Chapter 1449 - 350: Boiling! (Part 2)

Chapter 1449: Chapter 350: Boiling! (Part 2)

"In the past, I didn’t understand why Chengjue wanted to become a constable in Nan’an County. I thought he was trying to defy our father, or perhaps finding another way to build his reputation.

When he married the daughter of the He Family, I originally thought it was to align with our father’s policy of preventing external relatives from meddling in politics;

But now,

I understand,

Chengjue,

probably truly enjoys that lifestyle.

The kind of life where one can let go of all burdens, release oneself from the shackles of identity, work, and see the scenery;

The previous days were lived too high up, too superficially. Walking barefoot in the muddy riverbanks was when one could feel truly grounded.

Maybe,

these words,

to Lord Zheng’s ears,

make my concerns seem a bit unfounded."

Lord Zheng smiled slightly,

and said:

"In fact, I really admire Your Highness. The way Your Highness is now, it’s not something one can fake. You won’t laugh at me, but if you ask me to go to war, to raid, no matter how bitter or tired, even if blisters bleed on the inside of my thighs, I can grit my teeth and endure it.

Because I know, during war, there’s no time for rest. The only way to rest is to be killed by the enemy, so you can rest permanently.

Excluding that scenario,

if you let me labor at river works, dig canals, move stones, I can’t do it, can’t endure it, and I’m unwilling."

"Lord, you are too modest."

"No, not modest. I’ve just risen for a few years. Before this, I was also a common laborer, doing the job of pulling carts and transporting grain. Now, I absolutely don’t want to engage in such labor.

Your Highness, you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. I heard before that you liked carpentry. I thought it was just idle interest because, in my view, doing carpentry was no different from reading sage books, and indeed, the latter doesn’t compare to the former.

The latter can’t be used for food, but the former can really be put to use.

But Your Highness can bend down to labor, hunger and exhaust your body.

I,

admire you."

The Fifth Prince smiled,

and said:

"I can tell, it’s not a perfunctory word."

"It certainly is not."

"Hehe, hahahahaha, hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!"

At first, the Fifth Prince laughed lightly, then burst into loud laughter, eventually beating the wall parapet with his hands, laughing like mad.

Lord Zheng wasn’t surprised,

The children of the Ji family,

each of them,

though originally mentally and physically sound, having such a father, if they don’t end up with psychological issues, they’d at least have shadows in their hearts.

All those months enduring hardships on the river works had an effect, like ironwork, driving out the impurities from the body and mind.

By the end of his laughter, the Fifth Prince really couldn’t laugh anymore and simply sat on the ground, gasping for breath.

Lord Zheng took out two mint candies from the Chinese brand iron box, put one in his own mouth, and held the other at his fingertips,

and said;

"Open your mouth."

Already gasping, the Fifth Prince opened his mouth wide.

"Throw!"

The mint candy was thrown into the Fifth Prince’s mouth by Lord Zheng. While sucking on the candy, the Fifth Prince stroked his chest, finally calming down.

"Old Zheng."

Oh, that form of address...

"Mmm." Lord Zheng responded calmly.

"Have you heard the news from the capital?"

Lord Zheng nodded,

and said:

"I heard it as soon as I arrived."

Ying Capital City has people from Chengjue.

Both sides, due to geographical distance and the transmission of letters, valued time greatly, but no matter how time-consuming it was or how difficult it was to solve remote problems, maintaining communication was necessary.

Ji Chengjue needs Zheng Fan as external support,

Lord Zheng, on the other hand, needs to be informed of the political movements in the capital.

Thus, the time may be long, but there must be "mutual exchange" at the first opportunity.

The Fifth Prince said:

"Father has gone to the back garden for some peace, and the Crown Prince is officially regent. What do you think?"

"I have no opinion."

Hesitating for a moment, seeming to feel that his remarks were too perfunctory, Lord Zheng had to add:

"At least, currently, that’s the case."

At present, there truly is no opinion.

War is the foremost priority.

The matters in the capital also depend on the outcome of the campaign against Chu.

"Eldest brother is close to Chengjue, though he is leading troops in Yinlang County, yet my eldest brother, how should I say this... if father issues a decree, or after things are settled, should the new emperor issue a decree, eldest brother would most likely not take action."

After all, they are all children of the Ji family,

This Yan territory, said to belong to the people of Yan, in truth, still belongs to the Ji family.

Ji Wujiang can support Ji Chengjue to seize that position, but his support is merely limited to support. When it truly comes to drawing swords and disregarding politics in favor of daggers, Ji Wujiang may not bear to break the family’s heritages.

"Actually, I kind of see clearly now, the dragon throne has horseshoes and warrior’s blades beneath it."

The Fifth Prince’s realization is indeed insightful, akin to power coming from the barrel of a gun.

"The eldest won’t stab at crucial moments, but you truly can’t rely on him. By Chengjue’s side, there’s only you, Lord Zheng."

Citizens of Yanjing like to act knowledgeable discussing court affairs in teahouses,

after Ji Chengjue’s grand wedding,

the term "Chengjue’s faction" suddenly emerged.

So sometimes it’s not those in power trying to form factions or play politics, but even if you stand there not seeking conflict, roles and territories have already been delineated for you.

Lord Zheng is clearly the foremost advocate of "Chengjue’s faction."

The second prince, although he managed the imperial guard for a period, he didn’t manage particularly well, and the original framework of the guard had long been dismantled into pieces over the years.