Chapter 209

In Fang Gonggong’s mind, he initially planned to report to the Emperor about how vile the governor’s furen of Red Earth City was. However, he now knew that speaking out would be useless. Worse yet, it might result in his own demise. This was because the second prince seemed to trust that wicked woman completely. In contrast, the other party looked at him as if he were a bandit.

Another important reason why Yueqian was pleased to have the second prince accompany them was because he had substantial wealth. The other party could not be stingy with money at all. Given her earlier claim that her husband’s money had been exhausted in aiding Red Earth City and providing good food for the soldiers, the second prince now bore the cost of all their meals.

Of course, with the prince’s money involved, how could merchant or vendor dare to inflate prices excessively? Nevertheless, the prices were not cheap. They could see that the current situation of the Region was starting to get worse.

As long as prices continued to rise, even for vegetables, it signaled that the Region was in crisis. The severe shortage of goods was affecting not just the impoverished commoners but also significantly depleting the royal treasury.

It seemed the plague was not the only threat to the Bai Region. The Region was undoubtedly aware of the worsening situation since the plague originated in one of their cities. However, this early awareness was not entirely unfortunate.

While others remained complacent, the Bai Region focused on securing alliances and stockpiling supplies as much as possible before the disaster struck other Regions. When that time came, no food would be available for trade, leading to inevitable catastrophe.

After several days, the convoy finally reached the capital. The capital’s residents paid little attention to who came and went unless it was something they were interested in

Yet, once again, the arrival of Mu Heng and his hundred soldiers garnered significant attention. This was partly because the governor of Small Mountain City had arrived in the capital just a few days earlier. The rumors about the wickedness of Small Mountain City’s governor had piqued the interest of many. The arrival of the perpetrator a few days ago, followed by the arrival of the victims today, drew a crowd eager to witness the procession.

However, the townspeople also noticed something unusual about the procession. They had heard that the governor of Red Earth City would bring only 100 soldiers for the journey’s security, but they didn’t expect the second prince to be part of the convoy as well. Additionally, there were 200 soldiers tightly bound at the back. What did this mean? The gossip-loving villagers sensed an interesting story.

Upon arrival in the capital, Fang Gonggong immediately separated from the group, and so did the second prince, who returned to his palace filled with a sense of nostalgia. If anyone didn’t want this journey to end too quickly, it was the second prince himself.

He greatly enjoyed the food that Yueqian had personally prepared. If anyone had told him before that the furen of the Governor Mu could cook so excellently, he wouldn’t have believed it. Cooking delicious food was challenging enough, but making it taste good for a large group was a hundred times harder.

Of course, the second prince didn’t know about "umami seasoning” like MSG or any other seasonings Yueqian used. With these seasonings, the cook didn’t need much culinary skill; just toss the seasonings into the pot or pan, and it was done. But Yueqian didn’t mention this.

Thus, everyone believed that she truly had exceptional skill and dedication. Whether it was making broth that tasted like pork bone, chicken soup, or various stews, they were all flavorful. Others might have needed to dry, grind bones, and more. So, they assumed she had prepared well in advance. Little did they know that a small fraction of the gold tael they gave could buy enough seasonings for ten meals!

Meanwhile, Qu Yi had separated from the group along the way. Although they didn’t know how many years it would be before they saw each other again, the young girl was determined. She left with nearly 100 gold taels and a piece of jewelry worth several dozen more. Thus, she would not face hardship for a while.

Once everyone had parted ways, the second prince volunteered to take the 200 captured soldiers to the court to have them imprisoned. This significantly lightened Mu Heng’s burden. As usual, the Wang remained kind to them. Instead of letting them stay in the Wang’s manor, he arranged for them to stay in a small rented manor nearby while they waited in the capital. Of course, it wasn’t far from the Wang’s manor.

The 100 soldiers went ahead to prepare the manor, allowing Yueqian and Mu Heng to meet with the Wang and provide a summary of the entire situation. The Wang was very pleased that everything had concluded so well. Upon hearing that Yueqian had successfully cultivated the Ming Fa herb in Red Earth City, he assured her of his full support and promised that she would receive a fitting reward.

By the time they returned to rest, it seemed that Yueqian and Mu Heng were exhausted from meeting so many people throughout the day. Thankfully, they received food from the Wang’s manor that night, as there was a small welcoming banquet attended only by the Wang, Mu Heng, and Yueqian. It could be said that it was a great honor to be welcomed like this. Even the many people in the capital had never had the opportunity for such a personal welcome.

Such special treatment naturally attracted more attention, both from those who supported the Wang and those who did not.

People who had previously ignored the couple now paid closer attention to their movements. Who would have thought that the individuals the Wang brought in, initially rewarded for saving the princess and gave him the position of governor of a remote, undesirable territory, would return with significant achievements in helping the people of Red Earth City?

Initially, it was believed that the Wang simply wanted to award the position as a form of reward, with no real expectations placed on the couple, especially since they were from the Du Region and not originally from Bai.

As for the job of being the governor of Red Earth City, in normal circumstances, everyone still felt that it was difficult and like a punishment. With the added challenges of an epidemic, the death of the previous governor due to bandits, invasions from unfriendly tribes, and severe food shortages, wouldn’t sending them there be tantamount to sending them to their deaths?

No one truly expected that what the Wang had said initially wasn’t just empty talk. The Wang had indeed recognized the couple’s capabilities and provided them the opportunity to prove themselves!

With this statement, "With Mu Heng’s ability to manage the townspeople, as I have witnessed in the Du Region, I believe that this man, Mu, will undoubtedly aid Red Earth City effectively," the listeners were secretly laughing at that time. Upon hearing that Red Earth City would be under their care, they were eager to mock the two individuals from the Du Region.

But now, the situation had turned upside down. As soon as the governor of Red Earth City received the royal decree, the politically influential Wang sent the second prince to meet with a man surnamed Mu. After that, they were allowed to enter the royal presence!

What did this mean? Wasn’t the intention to elevate this person to a high position in the Bai Region? Someone from the Du Region? Just because they helped the hostage princess who was sent to establish relations? Certainly not. Did it seem like the Wang was a fool? So, everyone’s thoughts turned to the idea that the Wang was planning something that could be a threat to their own faction.

In the early evening, as Mu Heng and Yueqian rested comfortably, the nobles began to stir as the sun set.

When else could they have a shared time after work, having spent the whole day watching the internal movements while working in their governmental offices? In the evening, they gathered at the brothel, a gathering place for men, where they could discuss work without any suspicion. After all, for married men, visiting such an establishment was no big deal. After a hard day’s work, relaxation was given.

When men dined together, it was usually nothing special. But in times of concern, their discussions became more serious. Now, having indulged in idle chatter to their satisfaction, they started addressing the main issue.

An older man sitting at the head of the table signaled the beautiful women to leave the room. The women of the brothel understood the situation well. They didn’t want to risk their lives by being too curious. So, when they were told to leave, they quickly and obediently exited.

One of the well-trained soldiers went outside to keep watch. He pretended to be drunkenly wandering around to avoid suspicion, but if anyone dared to approach the room where the masters were meeting, he would certainly handle it.

"I hear the governor of Red Earth City has arrived?" The elderly man opened the discussion after they had been drinking and eating for a while.

"Yes, indeed. My men saw that the governor of Red Earth City arrived with the second prince, whom he met along the way."

"It might seem coincidental, but I don’t think so. It appears the second prince wants to support the governor of Red Earth City. Ah, or rather, it’s more likely that the Wang is behind this entire situation."

"But what can the governor of Red Earth City do? He just knows how to concoct medicine, doesn’t he? Hmph!"

"Moreover, we can file a petition to His Majesty about this. We should mention that the capital’s shortage of Ming Fa flowers is due to Red Earth City’s requesting them all. Besides, the epidemic originated in Red Earth City. If we’re talking about controlling the epidemic, the governor must take responsibility."

"But the epidemic didn’t start under this governor’s administration. What if the petition is dismissed?"

"Do we need to worry about that? As long as we seek a resolution, someone must be held accountable! Soon, we’ll stir up the people in the capital to demand action from His Majesty. And who would be the best person to take responsibility? Isn’t it the governor of Red Earth City, who is at the root of the epidemic and allowed it to spread, endangering the people? Haha."

"This is excellent! What you said is correct. His Majesty cares deeply about the people’s opinions. So, let the people pressure him."

"Sigh, it’s truly their misfortune. Despite having the knowledge to create a cure, no matter how much they know, without the necessary resources, they are doomed to fail anyway."

Although the speaker said that the other party was pitiful, his face showed satisfaction, which was contrary to his words. Of course, everyone knew these were merely mocking words. Who among them genuinely sympathized with those people? It was all just a façade.For them, watching the Wang’s faction, which was a major supporter of the second prince in the struggle for the throne, they, who supported the crown prince, certainly didn’t want to see the two succeed.