The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 75 Implications
Yunshui Town.
After leaving the teahouse by the docks, Qin Yan and Feng Zhan chose a quiet and elegant inn by the river to rest while waiting for the arrival of the fleet.
The innkeeper, seeing the remarkable appearance and bearing of the couple entering the hall, quickly deduced that they were distinguished guests. He hurried over to greet them, only to be stopped a few steps away by their attendants.
Understanding that such esteemed guests often had strict protocols, the innkeeper, unfazed, bowed deeply and said, “Honored guests, are you looking to stay the night? We have excellent rooms available, including special suites designed for… ahem, couples’ enjoyment. I assure you both will be very satisfied.”
The innkeeper smiled broadly, observing the pair who looked so perfectly matched.
At these words, Qin Yan and Feng Zhan exchanged a glance.
Today, they have been mistaken for a married couple more than once. Qin Yan, already annoyed with Feng Zhan, shot him a frosty look. Even if they shared the same room and bed, it would merely give Taizi another opportunity to use his allure and newly acquired skills to seduce her into agreeing to his terms.
Qin Yan sought to live in the moment, while Feng Zhan was determined to solidify their relationship. It was a stubborn tug-of-war, with neither willing to give an inch. Naturally, their relationship remained at an impasse, neither advancing nor retreating.
Feng Zhan, however, seemed to take pleasure in the repeated misunderstandings, enjoying the assumption that they were a couple.
“Couples…” Feng Zhan began to speak but was quickly cut off by Qin Yan.
“Two separate rooms,” she said flatly, refusing to indulge Taizi’s teasing.
The innkeeper’s gaze flickered between the two, noticing the different expressions on their faces. He smiled knowingly; this couple must have had a quarrel.
Seeing the tall, handsome man in the dark robe only looking helplessly at the beautiful woman beside him without saying anything further, the innkeeper sighed inwardly. This must be a case of a husband under his wife’s thumb, he thought. Best to follow the lady’s lead.
The innkeeper immediately arranged for two adjacent upper rooms and personally led the distinguished guests upstairs.
————-
Shen Ying retrieved two large chests from the carriage and brought them into Qin Yan’s room.
When she returned, Qin Yan was standing by the window overlooking the river. A gentle breeze, neither too cold nor too warm, flowed through the open window. Qin Yan closed her eyes, her sharp senses detecting a faint, briny smell in the air, suggesting rain might be on the way.
“Master, Mister Ji will arrive shortly,” Shen Ying said as she opened one of the wooden chests, taking out tea sets, tea leaves, and a sealed jar of Lingshan cold spring water that had been freshly collected that morning. She arranged everything neatly on the table.
She then opened the second chest, pulling out a soft blanket and cushion, which she laid out on the chaise by the window. After that, she returned to the table and began to wash her hands and prepare the tea.
The room soon filled with the sound of water boiling, and before long, the delicate fragrance of the tea began to waft through the air.
When Qin Yan turned around, Ji Nanfeng had just reached the door.
“Master,” Ji Nanfeng called out softly as he knocked twice on the door.
Seeing Qin Yan nod, Shen Ying stood up and opened the door, allowing Ji Nanfeng to enter the room.
Ji Nanfeng noticed that Qin Yan was still dressed lightly and frowned slightly. He walked over to close the wide-open window, then turned back to address Qin Yan, who was now seated on the chaise.
“Master, we’ve received word from Young Master Gu. He will be arriving in Jiangnan within the next few days. He also conveyed that Madam wishes to see you.”
Qin Yan’s eyes immediately brightened at the news.
Ji Nanfeng was pleased for the mother and daughter who had not seen each other for many years. He paused for a moment, allowing Qin Yan to collect herself, before continuing.
“Master, the detailed investigation into yesterday’s assassination attempt has been completed. We suffered no losses, and it appears the assassins were targeting the dragon boat, specifically aiming for the Taizi.”
“However, the battle on the dragon boat was not particularly intense. It seems the Taizi’s men dealt with the assassins quickly as if they had anticipated the attack.”
Qin Yan accepted the teacup handed to her by Shen Ying, her slender fingers turning it gently, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Feng Zhan had already expected this, she mused. That’s why he took her off the dragon boat during the thick fog yesterday.
This Crown Prince is indeed as reliable and steady as Emperor Hui had described.
Ji Nanfeng observed his master’s expression and sighed inwardly. The master is undoubtedly thinking about the Taizi again, he thought. As an outsider, he could see things clearly, but he wondered if Qin Yan herself realized how differently she treated the Taizi.
With a soft sigh, Ji Nanfeng continued, “The Jiangnan stewards, having learned of your visit, have gathered in Yangzhou. Would you like to meet with them?”
Qin Yan brought the teacup to her nose, inhaling the light fragrance of the tea. The scent filled her senses, and she felt quite content.
However, matters related to Yu Qingfeng had always been handled by Mister Ji, and whether or not she met the stewards didn’t seem to matter much.
Her primary concern during this trip to Jiangnan was her mother.
“Let’s leave it for now,” Qin Yan said softly.
She took a small sip of the tea, then frowned slightly. It seemed that the spring water had lost some of its flavor due to the jostling in the carriage.
Qin Yan slowly set the teacup down and began to imagine what it would be like to finally meet her mother again. How would that encounter unfold?
——–
After having lunch in her room, Qin Yan took a short nap on the chaise for about an hour.
When she awoke, the sun was already setting in the west and it was already late. Shen Ying, aware that her master could sometimes be a bit irritable upon waking, spoke in a soft voice, “Lord Song just came by to inform us that we’ll be leaving Yunshui Town shortly. We’ll board the boat at an upstream wild ferry crossing. He mentioned that the fleet will not be stopping in Yunshui Town but will head directly to Yangzhou.”
Qin Yan smiled faintly at this news.
It seemed the Taizi already had a good grasp of the issues surrounding Jiangnan’s canal operations and had only come in person to confirm the situation.
So… the dragon boat wouldn’t be stopping in Yunshui Town because of the women that had been prepared for the Taizi?
As they prepared to leave the inn and before getting into the carriage, Feng Zhan caught the meaningful glance Qin Yan sent his way.
Qin Yan, apparently in good spirits, even found the humor to tease him, “Your Highness, the women here come in all shapes and sizes, something for every taste…”
Feng Zhan’s expression darkened slightly. Did this woman really not understand that he only wanted her?
Song Zhi…
We need to get out of this murky place of Yunshui Town as soon as possible. Otherwise, Taizi’s efforts to win over his lady might face unnecessary complications. And when that happens, not only will His Highness suffer, but so will we, his subordinates.
———-
As Qin Yan boarded the carriage, a group of people slowly emerged from a restaurant directly across the street from the inn.
Qin Nian glanced at the departing carriages, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind.
The woman who had just gotten into that carriage—was that Qin Yan?
It must be a mistake, she thought. Qin Yan should be in the capital, not here.
Song Mei, noticing her daughter still staring at the street in a daze, called out as she approached their own carriage,
“Nian Nian, what are you looking at?”
Qin Nian quickly turned around.
“Nothing,” she replied, dismissing the thought as she followed her mother into the carriage.
As their carriage headed towards the Qin family’s ancestral home, the mother and daughter inside remained deep in their own thoughts, silent and preoccupied, neither paying much attention to what the other might be worrying about.
Suddenly, Qin Nian heard her mother muttering absently,
“How can a living person just disappear?”
Qin Nian frowned. Who is Mother talking about?
This trip to Jiangnan had felt off to Qin Nian from the start. They rarely returned to their hometown for ancestral rites, and given the current flooding in Jiangnan, it made even less sense for her mother to leave the safety of the capital and come all the way here.
Qin Nian didn’t want to stay in the capital either, so she offered to accompany her mother to Yangzhou. Initially, Song Mei seemed reluctant to have her come along, but seeing how Qin Nian had just started to recover from her dissatisfaction with her arranged marriage, she relented and brought her daughter with her back to Yangzhou.
Qin Nian, too preoccupied with her own turmoil, hadn’t pressed her mother for details about the trip. Her mind was a mess.
He Xiao was expected to leave for the northern border before winter set in, and their wedding date might be set before his departure. There wasn’t much time left, and she wondered if there was still a chance that things could change.
———–
Taizi boarded the dragon boat and immediately summoned his advisors for a meeting.
In the reception hall, the advisors began to express their views on the matter of reforming the canal administration.
“From the governor’s office of the canal down to the smallest officials in the rivers and dams, including those responsible for transport, everyone sees the canal administration as a source of profit. Whenever a canal boat passes, the riverbank officials immediately demand money, turning this into a regular practice.”
“The extortion faced by grain farmers is extensive, including charges for passage fees, minor charges, lifting fees, extra charges, wine storage, helmsman fees, pilot fees, and various other transportation expenses such as boat fare, water fees, foot rice, crossing rice, substitution rice, and more. Additionally, there are costs for labor and handling, such as supplemental rice for porters, extra rice for officials, and padding fees. On top of that, there are expenses for preventing damage, like rice for moisture protection, and other various charges.”
“Estimating these costs, each boat requires about twenty taels of silver. If they encounter ‘hostile forces,’ the losses are even greater.”
“The greed of the canal officials significantly increases the burden on the grain farmers. The long-distance transport costs and the expenses incurred at the capital and transfer warehouses are passed onto the prefectures, which then further pass these costs onto the farmers. This greatly exacerbates the farmers’ burden.”
“The actual burden on the farmers far exceeds the standard grain tax. When you add up the regular grain tax and the various additional charges, it often amounts to two to four times the original grain tax, sometimes even reaching five times as much.”
“The severe floods in Jiangnan this year make it imperative to address these canal administration issues immediately. If not, the difficulty in storing grain due to reduced production will only worsen. Your Highness, this matter cannot be delayed any longer.”
“Indeed, we cannot allow the canal grain to be continually exploited.”
“Your Highness, we have drafted a preliminary plan for canal reform. Please review it.”
One of the officials handed a memorial to Song Zhi, who then presented it to Taizi Feng Zhan.
Feng Zhan quickly read through the document before handing it back to Song Zhi.
“Give it to Princess Zhaoren.”
Song Zhi took the document with both hands and brought it over to Qin Yan, who was seated nearby.
Qin Yan glanced up at the Taizi, who was intently watching her, clearly not willing to let her have a moment’s rest.
The document was meticulously written, directly addressing the current issues in canal administration. However, due to time constraints, the plan needed further refinement and strong supervision.
After reading, Qin Yan handed the document back to Song Zhi, who stood by her side.
The Taizi then asked her, “What does Princess Zhaoren think?”
Qin Yan frowned in thought for a moment before responding calmly, “The content in the document can be refined, but I believe that, given the severity of the floods in Jiangnan, it might be wise to delay the grain collection in the most affected prefectures. This would give the farmers some breathing room.”
Everyone in the hall nodded in agreement.
Providing relief by postponing grain collection was indeed important. If the heavily affected areas were still required to meet their grain quotas as planned, even if they managed to pay, the farmers might not have enough left to survive, leading to an increase in refugees fleeing their homes.
Feng Zhan’s deep voice echoed in the hall, “Add Princess Zhaoren’s suggestion to this memorial. Send it to the capital immediately by express courier. Order the Cabinet and the Left and Right Prime Minister’s residences to draft an actionable plan and inform the Emperor to issue the decree as soon as possible.”
“As for the corruption among the canal officials, it will be thoroughly investigated once the disaster relief efforts are concluded.”
Qin Yan looked at Feng Zhan, her gaze openly admiring. This Taizi was indeed decisive and efficient in his actions, demonstrating his capability and ruthlessness when necessary.
But she couldn’t help but wonder if Feng Zhan’s prowess in other areas was just as impressive as his political acumen…
Feng Zhan’s deep, dark eyes met Qin Yan’s, and he saw the admiration in her gaze.
But there was also something else in those phoenix-like eyes—something not entirely innocent.