fierce beast, is fundamentally different from an auspicious beast born with blessings.

So at this moment, Ah Wu couldn’t feel what the little auspicious beast was experiencing.

He only listened to his excited little one, who wouldn’t stop chattering: “Zai Zai did a good deed, it was useful!”

“Zai Zai’s foresight has gotten stronger!”

“A lot of people thanked Zai Zai, Zai Zai is becoming more powerful.”

The little one said a bunch of things, and Ah Wu quietly listened.

The big one and the little one just stayed like that, with an indescribable sense of warmth and harmony.

Another month passed.

The fully grown crops were harvested, and after the harvest, a large crowd knelt in front of the county office in Ping County.

These were all the people who had just finished harvesting.

They brought the freshly milled grain into the granary. After the harvest, they steamed buns with the new flour and brought them to the county office.

“Your Highness, you—you have done us a great kindness!”

“This is the grain we grew ourselves, milled into flour, and made into buns. Please, you must accept them.”

White flour buns were nothing special to the little one. He had grown up in the palace and eaten all kinds of delicacies.

But white flour buns were a precious treat to the villagers, something they were reluctant to eat themselves.

Seeing so many people kneeling before him, the little one had to come out.

Though his small figure stood before the crowd of villagers with a serious expression, he still lacked a certain air of authority.

“I appreciate your kindness,” he said.

The little one wanted to stand on a chair to address everyone, but thinking that would be impolite, he held back.

He lifted his chin, trying to make his young voice sound serious: “By rights, I shouldn’t accept your offerings, but if I don’t, you won’t leave. So how about this—we eat these buns together!”

Although the villagers hesitated at first, they eventually nodded in agreement.

Everyone gathered, eating the buns and drinking soup, as if it were a festive gathering.

When the gathering ended, they all went their separate ways.

That night, the little one was especially happy.

In the middle of the night, instead of sleeping quietly in his room, he kept pestering Ah Wu.

Ah Wu, finally worn out by the little one’s antics, transformed into his original form, picked up the small bundle, and carried him out of the room.

The big one and the little one ran freely outside.

The moon hanging in the night sky was particularly bright.

The little one stood on the big one’s head, tilted his face up, and let out a long “awoo.”

The little one’s immature howl mingled with the big one’s deep roar, creating an oddly harmonious sound.

After howling for a while, the little one covered his throat with his paw, his round eyes looking at Ah Wu: “Chirp!”

The little one’s throat was getting hoarse.

Ah Wu gently patted his neck and took him to the stream for a drink.

Even though it was summer, the night could still be a bit chilly.

Luckily, the little one had fur to keep him warm. After standing in the wind for so long, he still didn’t want to go back.

“Ah Wu, I think I can find Uncle Lian Qing now.”

The little one sat under the moonlight, speaking to Ah Wu: “I miss Uncle Lian Qing so much.”

Ah Wu sat beside him without saying a word.

The little one tilted his head and leaned against Ah Wu.

Although Ah Wu didn’t speak, the little one felt that Ah Wu also missed Uncle Lian Qing.

Time passed slowly.

The little one’s voice grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely.

He had fallen asleep.

Only after making sure he was sound asleep did Ah Wu gently pick him up and carry him back to the room.

The next day.

While writing a letter to Guan Shan Residence, the little one started building his own altar.

His prayer last time had brought back his father.

Now, he wanted to pray for Uncle Lian Qing’s return.

He was willing to use up all his merits, all the blessings he had accumulated, to bring Uncle Lian Qing back.

Just like last time, the little one refused to let anyone help him build the altar.

Since no one could assist, Ah Wu could only provide him with good stones to use.

While the little one worked hard, elsewhere, the lord governor was getting restless.

“Didn’t you say he was just a child, not capable of causing any trouble? Look at what he’s doing now—does that seem like a child’s work?”

Zhuo Tai slammed his fist on the table in fury.

On the table were reports detailing everything the young prince had done since arriving in Yanzhou.

The more Zhuo Tai thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

Not wanting to show his anxiety, he masked it with anger.

“His behavior now is clearly that of a righteous official.”

Zhuo Tai was livid. “Aside from Wan Ming in Bo County, the other counties have also sworn loyalty to him.”

Zhuo Tai could tolerate two princes and a noble shizi in his territory, but he could not tolerate a prince trying to win over his people.

This was a challenge to his authority.

No, it wasn’t just a challenge—it was a direct attempt to seize his power.

“I won’t tolerate him staying here even for one more day,” Zhuo Tai said coldly. “I want them out of here, now!”

His advisor remained silent for a few seconds.

Technically speaking, the land they stood on belonged to the royal family.

Strictly speaking, it wouldn’t even be wrong to say this land belonged to the young prince.

But there was nothing they could do. Zhuo Tai had been governor of Yanzhou for ten years and had come to see the place as his own.

“Figure something out! My office isn’t here to feed useless people.”

Zhuo Tai issued orders to his advisors, demanding that, by any means necessary, they must drive out all the little nobles in the capital.

At the governor’s residence, the advisors were racking their brains so hard that their hair was falling out from the stress.

Meanwhile, the little one at the center of their scheming was carefree, enjoying double the usual amount of sleep.

The little one was well-fed and well-rested, and even though the work was a bit tiring, his energy remained high.

During a break from his busy schedule, he also read letters from home.

“Father, Mother, and my older brother all say they miss me,” the little one lazily relayed to Ah Wu, as he laid sprawled on Ah Wu’s lap.

Reading from the letter, he continued, “Older Brother has once again been urged to take a wife. He says he’s planning a southern tour, and he might pass by here.”

Ling Chen’s southern tour was completely different from the grand tours of Emperor Ling in the past. Ling Chen traveled discreetly, while the former emperor’s tours were extravagant and wasteful.

After finishing the letter, the little one began counting on his fingers.

Ah Wu noticed and gently grasped his small hand, asking, “What are you counting?”

“I’m counting Eldest Brother’s age.”

At Ling Chen’s age, most princes would have concubines and a wife. Yet, the little one had never seen any “suspicious older sisters” around his brother.

Usually, by that age, princes would have chambermaids, but the little one hadn’t even seen one of those for his brother.

“Children as old as Older Brother are already instructing at school.”

The little one’s calculations made him realize that his brother’s progress was quite slow, especially compared to others his age.

“Father mentioned this in his letter too,” the little one sighed.

He didn’t want to meddle in such affairs, being so young himself, but Father had written about it, and others had also come to him for help.

Rubbing his cheeks in frustration, the little one fretted, “I don’t even have a wife myself—how am I supposed to find one for Older Brother?”

The little one was anxious and confused, while Ah Wu, seeing his worry, gently ruffled his hair. “Leave your brother’s matters to him. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Besides, your little uncle hasn’t married yet either.”

“If Ling Chen doesn’t want to marry, he can ask your uncle for advice. See how your uncle manages to get by without marrying.”

Ah Wu’s suggestion made the little one’s eyes light up.

“Ah Wu, you’re so smart!”

The little one praised Ah Wu, then hugged him tightly in gratitude.

Afterwards, the little one eagerly wrote a letter to his uncle, asking for help with his brother’s situation.

Once all the busy work was done, the little one sighed with relief.

“Ah Wu, if I don’t get married in the future, will Father and the others worry about me too?”

“Not necessarily,” Ah Wu thought to himself, figuring that by the time the little one was old enough to marry, Emperor Ling might no longer be alive.

Of course, the little one had no idea what Ah Wu was thinking. If he did, no matter how close they were, the little one would definitely get upset with him.

After sending off the necessary letters, the little one returned to his task of praying for Uncle Lian Qing.

Perhaps because the matter with Uncle Lian Qing had been dragging on for a while, or maybe because Ah Wu was always there to provide comfort, the little one’s attitude was much calmer this time compared to before.

He made all the necessary preparations before going to the altar to pray for the return of his Uncle Lian Qing.

The hours-long prayer ritual, no matter when performed, was always exhausting for the little one.

Before starting the ceremony, the little one had learned one important fact: he could only perform this type of prayer a maximum of three times before he became an adult.

Father had explained it very clearly. If he exceeded three times, he might not grow up at all.

“This is the last time,” the little one whispered to himself after completing the prayer dance. “As long as there’s no third time, I’ll still be able to grow up!”

The little one meticulously planned every detail of his final prayer ceremony.

At the end of it, he raised his small hands and looked up at the sky, his voice filled with pleading.

“Heaven above, please return Uncle Lian Qing. I’m begging you!”

As the little one prayed, a fleeting thought crossed his mind—he pictured the face of the Chief Examiner, the one who used to cook noodles for him.

Since Uncle Lian Qing had left, the Big Boss hadn’t made noodles for him once.

Thinking of the Big Boss, the little one clasped his hands together more tightly, his face even more earnest.

“If you can’t bring Uncle Lian Qing back, then take the Chief Examiner away too!”

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