“Fifty thousand taels of silver!” Mao Dalingtong said in a low voice, as if afraid of startling something away.
“How much?” Qi Chengming suspected he had misheard.
What a joke. When he, an imperial prince, left the palace to establish his residence, traveling thirty thousand li to his fiefdom, he had only brought fourteen thousand taels of silver. A tiny little bandit’s lair… had how much silver?
“Fifty thousand taels of silver, filling several chests,” Mao Dalingtong repeated steadily, his cheeks flushed red. “There were also two boxes of gold bars, and many tribute items…”
“You’re not getting to the point!” Xiao Song Zongguan, who had been listening for a while, couldn’t hold it in any longer and chimed in, “We discovered a mine! And we rescued a lot of miners… It took us so long to get back because we had to figure out how to bring them all out.”
Qi Chengming’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Bi Shu, standing nearby, also covered her mouth and gasped softly.
“What exactly is the situation?” Qi Chengming asked curiously. He managed to restrain his thirst for knowledge and added first, “Steward Song, settle the miners before you say anything else. Bi Shu, go record the financial accounts. Xiao Chengzi is asleep, so you’ll take his place for tonight and organize the storeroom.”
Xiao Song Zongguan didn’t refuse, acknowledging the order before hurrying out. It wasn’t just about settling them in; some of the miners were in very poor condition. He had to find someone to fetch a doctor and get medicine during the night. There were too many issues, and the two doctors with the convoy were far from enough.
Bi Shu left, looking a little resentful.
She wanted to listen too.
Qi Chengming threw her a reassuring glance before turning to Mao Dalingtong. “Quick, sit down. Start from the beginning and tell me slowly… what exactly happened?”
Mao Dalingtong’s storytelling skills weren’t great. He gave a dry, factual account of the night’s events.
The bandit’s lair was on a mountain about half a shichen’s journey away. At first, Mao Dalingtong led his men smoothly along the winding route on the map. After dealing with the sentries, they searched for the entrance along the thick stone wall. It was then that his suspicions were aroused—
Hadn’t the interrogated bandits said that only the old, weak, women, and children were left in the stronghold?
But the lookout was a half-grown boy, and the patrol was also a man. Mao Dalingtong suspected a trap. He kept his cool and had his men lie in ambush a while longer to observe the situation.
This observation revealed the old, weak, women, and children coming out and heading down the back of the mountain towards a safe, hidden area, as if to deliver food to someone—and the portions were large, requiring two groups of women carrying buckets.
In a dense forest by the river, there seemed to be a cave. The women entered and left a short while later with their tools. The place was extremely well-hidden. If not for the women leading the way, winding around so deftly, the Imperial Guards could have searched for eight hundred years and never found the cave.
“It was a clay mine, unrecorded by the government,” Mao Dalingtong said, recalling the scene.
The only battle that night erupted inside the mine. As expected, the bandits had left a group of able-bodied men in the mine to supervise the miners. Mao Dalingtong killed several of them, rescued the miners who had been tortured beyond human recognition, and then led his men back up the mountain to clear out the bandit’s lair. After searching the storeroom, they pieced together what had happened.
It turned out… there was a river nearby called the Du Kang River, whose water was exceptionally sweet and fine.
Hearing this, Qi Chengming’s heart stirred, his expression turning a little strange.
The groundwater near the Du Kang River was abundant, which meant the clay mines in this area used for making ceramics were also of the highest quality. Once discovered, they were to be reported to the government, and private mining was forbidden.
The bandits here—or rather, the officials—had at some point discovered an unreported clay mine. This was a goldmine. The shady dealings began. They claimed bandits were attacking passersby, but in reality, robbing for money was just the bandits’ private greed. What the officials behind them truly wanted was to use the opportunity to snatch people and secretly throw them into the mine as laborers.
The secretly mined high-grade clay was then made into tribute-level ceramics and sold.
“All that silver came from selling tribute items. Robbing passing merchants couldn’t have yielded this much; they wouldn’t dare cause such a big stir.” Mao Dalingtong counted on his fingers, trying his best to recall and add, “Du Kang Wine, Yuanyang Porcelain, and Dragon and Phoenix Double Yolk Eggs. These three are local tributes presented to the Emperor and the palace, forbidden from being circulated or sold among the common people. But privately… many people are willing to pay a high price for them.”
Qi Chengming wasn’t surprised at all.
This sort of thing was all too common in the places of origin for tribute items; some were even more outrageous. In some places, they were bold enough to sell the best batch first, and only then send the rest to the imperial palace as tribute…
“Wait, you also mentioned Du Kang Wine and duck eggs. Don’t tell me…” Qi Chengming looked at Mao Dalingtong suspiciously.
“That’s right.” The Grand Commandant nodded honestly, revealing a somewhat simple and harmless smile. “We also found a batch of porcelain, Du Kang Wine, and tribute duck eggs in the storeroom, all sealed, along with some other treasures.”
Qi Chengming closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Excellent.
What kind of mountain bandits were these? This was clearly an underground black market!
With such a hidden, gray area, what were local officials to do if they wanted to resell other tribute items but had nowhere to offload them? Borrowing the mountain stronghold wasn’t too much to ask… If not for the sudden and swift arrival of troops of the Imperial Guards’ caliber, who unexpectedly killed the bandits’ main force outside and charged in without warning, giving them no time to react, this matter would have been truly difficult to handle.
Tens of thousands of taels of silver, several boxes of gold bars, and the three major tribute items that could be used like currency… This was indeed a bountiful harvest.
Qi Chengming sank back into his chair, his heart surging, feeling dizzy and mesmerized. “…”
He used all his strength to suppress the constantly rising corners of his mouth, preventing himself from losing his composure and laughing out loud in front of his subordinate.
Ha! He was a rich imperial prince now too!
Tens of thousands of taels of silver! Forget about building an ordinary royal residence, he could almost afford to build a Qin Wang Fu of the true specifications Grandmaster Huang had described if he scraped a bit more together! Though he wouldn’t do that.
Qi Chengming reveled in his joy for a good while, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn’t decide exactly how to spend the money. His head gradually cooled, and he looked at Mao Dalingtong. “Go find Mr. Huang and Mr. Qin. Quick, before the news of our raid and arrests tonight spreads to the surrounding areas, sell all those things immediately! Sell as much as you can.”
That was all money!
Qi Chengming didn’t have the channels himself, so he had to quickly ride the last wave of opportunity and offload this batch of stolen goods.
“Just keep a little of the wine and duck eggs for our own use,” Qi Chengming added sheepishly. He felt that his actions just now were more bandit-like than a real bandit, more unscrupulous than a black-hearted merchant.
“Yes!” Mao Dalingtong didn’t think so at all. He simply looked at his highness with admiration, acknowledged the order, and strode out the door, travel-worn, to get things done.
The room became empty.
The night outside had deepened. Qi Chengming, still not fully back to his senses, subconsciously took another sip of the cooled tea. He sat there for a long while, not feeling the least bit sleepy. “…”
He probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
Marvelous!
No wonder emperors loved to confiscate properties. This was truly a way to get rich in one fell swoop.
The room Xiao Dezi and the others had prepared for the Second Prince was the most exquisite and comfortable one in this large residence. Besides the comfortable bed, there was also a study in another room. Paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones were all available. The book covers on the shelves, collected to feign literary refinement, were covered in dust.
Qi Chengming moved into the study, cursed “the fat of the people” a few times under his breath, then pulled out a sheet of fine bamboo-scented paper. After clumsily grinding the ink and dipping the brush tip until it was saturated, he pondered for a moment before slowly writing on it.
Previously, he had been worrying about basic survival and had fled the imperial palace as if his life depended on it. The carriage ride had nearly scrambled his brains, so he had no concrete, holistic ideas, only fragmented development plans. Since he couldn’t sleep tonight anyway and was extremely excited, he might as well organize his future plans:
[First, I must build my future fiefdom around the various knowledge provided by the “Infrastructure System,” making my surroundings as pleasant as possible.]
This point was very important, a ten-year development plan. Regardless of any future revenge, seizing the throne, or self-preservation, if his daily life was uncomfortable, Qi Chengming would choose to go mad. He wouldn’t live to see any future time for revenge or seizing the throne.
He was a modern person transmigrated into the ancient world. No good food, no entertainment, no phone. Nothing was more important than his future quality of life! He had spoken!
[Second, I still need to find ways to accumulate strength to deal with future crises, using the plot of the novel I read before transmigration as a guide to secretly win over famous ministers and fierce generals who have yet to rise to prominence.]
Seizing the throne… who wouldn’t want to?
Qi Chengming thought of Advisor Qin—oh no, after resigning from his Shiye position, he should be called Mr. Qin.
Mr. Qin had no name in the original novel and wasn’t one of the talented individuals who assisted the new emperor in the plot, but Qi Chengming wouldn’t let that affect his judgment. He valued the plot of the throne-seizing novel, that was true, but he wouldn’t blindly copy it wholesale. Even the original Second Prince was just a background character in the plot. Look at his development now. What right did he have to look down on characters outside the plot?
He had the System, but he couldn’t truly live his life as casually as if it were a game.
[Third, I still have to save money desperately! Raiding mountain bandits and thieves along the way is a good method. On the other hand, research cannot be neglected: research handmade soap, recipes, and alcohol. Once we settle down in Liuzhou, research glass and cement.]
If he was to disguise himself as a merchant caravan to sell goods, he had to think through every detail in advance. Then, he would use the money earned to reinvest in the development of Liuzhou.
Well… even if all his efforts came to nothing in the end, Qi Chengming wanted to be a local emperor who had lived comfortably in Liuzhou, not a pitiful wretch who could be kneaded and flattened by the new emperor at any moment.
To have struggled and fought, he would have no regrets.
Qi Chengming stopped his brush, looked at his long-term plan for a moment, then opened the Infrastructure System, scanned and archived the paper, then crumpled it into a ball and, without a change in expression, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
Having transmigrated for so long, he knew that lighting a brazier would definitely require the presence of eunuchs or maids. Now that everyone around him had been sent away, where was Qi Chengming supposed to find a brazier in the middle of the night? Go to the kitchen and watch it burn?
Too much trouble. It was safest to just eat it.
Next was the short-term plan—
Qi Chengming picked up his brush again and started writing. This time, the content wasn’t something he needed to hide. His memory was that of an ordinary modern person, nothing special. It was better to write down anything he was afraid of forgetting.
When he woke up tomorrow morning, he would first arrange for the miners to rest and recuperate, identify them, and search for their families. For those with no one, he would have to see how to settle them in the future. He had brought the government of Yiyang County to a halt, so he had to entrust this pile of matters to Mr. Qin for the time being. He would first send a memorial up according to the contact method Hongren Emperor had given him and quickly get some new officials appointed.
Youzi’s team, sent to capture the escaped Baihu and others, had not yet returned. When they were caught, he had to remember to find Mr. Qin’s servant boy and Shu Tong. Even if Mr. Qin didn’t mention it, as his lord, he had to be mindful of such matters of care for his subordinates.
And then…
Qi Chengming’s face fell. He looked away in disgust, not wanting to see his own crooked, messy characters.
The last time he had used a brush to write was in elementary school! He had no memories of the original owner after transmigrating. At most, muscle memory made his writing posture more standard, but it didn’t stop his characters from being crooked and slanted, like scuttling crabs. In the eyes of a modern person, it was legible. In the eyes of an ancient person, it was the unpresentable level of a young child.
He must practice his calligraphy!
The journey was too bumpy, making it impossible to practice on the road, so his ugly handwriting hadn’t been exposed. When they reached a resting place, the first thing he had to do each time was practice—fortunately, the original owner’s handwriting wasn’t that great either, so it should be quick to imitate.
Having written this far, there was nothing else to think about.
Qi Chengming sighed, blew the ink on the paper dry, put it away, and went back to bed to prepare for sleep. He was used to not needing anyone to wait on him. Even when the little eunuch on night watch by the bedroom door was startled awake and wanted to help him take off his boots and outer robe, Qi Chengming waved him away and did it himself.
He thought he would be too excited to sleep, tossing and turning.
But in the completely dark, unfamiliar environment, smelling the faint fruity fragrance from a platter in the room, with the excessively smooth satin brocade beneath him, Qi Chengming closed his eyes and fell into a deep, sweet sleep.
…
He slept until noon the next day.
Except for the chirping of birds in the trees outside the window, it was as quiet as if no one was there.
“Xiao Dezi,” Qi Chengming called out. The familiar little eunuch pushed the door open and came in. Soon after, Xiao Chengzi also came over with a bundle of clothes, picking out a sky-blue silk outer robe, satin trousers, and sturdy boots embroidered with gold thread and exquisite patterns. They all looked newly made.
Qi Chengming gave them a curious extra glance. His attire in the palace had never been as splendid as what he was wearing now. This was what having money did; all the good materials were being lavished on him.
“It’s fine to have clothes made for me, but two sets per season is the absolute maximum. No wastefulness,” Qi Chengming stated firmly, drawing the line here. He had more silver now, but it couldn’t be squandered.
Before he transmigrated, he didn’t necessarily buy two new sets of clothes in a year. Two sets a season was now a luxury.
“Don’t just think about me. Remember to get new clothes for yourselves too,” Qi Chengming added as a reminder. He had a reasonable suspicion that they didn’t plan on making new clothes for themselves.
“Your Highness… alright.” Xiao Chengzi wanted to refute, his heart aching, but when he looked up and met the young man’s smiling yet unquestionable gaze, he lowered his head again, a mix of heartache and admiration in his dejection.
As expected of His Highness the Second Prince… his character was noble and pure, it had never changed.
Back in the palace, His Highness couldn’t get any good fabrics and looked drab, the shabbiest among the imperial princes. Now that he was out of the palace and finally had money, His Highness was still unwilling to overdo his appearance. In the palace, which prince only had two sets of clothes tailored per season?
His Highness was too frugal.
…And even so, His Highness was still thinking of them.
Xiao Chengzi’s eyes felt sore and hot, but his heart was warm.
A little eunuch with a familiar face brought a basin of water to serve Qi Chengming as he washed up. Afterward, it was time to move to eat. Fang Gugu from the kitchen was one of the two who had been ostracized in the Imperial Kitchen. After getting along on the road for this period, she and Qi Chengming had found their rhythm.
So she didn’t make any extravagant delicacies or mountain and sea treasures, but simply a bowl of plain chicken soup with vegetable noodles.
The broth, made from an old hen, was a milky white. The chicken was finely shredded and placed on the noodles along with a large handful of blanched green vegetables, fresh mushrooms, and a poached egg, then sprinkled with chopped scallions. The aroma alone was incredibly fresh, and visually, the gold, green, brown, yellow, and white blended together in a five-colored harmony.
“This is a good breakfast,” Qi Chengming couldn’t help but praise. He picked up his chopsticks and slurped down the meal.
He had just woken up, so this was basically his breakfast. Eating something light yet savory with soup soothed his stomach with the warm chicken broth.
However…
“Xiao Chengzi, go find Craftsman Zhao and have him hurry up and forge the iron wok I mentioned before. Have Fang Gugu study the few recipes I gave her,” Qi Chengming urged, his voice full of craving.
He loved light and delicious home-style dishes, but he also loved heavy-flavored modern dishes like fried chicken, Hongshao Pork, Maoxuewang, and Qingjiao Stir-fried Pork! He just didn’t know how many of them could be made, as many of the raw ingredients were missing.
It had been so long since he transmigrated… his palate was getting a little bland.
Now, he finally had the conditions to experiment.
He missed them.
“This little one guarantees it will be done as soon as possible!” Xiao Chengzi said quickly. He had heard about it before when he was muttering about how simply his highness ate. His Highness had thought of a few new ways of eating that he wanted, but due to the conditions of the traveling convoy, they had never been made properly.
“Make the fried dishes first, then buy some… buy some young piglets. Raise them for a while according to my method before cooking them. I don’t want to eat the swine from outside,” Qi Chengming said, recalling the ancient term for pig and switching between two names.
His expression was complicated, with a hint of disgust.
The pronunciation of swine (shǐ)… every time he said it, Qi Chengming would think of how pigs were raised in ancient times. So it was better to buy some piglets, raise them himself, and then eat them…
“You got it!” Xiao Chengzi’s reply was much louder this time.
The round-faced little eunuch’s eyes were blazing, his usually introverted and calm face filled with excitement.
He wasn’t afraid of His Highness having high standards or behaving extravagantly. In Xiao Chengzi’s eyes, all of that was what the imperial palace had owed His Highness since childhood. What was wrong with His Highness wanting some compensation he deserved! Xiao Chengzi had never found an opportunity, but now he finally saw His Highness showing a pampered and picky expression—
He was even saying “I won’t eat such-and-such”!
Xiao Chengzi was so gratified he almost wanted to cry.
He had to risk his head to get this done right!
The little eunuch marched out, full of vigor.
A growing teenager has a large appetite. Qi Chengming slurped down a huge bowl of noodle soup and still felt it wasn’t enough. He had another huge bowl of cold-tossed chicken noodles with vinegar, garlic, and zhuyu, mixed with shredded chicken, shredded radish, shredded pickled ginger, and bean sprouts.
‘I pray that chili peppers will refresh in the Infrastructure System’s shop soon!!’
Qi Chengming prayed frantically in his heart.
He could hardly bear these days with only zhuyu and mustard, and no green or red chili peppers.
While the young man was dining in the Flower Hall, it was quiet both inside and out. After a while, he stood up, satisfied, and stepped over the threshold to gaze at the fine weather in the small courtyard. It was only then that Mao Dalingtong appeared from somewhere, saying with satisfaction:
“Your Highness, Youzi is back. All the people have been captured.”
“There are still a few scattered outside, but it doesn’t matter whether we catch them or not. They are just local ruffians that the Baihu rounded up on the streets, along with some commoners recruited to form a bandit-suppression team.” Mao Dalingtong added that all the important people had been caught. “And Mr. Qin’s servant boy and Shu Tong have also been found.”
“Are they alright?” Qi Chengming asked with concern.
“There’s a Shanjing Academy nearby. Mr. Qin and a great scholar there, Huai Liu, are friends despite their age difference. The two of them went there to deliver a message. The servant boy broke his leg on the way and can’t be moved for now. But that Mr. Huai Liu came back with the Shu Tong, saying he was here to help,” Mao Dalingtong gestured. “Youzi, you tell him.”
A man standing beside him stepped forward. His skin was dark, and the muscles on his shoulders bulged. He began to detail what he had learned this time, his expression full of admiration. “That Mr. Qin had made arrangements long ago…”
Qi Chengming chuckled when he heard this.
“Isn’t this perfect? Mr. Huai Liu is here to handle the aftermath, so I don’t even need to write the memorial.” He lifted his leg and strode towards the door, preparing to go see the situation. Youzi cleverly led the way in front.
In his heart, Qi Chengming’s regard for Mr. Qin rose another notch. He was also quite amazed.
…So Mr. Qin never needed his rescue at all.
He felt like he had found a treasure.
He also understood why Mr. Qin hadn’t mentioned his own schemes. First, it was not to steal credit, and second… this matter couldn’t be hidden anyway. If Huai Liu came over, he would sooner or later find out about Qin Liusong’s earlier measures.
County Magistrate Tang’s private residence had three courtyards. Qi Chengming passed through the connecting hall and arrived at the rear courtyard. Youzi pointed to a row of Hou Zhao Houses, where Mr. Qin and Huai Liu were currently handling affairs and talking.
But Qi Chengming’s attention was caught by the doorway—
An unexpected figure, Grandmaster Huang, was standing there stiffly, head bowed, looking somewhat dejected.
Compared to his heavy-heartedness before the matter was resolved, why did he look even more listless now that everything was settled?
This wouldn’t do.
A grandmaster recommended by his cousin, a contract already signed, and the man was visibly getting thinner by the day. Qi Chengming still wanted to win him over. Where exactly had things gone wrong?
Qi Chengming casually sauntered over, following Grandmaster Huang’s gaze—
Huai Liu was chatting happily with Mr. Qin. Both looked relieved, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders.
“You’re displeased, Mr. Huang? Is it because you had to rely on my power as a prince to resolve your hometown’s issues?” Qi Chengming deliberately posed an innocent counterquestion with a wrong answer after some thought.
This was a psychological technique.
Grandmaster Huang, already distracted, instinctively wanted to refute and correct upon hearing this: “…No, no. When I accepted Your Highness’s invitation and prepared to return home, I stopped caring about such matters.”
He used to avoid the imperial family—or more precisely, anyone in high positions of power. They all reminded Grandmaster Huang of those repulsive bloodsucking parasites from his hometown, inevitably leading to painful associations with his own helplessness and despair.
Initially, Grandmaster Huang had only trusted the good reputation of Weiyong Count’s Mansion. But during this journey, he had also witnessed this prince’s approachability and paternal care for the people… so he’d long ceased to mind.
When he agreed to Your Highness’s detour to Yiyang County, a thought had begun forming in Grandmaster Huang’s mind, though he hadn’t fully decided whether to present the evidence or borrow Your Highness’s influence—why should Your Highness champion his cause? Why stir up such turmoil?
Just because Your Highness was establishing a fiefdom in Liuzhou?
Thus, only after Your Highness captured the bandits and genuinely demonstrated intent to intervene did the cautiously observing Grandmaster Huang produce the evidence.
“I just…” Grandmaster Huang continued watching the two figures in the rear annex, his expression deeply troubled. His voice grew faint, complex and resentful, “I just realized how incompetent I am.”
Years ago, having accidentally obtained some clues, he was driven far from home, fortunate just to survive. Burdened by this heavy secret, Grandmaster Huang could only lose himself in architecture, pretending ignorance.
Now he learned… that an advisor alone could eradicate his entire nightmare through his own methods. How remarkable.
He’d even wondered… why couldn’t he have met Huai Liu and become cross-generation friends? But even if he had, with his abilities, he couldn’t have hidden carefully within government offices and uncovered so many details, could he?
He simply wasn’t Advisor Qin’s equal.
His talent lay only in architecture… He wasn’t skilled in dealing with people nor handling such messy affairs.
Now it was all over.
Grandmaster Huang sorrowfully realized he couldn’t easily forgive himself—that cowardly, incompetent self tormented by nightmares for years.
He couldn’t move past it, trapped in self-blame.
“…I see.” Qi Chengming studied the young man’s troubled face, deep in thought.
This was no one’s fault—perhaps just fate’s cruel twist.
Grandmaster Huang was a technical genius who had borne an unbearable burden at the wrong time and place. Even now, when part of the solution was his contribution, compared to Mr. Qin’s actions, he couldn’t forgive himself.
This reasoning made no sense.
After some contemplation, Qi Chengming suddenly spoke solemnly: “Mr. Huang—Mr. Huang Dong.”
“My courtesy name is Anbang,” the young man corrected gloomily. Nowadays, addressing someone directly by their given name was impolite—courtesy names were used for address.
Qi Chengming understood even more clearly in his heart. The names “Pillar of the State” and “Anbang” showed that Grandmaster Huang had received a proper education since childhood and had likely been entrusted with great expectations by his parents from an early age. It was only natural that he now carried such heavy psychological burdens.
“Mr. Anbang.” The young man before him spoke with solemnity. Though the youthful softness had not yet faded from his features, his gaze was calm and powerful, filled with a gentle, encouraging strength that pierced straight into Huang Dong’s heart.
“—Don’t forget, regardless of the circumstances, this matter was resolved by my hand. The people were dispatched by me, the decisions were made by me. You are the Gardens Master I employed, Mr. Qin is my subordinate, and I decided to come to Yiyang County to resolve this mess. You merely assisted me along the way—is that not correct?”
Though there were many questions, Huang Dong truly couldn’t refute these words. After a long pause, he reluctantly nodded.
“Then it’s settled.” Qi Chengming’s tone regained its lightness. “If not for me, Mr. Anbang, your long-cherished wish would have remained unfulfilled. Mr. Qin might be formidable, but what if we hadn’t rescued him yesterday? What if it had been too late when Huai Liu arrived today? Would things have really been resolved smoothly according to his plan? So the truth is, all credit belongs to me.”
“I was the one who decided we would come to Yiyang County, Mr. Anbang. You should simply accept the current situation where the problem has been resolved. Had I chosen not to come initially, even if you had told me everything, I wouldn’t have made a detour here.” Qi Chengming deliberately spoke with icy coldness.
“Your nightmares and obsessions might have persisted for ten years—or even longer—without resolution. Because you signed a contract with me, and I won’t release you, you cannot leave.”
“Mr. Anbang, do you understand?” Qi Chengming pressed forcefully. “To put it plainly, your inner conflicts—past and future—are unnecessary. You only need to obediently listen to me and work for me. There’s no need to trouble yourself with such worries going forward.”
“…” Grandmaster Huang remained silent for a moment, then couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
He felt profound comfort in His Highness’s words. Strangely enough, he actually felt much better… much lighter.
Even if he refused to admit it, this was the kind of person he was:
…He hadn’t become the pillar of the state that his father and mother had hoped for, and he couldn’t face such a version of himself. But the truth was, he simply wasn’t cut out for great responsibilities.
He only needed someone to command him, lead him, and make decisions for him—to escape the harsh self-reproach in his heart. Then he could focus solely on his work without overthinking, and only then could he feel at ease.
His Highness had seen this sooner than he had himself and was willing to become his support.
“Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself?” Huang Dong retorted jokingly, his tone already restored to one of relief and calm. “My contract is with Weiyong Count’s Mansion and hasn’t truly been transferred to Your Highness yet. It’s premature to say I’m working for you.”
“That’s not for you to decide.” Qi Chengming deliberately put on a stern face, adopting the arrogant demeanor of a royal scion bullying others, and sneered threateningly. “You’re already part of the convoy. Whether you want to come with me or not… you’re coming to work for me! I have countless terrain maps waiting for you to plan and construct—don’t think you can push them off onto someone else.”
“Are you abusing your power to bully others?” Huang Dong couldn’t conceal the laughter in his voice.
He was truly peculiar – the more he heard, the happier he became.
“What should this be called, forcibly seizing a civilian man…” Qi Chengming frowned and fell silent for a few seconds, feeling this title didn’t sound quite right, then changed his wording: “This is coercing and enticing you onto my ship. In any case, you can’t get off now. You must serve me, and I’ll squeeze out every bit of your capability. Do you understand?”
Grandmaster Huang truly couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into loud laughter.
“…Hahahahaha!” His laughter was hearty, like that of a genuine young man, no longer carrying the previous melancholy and complex emotions.
He laughed for a long while, until even the people in the back rooms heard the commotion and looked over in confusion. Grandmaster Huang continued laughing as if no one else was present, before finally stopping with great satisfaction and solemnly replying:
“…Alright.”
This was his response to what the Second Prince had said earlier.
Whatever demands were made, he would accept them all. A prince with such character and temperament should be the master he would serve faithfully in this lifetime.
Grandmaster Huang properly lifted his robe, knelt down right there in the courtyard, and with complete disregard for others, seriously raised his arms, causing his wide sleeves to sweep through the air. Lowering his gaze, he deeply bowed in salute, no longer showing any trace of his previous arrogance: “—Huang Dong pays respects to my lord.”
This was a formal salute that only scholars could perform elegantly.
Huang Dong, the imperial examination graduate of the eighth year of Hongren, who had been mocked as ‘useless’, ‘self-depraved’, and ‘only capable of playing with things unfit for proper occasions’, had finally met his mentor.
…
Qi Chengming had spoken all those impressive words to counsel someone, and unexpectedly gained Grandmaster Huang’s sincere loyalty. Throughout the entire process, the young man had remained completely composed, calm yet firm and powerful, this noble leader’s demeanor seeming almost innate.
Youzi, watching from the side, had admiration shining in his eyes, gaining deeper understanding of this still young prince.
However, when Qi Chengming returned to the main courtyard, the moment he entered his room, he awkwardly closed the door and practically fled to his bed, covering his burning cheeks: “…!”
Ahhh!
This won’t do! As someone in a superior position, his composure hasn’t been fully cultivated yet – it’s still not thick enough!
Imitating those grand statements from novels I’ve read before, like “I’ll bear all your burdens,” was quite effective, but my toes were practically digging three bedrooms and a living room inside my boots!
Qi Chengming had never been one to hide his emotions in front of others. At the very least, he didn’t want to become completely unreadable like those in high positions who keep everything bottled up inside. But—only when feeling embarrassed like this did he want to hide! He didn’t want anyone to see him like this!
Qi Chengming rolled over, stretching his long limbs across the soft bedding, gazing up at the gauze canopy above the bed. His cheeks were still flushed, but he had already sunk into reminiscence: “…”
Though embarrassed.
But, it felt so rewarding!
Everyone in his establishment had followed him voluntarily – Steward Song came willingly, Mr. Qin offered his services proactively. Only Grandmaster Huang had been the unattainable man, yet now he was sincerely following him.
Qi Chengming hid on his bed, secretly delighting for a long time.
When he opened the door again, what appeared in the doorway was once again that elegant, composed young prince with graceful bearing.
Xiao Dezi stood guard at the door, vigilantly scanning the surroundings to ensure no one had passed by recently. Only then did he step forward to silently smooth out the wrinkled cyan outer robe of His Highness before resuming his usual position half a step behind the prince, bowing his head in an obedient, sycophantic manner.
“Xiao Dezi, let’s take a look around. You lead the way,” Qi Chengming instructed.
With the most urgent matters now handled, they only needed to wait for Huai Liu to relay the message back to the court. In at most three to five days, once Mr. Qin had streamlined the county’s affairs and entrusted them to minor officials for stable operation, they would set off again.
Xiao Dezi knew exactly what His Highness was most concerned about at the moment.
He led the young prince first to another residence where the miners were being housed and treated. The spacious, luxurious courtyard was filled with the scent of medicine, bustling with doctors and weeping relatives reuniting with their loved ones. The threshold seemed nearly worn out from the constant traffic.
Xiao Chengzi was there, sweating profusely from his busy work.
Spotting His Highness, his eyes lit up, and he hurried over to report: “There are sixty-three miners in total. Nineteen are severely injured and require rest, while twenty-eight have either lost contact with their families or have nowhere to go.”
Qi Chengming approached for a closer look, his expression unchanged despite the strong, sour odor.
Some miners were emaciated beyond recognition, others worn down to a pitiful state. A few lay listlessly, staring blankly with little reaction—lingering effects of endless days and nights laboring in the mines. Most did not appear old, yet they carried an air of decay, like discarded tools.
“…While we’re still here, let’s help them search for their families as much as possible. For those with truly nowhere to go, ask if they’d like to stay with the convoy,” Qi Chengming could only offer this simple instruction.
He suspected these miners might fare better staying in Yiyang County taking on lighter odd jobs than following him to Liuzhou. As for the injured who were immobile and needed rest, they would have to be entrusted to Huai Liu.
Regardless—whether injured, returning home, or choosing to follow him—Qi Chengming intended to distribute silver to each of them. After all, the embezzled funds had been profited from their suffering.
Yet he dared not give too much, as that would draw unwanted attention and invite trouble. After a moment’s thought, he quietly instructed Xiao Chengzi to discreetly leave a sum of silver with Huai Liu, to be gradually used for the miners who remained. Those willing to join the convoy would fall under Qi Chengming’s care.
Next, Qi Chengming headed to the courtyard where the craftsmen were temporarily staying.
The place was alive with the clanging of hammers, arguments, discussions, and the grinding of materials—full of vitality. There, Qi Chengming spotted the young boy he had met earlier—Zhao Juer—carefully pouring a tray of green, solidified paste onto a millstone.
Unable to resist, he walked over to observe from a distance without disturbing Juer’s work.
It was a large square of solidified paste in a pure jade-green hue, emitting a faint, pleasant tea fragrance that made one want to take a bite. It appeared it could be divided into several dozen smaller blocks.
Juer carefully used a string ruler to cut the “paste” into shape. After picking up a small piece and rubbing it in his palm for a long while, his eyes suddenly brightened, and he called out excitedly to Craftsman Zhao: “Father! It’s done! This batch is a success!”
“Is this soap? Have you already made it?” Qi Chengming asked appreciatively, leaning in for a closer look. “How effective is it?”
“…Your Highness!”
Zhao Juer was startled, trying to hide the green soap as if he had done something wrong. He withdrew his hand briefly before mustering the courage to whisper, “This… this is just something I tinkered with myself. What my father is making is the soap you mentioned, and it’s not ready yet…”
“Then what is this you’ve made?” Qi Chengming picked up a small piece to examine it. He caught the scent of tea—it looked just like mung bean cake. Though, some ancient soaps might actually have been edible.
“I used tea leaves, glutinous rice, honey, peach kernels, angelica root, oil, and yellow rice wine…” Zhao Juer’s voice grew softer as he spoke, his head drooping lower. He wasn’t a proper craftsman—he had just gathered some materials after hearing his father was busy researching soap, combining them with the “zaodou (cleansing grains) recipe” His Highness had shared to fiddle with this little creation.
“This should be… should be… soap.” Zhao Juer himself sounded uncertain.
The clever Xiao Dezi had already fetched water and placed it before Qi Chengming just in time for him to test it—the cleansing ability was average, similar to the zaodou of this era, leaving a faint tea fragrance on the back of his hand. Its main appeal lay in its novelty.
The scent was quite pleasant—Qi Chengming took an immediate liking to it.
He usually disliked burning incense or wearing sachets, but using this would be just right.
A thoughtful expression crossed Qi Chengming’s face as he recalled modern online trends of reviving ancient recipes, like handmade soaps. Could Zhao Juer have accidentally created a whitening, fragrant handmade soap?
“Note down this recipe, Juer. From now on, I’ll use this soap for washing,” Qi Chengming encouraged, casting a subtle glance at the others. “Put your mind to it—think of more soaps with different functions or pleasant scents. When we open a shop someday, I’ll give you a share of the soap profits.”
The young boy stood dumbfounded, his face full of disbelief: “…Yes!!”
The others around them erupted into a buzz of astonished chatter. As Jianghu (craftsmen), they had only ever heard of fulfilling their masters’ demands—never of receiving a share of the profits from selling what they made?!
What an incredible windfall!
“You too,” Qi Chengming said after letting them discuss, skillfully timing his encouragement. “If you develop the soap I want and it sells well, you’ll all get a share of the earnings.”
Ancient times didn’t emphasize concepts like copyright, technology, or incentives. But Qi Chengming knew how to motivate people—this wasn’t an empty promise, because he was determined to make it happen.
Technology—such an important thing, yet the craftsmen had no idea what potential lay within them.
They were the most treasured group in Qi Chengming’s convoy.
Fang Gugu from the kitchen had been watching enviously for a while and seized the chance to approach, carrying a newly cast iron wok: “Your Highness—the wok is ready. This servant will practice a bit more and make fried chicken legs for you tonight!”
“Take me to the kitchen.” Qi Chengming’s spirits lifted. He wanted to watch Fang Gugu cook, so he could offer immediate guidance wherever she might go astray. Of course, he wouldn’t forget to encourage her either. “You’ll have to work hard these days, Gugu, to master stir-frying and teach more people. Later when I establish a restaurant in Liuzhou, I’ll need you to oversee everything.”
“…” Fang Gugu’s mind began to wander with possibilities.
She didn’t dare dream of restaurant shares or recipe royalties… Back when she was just an overlooked palace maid nobody paid attention to, and now she’s the kitchen supervisor managing a whole team, enjoying such prestige. And in the future, if she could train numerous disciples who all serve in His Highness’s restaurants…
How would scholars describe this?
This must be… having peaches and plums all over the world!
Just thinking about it filled Fang Gugu with motivation. Hoisting the large iron wok with one hand, she strode briskly ahead to lead the way to the kitchen: “…Your Highness, follow me!”
Qi Chengming followed behind with his hands clasped behind his back, full of anticipation.
Bringing up the rear was Xiao Dezi, who suddenly looked up and gazed at the young prince’s retreating figure.
The little eunuch sighed inwardly with admiration:
…Truly worthy of being Your Highness, even encouraging others comes so naturally, and he never misses anyone.
So busy indeed!
Author’s Note: Qi Chengming: Working hard to learn how to balance everything. (But there’s really so much to balance…!)
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