noffsinger Chapter 303: How Much Credibility Does the Rumor Have?
Chapter 303: How Much Credibility Does the Rumor Have?
Just as she was about to leave the inn, she received a letter from Wu Sha.
The letter said he was safe and sound, and asked her to thank his senior brother on his behalf, as well as thank her for contacting him.
Fang Qingyou felt a little guilty, but she could finally put her worries to rest.
I don't know if I'll be able to make it back from the south next month.
In the time that followed, Fang Qingyou always deliberately avoided Luo Qianmo. However, even though she forcibly suppressed her inner condemnation and stopped checking his injuries every day, the fact was that they met every day, sometimes even several times a day.
There are always various things that can connect them.
Since they had already met, Fang Qingyou didn't stand on ceremony. Every time they met, she would take his pulse and check his physical condition.
It seems that Luo Qianmo has someone with exceptional medical skills by his side who takes good care of his body, and his complexion and condition are improving every day.
Time passed by little by little, and more than half a month flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was already early September.
The further south you go, the more desolate it becomes.
At first, it was a prosperous capital city, but it declined more and more over time.
This decline is a stark contrast to the past prosperity of the South.
Although the south is far from Kyoto, its abundant rainfall has led to the development of agriculture and shipping, which in turn has resulted in a highly developed economy.
This place was once a gathering place for wealthy farmers and merchants, but now...
September, the golden autumn month, is usually the harvest season for millet, potatoes, and many fruits. The south is usually very busy at this time of year, but now, there are no farmers busy harvesting or merchants busy transporting goods.
The feeling was as if I had arrived in another place, not the rumored south.
Luo Qianmo, Fang Qingyou, She Ruifeng and their group stopped in Lingnan City.
It's not that they don't want to go on, but that they can no longer go on.
Lingnan City, as its name suggests, has an east-west mountain range that acts as a natural barrier, separating it from cities to the south.
In addition, the city has tall city walls, which further ensure the city's safety.
Lingnan City has only two city gates, one to the north and one to the south. A long mountain range stretches between the north and south. The north gate is close to the north, while the tall city wall of the south gate blocks everything to the south.
Therefore, Lingnan City was able to be preserved despite the rampant insect plague in the south.
The group entered Lingnan City from the north. After receiving news of their arrival, the prefect of Lingnan City led his men to wait outside the city early that morning.
Although it wasn't until noon that the magistrate finally saw the group, there was no anger on his face, only the excitement of finally seeing his saviors.
"Eighth Prince, General She, please!" Prefect Wang led the group to a mansion that had been prepared in advance.
This mansion is vast, covering dozens of acres, and a gilded plaque hangs above the tall gate, reading "Zhou Mansion".
Luo Qianmo settled down in the main courtyard, while She Ruifeng and Fang Qingyou settled down in their respective adjacent courtyards.
The large courtyard was originally empty, but it was only after the group of people moved in that the mansion came to life.
"Prefect Wang, was the original owner of this Zhou residence the richest man in Lingnan?" Luo Qianmo asked calmly, having observed the situation of the residence.
He was not the idle prince of rumors; he had naturally done his research before coming to the south.
"Yes." Prefect Wang nodded, but couldn't help but sigh.
"Prefect Wang, has the entire Zhou family moved away?" She Ruifeng felt that no matter how powerful the prefect of Lingnan City was, it was impossible for him to have driven everyone away just to settle them in the Zhou family's residence.
Judging from the architecture, the Zhou family mansion is indeed very wealthy. They have large pieces of furniture, such as beds, tables, chairs, and desks, all of which are quite expensive. However, there are no small ornaments or bonsai. The existing bedding and small furniture items look like they were recently added, and although they are new, they are clearly not in the same style as the original furnishings.
There is only one reasonable explanation: the Zhou family moved away in a hurry, only managing to take away smaller items. They didn't have time to deal with the larger furniture or the entire mansion.
A shadow of sadness crossed Prefect Wang's eyes: "General She, that is indeed the case. Brother Zhou and his family have already left the south. However, Brother Zhou is kind and righteous. Before leaving, he left his mansion to me, hoping that I could make the most of it and help avert this natural disaster."
Prefect Wang had a good relationship with the original owner of the Zhou family. When the insect plague broke out in the south, the head of the Zhou family wanted to move his entire family. Prefect Wang tried to dissuade him many times, but to no avail.
Although I was moved at the time and quite saddened by the fact that the Zhou family head had abandoned his hometown, I still want to say a few good words for him in front of Luo Qianmo and She Ruifeng.
He didn't want them to think that the Zhou family head was too selfish, and he didn't want Emperor Mingde to find out about this matter.
Under heaven, all land belongs to the king; he did not want the Zhou family head's development to be restricted because of this.
It is human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm. The head of the Zhou family bears the safety and lives of his entire family, so his departure is out of necessity.
She Ruifeng nodded: "I see."
Luo Qianmo glanced at Prefect Wang with a calm expression, his gaze neither angry nor pleased, seemingly devoid of any emotion.
Only he himself knew that he had a decent impression of Prefect Wang; he was a good official who cared for the country and its people, and was also loyal and righteous, but he was just a bit stupid.
However, as long as this person is useful, he won't care whether he's stupid or not, as long as he doesn't interfere with official business.
Prefect Wang was somewhat startled by Luo Qianmo's gaze, feeling as if his thoughts had been read by Luo Qianmo.
And for some reason, even though there was nothing in his eyes, he just felt that this eighth prince was not as rumored.
Just then, Luo Qianmo's indifferent voice rang out again: "Prefect Wang, please tell me in detail what the situation is like in Lingnan City and the south."
Is this about to start official business?
Prefect Wang was slightly taken aback: "Eighth Prince, you've had a long journey, why don't you rest for a while, until..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by an indifferent voice.
Beneath this indifference, there was a hint of displeasure.
"Do I need Prefect Wang to arrange my affairs?"
Meeting Luo Qianmo's suddenly cold gaze, Prefect Wang was startled. It seemed that the rumors were somewhat credible; the Eighth Prince's temper was indeed not very good.
He quickly lowered his eyes and admitted his mistake: "This humble official dares not."
"Good that you don't dare." Luo Qianmo snorted coldly and calmly withdrew his eyes.
Prefect Wang wiped the cold sweat from his heart, organized his thoughts, and recounted the current situation in the south.