Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 640: Chapter 316: Imperial Examination_4

"Mother, the way you say it makes it sound like I’m always causing trouble," Zhao Yao said, a bit indignant, "Also, when have I ever caused trouble?" He had always been well-behaved, never causing trouble or seeking it out.

"I’m afraid you’ll become a hero and then go around fighting for justice," Lady Liang advised, "When you’re out there, you must be cautious and careful, and do not easily reveal your identity..."

Zhao Yao patiently listened to Lady Liang’s admonitions. Although his mother appeared calm on the surface, he could hear the concern in her voice.

"Mother, I’m so smart; I would never let myself be in danger, so you can relax."

Lady Liang did not say much more. She feared that if she continued, she wouldn’t be able to hold back...

"Aren’t you still going to find that second uncle of yours? Go on."

"Mother, I’m leaving now." Zhao Yao pretended not to see Lady Liang’s reddened eyes, and he left Kunde Hall with a look of joy.

After her son left, Lady Liang couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

Gui Xing brought over a cup of tea: "Your Ladyship, if you can’t bear to part with His Highness, you can let him stay."

"Even if I can’t bear it, I can’t make him stay." Lady Liang wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, "If I don’t let him leave now, he will still have to leave in a few years, and then he will go even further away."

"Your Ladyship..."

"His Majesty mentioned the imperial examination this morning; the capital will soon become very lively. It’s not good for Yao Yao to stay in the capital; it’s better for him to go to Jiangnan." Although Lady Liang’s face showed reluctance, her eyes were firm, "Besides, he has never met his grandparents. This time he can go to Yangzhou on his way to Jiangnan and meet them, help me pay respects to them."

"The master and mistress will certainly be very happy to see His Highness."

"Father and mother must have been eagerly waiting long enough."

As Lady Liang had said, Liang Shuren and the others had been anticipating Zhao Yao’s arrival since the beginning of the year.

Every day, Lady Liang would ask Liang Shuren where Zhao Yao was and when he would arrive in Yangzhou.

"Has His Highness set off? When will he arrive in Yangzhou?" Lady Liang hurriedly asked as she saw her husband return.

Liang Shuren understood his wife’s anxious feelings and smiled at her gently, "His Highness will set off tomorrow; it will take more than a month to reach Yangzhou."

"It will still take so long." Lady Liang really couldn’t wait a moment longer, "Yangzhou is close to Jinling; we should go to Jinling to see His Highness first."

"How will you go if you get seasick?"

"I’ll take medicine." To see her precious grandson, Lady Liang was willing to do anything.

"His Highness is visiting Mr. Meng in Jinling first; after that, he will come to Yangzhou to find us. What are you in such a hurry for?"

Lady Liang glared at Liang Shuren, "Aren’t you in a hurry?"

"I’m not as impatient as you are," Liang Shuren said, "Besides, no matter how anxious we are, it won’t do any good."

Lady Liang said full of self-reproach, "It’s all because of my frail body; otherwise, we could have seen His Highness earlier."

"You know you’re not well, so don’t think about going to Jinling to see him. It’s better to wait obediently for him in Yangzhou."

"Is it safe for His Highness to travel by boat?" Lady Liang asked, "Shouldn’t we send someone to escort him and then accompany him to Jinling?"

"You don’t need to worry about that; His Highness wrote in the letter that His Majesty will send people to escort him to Jiangnan."

Far away in the capital, Zhao Yao sneezed several times, causing He Lianfang to look at him with some concern.

Zhao Yao smiled at He Lianfang, "Someone must be talking about me."

"Don’t forget to visit Suzhou when you go to Jiangnan this time."

"Second Uncle, rest assured, I plan to visit several prefectures in Jiangnan." He rarely had a chance to go to Jiangnan, so he definitely wanted to visit every place there; otherwise, the trip would be in vain. Besides, after this visit, who knew when he would have the opportunity to go again. "I also plan to go to Qiantang."

He Lianfang asked curiously, "What will you do in Qiantang?"

"To be precise, I want to visit several places by the sea and recruit some skilled sailors to go to Lingnan."

He Lianfang immediately understood Zhao Yao’s intention.

"You want to turn Lingnan into a harbor?"

Zhao Yao nodded, "Yes, that’s correct. Lingnan is also near the sea, and it’s close to several countries like Annan. It has advantages over places like Qiantang."

He Lianfang nodded slightly, "Indeed."

"Since the lifting of the maritime ban, there have been earthshaking changes in several coastal places," Zhao Yao sighed, "The wealth brought by maritime trade is undeniable. Lingnan’s geographical position is advantageous; why can’t it engage in maritime trade?"

"How do you plan to do it?"

"Second Uncle, do you know what the most sought-after thing is in the Central Plains?"

He Lianfang blurted out, "Tea leaves." Tea leaves have always been the most important, popular, and profitable item in maritime trade.

"Yes, precisely tea leaves," Zhao Yao said earnestly, "Besides tea, our porcelain, silk, and embroidery are also very popular. In recent years, foreign envoys have gone crazy buying these items as soon as they arrive in the Great Zhou."

"Do you also want to sell these things in Lingnan?"

"Of course. But the most important thing is that we need to bring goods from Annan and those countries to sell in the Great Zhou."

"The precious thing from Annan is gold, right?"

"Not just gold, but also jade," Zhao Yao said, "Second Uncle, you forgot there are many jade stones there."

"There are indeed many jade stones there, but their craftsmanship is crude, and the jade pieces produced are not good."

"We can buy their jade stones, then carve exquisite jade artifacts to sell back to them." Zhao Yao’s eyes gleamed with excitement, "Second Uncle, actually gold and jade stones aren’t the most valuable; the most valuable are the spices from there."

He Lianfang was surprised, "Spices?"

"Yes, the spices there are not only abundant but also varied; however, the people there don’t know how to use them," Zhao Yao recently recalled the potential of spices, "Second Uncle, haven’t you noticed that the spices from the Western Regions are very popular in Great Zhou? The spices from Annan are better than those from the Western Regions. Do you think this business is worth doing?"

"It certainly is." Although He Lianfang didn’t personally like incense, noble families did, and they were willing to spend on spices.

"Spices will be highly profitable; we need to start this business before others discover it." In the history of the world Zhao Yao had dreamed of, spices were incredibly valuable, and many became rich by selling them. "So, I plan to establish several fleets in Lingnan in advance. Once I come of age and reach Lingnan, I will undoubtedly develop Lingnan into the Great Zhou’s largest port."