Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 645: Chapter 318: Going Down to Jiangnan_2

"Do not lose this token at any cost," Prince Wei instructed very seriously, "This token is very useful, keep it well."

Zhao Yao obediently nodded, then placed the token carefully into his bosom.

"Eighth Brother, don’t worry. While the token is with me, I am here. If the token is not, neither am I..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Yao’s forehead was tapped. Prince Wei deliberately put on a stern face and said, "What nonsense are you talking? Although this token is important, it’s not as important as you are."

"Hehehe, I was just joking."

Prince Wei looked at Zhao Yao with resignation, thought for a moment, and couldn’t help but remind him a few more times.

Although the instructions from Prince Wei were the same as those given by Prince Chu, Zhao Yao didn’t mind and listened attentively.

Seeing that it was getting late, Prince Wei didn’t keep Zhao Yao for dinner.

As soon as Zhao Yao returned to the palace, he was summoned to the East Warm Pavilion of Chengguang Hall.

The Emperor had just finished his work and, seeing Zhao Yao had returned, invited him to join him for dinner.

During dinner, the Emperor also said a few words.

Zhao Yao did not ask the Emperor about the imperial examination. Ever since the issue of the imperial examination was raised, the entire capital had become very lively, with everyone talking about it. Even the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace were secretly discussing the matter. The commotion caused by the imperial examination would not temporarily subside before the county examination began. When the county examination started, another wave would emerge. It was estimated that it wouldn’t be tranquil until the child examination ended.

"Rascal, if you see anything or encounter anything in Jiangnan, do not act impulsively," the Emperor said, "Write to me, and I will arrange for people to handle it."

Zhao Yao felt that there was something off in the Emperor’s words. He furrowed his brow slightly and said, "Father, from the way you speak, it sounds like I’m definitely going to encounter something during this trip to Jiangnan, and it’s not going to be a small matter. What’s going on over there in Jiangnan? Is someone stirring up trouble?"

"There’s nothing in Yangzhou, but there are some issues in Jinling and Suzhou," the Emperor did not intend to detail the matters in those two places to Zhao Yao, "When you go to Jinling, make sure to visit Mr. Meng and do not involve yourself in other matters."

Zhao Yao thought to himself that he was not someone who meddled in others’ business or someone who would shout at injustice.

"I don’t have that much free time," he was indeed busy, with no time for other things. Even if he wasn’t busy, he wouldn’t willingly court trouble by doing anything.

The Emperor had other matters to attend to, so he said nothing more to Zhao Yao, just waved his hand, signaling him that he could leave.

Zhao Yao originally intended to say something, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. He saluted the Emperor, then left the East Warm Pavilion.

Upon returning to Xingde Palace, Zhao Yao checked his luggage once more. After confirming everything was in order, he washed up and went to bed.

The next day, at daybreak, Zhao Yao was awakened by Tong Xi. After tidying up, he went to Kunde Hall to have breakfast with Lady Liang and the others.

Yu Meiren and the others prepared some snacks for Zhao Yao to take along his journey.

After finishing breakfast, Zhao Yao left the palace for the dock. As for the Emperor, he was still attending court, and Zhao Yao couldn’t go to bid farewell to him.

He didn’t go to see He Lianfang, heading straight for the dock instead. Liang Run and his four conspicuous brothers were already waiting for him there.

Upon seeing Zhao Yao arrive, Song Jicai and the others hurried over.

This time when Zhao Yao was going to Jiangnan, he specifically brought Zhang He and the others. He initially thought that General Zhang would not agree, but they surprisingly consented and even happily had them packed and sent over.

As the auspicious time arrived, the official boat carrying Zhao Yao and the others set sail.

Prince Chu and Prince Wei were still attending court and could not come to personally see Zhao Yao off. At that moment, they were a bit distracted in the court hall, knowing that Zhao Yao had already boarded the ship and left the capital.

This time, Zhao Yao’s trip to Jiangnan worried not the Emperor the most but Prince Chu and Prince Wei. They were very reluctant, especially for Prince Wei, as this was the first time Zhao Yao and he would be separated for such an extended period, making it somewhat unsettling for him.

Onboard, Zhao Yao and his four conspicuous brothers found everything to be quite novel, and the group wandered around the ship hand in hand.

After their exploration, they sat on the deck, basking in the sun and enjoying the river breeze, feeling very relaxed.

To travel from the capital to Jiangnan, one needs to pass through several rivers, since the Great Zhou, unlike Zhao Yao’s dream world, does not have the Grand Canal. If there was a Grand Canal, traveling by boat from the capital to Jiangnan would become very convenient.

The matter of digging and constructing a canal had been in the Emperor’s plans for several years now. However, back then, due to lack of funds, this had to be shelved temporarily. Now that the national treasury has money, the Emperor plans to dig and build the canal within the next couple of years, as well as renovate other waterways, especially the Yellow River and its nearby rivers.