"Advisor, the carriage!" one of the subordinates said, pointing to the carriage in the courtyard.
"Let's go, we'll talk when we get back!"
Advisor Jia was anxious to report to the Estate Manager.
The few men left in a hurry.
The old man looked at the Prince of Pingyang. "Noble sir, perhaps you should leave?"
"Advisor Jia has definitely gone back to report to the Estate Manager. As long as they have their eyes on something, they won't let it go."
The Prince of Pingyang looked coldly in the direction Advisor Jia had left.
"Is there no law in this world? Would they actually dare to rob us?"
The old man's son was highly indignant.
"Around here, the Estate Manager is like a local emperor."
"Relying on the backing of the Prince of Pingyang, he bullies the common people everywhere."
"The men under him are all fierce and malicious. Whatever they fancy, they take by force."
"Advisor Jia says that anyone who dares to disobey is making an enemy of the Prince of Pingyang."
"The entire Xianyang is the fiefdom of the Prince of Pingyang. Who would dare go against him?"
The old man nodded in agreement.
"That's right, noble sir. You have your wife and child with you; safety should come first."
"Do not fight over a moment of pride. It is better to leave quickly."
The Prince of Pingyang shook his head.
"There is no need, old man. Today, I will meet this local emperor!"
The old man sighed deeply and offered no further persuasion.
After a short while, the old man's wife called her son to serve the food.
The meal was very simple: brown rice and a few side dishes.
The only meat dish was a plate of steamed egg custard.
"Please do not disdain this, noble sir. Our humble home only has simple fare; we truly cannot offer anything more."
The Prince of Pingyang picked up his chopsticks. "This is excellent!"
He picked up a leafy green and put it in his mouth.
The peasant dish lacked oil and salt, but it had a fresh, fragrant taste.
It actually had quite a unique flavor.
The Prince of Pingyang slowly chewed the vegetable and swallowed it.
Duoduo ate the brown rice. Although it was a bit rough on the throat, she ate with great relish.
In the days when they had nothing to eat, even brown rice was a luxury.
Duoduo saw the little girl and boy hiding by the kitchen door, secretly watching them eat.
"Grandpa, why don't you come and eat with us?"
The old man smiled kindly and declined.
"Little miss, we are rough people. We can just eat in the kitchen."
Duoduo saw the little boy with one hand in his mouth, looking longingly at the food on their table.
In her heart, Duoduo suddenly understood something.
After all, she had experienced hardship before.
She picked up the vegetable leaves in her bowl and ate cheerfully.
From beginning to end, she never touched the steamed egg custard on the table.
When the Prince of Pingyang put down his chopsticks, the Princess of Pingyang and Duoduo also put theirs down.
"Old man, we have finished eating. Please clear the table."
The Princess of Pingyang spoke very politely to the old man.
The old man looked at the food on the table, feeling somewhat apprehensive.
Apart from a slight decrease in the side dishes, the rest of the food was untouched.
Even the brown rice had barely been eaten.
"Noble sir, was the food not to your liking? This humble one has neglected you."
The Prince of Pingyang waved his hand.
"Clear it away. Judging by the time, your Estate Manager should be arriving soon."
Hearing this, the old man hurriedly had his son take the rice and steamed egg custard inside.
Just as he was about to clear away the remaining dishes, a group of people surged in from outside.
One man rushed in front of the Prince of Pingyang and fell to his knees with a thud.
Seeing the Estate Manager kneeling on the ground, the old man was startled and almost dropped the bowls in his hands.
"This humble one pays respects to Your Highness the Prince and the Princess!"
The Estate Manager earnestly kowtowed three times, making loud thumping sounds.
Seeing the Estate Manager's actions, the people behind him also fell to their knees.
Advisor Jia and the men from earlier were kowtowing while trembling.
Earlier, after taking the silver, they had returned to the estate just in time for a meal.
After eating, Advisor Jia finally found the Estate Manager and recounted what had happened.
"Master, although that person's carriage looks unremarkable, the horse is quite good."
"Weren't you looking for a good horse? This is like finding a pillow just when you're sleepy—what a coincidence, right?"
Hearing this, the Estate Manager became interested.
"What does that person do? Why did he come to our estate?"
Advisor Jia shook his head. "I don't know."
"But the man is quite arrogant. We asked him questions, and he didn't say a single word."
"Master, they definitely don't take you seriously!"
The Estate Manager was somewhat puzzled.
"Did you mention my name?"
"Of course I did, but he was completely indifferent. The servant beside him even asked if we had an official document!"
"Naturally, I replied that in your territory, your word is the official document."
Advisor Jia said flatteringly.
"And then?"
"And then, that man had his servant pay the toll fee—ten taels of silver!"
Advisor Jia took a large ingot of silver from his chest and placed it on the table.
The Estate Manager stroked his chin, picked up the silver, and weighed it in his hand.
"That man is very wealthy?"
Advisor Jia nodded vigorously.
"I believe so. When I asked for tw... for ten taels as a toll, he didn't even blink before having his servant pay it."
Advisor Jia touched the mustache on his lip.
He had almost let it slip just now!
The Estate Manager didn't notice; his interest was entirely focused on the fact that the man was wealthy.
"Let's go. Come with me to meet this man!"
The Estate Manager put the silver into his robe and stepped out the door.
Advisor Jia hastily called the subordinates to follow.
Soon, the Estate Manager arrived outside the old man's house with a dozen men.
Because the Prince of Pingyang had allowed it earlier, the guards hiding in the shadows did not stop them.
The Estate Manager walked in, originally intending to put on airs.
But when he saw the Princess of Pingyang standing next to the wheelchair, everything became clear.
The person sitting in the wheelchair was naturally the Prince of Pingyang!
As soon as the Estate Manager entered the courtyard, he fell to his knees before the Prince of Pingyang.
After kowtowing, he looked up and stared obsequiously at the Prince of Pingyang.
"Your Highness, Princess, please come to my home."
"My home has chicken and duck. You can eat whatever you like; it's much better than the food here."
"Furthermore, look at this place—there is dust everywhere. I fear it will dirty your clothes."
The Estate Manager's eyes swept over the rice bowls in the old man's hands, and his face instantly filled with disgust.
In his home, even the dogs wouldn't eat this kind of food.
These ignorant peasants actually used it to entertain the Prince of Pingyang!
Truly foolish!
Also, who eats meals right out in the courtyard?
No manners at all!
The Prince of Pingyang looked at the Estate Manager kneeling before him, his gaze icy.
"Who are you?"
The Estate Manager froze for a moment and looked at the Princess of Pingyang.
He hadn't mistaken them; this was the Prince of Pingyang.
"Answering Your Highness, this humble one is the Estate Manager of the estate that came with the Princess's dowry."
The Prince of Pingyang slowly turned the jade thumb ring on his hand.
"So, you actually know your own status!"
"The airs your men put on just now were even more impressive than my own."
"I'm afraid even if His Majesty came in person, it would be no more than this!"
