Lin Tong originally thought that with such a grand display to welcome him, even if Xiao Yunting didn’t appreciate it, at the very least, he wouldn’t be so publicly disrespectful.
After all, making such a big show, even rallying the local people, wasn’t it all to give Xiao Yunting prestige and face?
Who would’ve thought that Xiao Yunting would slap away the goodwill like it was nothing?
They, the civil officials, were not like those military men you could insult and beat at will.
He immediately blocked the convoy and shouted loudly: “Your Highness! I don’t understand what I did wrong! When a prince travels, officials should welcome him, it’s the proper thing to do! I followed protocol, followed the court’s regulations, why would Your Highness whip me?!”
He then climbed to a higher spot and pointed toward the common folk gathered behind him, raising his voice toward Xiao Yunting: “These citizens stayed up all night to decorate floats, all to catch a glimpse of Your Highness’s glory! Acting like this, are you not afraid of chilling the hearts of your officials and the people of the world?!”
He paused, then raised his voice even more: “Does Your Highness look down so much on the goodwill of the people of Wuchang Prefecture?!”
It was truly outrageous!
Qian Yuan could hardly believe it.
Lin Tong was using public sentiment to pressure Xiao Yunting!
Had he gone mad?
Was he not planning to keep his official post after this?
In the future, this empire would still be ruled by the Imperial Grandson. Did Lin Tong plan to retire to his hometown and go fishing already?
Otherwise, how could he be so foolish?
Yet within the same imperial envoy, some people could actually understand why Lin Tong reacted so strongly.
Xiao Yunting had whipped him in full view of the crowd, that was an irrefutable fact.
No matter what happened next, it was also a fact that this governor of Wuchang Prefecture was not favored by the Imperial Grandson.
Since that was the case, he might as well take advantage of this and build himself a reputation for being “upright and unyielding.” That way, Xiao Yunting would have a harder time retaliating later.
Plus, by speaking up this way, he aligned the people of Wuchang with him.
Indeed, those flower floats had been built overnight by the people. They had waited without sleep to cheer for Xiao Yunting. And yet Xiao Yunting trampled on their goodwill like this, what did that say?
What did it say about how he viewed the people of Wuchang?
The people began to grow agitated and shouted: “So what if he’s the Imperial Grandson? Can the Imperial Grandson just treat people like this?!”
The imperial guards grew visibly tense.
Qian Yuan quickly rebuked Lin Tong: “Stop adding fuel to the fire! His Highness made it very clear, no welcoming parties, and no disturbance to the local officials or commoners!”
Indeed, that’s how Xiao Yunting had conducted himself the entire journey.
As such, Qian Yuan, Deputy Minister of Revenue, had grown more respectful toward this young prince.
So young, yet entrusted with great responsibility and deeply favored.
If it were anyone else, they’d have already become arrogant.
But Xiao Yunting was terrifyingly steady.
At this moment, Qian Yuan couldn’t help but try to mediate. He said softly to Xiao Yunting, “Your Highness, perhaps we could both take a step back? Public opinion…”
Public opinion, it had always been a force that couldn’t be ignored.
But Xiao Yunting only sneered, looking coldly at the righteously indignant crowd. He said in a low voice: “This isn’t about taking a step back. This is a trap.”
Yes, this was a seasoned political trap.
So many people had made flower floats overnight to show their adoration. Even if you were up in the clouds, you were expected to bow slightly in thanks.
But that’s exactly where the problem lay.
If he sat on those floats, then the people of Jiangxi would never trust him again.
An Imperial Grandson who hadn’t even started managing the floods was already accepting praise and celebration, what kind of real work could they expect of him?
And if Wuchang Prefecture did this, would Hongdu do it too?
Of course it would!
If Xiao Yunting accepted today, then in Hongdu, Xunyang, Xinyu, and every other place on the route, the welcome would only become grander and more exaggerated.
More and more people would be forced into unpaid labor.
At a time like this, when the people were starving, freezing, displaced, and suffering, would he still let this parade of “peace and prosperity” continue?
How could he possibly do his job?
Xiao Yunting looked sharply at Qian Yuan: “You’re already a Shilang, Lord Qian. Don’t tell me you don’t understand?”
At the root of it, someone like Qian Yuan was a typical old bureaucrat, always trying to take the easy way out, glossing over problems wherever possible.
He assumed Xiao Yunting was just here for show, to hand out disaster relief silver and then leave.
He hadn’t expected Xiao Yunting to speak so bluntly, and he felt his face flush with embarrassment.
But Xiao Yunting had already spurred his horse forward, heading straight for Lin Tong. Without hesitation, he lashed out again with his whip, drawing blood and making Lin Tong cry out in pain.
Lin Tong collapsed to the ground, stunned.
No one expected Xiao Yunting to be this resolute. The Wuchang officials were all shocked.
Lin Tong, stunned and enraged, snapped.
He had studied the civil and military arts to serve the empire.
Yes, he served the Xiao family, but he was no slave!
Even a scholar or licentiate had the right to not kneel before local officials. And now he, a prefect who had passed the second-level imperial exam, was being whipped by Xiao Yunting?
How could he continue in office after this?
He immediately shouted: “His Highness the Imperial Grandson is so cruel and inhumane…!”
Normally, no one would dare say something like that unless they truly hated a royal, because it was no different than accusing someone of being a tyrant like King Zhou of Shang.
Clearly, Lin Tong hated Xiao Yunting to the bone now.
But Xiao Yunting’s expression didn’t change. He brought his whip down again, this time Lin Tong’s cries were much quieter.
Yet among the crowd, the uproar only intensified.
Xiao Yunting remained unfazed, as if the backlash meant nothing to him. He whipped harder and harder, until Lin Tong could no longer make a sound. Then he shouted sharply: “Where is the Tongzhi of Wuchang?!”
Xu Mingqing, the Tongzhit, hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down, cold sweat pouring down his face.
This prince was clearly not one to be trifled with.
Would he be next?
Just as his thoughts were running wild, Xiao Yunting looked at his personal guards.
The guards stepped forward, cracked their whips to the ground, the sound like thunder. The sharp cracks finally silenced the restless crowd.
Only then did Xiao Yunting speak: “My royal grandfather has always taught me: love the people as your own children, cherish the people’s strength, and lighten their burdens! But this dog official clearly knew I didn’t want a grand procession, didn’t want to disturb the people, yet he still forced them to build these floats overnight!”
“This is wasting the people’s strength, and it’s a slap in the face to me and my royal grandfather!” He pointed the whip at Lin Tong on the ground, his voice ringing with righteous fury: “I came to relieve disaster, not to sightsee! The people of Wuchang are citizens, but the people of all Jiangxi, are they not citizens too?!”
Qian Yuan glanced sideways at Xiao Yunting.
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