Fortunately, Old Weiyong Bo didn’t have to wait long before seeing a large and small figure approaching hand in hand, their relationship appearing quite close.
As they drew nearer, the old madam’s eyes suddenly reddened: “Look…”
She couldn’t continue.
The old count’s breath caught, his nose tingling with emotion. He restrained himself to maintain composure, forcing an awkward smile: “Second… Your Highness the Prince.”
The young man before them was slender in build but possessed refined features. His eyebrows, eyes, and nose all resembled their precious daughter exactly… their only daughter from Weiyong Count’s Mansion, whom they had cherished like pearls in their palms for over a decade, only for her to enter the palace never to return. They had received no news about their little grandson left behind, with only fragmented reports suggesting he wasn’t living well.
To say they held no resentment… how could that be possible? But Old Weiyong Bo could only remain silent.
This longing could only be buried deep in their hearts.
The old madam and count had never imagined they would see this face again… in that fleeting moment, it was as if their daughter had reappeared before them, smiling radiantly once more.
“Just call me Chengming. Grandfather, grandmother.” Qi Chengming repeatedly waved his hands and bowed to the elderly couple. By blood, this body was their grandson – even within the royal family, this relationship couldn’t be severed. How could they be so distant?
“Good child!” Having heard this, how could the old madam restrain herself? She pulled him into her embrace, unconsciously stroking his back as tears fell. Qi Chengming stiffened slightly, but he cherished this interaction with elders, so he relaxed his shoulders to avoid appearing too tense.
“Where have you been living all these years? How have you been?” The old madam held him close, inquiring about every detail – daily meals, clothing, schooling. But she carefully avoided any questions involving the current emperor or other princes.
Qi Chengming answered until he nearly broke into a sweat, barely managing responses.
Not being the original owner of this body, he could only give vague answers to many questions, feeling insecure inside.
“…” Weiyong Count and the old madam exchanged glances, their expressions growing heavy.
Their grandson’s life in the palace… must have been terribly difficult. If he struggled this much with basic questions, trying to conceal things, what about the deeper questions they hadn’t asked? Even after entrusting him to long-time friends for care, they couldn’t reach far enough.
Sitting to the side, holding tea and pretending to wait, Wang Shuo maintained a stern expression like a proper adult, gritting his teeth.
How could he not understand what the adults were thinking.
He only hated that he had been reborn too late… and was too young to properly look after his cousin in the palace!
Wang Shuo, who had already become the contemporary Weiyong Count in the new dynasty, didn’t know how such a miraculous opportunity had befallen him. But from that day onward, he held more reverence for spiritual matters. Now, he couldn’t help but pray sincerely to the gods in his heart: ‘Is there any way to quickly help my cousin?’
“I have a difficult matter…” his cousin’s somewhat troubled voice sounded the next moment,
“There’s no established precedent for princes Establishing a Fiefdom in this dynasty, and I don’t know how my Prince of Commandery Manor should be handled… Also, the roads in Liuzhou are desolate and difficult to travel. I’d like to ask grandfather and grandmother to help find some craftsmen, so we can plan and design everything together when the time comes.”
Wang Shuo: “…!!”
“I know!” he blurted out, “I know a secluded and untamed garden master surnamed Huang. Though he isn’t famous, he’s truly exceptional!”
The old count found this rather curious: “You even know what ‘secluded and untamed’ means now?”
—His little grandson who normally despised scholarly pursuits would completely transform whenever he encountered his cousin!
The old countess restrained herself, barely managing to conceal her heartache as she casually inquired: “If the Prince of Commandery Manor hasn’t been planned… won’t the Court of the Imperial Clan send people to assist?”
No wonder everyone thought her grandson was being exiled. In which dynasty would an imperial son be hastily dispatched before his fiefdom residence was even properly constructed?
“Grand Uncle assigned me three craftsmen, but… it’s still insufficient.” Qi Chengming shook his head somewhat sheepishly.
If he merely needed to establish his manor, the reluctant craftsmen provided by the Court of the Imperial Clan would suffice. He could always find ways to win them over and turn them into his own assets. But he also harbored ambitions for infrastructure development in Liuzhou. When it came to urban road planning… these craftsmen’s skills weren’t up to standard nor relevant to the task. Surprisingly, only one among them had relevant research experience, barely qualifying.
Yet his infrastructure mission remained unfulfilled—clearly, he needed a second master with pertinent expertise.
“Understood, I’ll expedite inquiries for you.” Old Weiyong Bo calculated that his grandson wouldn’t remain long in Jingcheng, making this an urgent matter. Even finding someone would present the challenge of persuading them to go to Liuzhou.
He solemnly agreed.
“And me! I mentioned one too!” Wang Shuo protested discontentedly.
“Alright—including the one you mentioned!” Old Weiyong Bo smacked the boy’s head and added impatiently, “Don’t cause trouble for your cousin’s important affairs!”
“Just rest assured!” Wang Shuo vowed confidently.
The adults assumed he’d merely overheard something and didn’t place much hope in his suggestion. But he knew that Grandmaster Huang was only obscure in his youth. While called “secluded and untamed,” he actually traveled through mountains and forests observing and studying, utterly obsessed with construction. He only sold his services when short on funds. It wasn’t until later that his reputation gradually spread.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if his cousin could unearth Grandmaster Huang while he remained undiscovered?
His memories could prove more useful this way.
“The mansion has some retained laborers. I’ll send them ahead in a few days to scout the route for you,” Old Weiyong Bo added, his eyes conveying deeper meaning. “They’re all capable and clever fellows…”
He left the rest unsaid, patting Qi Chengming’s shoulder. His large palm carried substantial force, making the impact somewhat painful.
“Good.” Qi Chengming smiled, accepting this kindness. Was Old Weiyong Bo worried the hundred imperial guards bestowed by the Emperor might prove disobedient and become a liability? Or was he concerned about his grandson facing difficulties in unfamiliar Liuzhou?
Whichever the case, Qi Chengming currently lacked reliable confidants most urgently, so he gratefully accepted.
…This was all his grandfather’s sincere affection.
Upon returning, Qi Chengming not only ate his fill but also received gifts, with Weiyong Count’s Mansion even arranging an additional carriage to follow him. He accepted this unfamiliar familial love with mixed pain and joy, savoring every moment. Even Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi were entertained in the side hall, fed delicious snacks until their bellies were round and full.
—To be honest, such exquisite and novel pastries were hard to come by in the palace without rewards or connections.
The people of the Second Prince’s Residence had only started eating better in the past couple of days. Thus, Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi were both fascinated by the delicacies from the Weiyong Count’s Mansion, yet they tried hard to maintain their composure so as not to embarrass their master. (Though in the end, they were enthusiastically persuaded to eat quite a lot.)
Afterward, when the elderly couple of Weiyong Count heard the report from the senior maid who had intentionally arranged things this way in the side hall, they fell silent for a long time.
They even packed up the mansion’s treasured pastry recipes for their grandson to take along.
…
Three days later, Qi Chengming’s specific date to Establish a Fiefdom was set for early next month.
The good news was that he still had over half a month to pack and prepare his belongings. Another even better news was that Grandmaster Huang readily agreed to accompany Qi Chengming to Liuzhou. However, he only trusted the Weiyong Count’s Mansion, signing the contract with them instead. He insisted on having several guards accompany him, demanded that Qi Chengming not restrict his freedom upon arriving in Liuzhou, and stipulated that he be released once the road design was completed.
“What is he actually after?” Qi Chengming wondered suspiciously. “Traveling all that way just to design roads? Is he purely obsessed?”
It sounded like the contract was serious, but so was his determination to avoid any association with Qi Chengming.
“Now even every random nobody dares to look down on a prince?!” Xiao Dezi was still sulking in anger, unable to provide any answers. He believed that the relatively unknown Grandmaster Huang, with his numerous demands, was arrogantly looking down on their master.
Qi Chengming then turned his gaze to Xiao Chengzi, who remained silent and appeared as calm as ever. Although Xiao Chengzi had been eating better these past couple of days, his round face had actually thinned out a bit, giving him a more mature and steady demeanor.
“His intentions are impure. We should just kidnap him and take him to Liuzhou,” Xiao Chengzi frowned without hesitation, offering a more radical solution.
“…” No hope there.
Qi Chengming decisively withdrew his gaze and pondered on his own.
Was Grandmaster Huang like someone full of ambition and skill but who had never encountered such a large-scale practical opportunity before? Even if Grandmaster Huang were willing to fund the project himself, a rural craftsman like him wouldn’t normally be entrusted with urban road construction.
No point overthinking it.
The meat had already fallen into his bowl. In the future, he’d have to find ways to ensure that such a great talent like Grandmaster Huang wouldn’t slip away. Otherwise, he’d be truly useless.
Qi Chengming was very confident in himself.
Now he could proceed to complete the infrastructure mission—the mission required over a hundred people: the Imperial Guards met the standard. Two design and command experts: Craftsman Liu, selected by the Court of the Imperial Clan, was one, and Grandmaster Huang was the other; both of their capabilities met the requirements. One steward: he entered Steward Song’s name. One logistics officer…
At this point, Qi Chengming paused to consider, then wrote down Bi Shu’s name.
Bi Shu was the palace maid who had grown a lot of bean sprouts in the rear hall and tried to improve his meals. Qi Chengming discovered that she was not only clever and diligent but also had some basic knowledge of mathematics. She was truly a promising talent!
Experience!
Take her out and let her gain experience.
The infrastructure mission panel flickered and approved the entry. The text changed to (Completed), and after a refresh, several e-books silently appeared on the panel: 《Military Logistics Regulations》, 《Sun Tzu’s Art of War: Marching Chapter Annotated Edition》, and 《The Artificers’ Record: New Annotated Edition》.
“…Hah.” Qi Chengming drew a deep breath, equal parts pained and exhilarated.
It was coming – this intensive crash course covering months’ worth of material that demanded complete mastery. He both craved and dreaded it. But without studying, Qi Chengming genuinely feared he couldn’t guide this massive makeshift team safely all the way to Liuzhou. He had to grit his teeth and push through!
The Second Prince’s half-month college entrance exam sprint course officially commenced today!!
Study until you’re nearly dead, then study some more!
Outwardly, Qi Chengming specifically went to the library to borrow several books as cover, claiming he wanted to research Liuzhou’s topographic maps in advance. Once immersed, he became completely absorbed for most of the month.
Xiao Dezi fully understood his master’s anxiety and offered vigorous support. He handled all miscellaneous affairs diligently, striving not to disturb his lord. Fortunately, Steward Song seemed to share this understanding, assisting him with tasks. The two managed to resolve matters seamlessly, their coordination remarkably smooth.
Xiao Dezi pondered with some bewilderment.
He’d always been rather possessive about being “the most indispensable person in His Highness’s service.” Yet strangely, he didn’t feel the slightest threat seeing Steward Song bustling about…
It felt as if they had already worked together for years, their rhythms perfectly attuned… somehow?
Author’s Note: