Chapter 200 Reward

Chapter 200: A Reward

The Crown Prince's words were filled with the superior's calculation and control over commoners: "Women and boys have always been dependent on their husbands. If they are allowed to surpass men, they will only become harder to manage."

Meng Wan, having lived for over twenty years in a modern society of equality, felt uncomfortable hearing this. But he wouldn't foolishly argue with the Crown Prince; instead, he went along with his words.

"Your Highness speaks truly, but in places like Heshan..." Meng Wan's words took a turn. "Has Your Highness ever seen my painting, 'The Hundred Scenes of Heshan'?"

A clever person would grasp the implication with a slight hint. Before Heshan, there were barely three generations of its people, and survival was a struggle for the poor. Who cared about women or boys working?

"My sugar mill has been in operation for three years now. In these three years, I hired men to bring the sugarcane into the mill. All the remaining labor was done by these women and boys. In three years, the Heshan Sugar Mill has sold a total of 1.4 million jin of high-purity brown sugar and ordinary brown sugar." After Meng Wan stated this staggering figure, even the two stone-faced guards behind the Crown Prince changed their expressions.

Meng Wan sighed, "In these three years, these women have contributed greatly to the construction of Heshan, creating earnings no less than those of men. If we simply treat their labor as a mere tool to boost birth rates, that would be a great waste."

The Crown Prince fell silent for a moment. He began to fiddle with the valuable coral bracelet on his wrist after hearing Meng Wan mention the sugar production volume. He didn't stop the motion for a long time. "You and your husband are truly serving the nation and the people. His Majesty remembers Lord Song's achievements and values your paintings. Settle down in Xi Wu for three years. If you encounter any difficulties, come to the capital to find me."

If three years ago, he had regarded Song Tingzhou as merely a minor jinshi and Meng Wan as a clever boy, now he had completely overturned that view and even regretted, out of appreciation for talent, not having insisted on Song Tingzhou staying in the capital.

Song Tingzhou had already been promoted to Vice Prefect of Xi Wu. The Crown Prince's words essentially let them do as they pleased, with him covering their backs, yet without forcing Song Tingzhou into his faction.

Meng Wan instantly liked him a lot more. Strike while the iron is hot; he immediately shamelessly said, "Since Your Highness has said so, I do have a small matter to ask for your help."

He was dressed in light but not flamboyant garments, and his beautiful face carried an ingratiating expression that was not annoying. The Crown Prince kept up his airs. "Speak, what is it?"

Not daring to look the Crown Prince in the eye, Meng Wan dropped his eyes slightly and spoke while discreetly observing the Crown Prince's expression. "I heard you once visited a kiln and know that I need to make a sealing item, but I still lack some things. I'd like to ask Your Highness for them."

The Crown Prince gently turned the fancy colorful beads in his hand. "What items?"

"Not items, but people. I want some skilled craftsmen from the Guanyu Bureau." Fearing the Crown Prince would refuse, Meng Wan quickly explained, "They don't have to be the best; some apprentices who know how to make glass will do. I want to make a batch of glass jars to store lychees."

The court ran the Guanyu Bureau to create fine ornamental items and vessels for the nobility, used in palace feasts and decorations. Making crude glass jars should be fine.

But if commoners wanted to produce glass, they certainly needed imperial approval; otherwise, ten heads wouldn't be enough. Meng Wan asked the Crown Prince for the craftsmen mainly to legitimize his factory.

The Crown Prince's eyes flickered with surprise. "You actually want to find a way to store lychees?"

Looking at the sugar mill he had single-handedly built, Meng Wan felt a surge of emotions. "They say Lingnan is remote, with steep mountains that aren't suitable for large-scale farming. That is indeed its disadvantage. But the lychees and oranges of Lingnan are unique in all of Yu. That is its advantage. I want to spread Lingnan's lychees far and wide, so that when scholars mention Lingnan, it no longer carries the disdainful name of a barren backwater."

He didn't sound fiery, but it got people fired up. The guards beside the Crown Prince exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock and admiration.

The clicking of the beads stopped. The Crown Prince put the bracelet back on his wrist. "I agree. After I return to the palace, I will select two craftsmen from clean backgrounds and send them to Xi Wu."

Meng Wan barely suppressed the smile that kept trying to break out, lowered his head, and bowed. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Maybe he laid the flattery on too thick at the sugar mill that day. On the way back, the Crown Prince took two pieces of white mutton-fat jade from his luggage and wanted to bestow them upon Meng Wan.

Meng Wan was startled. "Your Highness, I really can't take this!"

Holy cow, had he overdone it? This stupid mouth of mine!

Seeing Meng Wan's genuine panic, the Crown Prince just laughed. "Relax. Do you think I, a prince, have never seen a beauty before? I wouldn't forcibly take an official's husband. Take it. You established the sugar mill, giving the people a livelihood. If you weren't a boy, even a thousand taels of gold would be insufficient."

Meng Wan's appearance was indeed lovely, moving one's heart. But he was already married and had a child. Otherwise, taking him as a concubine in the Eastern Palace would have been fine.

However, his greatest value was not to be confined to the inner chambers. The Crown Prince saw it clearly: he could be cultivated but not defiled.

Meng Wan accepted the reward nervously. He stayed at home, not stepping a foot outside, minimizing contact with the Crown Prince. Two days later, when the Crown Prince, accompanied by Qin Jiao, inspected the nearest sugarcane fields and decided to set out for Qinzhou, Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou appeared together to see the Crown Prince off.

"Is something wrong?" Song Tingzhou could naturally see Meng Wan's unease, but he sensed that Meng Wan was holding back, as if extremely wary of the Crown Prince. He had to wait until the Crown Prince and Qin Jiao left before asking.

In ancient times, it was customary to set off early. After seeing the Crown Prince off, before dawn, Meng Wan pulled Song Tingzhou back to their room. From a hidden cabinet by the bedside, he took out a box made of fine golden nanmu and inlaid with a blue gem.

"This is what the Crown Prince bestowed upon me." Meng Wan's eyes carried a hint of anxiety. "Song Tingzhou, have I caused trouble?"

He wasn't a god; he couldn't fathom everyone's thoughts. Ordinary people with simple minds were easy to understand, but the intentions of high-ranking officials were deep and unfathomable. Meng Wan couldn't gauge their true feelings. He was used to planning for the worst, considering the worst possible outcome and whether he could bear it.

Although the Crown Prince had said those words, Meng Wan was on edge until he left. Only in front of Song Tingzhou would he show his weak side.

He told Song Tingzhou everything, and seeing that Song Tingzhou's expression was even worse than his own made him even more anxious.

Song Tingzhou composed himself and realized that Meng Wan had misinterpreted his expression. He quickly embraced him. "Wan'er, don't be afraid. The Crown Prince has always been steady in the capital, never doing anything reckless. I'm mad at myself for being so useless, not noticing, and letting you be scared for so long."

Meng Wan felt half his worries melt away in his arms. He whispered to Song Tingzhou with a dependent tone, "Actually, I also think the probability is small. But dealing with such an imposing royal makes me nervous, afraid of losing my composure." ...and messing up Song Tingzhou's career.

Song Tingzhou sat with Meng Wan on the soft couch, his arms around him, their bodies close together. He gently pressed his warm lips to Meng Wan's forehead, his voice was incredibly tender. "Don't be afraid, Wan'er. No matter what happens, I am here."

Though he had been promoted to the fifth rank, there were still fourth, third, first ranks, and even the royal family above him. He needed to work harder to reach a level where no royal dared to move against his family, so that he could safely bring Meng Wan, Chang Jinhua, and A Yan back to the capital.

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask you, did anyone cause you trouble in the capital?" Meng Wan wanted to know the identity and status of the person who made soap, but he was afraid that inquiring might expose him, so he hadn't even told Song Tingzhou the details.

The experts the Crown Prince brought were at least second-rate; even Xue Sheng couldn't defeat them. The couple hadn't dared to discuss the specifics of events in the capital these days, only now lying on the couch and pouring out their concerns.

When it came to trouble, Song Tingzhou immediately thought of Prince Lian. "It's fortunate that you were cautious and sent the letter to Ms. Xiang. Otherwise, it would definitely have been intercepted."

Meng Wan wasn't sure if someone would intercept the letter; he was just being cautious and had prepared for it. So, he was quite surprised when Song Tingzhou mentioned it. "Someone actually intercepted the letter? With such far-reaching means, even reaching Lingnan, could it be the royal family?"

Song Tingzhou pulled out the cloud-shaped hairpin from his head, placing it on the side cabinet, and stroked Meng Wan's falling black hair. "It was Prince Lian. If my guess is correct, Chen Yunmo and those people, even if not directly ordered by Prince Lian, are closely related to him."

Leaning against him, Meng Wan mused, "Prince Lian is in his twenties now, right? Among the emperor's sons, besides the second, Prince Qin, the fourth, the Crown Prince, and the fifth, Prince Lian, are there any other princes?"

Song Tingzhou glanced at the sky outside and decided he could hold Meng Wan for a little longer before taking a nap. Adjusting his position, he replied, "No."

Originally lying comfortably on him, but the weather was too hot, so Meng Wan quietly moved back. "Prince Lian and the Crown Prince are fierce rivals. We are already on good terms with Qin Jiao, and we detained Chen Yunmo and Chen Chong. We really have a hot potato on our hands."

He shared Song Tingzhou's thought: at this juncture, having finally gained the favor of the emperor and the Crown Prince, they definitely couldn't get mixed up in factional fights.

Noticing his movement, Song Tingzhou pulled him back into his arms. He reached for a palm-leaf fan placed by the window and began fanning Meng Wan. "Don't worry. I will handle this. Sleep a little more, and I'll fan you."

Soothing words calmed Meng Wan. He took off his thin, gauze-like outer robe, casually tossing it aside, and closed his eyes peacefully.

The clothes he wore underneath were like a vest, revealing his collarbone and arms. The breeze from Song Tingzhou's fan blew the stray hairs on his forehead, making them dance before landing back on his fair, smooth forehead.

Song Tingzhou watched his sleeping face until the sky outside the window turned the color of fish belly, and morning light filtered through the sparse clouds, gilding the window frame with a golden edge.

Meng Wan's long eyelashes fluttered, but he'd only slept a bit and didn't want to wake up yet.

Song Tingzhou eased his arm out from under Meng Wan's neck, then gently lifted him from the couch. Seeing that he was half-awake, he coaxed softly, "The bed is by the window; let me carry you to the bed."

Meng Wan might not have fully understood, but as soon as he hit the bed, he rolled over and conked out again.

Song Tingzhou adjusted his clothes, grabbed a book, and sat by the bed, reading while fanning Meng Wan. A moment later, hearing footsteps outside, he guessed it was A Yan coming to call them for a meal. He put down the book and fan, went to the door, and stopped him. "Shh, good boy A Yan, your A-die is still sleeping. I'll come have breakfast with you."

A Yan imitated his way of speaking softly and adorably teased Meng Wan. "A-die is such a lazybones! He said the same thing about me!"

Song Tingzhou bent down slightly and took his son's hand. "Your A-die isn't lazy. He is the best, smartest, most handsome boy in all of Yu."

A Yan stared with eyes just like Meng Wan's, looking at Song Tingzhou expectantly. "What about me?"

Song Tingzhou touched the two small buns on his head that Chang Jinhua had tied up and said gently, "A Yan is also the smartest good A Yan in all of Yu."

A Yan shyly covered his face, "Dad, when you weren't home, A Yan missed you so much! You have to say A Yan is pretty too!!!"

Chang Jinhua was carrying a basket of steamed buns to the main room when she heard A Yan's words and burst out laughing, "A Yan, only little boys and girls want to be praised as pretty. A Yan is a man."

A Yan puffed out his fair, tender cheeks and tucked in his chin to express his displeasure. "A Yan just wants to be pretty!"

Song Tingzhou touched the flesh squeezed out under his chin. "A Yan is usually very pretty, but when he's angry, he's not pretty."

A Yan covered his cheeks, alarmed. "Really? Then A Yan won't be angry anymore!"

He somehow found a small mirror and kept picking it up to look at himself every few bites during the meal, obsessively checking himself.

Chang Jinhua laughed heartily. "This child really is something. I wonder who he takes after, you or Wan Geer. He's such a clever little guy."

A Yan took a bite of the steamed bun and replied to his grandmother with a mouthful, "Takes after big brother."

Chu Ci silently curled his lips into a faint smile.

It seemed that after the departure of that great figure—the Crown Prince, not only Meng Wan but the whole family had relaxed.

After the meal, Song Tingzhou went to the yamen again. These days he had been busy recording the operational procedures of the yamen in detail to facilitate a smooth handover when the new County Magistrate arrived.

Moreover, Chief Clerk Qiao was meticulous in his work, and Song Tingzhou was accustomed to relying on him. He wanted to take him along when he went to Xiwu to take up his post, so he needed to go and ask Chief Clerk Qiao for his opinion.

If he agreed, he would recommend him to a superior for the position of an eighth-rank Prefectural Secretary, to continue handling affairs under his command.

Everyone wanted a promotion. For a scholar in his forties like Chief Clerk Qiao, becoming a Prefectural Secretary was already extremely honorable.

He was both surprised and delighted to learn that Song Tingzhou wanted to promote him. Although this superior of his usually assigned a lot of official duties, the benefits were really good.

Before the joy in his heart could subside, he saw Song Tingzhou pointing to a stack of accounts for him to organize. After the new Scribe took office, he would not only have to hand over his massive workload to the new Scribe but also report to the new County Magistrate. While Chief Clerk Qiao was toiling away, Song Tingzhou had already efficiently found the new Scribe, who was Zheng Yuan, a friend of Lu Su.