Chapter 646 - 490: Celestial Dew of Restoration (Part 2)

And so it seems that Lien Yurou casually gave her away as if she were an ordinary object.

Wasn’t it said that "Mr. Lin" was a poor boy from a small place? How could he have such formidable financial power?

Lien Yurou has caught herself a rich suitor!

Why didn’t such a good fate come to her?

"Yurou, I want to see your Young Master, even if he refuses to take me as a concubine, I must see him." Su Yi sensed a tremendous business opportunity; if she didn’t seize it, she might regret it for the rest of her life. Perhaps this was her chance.

"Ah?" Lien Yurou was completely bewildered. Was Su Yi sick and muddled-headed, or why had she become so deranged?

"Su Yi, the Young Master is very busy, but I will help you find an opportunity to tell him," Lien Yurou felt she couldn’t stay any longer. If she did, Su Yi might want her to take her directly to see Lin Miao.

This was something she absolutely could not do.

"Alright, Yurou, you must speak for me." Su Yi said, reluctantly grasping Lien Yurou’s hand.

...

Li Jing, Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace, Changxin Palace.

"What, His Majesty has dispatched you to handle the epidemic in Dongshan?" The Crown Princess Consort Yua asked in horror after hearing Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze’s words.

"Yes, Father has already decreed it, and I have no choice but to go. Besides, it was my own request," Zhao Yuanze said.

"Why, Your Highness?" The Crown Princess Consort cried sorrowfully. The epidemic was terrifying; once contracted, the mortality rate was so high.

"I want to meet Mr. Lin again, and our treatment just happens to provide an opportunity to continue," Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze said. "I do not want to abandon halfway."

"Your Highness, with you gone, what becomes of me?" Yua asked.

"You can stay at the Eastern Palace and wait for my return!"

"No, I will go with you. Your Highness, we are husband and wife, sharing life and death," Crown Princess Consort Yua stated firmly.

"Fine, since you are willing to go with me, I shall go with you!" Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze said with great emotion. To have a woman share life and death with him, he thought this life had not been lived in vain.

"The journey won’t be short, at least three months, possibly six. You should quickly pack and take what is necessary. Also, take out all the silver we can mobilize to buy fever-reducing and epidemic treatment medicine. Later, Mr. Fu will give us a procurement list..."

For now, the news hasn’t spread, and the prices of the medical herbs haven’t risen. Purchasing them now could allow us to play a time difference.

Once these herbal merchants catch wind, they will certainly raise the prices.

This national crisis cannot be used for profit by greedy individuals.

Pei Jian reminded us in a secret letter to purchase epidemic herbs before the news reaches the capital.

Not for profit, but for the people of Dongshan Prefecture.

The Crown Prince went among the people and witnessed firsthand the hardships they faced, changing him from how he was before.

...

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is purchasing medicines, mostly fever-reducing and epidemic-related drugs, using funds from his own coffers,"

"Oh, I wondered why he asked to delay departure for a couple of days, so this was his plan." Emperor Zhao Rui frowned.

"Your Majesty, this old servant actually believes the Crown Prince’s medicine purchases are not just for personal gain."

"How dare you, as a slave, make assumptions about the Crown Prince!"

"This old servant does not dare, but with the epidemic in Dongshan Prefecture, surrounding prefectures will surely get word and enact blockades. Greedy merchants will seize the opportunity to raise medicine prices; how could Dongshan Prefecture gather so many medicines suddenly? They would have to purchase at high prices from neighboring prefectures. As news has yet to reach the capital, medicine prices here have not yet been impacted. If the Crown Prince purchases medicine now and carries it to Dongshan, as long as they are sold at regular prices, even without profit, he would win the hearts of the millions in Dongshan Prefecture!" Mr. Yao said.

The Crown Prince had been watched by Mr. Yao since he grew up, and compared to the fifth prince, their bond was closer. Naturally, he hoped the Crown Prince could inherit the throne, ensuring Mr. Yao’s peaceful end.

If King Qi were to ascend the throne, the lives of him and his followers in the palace would become difficult.

"Would the Crown Prince truly do such a thing?"

"Your Majesty, are you not familiar with the Crown Prince’s character? If he were greedy, would life in the Eastern Palace be so tight?"

Zhao Rui closed his eyes slightly. The Crown Prince went to Dongshan once and changed considerably, especially in courage, different from before. He also became more confident and responsible.

This time, choosing to voluntarily go to Dongshan to fight the epidemic indeed made him see in a different light.

If he truly wished to exploit the national crisis for profit, he certainly wasn’t acting like a "benevolent ruler."

"Then let’s wait and see what he does next." Zhao Rui nodded. "How much silver has the Ministry of Revenue prepared for epidemic relief?"

"Last year’s budget was exceeded, and this year’s budget is already set. The Ministry of Revenue has no spare funds for the Crown Prince, only managing to scrape together around one hundred thousand taels..."

"One hundred thousand taels?" Zhao Rui’s eyes sharpened instantly. Was the Ministry of Revenue so dismissive of the situation? This was an epidemic; thirty years ago, the epidemic cost the court nearly one billion taels of silver.

The face of the Minister of Revenue, kneeling on the ground, was almost pressed to the floor. He wasn’t foolish—he’d been pushed forward by someone else; the real decision-maker was another person.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue truly has no money..."