“I am traveling incognito this time. Do not reveal my identity.”
After saying this, Huan Che stepped directly into the carriage.
Gu Yunrong glanced at his profile before lowering her head.
She could tell that her elder brother was wary of Huan Che, and she could easily guess what he thought of the prince. However, she did not believe Huan Che had any particular interest in her. In her previous life, they had been husband and wife for nearly half a year, yet he had never fallen in love with her.
She suspected that his main purpose for coming to Zhejiang was neither to investigate the case nor to inspect the military. He was probably here to investigate the officials and learn about the conditions of the people in Jiangnan and Zhejiang.
The Great Dynasty was supposed to be a powerful and prosperous empire, yet it had been pushed around by Japanese pirates until it could barely fight back. Clearly, something was wrong within its own ranks. The Emperor must have been so furious over the repeated reports of defeat that he could hardly sleep. Perhaps he was using Yu Sixian’s case as an excuse to send Huan Che to Zhejiang to root out corrupt officials.
In her previous life, Li Boyuan might also have come for this purpose. But for some reason, Huan Che had taken his place in this life.
If Huan Che wanted to understand the coastal battles against the Japanese pirates, the best way was to ask the ordinary people. However, commoners had always been reluctant to get involved in disputes with officials. Carrying out such an investigation would probably not be easy.
At present, her father’s case was in Huan Che’s hands, so her family did not dare lie to him. As for why he had summoned her, her mother, and her elder sister together earlier, it was probably to conceal his real intentions.
However, there was one thing she could not understand.
What could a young girl like her possibly know? Why had he insisted on bringing her along?
Thinking about it gave her a headache, so she decided to put the matter aside for now.
She had known Huan Che for a long time. Sometimes, she felt that she understood him better than anyone else. At other times, she felt as though she had never understood him at all.
It was difficult to guess what was going through his mind. In fact, most of the time, she could not even tell whether her guesses were correct because he rarely revealed his true thoughts.
This probably had something to do with his past experiences.
Ever since getting into the carriage, Gu Jiayan had been trying to comfort his younger sister. He thought that a young girl would naturally be heartbroken after having her engagement called off. However, after comforting her for quite a while, he noticed that she looked perfectly calm. She did not seem to be forcing herself to smile or hiding her sadness.
He finally felt relieved.
But before he could fully relax, he suddenly remembered something else.
“Little Sister, you need to be careful around that man.” He raised his chin toward the carriage ahead, indicating Huan Che.
“I don’t think he’s a proper gentleman. Instead of focusing on the investigation, he’s wandering around like this.” Gu Jiayan lowered his voice. “He claims he’s here to observe the people’s living conditions, but who brings a pretty young girl along for that?”
Gu Yunrong couldn’t help laughing.
If a man’s character were judged by how interested he was in women, Huan Che would practically be the most respectable man in the entire empire.
To outsiders, he seemed cold and eccentric. He had no concubines, and there wasn’t even a personal maid serving him.
Yet he was exceptionally handsome, almost like an immortal from a painting, and he was a prince of royal blood. In the past, there had been palace maids and servants who had taken great risks in hopes of getting into his bed. However, before they could even approach his bedroom, Wuwu and Nayun would drag them to the Palace Disciplinary Office or hand them over to the stewards of the prince’s residence.
After that, no one heard anything more about them.
The Emperor had once been so desperate to find a wife for this son that he almost wanted to force him into a marriage himself.
But…
Later, she had discovered another side of him.
In fact, she had been utterly shocked on the night they had spent together in her previous life. She had always thought that a man as reserved as Huan Che would remain restrained even when overcome by passion.
Who would have expected him to lose all restraint that night?
The next morning, her legs had been trembling so badly that she could barely stand.
Remembering what had happened afterward, Gu Yunrong lowered her eyes and composed herself.
So what if she had been the exception for him? So what if she had once tried her best to grow closer to him?
In the end, he had never loved her.
Now, she had finally escaped that relationship.
Once her father’s case was settled, she would have absolutely nothing to do with him anymore.
Seeing his sister smiling earlier, Gu Jiayan became even more anxious.
“Little Sister, don’t be fooled by his handsome face. For all we know, he could be a beast hiding behind the appearance of a gentleman.”
Young girls loved handsome men, and that prince certainly had the perfect appearance to deceive an innocent girl.
Gu Yunrong grinned. “Your little sister is clever. I’m not that easy to fool.”
Gu Jiayan snorted, clearly unconvinced.
Half an hour later, Huan Che’s carriage stopped beneath Wangxian Bridge.
He ordered everyone to transfer to bamboo rafts and cross the water to the opposite bank.
After stepping off the raft, Gu Jiayan looked around at the vast rice fields stretching before them. He was completely confused.
Was the prince here to estimate this year’s harvest?
But the rice seedlings had only just been planted. They were still small and green. What could anyone possibly tell from looking at them?
While Gu Jiayan was wondering about this, Huan Che asked, “Are rice fields in Jiangnan and Zhejiang generally laid out this way?”
Gu Jiayan nodded. “This student has traveled to other places for his studies. From what I have seen, the rice fields are more or less the same everywhere.”
He had already obtained the title of xiucai, a licentiate, so he referred to himself as a student.
“What is the maximum width of the raised paths between the fields?”
“About two feet or a little more.”
Huan Che immediately ordered a servant to find out who owned the rice field.
A short while later, the servant returned and reported that the land was currently being cultivated by a tenant farmer surnamed Hu.
Huan Che nodded and instructed someone to bring the farmer over. He wanted to borrow a small section of the rice field for a while and promised to compensate him afterward.
Although Huan Che was traveling incognito, his refined appearance and noble bearing made it obvious that he was no ordinary person. Old Hu naturally assumed that the compensation would be generous, so he readily agreed.
Unable to contain his curiosity, the old farmer asked, “May I ask what Young Master intends to use the field for?”
Huan Che calmly replied, “A martial arts competition.”
Old Hu’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Rich people certainly had strange hobbies. Was it fashionable nowadays to hold martial arts competitions in rice fields?
Huan Che ordered Wuwu and Nayun to bring their hand crossbows forward. He had them stand on the raised paths between the fields and exchange a few moves. He also told them to fight freely and not worry about damaging the rice seedlings beneath their feet.
As soon as Wuwu and Nayun began fighting, more than a dozen farmers in the distance picked up their tools and hurried toward them.
Huan Che remained completely unmoved. He did not even raise his eyes.
Gu Yunrong had been quietly observing the situation for some time. She gently tugged at Gu Jiayan’s sleeve and whispered, “Brother, look at this location. Why do I remember that these are the Xie family’s fields?”
Gu Jiayan froze. He looked around, then slapped his forehead.
“It really does seem to be their land! What a coincidence. He certainly knows how to pick a place.”
The farmers rushed over, but Huan Che’s guards, who were dressed like ordinary farmhands, immediately stopped them.
The farmers shouted that the visitors had trampled their rice seedlings for no reason and threatened to report them to the authorities.
A servant accompanying Huan Che understood the local Wu dialect. He immediately shouted back, “My master already obtained permission from the tenant farmer!”
The man leading the group appeared to be a steward. He sneered.
“What good is the tenant farmer’s permission? Our landowner never agreed to this!”
Gu Yunrong found their behavior ridiculous.
Huan Che was obviously conducting a small-scale experiment. Even if he arranged a small formation in the rice field, it would not take up much space. Since they were not making a major disturbance, compensating the tenant farmer should have been more than enough.
These people were clearly trying to extort money.
And they had actually dared to demand money from a prince, even threatening to report him to the authorities…
Gu Yunrong turned to look at Huan Che.
However, he did not even glance in their direction. His attention remained entirely on Wuwu and Nayun as he watched their movements.
He gradually ordered more guards to join the fight until there were twenty-five people in total.
Gu Yunrong narrowed her eyes slightly.
The soldiers of the Great Dynasty were organized into units of twenty-five men.
Suddenly, Huan Che took a seven-foot-long saber from one of his guards. From time to time, he swung it sideways to launch surprise attacks against the others. He then ordered the remaining guards to do the same.
Gradually, he directed the formation toward a nearby low-lying area beside a pond.
As the fighting continued, he also began reducing the number of people in the formation.
Watching Wuwu and Nayun become increasingly spirited as the battle progressed, Gu Yunrong suddenly recalled some memories from her previous life.
Wuwu and Nayun were Huan Che’s personal guards. Both possessed exceptional martial skills and were fiercely loyal to him.
Gu Yunrong had always found their contrasting personalities amusing. Wuwu was rather straightforward and not particularly clever, while Nayun wore the same expressionless face every single day.
Behind their backs, she had given them nicknames: the Brainless One and the Unhappy One.
However, their master was probably the one with the most distinctive personality of all. It was simply that his true nature rarely showed itself.
Just as the atmosphere between the two sides was becoming increasingly tense, one of the farmers suddenly shouted in surprise.
“The young master is here!”
Gu Yunrong turned around and saw Xie Jing crossing the water in a boat.
As soon as Xie Jing stepped ashore, he hurried straight toward Gu Yunrong.
He approached her anxiously and said, “I was just about to visit your family! What a coincidence that I ran into you on the way. Doudou, come with me quickly. I need to speak to your mother. Tell her that I refuse to call off our engagement!”
Gu Yunrong felt that she did need to have a proper conversation with Xie Jing. However, this was clearly not the right place.
After thinking for a moment, she replied, “We can talk about it later. Cousin, you should go back first.”
Xie Jing was both afraid that she might misunderstand him and delighted by their unexpected meeting. He stammered for a long time, unable to put his thoughts into words.
His eyes remained fixed on Gu Yunrong. The farmers repeatedly tried to tell him about the damaged rice seedlings, but he did not hear a single word.
It was only when Huan Che approached with the seven-foot saber in his hand that Xie Jing finally snapped out of it.
Xie Jing was a scholar who had spent most of his life holding a writing brush rather than a weapon. When he saw the enormous saber, which was even taller than he was, he was startled.
That weapon…
It looked remarkably like a Japanese saber.
Japanese pirates were fond of using long sabers. These weapons had tremendous cutting power. Soldiers of the Great Dynasty, on the other hand, usually carried shorter blades.
It was said that during battle, a Japanese pirate could deliver such a powerful blow with his long saber that he could cut through both a soldier’s weapon and his neck in a single strike.
Where had this man gotten a Japanese saber?
Xie Jing’s expression immediately darkened. He stepped in front of Gu Yunrong to protect her and sternly demanded to know who Huan Che was.
Huan Che casually shifted the seven-foot saber into his other hand, still holding it with ease.
“And who might you be?”
“I am the young master of this estate!” Xie Jing had finally noticed that the group of men who appeared to be Huan Che’s subordinates were trampling the rice seedlings on his family’s land. He was instantly furious. “You are destroying someone’s crops! Do you think there is no law in Qiantang County?”
Gu Jiayan secretly rolled his eyes.
Why were you talking about the law to a prince? The law was made by his father!
Huan Che noticed how Xie Jing was standing protectively in front of Gu Yunrong, like a mother hen guarding her chick.
He simply walked past him and addressed Gu Yunrong.
“Settle this quickly. Once my business here is finished, we still need to visit another location.”
Xie Jing stiffened when he heard this. He turned toward Gu Yunrong and urgently asked, “Who exactly is he?”
What he had really wanted to ask was, What is he to you?
But for some reason, he suddenly did not dare to say those words.
Gu Yunrong did not know how to answer. She looked toward Gu Jiayan, who in turn looked at Huan Che.
Huan Che ignored them.
The commotion had grown so loud that it eventually attracted Madam Yang.
Madam Yang was narrow-minded. After arriving and hearing what had happened, she immediately suspected that the Gu family was holding a grudge over the broken engagement and had deliberately brought people here to cause trouble.
Otherwise, why would anyone hold a fight in the middle of a rice field?
As for their promise to compensate the landowner, she assumed it was merely an excuse.
Huan Che had no patience to argue with them. Once Wuwu and Nayun finished their martial arts demonstration, he ordered someone to compensate Old Hu.
Madam Yang noticed from Huan Che’s accent that he was not a local. She looked at his carriage and attendants, then glanced at the Gu siblings standing nearby.
She assumed that he was some distant relative of the Gu family who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
This only strengthened her belief that the Gu family had deliberately brought him here to make trouble for the Xie family.
Besides, they were on the Xie family’s own property. Feeling offended, she decided to make things difficult for him.
She demanded that Huan Che compensate the landowner as well, insisting on ten times the market price.
Huan Che gave Nayun a meaningful glance.
Nayun immediately understood and tossed a small pouch of silver pieces toward Madam Yang.
Madam Yang felt that he was deliberately insulting her. She snatched up the pouch and hurled it onto the ground, demanding that Huan Che explain himself.
Huan Che could not be bothered with her. He simply waved his hand, signaling everyone to pack up and continue their journey.
Madam Yang cared deeply about her pride. Determined to get the last word, she sneered at him from behind.
“I think you simply can’t afford to pay! If you have the nerve to cause trouble, then you should at least have the money to compensate us!”
She genuinely did not believe the Gu family could have such a wealthy relative.
Huan Che suddenly stopped and turned around.
“Then tell me how much you want.”
His servant immediately repeated his words in the Wu dialect.
At that moment, Madam Yang noticed her son eagerly moving closer to Gu Yunrong again. She cursed him inwardly for being so useless, then took out her frustration on the Gu family.
“Such a big mouth! If you really have that much money, why don’t you help the Gu family instead? Their family has produced a criminal accused of colluding with Japanese pirates. They’re probably trying to raise money to get him out of prison, and now their daughter’s engagement has been called off too…”
Gu Yunrong was furious. She was about to argue with Madam Yang, but Gu Jiayan stopped her.
However, before Madam Yang could finish speaking, Huan Che took out a long string of copper coins.
“The damaged rice seedlings cover approximately a quarter of a mu. This is twice the market value of a good year’s rice harvest in this area.”
Madam Yang froze.
“Here is twenty times the amount.”
As he spoke, Huan Che took out a small, pure-white silver ingot.
Madam Yang’s eyes widened.
That was high-quality silver!
“And here are two hundred times and two thousand times the amount.”
Huan Che casually took out several more pieces of fine silver, along with a few large-denomination banknotes.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Most of them had never seen so much money in their entire lives!
Madam Yang’s eyes nearly turned red with envy.
When had the Gu family managed to become acquainted with such a wealthy young master?
A rich fool had practically walked straight into her hands. There was no reason not to take advantage of him!
Madam Yang was just about to order someone to collect the two thousand taels in banknotes when Huan Che put everything away.
“I was only showing you.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Watching Madam Yang tremble with anger, Gu Yunrong suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction.
Xie Jing had always been an excellent student. He had passed the first three examinations at the county, prefectural, and provincial levels, earning the distinction known as the Three Small Honors. This had made Madam Yang incredibly proud.
She had even begun putting on airs in front of others, behaving like the wife of a future official. Whenever she visited the Gu family, she acted as though she were doing them a great favor by lowering herself to their level.
Gu Yunrong had begun to suspect that if she really married into the Xie family, her life would not be easy.
Her mother had also vaguely shared the same concern. However, the Gu family did not have many connections or marriage prospects. Xie Jing was already considered the best husband they could hope to find.
Xie Jing watched Gu Yunrong’s retreating figure for a moment before quickly walking up to his mother.
“Mother, if you don’t want me to become estranged from you, then keep making decisions on my behalf. Keep looking down on the Gu family if you wish.”
Madam Yang was already so furious that her liver seemed ready to burst. Hearing her son’s words nearly made her faint.
“What do you mean, making decisions on your behalf? Marriage has always been arranged according to the wishes of one’s parents! Besides, your father and I are only thinking of your future!”
Xie Jing’s expression turned cold.
“I’m the one who will be getting married, not Father or Mother. I’m going to visit my maternal aunt and apologize on behalf of both of you. I will do everything I can to restore the engagement.”
Madam Yang glared at him furiously.
“Just try it! I dare you!”
Xie Jing sneered.
“Then watch and see whether I dare!”
Because his clothes had been dirtied during the earlier demonstration, Huan Che changed into a fresh set after returning to his carriage.
Once he was seated, he lifted the curtain and spoke to Nayun, who was riding beside the carriage.
“When we return, retrieve the case files from the government office. I want to review them tonight. The day after tomorrow, I will interrogate Yu Sixian.”
Nayun acknowledged the order, then asked uncertainly, “Should I retrieve only General Yu’s files, or…?”
Huan Che paused briefly.
“Bring both Yu Sixian’s and Gu Tongfu’s files. I will interrogate them together the day after tomorrow. Once these cases are settled, that will be one more matter taken care of.”
As he spoke, his mind suddenly drifted back to the strange and unsettlingly vivid dream he had experienced the previous night.
He sincerely hoped that tonight he would finally be able to sleep peacefully without any disturbances.