Even the well-informed Duke He's mansion couldn't learn of the recruitment order issued by Linchuan through normal channels; only a fool would believe it was just a coincidence.
Song Jiuyuan was stunned. "Is someone in the capital deliberately blocking news from Linchuan? That doesn't make sense!"
Now that Yun Lie has received the imperial edict and taken up his fief, it is equivalent to him voluntarily withdrawing from the struggle for the throne, which has not yet fully begun. There is no need for those in the capital to regard Yun Lie as a potential rival.
After all, there are only a few people left to check and balance each other. When the truth comes out in the future, Yun Lie will be the one they win over. Whoever sides with him will win.
Whoever among them did it, suppressing Linchuan at this time is truly incomprehensible.
That night, before going to sleep, Yun Lie casually mentioned this to Luo Cuiwei while embracing her, and Luo Cuiwei was also very surprised.
“It’s not surprising. People with the surname Yun probably have their own obsessions to some extent,” Yun Lie chuckled self-deprecatingly, then lowered his head and kissed the top of his wife’s head. “There’s no need for a direct confrontation right now. Let them run wild for now, and we’ll continue doing what we need to do.”
Someone deliberately prevented talented people in the capital from being used by him. This tactic was essentially no different from deliberately withholding and delaying the Linchuan army's food and pay in the past. It was simply to provoke a conflict with him, make him make a mistake in his haste, and then take the opportunity to strike him deadly.
The other party might think that now that he has taken over the territory, he must have become arrogant and would no longer be as tolerant as before; but he deliberately ignored this and pretended to know nothing, just like before.
He was very clear-headed; Linchuan was not yet ready to withstand any setbacks and should not be allowed to create further complications.
For nearly two hundred years, the Luo family of Jingxi had never experienced a case of infighting among its members, so the open and covert struggles between the princes were completely inexplicable to Luo Cuiwei.
Hearing Yun Lie's calm and composed tone, she felt relieved and muttered, "You guys are such a bunch of busybodies, tsk tsk, I'll just listen and forget about it, I can't handle it."
As she spoke, she curled up in his arms like a cat, rubbing her soft cheek against his shoulder.
"With me here, you don't need to worry about these things," Yun Lie said tenderly, covering her increasingly heavy eyes with his palm. "Go to sleep."
"Oh, right, you just said that 'people with the surname Yun all have their own obsessions to some extent'?"
Warm, large hands gently caressed Luo Cuiwei's eyelids, and sleepiness quickly overcame her. When she spoke again, her words were soft and sticky, like a toddler learning to speak, "Then... are you the same? What is your obsession?"
"Luo Cuiwei".
"Um?"
Yun Lie chuckled softly, looking down at his drowsy wife in his arms. "I mean, my obsession."
You're probably the one.
****
Yun Lie had previously visited the Fu family of Tongshan, and they did not break their promise. On September 15th, Fu Ying, the seventh daughter of the Fu family, led more than ten relatives and elders of the Fu family to select a site.
The Fu family clearly intended to elevate their clan's status under the rule of Prince Zhao's residence. Fu Ying overruled the objections of the clan elders and decisively chose a location just a wall away from Prince Zhao's residence for the main Fu family mansion, and immediately set September 23 as the day to break ground for construction.
When no one was looking, Song Jiuyuan leaned close to Yun Lie and whispered with a smile, "This Miss Fu Qi is no ordinary person."
He looked to be no more than twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, but the resolute and stern look in his eyes silenced the Fu clan elders instantly, clearly indicating that he was a man of great authority in the clan.
Yun Lie responded thoughtfully, "Be more careful."
The current establishment of government offices is in dire need of capable people. If this Miss Fu Qi is interested in taking up an official post, it would be a good opportunity to select her based on her abilities.
****
The Fu family chose September 23rd as the date for breaking ground, and coincidentally, Luo Cuiwei also chose September 23rd as the date for breaking ground.
At the same time, five or six sizable houses needed to be built, and the defense of the new city required even more manpower. Naturally, many vagrants from the surrounding area who had no land, property, or jobs came to seek work in order to make a living.
With the example set by the Fu family of Tongshan, several other prominent local families followed suit, inquiring through various channels about the favorable conditions that the Prince Zhao's Mansion was offering to the first families to settle in the new city.
The sudden influx of a large population around the still-unfinished new city naturally attracted some astute merchants who sought profit by engaging in various small businesses related to people's livelihoods, hoping to seize the opportunity.
The originally chaotic six cities of Linchuan were gradually brought onto an invisible track.
On September 27th, Luo Cuiwei took some time to check on the progress of the house construction. Before she even arrived, Song Qiuqi rushed over in a hurry.
"Your Highness, I am well." Song Qiuqi stopped abruptly and hurriedly bowed.
Luo Cuiwei looked at her in surprise at her hurried appearance, "What are you going to do?"
She was busy, so she asked Song Qiuqi to come over whenever she had free time. If Gao Zhan needed anything arranged, she could ask the girl to run errands for him.
"I was just about to come looking for you," Song Qiuqi said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Young Master Gao Zhan might get beaten to death by Miss Fu Qi next door!"
"Huh?!" Luo Cuiwei was so shocked her jaw almost dropped.
Gao Zhan has a pretty good temper; he hasn't had any arguments or conflicts with anyone since he arrived.
As for Miss Fu Qi, Luo Cuiwei had met her on the day the construction began. The two greeted each other and chatted for a few minutes. She didn't seem like the kind of person who would cause trouble.
How did these two start arguing?
"He deserved it," Song Qiuqi said, stamping her foot. "He was so bored that he went to look at the neighbor's building plans. Fine, he looked, but he had to say that the plans were ugly! Fine, he had to snatch them and redraw them for him!"
With such a meddlesome and foul mouth, it would be strange if he didn't get beaten up.
----2018/3/31 0:59:41|53370827----
64. Chapter Sixty-Four
Although Luo Cuiwei held half a gold seal of the Prince Zhao's mansion and was appointed as the regent by imperial decree, and Yun Lie did not hide anything from her, she knew that she was completely ignorant of political affairs. She would just listen to the general idea and never interfere or meddle recklessly.
Because the new city is under construction, the appointment of officials to establish the government has not yet been officially announced. However, Gao Zhan is now a shoo-in for the position of Craftsman Zhonglang. Once the official appointment document is issued, he will be respectfully addressed as "Lord Gao". As for the future of that Miss Fu Qi, although it is still uncertain, she is being secretly evaluated and assessed. Perhaps she will also become a "Lord Fu" in the future.
Both are the "pillars of tomorrow" of Linchuan. If they really get into a conflict over such a trivial matter, wouldn't that make them a laughing stock?