Chapter 402: Unable to Bear It Anymore

The biggest event in Guiyuan Town recently was the county office posting a notice about the upcoming trial of the fake Daoist priests from Floating Cloud Temple who had swindled people out of their money.

As the day of the Magistrate’s trial drew closer, the town grew increasingly lively.

Not only the locals, but also people from Guanzhou had gathered here, waiting for the outcome.

This was not the first time the Magistrate of Guiyuan had held court, and no one could say for sure when the final session of this case would be.

Unlike the locals whose homes and businesses were rooted here, many of the people from Guanzhou came and went, repeatedly traveling back and forth.

This also created an illusion of prosperity in Guiyuan.

The town was bustling with people.

With so many people, there was a high demand for food, drink, and lodging. The inns did a roaring trade, and food stalls began popping up all over the streets.

The Heir Apparent had brought only two guards with him. Along with her and Brother San Tie, the five of them strolled leisurely down the street.

Yan Yu held a sugar tiger bought by Big Brother Prince in her left hand, and in her right hand, she held a deep-fried dough stick, also bought by Big Brother Prince.

Reluctant to eat the treat in her left hand just yet, she focused on devouring the one in her right.

Her eyes drifted uncontrollably toward a loud, shouting vendor at a sesame flatbread stall.

Looking at the vendor’s setup, it was incredibly professional. They were clay-oven flatbreads. Whenever the lid was lifted, the roasted aroma was so mouthwatering that it made passersby stop in their tracks.

Seeing the child’s pace slow down again, the Heir Apparent shot a glance at one of his guards. The guard understood immediately, and before long, two flatbreads were stuffed into San Tie’s hands.

San Tie swallowed hard.

Yan Yu’s gaze followed the flatbreads. Seeing the pitifully few sesame seeds sprinkled on top, she smacked her lips.

Well, sesame seeds were rare anyway. It was generous enough of the vendor to sprinkle even a few.

She sniffed her little nose and thought, It smells so good.

As the five of them walked a bit further, the guards’ hands were soon filled with steamed rice cakes and roasted chestnuts.

A crowd of children surrounded a candied hawthorn vendor. Yan Yu had honestly just glanced over casually, but a moment later, a stick of candied hawthorns was placed in her hand.

Big Brother Prince’s feeding spree was truly top-tier…

By lunchtime, Yan Yu barely touched her chopsticks. The snacks bought from the street had already filled her stomach.

San Tie, on the other hand, proved the truth of the old saying that a growing boy could eat his parents out of house and home.

Despite eating with Yan Yu all along the way, his stomach still wasn’t full, and he could still devour his food once at the table.

Tomorrow was the day the Guiyuan county office would hold court. Adhering to the principle of “since we’re already here,” Yan Yu negotiated with him. “Brother Zheng, can we go visit some grain stores?”

The Heir to Prince Ying was dressed as a scholar today, wearing a crescent-white robe. Although the fabric was ordinary, his refined and elegant temperament was undeniable, making him look exceptionally scholarly and detached from the mundane world.

Not wanting to reveal his identity, he temporarily went by the name “Zheng Yan.”

“Sure,” the Heir Apparent agreed without objection.

After visiting several grain stores in a row, the Heir Apparent noticed that Xiao Er was not sincerely looking to buy grain, but rather seemed to be inquiring about the prices.

He kept quiet and followed her.

Xiao Er went in and out quickly. Not only did she visit grain stores, but she also frequented herbal medicine shops, asking about prices in the same manner.

The shop assistants and shopkeepers seemed to recognize her, speaking to her in a very familiar tone.

Yan Yu’s little face gradually fell.

It had only been a few days, yet the prices of both grain and medicine had risen.

“Why is Xiao Er unhappy?” the Heir Apparent asked.

“Every time I come, the price of grain has gone up.” Yan Yu pursed her lips, calculating rapidly in her head before saying quickly, “We should still be able to make a profit, but if prices keep rising like this, we’ll have to go further away to buy grain.”

The same went for medicinal herbs.

“Profit?” the Heir Apparent asked in confusion. “Could it be that Magistrate Tian is buying grain in the Prefectural City just to resell it?”

Yan Yu blinked. From his words, the Heir Apparent knew about her father…

“Brother Zheng, you know about my father buying grain?” she asked tentatively.

“Your father didn’t hide his actions. Those who should know, know,” the Heir to Prince Ying replied with a smile.

Her intuition told her that this topic was best not explored further. Digging deeper would surely set off another landmine.

She quickly explained, “My father is working for my grandmaster, buying grain for the Crouching Tiger Government Office. I’m different. Our village received the reward money you gave us, Brother Zheng, so we wanted to use it to earn some pocket money by running errands.”

The Heir to Prince Ying murmured thoughtfully, “So, you don’t just trade grain, but medicine as well?”

Yan Yu nodded. There was nothing to hide.

The money was their own, obtained through honest means. They weren’t unscrupulous merchants either. They didn’t drive up market prices, but merely earned a small margin. Just as she said, it was just errand money.

“At this time of year, herbs are hard to find in the mountains, but Gufeng still wants as much as they can get. Their consumption is high. Since we have money on hand, we just run back and forth.

But this time, I’m not just asking for the village, but also helping my father and grandmaster check the prices.”

Her little face grew serious as she said earnestly, “Guanzhou’s winter is too long. No matter how my grandmaster and uncle calculate it, the money they’ve gathered isn’t enough for the people of Crouching Tiger to survive the winter… So they have no choice but to make the money multiply.”

Yan Yu knew the Heir Apparent would understand what she meant.

The Heir to Prince Ying instantly understood the intentions of Magistrate Tian and the others.

He thought to himself: Gufeng is indeed wealthier than Crouching Tiger.

By routing the herbs through Crouching Tiger to sell to Gufeng, they could make a small profit with each transaction. If converted into grain, it would be enough to cook a few more pots of thin porridge…

Magistrate Tian and the others had truly put a lot of painful effort into this.

The Prince’s Manor was financially strapped. His father had given Magistrate Tian five hundred taels of silver, but compared to the commoners of Crouching Tiger whose harvests had been plundered, this money was a mere drop in the bucket.

That was why he had secretly sent another four hundred taels.

Firstly, it was not appropriate to exceed the amount given by his father. Secondly, his late mother had not left him much wealth.

Although the Emperor sent rewards to Guanzhou every year, these had to go into the manor’s treasury. It was highly inconvenient for him to use them.

When the Consort of the Heir Apparent found out, she wanted to offer some financial help, but how could he use his wife’s dowry?

This was different from openly and grandly collecting congratulatory gifts along the way.

Although that action was somewhat out of line, it was tacitly permitted by the Emperor.

Even the choice of the Consort of the Heir Apparent had been carefully considered by the Emperor, who settled on the Wei clan, a wealthy family of prominent standing.

However, he and his father had long reached a tacit understanding: no matter how difficult things became for the Prince’s Manor, they would never touch the Wei clan’s dowry.

Yet someone had dared to stretch their hands onto the Consort of the Heir Apparent’s wedding boat. Not only did they touch the gifts collected along the route, but they also laid hands on the congratulatory gifts presented by the Wei clan’s relatives and old family friends. This had truly crossed the line and touched the raw nerve of both father and son.

Although Prince Ying’s Mansion was poor, they possessed an unyielding spirit, preferring to break rather than bend.

Yet there were those who were short-sighted, insatiably greedy, and full of schemes, truly testing the limits of endurance.

The extra grain that appeared every year when the grain tax was stored in the granaries…

And this time, tampering with the Consort of the Heir Apparent’s wedding boat…

The repeated tolerance of the father and son had been taken as weakness, as an invitation to walk all over them.

If not for his younger brother…

Yes, how innocent Mian’er was.

The Heir to Prince Ying sighed deeply in his heart.

He wondered how his father would choose.

“Guiyuan is right next to Guanzhou. With the plague in Gufeng and the Northern Rong invading Crouching Tiger, once the news spreads here, the prices of grain and medicinal herbs will be affected. Only by going far away can we ensure this business lasts long.”

The Heir to Prince Ying did not hesitate to teach her.

He had long known that Xiao Er was no ordinary child, and that the Yan Family held significant sway in Xiao’an Village.

Author Note:

Let me clarify this for everyone:

Prince Ying and his son both knew about Prince Ying’s Consort’s people tampering with the grain tax, and they had always tolerated it.

Prince Ying knows the truth about the fall of Crouching Tiger City, but the Heir Apparent does not know yet.

The Heir Apparent just fished out the chest. He had suspicions before, but now he has solid proof, so he sent Pengshu back to tell Prince Ying.

The Yan Family and Magistrate Tian happened to experience all of this by chance, so they know the most. Hehehe.

Mian’er is the younger son born to Prince Ying by the successor consort.

He does not share the same mother as the Heir Apparent.

Whenever I write this kind of plot, I go very slowly. I still prefer lighthearted daily life. Haha.

(End of Chapter)