Chapter 420: Chapter 243: Marriage Alliance
In the blink of an eye, winter has arrived.
He Zhengshu, Liu Jun, Shen Miao, and Chu Yi sat together discussing matters.
The four of them had been in Lingnan for some time, following their fathers’ orders. During this period, they hadn’t done anything major, just spent their days investigating the situation.
He Zhengshu said, "Winter has arrived, but it’s much warmer here than in the capital." He was the second son of Prime Minister He, with a scholarly appearance.
Liu Jun nodded and said, "It feels like spring in the capital." He was the second son of Grandmaster Liu, unlike his gloomy and inscrutable father, he had a very cheerful nature.
Shen Miao fanned himself with a broken fan, saying, "It’s much hotter than the capital."
Chu Yi slightly disdainfully pursed his lips and said, "I’ve been in this wretched place for a while, but I’m still not used to it." It’s too hot here, too stuffy. With just a bit of movement, you’re drenched in sweat.
Shen Miao and Chu Yi were military officers, neither afraid of the cold. Both wore thin clothes and still felt hot.
"I see you’re in high spirits every day, I thought you were happy to be here," Liu Jun teased Chu Yi.
Chu Yi replied grumpily, "Now that I’m here, I can’t walk around with a sour face every day, can I?"
Shen Miao laughed, "There’s actually something nice about this place. I quite like it here."
He Zhengshu agreed with Shen Miao, "Yes, this place is actually not bad, especially the tea." He Zhengshu was very fond of tea and had the nickname "tea lover." When he came to Lingnan, he didn’t bring much luggage, but brought a lot of tea. He originally thought a desolate place like Lingnan wouldn’t have good tea, but to his surprise, there were many nice teas in Lingnan, which was a pleasant surprise for him.
Liu Jun said, "The fruits here aren’t bad, either. There are many you can’t find in the capital, especially the Lychee." Unfortunately, Lingnan was too far from the capital, making it difficult to send lychees back to the capital; otherwise, he would’ve let his father taste them.
"Aside from being a bit hot, humid, and infested with mosquitoes, there’s nothing wrong here," Shen Miao said, swatting an unknown bug on his face. "I quite like it here."
Chu Yi said, "We have to like it since we’ll be staying here for a while."
Liu Jun looked at Chu Yi mockingly, "Little Yi, if you don’t want to stay here, you can apply to your dad to return to the capital."
Upon hearing Liu Jun, Chu Yi glared at him fiercely, "Who are you underestimating?" Though he was somewhat disdainful of the place, it didn’t mean he didn’t want to stay. They were here with a mission.
"You seem pretty impatient."
"Liu Er, do you want to fight?" While Chu Ying was calm, his second son, Chu Yi, had a bit of a fiery temper.
He Zhengshu hurriedly stopped the two, "Alright, let’s get down to business."
Hearing He Zhengshu, Chu Yi obediently sat back down, and Liu Jun put away his teasing smile.
"I’ll continue to investigate the villages in this area with Chu Er; Sanshui and Liu Er, you two will continue to look into the villages in that area." Lingnan was too vast, and though they’d been there for months, they hadn’t covered every place. "Be careful when you’re gathering information." The local customs in Lingnan were quite forceful, and most villagers were hard to get along with. Previously, they almost encountered trouble while investigating.
Shen Miao nodded at He Zhengshu, "You take care too."
He Zhengshu and Chu Yi headed east, while Shen Miao and Li Liu Jun went west.
"Liu Er, why do you always rile up Chu Er?" Shen Miao asked, chatting with Liu Jun while riding, "He’s got a fiery temper."
"That’s exactly why I tease him for fun," Liu Jun’s smile was as bright as the Lingnan sun, though his eyes were full of mischief. "Uncle Ying should’ve sent Chu Da instead of Chu Er."
Shen Miao could pretty much guess, "Uncle Ying sent Chu Er to Lingnan to temper his temper."
"Sanshui, how much do you know about the Tenth Prince?" Liu Jun suddenly asked.
Shen Miao shook his head, "Not much, but since the Tenth Prince came up with stirrups," at this point, Shen Miao tapped the stirrups, "as well as movable type printing and new paper, you can tell he’s a very clever person."
"Isn’t the Tenth Prince only six years old? Isn’t that a bit premature?" Liu Jun had always thought the Tenth Prince was too young, not yet mature, and the emperor’s decision to let him inherit the throne seemed a bit hasty.
Shen Miao understood what Liu Jun meant, "Don’t underestimate the Tenth Prince just because he’s six. Just look at the doctors who recently arrived; like us, they are inspecting the situation in Lingnan. You’ll see the Tenth Prince isn’t an ordinary child."