Chapter 042

Chapter 042

Mindful of propriety?

How had he not been mindful of propriety?

At night, a husband kissing his wife in their bedroom is nothing improper, even if it's in a bedroom at the county office.

Lu Jingzhuo's expression darkened as he stared at his wife, who was spouting nonsense.

He was already serious by nature, but now, with his lips tightly pressed and a cold glint in his eyes, his demeanor became even colder.

To those unfamiliar, such a look would be intimidating, but Chu Yin wasn’t afraid. She seriously said, “My duty in accompanying Your Highness is to assist in overseeing the locust plague control, not to distract you. Your Highness should put aside all distractions and focus all efforts on aiding Mr. Yi.”

Her words were lofty and righteous.

If it weren't for her initiating a kiss in the carriage earlier, he might have believed her.

But now Lu Jingzhuo understood, she simply didn't want him to kiss her.

Absurd!

Who was it that initially sought his kisses? Who had so many demands regarding a kiss?

Lu Jingzhuo felt a wave of anger rising within him.

It was so intense that it surprised him, his fingers clenched to suppress it.

Born as the heir to the King’s Mansion and later becoming the Crown Prince, apart from the troubles regarding his parents, his twenty-four years had been smooth sailing. He had never been rejected, especially not by his wife, who often tempted him.

This disparity fueled his anger.

"But on second thought, why should he take issue with Chu Yin?"

"Her habit of changing her mind isn’t new; perhaps she was in a bad mood or too tired to kiss. Lu Jingzhuo calmed down and went to the side room."

"Watching the man’s retreating figure, Chu Yin shifted into a more comfortable position leaning against the headboard."

"Lian Qiao and Ren Dong were anxious, 'Princess Consort, why did you refuse His Highness? Isn’t it a good thing?' The Crown Prince kissing her means he likes her. What’s wrong, for the Princess Consort to speak so, 'Aren’t you afraid of angering His Highness?'"

"They only know it’s a good thing for Lu Jingzhuo to kiss her, unaware of what he said in the carriage earlier."

"That was the first time she had taken the initiative to kiss him."

"Everyone has a temper, and right now she was still angry, wanting to set some ground rules with Lu Jingzhuo."

"Still, Chu Yin reassured the two maids, 'His Highness won’t get angry, wait for him to finish washing and then prepare water for me.'"

"She was certain of this, as in both her lifetimes, she had never seen him lose his temper. He always controlled himself well, even when dealing with inept officials, remaining impassive but making very decisive decisions."

"Lian Qiao and Ren Dong, not understanding their relationship, could only guess at the Princess Consort's thoughts and eventually gave up."

"When Chu Yin went to bed, she considerately reminded Lu Jingzhuo, 'Your Highness, you should rest early too. You have to issue orders tomorrow at the hour of Si.'"

"Lu Jingzhuo grunted in acknowledgment but didn’t extinguish the light."

"Chu Yin then lay down first."

"A quiet night passed."

"The next morning, the magistrate of Lu County was waiting early to ask what they would like for breakfast."

"As Chu Yin hadn’t woken up, Lu Jingzhuo was about to say 'anything' but changed his mind, instructing the magistrate to prepare three tiers of fresh meat buns, red bean porridge, and a dish of pickled vegetables."

"Easy to arrange, the magistrate bowed and left."

"Outside the door, he wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief."

"Han Xiancheng, the deputy magistrate, asked with concern, 'Did the Crown Prince request some rare breakfast?'"

"‘No,’ the magistrate of Lu County sent an attendant to the kitchen with the order, then whispered, 'The Crown Prince’s complexion wasn’t as good as yesterday. Could it be the bed was uncomfortable? If so, my promotion is hopeless. If I can’t even satisfy the Crown Prince with a bed, what can I do!'"

"Han Xiancheng: '…'"

"It's all over," lamented the magistrate of Lu County, over and over.

By the time Chu Yin got up, the meal was just being served.

Lu Jingchen greeted them with a bow and took a seat at the lower end of the table.

"How did big brother and sister-in-law sleep last night?" he complimented, "The beds in this county government office are really good."

Lu Jingzhuo: "Hmm."

Chu Yin: "Yes."

The elder brother being a man of few words was normal, but why was his sister-in-law also so terse? Lu Jingchen was puzzled.

After a while, trying to make conversation, he said, "These buns have thin skins and lots of filling, quite delicious, almost as good as those made by the imperial chefs."

Lu Jingzhuo said indifferently, "The rest are yours."

“……”

It seemed they were not only short on words but also had little appetite.

Could they have quarreled yesterday?

Lu Jingchen didn’t dare to speak further and just lowered his head to eat the buns.

He almost stuffed himself.

Dong Ling, observing from the side, shared Lu Jingchen's sentiment, suspecting that the couple had a disagreement.

"Since the journey from the county office to the farmlands was not short, the three of them rested briefly before proceeding in sedan chairs."

"When the farmers heard of the Crown Prince and Princess Consort, along with Prince Jin's arrival, many came out with their entire families, not just one person per household, forming a dense crowd."

"To prevent any mishaps, the magistrate of Lu County ordered all the yamen runners and constables to maintain order, keeping the farmers to one side."

"Lu Jingzhuo and his party alighted from their sedan chairs at the crossroads."

"The autumn harvest had just ended, and the fields, yet to be replanted, appeared particularly vast against the backdrop of the dense surrounding forests. The soil was turned and fertilized, exuding an indescribable, odd scent."

"Chu Yin, unaccustomed to this, tried her best to endure."

"The magistrate commanded the farmers to kneel and pay their respects."

"The farmers had no doubts about the identities of these three; not just their commanding presence, but their almost ethereal beauty was unlike ordinary people. However, to them, even the most extraordinary individuals were only worth a glance; what mattered most was filling their stomachs."

"They all focused intently on the Crown Prince in the center, listening carefully as he announced the decrees."

"Yi Jian, not missing the event, also listened attentively."

"Hearing Lu Jingzhuo announce that those who planted crops like sesame, peas, and cowpeas this year would be exempted from the land tax, the farmers erupted in murmurs, which grew louder when they learned the court would organize the purchase of sesame to trade for rice and grain in the south."

"Seeing this, the magistrate of Lu County coughed."

"Immediately, quiet returned."

"Chu Yin thought to herself that the magistrate must be a formidable man, feared by the farmers."

"She could see it, and so could Lu Jingzhuo, who turned his gaze to the magistrate, 'You need not stay, return to the government office first.'"

"Startled, the magistrate hastily knelt, lifting his official robe, 'Your Highness, have I done something wrong?'"

"With him around, the farmers dare not speak up easily. Lu Jingzhuo said indifferently, 'Agricultural affairs are managed by Minister Yi. As the head of a county, you surely have many duties. Perhaps you should return to deal with the backlog of cases.'"

"How does the Crown Prince know about the cases piled up on my desk?" the magistrate shivered, "Yes, yes, I will follow your command." He almost fell as he stood up, his legs giving way.

"Some bolder farmers couldn't help but laugh."

"The magistrate, furious yet unable to speak out, lowered his head and walked back to the county office."

"Feeling the Crown Prince's sincerity, a farmer ventured, 'Your Highness, we rarely grow these crops. What if we fail?' He looked at Yi Jian, 'Minister Yi says it can be done, but he's an official. Does he really understand farming?'"

"Questioning Yi Jian to his face showed his approachability and lack of official airs."

"Chu Yin found this amusing. Perhaps this was why her father-in-law had sent Lu Jingzhuo to supervise."

"But Yi Jian had previously been a registrar, not a farmer. How could he prove himself?"

"He hadn’t been there long enough to grow a crop himself to demonstrate his skills to the farmers."

"Lu Jingzhuo pondered, 'Minister Yi, why don't you elaborate on the key points of growing these crops?'"

"'Your Highness, I have already informed them.'"

"'Yes, Your Highness, we know,' a farmer in his early thirties with a sunburnt face said, 'but we haven’t seen it with our own eyes, so we're unsure. We're grateful you waived the land tax, but what if these crops fail? What will we exchange for food? I have three children at home; we can’t go hungry for long!'"

"As he finished, other farmers echoed his sentiments."

"Lu Jingzhuo wasn’t in a hurry, 'Then what do you suggest? Continue growing wheat?'"

"The farmers looked at each other, unable to come up with a solution."

"A hush fell over the crowd."

"Lu Jingzhuo slightly lifted his chin, 'After this year's locust plague, you had no harvest. The court provided disaster relief to help you through this difficulty... Tell me, if not the court, who will you trust? You say Minister Yi isn't a farmer and can't farm, but did you know General Xiao Ronglin, who fights the Northern Di, isn't originally a warrior? It’s not just theory; neither Minister Yi nor General Xiao are mere theorists. They are willing to act,' he paused, 'Look at him, does he really look like an official?'"

"Apart from his official robe, Yi Jian had nothing about him that resembled an official."

"He seemed more like a person who kept company with the land."

"The farmers found themselves at a loss for words."

"Truly fitting the image of a wise crown prince and emperor in her heart, Chu Yin's eyes sparkled with admiration. However, it wasn't the time to gaze at Lu Jingzhuo. She raised her voice, 'If you still doubt, why not test Minister Yi with a difficult question? If he cannot answer, he would be too ashamed to stay, let alone your skepticism.'"

"The Princess Consort's voice was sweet and pleasant, and her tone light, re-energizing the farmers."

"'Minister Yi, how do you deal with aphids on wheat?' one of them asked."

"'Burn oyster shells and crush them for pest control,' he replied."

"He was correct."

"Another farmer continued, 'How about the sap-sucking insects on soybeans?'"

"'Smoke them out with burning Artemisia,' Yi Jian answered."

"The farmers were amazed; such knowledge was not common among officials."

"They then turned to the most experienced among them, 'Your turn, ask something harder.'"

"Yet Yi Jian had an answer for everything, often even better solutions than they knew."

"Convinced and satisfied, the farmers unanimously declared, 'Your Highness, we are committed to following Minister Yi's lead in combating the locust plague!'"

"With the issue resolved satisfactorily, Lu Jingzhuo was very pleased. His gaze drifted towards Chu Yin, who wasn’t looking at him but at the vast farmlands, smiling slightly as if envisioning next year's bountiful harvest."

"In that moment, he suddenly felt Chu Yin was somewhat distant from him."

"Even though she stood right beside him."

"Hopeful, the farmers left to prepare for the next day's early morning sowing."

"Yi Jian held great respect for the Crown Prince and Princess Consort."

"He had been worried about the success of this venture, as the farmers truly didn't trust him. However, the Crown Prince and Princess Consort solved the problem effortlessly."

"I will certainly not let down Your Highnesses," Yi Jian praised wholeheartedly, "With both of you, Da Yue will surely prosper and its people live in peace."

Lu Jingchen: "..."

"He wasn't mentioned at all."

"But indeed, he hadn't contributed any ideas. Firstly, he didn't dare to interrupt, and secondly, he lacked his elder brother's capabilities. Even with aspirations for the throne, Lu Jingchen was acutely aware of the gap between them at this moment."

"He could only strive harder to catch up with his elder brother!"

"Chu Yin, however, smilingly asked Yi Jian, 'Minister Yi, after deciding on the crops, what's the next step?'"

"'We wait for spring to destroy the locust eggs. They prefer to lay eggs in loose soil, and I've already located several of their nests,' he replied."

"'That's great, what comes next?'"

"'There will inevitably be some that slip through the net, so we must continue to catch the young locusts.'"

"Lu Jingzhuo didn’t ask anything, merely observing silently."

"Yi Jian soon excused himself to get busy in the fields, and the trio headed towards their sedan chairs."

"Along the edge of the fields were mulberry trees, as well as jujube trees bearing fruit. The ripe dates, like little garnets, hung from the branches, catching Chu Yin’s eye."

"Suddenly, a gust of autumn wind whipped through, causing the branches to shake violently, dislodging something onto her sleeve."

"Upon closer inspection, it was a caterpillar, thicker than a finger."

"Startled, Chu Yin screamed and frantically shook her sleeve."

"After the panic, she realized she had lost her composure."

"Her scream must have been heard clearly by the nearby imperial guards and attendants. Lu Jingzhuo must also have thought she didn't behave like a Princess Consort should."

"Chu Yin's cheeks flushed slightly as she took a deep breath and called to Dong Ling, 'Could you help me get rid of this insect?'"

"It was still on her sleeve!"

"She hadn't brought any maids to the fields, and since she hadn't reconciled with the Crown Prince, it seemed natural for Dong Ling to step in."

"But as he bent down to remove the insect and straightened up to meet Lu Jingzhuo's gaze, Dong Ling suddenly felt he might have done something wrong."

"Would the Crown Prince be upset about him removing the insect?"

"But then again..."

"Hadn’t he and the Princess Consort had a quarrel?"

"Or did the Crown Prince intend to do it himself?"