Sun Zheng was so furious that he nearly laughed. “We came to Fengzhou in the first place to meet the princess. What difference does it make whether we say so or not? Don’t you understand?”
Dong Si nodded honestly. “No, I don’t.”
“Our Ge Province has beautiful mountains and rivers, magnificent hills, and scenery unlike anywhere else. It is a place where heaven and earth seem to merge, attracting countless tourists. We assumed you had come sightseeing as well.”
As if remembering something, he continued, “Especially the people from Sizhou. Some of them come all the way to Ge Province just to visit the tavern where Lord Mo ‘choked to death.’ When you have time, you should go take a look too. And be sure to try a couple of the fried dough sticks that are so delicious they could ‘choke you to death.’”
It was truly baffling, but the tavern in Ge Province had somehow become famous. It was now a must-visit landmark for anyone from Sizhou traveling to Ge Province.
The fried dough sticks there had even acquired the strange name “choke-to-death fried dough sticks.”
Mo Song had been so furious that he ate five of them in one sitting. He had even had some packed up and brought home afterward.
Because of his unusual manner of death, he had become famous alongside the tavern’s fried dough sticks. He now completely avoided eating at the tavern, afraid someone might recognize him.
Sun Zheng did not know what to say. He knew the man was talking nonsense, yet somehow, it sounded almost reasonable.
Suppressing his frustration, he asked, “Where is the princess now? We need to see her.”
Dong Si shook his head. “Why do you wish to see my lady?”
Sun Zheng gave a cold laugh. “Naturally, it concerns His Majesty. How could that be something a mere eunuch like you has any right to interfere in?”
Dong Si did not get angry. “Of course I have the right to interfere. My lady is busy with government affairs. Who knows whether what you consider an important matter would even count as a matter in her eyes?”
Sun Zheng froze. What did he mean?
Was he saying that His Majesty’s affairs amounted to nothing in the princess’s eyes?
His anger surged. “How dare you! His Majesty is the ruler of the Yan Kingdom. You are citizens of the Yan Kingdom. Are you planning to rebel?”
Dong Si smiled. “Whether we will rebel or not is hard to say.”
“But the barbarians have genuinely occupied our Han lands, slaughtering and looting on our own soil. As the ruler of the Yan Kingdom, he refuses to kill the barbarians and has even handed over our country’s territory to them. Does such a man truly deserve to be the ruler of the Yan Kingdom?”
“You!” Sun Zheng’s face flushed red with anger. After a while, he managed to suppress his rage. “His Majesty has always been doing his best to stop the barbarian invasion. He has also been trying to reclaim our territory.”
Dong Si clapped his hands. “Wonderful! Which Han lands has this ruler of the Yan Kingdom reclaimed? Tell us so we can celebrate.”
Sun Zheng felt as though he was about to choke to death himself. It took him a while to change the subject. “I want to see the princess. I will not argue with someone like you.”
Dong Si shrugged. “That will have to wait. My lady is currently elsewhere. Or you could tell me the purpose of your visit, and I will pass it on to her.”
Sun Zheng secretly seethed, forcing down the urge to vomit blood. “Where is the princess now? I can go see her myself.”
A cold glint flashed through Dong Si’s eyes. “How could I possibly inquire into my lady’s whereabouts?”
He stood up. “Minister Sun, you have had a long journey. Why not rest in Ge Province for a few days? You may stay at the Ge Province Inn, though there is a charge.”
Sun Zheng: “…”
Ji Wangfei also felt he could bear it no longer. “Don’t you have a residence for visiting officials?”
They had been charged for lodging everywhere they stopped along the way, which was one thing. But now that they had arrived in Ge Province, they were still expected to pay.
Dong Si smiled as he explained, “Of course we do. It’s the Ge Province Inn.”
Then he sighed. “You should know that Ge Province is poor. Fengzhou is poor too. We have neither the manpower nor the money to build private residences or guest houses. Unless you would like to sponsor one?”
Ji Wangfei: “…”
Sun Zheng no longer wanted to say another word. He flicked his sleeve. “Lead the way!”
If he continued talking, he felt he might spit blood.
Their old acquaintance Mo Song seemed to be feeling much the same way.
In a modest courtyard, Mo Song was being chased around by his father, who was wielding a broom and cursing him as he ran.
“You unfilial son! You’ve infuriated me! You’ve infuriated me!”
“Of all the ways to die, why did you have to choose choking to death?”
“Why couldn’t you have been struck by lightning instead?”
“The reputation our family has built over generations has been ruined by you, you wretched son! How am I supposed to face our ancestors now?”
This was the first time Mo Song had realized how extraordinarily fit his elderly father was. He was already gasping for breath from being chased, yet his father could still run after him while shouting curses.
Mo Song had been in a perfectly good mood that day. His family had finally arrived. But the moment his father entered the courtyard, he had not even stopped for a drink of water. After sending the servants away, he had grabbed a broom and launched straight into a merciless beating.
Honestly, Mo Song had grown up without ever being treated like this. And although the servants had all been sent away, his wife and children were still standing nearby. How was he supposed to face them after this?
His wife and children were all staring intently at the ground. The ground in Ge Province was indeed somewhat unusual, so they clearly needed to study it carefully.
Mo’s mother, meanwhile, sat serenely in a chair beneath the covered walkway. “This is nice. This chair is much more comfortable than a low couch.”
Mo Song’s wife, quick to read the situation, stepped forward and gently massaged her shoulders. “You must be tired from the journey. Would you like to go rest for a while?”
Mo’s mother narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched her son being beaten into loud cries. The wrinkles on her face relaxed with satisfaction. “It’s comfortable here. You must be tired too. Sit down. You don’t need to wait on me.”
Mo Song’s wife continued massaging her shoulders. “I’m not tired, Mother.”
She looked around the courtyard. “Though this courtyard is a little small.”
Mo’s mother did not respond to that. Instead, she sighed emotionally. “I’ve lived for decades, yet I never imagined that Fengzhou could be such fertile land. Princess Jinyang is truly remarkable.”
The north had always been considered barren. That was everyone’s impression of Fengzhou.
Yet everything they had seen along the way had completely overturned that long-held belief.
They had also disembarked at Feng’an County. Although many places in Ze’a Prefecture were still under construction, nearly all the farmland had already been cultivated, yielding abundant crops.
It was clear how highly the princess valued agriculture. Farming was the foundation of the nation.
There were also broad, level roads. She had even seen many roads, reportedly made of cement, leading all the way to the fields.
Among the farmland stood quite a number of houses built with gray bricks and tiled roofs. The farmers were no longer half-naked or gaunt. Their sun-darkened faces were covered in sweat, but they also wore smiles.
It was a world she had never seen before.
At that moment, she had thought that Princess Jinyang, who had brought about all this, was comparable to the founder of a dynasty.
Not an ordinary founder, either, but the founder of a golden age.
This place would become the starting point of an unprecedented era of prosperity.
Mo Song’s wife paused. Remembering everything they had seen and heard along the way, she asked hesitantly, “Do you want Uncle Two and the others to move to Fengzhou as well?”
Mo Song was the eldest son of the family. He had two younger brothers and a younger sister.
They had come this time under the pretext of visiting the place where “Mo Song had been buried.” None of the others had come with them.
Mo’s mother shook her head. “There’s no rush. Let’s observe things first. Ge Province is excellent, but the available land is limited. Perhaps they could move to Feng’an County or another coastal city.”
After seeing the changes in Fengzhou, she naturally wanted her children to come here as well, but not to Ge Province.
Ge Province was overcrowded. Whether they went into business or government, those who arrived late would have very limited room for development.
By then, Mo’s father had finally grown tired. Panting heavily, he stopped.
Mo Song seized the opportunity to beg for mercy. “Father, please calm down. This really wasn’t my fault. That scoundrel Hua Yuanyi was the one who came up with the idea.”
Mo’s father threw down the broom. “He came up with the idea? If someone told you to die, would you do it?”
Mo Song looked completely innocent. “I did, though. I died exactly the way he suggested.”
Mo’s father: “…”
He had thrown the broom down too soon.
